In essence, Tao Siyue wasn't well-acquainted with He Xu. The two had only met a few times and had never been alone together. However, Jiang Zhaolin often spoke highly of He Xu, embellishing his character to the point where Tao Siyue developed an inexplicable trust in him.
He Xu was the most positive and mature adult in her limited understanding of the world, and the only person she could rely on in times of trouble. This fact alone was both laughable and tragic.
The room was crowded, and Tao Siyue felt suffocated by the oppressive atmosphere. When He Xu arrived, she took the initiative to step outside.
They went to the stairwell, standing on the deserted landing. They opened a small window for ventilation, ensuring no one would overhear their conversation.
He Xu maintained a polite distance. His eyes smiled warmly as he spoke, making it hard to be wary of him. "Tell me, what happened?" he asked kindly.
The wind from outside blew Tao Siyue’s hair into disarray. She nervously asked, "Uncle He, can we not call the police?"
He Xu pondered for a moment. "You don't want to file a sexual assault report, is that right?"
Tao Siyue nodded.
He Xu didn't press her. Sensing her extreme tension, he quickly agreed. "Alright. You're an adult now, you can make your own decisions. But if it wasn't consensual and he’s still harassing you, you can trust me and the police."
Even if the charge of sexual assault was substantiated, the penalty would be minor. Many women hesitated to report such incidents, fearing it would disrupt their lives, especially someone like Tao Siyue, a student.
He Xu's promise significantly relieved Tao Siyue, and she suddenly felt liberated. Looking at He Xu and then through the stair railing toward her home, she nearly cried without knowing why.
He Xu didn’t stop her from feeling sad or offer empty comfort. Instead, he waited until she had cried for a while before gently asking, "Can you quietly tell me who hurt you?"
Tao Siyue shook her head.
He Xu softly said, "That's okay."
Tao Siyue genuinely didn't know at the time. She didn’t know the man’s name, job, or age, only that he was an acquaintance of her father, Tao Xianyong. He was once taken in by her grandparents and considered a half-brother by her father.
The situation seemed so surreal that Tao Siyue doubted He Xu would believe her. But He Xu was kind and wouldn’t make her uncomfortable with his opinions.
Seeing her sobbing helplessly, He Xu wanted to comfort her by patting her shoulder.
Tao Siyue saw his hand from the corner of her eye, triggering a fearful memory, and instinctively stepped back. Forgetting she was at the edge of the landing, she almost fell down the stairs.
He Xu quickly grabbed her, helping her regain her balance before letting go. "Be careful," he said soothingly. "It's okay."
They descended the stairs, one after the other. He Xu was the first to enter and explain the conversation’s outcome to her family.
Before he finished, Tao’s mother protested loudly, "How can we not call the police?"
She pushed through the crowd, grabbing Tao Siyue’s arm, her eyes wide with urgency. "Don't be afraid. Tell the police. It's not your fault. We can't just let this go!"
Tao Siyue, hurt by her mother's grip and scared by her intensity, cried out, "Mom!"
He Xu and his colleague immediately intervened. "Ma'am, please calm down."
Tao's mother reluctantly let go, seeing Tao Siyue hiding behind the officers, unable to meet her gaze. Her heart ached with a mix of sorrow and anger, which she then directed at He Xu, shouting, "What kind of police are you? Are you trying to protect the criminal? I knew it! You’re all in cahoots! None of you are any good!"
He Xu patiently led Tao's mother aside, explaining that without Tao Siyue’s cooperation, the police couldn’t gather evidence. He stressed that the priority was ensuring Tao Siyue could continue her studies and that they could address other issues gradually.
Tao's mother refused to listen, shoving He Xu and cursing him with venomous words. It was as if she was reliving her own past injustices.
Reaching the doorway, she collapsed against the frame, crying hysterically, her voice filled with years of pent-up grievances.
Neighbors, drawn by the commotion, watched from the stairwell, gossiping among themselves.
