My hometown is far away in Moscow.

Chapter 253 The Problem

The train station was quite far from Hu Yi's home, so at Hu's father's instruction, the driver deliberately chose to drive on the busy main roads, making sure the Santana 2000 was driven at a steady and unhurried pace.

Natasha, newly arrived in this unfamiliar city, curiously admired the scenery along the way: "Wow, such tall buildings! What is this place?"

"This is... um... a Chinese telecommunications operator."

"What about that one over there? It's also very tall!"

"That's... the power company in our province."

"Wow, there are so many new buildings, and so many old ones. Although they're not as...modern as what I saw in Beijing, they're still quite nice." Natasha stared intently out the window. "So many bicycles! Hey? Anton, what kind of trees are those? I think I've seen them on TV, but I can't remember the name."

Hu Yi looked in the direction she was pointing: "Well... what's it called... I can't remember either. There's no such plant in Russia, we call it 'bamboo'."

"Interesting! What kind of place is that? A forest?"

"It's a park, and there's a very famous spring inside." Hu Yi smiled slightly. "My hometown has had many springs since ancient times. I'll take you to visit them one by one in the future."

Half an hour later, the car slowly stopped downstairs at Hu Yi's house. The driver helpfully carried the luggage upstairs, and Hu Yi showed Natasha around the house one by one. Suddenly, he thought of Li Baoqing again, so he went into the inner room and called him on the landline.

"Feed? Who is it?" Li Baoqing's voice was weak and listless.

"You old man Hu!" Now that Hu Yi knew he was safe and sound, he couldn't help but tease him a bit more: "Still alive? Didn't you go to get your passport? Why did you disappear? I waited for you at the airport for hours yesterday and almost missed my flight."

"Get lost, you jerk! You can't even joke around properly. I almost died, my wound still hurts!" Li Baoqing perked up a bit: "You're home?"

"Just came in. How are you? You're not dead, are you?"

"Of course, what can a beat-up little pistol do to me? I'm incredibly lucky. My arm was only grazed, and the chest wound wasn't too serious either, thanks to the cigar the boss gave me." After a night's rest, Li Baoqing had recovered some strength, but he was still clearly shaken: "Damn it, I've never been shot before. If I hadn't been hit myself, I would have thought someone was setting off firecrackers."

"Your boss's been giving you cigars for months now, hasn't he? It's a good thing you always carry them in your pocket." Hu Yi paused, his joking tone fading. "How long will it take for your injury to heal? Will you be able to go back to China?"

"It will take at least ten days to two weeks. I've already called home and made up a reason. I'll go back during the winter break and Chinese New Year."

"That's good, at least it'll save your family from worrying when they see the wound." Hu Yi sighed softly. "Was the Vietnamese guy you poached the woman from your boyfriend's side who shot you?"

"That's right, it's him." Li Baoqing said nonchalantly, "You were right, the wall collapsed and it hit me. You're such a jinx."

"Damn it, you're still laughing? I've tried so hard to persuade you, but you just won't listen. Tell me, what if there wasn't that cigar box blocking your way this time? Would you still be alive to answer my call?"

"That's fate," Li Baoqing sneered. "That scoundrel has absolutely no business acumen. I've poached all his clients these past few months, so he desperately tried to kill me. And what happened? I'm alive and well now, aren't I? A near-death experience is always followed by good fortune. My best days are yet to come!"

"Damn, you little brat..." Hu Yi was at a loss for words, just as he was thinking of how to persuade him, when his father pushed open the door and poked half his body in: "Are you done with the call? I have something to tell you."

Hu Yi nodded: "Alright, I'll stop talking to you now. International calls are expensive, let's meet online another day."

"Okay, I'm tired of talking, I need to rest for a bit." Li Baoqing groaned, "Oh right, you... could you come visit my parents when you have time? They're a little suspicious about my sudden decision not to return to China, could you help me cover it up?"

"Okay, you can focus on recovering." Hu Yi hung up the phone, stood up, and smiled at his father: "What's wrong, Dad?"

Mr. Hu sat down with a smile: "Are you tired? Shall we eat at home or out tonight?"

"Anything's fine with me, what do you guys say?"

"If you ask me, let's just eat out. A four-star hotel just opened near our house, and the food and accommodation are both very good."

"Okay." Hu Yi nodded. "That's all?"

"Hmm... Also. Natasha is a really nice girl. Your mother and I had a very good first impression of her. And it's clear that she has feelings for you a lot."

"Of course, we've been dating for over two years," Hu Yi said with a smile. "Dad, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"I wanted to discuss something with you," the father said after a moment's thought. "Where do you plan to let Natasha stay?"

"Where are you staying?" Hu Yi was taken aback. "Not at our place? Where else would you stay?"

"Hu Yi, look, it's like this." The father frowned and crossed his legs. "We have a place to live at home, but this is the government dormitory. Many of my colleagues live in the compound. Everyone knows you went abroad to study these past few years, and now you've graduated and brought a foreign girlfriend back, which is a good thing. But if Natasha just lives in the house without any official status, coming and going every day... it seems... it's not a good influence."

This was a problem Hu Yi hadn't considered before, but it seemed very real at the moment. His parents were very traditional and couldn't stand their colleagues gossiping about their children's lifestyles. He was momentarily at a loss: "So... what do you think?"

"Our idea is to not let Natasha stay at home for the time being." The father carefully chose his words: "Your mother and I went to check out the newly opened hotel next door. The rooms are new and the facilities are good. Your mother's company can also get a negotiated rate there. How about letting Natasha stay there for a few days and make do? We'll pay for her accommodation."

"Isn't this inappropriate?!" Hu Yi blurted out, "I brought Natasha all the way from Moscow home, and now I'm making her stay in a hotel?! It's not about the accommodation or the money, it's...it's...it's really hurtful, don't you think?"

"Yes, that makes sense, and we are also concerned about her feelings." The father nodded with a wry smile. "So we have prepared a compromise: Natasha can stay at home, but you two cannot sleep in the same room. That way, even if outsiders gossip, we can have peace of mind."

Hu Yi knew this was the biggest concession his parents could make. Although Natasha would definitely feel uncomfortable hearing this, it was still much better than staying in a hotel. So he nodded and agreed, "Okay, let her sleep in my bedroom, and I'll sleep in the living room."

"Okay, you can talk to Natasha about it later." The father breathed a sigh of relief: "Actually, this arrangement is only temporary. Once your lives have settled down a bit, you should consider marriage as soon as possible. Once you're a real couple, you can live together openly."

(End of this chapter)