On a summer afternoon, various cases related to the Major Crimes Unit were placed on each person’s desk.

Incoming phone calls were continuous, with many new leads pouring in.

One by one, the evidence proved that everything was indeed as Su Hui had deduced.

Hidden in the mist was a large serial killer case.

Currently, the best starting point was the recent Pang Qinghua carbon murder case. Since the direct murderer had left image data, they had followed the clues and determined that the culprit was a student at a vocational high school in Huadu.

This student’s name was Qin Zhihua, 19 years old and a third-year student.

Qin Zhihua had been continuously extorted by a group of students before and suffered from depression.

Later, the ringleader drowned, which allowed him to escape from his predicament.

Coincidentally, the vehicle belonging to Luo Wei, who had appeared in the investigation of the Sleeping Person case, appeared in the surveillance footage of the night of the drowning.

So, was Luo Wei connected to the drowning case?

The police were preparing to collect all the evidence and gradually close in on these people.

In the afternoon, Qiao Ze went out and brought back a stack of materials: “Everyone take some time to fill out this form, and submit it no later than Friday.”

Qiao Ze distributed the materials, and everyone then realized that it was the annual psychological evaluation form, and this year’s version was new.

After Qiao Ze finished, he turned to Su Hui and said, “Consultant Su, someone is looking for you downstairs.”

“Looking for me?” Su Hui was a bit surprised. He couldn’t imagine who would come looking for him. Lu Junchi also raised his head to look over.

“He seems to be from the psychology clinic, a cultured man wearing glasses.” Qiao Ze described.

Su Hui knew it must be An Yuci. However, he was also a bit puzzled as to why An Yuci suddenly came to find him.

Since it was within the police station and a familiar person was looking for him, Su Hui took his cane and went downstairs. Lu Junchi did not follow him.

When he arrived downstairs, Su Hui saw An Yuci standing beside the flower bed. The man’s back looked tall and slender. He greeted him, “Dr. An.”

An Yuci turned around, wearing a professional smile, “Hello, Professor Su. I came to the General Bureau today to deliver the assessment forms. After the consultation last time, I had a question I wanted to ask you, so I came over. I’m not here as a consultant, just for a discussion between friends.”

Su Hui sat down beside the flower bed. “What’s on your mind?”

An Yuci adjusted his glasses and said, “After our last meeting, I’ve been thinking about what you said, ‘Everyone is their own savior.'”

Although a long time had passed, An Yuci had been repeatedly thinking about Su Hui’s words. He vaguely felt that there was an answer he was seeking within them, but he couldn’t describe what that was.

Su Hui made a sound of agreement. He could see that An Yuci was a bit lost.

As the saying goes, doctors do not heal themselves. As a psychological consultant, no matter how many related books are read, there will always be situations that cannot be applied to everyone’s life.

Su Hui thought for a moment and said, “I’ve always thought that psychological treatment is only a kind of assistance and promotion. It does have an effect, but the effectiveness of treatment still depends on each person’s own efforts.”

An Yuci said, “I understand your perspective, but it may be because there isn’t enough public awareness about mental health in China. I rarely see patients with mild symptoms come to us for consultation. Most of the patients who come to us are severely ill, and it’s difficult for us to help them with just our support.”

She sighed and continued, “At this point, the most direct thing we can do is to prescribe medication for them. But I also know that these medications only treat symptoms and are often just placebos. I feel like I’m prescribing legal drugs to patients.”

“I hope I can offer more help to others. I’ll try to give more advice to visitors and try to get closer to them to help them solve their problems. But I still feel powerless.”

From his words, Su Hui could sense An Yu Ci’s helplessness. He comforted him, saying, “Dr. An, I think your ideas are good, and you’re a great psychological counselor with strong empathy and a caring attitude.”

He then added, “However, I don’t think all visitors are seeking salvation. Everyone has different needs. Some may just want quick and effective methods, some may just want to talk to someone, and some, like me, may just want confirmation that they’re on the right path. You can help them at that moment, but you can’t follow them out of the consultation room and completely change their lives.”

Su Hui thought for a moment and said, “It’s like my profession. We deal with murderers and uncover the truth, but there are bad people in this world that we can’t catch.”

An Yu Ci nodded, “As a psychologist, I also know that we can’t save every patient.”

Su Hui looked directly at An Yu Ci, feeling that he didn’t understand the meaning of his words, so he explained further, “Our profession is even more painful, as we come into contact with many deaths. Even if we are exhausted, we cannot bring all the culprits to justice. We cannot save every victim. If we work with the mentality of wanting to save every victim, we may end up getting caught up in it ourselves and might not be able to save anyone in the end.”

An Yu Ci looked at the special consultant in front of him, who was pale and frail, but unusually handsome.

When Su Hui spoke, his tone was incredibly calm, but An Yu Ci could sense something from it.

His brow furrowed slightly, realizing that these words were not just limited to the conversation between patients and doctors, but more like a communication between industries.

