The airport was overflowing with people.
Travelers streamed through the terminal like rushing rivers, dragging suitcases behind them as they hurried toward distant destinations. Some were leaving home. Some were returning. Some were chasing dreams, while others were escaping reality.
Every person carried a different story.
Lin Mo was no exception.
Unlike most passengers, however, she had no interest in joining the crowded waiting areas. After checking in, she found a quiet corner near the massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the runway.
There was still plenty of time before boarding.
So she pulled out her sketchbook.
Moments later, the tip of her pencil danced across the page.
The outline of an airplane gradually emerged beneath her steady hand.
To outsiders, Lin Mo looked naturally talented.
Only she knew the truth.
Talent alone could never produce skill like hers.
What people called “gifted” was actually ten years of relentless practice, countless sleepless nights, and a habit of sketching whenever she had even a few spare minutes.
Golden sunlight streamed through the glass and spilled across her figure.
Her fair skin seemed to glow beneath the warm light.
Lin Mo wasn’t the type of beauty that overwhelmed people at first glance.
There was nothing flashy about her.
No dramatic makeup.
No expensive jewelry.
No eye-catching designer brands.
She possessed the tall, slender frame common among northern girls, yet her gentle temperament softened every sharp edge. Combined with her graceful posture, she looked more like an elegant young lady from the south than someone born in northern China.
A simple white dress wrapped around her slim figure.
As she lowered her head to draw, her long neck curved gracefully beneath the sunlight.
Even sitting quietly in an overlooked corner, she somehow stood apart from everyone around her.
Like a painting.
Like a scene people couldn’t help noticing.
And at that very moment, without realizing it, she stepped into someone’s heart.
…
Not far away, Danzeng Luobu had just finished a business call.
As he slipped his phone back into his pocket, he prepared to board his flight to Chengdu.
Wherever he went, attention naturally followed.
His features were strikingly handsome, his facial structure sharp and masculine. Combined with his tall build and confident presence, he stood out effortlessly among the crowd.
Admiring glances from women were nothing new.
Danzeng had long since grown accustomed to them.
Most of the time, he simply ignored them.
His gaze wandered casually across the terminal.
Then—
It stopped.
Everything seemed to freeze.
There she was.
A girl in a white dress.
Quietly sketching beside the window.
For a brief moment, the noisy terminal vanished.
The crowds disappeared.
The endless announcements faded into silence.
Only her remained.
Danzeng stared.
One glance.
One heartbeat.
One unforgettable moment.
He had met countless beautiful women throughout his life.
Some had pursued him openly.
Others had tried every possible excuse to get close to him.
Yet never once had his heart reacted the way it did now.
The girl before him wore no makeup.
No luxury brands.
No carefully constructed image.
She was simply sitting there.
Drawing.
And somehow, that alone was enough.
There was an indescribable purity about her.
In the middle of the bustling airport, she felt strangely detached from the world around her.
Like a snow lotus blooming alone atop a sacred mountain.
Beautiful enough to admire.
Too pure to disrespect.
For the first time in years, Danzeng hesitated.
Should he walk over?
Should he introduce himself?
The thought itself startled him.
He wasn’t the kind of man who approached strangers.
He certainly wasn’t someone who acted on impulse.
Yet before he could make a decision, someone beat him to it.
An elderly couple approached Lin Mo.
They appeared to be lost.
Her drawing interrupted, Lin Mo immediately looked up.
Not a trace of impatience appeared on her face.
Instead, she stood up quickly and listened attentively.
A faint blush colored her cheeks as she spoke with them.
After understanding the situation, she slung her backpack over one shoulder and cheerfully volunteered to guide them toward their boarding gate.
Watching her leave, Danzeng couldn’t help smiling.
She was kind, too.
The airport announcement suddenly echoed overhead.
Passengers traveling to Chengdu were invited to begin boarding.
Danzeng snapped back to reality.
When he looked toward the crowd again—
She was gone.
Completely gone.
The sea of travelers had swallowed her whole.
A strange disappointment settled inside his chest.
Perhaps they simply weren’t meant to meet.
In a world moving this quickly, brief encounters came and went every day.
Most people disappeared forever after crossing paths once.
Soon enough, work and responsibility pushed the memory aside.
Danzeng boarded the aircraft and walked confidently down the aisle.
Even he failed to notice the faint trace of regret lingering deep inside him.
What he didn’t know was that fate wasn’t finished with them.
The girl who had captured his attention at first sight was heading to the exact same destination.
And far beyond Chengdu, beneath the sacred snow-covered peaks of Genie Mountain, another meeting was already waiting.
One neither of them would ever forget.
…
Meanwhile, after helping the elderly couple, Lin Mo hurried back toward her gate.
She arrived just in time.
The moment she stepped onto the aircraft, the cabin doors began closing.
“That was close…”
Settling into her seat, she pressed a hand against her chest and sighed with relief.
Outside the window, the city slowly shrank as the aircraft climbed into the sky.
Excitement bubbled inside her.
Genie.
I’m finally coming.
“Miss, are you traveling alone?”
A cheerful voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
Lin Mo turned her head.
The girl seated beside her was smiling brightly.
Her skin carried the healthy bronze glow of someone raised beneath plateau sunshine.
Dozens of colorful braids framed her lively face.
A natural rosy tint lingered on her cheeks.
Though she wore modern clothes, her ethnic heritage was unmistakable.
