Chapter 22: Song Ci Has Great Acting Skills
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Song Ci spent her few days in Shunchen City in a rather exciting manner. The day before, she joined the queue to try out a popular local milk tea. Yesterday, she went to eat smelly tofu in the afternoon, and then she visited a bar at night.
It could be imagined that Song Ci probably stayed out late last night at the bar and just went to bed not too long ago. Moreover, Song Ci usually turned down the volume of her cell phone while she was sleeping. She seldom answered calls then.
“I will call her again tomorrow morning. She usually turns down the volume of her cell phone when she is sleeping.” With that, Du Tingting suddenly noticed that Mu Mian didn’t look too good.
Mu Mian’s eyes were grave, his brows tightly furrowed. He looked distressed and ill-at-ease.
Du Tingting thought Mu Mian was worried about Song Fei, and so she advised, “It is a cause for celebration now that Song Fei is awake. As long as she is alive, we can find her. Hubby, don’t worry too much.”
Mu Mian was hiding a nefarious scheme in his heart, but he didn’t dare to let Du Tingting know of it.
Hearing Du Tingting’s advice, Mu Mian forced a smile. “You are right.”
...
Nine in the morning. Song Ci parked her car at a gas station and bought breakfast to eat in the car.
The gas station was selling spicy fried potatoes, and Song Ci spent eighty cents for a plateful. She also bought a bag of buttered corn and a yogurt drink. After that, she returned to the car.
She ate a few bites of potato before massaging her tired brows. Only then did she pick up her cell phone and called Du Tingting.
Du Tingting immediately picked up. Du Tingting sounded very anxious as she said, “Song Song, you are finally awake!”
Song Ci pretended to sound like she had just woken up. She made her voice thick and lazy. “I went to the bar last night and only arrived back at the hotel after midnight. I just woke up and saw that you called me.”
Song Ci placed the cell phone on the dashboard. And as she spoke to Du Tingting, she munched on her corn. “Mother, why did you call me so late last night?”
Du Tingting stammered, “Song Song, something happened last night...”
Pretending that she was expecting something bad, Song Ci tried to sound anxious. “Did something happen to Qiu-er yesterday?”
Du Tingting’s heart softened at the thought that Song Ci always put Mu Qiu’s well-being first. “It’s not Qiu-er. It’s your elder sister. She is awake!”
A bitter smile played upon Song Ci’s lips.
Of course, she knew that Song Fei was awake.
Song Ci turned up the pitch of her voice by several notches. “My elder sister is awake?”
Pretending that tears of joy were agitating her, Song Ci’s voice sounded choked. “Is she awake? When did she wake up?!” Song Ci spoke words that she had practiced not too long ago and then glanced up at her reflection in the rearview mirror.
The person reflected in the mirror had profound, bloodshot eyes. But there was a mocking smile playing on the corners of her lips. She looked somewhat maniacal, somewhat diabolical.
Song Ci, oh, Song Ci, with such marvelous acting skills. Why are you still flying planes? You should just join the entertainment industry to be an actress!
Song Ci’s reaction was completely normal in Du Tingting’s eyes. With a comatose elder sister waking up after eight years, it was natural for Song Ci to be both shocked and dubious. She must have desperately hoped that her elder sister would one day wake up, but she didn’t dare to believe it. She might be worried that she was just dreaming.
“She is indeed awake, but...” Du Tingting hesitated. She didn’t know how to tell Song Ci about Song Fei being missing.
Song Ci heard Du Tingting’s hesitation, and her heart sank. She asked in an uneasy tone, “But what? Is there something wrong with my elder sister’s health?”
“Did she lose her memory? Is she physically affected?” Many comatose patients who woke up years later suffered many adverse after-effects. Song Ci thought there was something wrong with Song Fei’s health.
Song Ci perfectly acted out her part as the concerned sister.
Du Tingting shook her head and answered, “That’s not it. After your sister woke up, she went missing.”
It stunned Song Ci. “Missing?”
After a shocked pause, Song Ci snapped out of her trance. She spoke agitatedly, “How did she go missing? Did someone kidnap her? What was the convalescent hospital doing? Why weren’t they watching over her?”
“No, no, Song Fei suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and quietly left the place on her own. Currently, we have no idea where she is.” Du Tingting waited for Song Ci to calm down before narrating the details of what had happened last night to her.
“We went to the convalescent hospital and watched the surveillance footage. I saw your elder sister with my own two eyes as she went down the stairs in the middle of the night and left the convalescent hospital. This is a failure of duty on the part of the facility. They are now doing their best to trace your sister.”
If she hadn’t seen it with her own two eyes, Du Tingting would have thought it was a nefarious plot concocted by the convalescent hospital.
After hearing Du Tingting’s explanation, it somewhat soothed Song Ci’s rage. “Did you see my elder sister leave the convalescent hospital on her own accord?”
“One hundred percent confirm.”
Song Ci pursed her lips as she suppressed her sobs.
Hearing Song Ci’s quiet sobbing, Du Tingting felt very sad for her.
“Song Song, don’t worry. It is still a cause for celebration that Song Fei is now awake. Moreover, she is an adult and not some naïve little kid. She wouldn’t get lost. She probably just wanted to take a look at the outside world and will be back tomorrow. Everyone is doing their best to find her. We will find her.”
Song Ci thought on the inside, ‘It will be better if you guys never found her.’
But on the outside, she tearfully stammered, “That is true, but she just woke up, and she’s not fully recovered. Now that she is missing, how can I not be worried?”
The more Song Ci thought about it, the heavier her sobs became.
“She just woke up and has no idea with everything that’s happened. How scared she must be! Where could she be?”
“Did she go back to our old house? But our house has long been destroyed! What if she discovers that our parents are no longer alive? How will Song Fei bear all that?!”
“Where could she be...”
Du Tingting waited for Song Ci to finish crying. After she had calmed down, she said, “Don’t fret Song Song, Song Fei will return safe and sound.”
“Mmm!” Song Ci wiped her tears and said, “I will buy an air ticket back to Wangdong City right now!”
Du Tingting knew that it was difficult for Song Ci to get her job. She also heard how stringent the conditions of the contract were. This was Song Ci’s first flight, and her boss would fire her in a fit of anger if she asked to take leave.
It was Song Ci’s dream to be a pilot.
After weighing the pros and cons in her head, Du Tingting told Song Ci, “It won’t be too late even if you were to return after your work trip ends. If we won’t find Song Fei today, we will approach the police for help. Believe us that we will find Song Fei. You will see her by the time you return.
“Moreover, what can you do even if you return? We will cover all grounds in our search. You might not help much even if you return.”
Song Ci knew that Du Tingting was right.
She sniffed a few times before saying calmly, “Mother, I will return as soon as my task is complete. I will have to trouble you and father this couple of days.”
“We are family. There’s no need to say such things.”
After hanging up the phone, Du Tingting couldn’t help sighing.
What a major to-do!