Chapter 29: Yu Zihan Loses Control

The next day, Yu Zihan finished breakfast early and kept glancing at the time on her watch.

“Don’t worry, the police need to sleep too. They caught people so late yesterday; they’re probably still resting now,” Yu Meijuan patiently reassured her daughter, knowing she was anxious to find out what was happening at the police station.

Since they left the village, it was the first time Yu Meijuan had seen her daughter so flustered and anxious, and she didn’t quite understand it.

“I’m not anxious; I just want to know what will happen to Li Limei and her brother as soon as possible,” Yu Zihan explained, not wanting her mother to think she was making a fool of herself.

“I don’t think there will be any severe punishment; after all, they didn’t directly participate in the kidnapping,” Yu Meijuan speculated.

“I’m not so sure. Li Limei didn’t directly participate, but Li Libin must have other issues. I think he won’t escape this time,” Yu Zihan analyzed.

“This whole family has ended up in prison. It’s all their fault for not taking the right path. They only think about getting something for nothing and keep going down the wrong road. Sooner or later, they’ll end up in trouble,” Yu Meijuan said.

As they talked, it was already past eight o’clock. Yu Meijuan glanced at her watch and teased, “You should go; it’s time. If you want to be faster, you can ride your bike.”

“I’m not riding; I’ll just stroll over as a form of exercise,” Yu Zihan said, greeting her mother before walking toward the police station.

As soon as the doorman saw her, he informed her that Leader Gu was already waiting in the office. Following the direction the doorman pointed, she headed straight to an office on the second floor.

Yu Zihan politely knocked on the door and heard a pleasant voice from inside say, “Come in.”

Pushing the door open, she saw Gu Jingxuan sitting at his desk by the window, the soft golden sunlight casting a glow over his handsome figure, as if he were coated in a layer of golden light.

She couldn’t help but stare, and for the first time, Yu Zihan truly saw the man before her. His features were well-defined, his brows and eyes striking. His expression was filled with a sense of righteousness.

“This man is too handsome,” she blurted out her thoughts without realizing it.

Gu Jingxuan looked up and saw the little girl covering her mouth in surprise. He inwardly mocked himself, thinking, “I finally caught this girl’s attention with my looks.”

“Don’t just stand in the doorway; come in and talk,” Gu Jingxuan said, rescuing Yu Zihan from her moment of embarrassment.

“Oh.” Yu Zihan was very dissatisfied with her performance today. She had sworn not to get involved with men and had a deep-rooted aversion to them. She didn’t expect to be so distracted by the man in front of her and acted like a lovesick fool—beauty really does mislead people.

Gu Jingxuan remained aloof, treating her as if they had never met before, handing her a document with a businesslike attitude.

“This is the testimony material from those people yesterday. Take a look and see if you have anything to add,” he said before burying himself in the work in front of him.

Yu Zihan opened the document and read it carefully. The information inside was basically accurate, so she quickly finished reading it.

“I’ve read it; there’s nothing to add,” Yu Zihan said, looking at Gu Jingxuan, who was focused on his work.

“You can just sign it and leave,” Gu Jingxuan replied coldly without looking up.

Hearing his tone and seeing his attitude, any slight fondness Yu Zihan had felt for him vanished completely. What kind of attitude is this? As if I’m asking you for something, acting all high and mighty, she thought angrily.

She casually grabbed a pen from the desk and signed her name where she was supposed to. Placing the document back on the desk, she intended to leave.

But a voice echoed in her mind: “Ask about Li Libin’s situation.” She paused her steps, staying true to her thoughts, disregarding any notions of face or dignity.

So, Yu Zihan boldly asked, “Do you know how the investigation into Li Limei and Li Libin is going?”

After asking, she stared intently at Gu Jingxuan.

“Kid, do you really think I can’t tell what’s going on in that little head of yours?” Gu Jingxuan felt a sense of pride upon hearing Yu Zihan’s question, yet he maintained a frosty demeanor.

He slowly lifted his head to look at Yu Zihan, and indeed, he could see a hint of anxiety on her small face.

Gu Jingxuan had only intended to tease this unique little girl earlier, but seeing her anxious now made him despise himself for being so heartless.

How could he bear to toy with a girl who had suffered so much? It was a crime.

After scolding himself in his mind, Gu Jingxuan seriously said, “According to the trafficker’s testimony, Li Libin was the one who instructed them to kidnap you, and that person demanded to sell you into the remote mountains.

Not only that, but he’s also involved in a few similar cases, so he will likely meet the same fate as those traffickers.

As for Li Limei, we haven’t found any evidence of her involvement in the crimes. Moreover, Li Libin insists that this incident has nothing to do with Li Limei; it was all his idea, so we have no grounds to arrest her.”

After speaking, Gu Jingxuan looked at Yu Zihan with sympathy. During their investigation of the human trafficking case, he had conducted a detailed inquiry into Zihan and her mother, Yu Meijuan.

He understood their experiences well and felt great sympathy for her plight.

What intrigued him was how someone growing up in such a harsh environment could possess such remarkable thoughts. His curiosity about her developed into a genuine interest.

He and Yu Meijuan were both from the capital, but he was not the same age as her and didn’t know much about her personal matters. However, he was quite familiar with the Yu family.

The Yu family had been vindicated a few years ago. The whole family had returned to their original jobs, and the Yu family was now showing signs of reestablishing itself in the capital.

He was puzzled as to why Yu Meijuan, the eldest daughter of the Yu family, preferred to stay in this small town rather than return to the capital.

However, this was ultimately a personal matter for her. He could be curious and puzzled, but he had no reason or standing to inquire or interfere.

“Oh, I understand now. Thank you, Leader Gu.” Although the outcome for Li Limei was expected by Yu Zihan, she felt very unwilling. Clearly, Li Limei was the mastermind behind the crimes in both this life and the last; she was the one who had obviously aimed to ruin her completely.

Yet such a person could roam free.

This resentment surged within her, and the scene of Li Limei mocking her in the hospital room flashed before her eyes. That triumphant laughter provoked her.

She tightly shut her eyes, trying to drive that image away.

But then the dark cave appeared in her mind, where she lay in rags like a dog. Different men came in from time to time to torment her.

She had to endure their torment and even humiliation; some of them were not human but monsters, venting their twisted desires on her.

How pitiful that she was still a child. Her body had been tortured by those demons until there was not a single good piece of flesh left.

She went from fear and resistance to numbness.

At that time, even death became a luxury; the state she was in was entirely caused by Li Limei, who now remained unpunished. She felt unwilling, so unwilling!!!

Yu Zihan was trapped in her inner demons, unable to escape.

Her face was pale, and her body trembled. She tried to speak, looking at Gu Jingxuan with pleading eyes, wanting to say, please wake me up.

She knew this was not the place to vent her emotions, but she couldn’t control herself, just as she had lost control when she played the game of chance.

Seeing the sudden change in the little girl, Gu Jingxuan, who had studied psychology, recognized that the symptoms she was displaying were indicative of post-traumatic stress disorder, triggered by something that had stirred deep, untouchable memories in her mind.

He couldn’t think much about it and stepped forward to tightly embrace the little girl’s frail body, hoping to provide her with a sense of security and awaken her out-of-control mind.

“What on earth did you go through? How could you have such symptoms?” Gu Jingxuan thought as he gently stroked Yu Zihan’s back.