Chapter 124: Going Home!
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Afterward, Chu Xiao and the others boarded the spacecraft and prepared to return home. Chu Xiao waved goodbye to the aliens.
Wang Yan started the spacecraft, and it slowly rose into the sky. Everyone was overjoyed. After being away for so long and enduring so many dangers, they could finally go home.
Chu Xiao was delighted as well. He had been away for such a long time, and he wondered how Wang Lulu was doing and whether there had been any movement from the Nether King.
“We have entered space. Adjusting course and flying two thousand kilometers southwest.”
Chu Xiao looked at Wang Yan. At work, she was clearly a tough, no-nonsense woman, yet whenever she was with him, she became as gentle and delicate as a little woman. No matter how hard he tried, Chu Xiao could never understand it.
“Shutting down the engines. Gliding forward for three thousand kilometers and entering the designated orbit.”
There was nothing more for Wang Yan to do. She turned and looked at Chu Xiao, who was staring blankly into space. The more she looked at him, the more she felt that he was the person she had been searching for.
“Hey, what are you thinking about, sitting there in a daze?”
Wang Yan came over and patted him on the shoulder. Chu Xiao shuddered in surprise. Perhaps he had been too exhausted these past few days; he had not even noticed her approaching.
“Nothing in particular. I’m happy that we’re going home.”
“Are you worried about the Nine Provinces? Or about that little girl who came to the space agency to see you off?”
Wang Yan had always wanted to ask about his relationship with Wang Lulu, but she had never known how to bring it up. Perhaps asking would only make her feel worse.
“I’m worried about both. We’ve been gone for so long. I don’t know whether the Nether King has threatened the Nine Provinces.”
In truth, Chu Xiao was more worried about Wang Lulu. With Number One guarding the Nine Provinces, even if the Nether King came, he would not pose too great a threat. But Wang Lulu had no one beside her except Chu Xiao.
“Are you two lovers, or is she your younger sister?”
In the end, Wang Yan could not hold back any longer. She already had an answer in her heart, but even if the truth left her disappointed, she still wanted to hear it clearly.
“We’ve actually known each other for a very long time. Sometimes it feels as though we knew each other in a previous life. But I failed to cherish her properly.”
Wang Yan could tell that Chu Xiao loved Wang Lulu deeply. Even so, she did not intend to give up. That was simply her nature: she would never surrender before the very end. Even if they were lovers, as long as they were not married, she still had a chance.
Wang Yan had no intention of abandoning Chu Xiao. She was prepared to pursue him, but given the circumstances, this was not the right time to say so.
“Look, Brother Xiao. Isn’t it beautiful out there? Do you know what that planet is?”
“I don’t know. I know nothing about space.”
Wang Yan began giving Chu Xiao an intensive lesson in astronomy, pointing out Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and even the Milky Way.
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“Captain, we’ve returned to our original orbit!”
Everyone was thrilled by the news. They had encountered danger everywhere during their long journey through space, and now they had finally received some good news.
Chu Xiao immediately contacted Number One. As soon as the connection was established, he asked about Wang Lulu. After learning that she was safe and sound, he asked about the Nether King.
“The Nether King has attacked several times, but we drove them back every time. How are things on your end?”
Number One had been worried about Chu Xiao and the others for days. He had tried to contact them constantly. Chu Xiao briefly reported everything they had experienced and told Number One that they would be returning soon.
After ending the call, Number One finally relaxed. He immediately arranged for people to receive Chu Xiao and prepared rescue equipment.
Chu Xiao had already told Number One about the fuel shortage. Number One instructed them that if they could not land safely, they were to parachute out at once. He also arranged for people to search for the spacecraft.
“Captain, look! We can see home!”
The sight of Earth filled the crew with warmth. Each of them seemed to see their home, and they cheered excitedly.
“Captain, this is bad! We’re almost out of fuel!”
“Switch to the reserve fuel. We’re going through the atmosphere. Prepare to parachute!”
Wang Yan intended to use the last of the fuel to force the spacecraft into the atmosphere. Whether they could parachute down successfully would depend on luck.
“Set our destination to the Nine Provinces. We must land within its borders!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Wang Yan issued her commands calmly. As for whether they could land safely, they could only deal with one problem at a time and resolve the crisis directly in front of them.
“Captain, the destination has been set. We’ve entered the atmosphere!”
Warning! Warning! Insufficient fuel! Insufficient fuel!
The spacecraft’s computer repeated the warning over and over. With no power left, the spacecraft began to descend continuously.
“Everyone, prepare to parachute! Our altitude is seven thousand. Current altitude, eleven thousand!”
“Nine thousand!”
“Seven thousand. Jump!”
Everyone leaped from the spacecraft. But just as Wang Yan jumped, neither her main parachute nor her reserve parachute opened.
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Seeing what had happened, Chu Xiao plunged downward, caught Wang Yan, and opened his own parachute. Safe in Chu Xiao’s arms, Wang Yan felt unusually secure.
When they were only about a hundred meters from the ground, the parachute’s safety line suddenly snapped under the combined weight of the two of them.
To protect Wang Yan, Chu Xiao positioned himself beneath her. Wang Yan looked at him, unwilling to let him come to harm, but there was nothing she could do.
“Brother Xiao, don’t do anything foolish! The Nine Provinces can’t survive without you!”
Wang Yan felt that she had brought disaster upon Chu Xiao. Yet just as they were about to hit the ground, they were caught by a dense mass of branches.
Chu Xiao was knocked unconscious when he landed. Wang Yan, however, was largely unharmed. She climbed out of his arms, and when she saw that he had passed out, she was terrified.
“Brother Xiao! Brother Xiao, you can’t be hurt! Wake up, please!”
Wang Yan called out to him desperately. When Chu Xiao did not respond, she prepared to give him artificial respiration. But just as she was about to breathe into his mouth, Chu Xiao let out a deep gasp and slowly opened his eyes.
“Brother Xiao, you finally woke up! You scared me half to death. I thought you…”
“I’m fine. As long as the Nether King isn’t dead, I won’t die so easily.”
Wang Yan was overjoyed to see that Chu Xiao was all right, but she also noticed that he had suffered several minor injuries. She tore strips of cloth from her own clothes and used them to bandage him.
“These are only minor wounds. They’re nothing to worry about. Where are we?”
“No. What if the wounds become infected? I don’t even know where we are.”
Wang Yan helped Chu Xiao to his feet. He looked around and saw dense jungle in every direction. They had no idea where they had landed.
Still, Chu Xiao knew they could not be far away. If they waited there, the people Number One had sent would find them soon. But there might also be wild beasts lurking in the forest.
Chu Xiao asked Wang Yan to gather some dry branches nearby. Night was approaching, and the forest would soon become damp and bitterly cold. A fire would keep them warm, discourage wild beasts from coming near, and make it easier for Number One’s people to find them.
Suddenly, Chu Xiao noticed movement in the grass beside them. He drew his gun and went over to investigate. Just as he approached, a wild rabbit sprang out.
Chu Xiao raised his hand, took aim, and fired. He had thought they would go hungry that night, but the meat had practically delivered itself. Wang Yan went over and picked up the rabbit. After Chu Xiao cleaned it, they placed it over the fire to roast.
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