Chapter 89 What's wrong with her? You shouldn't use such worldly methods...

Qiu Xiaoman got up early, bought some steamed buns, contacted Shen Qinghuai to arrange for people to protect Liu Kun, and then returned to the base.

She wants to requisition all the police dogs at the base, including those already on the payroll and those in training who haven't passed the assessment.

Currently, there are indeed differences between police dogs and non-police dogs in the procedures for collecting evidence. However, this difference is often more pronounced when it is necessary to forcibly enter a closed space, where police dogs have a greater procedural legitimacy than non-police dogs.

For example, when Qiu Xiaoman entered the 1901 and Shimenwa shantytowns yesterday, it was clearly the best way to get in, while Huihui and Maodu were relatively less legally compliant.

However, in ordinary search situations, dogs can only help provide clues.

Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for Grey and his group to join today's large-scale search for underground casinos.

We have to thank Liu Gengnong for appearing, which led to the convergence of many clues, all pointing to the Liu family's casino.

Correspondingly, all the trainers at the base were mobilized, leaving only Captain Meng and Xiao Dezi to hold the rear, in case other cases required the base's assistance.

To transport so many handlers and police dogs, Captain Zou arranged for a medium-sized van to come. The van, with a capacity of 15 people, was packed full of people and dogs. By head count, it certainly wasn't overloaded, but by head count of dogs…

But which traffic police officer would check the number of dogs on board?

So at the intersection in the main urban area, the van drove away smoothly from the traffic police.

Upon arrival, Qiu Xiaoman and the others immediately got out of the car and summoned the dogs down.

For a moment, the courtyard of the Criminal Investigation Department was filled with the barking of dogs, making it extremely lively.

Just then, Jiang Mingyuan came to the Criminal Investigation Department to deliver some documents. He saw Qiu Xiaoman surrounded by dogs, hesitated for a moment, and then came over to say hello.

Qiu Xiaoman looked up with a smile: "It's Brother Jiang, good morning."

"Good morning." Jiang Mingyuan felt a little embarrassed and awkward. He had gone to the hospital early this morning because he was worried. He was surprised to see Xiaoman and Liu Kun holding hands. One of them was asleep by the bedside, and the other was asleep on the hospital bed.

That image made him feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, a thorn in his back, or sitting on pins and needles.

He couldn't stand it. Xiao Qiu must be blind. How could she date someone like that? He didn't believe it.

He wanted to ask Xiao Qiu! He never expected to run into him like this.

After thinking it over, he decided to change the subject to calm himself down. He looked curiously at the barking dogs and asked, "What are they saying?"

Qiu Xiaoman replied with a smile, "Some people are praising how grand this place is, some are saying they are afraid of heights and don't want to work in high-rise buildings, some are saying there are so many birds here, chirping and making a lot of noise, some are complaining about their trainers smoking and the smell being unpleasant. And there's one troublesome one who's thinking about completing the task quickly, passing the assessment, and finding a wife to have puppies."

Jiang Mingyuan forced a smile: "Having puppies? By the way, your Mango has been pregnant for a long time, when is she due?"

Qiu Xiaoman smiled and said, "Next month, it'll be soon."

Jiang Mingyuan was now at a loss for what to talk about, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and awkwardly change the subject, saying tactfully, "Um... by the way, I've heard that young people these days generally experience a lot of pressure and are prone to psychological problems. If you're under too much work pressure, just tell me and I'll arrange some psychological counseling for you."

Qiu Xiaoman frowned: "Am I under a lot of psychological pressure?"

Jiang Mingyuan stared at her intently, trying to find evidence that she wasn't in a relationship, but he didn't know what it meant to not be in a relationship. The sun was bright and dazzling at 8:30 in the morning, making the young girl's face look as white, clear, and smooth as a peeled boiled egg.

Their eyes met, and Jiang Mingyuan, in a moment of impulsiveness, blurted out, "Are you dating Liu Kun?"

"No," Qiu Xiaoman said, completely confused. "Who told you that?"

Jiang Mingyuan had no choice. Since things had come to this point, it wouldn't be good to be half-hearted, so he simply told the truth: "I went to see you at the hospital early this morning and saw you holding hands with Liu Kun..."

"Holding hands means you're dating?" Qiu Xiaoman was speechless. She said seriously, "Brother Jiang, don't talk nonsense. I'm not. It's just friends comforting and encouraging each other. It's nothing."

“But you are men and women after all. If you are not in a relationship, you should be a little more careful to avoid damaging your reputation.” Jiang Mingyuan’s throat felt uncomfortable, as if something was stuck in it, and he kept tugging at his collar as he spoke.

Qiu Xiaoman was even more speechless: "Brother Jiang, can you please stop overthinking things? What's wrong with friends holding hands? Do you have to draw a line between your friends and keep your distance at all times?"

“Of course, there’s no need for same-sex friends to do this, but you two are of the opposite sex, and you’re a man and a woman alone in a room, pulling and tugging at each other. It’s hard not to make people think.” Jiang Mingyuan felt more and more uncomfortable as he spoke. In the cold weather, he simply unbuttoned his collar, which seemed to make him feel a little more comfortable.

A cold wind blew in, cooling down his feverish mind as well. He could read the dissatisfaction in Xiao Qiu's angry eyes; he seemed to have said something wrong.

But... but most people would think that way, right?

Qiu Xiaoman glared at him angrily: "What you're doing is... never mind, I don't want to say anything nasty. Anyway, I didn't talk to him. Besides, even if I did, it's none of your business, is it?"

