116: Chapter 116 Airport

Wang Mei hesitated for a moment and looked at Chen Jianjun.

Chen Jianjun hadn't flown before either and felt uncertain, but he didn't want to show weakness in front of his son, so he said, "It should be fine; people fly every day."

Wang Mei was still a bit uneasy and asked again, "But what if we hit that... air current thing..."

Chen Fan was stunned; he didn't expect his mother to know that term. Suppressing a smile, he explained patiently, "Mom, air currents are normal. It's just like hitting a pothole while driving; it'll pass after a little bump. The pilots are trained for it, so don't worry."

Wang Mei hesitated for a few more seconds before finally nodding. "Then... alright. When you book the tickets for us, pick a smaller plane. The bigger ones are more expensive."

Chen Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. There were only a few types of civil airliners; there was no logic in the price varying based on size.

It wasn't like a private jet where you could choose whatever size you wanted. However, he didn't plan on arguing the point with his mother and nodded with a smile. "Alright, I'll pick a small one for you."

He would still buy the tickets normally anyway, and the aircraft type wasn't up to him, but putting his mother's mind at ease was more important than anything.

Only then did Wang Mei feel relieved, turning back to study the route with Chen Jianjun.

The two of them leaned over the table, one with a pen and the other with a notebook, sketching and discussing what to bring for the trip.

Chen Fan sat nearby, watching them bustle about, feeling that the house had become much livelier.

After the route was finalized, Chen Fan began booking the flight tickets for Chen Jianjun and Wang Mei.

First was the route from Chang'an to Zhangjiajie. He thought there were no direct flights to Zhangjiajie, but to his surprise, there were—a direct flight from Chang'an Xianyang International Airport to Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport.

The earliest one was at 9:00 AM tomorrow with China Eastern Airlines. However, that was too early; they were still in the county town, and it would take over two hours to get to the airport, so they likely wouldn't make it in time.

So Chen Fan chose a flight for a little after 2:00 PM.

Regarding the seats, Chen Fan went straight for the most expensive first-class tickets—2,800 yuan for one, 5,600 yuan for two.

...

In his previous life, Chen Fan had only been to Chang'an Xianyang International Airport twice, and those were only for business trips.

Otherwise, he wouldn't even have known how to take a plane, let alone the procedures for check-in, security, and boarding gates.

This time, he was here to see his parents off.

After arriving at the airport, Chen Jianjun and Wang Mei looked at the massive terminal and the constant flow of people, feeling a bit out of place for a moment.

The glass curtain walls of the terminal shimmered in the sunlight as people dragging suitcases hurried past them. Announcements of flight information broadcasted from time to time, making everything feel unsettlingly unfamiliar.

The two of them stood at the entrance of the departures level, looking left and right like two children who had wandered into a maze.

Beside them were two suitcases, one large and one small. The large one was something Chen Fan had specifically bought for them from a mall in the county town yesterday; it was a brand-name item with wheels so smooth it could roll quite far with just a gentle push.

"Let's go, let's check in first." Chen Fan pulled up the handle of the large suitcase and led them inside.

He glanced at the large screen, found the location of the first-class check-in counter, and led his parents past the long lines in the economy check-in area, heading straight in another direction.

"There are fewer people here," Chen Fan said.

Wang Mei peeked over—the counter here was empty, with not a single person in sight, a complete contrast to the crowded scene they had just seen.

"Why are there so few people in this line?" Wang Mei asked curiously.

"This is the first-class check-in counter. It's exclusive," Chen Fan explained.

Wang Mei and Chen Jianjun looked at each other, both a bit surprised.

Wang Mei opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed her words.

Arriving at the counter, Chen Fan handed over their ID cards.

The check-in agent took the IDs and operated quickly, fingers flying across the keyboard. Chen Fan pushed the two suitcases onto the conveyor belt. "Checking these in."

"Alright." The agent attached the luggage tags and nimbly sent the suitcases into the baggage room behind the conveyor belt, then handed over two small luggage receipts. "Once you arrive in Zhangjiajie, just collect them at the baggage carousel. The flight number is on there, so you won't miss them."

Then, handing over the boarding passes with both hands: "Your seats are 2A and 2C. Here are your boarding passes. The first-class lounge is on the upper floor to the left after you pass through security. There's a buffet and a lounge area inside where you can sit and rest or have some snacks."

One hour later.

Chen Fan returned to his house in Qujiang, tossed his car keys onto the hallway cabinet, collapsed onto the sofa, and let out a long sigh.

He had just returned to the county yesterday, and today he was already back in Chang'an.

It felt like the entire National Day holiday was being spent on the road.

His parents had gone traveling, and Lin Xi and her parents had gone traveling as well.

Staying in Chang'an all by himself, he didn't really know what to do for the time being.

His phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw a message from Wang Mei: "We've boarded. The first-class seats are really wide; your dad can even stretch his legs out straight."

Chen Fan smiled and replied: "That's good. Remember to call when you arrive."

Wang Mei replied with an "OK" emoji, followed by: "The fruit in the lounge was really sweet; we ate so much."

Staring at the screen, Chen Fan could imagine his mother sitting in the lounge, going back and forth to get fruit for his self-conscious father.

He put his phone on the coffee table and stared at the ceiling for a while.

"Might as well go work out."

Chen Fan suddenly remembered that he had spent 100,000 yuan on an annual membership for a fitness club.

After getting the card, he had only gone a few times before school started and hadn't been back since. This was a good time to work on his physique.

He rolled off the sofa, found a set of workout clothes in the closet, stuffed them into a bag, changed his shoes, and headed for the door.

Five minutes later, Chen Fan drove his Porsche out of the underground garage.

After driving for over twenty minutes, he parked the car in a spot in front of the Woxiang Fitness Club.

He turned off the engine, got out, and walked straight toward the club's main entrance.

As soon as he entered, a receptionist in uniform immediately came forward to greet him.

"Welcome, Mr. Chen."

"You recognize me?" Chen Fan was a bit surprised; he hadn't seen this receptionist before.

"It's company policy that we must memorize the appearance and names of Black Diamond annual card holders." The receptionist bowed slightly, her tone respectful.

"Oh." Chen Fan nodded, unable to help but marvel that the 100,000 yuan really was well-spent.

"Mr. Chen, do you need a personal trainer to accompany you today?"

"No thanks, I'll train on my own."

"Alright, this way please."

The receptionist stepped aside to lead the way, bringing him to the entrance of the fitness area. After a slight nod of acknowledgment, she withdrew without any further small talk.

Chen Fan walked into the fitness area, stuffed his bag into a locker, came out after changing, and scanned the equipment area.

There weren't many people—just a scattered few. Those who came at this time were basically here for a real workout.

He walked over to the bench press rack and sat down, adjusted the weight, and took a deep breath.

He hadn't exercised in a long time, so he wasn't sure how much he could press.