Chapter 575 - 590: Thunderstorm

The moment An Ning sat down on the plane, she remembered what she had forgotten.

She forgot to tell Jiang Xia.

"I’m really not cut out to be a good partner. All I can say is, poor Jiang Xia."

Amused by her own thought, An Ning leaned back comfortably in her seat and pulled out her romance novel to continue reading.

The woman beside her, Zhao Xin, glanced at the dog-eared novel and asked curiously, "I’m curious, who’s got you studying so hard?"

"Hm? What makes you think I don’t just enjoy reading it for its own sake?"

Zhao Xin tossed her head confidently.

"Please. I’ve seen it all. With you... I can tell at a glance you’re completely smitten."

"Really?"

An Ning didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed. She snapped her book shut and started grilling Zhao Xin for relationship advice.

After listening to the whole story, Zhao Xin summarized, "So, let me get this straight. You’re currently crushing on him, he has no idea, and you think you’re so powerful that he’s actually scared of you?"

An Ning nodded enthusiastically. "I don’t think he’s just scared of me. Sometimes, he doesn’t even see me as a... woman. Plus, every time I try to make a move, it’s like the heavens conspire against me."

An Ning described her short-lived attempts at courtship. After hearing her out, Zhao Xin asked, "Are you sure you actually *like* him?"

’And not that you want to kill him?’ Zhao Xin swallowed the words.

An Ning spread her hands innocently. "At this point, I’m not even sure myself."

The two chatted about girly things for an hour before eating the in-flight meal. Afterward, they both quieted down to get some rest.

A few hours passed peacefully, until a clap of thunder woke everyone up.

The patter of heavy raindrops and the roar of a thunderstorm erupted right beside the plane.

Simultaneously, the plane began to shake violently. The cabin lights blinked, accompanied by a continuous DING-DONG-DING-DONG, as a flight attendant’s voice came over the PA system, repeatedly shouting, "Brace position! Head down, bend over! Head down and bend over!"

"Help me!"

"What do we do, what do we do? I don’t want to die!"

"Almighty Lord, please save us."

There were prayers, wails, and even a hysterical passenger trying to "save themselves" only to be slapped back to their senses by a flight attendant. The full spectrum of human drama was on display.

Zhao Xin instinctively threw an arm around An Ning, which still left An Ning composed enough to crack a joke.

"If we actually start falling, you think you can hold on to me?"

"How will we know if we don’t try?"

Zhao Xin’s tone was firm, leaving An Ning speechless for a moment. Then she said, "Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Have you forgotten I’m a Mystic Master? I’ve already done a reading for myself. I’m fated to live a long and healthy life."

As she spoke, An Ning extended her spiritual power, letting it spread along the fuselage to shield the plane’s engines and other critical components.

CRACK! A bolt of lightning struck the plane’s wing, showering it with sparks. An Ning’s face went pale for an instant.

Zhao Xin’s arm tightened around An Ning.

"Don’t be scared. You’ll be fine. There are emergency parachutes on board; I’ll make sure you get one."

The jolt of pain through her spiritual power lasted only a moment. She nodded silently, saying nothing.

Zhao Xin’s words reminded her of the people from the interstellar era. They, too, would abandon everything for a cause, including their own lives.

’Sometimes, no matter how much culture is lost, the legacy carried in one’s bones—in one’s very genes—can never be discarded.’

’It just needs the right circumstances to be awakened.’

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm. We are currently passing through the thunderstorm. Rest assured, I will get you all on the ground safely."

The captain’s steady voice seemed to help a little.

The thunder and lightning continued unabated. Huge raindrops pelted the fuselage, striking it like hailstones.

An Ning’s spiritual power was struck by lightning four times in total, and the pain caused her face to drain of color.

Zhao Xin finally realized something was wrong. She leaned close to An Ning’s ear.

"An Ning, stop what you’re doing! Don’t get yourself hurt!"

"Getting hurt in exchange for all these lives? Isn’t that a worthwhile trade? As a math assistant, you really need to sharpen your skills, you know."

Her half-joking reply confirmed Zhao Xin’s suspicions. She opened her mouth to say more, but An Ning cut her off.

"I can’t just sit back with a clear conscience and be protected by your sacrifice when I know there’s something I can do."

Zhao Xin was at a loss for words. All she could manage was, "Don’t push yourself too hard. Your value is immeasurable. Please remember, we would do this willingly."

"Be quiet. Don’t distract me."

An Ning blinked, forcing back tears, and continued to shield the entire aircraft.

Fortunately, the thunderstorm wasn’t especially wide. Ten minutes later, the plane finally broke through into a clear, wide-open sky, and everyone aboard burst into tears of relief.

They thanked God, they thanked every deity they could name, they hugged one another, and they celebrated their rebirth.

An Ning withdrew her spiritual power. Her pale face made Zhao Xin worry. She started to get up to find Wang Qiang, who was not only their bodyguard but also the team’s medic for the trip.

"Don’t."

An Ning grabbed Zhao Xin’s wrist, offering a wan smile.

"You know a regular doctor can’t help with this. Just let me rest. I’ll be fine."

Zhao Xin had no choice but to sit back down. She gave a signal to Wang Qiang and Xu Cheng, and though they looked unconvinced, they also returned to their seats.

For the rest of the journey, An Ning kept her eyes closed to rest, and Zhao Xin observed her closely.

She lost count of how many times she surreptitiously checked An Ning’s pulse. To make sure An Ning could rest, Zhao Xin even resorted to staring holes into the back of the head of the person in the seat ahead who wouldn’t stop talking.

She kept her eyes fixed on them until they finally fell silent.

After another six hours, the plane finally began its descent for landing.

"An Ning, you—"

"Relax, I’m still alive. Didn’t you just check my pulse?"

Zhao Xin gave an embarrassed smile, but she was still worried. An Ning’s complexion was truly awful.

"Don’t worry. I just look a little rough. I’m actually fine."

An Ning wasn’t lying. Aside from a persistent ache, her spiritual power hadn’t actually been depleted.

The moment the plane touched down smoothly, a cheer erupted throughout the cabin. Only then did everyone truly feel safe.

Everyone scrambled to get off the plane. Who knew how many of them would swear off flying for good after this ordeal.

An Ning and the others got off the plane and prepared to go through customs.

They disembarked in F Country. As the customs officers were checking their documents, they muttered to each other in French, laughing as they spoke.

They probably assumed An Ning’s group couldn’t understand and spoke without any restraint.

"More Huaxia people. They just love coming to our country. Makes sense, they have nothing back home."

"A bunch of backward Huaxia pigs."

Just as An Ning was about to say something, Xu Cheng, who was behind her, took a step forward. In flawless, melodic French, his voice rich and magnetic, he said:

"Allow me to make one thing clear. We are here at the express invitation of your government. If you are so unwelcoming, we can return immediately."