Shu Nian lowered her head, no longer speaking, her entire body curled into a tiny ball, looking extremely insecure. She had stopped crying, but her throat still had unstoppable hiccups from crying, and her body was still unconsciously trembling.
Xie Ruhe fell silent, his eyes clouding with a layer of gloom, red as if about to bleed. Suppressing the urge to kill, he took off his outer coat and gently wrapped it around her.
She instinctively shrank back but didn’t resist like before. She sniffled, suddenly clutching the coat he had placed over her, wrapping it tighter around herself.
Xie Ruhe stroked her head, saying hoarsely: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll go open the door.”
Realizing he was about to leave, Shu Nian immediately grabbed the hem of his shirt, nervously standing up. But it was as if she had exhausted all her strength, unable to stand steadily.
Seeing this, Xie Ruhe lowered his eyes and without hesitation picked her up. Like carrying a child.
Because of this sudden action, Shu Nian’s body stiffened somewhat but quickly relaxed again. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
Xie Ruhe walked to the entrance, freeing one hand to open the door.
Outside stood two police officers. Seeing this situation, their expressions froze momentarily, then one asked: “Sir, you reported the case, right? About a thief breaking in?”
Xie Ruhe nodded, stepping aside: “He’s inside.”
The other officer kindly asked: “What happened? Is this young lady alright?”
Shu Nian’s condition was very poor, and she couldn’t give a statement. Xie Ruhe could only roughly explain what had just happened.
Because of the presence of strangers, Shu Nian became tense again, her breathing becoming more rapid.
One of the officers took the criminal outside, while the other stayed to inquire about the situation. Xie Ruhe had little patience, but fearing he might frighten Shu Nian, he tried his best not to lose his temper.
Xie Ruhe helped Shu Nian put on her shoes.
Fang Wencheng arrived just then, freezing in place: “Young master, what happened?”
Xie Ruhe picked up Shu Nian, saying: “Going to the hospital.”
All four got into the car.
The police officer sat in the front passenger seat, while Xie Ruhe and Shu Nian sat in the back. Perhaps knowing that Shu Nian’s condition wasn’t good, the officer, having clarified the situation, didn’t continue questioning.
Fang Wencheng first dropped Xie Ruhe and Shu Nian at the entrance of the city hospital. Afterward, he restarted the car, following the police officer to the station to handle the paperwork.
At this hour, they could only go to the emergency department.
Xie Ruhe took Shu Nian to get a tetanus shot and have her wounds redressed, then quickly left the hospital. Her state had gradually calmed somewhat, lying on his back as if asleep.
The small path next to the hospital wasn’t particularly well-lit.
Few people were coming and going, most of them alone.
Xie Ruhe carried Shu Nian on his back, walking forward in silence, gradually losing himself in thought. He remembered eight years ago, that gray day when he saw exceptionally vivid colors.
That day, he saw Ji Xiangning covered in wounds all over her body. She lay in a pool of blood, her heart pierced by a sharp knife, her life taken away.
It was the only scene in his life he didn’t dare to recall.
Because of this incident, Xie Ruhe left Shiyan Town with his grandfather.
That place also became the only nightmare in his life. He was unwilling to return, afraid it would remind him of his mother, who in some corner of that place, was tortured to death by a demon.
Xie Ruhe suddenly stopped walking and softly called out: “Nian Nian.”
Shu Nian didn’t respond, breathing very softly.
He turned his head to look at her, only able to see her tightly closed eyes and small nose, with tears still hanging on her eyelashes.
Xie Ruhe’s eyes reddened, his heart so painful that even taking a breath hurt. His gaze was fixed, and suddenly tears fell, his voice hoarse and deep: “I regret it.”
Regret leaving Shiyan Town that year, leaving you there alone.
Regret so strong it felt like death.
…
For post-traumatic stress disorder, when Shu Nian’s condition had slightly improved, her psychologist Wang Yue suggested a treatment method called “exposure therapy.” It had a good effect on improving the symptoms.
The treatment method was, in a safe environment without threats, the doctor would repeatedly ask her to recount the traumatic experience, scene, and process until the fear completely dissipated.
Shu Nian didn’t consider it at all, directly refusing. At first, she hadn’t fully trusted Wang Yue yet, guarded like a thorn, stiffly lying: “I won’t do this, I don’t remember.”
Later, when Wang Yue patiently brought up this treatment method again.
She just shook her head, saying seriously: “I don’t want to remember again.”
But in reality, that memory.
For Shu Nian, it was probably the most firmly remembered thing in her life.
What time she left that day, when she got in the car, who she saw when she arrived at Shiyan Town, every detail, every development, she remembered clearly.
It was the first day of the National Day holiday.
Since she was only going home for a week, Shu Nian didn’t bring much luggage. It was ten o’clock in the morning, her three roommates were night owls, still lying in bed, only one was awake, playing with her phone while lying down.
Shu Nian said goodbye to her in a whisper, then shouldered her backpack and went out.
Xu Zeyuan was already waiting for her downstairs at the dormitory. He wasn’t planning to go home; after falling in love, he had become especially clingy. Because he didn’t want to be apart from Shu Nian for so long, he had been coaxing her not to go home.
Shu Nian didn’t listen to him.
Her bus ticket was for 2 PM.