My hometown is far away in Moscow.

Chapter 259 A Perfect Match

"Huh? Where is everyone?" Hu Yi looked around blankly, only to find the whole room empty. Fu Jiahui had vanished in an instant, and even Natasha, who had been sitting at the writing desk, was nowhere to be found.

"Baoqing? Jia Hui? Natasha?!" He was terrified and hurriedly called out, "Natasha? Natasha! Natasha..."

"Anton! I'm here." A familiar, pleasant voice rang out from the ethereal silence, slowly reaching my ears: "Darling? What's wrong?"

Hu Yi suddenly woke up and vaguely saw Natasha with tender eyes, leaning over the bed and gently shaking her arm.

"Hmm?" He composed himself slightly and realized that it was already bright daylight. The piercing cicada calls were interspersed with a few clear bird calls, and everything outside the window looked so dazzling under the scorching sun.

"How did I end up sleeping here?" Hu Yi rolled out of bed, rubbing his eyes and stretching. "How did you sleep last night?"

"It's very comfortable on the living room sofa." Natasha smiled and looked at him. "What did you dream about just now?"

"My friends from Moscow are in this room." Hu Yi looked around unconsciously. "They talked to me, but then they disappeared in the blink of an eye."

"You probably miss them." Natasha patted his face lightly twice. "Go wash up, Mom just made breakfast."

The minor unpleasantness at last night's dinner party has vanished. My father went out early this morning to buy fried dough sticks and tofu pudding, while my mother prepared bread and fried eggs separately for Natasha, as well as the daily fresh milk she had been ordering since she came to our home.

The family sat around the table, chatting and laughing. Natasha's parents kept gesturing for her to eat more. Hu Yi silently drank a few spoonfuls of tofu pudding, then his hand holding the spoon suddenly froze in mid-air. He looked at his father, then at his mother, and coughed softly. "Dad, Mom, I'm thinking... maybe we should... go back and visit again. Just think of it as going on a work assignment abroad. What do you think?"

"Back to Moscow?"

"Um."

The parents exchanged a glance, their expressions slightly subtle.

"Last night, your mother and I were wondering if you were thinking about going back to Moscow, and it turned out to be true when we woke up." The father calmly chewed on his fried dough stick. "We've thought about it. You're twenty-four now, and you should be able to make your own decisions about these things."

"You agree?" Hu Yi felt a wave of relief wash over him. "I thought I'd have to go through a lot of trouble to persuade you."

"What can we do if we disagree? We'll just treat this as a summer vacation trip back home to visit relatives!" The mother smiled helplessly. "Judging from your recent situation, going back to gain more experience for a few more years might be a good thing. Besides, Natasha isn't happy living here either. Although she's very kind and polite to us, I can sense that she's actually quite troubled."

"Yes, perhaps she hasn't yet adapted to the living environment and lifestyle in China." Hu Yi paused for a moment, then sighed, "Actually, I myself am not ready to go back to work in China either."

"Do what you think is best," his father said calmly, looking at him. "How will you arrange your work and life after you go back? Have you made all the plans?"

"Not yet, but it should be fine." Hu Yixing hurriedly picked up the bowl and finished the last bit of tofu pudding. "I'll make the arrangements this afternoon."

With his parents' understanding and support, things proceeded very smoothly. Fu Jiahui had been thinking about Hu Yi constantly these past few days. He originally planned to inquire about the situation after Hu Yi returned to China for a while, but unexpectedly, less than a month later, Hu Yi took the initiative to contact him.

"Come back! You don't need to worry about anything. I'll handle all the paperwork here!" Fu Jiahui grinned from ear to ear. "Why did you have to go through all this trouble? It's enough that I'm working so hard every day running around the market, I also have to worry about whether you're coming back or whether we need to hire someone else. I'm telling you, just enjoy yourself in China with your foreign girl for a few more days, and come back to work as soon as you get your visa!"

Fu Jiahui was working diligently and actively to push things forward, and Hu Yi also went to apply for a visa as soon as he received the job offer. However, even though they did not delay at all, they still waited for more than ten days in total.

During this time, Hu Yi was no longer worried about finding a job, and Natasha was overjoyed at the prospect of returning to Moscow. Taking advantage of their trip to the embassy to apply for visas, the two of them had a blast in Beijing, visiting all the famous places like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall at Badaling, Fragrant Hills, Houhai, and the Ming Tombs.

Back from Beijing, it was time to pack again. This time, the trip to Moscow wouldn't require the elaborate preparation of various daily necessities as it had been years before, but her mother still insisted on bringing them extra things. Hu Yi let Natasha go shopping with her mother, while he himself took some time to buy some nutritional supplements to visit Li Baoqing's parents.

He had met the two elderly people once when he first took the train to Moscow. At that time, the parents of the children went to Beijing to see them off. Li Baoqing's father was strong and kind-hearted. He tirelessly helped him and Yu Feifei carry their large luggage from the platform to their sleeper compartment time and time again, leaving a deep impression on Hu Yi.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye. When they meet again now, Li Baoqing's mother has not changed much, but his father has become emaciated and sallow-skinned, and is a completely different person compared to back then.

Knowing that he was suffering from liver disease, Hu Yi felt a deep sense of sorrow. He first helped Li Baoqing cover up the lie as instructed, and then made up a few lies to praise him lavishly, trying his best to comfort the old man.

"Six years have passed, you've both grown up." Baoqing's father smiled weakly, his voice lacking strength. "You and Yu Feifei are good children, but Li Baoqing has never given us a moment's peace. You've both successfully completed your studies, but what about him... sigh."

"Uncle, please don't say that. Baoqing has always been very... very hardworking, and he will definitely not let you down."

"I hope so." The old man sighed softly. "I know my own son well. My son is a decent person, but he's never been very self-aware. He's often arrogant and can't tell what's important when things are going wrong."

"Yes, that's right." Hu Yi couldn't help but blurt out in agreement, then quickly corrected himself, "No, no, Baoqing... he's doing very well, much more mature than before, much more mature."

Baoqing's father smiled noncommittally: "Sigh, let him grow up on his own. The doctor told me not to get angry or anxious, and I don't want to worry about him anymore. I just hope he can finish university and come back safe and sound."

"That's no problem!" Hu Yi said confidently. "You don't need to worry. He will definitely return safely with his graduation certificate. I guarantee you that."

"I hope he can do it." Baoqing's father showed a hint of relief. "Please keep an eye on him and help him more in the future. Please keep an eye on him for us."

"Don't worry, Uncle." Hu Yi nodded emphatically. "Baoqing is my best friend, and I will definitely live up to your expectations."

(End of this chapter)