Chapter 53 So longing has a life of its own, taking root in my heart.
Ji Shenhuai's eyes were indifferent. "It's a penetrating wound."
Jiang Wanrou's mind went blank, her face drained of color, and she blurted out, "How is this possible!"
Ji Shenhuai said helplessly, "I was the one who received him at our hospital's emergency room that day, and I examined him carefully during the examination."
I was startled when I saw it. I thought it might just be a scar, but the more I looked down, the more something seemed wrong. It was a very obvious penetrating wound.
The punishment was almost like the ancient practice of "cutting someone in half at the waist." Putting aside how Wen Yanyu survived, it's hard to imagine what kind of person could do such a thing to another person.
Thinking about what happened that day, Ji Shenhuai put down the peach, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
“His stomach was almost completely rotten, and the mucous membrane was severely damaged. He must have had a hard time eating normally, and his panic reaction was very obvious after he woke up.”
“I glanced at his back briefly, and there were obvious signs of abuse.” Ji Shenhuai paused for a moment: “Dozens of cigarette burns…it doesn’t look like it was done recently.”
Even if someone doesn't die from that level of injury, the messy aftereffects can drive a person crazy.
Qin Chengzhi's expression rarely showed a ripple. Even though he had been investigating cases for many years and had encountered many things, he had rarely seen such a vicious case of abuse.
But these things cannot be connected.
Wen Yanyu is a celebrity who frequently faces the public. If it were really that serious, it would be impossible for her to act completely normally in front of the public.
There are no records of her before junior high school. There is no trace of her parents' existence, but there is also no trace of her in any orphanage. It is as if she appeared out of thin air, or as if someone deliberately erased her life traces.
They subconsciously observe their surroundings while eating, like to shrink into corners, and have a subconscious wariness of adult men, exhibiting various subtle physical reactions.
They have no resistance to a serious, commanding tone and will subconsciously obey, but not in a military style. Rather, it is a survival-oriented obedience born out of fear.
If the abdominal wound was penetrating, based on his experience, he would need several years to recover and might not even be able to walk normally, let alone complete the action of climbing down the mountain and subduing the assailant...
Based on his experience in handling cases and dealing with victims, these things would have occurred at least a decade ago.
But if we go back in time...
Wen Yanyu was just a child back then.
A feeling of suffocation and powerlessness spread from the bottom of my heart to my limbs, and my chest felt tight.
Qin Chengzhi took a breath, raised one hand, opened his palm, and pressed his thumb and ring finger on his temples, gently kneading them.
A deathly silence fell over the room.
Jiang Wanrou's eyes were red and swollen. "Is it related to that guy named Fu Hanchuan?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Chengzhi immediately shook his head at her, "Impossible, judging from the timeline, they've only known each other for less than three years."
And that child won't...
Jiang Wanrou took a few deep breaths, her voice almost breaking into a sob, "That person is definitely not a good person! Yan Yan doesn't have any other close relatives, and I know everyone else well. I haven't seen him since I came back! Who else could it be but him! The thing on his mouth and neck! It can only fool idiots!"
Qin Chengzhi shook his head, quickly touched the woman's back, and gently patted her, "Don't get excited, don't get excited, please calm down."
Jiang Wanrou glanced at the man, bit her lip, and finally lowered her head.
Thunder rumbled outside the window. Qin Chengzhi closed his eyes, his consciousness being pulled back to more than ten years ago.
He and his teammates responded to an emergency call; it was a sea of fire.
The child, dragging his broken leg, lay in the mud and water, his body and face covered in blood and mud. He had multiple fractures, almost all of his fingernails were torn off, and the broken leg bone had pierced through his skin. He had crawled out of the fire by dragging that leg.
His eyes were filled with despair and pain, but the will to survive burning with rage sustained him as he crawled out of there.
The medical staff present couldn't help but feel shocked.
It was a rainy day too.
He saw the child again after the funeral for the three men ended; the child was in a wheelchair.
Back then, when he was just a police chief, he told the child that he would definitely give him justice.
The child at that time had a burning anger in his eyes, but he still had something to support him.
He is still alive.
