shadow
Shen Anxia slept very restlessly. In her dream, she kept running away, but the person behind her kept chasing her. She was terrified and ran while crying. Just as the person behind her caught her, she shouted Yang Zheng in fear. This shout finally woke her up from the nightmare.
Yang Zheng had been calling Shen Anxia since she first cried out, but he couldn't wake her up no matter what he did. Now that she had finally woken up, she started crying loudly.
She hugged Yang Zheng tightly, crying her heart out. Yang Zheng felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He didn't know how to make Shen Anxia act as if this had never happened. He didn't even dare to think about what would happen if he hadn't caught up with her or if he had arrived even ten minutes later.
He was even more afraid than Shen Anxia.
He had imagined many things that could happen between him and her, but he never expected things to turn out like this tonight.
What happened tonight will likely cast a shadow over her for the rest of her life, and her once vibrant life may be shrouded in darkness.
Hot tears streamed down Yang Zheng's face as a heart-wrenching pain spread throughout his body. If that scumbag were to appear before Yang Zheng at this moment, he would have only one thought—he must die.
“Anxia, it’s alright, it’s all in the past, I will never leave you again.”
Yang Zheng's throat tightened as he spoke over and over again, repeating himself illogically, but his pale words were utterly incapable of redeeming those who had been dragged into darkness.
Even he himself has knots he can't untie.
Later, whether she cried herself to sleep or fainted, Shen Anxia fell asleep on Yang Zheng's shoulder.
Yang Zheng felt that her position was too tiring and wanted to lay her down so she could sleep properly, but whenever Yang Zheng tried to remove her hand, she would open her eyes in fright.
She seemed to be trapped in a nightmare.
Looking at the time, it was already five in the morning. Yang Zheng had no choice but to lie down next to her, ignoring the dust and bloodstains on his black shirt and trousers. He had no choice but to sleep with her on her clean and soft bed.
Even so, Shen Anxia still felt uneasy, constantly waking up crying, and then forcing herself to fall asleep again.
As dawn broke, Shen Anxia seemed to struggle out of the darkness. Her breathing gradually became steady, her arms were no longer in a state of agitation, and she slightly loosened her grip on Yang Zheng.
Yang Zheng also slept very poorly. He kept dreaming that Shen Anxia was stabbed with a dagger by a thug and fell into a pool of blood before he arrived.
Startled awake by another nightmare, Yang Zheng shuddered. He glanced at Shen Anxia sleeping beside him and only then did he regain some clarity from the nightmare. He checked the time; it was eight o'clock.
Yang Zheng was constantly worried about being covered in dirt and blood, and wanted to change his clothes while Shen Anxia was fast asleep.
As soon as I stepped out of the bedroom, Ding Fei called.
After closing the bedroom door for Shen Anxia, Yang Zheng answered the phone: "Big Brother."
Ding Fei asked directly, "Does Anxia live in room 301 or 302?"
"302. Brother, you've arrived?"
"Okay, open the door," Ding Fei said.
Yang Zheng opened the door, and Ding Fei, Duan Lixing, Xu Qingjing, and Jiang Fanxing all arrived.
"Big brother, second brother," Yang Zheng called out.
Xu Qingjing and Jiang Fanxing also greeted him: "Third Brother".
Yang Zheng nodded and said to them, "Come in and sit down."
As the group sat around the sofa, they looked at Yang Zheng's black suit, which was covered in marks from the fight and hadn't been cleaned yet. His usually lively eyes were now bloodshot, his brows were furrowed, and he looked tired. For a moment, no one knew what to say.
Ding Fei was the first to speak, asking, "How is An Xia?"
Yang Zheng pulled a chair from the dining table and sat down, rubbing his temples. He said wearily, "I only slept for a short while; I cried all night."
Everyone looked grave, and a group of people turned to Ding Fei. Ding Fei felt uneasy under their gazes and, forcing a smile, tentatively asked, "An Xia...she was..."
Ding Fei found it difficult to speak further, since although they were all men, they were all top students in school and went straight into the system after graduation, leading smooth and successful lives.
Ding Fei, as a prosecutor, has seen the most. He encounters all kinds of criminals every time the procuratorate files a criminal case, but he only handles such work as an observer.
Encountering scumbags on the street is already an extremely low probability event, and most people have even less chance of experiencing such a thing happening to them.
But Yang Zheng understood what he was trying to ask next, and shook his head: "No... but big brother..."
When he said the first half of his sentence, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief, but when they heard the second half, they couldn't help but hold their breath again.
Yang Zheng lowered his head, pressed his fists against his forehead, and choked back tears: "An Xia was covered in abrasions. I cleaned her wounds this morning... There wasn't a single patch of undamaged skin on her body. The handprint on her left cheek was swollen up to a centimeter high... When I arrived, she was already on the verge of collapse..."
Several men found it hard to bear hearing Yang Zheng recount the story. This future sister-in-law always had a gentle smile in her eyes and brows. Just standing next to her made one feel that the world was peaceful and tranquil. They couldn't imagine the fear and despair that such a girl must have felt when she experienced it firsthand.
Ding Fei moved a chair from the dining table, sat down next to Yang Zheng, put his arm around his shoulder, and patted him gently.
Yang Zheng had been terrified all night, but seeing his brothers now seemed to give him some support. He sobbed intermittently, "Big brother, I don't even dare to think about what would have happened if it had been any later... I don't dare to think about it or ask what kind of torture An Xia suffered in the ten minutes after she jumped out of the taxi..."