Her bright eyes sparkled with energy.
Lin Mo immediately liked her.
“Yes,” she replied with a smile.
“What a coincidence!” the girl exclaimed happily. “I’m traveling alone too!”
She leaned forward excitedly.
“Are you going to Chengdu for vacation or heading home?”
“Vacation.”
“Wow.”
The girl’s eyes widened dramatically.
“You’re brave.”
Lin Mo blinked.
“Brave?”
“Of course!” she said. “Traveling this far by yourself takes courage.”
She studied Lin Mo carefully.
“You look so young. I honestly thought you were still a minor.”
Lin Mo burst out laughing.
“I’m turning twenty-two in a few months.”
“What?!”
The girl’s jaw nearly dropped.
“You’re older than me?”
She stared at Lin Mo as though discovering some great mystery.
“No way! You look way younger!”
Then she puffed out her cheeks dramatically.
“Unlike me. I already look old.”
Lin Mo nearly laughed again.
The girl looked vibrant and youthful.
There was nothing remotely old about her.
“I’m Cizhen Lamu.”
She straightened proudly.
“I’m Tibetan. Just call me Cizhen.”
Then she pointed at Lin Mo.
“What about you?”
“My name is Lin Mo.”
“Lin Mo…” Cizhen repeated thoughtfully.
Then her eyes lit up.
“What a beautiful name!”
She tilted her head.
After several seconds of serious consideration, she finally delivered her conclusion.
“You remind me of a jasmine flower that’s just beginning to bloom.”
Lin Mo blinked.
“Natural. Fresh. Beautiful.”
The compliment was so direct that her cheeks instantly warmed.
“Thank you.”
Cizhen grinned.
Then another thought struck her.
“Oh! Want to share a taxi later?”
She dramatically clutched her chest.
“Let me tell you, Tianfu Airport is ridiculously far from the city. The taxi fare hurts my soul every single time.”
Her exaggerated expression made Lin Mo laugh.
“Sorry.”
She shook her head politely.
“I probably can’t. I have some things to take care of first.”
Traveling alone as a young woman meant being cautious.
Cizhen seemed to understand.
Though she pouted slightly, she didn’t press the matter.
Unfortunately, silence clearly wasn’t part of her personality.
Less than five minutes later, she started chatting again.
“Chengdu is amazing.”
Her eyes sparkled.
“China is huge, but Chengdu is still my favorite city.”
“They call it the Land of Abundance for a reason.”
“You picked a great place to visit.”
Lin Mo smiled.
She didn’t mention that Chengdu was merely a stopover.
Her true destination lay much farther away.
Genie.
She planned to stay in Chengdu for only one night.
“Sadly, I can only stay a couple of days.”
Cizhen groaned dramatically.
“My mother is forcing me to go on blind dates.”
She pointed at herself.
“Look at me! I’m still young!”
“I seriously don’t understand why she’s in such a hurry.”
Lin Mo nodded sympathetically.
“That does seem a little early.”
“Exactly!”
Cizhen looked as though she’d finally found someone who understood her suffering.
Then she suddenly leaned closer.
“Wait, where are you from?”
“Qing City.”
“Really?”
Her eyes immediately brightened.
“I’ve always wanted to visit Qing City.”
Then she looked Lin Mo up and down.
“You’re from the north, aren’t you?”
“No wonder you’re so tall.”
“About one meter seventy?”
“Something like that.”
Cizhen sighed dramatically.
“You’re really beautiful.”
Lin Mo almost choked.
Yet before she could respond, Cizhen continued enthusiastically.
“Seriously.”
“You’re like a porcelain doll.”
“I’ve never seen skin this fair.”
Then she pointed toward Lin Mo’s eyes.
“And your eyes are beautiful too.”
“Just like Gama.”
Lin Mo blinked.
“Gama?”
“What does that mean?”
“In Tibetan, it means star.”
Cizhen smiled warmly.
“Your eyes look like stars.”
Then she suddenly laughed.
“When you boarded just now, you were the last person to get on.”
“Everyone was looking at you.”
“Didn’t you notice?”
Lin Mo’s face turned red.
“No…”
Cizhen burst out laughing.
“Beautiful without realizing it.”
“I like that.”
Her dramatic wink looked so ridiculous that Lin Mo couldn’t stop laughing.
For some reason, talking with Cizhen felt incredibly easy.
Like speaking to an old friend.
“Oh, right!”
Cizhen suddenly slapped her forehead.
“I almost forgot.”
“If you’re in Chengdu tonight, you should visit a bar called Wujie.”
“It’s super famous.”
She puffed out her chest proudly.
“My brother owns it.”
Then she winked again.
“If you mention my name, maybe you’ll even get a discount.”
Lin Mo laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Neither of them knew it then.
Neither realized that this chance encounter aboard a flight was the beginning of something much greater.
What started as casual conversation between strangers would gradually grow into a friendship neither of them would ever want to lose.
Outside the window, white clouds drifted endlessly across the sky.
The aircraft leveled out.
The gentle hum of the engines filled the cabin.
Gradually, fatigue began creeping over Lin Mo.
Cizhen was still talking enthusiastically beside her.
But her lively voice slowly grew softer and softer.
More distant.
More blurred.
Her eyelids became heavy.
The excitement of the past few days finally caught up to her.
Before long, Lin Mo closed her eyes.
And beneath the endless sea of clouds, she drifted peacefully into sleep.