In the bottom right corner of each page, various performance parameters were noted.

The paper had yellowed, but the passion poured into the tip of the pen seemed ready to leap off the page.

Only then did Ivy remember Lucas mentioning it once.

His dream as a youth was to fly fighter jets, but unfortunately, the old man in his family insisted he inherit the mantle and practice medicine to save the world.

An idea instantly took shape in her mind.

On the morning of Lucas’s birthday, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, he was dragged out of bed by Ivy.

"Why? Are you trying to murder your husband?"

Lucas was groggy, his face full of resentment.

Ivy, without a word, covered his eyes with a silk scarf, her tone brimming with irrepressible laughter.

"Don't talk nonsense. Follow me, I’m giving you a grand gift today."

Lucas let her lead him, offering no resistance, though his mouth remained unforgiving.

"Let’s get this straight, if the surprise turns into a fright, you're doing the dishes today."

The car drove for a long time, eventually stopping in an open field.

When the scarf was removed from his eyes, the glaring sunlight made Lucas blink instinctively.

When his vision refocused, he stood frozen in place.

Before him stood an SR22 private aircraft with fluid lines, its white body gleaming in the morning light.

And beneath the wings, Ivy had changed into a crisp, dark blue flight suit, which made her posture stand tall and full of spirit.

She playfully pressed her fingers together, giving him a salute that wasn't entirely standard.

"Reporting to Mr. Lucas: your exclusive pilot, Ivy, has arrived."

"Today’s mission: to take you soaring into the clouds to fulfill your dream of the blue sky. Please, give the order!"

Lucas looked at her, then at the plane behind her, which seemed to carry the dream of his entire youth.

He suddenly lowered his head and laughed, though his eye sockets were turning red.

This woman always knew the most unexpected way to strike precisely at the softest part of his heart.

He strode forward, scooped her up, and kissed her without a word.

The kiss held no desire, only an overwhelming sense of being moved and the ecstatic joy of having regained something lost.

After a long while, he released her, resting his forehead against hers.

"Ivy, I love you."

Ivy hugged him back. "I know. Now, can you give the order, my passenger?"

Lucas pinched her cheek, the smile in his eyes nearly overflowing.

"At your command, my Captain."

He paused, leaned to her ear, and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"But I have a question."

"Hmm?"

"Does flying a plane require a license?"

Chapter 23

The plane soared steadily into the clouds.

Lucas turned his head to look at Ivy, who was focused on operating the instrument panel beside him.

This feeling was both novel and absurd.

"So, regarding that question about the license?"

He couldn't hold back, bringing it up again.

Ivy didn't take her eyes off the horizon, just moved her lips: "Don't worry, I got it three months ago. Theory plus practice, passed with a perfect score. I didn't lose face for you."

Her tail note carried a hint of irrepressible, small pride.

Lucas raised an eyebrow and didn't speak again, but the corners of his lips couldn't be kept from curling upward.

Clouds surged beneath them, and the sun’s rays pierced through the gaps.

"How does it feel, future pilot Lucas?"

Ivy finally spared a glance, winking at him.

Lucas reached out and took her hand resting on the control stick; her fingertips were cool, but her palm was warm.

"It feels,"

He paused, his gaze shifting from the window back to her smiling eyes, "like the mountains, rivers, and seas have all become your backdrop."

Ivy’s heart was gently struck by this not-so-direct confession.

For a moment, she remembered a long time ago, when she also sat in someone else’s passenger seat, flying over the same magnificent sea of clouds.

Back then, she had naively thought that was her entire world.

Only later did she understand it was just her own self-imposed prison.

But now, she held the control stick, the person beside her was watching her, and the world in his eyes was her.

The plane entered the stratosphere, and Ivy handed the control momentarily to the autopilot system.

She unbuckled her safety belt and, with somewhat clumsy movements, fished a box from under the seat.

Opening it, it was a tiny cream cake, slightly squashed.

