Two days later, Cheng Che boarded a plane.
When the plane landed in Spring City, Cheng Che opened the system panel from his seat and equipped [ Fade into the Bustle ].
The effect was immediate.
The surrounding passengers were either packing their luggage or making phone calls; no one noticed him.
He stood up, took his bag from the overhead luggage compartment, and walked slowly toward the exit.
The sunshine in Spring City is warmer than in Xiamen.
It's late December, but the daytime temperature here is still in the teens (Celsius), so a light jacket is just right.
He walked out of the arrival gate and saw a crowd of people.
Outside the railing of the arrival hall, there was a large, dark mass of people standing there, at least a hundred.
It was full of young women, holding up their phones, craning their necks, and staring in the direction of the exit.
Some people were holding banners, some were holding cameras, and a few were carrying bouquets of flowers.
Cheng Che was taken aback.
When was his flight information back to Spring City leaked?
Without thinking much, he lowered his head and walked forward.
With a mask, hat, and the added protection of Fade into the Bustle the crowd, he walked right past them.
As he passed by, he overheard several girls whispering to each other.
"Why haven't they come out yet? Didn't Sister Liu say it was this flight?"
"Don't rush, it'll be out soon."
"I've been standing for three hours, my legs are numb."
"It's okay, the numbness will go away when you see him later."
Cheng Che shook his head, finding it somewhat amusing.
He walked past them slowly, even glancing sideways at the girl who said her "legs were numb."
She didn't react; her gaze remained fixed on the direction of the exit.
He continued walking and saw the familiar Toyota Camry outside the arrivals area.
Cheng Jianguo stood beside the car, looking towards the arrival gate.
Jiang Xue sat in the passenger seat, the window rolled down halfway, and was also looking around.
Jiang Xue saw the crowd first.
She paused for a moment, then turned her head and looked through the car window at the hundreds of young women holding up their phones outside the railing, swallowing hard.
"Wow, so many young girls!" she said softly, her tone a mix of pride and worry. "What if they surround him when he comes out later? It's too dangerous."
Cheng Jianguo was calmer than her.
After opening their cultural and creative store, they used their phones every day to check the store, orders, and logistics, and naturally came across various news and videos about Cheng Che.
He knew his son's current popularity better than Jiang Xue did.
"This is nothing," Cheng Jianguo said. "Last time in Capital City, there were hundreds of people. That was truly terrifying."
He paused, then added, "But I didn't expect him to be so popular now. Last time I went home, there weren't this many people picking me up at the airport."
Jiang Xue frowned, looking at the crowd. "What should we do? What if our son gets stuck when he comes out?"
"He has a way," Cheng Jianguo said. "He was able to get out of Capital City last time, so he can definitely do it here too."
Before he finished speaking, Cheng Che had already walked to the car.
He patted Cheng Jianguo on the shoulder.
Cheng Jianguo jolted and turned around abruptly.
"You--"
He saw Cheng Che's face after he took off his mask, paused for a second, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
You scared me to death!
Jiang Xue leaned out of the passenger seat, saw Cheng Che, and her expression changed from worry to surprise, then from surprise to anxiety.
She lowered her voice and waved to Cheng Che, "Get in the car quickly, get in the car quickly."
Cheng Che opened the back door and got in.
Cheng Jianguo also got into the car, started the engine, and drove away from the arrival area.
After driving for a while, Cheng Jianguo glanced at Cheng Che in the rearview mirror.
"You're really brave," he said. "There are over a hundred people outside, and you just walked right past them?"
"Um."
"Not detected?"
"No."
Cheng Jianguo shook his head, his tone carrying a sense of helplessness, as if wondering, "What kind of monster is my son?"
"Alright," he said, "Let's go home."
Jiang Xue turned her head from the passenger seat and began her routine of asking about his well-being.
You've lost weight.
"No."
"What do you mean? Your face looks so thin. Did you not eat properly on set?"
"The food was good."
"Why have you lost weight? Is it because filming is too tiring? Or did the director bully you?"
"Mom," Cheng Che smiled, "The director treats us to late-night snacks every day, the whole crew has gained weight, but I've lost weight."
Jiang Xue glanced at him and reluctantly believed him.
How long can you stay this time?
"About ten days," Cheng Che said, "And then we'll go to Australia for a competition."
" Australia?" Jiang Xue frowned. "That's so far."
" Australian Open, Grand Slam."
Jiang Xue paused for a moment.
