Chapter 40

Going to Luming Hot Springs Resort meant climbing Qingjing Mountain. Shen Youwei had said last time that climbing required a boyfriend to accompany her.
Now, with Guan Shanyan asking this, was he implying he wanted to be her boyfriend?
Shen Youwei was about to ask, but her phone suddenly went crazy with vibrations, receiving a flood of messages, followed by calls. She picked up, and before she could speak, the caller sternly demanded she contact Xu Qairan to repay money, then hung up.
The whole thing happened so fast Shen Youwei couldn’t react immediately.
“What’s wrong?” Guan Shanyan noticed her pale expression, frowned, and stood.
Shen Youwei scrolled through the messages, again, all about Xu Qairanhui repaying debts: “Debt collection calls, asking for Xu Qairanhui.”
Guan Shanyan’s frown deepened: “Probably the debt collection company accessed her contacts and called everyone.”
Shen Youwei had heard of such things in news stories but never expected it to happen to her: “Aunt Xu must have received them too. I’ll call her.”
She was about to dial when “Aunt Xu” appeared on the screen: “Hello, Aunt Xu.”
“Youwei!” Aunt Xu’s voice choked with worry. “I just got several calls demanding Xu Qairanhui repay her debt. I can’t reach her. What if something’s happened?”
After seeking Shen Youwei’s help last time, Xu Qairanhui had only called from a public phone, so Aunt Xu could only contact her one-way. Now with the collectors calling aggressively, what could happen to Xu Qairan?
Shen Youwei comforted her: “Don’t worry. Since they’re calling everywhere, they haven’t found her. Xu Qairan should be safe. The main thing now is to locate her. Did she tell you where she went?”
“She said she went to City H, but I don’t know exactly where.” Aunt Xu grew anxious: “City H is huge! How do we find her? What if something happened?”
Shen Youwei said: “Maybe she’ll contact you herself. I can also ask my brother to help.”
“Alright, thank you both.”
“No problem. Don’t worry.” Shen Youwei calmed Aunt Xu before hanging up. Guan Shanyan, nearby, spoke: “I’ll ask Mrs. Chen too.”
Shen Youwei nodded. When he returned, she saw his serious expression and guessed bad news: “What did Mrs. Chen say?”
“She said Chen Qing is currently abroad.” Guan Shanyan paused, then added: “He’s alone.”
Shen Youwei: “…”
Of course! Chen Qing would leave Xu Qairan alone in the suburbs overnight during a quarrel. If something serious happened, he’d run immediately!
Shen Youwei fanned herself in frustration, grateful Chen Qing had gone far enough, or she’d have landed a few punches, lucky she had been practicing boxing recently.
“Wait, let me get this straight. Xu Qairan owes money too? Otherwise, why are they calling her?”
Guan Shanyan said: “Chen Qing has always owed money and can’t repay. His family won’t give him money, so he must have asked Xu Qairan to borrow to help pay his debts.”
Shen Youwei wanted to applaud Xu Qairan: “True love! Let’s bless this couple!”
If Xu Qairan weren’t her friend, she’d just want them locked away.
Seeing Shen Youwei so angry, Guan Shanyan handed her a glass of iced water: “Calm down first.”
“I can’t.” Shen Youwei drank the water in one go, finally feeling a little calmer. “How do I explain this to Aunt Xu? We don’t even know how much she owes. Doesn’t she know about her family?”
Guan Shanyan: “Money is secondary. The main thing is to find her. If she’s safe, everything else is fine.”
“…” Seeing these absurd situations online, she could only think: “I hope something happens to them.”
“Mrs. Chen said Xu Qairan should still be in City H. If needed, she can help find her.”
“Then let her help.” The Chen family likely had better connections, so finding someone would be easier, especially since this mess was caused by Chen Qing. “Can Mrs. Chen help punish Chen Qing?”
“…” Guan Shanyan paused: “Do you think Chen Qing has never been beaten? If punishment worked, Mrs. Chen wouldn’t be cleaning up his mess now.”
“…” True. Who would tolerate such a son? “I’ll tell Aunt Xu not to worry too much.”
Shen Youwei informed Aunt Xu that the Chen family would help find her, but didn’t mention Chen Qing had run abroad alone. Hearing the Chen family’s efficiency, Aunt Xu felt reassured.
The next day, news of Xu Qairan surfaced. Shen Youwei planned to go with Aunt Xu, but she insisted on going alone so Shen Youwei wouldn’t miss work.
Her studio had just opened, and there was a lot to do. Shen Youwei agreed. She would continue receiving debt collection calls over the next couple of days, as the company called everyone in her contacts, even long-inactive group chats.
On the third day, Aunt Xu brought Xu Qairan back from City H, and Shen Youwei drove to the airport.
It hadn’t been long since their last meeting at the buffet, but Xu Qairan had become noticeably haggard and darker-skinned in that short time.
“Not bad, this trip to City H wasn’t wasted. At least you got a free tan,” Shen Youwei teased as Xu Qairan approached the car.
Xu Qairan didn’t know how to start speaking to her, but Shen Youwei’s teasing eased the tension.
It was as if they had never quarreled, still close friends as before.
“Get in the car first.” Shen Youwei opened the trunk. Xu Qairan stowed her luggage and sat in the back with Aunt Xu.
“Thanks to you this time.” Aunt Xu relaxed, even smiling at Shen Youwei in the front: “If not for you, I wouldn’t know when we’d find Qairan.”
“I didn’t do much. Luckily, my brother knows Mrs. Chen and handled the contact.”
“Yes, thanks to your brother. After we rest, we’ll invite you over for a meal.”
“No need, Aunt Xu. Xu Qairan and I have known each other for over ten years. That’s enough of a bond.”
Xu Qairan sat silently, quietly crying as she listened. Aunt Xu quickly handed her a tissue: “Why are you crying again? Don’t worry about the money. At worst, we can sell our current house and get a smaller one.”
“I just feel I was foolish and dragged others into it, ”
“Am I ‘others’? You’re my daughter, my only family in this world.”
Xu Qairan wiped her tears, sobbing: “I don’t know why I agreed to help Chen Qing borrow money. I thought he was family, but when the debt collectors came, he ran immediately.”
Shen Youwei in the front chuckled: “You’re surprised? You don’t think he left you alone for fun, do you?”
Xu Qairan said nothing. Last time at the buffet, she could argue with Shen Youwei; now, not a word came. She thought Chen Qing was unreliable in small matters but could handle big ones. Now she realized someone unreliable even in small matters would run from big ones.
“Everyone knows I owe money now. I have no face to show myself, ” Xu Qairan thought of the collectors calling everyone in her contacts, almost suffocating from panic.
Shen Youwei comforted her: “Don’t worry, everyone’s busy. No one will care about you.”