Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 38

The host agreed readily. Wen Qinghan squeezed Shi Qingqiu’s hand, turned to look at her, and said, “Qingqiu, come with me. That child has some problems at home, I want to help him.”

Wen Qinghan’s tone wasn’t asking for permission, yet her voice was soft, gentle as she spoke.

Somehow, Shi Qingqiu felt that Wen Qinghan was becoming more and more pleasing to the eye, and her voice more and more pleasant to hear. The feeling was sudden, yet also like it had been seeping into her consciousness bit by bit, only revealing itself today.

Somewhat unnaturally, Shi Qingqiu drew her gaze back and smiled. “Alright.”

They changed their clothes, and Wen Qinghan fetched her suitcase, pulling out paper and pen, then took her phone. Together with Shi Qingqiu, she followed the host to a new dormitory.

At the door, the host reminded, “I’ll wait outside. Don’t worry about what you say. Whatever content needs to be broadcast, the higher-ups have already given instructions.”

Wen Qinghan glanced at the cameraman trailing them, then turned her eyes to the host’s serious face and gave a slight nod. “I understand.”

The two of them opened the door and went inside. The boy was waiting anxiously. The moment he saw Wen Qinghan, he jumped up and ran over excitedly. “Sister! I knew you would come! You’ll help me, right?”

Wen Qinghan released Shi Qingqiu’s hand and touched the boy’s head. “Sit down first. I have questions for you.”

The boy immediately ran to sit at the edge of the wooden bed, looking at Wen Qinghan obediently, waiting for her questions.

Wen Qinghan and Shi Qingqiu sat down on the opposite bed. She patted Shi Qingqiu’s hand again, signaling with her eyes for her to stay calm, then turned to the boy. “I roughly understand your family’s situation. But from what you’ve told me, I think there’s still room to make things better. So now I have two plans. Before I tell you, I want to hear you explain everything completely one more time. Do you understand what I mean?”

The boy’s eyes showed a bit of confusion, but he still nodded firmly. “Lots of uncles and aunties in town know about this. But whenever I try to ask them to help me talk to Mom, they all say this is our family’s business, and they can’t say too much. And Mom says Dad will get better, tells me to think more about how hard Dad works, and not to let my classmates see that I’m hurt…”

“Qinghan, this…” Shi Qingqiu hesitated, glancing at Wen Qinghan, her voice full of doubt.

She hadn’t expected to run into something like this. It was obvious domestic violence, and not a short-term one. From what the child said, because of the privacy of the family, the harm he had suffered had never been properly addressed, leading things to this point.

Wen Qinghan shook her head and stretched out her hand to the boy. “Give me your hand.”

The boy hesitated, but seeing that Wen Qinghan’s expression wasn’t too stern, he gathered courage and held out his right hand.

Wen Qinghan held his small fist with one hand, gently pulled up his long sleeve with the other, and saw his arm covered in bruises, some deep, some light—clearly old wounds not yet healed, with new ones added on top.

“Has anyone ever helped you and your mother? What did they say?” Wen Qinghan pulled down his sleeve and let him take his hand back.

The boy nodded, his eyes flickering with light. “My aunt and uncle often come over.” But as soon as he said this, his eyes dimmed. “Aunt always tells Mom and me to forgive Dad. But I clearly saw Aunt holding Mom, wiping her tears. Because every time after Dad apologizes, in just a few days, he beats us again.”

The boy subconsciously pressed down on his sleeve, instinctively trying to hide his injuries. This was the first time Wen Qinghan had noticed such a gesture from him in the past two days—perhaps because of new wounds.

Wen Qinghan asked, “Do you think your dad really knows he’s wrong?”

The boy blinked, his small hands gripping his kneecaps. Wen Qinghan saw his expression shift from confusion to certainty, then he nodded. “I think Dad knows he shouldn’t treat Mom and me like this. I think he’s really sad too, just like us…”

Some people, when they hurt the ones they care about, feel sorrow themselves. But even if the victim endures it, even if they forgive without complaint, that can never be an excuse for violence. Because the nature of harm does not change. No matter how many reasons there are, harm is still harm, and guilt is still guilt.

Wen Qinghan nodded, pondered for a moment, then said, “Now I’ll tell you two things. You must remember them clearly. Don’t forget a single step. Can you do that?”

“I can.” The boy straightened his back, staring at Wen Qinghan.

Wen Qinghan found a name in her phone contacts, then wrote down the exact address of the Municipal Hospital in City B on paper, along with that person’s name and number, and handed it to him. “The first thing: give this address to your mom and your aunt. Tell them to take your dad to this hospital and find this doctor uncle. If they ask where you got this address, say you asked the older brothers and sisters from the city during this event.”

She paused, and the boy nodded several times with utmost seriousness.

At last, she wrote down her own name and number, along with Jian Yizhi’s name and number, and the address of the law firm on another slip of paper before handing it to him.

She pointed to her own name. “This is my name, and beside it is another sister who’s just like me.”

The boy suddenly laughed, his innocent smile cutting through the heavy air from moments ago. “Your name sounds so beautiful.”

