It was afternoon by the time she realized the little bird was missing.
Her captain from the office called, asking why she hadn't shown up for work and why her phone was turned off. Xiang Xiaoxue had told her colleagues that she and Xin Huohuo were cousins sharing an apartment. Since one of those colleagues had even stopped by once, the captain decided to call their landline.
Xin Huohuo assumed Xiang Xiaoxue was just skipping work and quickly came up with a lie. She said Xiaoxue had a fever, had just taken some medicine, and was now sleeping and sweating it out. She then asked for two days' leave on Xiaoxue's behalf. The captain expressed concern, and after confirming it was nothing serious, told Xin Huohuo to pass on well-wishes, have her rest up, and generously granted three days of leave.