Back then, he had already found out who started the fire, but without evidence, he couldn't give that child justice.
I often wake up in the middle of the night.
He would dream about the child's eyes.
That incident almost became his obsession.
More than ten years later.
Upon hearing the news of the murderer's death, he inquired everywhere about the child from that time.
When he saw that child again—no, Fu Hanchuan, who had completely changed—he was standing in front of his mother's tombstone, holding a bouquet of flowers.
His lifeless gaze made it impossible to tell whether he was mourning his deceased family members or reflecting on his own death at that moment.
Fu Hanchuan asked him, "Did I do something wrong?"
They all knew about that person's death.
He didn't know how to answer.
The law is about justice and fairness. He was wearing a police uniform, which represented justice. But having witnessed that tragedy and how that child crawled out of the fire, he couldn't bring himself to say a single word of criticism or harsh words to that child.
Qin Chengzhi picked up his teacup, the rising steam blurring his features, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
Sighs blended into the night.
Three days passed in a flash, and dusk fell.
Jiang Wanrou reluctantly saw him off downstairs before taking out the woolen scarf she had prepared for a long time from her bag and stuffing it into Wen Yanyu's arms.
"The weather is getting colder, so I took the liberty of buying you a scarf. See if you like it."
Wen Yanyu was taken aback, then hugged the plush scarf. The scarf was soft and comfortable, with two white rabbit ears hanging on it. Just holding it made her feel warm and comfortable.
Seeing that the boy remained silent, Jiang Wanrou spoke again.
"I'm so happy that you came to my house today. We don't live far away. If you get bored by yourself, you can come here anytime to play with me and your brother."
"Auntie is basically retired now and not busy. If you want to eat something, just come to Auntie's house and Auntie will cook it for you. If you have time during the Chinese New Year, come to Auntie's house to celebrate the New Year. Auntie can also take you to visit Keyan for the New Year."
Jiang Wanrou spoke softly, talking to herself about her dream for the future: "Your brother Xiao Huai is also someone who doesn't like to act spoiled. Auntie has always wanted to have another well-behaved little baby."
"Auntie loves our baby so much, so if the baby is unhappy or has any problems, just tell Auntie. You can also tell Auntie if you don't know what to do."
"Your Uncle Qin is a bureau chief, so don't be afraid of being bullied. Just tell us if anything happens."
Jiang Wanrou smiled gently and affectionately, her eyes revealing an unconscious heartache. "We're here for you, there's nothing to be afraid of."
Wen Yanyu shifted her gaze from the scarf and looked up at the anxious woman in front of her.
His eyes flickered, and he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
In less than three years, he had no chance to talk about the future or make any promises.
A bittersweet feeling spreads through my heart.
Wen Yanyu forced a somewhat unnatural smile and only replied with one sentence: "I like Auntie too."
I like it very much.
"Aunt Jiang, goodbye." Wen Yanyu, who had already gotten into the car, turned to say goodbye, her eyes glistening with broken tears in the glow of the setting sun.
The sunset glow fell into it, and the faint smile and reluctance were blurred into a layer of mist.
Jiang Wanrou was momentarily dazed. Before her brain could react, her body was already moving forward, but the car had already driven away. She stood there for a long time without moving until the vehicle disappeared from sight.
It was the time when school let out, and the sounds of children's laughter, the calls of street vendors selling roasted sweet potatoes, and songs from the school's loudspeaker echoed through the streets.
Memories are etched with tear stains.
...
"It will eventually be stored in my heart."
"He disappeared in my dream."
"Longing is the only baggage."
...
"I feel you again."
"The wind carries your breath."
"So you never really left."
A wet touch came from her face. Jiang Wanrou raised her hand and subconsciously touched her cheek. Looking down, she saw that her hand was full of tears.
The wind blew by, carrying away the pain that hadn't yet risen. My consciousness was hazy, with only my heart still pounding wildly in my chest.
My vision was blurred by the gushing tears, which kept overflowing from my eyes, leaving streaks of blood on the red bricks and tiles.
Jiang Wanrou lowered her head, looking bewildered and helpless.
I……
Why……
She's crying...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com