Chapter 60: Injury
When the police arrived, Qiu Lan's mental state had not improved much.
He was completely unsteady, his fingers cold. With a desperate grip, he gripped Lin Qingxu's wrist tightly, his strength so great that his nails practically dug into her flesh.
Kan Zhao looked at the red marks left by Qiu Lan's pinching, frowned, and reached out to pull the person away from her.
But the moment they touched each other, Qiu Lan suddenly screamed.
Her voice was broken and dissonant, thick with tears. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of her throat, frothing with blood. "Don't hit me... You'll kill me... Really... You'll kill me..."
Her lips trembled, and tears rolled down her cheeks, hitting the cold ground. "He... he said... run once... and break a leg..."
The policeman on the side took notes with a serious face.
"Don't be afraid," Lin Qingxu gently stroked Qiu Lan's back with his right hand, trying to give her some comfort.
*
After the police handled the scene, they took Wang Shu away. Lin Qingxu and Kan Zhao, as witnesses, also went over to take statements.
The police had originally planned to wait for Qiu Lan to calm down, go to the hospital for a medical report, and then return to question her. However, Qiu Lan seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, so they ultimately found a psychiatrist.
The consulting room was warm and quiet. Qiu Lan sat on the sofa, her body still stiff. Her fingers were clenched, her eyes cast downward.
The psychiatrist did not rush to ask questions, but just introduced himself in a calm tone and chatted about some insignificant things like the weather and the plants in the room.
At first, Qiu Lan just held Lin Qingxu's hand tightly, curled up together, as if she was grabbing the only piece of driftwood.
After the psychologist patiently soothed her and her intensity eased a little, Lin Qingxu quietly left the consultation room.
When I came out, I saw Kan Zhao leaning on the bench outside the door.
Lin Qingxu sat next to him.
Kan Zhao got the spray medicine from somewhere. He pulled Lin Qingxu's hand over, and the liquid inside sprayed out, splashing on the skin on her arm.
She had fair skin, so the red on her wrist was particularly glaring. Lin Qingxu didn't notice it at first, but when Kan Zhao rubbed the potion into her without mercy, she felt the pain. She couldn't help but flinch and pulled her wrist away, but Kan Zhao held it firmly.
"Don't move."
"Oh." Lin Qingxu looked at him, "Kan Zhao, you are so fierce."
In fact, it was not the case. She just noticed that Kan Zhao was not happy, so she deliberately exaggerated his tone.
“How many times this month?”
"Um?"
Kan Zhao lowered his head to meet Lin Qingxu's gaze, "I will always support your decision, and I don't object to you showing kindness to others."
"But all this is premised on not hurting yourself."
The spots of light in the corridor flowed under his eyes, and the shadows cast by his eyelashes were full of concentration that could not be mistaken.
Knowing that Kan Zhao was angry because of her injury, Lin Qingxu held his fingers instead.
Maybe boys' and girls' hands are different. Kan Zhao's palms are very big and can completely cover hers. His knuckles are distinct and his fingers are thicker than hers.
Lin Qingxu certainly understood Kan Zhao's concerns. She wasn't the type to meddle in other people's affairs. It was just a matter of sympathy for one's own kind. Furthermore, after nine years of compulsory education and the influence of socialist core values, it was unlikely that she would just stand by and watch someone die.
Under the influence of the medicine, the red marks on the wrist did not seem as alarming as they were at first.
Lin Qingxu lowered his head, looked at the marks on it, and suddenly asked: "Kan Zhao, will you always be so good to me?"
"Lin Xiaoxiao, you should have a conscience."
"Okay~"
*
Qu Wen's family also arrived more than ten minutes later. After hearing about Qiu Lan's situation, Qu's mother leaned on Qu's father and wiped away her tears. Qu Wen and Lin Qingxu thanked him.
Although Kan Zhao was not clear about the causes and effects involved, he guessed that this matter was related to Qu Wen.
He looked worried and suddenly spoke, but only the two of them could hear: "Because of him?"