Shi Qingqiu, standing nearby, also smiled faintly. Wen Qinghan, however, simply lifted her gaze to the boy and continued, “Listen carefully, this is the second thing. If after seeing that doctor uncle, nothing changes in your family’s situation, then you let your aunt bring your mother here to find me. If I’m not around, then find this Sister Jian whose name is beside mine, and tell her I sent you.” Her voice deepened, her dark eyes fathomless like a still pool, carrying a hint of distance and a trace of danger. “Also, tell your aunt to take you and your mother to the hospital to have your injuries examined. Keep the reports safe, and bring them with you when you come to me. Can you remember all that?”

The boy froze for a moment, his gaze shifting from the slip of paper in his hand to Wen Qinghan’s face. Then he nodded repeatedly, finally clutching her hand with a wide smile. “I knew you’d help me. I’ve remembered everything, all of it. Sister, will I be able to see you again? If I go to that place, will I see you there?”

Once his aunt saw the name of the law firm, she would surely understand what should be done. To meet her under such circumstances could not possibly be a good thing—at least, not for his family.

Wen Qinghan, suppressing the pain when the boy accidentally pressed on the bruise across the back of her hand, withdrew and patted his head. “Mm, just remember what I said.”

She lifted a gentle smile like a spring breeze, silently praying in her heart that things would never reach the point where he would have to come find her—for that would mean the situation was beyond all saving.

The boy was taken away, and Wen Qinghan and Shi Qingqiu were the last to leave the dormitory. The cameraman was gone; only the host remained.

Watching the child’s retreating figure, Wen Qinghan asked the host beside her, “Are all the children selected for this activity like him?”

“No, only this one, and by chance you happened to come across him. But he’s very fortunate—fortunate to have met you.” The host, usually lively during filming these days, now spoke with a faint trace of melancholy. He looked at Wen Qinghan and Shi Qingqiu, sighed, and said, “Rest well tonight. Once the other groups are finished, we’ll head to the final stop.”

The two nodded, watching as the host waved and left. Wen Qinghan turned to Shi Qingqiu. “Qingqiu, it’s still early. Do you want to go out for a walk?”

Shi Qingqiu looked at her and smiled. “Sure.”

The middle school where they were staying was under renovation, its students moved to another campus.

Wen Qinghan and Shi Qingqiu strolled around the edge of the playground. The cicadas chirped now and then, and the summer night breeze brushed past, calming the heart so it didn’t feel so stiflingly hot.

Their shadows stretched long behind them in the lamplight. Shi Qingqiu nudged Wen Qinghan’s hand and asked softly, “Qinghan, what was going on with that child just now?”

Wen Qinghan was silent for a while, her gaze distant, before answering in a low voice, “It’s domestic violence. I happened to overhear him mention it, and only after pressing further did I learn that his father probably has health issues that left him emotionally unstable, and he takes it out on his family. And from what he described, it’s already become habitual abuse. You know, habitual domestic violence usually stems from two things: first, the victim repeatedly submitting, and second, the indifference of those around them. That boy’s family fits both. His mother not only endures it herself but even persuades him not to speak out. That alone severely affects any hope of resolving this.”

Wen Qinghan stopped walking and sat on a stone bench by the playground. Shi Qingqiu sat down beside her and said, “I just heard him say his father always apologizes afterward, admitting his fault, and it sounded like he was sincere. And after all, this is a small place. Many people think it’s none of their business, especially when one side is willing to hit and the other is willing to endure. That’s probably why it’s gone on for so long.”

“Exactly.” Wen Qinghan nodded. “But I think our coming across this matter was no coincidence.”

“Because of the host’s attitude earlier?”

Wen Qinghan pressed her lips together. “Mm. If it were just chance, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to give us a private place to meet the boy, nor would he have personally waited outside the door. And just now he told me which parts were cleared to be broadcast—he said the higher-ups had already given instructions.”

That boy had been granted something like a pass, allowed to stay behind after the event to meet with the participants and their partners. Clearly, there was a special arrangement. But why? Shi Qingqiu felt as if the answer was just within reach, yet she couldn’t quite grasp it.

She turned to look at Wen Qinghan, only to see the corners of her lips twitching as if holding back a laugh. Annoyed, she gave her companion’s right hand a light slap. “What are you laughing at? Hurry and tell me what you’ve thought of.”

Her slap was light, barely brushing past, but Wen Qinghan immediately frowned, her right hand shrinking back in pain.

“Qinghan, what’s wrong?” Shi Qingqiu quickly caught her wrist, trying to see what was going on with her hand.

Wen Qinghan only shook her head, grasping Shi Qingqiu’s hand instead, pressing it down against her leg. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry.”

But how could Shi Qingqiu believe that? Looking at the back of Wen Qinghan’s hand, she saw a bruise—deep purple, clearly from a harsh impact. Such a glaring mark, and she had only just noticed it now.

“How can this be nothing? Why didn’t you say anything?” Shi Qingqiu pulled her hand closer, her eyes filled with concern. “When did you get hurt?”

“Yesterday. It’s not a big deal.” Wen Qinghan curved her brows and lips in a faint smile, gazing at Shi Qingqiu with lowered head, and suddenly said in a soft voice, “But if you blow on it for me, it’ll heal much faster.”