"Make do with this. It almost got treated as suspicious cargo at security."

She handed him the plastic fork. "Happy birthday, Dr. Lucas."

Lucas looked at the cake, which really didn't look like much, and then at the fine beads of sweat on her nose caused by nervousness, and let out a low laugh.

"Thank you, my Captain Ivy."

He dug out a large piece of cream, but didn't eat it himself; instead, he precisely wiped it onto the tip of Ivy’s nose.

"Hey!"

"Reciprocity."

Lucas said righteously, then proceeded to slowly put a small bite of cake into his own mouth.

"Hmm, tastes good. Deserves to be a cake that’s been to the sky."

Ivy couldn't help but laugh, wiping off the cream on her nose and glaring at him, though it carried no sting.

"Make a wish."

Lucas closed his eyes with great seriousness, hands pressed together.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, his gaze shining brilliantly.

"What did you wish for?"

"I hope," he leaned into her ear, his warm breath grazing her earlobe,

"That my exclusive captain can open a back door for me every year, letting me enjoy lifetime VIP flight service."

Ivy’s heart softened abruptly.

"Is that all you pursue?"

"Pursuit isn't about size, it’s about whether it can be achieved."

Lucas looked at her. "After all, as long as the VIP service is still there, my good days will last a long time."

Ivy couldn't help it anymore; she leaned forward and kissed his prattling mouth.

Above the clouds, the sunlight was perfect.

The kiss above the clouds froze that birthday in time.

And time, it never pauses.

Chapter 24

A year later, the Nobel Prize ceremony.

As the main spokesperson for the "Combining Neural Signal Transmission with Intelligent Auditory Devices" project, Ivy stood in the center of the world stage.

Under the spotlight, she wore a perfectly tailored evening gown, calm and confident.

In the audience, Lucas was in a formal suit, sitting in the first row of guests, watching her quietly.

At the end of her speech, Ivy’s gaze crossed countless flashes and landed precisely on him.

"Finally, I want to thank my husband, Mr. Lucas."

A ripple of friendly laughter spread through the audience.

"This man," Ivy smiled as well, starlight in her eyes.

"Professionally, he is a top-notch surgeon. In life, though, he’s quite an annoying guy."

The laughter in the room grew louder.

Lucas shook his head helplessly, but the indulgence and pride in his eyes nearly spilled over.

"But he showed me through his actions that there is a resonance that can transcend hearing. He did not become my ears,"

Ivy’s voice paused, every word clear and forceful.

"He became my heartbeat."

"Thank you, Lucas."

Thunderous applause rang out.

Lucas stood up, not clapping like the others.

He just looked at his wife on stage from afar, raised his hand, and gently tapped his left chest, the location of his heart.

A signal only the two of them understood.

He knew this was just the beginning.

Their future was the stars, the sea.

And his Captain Ivy had already obtained the lifetime license to this infinite journey.

After the Nobel Prize uproar passed, life returned to its former peace.

One weekend afternoon, Ivy was sorting through old things in the attic.

The drawer containing letters from home, which had been sealed for a long time, was opened again.

She saw the letter from Xiao Zhao, and also that photo of Ethan’s tombstone.

On a whim, she sent an email to Xiao Zhao.

【Are those diaries still there?】

Xiao Zhao replied quickly.

【They are, Sister Ivy. Captain Ethan’s mother took them back later.】

Attached to the email was the current address of the Old Madam Huo.

Ivy looked at that address for a long, long time.

Lucas walked up to the attic with coffee, seeing her lost in thought.

"Want to go take a look?" he asked.

He could always easily see through her thoughts.

Ivy didn't deny it.

"I’m just a little curious."

Curious about what that man, who was once so arrogant he thought himself above the world, would write in his diary.

"Then go," Lucas handed her the coffee. "Some things need to be brought to an end. I’ll go with you."

Ivy shook her head: "No need, I’ll go alone."