76 Let's make it public

The incandescent lights in the police station were blindingly bright. When Liu Yuwei pushed open the glass door, she heard Yang Bin repeating to the young man in police uniform, "It's all a misunderstanding, it really is. My wife and I had a little conflict." He rubbed his hands, a fawning smile on his face. Tang Mei watched coldly, speechless. Liu Yuwei immediately noticed the specks of blood on her off-white shirt and walked over quickly. The officer turned around, and she had already pulled out her lawyer's license. "Hello, I'm Tang Mei's attorney." Her voice was calm, and her eyes swept over the blood oozing from Tang Mei's forehead. "Can I take my client to the hospital to treat his wound now? We also need your help in getting a 'Forensic Identification Authorization Form'." The officer took the lawyer's license and said, "Then follow the procedure." He pointed at Yang Bin, who was still mumbling "misunderstanding," and said, "You, wait here for the statement to be taken." Liu Yuwei supported Tang Mei as they walked out, feeling her hands trembling. "Let's go to the hospital first," she whispered, taking off her suit jacket and draping it over Tang Mei's shoulders to hide the glaring bloodstains. At the nearest emergency room, the doctor examined Tang Mei and found she needed eight stitches on her forehead. The scrapes on her arm, though not deep, were quite large. Leaving the hospital, the cool night breeze rustled the leaves along the roadside. Seeing Tang Mei's pale face, Liu Yuwei worried about her returning to Yang Bin's house and suggested she stay at his place for the night. Tang Mei felt it was too much trouble and politely declined. Liu Yuwei didn't insist and accompanied her to a chain hotel near the hospital. He watched her register and repeatedly confirmed with the front desk that they should pay attention to the visitor information. As they turned to leave, the lobby clock was already pointing to 1. As soon as she got out of the taxi, Liu Yuwei saw a familiar figure running towards her from under the streetlight at the entrance of the community. "Xiaoyu, are you okay?" The person spoke anxiously. When he reached her, he reached out and grasped her shoulder, glancing up and down to make sure there was nothing wrong before relaxing his tense arm. He smelled heavily of cigarettes, and Liu Yuwei subconsciously frowned. "Why are you standing here so late at night? Aren't we in Su City today?" "I wanted to rush back to attend the class reunion to surprise you, but when I got there, I found you were gone!" Jin Lang naturally picked up the bag, put his arm around her waist and walked towards the apartment building. "I sent you a message but you didn't reply, and your phone was turned off when I called you. Xiaohe said you weren't with her, so I figured you might be working." Liu Yuwei leaned on his arm, her voice full of fatigue. "My phone was dead, so I asked someone to help me book a car." "Yes...

The incandescent lights in the police station were blindingly bright. When Liu Yuwei pushed open the glass door, she heard Yang Bin repeating to the young man in police uniform, "It's all a misunderstanding, it really is a misunderstanding. My wife and I had a little conflict."

He rubbed his hands together, a flattering smile on his face. Tang Mei watched coldly, without saying a word.

Liu Yuyi saw the bloodstains on her off-white shirt at first glance and walked over quickly. When the police turned around, she had already taken out her lawyer's license.

"Hello, I am Tang Mei's attorney."

Her voice was calm and her eyes swept over the blood oozing from Tang Mei's forehead.

"Can I take my client to the hospital to treat his wounds first? We also need your help in issuing a 'Forensic Identification Letter'."

The police took the lawyer's certificate and said, "Then follow the procedure."

He pointed at Yang Bin, who was still mumbling about "misunderstanding," and said, "You, wait here for your statement."

Liu Yuwei helped Tang Mei walk out and felt her hands shaking.

"Let's go to the hospital first."

She spoke softly, and took off her suit jacket and draped it over Tang Mei's shoulders to cover the glaring bloodstains.

After arriving at the nearest emergency room, the doctor examined Tang Mei and found that she had eight stitches on her forehead. Although the abrasion on her arm was not deep, it covered a large area.

Leaving the hospital, the night breeze brought a chill, rustling the leaves along the roadside. Seeing Tang Mei's pale face, Liu Yuwei was worried about her returning to Yang Bin's residence, so he suggested that she stay at his house for the night. Tang Mei felt it was too much trouble and politely declined.

Liu Yuwei didn't insist anymore and accompanied her to find a chain hotel near the hospital. After watching her complete the registration, she repeatedly confirmed with the front desk staff to pay attention to the visitor information. When she turned around and left, the clock in the lobby was already pointing to the number 1.

As soon as Liu Yuwei got off the taxi, he saw a familiar figure running towards him from under the street light at the entrance of the community.

"Xiaoyu, are you okay?"

The man spoke in an anxious tone. When he came to her, he reached out and grabbed her shoulders. He looked her up and down, and only after making sure that there was nothing unusual did he loosen his tense arms.

He smelled strongly of cigarettes, and Liu Yuwei frowned subconsciously.

"Why are you standing here so late at night? Aren't we in Su City today?"

"I wanted to rush back to the class reunion to surprise you, but when I got there I found you were gone!"

