Being stuck in a traffic jam on the highway is a terrifying prospect, immobilized with nowhere to go, neither ahead nor behind. You can only inch forward when the car in front of you moves, with no option to switch lanes or turn around. Sometimes, even finding a restroom becomes a struggle. The worst jam I recall was the drive from Xiangcheng to Runcheng; a journey that should take an hour and a half was stretched to a grueling six hours. By the two-and-a-half-hour mark, I desperately needed to relieve myself, holding it in until I finally got out of the car six hours later, truly experiencing the agony of "a living person being tortured to death by the need to urinate." Now, this simply cannot happen; if we get stuck, there's no way I'll make it back to Xiangcheng on time.

Wang Jue gripped the steering wheel, constantly craning his neck to look outside. Ahead lay an endless ribbon of vehicles, and the stream of cars behind us was only growing. I sucked in a sharp breath; turning around or changing lanes now seemed impossible.

I decided to just bail out of the car and walk ahead a bit to see what the hold-up was. I asked the drivers of several cars, but they all shook their heads, offering no clear answer. I quickened my pace, running further forward until I could just make out the roof of the toll plaza. When I asked the surrounding drivers again, some claimed the highway was restricted, others said road construction had halved the available lanes, and still others whispered about an accident ahead that traffic police were handling. In short, the explanations were a cacophony of conflicting reports, with no single unified reason. But one thing was certain: the situation wouldn't resolve itself anytime soon. The lines of cars stretched for kilometers—a truly spectacular, if disheartening, sight.

Back in the car, my face was etched with worry. I explained the gridlock to Wang Jue, and he agreed that traffic wouldn't be moving normally for at least two or three hours.

But time was running out; my older sister’s life-saving medicine absolutely had to get back to her immediately! I was truly like an ant on a hot pan, constantly staring out the window and relentlessly questioning the surrounding drivers.

“Xiaoyu, we have reception here. Do you want to call the hospital and check on things?” Seeing how frantic I was, Wang Jue was trying to help find a solution.

Right! I had completely forgotten. Old He was taking care of my sister at the hospital—I needed to call him! I pulled out my phone and searched for Old He’s number.

The call connected quickly, and Old He’s voice came through the receiver, “Xiaoyu, why haven't we been able to reach any of you these past few days? I’ve been going crazy with worry!”

“It’s a long story, how is my sister?”

“You asked me to call Li Xiaoshu, but I couldn't get through to her. Then she showed up at the hospital herself, reminded me about the final deadline, and left. I kept trying your cell phone after that, but it was always out of service. What kind of mischief are you kids up to? You’re terrifying us!” (For those unfamiliar with the preceding plot, please refer to Chapter 31: Unexpected Visitor, Chapter 32: The Truth of the Curse, and Chapter 33: Setting Forth on the Journey.)

It seemed Li Xiaohao had visited the hospital again, but constrained by not wanting to reveal his true identity, he could only pose as Li Xiaoshu. My heart was pounding with anxiety; facing this dense, black mass of stalled traffic, I felt utterly helpless. If I had a rocket, I would be the first one to blast off.

“Xiaoyu, hand me the phone. I need a word with Old He.”

I passed the phone to Wang Jue; he was far calmer than I was.

“Hello, Officer He, we’ve encountered a small issue. We need to get back to Xiangcheng via the Gxx Expressway, but we’re caught in a massive traffic jam. Is there any way for us to return within five hours? Oh… oh… I understand…”

Hanging up, Wang Jue opened the car door, stepped out, and headed straight for the trunk.