Jiang Mingyuan was speechless, so he could only smile awkwardly and say, "Then you go ahead and do your work. I'll go hand in the case file."

Qiu Xiaoman ignored him, turned around, and continued to communicate with the dogs. Soon, Captain Zou called her upstairs for a meeting to plan the route of action. Only then did she banish the raging storm in her mind and calmly go upstairs.

After delivering the case files, Jiang Mingyuan passed by the conference room door and heard Qiu Xiaoman's voice inside. He sighed silently.

Back in the anti-trafficking team's office, he called his cousin, who was studying psychology: "Sis, I have a new colleague, an 18-year-old girl, who's been holding hands with a guy, and she actually says they're not dating. Do you think that's possible? Is she lying to me?"

The person on the other end reassured him, "It doesn't necessarily mean they're lying to you."

"How so?"

"Tell me about your friend's family background from childhood to adulthood."

"Oh, why are you bringing this up?"

"I need to know what kind of person she is in order to make a judgment."

Jiang Mingyuan irritably loosened his collar and grabbed the workbook on the table to fan himself: "Let's keep it simple. In short, her parents were sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution and abandoned her when they returned to the city. Twelve years later, she came here to find them because she couldn't afford the tuition for her senior year of high school. However, she hasn't reunited with them and doesn't seem to be planning to continue her studies. She's already working at the police dog base as a police dog handler. Old Wen appreciates her highly and has given her a very high priority."

"The same treatment as Wu Shirong?"

"More or less."

“Listen, if she’s not lying, meaning she really isn’t in a relationship, then it means she simply feels that physical contact with friends is a form of encouragement and comfort.”

"Is it really necessary? She's never encouraged or comforted me like that before."

"That means you don't need it, or what you're facing hasn't gotten to that point yet. Does that make you feel any better?"

"Are you serious? If something happened to me, would she comfort me like this?"

"That's possible, but if she really dislikes you, then it's hard to say."

"Hate me? I didn't do anything to her, and I've even helped her a lot."

"But you're questioning her now. If you say something similar to her in person, she'll hate you."

"...No, what's wrong with her? Does encouragement and comfort require holding hands? A man and a woman alone together, it's easy for things to get out of control, isn't it?"

"No. This is a typical manifestation of attachment damage."

"Damaged attachment?"

"Wasn't she abandoned by her parents when she was a child?"

"Yes, I remember things from when I was six years old. It must have been very painful for me."

The person opposite sighed heavily: "That's right. If it were an infant, it wouldn't have much of an impact, but a six-year-old child can already remember things. The images of separation will torment her repeatedly, making her insecure about interpersonal relationships. In reality, she longs to be accepted and to build a close relationship. This isn't limited to lovers; it applies to friends as well."

"I don't quite understand. What does this have to do with her casually holding hands with men?"

"Because physical contact is a very important way of expressing oneself, used to build trust and a sense of security, in order to make up for emotional deficiencies. This is an unconscious, spontaneous way of self-salvation for her. You shouldn't use such a worldly and demeaning tone to evaluate her. If she hears it, she will be very hurt, and it will cause an irreparable rift in your relationship. You'd better watch your tone in the future."

"I...I didn't mean to."

“I know, that’s why I’m reminding you not to look at this issue with worldly eyes. To put it bluntly, you’re seeing things through a lewd lens. The words may be crude, but the principle is sound. Think about it, isn’t that right?”

No wonder she was angry.

"It's understandable that you're angry. Besides, she definitely wouldn't just hold hands with anyone, at least she hasn't held your hand, otherwise you wouldn't be so furious."

"I……"

“Listen, the experience of being abandoned will give her a strong sense of insecurity, a fear of rejection, and being abandoned again. She will take the initiative to care for others, try to express kindness, and maintain some relatively good interpersonal relationships, but this is actually a kind of overcompensation. She is looking for an emotional support that can replace her parents. In her daily behavior, this will make her seem a bit like a saint, like to help others, like to stand up for the weak, like to take on everything, like to act like an older sister, taking care of this and that. But in reality, the one who really needs to be taken care of is herself.”

"I was wrong, I misunderstood her, I... how can I make amends?"

"First, don't judge her behavior by your own standards. Second, sincerely apologize to her. If you are sincere enough, she will forgive you. As I said, she craves other relationships to replace family ties as her support. Studies show that up to 62% of abandoned individuals develop an over-reliance on non-blood-related social patterns. Some may even suffer from skin hunger, which, in your eyes, might manifest as her liking to hold hands and hug people. This isn't her fault; please step out of your misconceptions and try to see things from her perspective."

"I still don't quite understand why abandoned people crave physical contact."

"Because physical contact can stimulate the secretion of oxytocin and relieve anxiety. Deep down, she must be in a state of long-term anxiety, disorientation, and inability to find dependence and comfort. At this time, if someone triggers her emotional anchor, arouses her pity or resonance, or simply appreciates or likes her, it will trigger her instinct to touch the other person. This is unconscious, and she cannot control it herself."

Jiang Mingyuan fell into a long silence, and finally could only sigh: "Okay, I understand, thank you."

*

In the hotel, the fashionable old lady finished her makeup and changed her clothes, ready to go see that lovely and outstanding little girl.

Just then, her mobile phone rang.

She frowned as she finished the call, then sighed silently and called Shen Qinghuai: "Shen, my son got into trouble in America. I'll go deal with it and then come back. Don't tell Xiaoman I came; I want to personally prepare a huge surprise for her."