Cannon Fodder – Chapter 80 – Scorching Calamity: Life-burning Severance

Sitting in the hospital ward, Chi Xiaocheng waited for a while but didn’t hear Su Tao’s reply. She smiled even more brightly.

Yet the aged voice produced by her voice mimicry skill sounded dazed and incredulous, “Xiao… Xiao Tao, has something… happened to Xiaocheng?”

A mother who considered her daughter her everything, yet receiving no news about her daughter.

It was as if the sky had collapsed and crashed down upon Su Tao.

The white moonlight heroine quickly forced a smile, replying cheerfully to comfort, “Auntie, what are you saying? Of course Xiaocheng’s fine. The temperature dropped sharply in Jiuzhou City, so she caught a cold and just fell asleep. Her phone’s on silent.”

The aged voice on the phone sighed in relief, “That’s good, that’s good. Xiaocheng’s brother has been gone so long without any news. If something… if something happened to Xiaocheng too, your uncle and I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Su Tao’s smile gradually stiffened.

The elderly voice continued. Older folks tended to repeat meaningless phrases, “Xiao Tao, having you by Xiaocheng’s side is truly wonderful.

“This child’s had a difficult personality since young, making her easily bullied. We old folks only know farming, so we’ve already disappointed Xiaocheng’s brother. Without you, we really wouldn’t know what to do.

“Xiao Tao, thank you for always being there for Xiaocheng, letting her rely on you. Entrusting that child to you puts me at ease.”

Hearing the gratified tone, Su Tao’s stiff smile turned bitter, “No need for thanks, Auntie. You and Uncle raised me when I was little. Of course I’ll take good care of Xiaocheng as her sister.”

“Did you just coax Xiaocheng to sleep?”

“Mn.”

“That child, still the same as before. She won’t sleep unless hugging you. What a girl who never grows up.”

Every word carried memories and happiness, making Su Tao’s heart ache even more.

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She was afraid.

She wanted to escape.

To forget everything and live freely alone. That seemed nice too.

Yet in her heart, she couldn’t quite let go of that small figure.

Like a rose with thorns, holding it would constantly prick and wound.

Even regarding Chi Xiaocheng, Su Tao had considered escaping. Only Father Chi and Mother Chi made her dare not entertain such thoughts.

As an impoverished family on subsistence allowances, raising both Chi Song and Chi Xiaocheng was already tremendously difficult.

Yet when Chi Xiaocheng brought her home, the elderly couple accepted her without hesitation.

Because of her, the entire family faced no small amount of gossip from neighbors.

Even though she was an outsider, the elderly couple raised her like their own daughter.

Buying clothes, toys, supporting her education, allowing her, who had been orphaned since young, to experience the warmth of family and kinship.

Su Tao could not dare not fail them after everything.

In her ears echoed another deep male voice.

Father Chi’s raspy smoker’s voice came through the phone: “Pity Xiao Tao isn’t a boy. Marrying Xiaocheng to her would’ve been nice.”

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This immediately drew Mother Chi’s scolding, “Old fool, what nonsense! Chi Song can continue the family line, why are you so eager to marry Xiaocheng off? Even if the two girls stay together forever, I’d gladly support them my whole life!”

After scolding, her voice softened towards Su Tao, “Xiao Tao, don’t listen to your uncle’s nonsense. You girls decide your own affairs. I won’t disturb you further.”

“It’s fine.”

“Mn, I’ll hang up now. Xiao Tao, I’m entrusting Xiaocheng to you.”

With that, the call ended.

Su Tao collapsed dazedly onto the sofa, mind filled with Mother Chi’s final words.

—I’m entrusting Xiaocheng to you.

The elderly’s care, expectations, contentment, and happiness all poured onto her.

“Tao-Tao, can you really abandon me despite such heavy love?”

Hanging up and setting her phone aside, Chi Xiaocheng smiled brightly.

She thought she’d likely see Su Tao in this ward soon.

Although the hacker tools won from system draws weren’t advanced, borrowing the original host mother’s number was simple enough.

As the call stated….

‘I’ve already entrusted myself to you, Tao-Tao.’

Meanwhile, Su Tao leaned back on the sofa, closing her eyes. The complex feelings for Chi Xiaocheng she’d buried resurfaced because of that call.

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What should she do now?

Taking out her phone, Su Tao absently swiped through content, not really seeing anything.

Chi Xiaocheng continued watching the lost girl through surveillance.

Taking out her phone again, “System, what do you think Tao-Tao needs most right now?”

[Your comfort? Or you displaying normal behavior?]

“I’ve always been normal.” Chi Xiaocheng corrected the system’s slip, continuing, “Right now, Tao-Tao needs a conviction, a goal to move towards.

“Just pressure from the original host’s parents isn’t enough to make her take responsibility for me. Even if she comes to the hospital, it’d just be ‘forced’ caretaking.

“She must take initiative.”

[Then what’s next?]

Chi Xiaocheng smiled faintly, “Next, it’s time for Dr. Cheng to appear.”

“Tao-Tao has mental blocks that need to be removed!”

Right when Su Tao felt most lost, a familiar ding sounded. She jolted upright, face lighting up.

Dr. Cheng: “Apologies, was busy all day. How’s your friend’s condition now?”

Peach: “Dr. Cheng, let me first explain what happened.”

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Since this was online between strangers who’d never overlap in reality, plus Dr. Cheng had helped her greatly before, Su Tao instinctively trusted him completely.

She meticulously recounted everything between Chi Xiaocheng and Ye Liang.

After sending, Dr. Cheng stopped replying, as if silent.

The wait tormented Su Tao. Three minutes felt like thirty.

Dr. Cheng: “So you’re unsure what to do now?”

Su Tao: “Mn, I…the way she is now, I’m somewhat afraid of her. Think about it, Dr. Cheng. This time she hurt herself to make me cut ties with Ye Liang. What about next time? Or the time after?”

Su Tao: “Just earlier, I even considered letting things be, not caring anymore. But I can’t easily discuss this with others. Keeping it bottled up hurts so much.”

Dr. Cheng: “I roughly understand.”

Su Tao urgently sent: “Dr. Cheng, do you have any solutions?”

Dr. Cheng: “She makes you feel pain, confusion, oppression, fear… and even suffocation, correct?”

Su Tao gulped, “Right. I know she doesn’t mean to, but… she just unknowingly puts tremendous pressure on me. I… don’t know what to do.”

Dr. Cheng: “[Soybean emoji sighing]”

Dr. Cheng: “Given your current state, you’ll collapse first. I have only one suggestion.”

Dr. Cheng: “Send her to a psychiatric hospital.”