Jin Lang naturally picked up the bag, put his arm around her waist and walked towards the apartment building.

"I sent you a message but you didn't reply. When I called you, your phone was turned off. Xiaohe said you weren't with her, so I figured you might be working."

Liu Yuwei leaned on his arm, her voice filled with fatigue.

"My phone was out of battery, so I asked someone else to help me book a car."

"Is it about the female teacher you mentioned last time?"

Liu Yuwei paused and looked up at him, "How did you know?"

"That's true. I just guessed. Everyone said you took a phone call and left in a hurry. The thought of you dealing with a domestic dispute involving a violent and paranoid man gives me the creeps!"

The two stood in the elevator, the number of the car going up slowly jumped. Liu Yuwei looked at Jin Lang's knitted brows, reached out and smoothed them with her palm.

"Men who commit domestic violence usually only attack those around them and won't involve strangers!"

"You said it was a normal situation!"

Jin Lang seized on the key words to refute, his fingers stroking the slightly cool skin of her wrist, "What if we meet someone with an extreme personality!"

"I'll definitely tell you in advance next time, is that okay?" Liu Yuwei was amused by his nervousness.

"How about giving me two bodyguards too? They should wear sunglasses and black trench coats. If they look like Keanu Reeves, that would be even better!"

Seeing that she still had the mind to joke, Jin Lang rubbed her head helplessly.

After entering the house, Liu Yuwei went straight into the shower room. She originally planned to take a quick shower, but when she thought about the fact that she had been in the hospital for half a day and could still smell the smell of disinfectant on her body, she decided to take a serious shower.

When Liu Yuwei stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel, she was startled by the figure leaning against the wall.

Before she could react, Jin Lang pulled her into his arms and locked her in the corner. He buried his nose in her still-wet hair, greedily absorbing the warm fragrance emanating from her body, his voice filled with a hint of grievance that he had nowhere to vent.

"Liu Yuwei, did you do this on purpose?"

Liu Yuwei blinked, his eyes full of question marks.

Looking at her wet eyelashes, he continued with resentment, "You deliberately led me to the class reunion and deliberately told others that you were still single!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head and bit her lips lightly. The force was not strong, but it was clearly meant to punish her.

He rested his hand against her forehead and asked, "Am I not as good as the middle-aged divorced man they are going to introduce to you?"

Liu Yuwei recalled the lively scene of eating melons tonight and turned the tables.

"While you were away, everyone relived your youth stories for you!"

Jin Lang had personally experienced the gossip at the wine table, so he naturally knew what Liu Yuwei meant. He bent his index finger and gently scratched the bridge of her nose. The calloused fingertips made her feel a little itchy. "Are you jealous?"

"Yeah, I'm not just jealous, I'm envious."

Liu Yuwei looked up into his eyes, her tone frank and straightforward, but she didn't know that this look made Jin Lang feel both guilty and satisfied. Guilt that she had been wronged, satisfaction that she cared so much about him.

He stared into her eyes, his Adam's apple rolling slightly, and his tone suddenly became extremely serious.

"Xiaoyu, let's go public!"

Liu Yuwei was stunned. His tense jaw and serious expression didn't seem like he was joking. After a moment, she patted him on the back and said, "Don't act impulsively late at night. Make important decisions when your mind is clear!"

After saying this, she slipped out from between his arms nimbly like a slippery fish.

"I'm going to sleep first. I'm too sleepy..."

Jin Lang stood there without moving. He didn't know whether Liu Yuwei was deliberately avoiding the topic or was really too tired.

…

The next day, Liu Yuwei accompanied Tang Mei to the forensic hospital for an injury examination. The results showed that the injury was minor and did not constitute a criminal offense.

Tang Mei walked out of the hospital, looked up at the dazzling midday sun, and suddenly asked Liu Yuwei, if her injury could only be considered a minor one, then what does a minor injury look like?

Liu Yuwei let out a long sigh.

"Skull base fracture, eardrum perforation, liver and gallbladder rupture..." Every time she spoke a word, her throat felt tight.

Back at the police station, under the coordination of the police, Yang Bin lowered his stance and took the initiative to admit his mistake. He didn't know that Tang Mei had already made up her mind to divorce, and optimistically thought that it was just a repetition of the old quarrel and reconciliation. After all, using their son as a threat was a tried and tested tactic.

After sitting in the corner and writing the "Guarantee" word by word, Yang Bin moved closer to his wife again, but this time there was no more hesitation in Tang Mei's eyes.

Because of Tang Mei's situation, Liu Yuwei revisited Tiancheng's past domestic violence cases. As a lawyer, she needed to calmly analyze the case and sort through the evidence; but as a woman herself, seeing the jarring photos and written accounts of the trauma brought her to the brink of emotional collapse several times.

After a week of exhaustion, Liu Yuwei felt drained of energy. She took the initiative to contact Xiaohe and apply to take Xiaolu out to play, hoping to use the child's innocence to cleanse the haze in her heart.

Unexpectedly, I received a call from Liu Wenjun in the amusement park, saying that he was on the train and would arrive in Beijing North soon.

