Going Home

The scenery outside the car window blurred as it sped by.

The high-speed train hurtled towards Ning Yifan's hometown at 250 kilometers per hour.

Ning Yifan's hometown was a small, fourth-tier city in Xichuan Province. It was about an hour's journey from Chengdu by high-speed train.

Since she was traveling by high-speed train, Android No. 18 didn't have an ID card and couldn't pass security. It was inconvenient for her to come along, so Ning Yifan had asked her to stay at the factory for now and join him later that evening.

As the train sped forward, Ning Yifan looked out at the passing scenery, a faint smile on his lips as he thought of his home and family.

Ning Yifan's father, Ning Guodong, was fifty years old and worked at a renovation company. His salary wasn't high, but it was enough to support the family. His father was very gentle and diligent at work, doting on Ning Yifan and his younger brother, perhaps even a bit too much.

His mother, Zhou Fengmei, was two years younger than his father. She was virtuous and a bit stricter than his father, but only when it came to Ning Yifan and his brother's studies. In her free time, she enjoyed experimenting with recipes and often cooked delicious meals for the family.

In Ning Yifan's memory, his mother had always been the one taking care of the family's meals, never having worked outside the home. After decades of practice, her cooking was superb. Ning Yifan especially missed his mother's sweet and sour carp, which he could eat with two large bowls of rice every time.

Ning Yifan also had a younger brother, Ning Yishun, who was currently in his third year of high school and had about six months left until the college entrance exams.

His grandfather, who was sixty-nine years old, also lived with them. His grandmother had passed away when Ning Yifan was a child.

It was a very warm family. Ever since Ning Yifan could remember, the atmosphere at home had always been relaxed. Even if there were occasional minor disagreements, they would be resolved within a few days.

Lost in his thoughts, Ning Yifan's high-speed train slowly came to a stop. Carrying his suitcase with his change of clothes and toiletries, Ning Yifan stepped out of the station.

Soon, outside the platform, he spotted the Santana car he had been riding in since he was a child. The car, over a decade old, was parked nearby. A middle-aged man stood beside it, scanning the passengers emerging from the station, looking for Ning Yifan.

"Dad!" Ning Yifan shouted, waving his hand.

His father nodded, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Let's go, we're going home!"

After putting the suitcase in the trunk, Ning Yifan got into the passenger seat. His father started the car, skillfully navigating through the traffic towards home.

"How has it been working after graduating for a year? Are you finding it difficult to adjust?" his father asked caringly as he drove.

Ning Yifan thought for a moment before replying, "It's been okay, pretty good."

"Have you had any conflicts with your colleagues?"

"No, everyone's been great!"

"Oh, right, are you still working at that same online game company?"

"I'm not working there anymore. I changed jobs in the latter half of the year."

"Was there something unpleasant?"

"No, no, I just wanted to earn a bit more money."

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

"I know, I know."

"By the way, do you have a girlfriend yet?"

"Not yet..."

"While I believe you're capable of finding a girlfriend, if you don't have one, it's probably because you're not looking. Don't just stay at home all the time; interact with people more. Your mother and I are looking forward to babysitting your kids."

"No rush, no rush. I just graduated from college a year ago. It's normal for young people these days to get married in their late twenties or thirties!"

"That's their business. Your mother and I just want you to settle down and start a family soon."

"We'll see. Relationships don't just happen when you want them to."

To escape his father's interrogation, Ning Yifan quickly changed the subject. "Oh, Dad, this car has been with you for over ten years. When are you going to get a new one?"

"Why change it? It still runs fine and doesn't have any major issues. Buying a new car is a big expense. Let's talk about it after your brother graduates from college. We'll have more financial flexibility then."

Ning Yifan knew that his father actually liked cars. However, with his parents and grandparents to care for, the burden of the family had fallen solely on his father's shoulders, and he was very frugal with money.

Ning Yifan pressed on, "Just tell me hypothetically, what kind of car would you want if you were to get a new one?"

"What, are you going to buy me one?" his father glanced at Ning Yifan.

"Just tell me hypothetically."