As the situation escalated, Tao Siyue felt numb, unable to comprehend why she had to endure such suffering. She moved to help her mother, only to be pushed away. Glancing at the stairs, she momentarily considered jumping.
He Xu and his colleague intervened. "Everyone, go home. It's just a family dispute, nothing to see here."
He Xu then called out to Tao Siyue, "Come inside, don't worry about the adults."
Tao Siyue stood frozen until He Xu gently pulled her, snapping her back to reality.
The wind outside suddenly grew fierce, and Tao Siyue, staring blankly in the direction of the sound, couldn't tear her gaze away.
Sweat beaded on her forehead and nose, her eyes dry and aching, unable to cry yet red with strain.
"They only care about their feelings, using grand excuses to cover up, but they never truly care about me," Tao Siyue muttered to herself, unsure whom to ask, "Why don't they feel any pain for me? Aren’t I their child?"
Isn’t caring for one’s children a biological instinct? If not, why does everyone say it is? Why make me believe such lies?
If He Xu were still here, perhaps he could answer her.
He Xu seemed to have an aura of invincibility in her eyes, capable of resolving any problem.
Tao Siyue's lips moved as she murmured, "I don't know why things turned out this way..."
That afternoon, Tao Siyue fled back to school. In the evening, He Xu and a female colleague came to find her.
They sat in the stairwell again, but the school’s stairwell was more spacious, with large windows showing the bright moonlight outside.
He Xu chatted with her, asking about her university aspirations and her family situation. Then, with a thoughtful expression, he seriously said:
"Siyue, listen to me for a moment. I'm not here to force you to file a report or make any decisions for you, but we can go to the hospital for an examination. Just to have a record. If you decide to pursue this later, you'll have evidence. This way, the choice is yours, okay?"
Seeing she wasn’t resistant, he added, "You're young and scared now, which is normal. But maybe when you’re older, you’ll see the world isn’t as frightening as it seems. Don’t you hate him? Don’t you want him to face justice? Your feelings might change. If you regret it later, it could be too late. As a victim, you must protect yourself as best as you can."
Moved by He Xu's words, Tao Siyue thought it over and agreed to go to the hospital with them.
Several days had passed, and despite the time lapse, the doctors were unable to collect any substantial evidence. They took photos of the bruises on Tao Siyue’s body and the marks on her thighs, and conducted a psychological evaluation.
There might have been traces of semen on her clothes and bedding, but Tao Siyue hadn’t brought them back. She was too afraid to go retrieve them and hesitant to tell He Xu their exact location.
Her thoughts were chaotic, and she suspected that any evidence had likely been disposed of by now. Tao Xianyong would certainly have warned the man, making it futile to mention the items.
After leaving the hospital, He Xu drove her back to school. Along the way, he advised, "If you have any problems, tell me immediately. Don’t listen to anyone’s threats. They are more worried about exposure than you are and are just trying to intimidate you. If he really does anything, the police can find surveillance footage, witnesses, track his online activity, and gather all sorts of evidence to convict him. If he shows up, stand your ground and tell him to get lost."
Tao Siyue, feeling grateful, responded, "Thank you, Uncle He. I understand."
With a sense of relief, she added, "He should be leaving City A soon. I won't see him again."
He Xu forced a smile, which came out rather awkwardly. As he stopped the car, he offered her a blessing, "Siyue, I hope one day you meet someone who gives you the courage to be brave."
Tao Siyue tried to bury the incident, naively believing that she could move on and start afresh.
Unexpectedly, the next day, Tao Xianyong somehow found out about her detailed medical examination the previous night. Whether out of concern or after receiving a warning from the man, he didn’t inform Tao Siyue. Instead, he took Tao’s mother directly to the police station.
He held the photos he had secretly taken of her and He Xu in the stairwell the day before, gathered a crowd at the station's entrance, and loudly accused He Xu of being the one who had harmed his daughter.