An Yu Ci thought for a moment, then looked up and asked Su, “So, Professor Su, if I find someone who needs help and if not helping them could lead to something bad happening, should I help them or should I stand by and wait for the outcome?”

Su Hui replied seriously, “I think that not saving someone doesn’t mean being inactive, but entering into someone else’s fate requires a limit. We need to learn to respect everyone’s fate and learn what we cannot do. The scale of this limit can only be measured by each person themselves.”

When unable to save someone, respect their fate.

This sentence is easy to say but difficult to do.

Then SuHui  lowered his head with some apologies, “But I have no basis to advise you. I have also been trying and learning. Everyone’s life is about learning to deal with oneself, learning to deal with others, and learning to deal with this world.”

An Yu Ci seemed to understand something and in his heart, he felt some vague cognition. This was an answer that he had never found in his psychology textbooks.

He thanked Su Hui, “Thank you, Professor Su. Your ideas are very interesting and something that I haven’t considered.”

Su Hui responded with a sound of agreement, “If I could help you, that’s great.”

In Huadu, the sky gradually darkened.

Fang Jiayue wore headphones and looked at her homework. The air was hot, and her small room faced the west, only twelve square meters in total. Even in the late summer evening, it was like a steamer. She couldn’t help but take off her coat and only wore a tank top.

Her mother brought the food from the kitchen. There were only two dishes, and she called Fang Jiayue to come and eat.

Liao Qinghe had just taken two bites when she received a phone call and hurriedly stood up.

Fang Jiayue frowned as she held her chopsticks. “Mom, it’s already late at night. Are you going out?”

Liao Qinghe said, “You eat your dinner. Your grandmother had a cerebral hemorrhage and was sent to the hospital. I need to hurry over there.”

Fang Jiayue became nervous. “Then let me go with you.”

While putting on her shoes, Liao Qinghe said, “No need. Your uncle has already gone. You can’t help much as a child.”

Fang Jiayue opened her mouth again and stood up. “But what about Zhang Fumin?”

“He won’t be having dinner at home tonight. He’ll probably come back very late. Lock the door to your room and go to sleep when it’s time. What could happen?” Liao Qinghe said anxiously as she picked up her bag. “Alright, I’m leaving. Call me if you need anything.”

The door was closed, and Fang Jiayue returned to the table. The house was extremely quiet, and dinner became tasteless.

She quickly finished her meal, cleaned up the dishes, washed them, and then took a shower.

Zhang Fumin had not come back yet, and Fang Jiayue gradually relaxed. She went to her room, locked the door, and did her homework for a while.

Suddenly, a sound of rain came from outside the window. It started to rain, and the rain grew heavier. Occasionally, there were muffled thunder sounds.

Fang Jiayue saw that it was already past ten o’clock in the evening and prepared to go to bed.

She had just lay down when she heard the door open. Fang Jiayue curled up in her blanket and softly called out, “Mom…”

In the darkness, she heard heavy footsteps, and she realized that Zhang Fumin had come back.

The room was dark, and it was raining harder and harder outside. The living room light was turned on, and then the television was turned on. Fang Jiayue’s heart was pounding, and she closed her eyes again, ready to continue sleeping.

It was at this moment that the door was pushed with a loud thud.

Fang Jiayue’s hair stood on end, and she sat up from the bed.

She had locked the door, so Zhang Fumin couldn’t come in. The earlier sound was just a test.

Thud, there was another sound, and it was even louder than before.

Zhang Fumin’s drunken voice came from outside. “Little bunny…I know you’re not asleep. Open the door for me!”

Fang Jiayue pursed her lips and quickly got out of bed, put on a school uniform jacket over her pajamas, and hesitated for a moment about whether to call Liao Qinghe, but in the end, she put her phone in her pocket and picked up a craft knife from the table.

The knocking on the door grew louder and louder, accompanied by Zhang Fumin’s curses. “Open the door! You spend my money every day, and I’m the one supporting you. If you don’t call me dad, that’s fine, but now you’re avoiding me and won’t even look at me. Are you made of gold? Both you and your mother are taking me for a fool! I’m not a charity!”

Outside, a thunderclap sounded, almost simultaneously with a loud bang from the door. The lock broke and the door was pushed open. Zhang Fumin stood at the door, and the strong smell of alcohol instantly permeated the narrow room.

The man stood with his back to the light, not wearing a shirt. His fat hung down like cream, blocking the light in the living room like a mountain.

Zhang Fumin looked at his stepdaughter huddled in the corner of the bed, like he was looking at a helpless little rabbit.

Fang Jiayue held a paper cutting knife tightly in her hand, trying hard to calm herself down, but her voice was trembling: “Zhang Fumin, don’t mess around. If you do, I will call the police!”

Zhang Fumin looked at her, breathing heavily and approaching step by step. “Call the police? Then try it. What will be the result? Can they protect you forever? Those police will still send you back obediently. Do you have anywhere else to go?”