"Fuck him!" Jiang Fanxing cursed angrily, "I'll never see that bastard again, I'll kill him!"
"Fifth Brother!" Duan Lixing said in a low voice to stop Jiang Fanxing, "An Xia is still sleeping."
Jiang Fanxing suddenly fell silent.
Xu Qingjing patted Jiang Fanxing, who felt apologetic.
Duan Lixing also moved a chair from next to the dining table and sat on the other side of Yang Zheng.
Yang Zheng continued, "The assailant had a dagger. All night I couldn't stop thinking that if it stabbed An Xia, I would lose her forever..."
No one knew what to say. After all, in their eyes, a dagger was for peeling fruit, not for killing people in this society governed by the rule of law.
"The later accomplices were all carrying machetes—the kind that butchers in the market carry."
Xu Qingjing gasped; he had seen that kind of knife before.
“It’s all my fault,” Yang Zheng said, blaming himself. “I should have gone to pick her up.”
Ding Fei comforted him: "Third brother, do you know that you have done enough? The fact that you didn't lose your temper on the spot is the best future for Anxia."
“I almost, brother, I almost wanted him to die on the spot.” Yang Zheng said ruthlessly.
Ding Fei put his arm around Yang Zheng's shoulder and patted him: "Third brother, don't get stuck on this. You and An Xia have a bright future ahead of you. Don't jeopardize your future for a scumbag. You were already very good yesterday. There's no need to dwell on the past."
Xu Qingjing also tried to comfort Yang Zheng: "Third brother, at least An Xia wasn't bullied, so don't blame yourself too much."
Duan Lixing, however, had a different opinion: "Third brother, you were right not to accept An Xia."
Yang Zheng didn't understand Duan Lixing's words. He looked up at his second brother with teary eyes, and the others also looked up at Duan Lixing.
Duan Lixing explained: "Have you thought about this? If you hadn't missed picking up Anxia yesterday, these people might have attacked Anxia after you returned to Yi'an. Anxia would have been isolated and helpless in Xin Fengzhen, which would have been hell on earth for her."
"It's fortunate that it was you, Third Brother. If it were anyone else, Anxia's life would have been ruined."
Duan Lixing's words are all gems.
Yang Zheng seemed to realize the possibility that Duan Lixing had mentioned, and his eyes were filled with shock and fear.
From last night until now, he has been blaming himself for not picking up Anxia because he attended the banquet. Now, he suddenly realizes that if he hadn't happened to be in Xinfeng or hadn't returned to Yi'an, things could have been even worse.
Duan Lixing continued, "Now, the most terrible thing hasn't happened to An Xia, so, third brother, it's actually God helping you."
“But I don’t understand,” Yang Zheng said indignantly, “this kind of thing happens to only one in a thousand people. I don’t understand why God had to make An Xia experience it. She could have lived a peaceful life, couldn’t she?”
“Third brother,” Duan Lixing spoke again, “Anxia is a brave person. After a while, when she calms down, she may have a different opinion on this matter.”
Yang Zheng listened to Duan Lixing's words and fell into thought.
Seeing that Yang Zheng's mood had improved, Ding Fei decisively took charge of the matter: "Fourth and Fifth Brother, you two go to the police station to handle this matter. Secretary Liu and the director have spoken to them, so they won't dare to neglect us. Lixing and I will go see Secretary Liu. We'll split up. Third Brother, you take good care of Anxia."
Yang Zheng nodded slightly and softly replied, "Mm."
Yang Zheng instructed Xu Qingjing: "Fourth brother, I have a recording of a call on my phone, which can be used as evidence, especially to have them investigate who instructed these people."
Xu Qingjing nodded: "Don't worry, Third Brother, Fifth Brother and I can handle it. You can just stay with Anxia without worry."
"Then let's go," Ding Fei said.
Yang Zheng handed the car keys to Duan Lixing: "Second Brother, you drive my car."
“No need,” Duan Lixing said. “We brought two cars over.”
Ding Fei looked at Yang Zheng and said, "Change out of your dirty clothes first, then shave your stubble, bandage your hand wounds, and be careful not to let An Xia see it. It's this awful appearance that will worry An Xia."
The sound of Shen Anxia's soft sobs came from the bedroom, and Yang Zheng reflexively stood up and went inside.
Ding Fei and the others watched as Yang Zheng, who used to be carefree and unrestrained, seemingly never having encountered any difficulties, now faced an insurmountable wall. His ever-upright back seemed to be weighed down by a thousand pounds. They could imagine how serious Shen Anxia's injuries were, and everyone felt extremely heavy-hearted.
Ding Fei instructed Xu Qingjing and Jiang Fanxing: "You two know a lot of people from all walks of life. Find a reliable psychologist. Anxia might need one."
Duan Lixing agreed: "The third child seems to need it more."
Xu Qingjing and Jiang Fanxing nodded in agreement.
Ding Fei stood up, patted Duan Lixing across the empty chair, and said to Xu Qingjing and Jiang Fanxing, "Fortunately, we have your second brother as our strategist, otherwise the third brother would really be stuck in a rut and unable to get out."
Xu Qingjing and Jiang Fanxing nodded in agreement, and the group stood up with Ding Fei. Jiang Fanxing asked in a low voice, "Big brother, should we go see An Xia?"
Ding Fei shook his head: "Let's go take care of business first and let the two of them be alone for a while."
The group nodded and quietly left Shen Anxia's apartment.
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