Looking at the time, Liu Yuwei realized that there was no time to pick up the person at the station, so he had to rush home.

After entering the door, the men's coat and shoes in the entrance hall that she didn't usually notice were particularly eye-catching today. She didn't have time to think about it carefully, so she simply stuffed all of Jin Lang's things into the balcony storage cabinet.

…

The summer cicadas chirped incessantly, and even as dusk approached, the heat still raged. Liu Yuwei stood at the gate of the residential complex for only a few minutes before her hair clung to her face with sweat and her back felt damp.

The red and blue taxi slowly stopped. Liu Wenjun pushed open the door and saw that his navy blue cotton T-shirt was already mostly wet.

"What are you doing running down here in this hot weather?"

He pulled out a backpack and a white foam box from the trunk. Liu Yuwei rushed to pick them up, but was pushed aside.

"It won't sink, so don't get your hands on it!"

"Dad, why are you still planning a sneak attack? Why don't you tell me you're coming to Jingbei so I can make arrangements in advance."

Liu Yuwei followed his father empty-handed, with a hint of anger in his words and a crescent-shaped corner of his eyes.

"I'm just afraid you'll mess around!"

Liu Wenjun shook the foam box in his hand. "They just caught some crabs and shrimp this morning. They're so lively! Sending them by courier wouldn't be as fast as taking the train! And I happen to have a seminar in northern Beijing next week!"

"If I had known, I would have skipped lunch!"

The father and daughter returned home chatting and laughing. Liu Yuwei left a pair of men's slippers at the entrance, and explained with a guilty look that she bought them as a backup because some friends would come to visit her on weekends.

Liu Wenjun didn't suspect anything and walked around the living room for a while before carrying the foam box into the kitchen. Liu Yuwei followed him and looked at the dozen or so blue-gray swimming crabs and a basin of prawns, feeling both happy and worried.

"How can we finish all this? Why don't we call Lin Yu over?"

The young man who had once blamed Liu Yuwei for "taking over someone else's place" was admitted to Beijing Institute of Technology last year. Liu Wenjun and Zhang Lu came to see him off upon matriculation, and the four of them had a meal together. Although Liu Yuwei had added Lin Yu on WeChat and promised to contact him anytime, the distance between their schools meant they hadn't met since then, save for the occasional "like" on each other's WeChat Moments.

"No need, Zhang Lu came with me and has already gone to see him!"

A swimming crab crawled out along the edge of the box. Liu Wenjun quickly caught it, held it up, and said to his daughter pointedly, "Why don't you ask your classmate to come over for dinner!"

The word "classmate" was immediately translated into "Jin Lang" in Liu Yuwei's mind, but it didn't seem right.

Seeing her stunned, Liu Wenjun added, "That classmate of yours who studied abroad, the guy who opened the bar!"

Liu Yuwei suddenly realized, "Oh, Dad, why are you still thinking about him!"

"I'm thinking of you, silly girl!"

The crab was thrown back into the sink. "Okay, go make me some tea. You can just sit in the living room and think about who to invite for dinner."

Liu Yuwei felt as if she had been pardoned, but just as she was taking out the Mingqian Longjing tea she had received a while ago from the storage cabinet next to the TV, she heard the sound of a password button being pressed at the door.

The door was opened, and Jin Lang appeared in her sight. She held up the tea can and stared at him blankly, "Didn't you say you had a dinner party tonight..."

"I had good news to share with you, but I turned it down!"

Jin Lang walked in with long legs, still wrapped in the heat from outside. His tone was quite cheerful, his eyebrows and eyes were shining, and he was obviously in a good mood.

"Xiaoyu, where are the green onions and ginger? I can't find them!"

Liu Wenjun's voice came from the kitchen. After a long time without hearing any response, he came out wiping his hands.

Their eyes met, and after a moment of silence, Liu Yuwei quickly introduced, "This is my dad!"

Then he turned to Liu Wenjun and said, "Dad, this is my high school classmate, Jin Lang!"

Jin Lang's meeting with his parents was not part of Liu Yuwei's plan. In a hurry, he had to use the safest identity.

"You found someone so quickly?"

Liu Wenjun's eyes moved around Jin Lang's face twice, and he said with a smile, "Then you guys chat for a while, I'll go cook!"

"The green onions and ginger are in the basket under the sink!"

Liu Yuwei shouted towards the kitchen. When she heard the buzzing sound of the range hood, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Jin Lang.

Jin Lang obviously didn't like the identity of "high school classmate". Although it was true, it kept him outside a certain limit.

Seeing that Liu Yuwei was still hesitant, he stepped forward and asked softly, "Do you want me to stay?"

"But you can't eat seafood...shrimp and crabs are all in their shells."

He sighed, "Xiaoyu, if you want me to leave, just say so!"

"I did not mean that…"

Liu Yuwei saw the disappointment in Jin Lang's eyes and tugged at his sleeves. "I haven't told my dad about us yet, so don't talk nonsense."

"High school classmate, I know!"

Jin Lang held her fingers with his backhand and squeezed them gently, trying hard to put on a smile, but he still felt a little depressed in his heart.