Original subtitles

Why are you trying so hard to smile?

Do you put this much effort

into everything you do?

Breaking up too.

Ruan.

We're sending you to your alma mater,

Hundred Islands University,

to give a presentation.

This is part

of your pre-return-to-flight duties.

Okay, Mr. Wang.

Alright.

We're here. Let's get out.

Hello.

Welcome.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

No problem.

Such a hot day.

Great work, everyone.

Long time no see.

Long time no see.

Xie Yu?

When I first saw

the list of speakers,

I wondered

if it might be

the Ruan Sixian I know.

But your name's

probably hard to duplicate.

So I figured it was you.

I didn't even recognize you

in the crowd of students.

Thought you were

a student rep.

And with you in that uniform,

I almost didn't recognize you either.

So?

How does it feel to be back here?

Nervous.

No way.

You fly planes.

Still nervous about a little thing like this?

It's different.

Then let's do it the old way.

I've got your back down there.

Kids these days

know way too much.

I'm just worried I'll bomb up there

and get stuck.

You don't have to worry about that.

They're all our juniors.

I've already talked to them.

Still the same taste.

I said I'd treat you to a nice meal.

And you chose this place?

Back in college,

this was a nice meal.

After every

drama club activity,

you'd bring us here.

I remember Nana and I

couldn't wait for club day

every week.

Were you just in it for the food?

Of course.

What we're having here

is youth.

You've really changed a lot,

Ruan Sixian.

Is there

a Captain Yue

at your airline?

You mean Yue Yang?

He's kind of my instructor.

He came to our school

for a presentation last time

and specifically praised you.

He said you're improving fast

and really adaptable.

It's nothing.

I just

want to do well with everything

I set out to do.

Also, I saw the whole

Hengshi Mayday incident

on the news.

The captain passed out.

And

that terrible thunderstorm weather.

Over a hundred lives

on that plane

were in your hands.

It was so dangerous.

The moment Hengshi 5123

touched down,

you became

the pride of our whole school.

I'm so proud of you.

You even remembered the flight number?

Xie Yu,

you're still as amazing as ever.

Photographic memory.

I'm not amazing.

I just care.

I...

I mean,

are you pilots

usually pretty busy

at work?

What do you do after work?

Nothing much.

Just eat, hang out,

then go home and sleep.

I thought

you guys had a wide social circle.

Must have to

deal with all kinds of people.

Not really.

Our social circle is pretty small.

You're a university professor.

We're probably about the same.

Well,

are you in a relationship now?

No.

So...

you're not interested in dating right now?

Right now,

my only focus is getting back to flying.

Nothing else.

Sixian.

I've really been

following you closely all these years.

And I regret

missing out on someone

as great as you back in school.

I keep wondering

whether someone as outstanding, confident,

and independent as you

also

needs someone by their side

to take care of them,

lean on,

and have their back.

I... I may not

be anything special,

but I figure

at least

I can get you medicine

when you're sick,

bring you cake

on your birthday,

and protect you no matter what

when you're in danger.

I don't know

if you'd be willing to

give me a chance.

Xie Yu.

I really appreciate it.

But

there's someone I like.

I see.

But I don't want to regret it this time.

Is there

any chance I could still

catch up from behind?

To be honest,

I did have a crush

on you

back in college.

But lately,

I've been running from some things.

And it's because of

what you just said to me

that I'm even more certain

of how much I cherish

the person I truly love.

I've figured it out.

I can't

be without him.

I'm sorry, Xie Yu.

Water under the bridge.

Water under the bridge.

Let's eat.

That's

my story

of becoming a pilot

at Hengshi Airlines.

Thank you all.

Thank you, Ruan, for that wonderful talk.

Now we move to the Q&A session.

If you have any questions,

please raise your hand.

Yes, this boy.

Ruan,

I have a question.

What did it feel like

the first time

you flew solo?

First, let me ask you all something.

Has any of you gotten your driver's license?

Quite a few.

Flying solo for the first time

feels a lot like

driving a car for the first time.

You get nervous.

But mostly excited.

Of course,

flying

is up in the sky.

That feeling

might be even more intense.

Our first time flying solo

is called the first solo.

It's a milestone.

After that,

we student pilots

have the ability

to fly an aircraft on our own.

Kind of like getting your driver's license.

When it was my turn,

my seniors came over,

patted me on the shoulder, and said,

"Fly well.

You got this.

We'll be waiting for you on the ground."

Such simple words.

But every time I fly,

I think of those words.

Flying itself is simple,

but the experience is amazing.

The first time soaring alone up there,

I was greedy.

It felt like the flight was over too soon.

Like

being alone with someone

you love.

You never get enough.