He was becoming more and more dissatisfied with just looking at her.

The girl in front of him was like a budding flower, gradually maturing, but still had a childishness, and was cleaner than those old women.

Her small face was the size of a palm, with slender arms and lotus-like legs. He liked the youthfulness on her body, and the unique scent of a young girl that smelled like soft, juicy peaches, as if it would overflow with fragrance at the slightest touch.

He met Liao Qinghe through a blind date. At that time, she was younger and more beautiful than she is now. He ultimately married her because when they were chatting at a fast food restaurant, Fang Jiayue bounced in, with two braids on her head and a face full of childishness and happiness.

He immediately decided to marry the woman in front of him.

Zhang Fumin was very clear in his heart that he had abnormal desires for his stepdaughter, but so what? They were not related by blood, and the girl was already fourteen years old.

With such a fresh and tender girl by his side, he could only live with Liao Qinghe, who was like wild vegetables. The longer he lived like this, the more unbalanced he felt.

Liao Qinghe often fell ill, and he was the main source of income for the family, the pillar of the family. They depended on him to live, and if he kicked them out, they wouldn’t even have a house and couldn’t afford tuition.

Could she still make trouble and send him to jail? He had money and could hire a lawyer. By then, he would say that she seduced him and willingly slept with him for pocket money!

Tonight, Liao Qinghe happened to be away, so he had nothing to worry about.

Thinking of this, he even found Fang Jiayue’s stubbornness and resistance amusing.

He wanted her, he wanted to have her…

Zhang Fumin, fueled by alcohol, stared at his prey with red eyes, approaching step by step.

Fang Jiayue panicked, “Don’t come near me! If you come closer, I’ll kill you!” She brandished the small knife in her hand.

But in Zhang Fumin’s eyes, that small knife looked like a toy.

“Fine, if you have the guts, go ahead and kill me!” Zhang Fumin walked unsteadily towards her, trying to snatch the knife from her hand.

As Fang Jiayue lifted her hand, Zhang Fumin went to grab her wrist. Fang Jiayue followed his movement, lowered her body, and used a technique to dodge backwards, but Zhang Fumin held onto her hand tightly.

Just then, Fang Jiayue used all her strength to pull Zhang Fumin, and jumped up like a rabbit, knees hitting between his legs with a bang.

This was a self-defense move she had written down online, and she never thought she would have to use it one day.

It was a diversion tactic, and Zhang Fumin, in his drunken state, didn’t react in time, letting out a painful cry.

“You little brat! I’ll kill you!” Zhang Fumin cursed in pain, his cold sweat dripping. He couldn’t stand and fell to his knees.

Ignoring him, Fang Jiayue bravely jumped over him and opened the door, running out for her life.

It was pouring rain outside, thunder and lightning flashing. Fang Jiayue was only wearing pajamas and had thrown on a school uniform. She cried and ran, getting soaked in the rain. She felt like she was drowning in the downpour.

When she came to her senses, she was standing on the street, two blocks away from home.

It was pitch black around her, only the streetlights shining on the wet asphalt.

Although Fang Jiayue had run away from home a few times before, those times were all planned. Now, in this darkness, she was lost and penniless, completely soaked.

She opened her phone and saw that it had only one bar of battery left, making her panic.

She couldn’t go back home, so who should she call now?

Her teacher? Her classmates? But she had already caused them trouble by running away from home, and the parents of those students had secretly warned their children not to take her in.

The last time she ran away from home, she had spent the night at a nearby 24-hour bus station.

Should she call the police? She suddenly remembered the policeman she had given her phone number to last time.

Trembling, Fang Jiayue looked through her contacts, trying to find a way to contact Lu Junchi. But her fingers suddenly froze as she remembered what Zhang Fumin had said earlier.

Would the policeman be like Zhang Fumin had said, claiming it was a family dispute and sending her back home?

Then who could she call?

Should she call Liao Qinghe? But her grandmother might still be in the hospital, and she didn’t even know which hospital they were at.

Liao Qinghe would never understand her. Zhang Fumin hadn’t touched her or done anything, but as soon as she talked to that man, it would be her fault again. She didn’t want to go back to that house anymore.

After hesitating for a moment, Fang Jiayue remembered Dr. An. She remembered him saying that if she had any difficulties, she could come to him.

Fang Jiayue dialed the first number on her phone while crying, “Hello…”

“Is this Fang Jiayue? What’s wrong?” Dr. An’s gentle voice came through.

Fang Jiayue burst into even louder sobs, speaking incoherently. She paused occasionally to sob, unsure if she had explained everything clearly. On the other end of the line, Dr. An’s voice was soothing.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll come get you.”

TN:

If I ever held a position of power, I would pass a law that anyone accused of s*x*al assault or harassment should have their genitals immediately chopped off, without anesthesia or painkillers to tide them through. They deserve as much pain as possible!