Chapter 80: Using the God Card

Chapter 80: Using the God Card

Shu Xiaoan looked down at her toes, like a guilty child. Tang Fei found the red text on her taskbar glaringly crimson, like blood and alarms. The words "Rescue Family and Friends" stood out starkly from the other tasks.

With Shu Xiaoan appearing safe beside her, it was highly likely that trouble lurked at her home. Tang Fei's mind buzzed, and considering the timing of Min Kai's incident, she knew she had to rush to Shu Xiaoan's place. "Xiaoan, let's go to your house."

"Sis Fei, I don't want to go back yet," Shu Xiaoan fiddled with her fingers, dreading the endless bickering with her mother awaiting her if she returned home. Her mood sank.

"Do you remember the first time we met? You were so obedient, tossing and turning at night, worried about your parents. Do you still recall that?"

You love your parents so much; any current friction or hardship is insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

I regretted my cold war with my family before. You work and earn money for them, don't let disagreements come between your reconciliation," Tang Fei said anxiously, putting on her clothes while draping a coat over Shu Xiaoan. "My boss and I have arrived in your hometown but haven't met your parents yet. We should pay them a visit as soon as possible."

The image of her mother's increasingly haggard appearance flashed through Shu Xiaoan's mind, along with the times she had seen her mother secretly wiping away tears. Her heart softened, and she began to waver. Running away like this would surely break her mother's heart.

The happier the past days were, the more painful the present felt. Each family member had changed under the impact of this incident. Her father could no longer communicate or join her for morning exercises, nor could they prepare delicious food together in the kitchen.

Her mother was perpetually pessimistic, forcing herself and constantly worrying. Shu Xiaoan felt that the warmth and softness of their home had vanished, replaced by negativity.

Zhou Weichuan was still coordinating with his staff in the capital to arrange for Min Kai's orthopedic hospitalization. Tang Fei immediately moved on to the next issue, leaving him struggling to keep up with her rapid pace. "Where are we going? Am I coming too?"

"Tang Fei winked, "Yes, you're Little An's boss. You need to pay your respects to her elders."

So it was about resolving Shu Xiaoan's family conflict. Zhou Weichuan glanced at Tang Fei, noting her impatience – she had jumped into action just minutes after sitting down.

Putting on his jacket, he playfully played along, "Little An, this is part of our company culture, especially since it's before the New Year. It's time to visit your elders, even if we didn't have time to prepare any gifts."

"Our gift is Little An herself. Taking her home will surely make Auntie very happy." By now, Tang Fei had already pulled Shu Xiaoan out the door and was pressing the elevator button in no time.

Zhou Weichuan seized the room key and hurried after her.

Determined to rally her friends, Tang Fei hurriedly made calls and sent messages while simultaneously booking a car on her phone. Her efficiency impressed Zhou Weichuan; from the moment he asked about Shu Xiaoan to when they descended the stairs and got into the car, only six minutes had passed.

Moving with a speed that seemed to fast-forward time, speaking like a machine gun on overdrive.

From the moment they got in the car, Tang Fei urged the driver to speed up. Zhou Weichuan, sensing his colleague's impatience bordering on a desire to take the wheel herself, gently pressed her back into her seat and fastened her seatbelt for her.

As Zhou Weichuan's face drew near, Tang Fei's heart rate fluctuated. She looked down and tugged at her securely fastened seatbelt, refraining from urging the driver to hurry.

"Safer than sorry," Zhou Weichuan said.

"Mm-hmm."

Tang Fei exhaled a sigh, secretly praying that everything would still be in time. The system's task prompt hadn't shown a failure, so Aunt and Uncle must still be doing well.

Sitting in the front seat, Shu Xiaoan sensed the same vibe she usually got from Zheng Haisheng. She felt like a giant floodlight with an unusually high wattage.

Did Sister Fei and the boss have something going on?

Shu Xiaoan recalled their first encounter at the Jiangzhou Film Studio. Back then, Zhou Weichuan had intercepted her and pulled her aside to critique Sister Fei's performance from a distance.