That's when

I realized

I'd fallen in love with the sky.

And after our first solo,

there's a tradition.

Ice water drenching.

- Ice water drenching. - For real?

My seniors

didn't go easy on me.

A bucket of ice water

from head to toe. Freezing cold.

So that's what they meant

by waiting for me

on the ground.

So

why ice water?

Good question.

I asked that too.

My seniors told me

that after the first solo,

one tends to get a big head.

I mean,

you're up in the sky, right?

A bucket of ice water

is both a celebration

and a reminder

to stay

level-headed

and not get carried away.

I hereby announce

that the Flight Quality

Reform Plan

is officially approved.

Effective

September 30,

2025.

Yes!

Got some good news to announce.

Mr. Fu's reform

passed!

Come on. Forward it now.

Come on.

Like, comment, and post.

Once the reform plan came out,

it completely ended

the twenty-plus-year practice

of penalty-based management.

Replaced it

with a healthy safety environment.

Who wouldn't be excited about that?

Mr. Fu's reform passed!

That's great!

Wonderful!

Let's give the next chance to a girl.

Yes, this girl.

Thank you.

Ruan, I'd like to ask something.

What advantages do women have

in learning to fly?

Women don't have any advantages.

And it's not just women.

Men don't either.

There might be some

personal advantages when learning to fly.

For example, science students

might find the theory classes

a bit easier.

But you can't rely on

personal advantages to learn to fly.

We all have to set aside

our pride,

stay grounded, and learn with humility.

Because

flying is all about safety.

There's no room for arrogance.

Thank you.

Ruan,

I've been following you for a long time.

You have

a lot of fans online.

Most of the comments about you

are like,

"Pretty," "Cool," and "Beautiful captain."

But as far as I know,

airlines

spend a lot on training pilots,

so they're very selective

about hiring female pilots.

Do you think

you got

your airline offer

based on your ability

or your looks?

What's wrong with this guy?

Seriously.

That's... so out of line.

What's going on?

That's a

bittersweet question.

First of all,

I appreciate everyone's

compliments on my looks.

But honestly,

I didn't

put much effort into that.

But I know exactly

how much effort

and sweat

I've put into flying.

It's been really tough.

Does

anyone else have a question?

Please raise your hand.

Okay, this boy.

Ruan,

I'd like to ask something.

Pilots work really hard

and have a lot of stress.

I'm wondering

if you're married.

And I'd also like to know

how female pilots balance

work and family.

I can tell you're single.

Haven't been through

the wringer of love yet.

I'm single too.

So

I don't have to balance work and family.

In the past,

I might have fired back with,

"Why don't you ask male pilots

how they balance

work and family?"

But today,

I actually want to

share with you all

how one female captain

balances

work and family.

This captain

is my flight instructor.

We have

a promotion standard for pilots.

To become a first officer,

you need to log

three hundred hours.

As a first officer,

you need three thousand hours

before you're eligible

for captain assessment.

After becoming a captain,

you need another three thousand safe hours

before you can be considered

for instructor selection.

So

she has

very extensive flying experience.

Her husband

is also a captain.

In our industry, we call this

a "two-pilot family."

They have a

lovely daughter

in kindergarten.

Typically in this situation,

one person in the family quits their job

to stay home and take care of things.

Most of the time,

it's the woman.

But she didn't.

She put her daughter in full-time daycare.

She only picks her daughter up

on her days off

to spend time with her.

She told me

sometimes when she's exhausted,

she even skips picking her daughter up.

Because

only when she's well-rested

can she perform at her best

during flight duties.

So

is there balance?

Seems like there's a little bit of

balancing going on.

But really, it's more about

sacrifice.

It's just like

with your work and studies.

If you're studying for grad school,

you have to give up

some entertainment and rest time

to study.

And she's

put more of her energy

into her flying career.

I remember something

my mentor once told me.

She said,

"Sixian,

you know what?

We have to see

every passenger behind us

as family.

Because this flight

might be taking them

to visit family,

to meet friends,

or to chase their dreams and love.

We must get them safely

to their destination.

That

is our highest mission

as pilots."

Please go ahead.

Come on, everyone.

Come on.

Great work.

Been a tough stretch lately.

I won't say too many thanks.

Mr. Yu.

Great work, everyone.

Here.

Thank you all

for your support and trust.

Come on.

Keep up the good work.

Thank you so much.

I'll head over there now.

Go ahead.

Okay.

I'm not drinking tonight.

Good work, everyone.

You all go ahead and eat.

Will do.

Okay.

Alright.

Excuse us for a moment.

You think

you're something special for doing this?

No.

I'm just going

with the flow.

It's where the world is heading.