Is this competition really that good?
One of the four most important tournaments in tennis.
Jiang Xue nodded, but the heartache on her face didn't lessen.
What about the Spring Festival?
"I'll definitely be back before the Spring Festival," Cheng Che said. "There's enough time."
Jiang Xue hummed in agreement, relieved.
After driving for a while, Cheng Che realized the route was wrong. This wasn't the way to Clearwater Bay Residential Complex.
"Mom, are we going to the new house?"
Jiang Xue turned her head, a slight smile on her face, as if she had finally revealed a secret.
"You transferred another two million later, and your dad and I figured since you wouldn't be staying for more than a few days anyway, we might as well buy a nicer place. That way, it'll be easier for you to bring your friends back in the future."
"What friends should I bring?"
"My girlfriend," Jiang Xue said matter-of-factly, "And with a child coming along, we need a bigger place."
Cheng Che choked for a moment.
"Mom, I'll be nineteen in two months."
"I know," Jiang Xue said, "I didn't tell you to have the baby now, I meant later."
Cheng Che leaned back in his seat, looking at the street scene outside the car window, feeling that he couldn't continue this conversation.
The car turned into a new residential area.
The residential area is located in the north of the city and is much newer than Clearwater Bay. The main gate is made of dry-laid stone, and there is a security guard booth at the entrance. Vehicles need to swipe cards to enter and exit.
The entrance to the underground parking garage is wide, the lights are warm white, the floor is painted gray, and the parking space lines are clearly marked.
Cheng Jianguo parked his car near the elevator.
"Arrive."
The three of them took the elevator upstairs. The apartment was on the twelfth floor. When the elevator doors opened, Cheng Che saw a spacious entrance hallway.
Cheng Jianguo took out his keys and opened the door.
Cheng Che walked in and looked around.
The house is very large, I'd estimate it's 140 or 150 square meters.
The living room's floor-to-ceiling windows face the community's central garden, offering views of the trees and walkways below.
The floor is covered in light gray ceramic tiles, the walls are painted white, and the ceiling has simple plaster moldings.
The furniture is brand new; the sofa, dining table, and TV cabinet are all in Hyundai minimalist style, and the colors are very pleasing to the eye.
"It's a fully furnished apartment," Jiang Xue said. "The developer already decorated it, so we didn't touch anything. We just bought some furniture."
Cheng Che walked to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room and glanced at the view outside.
"Good."
Jiang Xue led him inside, introducing each room one by one.
"The master bedroom is over here; your dad and I will be staying here. There are two guest rooms over there; one has been converted into a study for your dad. And the other one..."
She pushed open a door at the end of the corridor.
"This room is yours."
Cheng Che went inside.
The room was quite spacious, containing a 1.8-meter bed, a wardrobe, and a desk.
There's a small bay window by the window, with two cushions on it.
The bedding on the bed was newly laid out, light blue, and very clean.
"The quilt is new," Jiang Xue said. "I knew you were coming back, so I aired it out in the sun beforehand."
Cheng Che sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the pillow.
"Good."
Jiang Xue stood at the door, looking at him with a satisfied smile on her face.
"Then you rest first, I'll go cook."
"Good."
Jiang Xue left, closing the door behind her.
Cheng Che lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
This room was bigger than the one he had in Clearwater Bay before, the bed was wider, and the blankets smelled of sunshine.
He rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and took a deep breath.
I'm home.
After lying down for a while, he took out his phone.
There's a lot of news.
In the class group chat, someone asked, "Has Cheng Che returned to Spring City?", someone else said, "I saw the photos of him being picked up at the airport," and someone else asked, "Can we meet up for a meal?"
He scrolled down and saw Guo Xin's message.
I heard you went back to Spring City?
When are you going out to play?
"I'm going back to school in a few days. If you don't come out soon, I'm leaving."
Cheng Che smiled and typed a reply to him.
"Tomorrow."
Guo Xin replied instantly, "Really? Don't lie to me."
I'm not lying to you.
"Then tomorrow at noon, same place."
"OK."
Cheng Che put his phone on the bedside table, turned over, and looked out the window at the sky over Spring City.
It's the end of December, and the sky is still blue.
The outline of the Western Hills in the distance is clear, and the sunlight shines through the clouds, warming the entire city.
He closed his eyes, trying not to think about anything.
rest.
Meanwhile, on the internet, the long-awaited drama "Walking the Walking the Flower Road Together " is set to air tomorrow.