Had the boss been planning this all along? But it was only natural to fall for someone as amazing as Sister Fei.

Thinking of how Tang Fei had comforted her during her family conflict, Shu Xiaoan felt truly fortunate to have met such a kind person. Ever since she met Tang Fei on the train, it seemed like a corner of respite had appeared in her previously oppressive world.

The car soon arrived at the old residential complex where Shu Xiaoan's family rented a place. After they got out, Shu Xiaoan looked up at her second-story apartment, noticing that the lights were off.

It was only eight o'clock in the evening, and her parents usually didn't go to bed so early.

Shu Xiaoan, for some inexplicable reason, felt a nagging anxiety creeping up on her. She rushed upstairs and knocked vigorously on the door. "Mom, it's me, Little An. I'm back."

"Mom?"

"Mother."

After knocking for quite some time with no response, Shu Xiaoan's unease grew. She quickly fished out the key from her bag and unlocked the door.

Switching on the light, she found a neatly arranged metal bed and bare tables and chairs in the living room – her mother was not asleep.

"Dad? Mom?" Shu Xiaoan hurried to the bedroom. Flipping on the light there, she saw the large bed with its blankets folded tidily, just as if no one had been sleeping in it.

The room was clean and orderly, a stark contrast to usual, when her father's feeding mishaps due to difficulty swallowing often left the space in disarray.

Her mother, who single-handedly cared for her father, would prioritize his cleanliness and comfort over the state of the room.

The pristine condition of the room now signaled to Shu Xiaoan that something was amiss.

Father wasn't here either. Where could they have gone? How could her mother have moved him alone? Panic-stricken, she rushed to the living room to check the spot where the wheelchair usually stood – it was indeed missing.

Tang Fei approached the indoor heater and found it still warm. "Little An, they've only just left. The heater is still hot."

Shu Xiaoan immediately dialed her mother's number, but the phone rang in the living room.

Her mother had forgotten to take her phone.

"At this hour, where could they have gone?" Panic surged within Shu Xiaoan as she dashed downstairs. "Mom, Mom—where are you?"

Only now did she understand how her mother must have felt when she was being chased and called from behind these past few days.

Shu Xiaoan's heart felt like it had been struck by a hammer.

She ran all the way down to the road, standing at the crossroads. She watched the blinking traffic lights and gazed at the bustling vehicles on the road amidst the vast darkness of the night. As people came and went on the sidewalk, a sense of abandonment began to engulf her.

She knelt down and wept. "Mom, are you leaving me behind?"

Tang Fei caught up and pulled Shu Xiaoan to her feet. "Little An, don't cry yet. Tell me, where does Aunt usually go?"

"My mom takes care of Dad every day. She doesn't go anywhere else besides the grocery market." Shu Xiaoan hugged her head, tears falling steadily. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have argued with her every day. She must have taken Dad away because she's tired of me."

"Stop overthinking, maybe Aunt just went out for a stroll because she felt cooped up at home. Can you tell me if there's any park nearby?" Tang Fei's eyes blazed with anxiety. She glanced at the slot on the system interface where piles of cards were stacked together, seemingly none of them suitable for the current situation.

Calm down!

There must be a solution.

Tang Fei rallied herself and then focused on the divination card. Consulting it for auspicious directions in the southeast, northwest, and southwest might help her choose a direction, but she had only one card, allowing for just one attempt.

Not enough cards!

Tightening her grip on Shu Xiaoan's hand, Tang Fei reassured, "Don't cry, you'll definitely think of something."

Tang Fei examined each card, trying hard to imagine if any could be useful. It wasn't until she found the Summoning Card that an idea struck her.

Visualize a character to gain their memories.

Memories! If she visualized Shu Xiaoan's mother, she could access her memories.

Then, she would know exactly where Shu's mother had gone.

Yet, the minimum time to use a card was fifty minutes. Would it still be in time?

Tang Fei gritted her teeth. She had no better option; she had to use it for now.

However, she couldn't solely rely on the system; efforts from other avenues were necessary as well.