My hometown is far away in Moscow.

Chapter 252 Going Home

The voice sounded familiar. Hu Yi was slightly startled and turned his head to see the young flight attendant following an angry middle-aged man dressed as a pilot, her expression a mixture of grievance and helplessness: "It's this gentleman, and the lady next to him."

The pilot looked vaguely familiar; he had striking features and a dignified appearance, speaking fluent Mandarin with a strong Beijing accent: "Oh my, it can't be you again, can it?"

"Ah, you... Captain?" Hu Yi couldn't mistake him; the middle-aged man in front of him was the only pilot he knew, the same captain who had helped him retrieve cigarettes from security at the airport three years ago.

"Hey, looks like it's me. Aren't you the guy who wouldn't board the plane for a few packs of cigarettes?" The captain stared at Hu Yi with a wry smile. "What's wrong? Got something detained this time?"

"No... he's a friend, and we were supposed to board the plane together." Hu Yi swallowed hard. "But he was shot and is in the hospital now... so I..."

"Fire? Wow, this Russian territory is really chaotic." The captain frowned. "So what's wrong? Not planning on leaving? Is your friend in danger?"

"I...I don't know..." Hu Yi shook his head blankly, "There might be no danger, but I feel...I should..."

"I understand how you feel, but," the captain glanced at his watch, "takeoff time is approaching. Since your friend is safe, I suggest you board as soon as possible."

"But I'm a little worried." Hu Yi hesitated for a moment. "Could we change our tickets? Or get a refund? Even if we don't get our money back, that's fine too. I'm not coming back this time. I have to see him one last time before I leave, no matter what."

"I'm sorry, I can't grant you that request." The captain's tone was calm, but his expression was firm: "Your luggage has already been loaded onto the plane, and we must ensure that the checked passengers also board."

"Well... could you please...?"

"Hey, hey, stop! Don't tell me you want me to unload your luggage. Good heavens, there are hundreds of people on this plane, are we going to delay our departure just because of you? Have you no shame!" The captain glanced at him. "Alright, young man, I did you a small favor before, so please do me a favor and let's get on board, okay?"

"Yeah, Lao Hu! Hurry up and get on the plane!" The phone was still connected, and Fu Jiahui shouted anxiously, "I know you and Li Baoqing are good friends! Don't worry, I guarantee he'll be fine! As soon as you arrive in Beijing, he'll definitely call you, all excited, to let you know you're safe, okay?!"

"I... okay, I understand. Please... please take good care of me." Hu Yi calmed down a bit, hung up the phone, reached out and pulled Natasha over, and gave the captain an apologetic smile: "I'm so sorry to have troubled you again."

"Well, what can I say, we're destined to be together, even if it's a bit of a tragic fate." The captain chuckled and let out a long sigh. "Hey, tell me, you weren't sent by God specifically to get rid of me, were you?"

The plane took off on time, but Hu Yi was in a daze the whole way. He couldn't eat or sleep well and just drifted through the seven-plus hours.

As soon as he landed at Beijing Capital International Airport, he eagerly turned on his phone, only to realize that he was using a Russian SIM card and had no signal at all.

Hu Yi patiently waited in line to clear customs and collect his luggage. Then, he found a public phone in the airport that could make international calls and dialed Fu Jiahui first: "It's me! How's Li Baoqing?"

"It's alright, don't worry." Fu Jiahui was sleeping, his voice a little groggy. "The doctor said he doesn't need to be hospitalized, just need his dressings changed regularly. We accompanied him to the police station to give his statement, and then took him to his boss's house so someone could help take care of him."

"Phew, thank goodness." Hu Yi finally relaxed completely, grinned and cursed, "Damn, he's not dead after all. I was worried for nothing. I have to call him and give him a piece of my mind."

"He won't die, not a chance." Fu Jiahui yawned. "It's past two o'clock here now, he's probably resting. You can scold him in the morning."

Hanging up the phone, Hu Yi felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. He turned and excitedly hugged Natasha: "Great news! My friend is out of danger!"

"That's great, congratulations to him." Natasha smiled sweetly, opened her arms and hugged Hu Yi, but her body was slightly stiff.

"What's wrong, darling?" Hu Yi asked, noticing her slightly flustered appearance. "Are you tired?"

"It's alright." Natasha leaned against Hu Yi and looked around. "I just... I've never lived anywhere where I couldn't see Russian, and I couldn't understand the people around me. It was like... when we went on vacation to Europe last year."

"It's okay, you don't need to be afraid this time." Hu Yi squeezed her hand: "Here, I can take care of everything for you."

The two took a taxi from the airport straight to Beijing Station, and arrived at the train station that afternoon, looking travel-worn.

When their son graduated and returned to China, he brought back his future foreign wife. The parents took it very seriously, taking leave from their jobs and dressing up to welcome him at the train station.

"Dad! Mom!" Hu Yi saw his parents standing in the crowd, craning their necks to look ahead, and quickly pulled Natasha a few steps closer. "I'm back! This is Natasha. Natasha, these are my dad and mom."

"Nihao! Nihao! Shushu, ayi!" Natasha memorized the greetings on the train, and although her pronunciation was off, it was still understandable.

"Hello, Natasha! Welcome to China!" The mother excitedly held Natasha's hand. "Look at this child! How tall and beautiful she is! Oh my, our Hu Yi is so lucky, so lucky!"

The father's smile was both kind and serious. He had learned a few phrases of Russian in his youth and intended to take this opportunity to show them off: "Davarishi, harasho? Hmm...you...harasho or harasho? Harasho or harasho? Hey, Hu Yi, why doesn't she understand my Russian?"

Natasha covered her mouth and smiled, while Hu Yi laughed uncontrollably: "Dad! Your Russian is worse than an African's! Okay, we're both exhausted from the journey, let's go home!"

"Alright, let's go!" The father, with an air of nonchalance, took Natasha's suitcase and waved to his son: "I borrowed a car from the office; it's right outside."

Hu Yi knew that his father was known for his strict self-discipline and never sought to take advantage of his workplace. From childhood to adulthood, he only ever saw his father receive meager benefits from his workplace during the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, such as two frozen ribbonfish and a basket of rotten apples. He had never had the opportunity to enjoy any other benefits.

Unexpectedly, to pick him and Natasha up today, his father surprisingly borrowed a car from his workplace. Hu Yi was slightly touched and also felt quite proud. He went to the car, opened the door, and nodded to Natasha, "Let's go home!"

(End of this chapter)