"Well, if I were to change it, I'd probably get an SUV in the hundred-thousand-yuan range. They have more space and are more comfortable to sit in. We usually carry a lot of things when the family goes out. Something like a Haval H6 or a Geely Boyue. I haven't really thought about it in detail, though."

"Cars in the hundred-thousands? Do you have any higher aspirations?"

"Hey, you rascal, you mean in the two to three hundred thousand range? Still an SUV, I suppose. A Tiguan L, Highlander, or CR-V would all be pretty good."

"Okay, I understand." Ning Yifan nodded thoughtfully. His father was still a bit hesitant to even consider those options.

Soon, on the way back, they picked up his mother at the market, who had bought a large amount of groceries.

They went home to cook. Ning Yifan's family lived in an old apartment complex in this fourth-tier city. There was no elevator, and it was on the fifth floor, a three-bedroom, one-living-room layout.

His parents, brother, and grandfather all lived there.

The kitchen was only large enough for two people to stand in; any more would be too crowded. The toilet was also shared.

Upon arriving home, his mother went into the kitchen to work her magic, preparing a sumptuous meal for Ning Yifan.

His grandfather was sitting on the sofa watching TV, and his brother was likely studying in his room.

As soon as he entered the house, Ning Yifan called out loudly, "Grandpa!"

The old man was also very happy to see Ning Yifan, and shouted loudly, "Grandson!"

"Heh heh!"

At home, Ning Yifan acted like a child who hadn't grown up.

"Dinner!" Mom brought a table full of delicious dishes.

There was sweet and sour carp, which Ning Yifan liked, and a home-style specialty, dry-pot potatoes.

Ning Yifan and his younger brother both loved potatoes, so the family always kept a large sack of them, and they could finish a whole pot every time.

The meal lasted for over an hour, during which Dad and Grandpa had a few drinks.

At the dinner table, Dad and Mom were concerned about Ning Yifan's lifelong commitment.

Mom chattered on.

"You've been an adult since you graduated from college, it's time to think about getting married. Look at your Uncle Liu's child, they're only nineteen and have already dated several people. You need to hurry up too."

"Isn't it almost New Year's? Many people who work away from home have returned recently, and there are many girls around your age among them. Why don't you go and see them when you have time!"

"Auntie Liu from Building Five has a girl in her twenties, she's very pretty, and she's coming back these couple of days."

Ning Yifan broke out in a sweat: "Mom, please don't worry! Don't worry, I'll definitely bring a wife home in a couple of years! I'm not in a hurry now, I need to focus on my career, I'm not ready yet!"

"You child, what are you not ready for? When I was your age, I was already married to your dad!"

"Times have changed, this is now, that was then."

"Alright then, this year is the final ultimatum. You must bring a wife back to us next year!"

"Got it." He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After dinner that night, Ning Yifan and his brother cleaned up the battlefield, washing pots and bowls.

Their three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment was about ninety square meters. His younger brother lived in the small guest bedroom, Grandpa lived in another bedroom, Mom and Dad lived in the master bedroom, and Ning Yifan had to sleep on the sofa.

"The apartment is a bit small!"

Everyone was already asleep, so Ning Yifan took out his phone and dialed a number.

"No. 18, help me search online to see which car dealerships in Chengdu have SUVs priced over one million yuan currently in stock. Also, help me search for houses for sale in my city, ZY City, filtering for properties over five million yuan. Send the contact numbers you find to my phone."

"Okay," No. 18 replied over the phone.

"Mhm, you can come over now. Find an unoccupied rooftop near my place and stay there temporarily for a couple of days."

"Got it."

The call ended. No. 18 put on the hooded sweatshirt Ning Yifan had specially made for her, adjusted her limbs, and with a pale blue energy flame, broke free from gravity and flew towards Ning Yifan's city.

The hooded cloak was made of a new type of material. It not only had powerful defensive capabilities but could also conceal Android No. 18's whereabouts from radar, infrared, and temperature sensors, among other things.

This was specifically made to prevent No. 18 from being shot down the moment she took to the sky.

At night, a pale blue meteor streaked rapidly towards Ning Yifan's location, avoiding cities and populated areas as much as possible along the way.