Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Thoughts in Deep Sleep (part 2) (1/2)

Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Thoughts in Deep Sleep (part 2)

Liu Shiling followed Custard Pie on a long walk up the mountain road. The little girl may have had short legs, but she undoubtedly possessed good stamina. Moreover, after the minor mishap earlier, she was brimming with energy and high spirits as she marched along the mountain trail, as if she were the conqueror of these mountains.

Leading the way, Custard Pie took mighty steps, resembling a “mountain tiger descending rapidly.” Its chubby body and furry paws infused the surrounding air with an intimidating aura.

After an indeterminable period, after passing two villages situated at the mountainside and at the foot of the mountain, Liu Shiling decided to rest on a stone by the road.

She was tired, to begin with, after the long trek, and her feet were extremely sore.

Moreover, she could feel the subtle vibrations of the coin in her pocket—Alice’s secret signal to her to rest in this spot.

No sooner had she sat down on the stone at the roadside than sleepiness engulfed her. At the same time, hunger pangs began to assail her – she hadn’t eaten much for dinner because the dishes at her aunt’s place had been too salty. Now, she was famished, tired, thirsty and sleepy.

She had no idea why she was supposed to wait in this locale. The closest houses in the village were still tens of meters away. To make matters worse, the village was shrouded in darkness at this hour as most households were asleep.

Nonetheless, she put her trust in Alice, knowing that following her instruction was the right move.

Liu Shiling held her small backpack to her chest, tightened the strings of her hood, and rested her head on her backpack, soon drifting off to sleep.

Custard Pie kept watch by her side, eyes wide open and occasionally circling around its young master, trying to deter any mosquitoes.

After a while, a small car stopped not too far away. Following that, a tall young woman with a ponytail got out of the back seat of the car, phone in hand, and began to search around.

Upon seeing the woman, Custard Pie immediately ran towards her, meowing, and then returned quickly to nudge Liu Shiling awake by tugging at her trouser leg.

Suddenly awakened, Liu Shiling was blinded by the bright car headlights. She squinted against the light, raising her head off her backpack, appearing somewhat confused, as though she had not fully woken up.

She then felt a hand on top of her hooded head and heard a faint but familiar voice saying, “Little Lingdang, I’m here to pick you up.”

“Sister Roast Chicken Wings!” Liu Shiling exclaimed, her face lighting up into a smile.

Indeed! The tall girl who had come to pick her up was Xia Libing, who had bought a plane ticket at the eleventh hour to come.

Upon arriving at the Star City Airport, Xia Libing immediately hailed a car to come to the base of the mountain.

With Alice providing directions, there was no way she couldn’t locate Little Fatty.

Xia Libing walked to the car, holding Little Fatty Girl’s red backpack in one hand and taking her other hand.

The driver glanced at Custard Pie, following them, and then rolled down the window, seeming to want to say something.

The experienced young girl instantly understood the matter from the driver’s gaze. She squatted down to lift Custard Pie, directed its face towards the driver, and said, “Uncle, I’ll hold Custard Pie. It won’t run around and dirty the seat.”

Equally experienced, Custard Pie emitted a long and soft meow, tucking in its legs and slowly blinking at the driver.

The driver hesitated for a moment. According to company policy, passengers were allowed to bring their pets along, but only if they stayed inside their bags. He was about to issue this reminder when looking at Liu Shiling, who was standing there alone in the middle of the night at the base of this isolated mountain. Her forehead was covered in sweat that made her hair stick to it, her eyes appearing droopy with exhaustion. The sight of this young girl fatigued yet understanding enough to hold her cat and ask for his permission touched his heart as a father himself. His heart melted, and he shook his head quickly, saying, “It’s okay, place the cat on the car mat. I have seat covers on the backseat. If it’s dirty, it’s not a problem. I can give them a wash at home. I change the seat covers every day anyway.”

“Thank you, Uncle!” Little Fatty girl said cheerfully.

Xia Libing then opened the car door, helped her with Custard Pie – she had also planned to negotiate with the driver. She’d noticed the seat covers in the back and was ready to compensate the driver for those and maybe some extra compensation to win his approval. However, Little Fatty had swiftly beaten her to it and the negotiations had an even better outcome than throwing cash around.

Once they were in the car, Liu Shiling leaned on Xia Libing and immediately started nodding off again.

Xia Libing watched as the small red face, encased in a hoodie, settled down. She asked the driver for a pack of wet wipes and started wiping the sweat and dirt off the little girl’s face and hands, and even helped Custard Pie clean its paws.

Decent hotels wouldn’t allow pets unless prior arrangements were made, so Xia Libing opted to book a lodge in the town and informed the owner that she’d be bringing a cat along.

Considering it was quite late at this point, it was not feasible to travel back to West Sea Province or Chongyun Village right away. Besides, she needed to inform Shiling’s mother first. Hence, it seemed appropriate to stay the night here before proceeding any further.

Upon reaching the lodge, Xia Libing paid the driver the fare and even offered an extra three hundred yuan for the ‘cleaning fee.’ After that, she took Liu Shiling to a convenience store near the lodge to purchase some items.

Receiving the bottle of mineral water from Xia Libing, Liu Shiling immediately started guzzling it down. Midway through, she moved near the entrance of the convenience store, squatted down, poured some water onto her palm, and let Custard Pie drink it.

Custard Pie, who had been following her all the way, was equally parched.

Upon reaching the lodge, Xia Libing asked the owner for some hot water. She made noodles for Liu Shiling and herself and got a bowl of cat food for Custard Pie—the little red backpack that Liu Shiling carried had no other supplies except an ample amount of cat food.

After devouring the large bowl of noodles, Little Fatty Girl belched contentedly and began to feel tired once more.

However, before she could sleep, Xia Libing gave her a bath, blow-dried her hair, and changed her into one of her long-sleeved t-shirts, then tucked her into bed. Liu Shiling had forgotten to bring her clothes from her aunt’s house in Qing Mountain Village.

The moment her head hit the pillow, Liu Shiling drifted off immediately.

Meanwhile, Xia Libing picked up her phone and dialed Shiling’s mother’s number. When the call connected, Shiling’s mother sounded evidently weary. It was evident she had been asleep and that no one had informed her about Liu Shiling leaving Qing Mountain Village.

Xia Libing started by saying that she was in Star City on sudden official business. Then, she mentioned that she had received a call from Liu Shiling, who said she had run away from home. So, she immediately rushed to Qing Mountain and found her there.