Boom—

The plane exploded in a cataclysmic fireball.

One blast after another shook me until my head spun and my ears rang. When the deafening roar finally ceased, I shook my head clear and staggered to my feet on the sandy shore. Spitting out a mouthful of grit, I brushed the dirt from my clothes.

The scene before me was apocalyptic—shattered steel plates and broken planks littered the beach, smoldering wreckage scattered everywhere, and human limbs strewn amidst the destruction.

No one could have survived this. I couldn’t help but marvel at my own miraculous escape.

The rain had thinned to a drizzle when a biting sea breeze swept in, cold enough to cut through flesh.

The girl with glasses knelt on the sand, covering her face as she sobbed. The heavily made-up woman shot her a disdainful glance. The flight attendant and the other two women approached—Xiaolan, the leggy beauty, and the busty air hostess comforted the crying girl together. The career woman folded her arms and walked straight up to me.

She extended a hand. "Xia Lan, CEO of Huayu Group." shook it firmly. "Lu Yuan."

Xia Lan exuded an aura of authority, her slender waist—what people called a "water snake figure"—swaying subtly as she surveyed the group. "Let’s all introduce ourselves."

The leggy beauty glanced at Xia Lan coolly. "Lin Xian’er."

"I’m Wang Yan," said the gorgeous, busty air hostess.

"Um... I’m Zhang Xi’er, a sophomore at Shanghai Normal University," the girl with glasses sniffled.

Xia Lan turned to the smoky-eyed girl. A cold snort escaped her. "Jiang Dandan. My father is Jiang Tianhua."

"Jiang Corporation’s heiress?" Xia Lan sounded mildly surprised.

Jiang Dandan sized her up. "So you know my father?"

Xia Lan offered a faint smile but said nothing. With another dismissive snort, Jiang Dandan stomped her foot and rubbed her arms. "This brat’s freezing to death. You guys keep talking—I’m finding shelter."

The waves crashed against the shore, and the sea breeze sent chills through our bones.

"Let’s find some cover first," I suggested.

We six made our way along the beach until we spotted a cluster of massive rocks farther down, their jagged edges forming a natural windbreak. Jiang Dandan was the first to dive into the makeshift shelter.

"We’ll rest here tonight," Wang Yan said, the air hostess. "The pilot sent out a distress signal before the crash. The rescue team should find us soon." nodded, glancing at the others.

Zhang Xi’er wiped her tear-streaked face, eyes brightening. "So we’ll be rescued soon?"

Lin Xian’er hugged her arms, lost in thought, while Xia Lan frowned, fiddling with her phone.

"Does anyone’s phone have signal?" Xia Lan asked. pulled mine out—its screen was shattered beyond recognition. Lin Xian’er’s and Wang Yan’s phones still worked, but there was no signal. Zhang Xi’er’s wouldn’t even turn on.

"Let’s all turn our phones off to save battery," Wang Yan suggested. "Maybe we’ll catch a signal elsewhere tomorrow." chill ran through me, and I huddled deeper into my clothes, instinctively moving closer to the others—right next to Jiang Dandan, who was now playing Candy Crush on her phone.

"Any signal?" I asked casually.

She shot me a glare before stalking off in a huff.

The moment she left, Wang Yan slid into the space she’d vacated, sitting so close our shoulders nearly touched.

"Thanks back there on the plane."

"Think nothing of it. We’re alive—that’s what matters." rubbed my temples, stealing a glance at her. Wang Yan truly was the epitome of an air hostess—stunning looks, a perfect figure, and those breasts, so ample they strained against her uniform.

Noticing my stare, she tugged her shirt tighter and asked, "What do we do tomorrow?"

"You’re asking me?" I blinked in surprise.

"You’re the only man here. Who else?" she shot back, rolling her eyes. settled into a more comfortable position against the rocks. "The rescue team will probably arrive soon. Worrying now is pointless. Let’s sleep first—figure the rest out tomorrow."

...

At dawn, I yawned as I emerged from our rocky shelter.

The sun had risen over the horizon, and seagulls soared across the azure sky. Turning back, I saw a dense forest behind us, with a towering mountain peak looming faintly in the distance.

We were definitely stranded on an island.

Wang Yan and the others had already risen, stacking branches into three pyres to create an SOS signal.

"Move, don’t block my way!" shove sent me stumbling. I turned to see Jiang Dandan chewing gum, waving her iPhone around as she searched for a signal.

"Damn piece of junk—died so fast," she muttered before hurling her phone away.

"What are you looking at? Never seen a pretty girl before?" she snapped, stalking off toward the others.

Speechless, I watched her go.

Sure, Jiang Dandan was beautiful—but that smoky makeup was unbearable, and her temper was even worse.