Don't you think the cost is a bit high?

Dad,

do you remember I mentioned this

to you a few years back?

Reform is bound to

bring some growing pains,

and it means some sacrifices.

If

I'm the one who has to sacrifice,

but it leads to

a better future for Hengshi,

I'm willing to be that person.

Mingyu,

you used to be a

young leader who liked to strike a pose.

Now,

you really are different.

Back then, whether it was the layoffs

or canceling the Wings Initiative,

in my eyes

and in

the other directors' eyes,

it all seemed

a bit immature,

even

a little arrogant.

But

that very drive of yours

is what I like most about you.

Actually, there's something

I've been wanting to

tell you lately.

I'm getting old.

And all the friends

who built this company with me

are getting old too.

From now on,

whether it's Hengshi

or the aviation industry

as a whole,

it's going to be

up to young people like you.

Don't let this go

to your head.

Truth is, ever since you came back

and joined Hengshi,

I've had confidence in you.

And now,

you've really

done everything I could've hoped for.

So

I've believed in you from the very start.

You're going to make it.

Chairman Fu, hello.

Congratulations on passing the reform, sir.

Good work.

I've been watching that livestream.

I figured

you'd be more into it than I am.

Actually, for certain reasons,

I'm currently

grounded.

At first,

I was okay with it.

I accept all the unpredictability in life.

Because before this,

I'd faced even more upheavals.

Being grounded actually gave me

some personal time back.

Until one day,

a plane

flew overhead,

and that's when it hit me

how far I'd drifted

from flying.

That's when I realized

how much

I truly craved flying.

I started missing

those days in flight school,

practicing day and night.

Missing

the carefree ice-water drenching

after my first solo.

Missing the thrill of that first flight.

Missing that burning passion

I felt every time I flew.

It's like

having someone you love,

but you're

forced apart

for various reasons.

Your life

loses so many things

you used to take for granted.

Late at night,

you remember the little moments you shared

and

the breeze they stirred

when they met you.

Sometimes,

you even dream

about the past with them.

Then you wake up

feeling lost.

So you find yourself

missing all those

unforgettable

happy moments.

And even the not-so-happy ones

start to become dear to you.

Because

they're never coming back.

So I admit,

I still treasure

every moment I had with him.

Where are they doing the presentation?

Where? Tell Mr. Fu now.

Mr. Fu,

I've sent the address

to your phone.

Nice work.

To me, flying

is like

that someone

I can't wait to see.

I believe all of you

will also

move toward your future

with unwavering commitment

to your dreams.

Trust

that the right person

and the right things

will be

waiting for you at the finish line.

That's a whole lot of

sugar-coated flattery.

With such good news,

should I go celebrate with a nice meal?

Is that place still open?

See you, sir.

Take care.

Bye.

Sir.

One order of clam rice noodles.

You look familiar.

Haven't been here in years, have you?

Yeah.

I graduated a while back.

You still remember me?

Of course I do.

Well,

still original flavor?

Yeah. Give me one.

Have a seat.

Coming right up.

Okay.

Sir.

One order of clam rice noodles.

Thanks.

What are you doing here?

I'm here to collect a debt.

What...

What do you mean?

You need to

keep your word.

What did I say?

You said you'd love me forever

and be with me forever.

Are you dreaming?

Are you overtired?

Talking nonsense.

Did you post this?

I did.

Why?

Look closer.

The last line.

You said, "Mr. Fu, thank you.

I will love you forever

and be with you forever."

I...

It's a repost.

Just copy and paste.

I only care about the result.

You confessed.

Well,

my instructor reposted it too.

What,

are you trying to break up her marriage?

I don't care what others post.

I only care about yours.

Then

I'll delete it now.

No deleting.

Tomorrow.

I'll give you a surprise tomorrow.

Oh my.

Honey!

I'm sorry!

Really!

I know I messed up.

I'm sorry!

I know I messed up!

- I was wrong. - What did you do wrong?

Well,

I shouldn't have

eaten the cake

you bought.

I-I'll

save all the good stuff for you!

And?

I really don't know!

Next time you mess up, just apologize.

If kissing worked,

there'd be no wars.

Stop learning from those cheesy guys,

okay?

There's only one thing

you need to do.

Kiss her.

Kiss her properly.

Kiss her like crazy.

Just kiss her.

You won't know

how much girls love that

until you actually do it.

Honey, I'm really sorry.

Time to get out.

Careful.

What are we doing?

So...

Mysterious?

Over the top.

Over the top?

If you think

it's over the top,

you can say no later.

No way.

Ready?

This...

Fu Mingyu,

what is this?

You see it.

I registered it for you.

From now on, you can fly

whenever you want to.