Lin Qingxu: "Hmm?"
The psychiatrist comes out.
In the quiet corridor, the gentleness on her face gave way to a professional solemnity. Straight to the point, her tone was low and grave. "Qiu Lan's condition is very typical, and very serious. She suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder."
Although they had a premonition, their hearts sank when the doctor clearly stated the diagnosis.
"Her symptoms are very typical, with a high level of alertness and a startle response. Any movement is now identified by her brain as a potential threat."
The doctor paused and added, "What's particularly noteworthy is that her fear of her abuser has reached a pathological level. This fear itself is constantly deepening her trauma, forming a vicious cycle. She doesn't believe in safety because her nervous system has been completely reshaped by long-term, repeated violence, and is always in a state of 'fight or flight' alert. For her, danger never truly passes; it lurks at every moment."
In silence, Qu Wen asked, "What should we do next?"
"Ongoing professional psychotherapy, possibly combined with medication, to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression and help her stabilize her mood. Most importantly, provide an absolutely safe, stable, and predictable environment."
The doctor emphasized his tone again and looked at them. "But at the same time, you must protect yourself. PTSD patients can sometimes be very emotionally unstable and may even exhibit aggressive behavior. While this is uncommon, you need to be mentally prepared."
*
Injury examination should ideally be performed within 24 hours.
They went to the hospital under the Municipal Bureau's Forensic Identification Center.
Register and wait.
When Qiu Lan's name was called, Lin Qingxu and Qu's mother accompanied her. The female forensic doctor lifted Qiu Lan's clothes, exposing her arms and shoulders for examination.
The bruises and scars, old and new, were a shocking sight. Even the experienced doctor frowned. Even she, accustomed to seeing injuries, felt shocked and angry.
The palm print on Qiu Lan's cheek from a few hours ago had already turned dark purple, with yellow-green bruises around the edges. Several obvious scratches and pinch marks on her arms and shoulders hadn't faded yet.
The female forensic doctor picked up the camera she had prepared in advance and carefully rolled up the hem of Qiu Lan's pajamas, exposing her back and waist. There were bruises of varying ages there, some purple, some dark yellow, layered on top of each other, and some deep, some shallow, and in varying shapes.
She moved extremely gently and quickly, taking photos for evidence while quietly asking about the approximate time and cause of each scar.
She used a ruler to carefully measure the size and location of several obvious scars, and then described and annotated them in detail in the notebook. Her pen tip scratched across the paper, making a rustling sound. Every word she recorded was irrefutable evidence of Wang Shu's guilt.
"Qiu Lan has numerous old sexual injuries, which, combined with her mental state, is sufficient evidence of long-term domestic violence, of severe nature. This report, combined with previous police reports and a psychiatrist's diagnosis, can serve as strong evidence to submit to the police and the courts to request a more severe punishment, such as criminal detention or a personal safety protection order."
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The author has something to say: The author's daily
——Coding (haven’t opened the software yet) Forget it, forget it, I still have some drafts saved, I’ll save them for tomorrow regularly.
——Let me code a few words. (I’ve coded less than 100 words and I’m a little hungry. I’ll order some takeout.) It’s okay. I still have so many drafts saved [scatter flowers][scatter flowers][scatter flowers], let’s go play some games.
——Inspiration is overflowing, let me code for a while~ (write down the inspiration, it’s Monday again, the weekly copy time), forget it, forget it, I’ll go play first, I still have a lot of drafts saved [scatter flowers][scatter flowers][scatter flowers]
——Last night, my hands were hot, I drew the character designs for Kan Zhao and Lin Qingxu. I timed both drafts in the early morning, fell into a deep sleep, and in the afternoon I realized they were both timed for the same day [cat’s paw][cat’s paw][cat’s paw]
Looking at the few remaining drafts, I quickly typed more than 10,000 words [sunglasses][sunglasses][sunglasses] and can put it aside for another three days [scatter flowers][scatter flowers][scatter flowers]
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