The Mushroom Effect - ZhanYi

Chapter 5

The sound of a beep signalled the elevator's arrival, and as the doors opened, his figure seemed to tear apart, like a mirage, dissipating.

Xiao Zhan stepped out of the elevator and said, "You're right. I'm not foolish, so I understand these things. But after falling in love with him, I can't remember the reasons, and I can't distinguish right from wrong."

"He smiles, and that's when I'm happy. If he doesn't smile, I'm not happy no matter what." Xiao Zhan muttered to himself and smiled. "I don't know when it started, but I stopped caring about material gains and losses. Love is about continuous giving and finding joy in it. If I can make him smile, it's worth it."

"Oh..." Song Li was stunned, a bit perplexed. He looked at Xiao Zhan and scratched his head. "Well, maybe I haven't experienced true love yet, so it's hard for me to imagine the feeling you're describing."

"You're still so young," Xiao Zhan looked up at the lights in the corridor and suddenly felt a bit melancholic. He sighed and said, "You young folks..."

What did he want to say? How lucky they were to be loved without realizing how fortunate it felt to be loved. Or did he want to say, "Wang Yibo, can't you see my heart, or are you pretending not to?"

He didn't know either.

Wang Yibo walked over to the table where his fellow crew members were seated. He was about to sit down when he heard, "Sit here, Yibo. The air conditioning is blowing in that direction."

Wang Yibo looked up and met Lin Siwen's smiling gaze. He also remembered the reminder from Xiao Zhan and Chen Zhihuan earlier. In an instant, he felt awkward and smiled politely, "Thank you, Captain Lin, but I actually feel a bit hot. I'll sit here for a while."

Lin Siwen looked at him as he sat down and turned his head jokingly, "Young people are full of fire. When I was your age, I would take cold showers in the summer. Now, if the air conditioning blows on me for too long, I get a headache."

"Come on, you're not old," one of the flight attendants sitting together chimed in jokingly.

Lin Siwen was a smooth talker, always knowing how to navigate conversations and keep them lively. Most people in this industry were like that.

Wang Yibo silently chewed his food, listening to their lively chatter, feeling overwhelmed. What was the point of these meaningless conversations? They called it building camaraderie with fellow crew members, and before each flight, they had to sit together for a meal. It seemed like chatting for twenty minutes could turn strangers into good brothers or sisters.

Wang Yibo absentmindedly poked at the broccoli on his plate, losing his appetite. He put down his chopsticks and took a sip of his drink.

"What's wrong, Yibo? You don't seem to have an appetite," Lin Siwen asked, concerned.

Afraid of what might come, Wang Yibo held his glass and thought for a moment before politely smiling and saying, "No, I had a late breakfast today, so I'm not very hungry."

"Oh," Lin Siwen responded, about to say something, but Chen Zhihuan spoke up first. "Hey, Yibo, is your husband also flying in the afternoon? Xiao Ye mentioned it to me yesterday. It seems like you two are flying together."

"Oh, right," Wang Yibo exclaimed inwardly for the rescue, looking at Chen Zhihuan. "He's flying to Guangzhou at 12:30, around the same time as us."

"Great! Do you have plans for the evening? I'll invite Lao Liu, and we can have hotpot together," Chen Zhihuan suggested, picking at the food on her plate and glancing behind Wang Yibo.

"That sounds good," Wang Yibo replied before someone grabbed his shoulder.

He put down his glass and turned around to see Xiao Zhan bending over, gently brushing his cheek. "Silly kid, sitting in front of the air conditioner again. What will I do if you catch a cold?"