That's seriously over the top.

Well,

"Captain" Ruan,

do you wanna take it for a test drive?

Now?

Go ahead.

Can I fly today?

Did you file the paperwork?

Yes.

Is your license still valid?

Of course.

Come on up.

I'm not coming up.

This is your solo stage.

Go get 'em.

If you don't come up,

then

I'm not flying.

Tower, good afternoon.

Bravo-12 Tango Juliet

Ready. Requesting taxi.

Bravo-12 Tango Juliet.

Tower, cleared to taxi.

Hold short of Runway 17 via A-A1.

Hold short of Runway 17 via A-A1.

Bravo-12 Tango Juliet.

Bravo-12 Tango Juliet.

Line up Runway 17.

Line up Runway 17.

Bravo-12 Tango Juliet.

Tower.

Bravo-12 Tango Juliet.

Ready. Request takeoff.

Bravo-12 Tango Juliet.

Surface wind 170 at 2 meters per second.

Runway 17, cleared for takeoff.

Runway 17, cleared for takeoff.

Bravo-12 Tango Juliet.

Mr. Fu.

Hold on to your seat. We're taking off.

Okay.

Did you fall asleep?

No.

Then why are your eyes closed?

Open them and see.

It's beautiful out there.

Look ahead.

That cloud is a thundercloud.

It's gorgeous.

Yeah.

Beautiful.

But can we not look

at the clouds?

Focus.

Focus.

To be honest,

being grounded

really frustrating.

I kept thinking

about my days at the flight school.

Especially the first solo.

I was so happy.

Open your eyes.

It's really beautiful out there.

Beautiful, right?

I'm sorry.

Being grounded must have been hard for you.

It's okay.

Stepping away

actually made me more certain

of what I want.

I crave flying.

I need to love and be loved.

I need you.

Your heart rate is elevated.

Would you like me

to call for assistance?

Mr. Fu.

Am I flying too fast?

No.

It's your shift in tone that was too fast.

I have a secret

I never told you.

I actually learned to fly before.

You did?

You already know how to fly.

Your fear

comes from not trusting yourself.

You don't have to trust anyone else,

but you have to trust yourself.

The wings are your wings.

Feel the flight. Feel the wind.

Trust yourself.

Don't be scared.

I'm here.

Today's sunset is so beautiful.

The kind

you'll still look back on

years from now

and say it was beautiful.

You're not gonna

chase the sunset again, are you?

As long as you

don't drop me off halfway.

Why are you so petty?

So grudgy.

Yeah.

I can't forget it.

Can't forget that helpless feeling.

Can't forget putting you

in that helpless situation either.

Promise me.

Next time, don't be

so considerate and just leave on your own.

Remember, whether you're

with me or not, the hardships

will still be there.

But if you're not by my side...

If I'm not there,

you can make big moves.

Otherwise how would the reform get done,

right?

Let me show you

something thrilling.

You didn't think about the fact that we'd

still have to

drive back after all those stunts, did you?

But it's fine.

"Captain" Ruan,

you can fly a plane.

A little car

is nothing.

It's not that I don't trust

my skills.

I just really can't afford to fix your car.

Up there, I had the airspace all to myself.

I could fly however I wanted.

The sky and the road are different.

I'm just afraid

that once you start driving,

you'll complain it's too low.

Alright.

That's all I needed to hear.

Hold tight.

Wait...

Hey, Ruan Sixian!

Hello?

Mr. Fu.

Your father has been urging us

to get to Ma Ao soon.

When do you think we should leave?

I'll let you know later.

Bye.

You're going on a business trip?

Long-term assignment.

The W.T Airport in Ma Ao

that you went to a few years back.

To be honest,

ever since Hengshi

acquired it,

it hasn't turned a profit.

This reform of yours made a big splash.

Looks like you won.

But you know,

a lot of the directors aren't happy.

To prove to them

that you're well-rounded,

I'm

putting W.T Airport in your hands.

You've got one year

to turn it around.

So you're going to Ma Ao?

You're not gonna be there

for a whole year, are you?

What,

are you already planning

how to leave me again?

Of course not.

I thought they were

forcing me out.

Turns out they're forcing you out.

Who knew

you'd turn out to be such a burden?

So tell me, was leaving you

the smart move or what?

How can a person

jump into the same fire pit twice?

Me?

A fire pit?

Did I get

a fake CEO?

Where's the special treatment?

All I get is grief.

Ruan Sixian,

it's too late to say that now.

Why don't you quit?

I'll take care of you.

You just don't

want me to go to Ma Ao, do you?

Can't bear to let me go?

I can't bear the thought

of you going off to enjoy yourself alone.