The photos didn't capture much, really.
One showed Tao Siyue leaning against a wall, crying softly, with He Xu watching her from across the room. The other captured the moment when He Xu reached out to steady her as she nearly stumbled.
The angle of the second photo was slightly off, making it look as though He Xu was half-embracing her. The sneaky position from which the photo was taken, combined with the phone's focus on a different area, caused the image to be dim and blurry, adding a sense of ambiguity.
If you wanted to spin this atmosphere into something suggestive, you certainly could.
Tao Xianyong held the phone high, showing the photos to the surrounding onlookers.
In just a few seconds, the pictures had been passed around, and although nobody got a clear look, Tao Xianyong’s vivid descriptions led everyone to piece together a vivid mental image. The crowd, fueled by righteous indignation, began demanding answers from the police station's leadership.
By the time He Xu arrived, over thirty people had gathered, including street vendors from across the way who stretched their necks to see the commotion.
The police officers who could spare a moment were all present, trying to maintain order, pushing the crowd back and attempting to disperse them.
As soon as Tao Xianyong saw He Xu, he pointed and shouted, "It's him! He's the beast!"
The crowd turned their attention to He Xu and surged towards him.
He Xu, who had brought a loudspeaker, was protected by his colleagues. He stepped back onto the stairs, saying, "I don't know what you're talking about. There must be some misunderstanding!"
Nearby, someone who knew He Xu whispered, "It can't be him, right?"
But Tao Xianyong had brought along some supporters who immediately drowned out the rational voices with harsh, insulting language, pushing the already tense crowd to the brink of explosion.
Tao Xianyong's voice was hoarse but surprisingly loud. He questioned He Xu with clear logic, "No misunderstanding! Why did my daughter insist on seeing you first before cooperating with the police? Why did she burst into tears as soon as she saw you? Why were you two holding each other? Do you, a male police officer, need to hug a high school girl during questioning? Do you have any shame? How do you explain all this?"
Flashlights went off, and the sound of phone cameras clicking filled the air.
He Xu squinted, his expression equally grim. He tried to stay calm, correcting, "I didn't hug her. She almost fell, and I just caught her. If you took the photo, you should have seen that yourself."
"Bullshit! Do you even believe what you're saying?" Tao Xianyong spat at him, completely ignoring his explanation, shouting even louder, "Everyone, listen to me! Why did my daughter report to the police? Because her teacher found out she was being bullied! Would she tell a male officer she didn't know? Would she dare talk to a stranger about something like this? She's just a naïve girl, and this guy took advantage of his position as a police officer to deceive her!"
Tao Xianyong raised his arm, pointing directly at He Xu's nose, cursing, "Look at yourself! How could you do such a despicable thing! He Xu, you're not even human!"
The onlookers murmured amongst themselves, and passersby stopped to watch. The crowd of gawkers quickly expanded, almost overwhelming the police officers.
A colleague, unable to bear it, spoke up in He Xu’s defense, "Everything needs evidence! You can't just cause trouble at the police station based on a single photo. Did you even ask your daughter?"
"You dare mention my daughter?" Tao Xianyong’s face turned red with anger as he gritted his teeth, accusing, "He’s the one who told my daughter not to report it. What does that tell you? He has a guilty conscience! He’s the scumbag!"
He Xu, furious, interrupted, "I didn’t tell her not to report it! I already explained this to you yesterday..."
Before He Xu could finish, Tao Xianyong rushed forward, knocking him to the ground.
A quick-thinking colleague immediately stepped in, pushing Tao Xianyong aside.
The scene erupted into chaos, resembling a bustling market.
"Someone fell!"
"Stop pushing!"
"Who kicked? It wasn’t me! Officer, I didn’t hit anyone, I was pushed!"
"This is illegal! What do you think you're doing! Back off! Stop!"
Han Songshan, holding a camera, climbed onto a platform, taking pictures while fanning the flames, "This isn’t a fight! This is a father's righteous anger! We demand justice! The police can’t cover this up!"
"That’s not true! Don’t spread lies!"
He Xu tried to speak again but was half-dragged, half-pulled away from the entrance by his colleagues. It wasn’t until the station chief intervened that the bizarre incident was finally brought to a halt.
When things eventually calmed down, Tao Xianyong wiped his face and, under the crowd's watchful eyes, brought his wife over, grabbing her arm and addressing the station chief, "This is my wife, Li Lan. Tell them, why are the police preventing the victim from reporting the crime? This is a crime! How can you allow criminals to get away? This matter can’t be negotiated or settled! Even if it’s the police breaking the law, it must be thoroughly investigated!"
The station chief's face twitched, his wrinkles deepening with the tension, showing a mix of confusion and gravity. He looked around, then gently said to Tao Xianyong, "Let's talk inside. Everyone, let’s calm down and see if there's any misunderstanding."
Though the situation was under control, the news of the victim’s family and concerned citizens attacking the police spread quickly.
Even in 2009, when the internet wasn't as widespread, word of mouth was enough to make the incident go viral in the southern district of City A within half a day.
Tao Siyue remained unaware, attending classes as usual, until she was called to the office in the evening, where her teacher asked her a series of strange questions.
Things like if she knew any police officers or if she had been threatened.
The teacher also explained the basic differences between criminal and civil cases.
Tao Siyue, not understanding much, mumbled a few responses and returned to her classroom, only to find her classmates, who had been whispering, suddenly fell silent and gave her odd, complicated looks when she walked in.
She slowly made her way to her seat and asked Jiang Zhaolin, "What's wrong with them?"
Jiang Zhaolin awkwardly shook his head, rummaged through his desk for a moment, and asked, "Did you finish your physics homework?"
Still skeptical, Tao Siyue handed him the paper, only to hear another boy blurt out, "Ha, a lot of people in the group are saying you got raped by a cop. Isn't that crazy?"
Tao Siyue froze, then felt as if a thousand ants were crawling up her spine. The overwhelming panic almost engulfed her senses. She remained motionless, her blood turning to ice, making it hard to breathe.
Jiang Zhaolin stood up abruptly, cursing, "Can't you keep your mouth shut?"
The boy, seeing Tao Siyue's reaction, didn't dare say another word.
Jiang Zhaolin turned back, saying, "They’re just talking nonsense, trying to hurt you or Uncle He. Don’t pay any attention to them!"
His voice trembled slightly as he sought confirmation, "Right?"
Tao Siyue didn’t respond, sitting there as if soulless, her gaze unfocused. Her eyes darted around before she suddenly shivered.
Jiang Zhaolin, startled, moved closer, softly calling her name, "Tao Siyue?"
Tao Siyue's breathing was heavy as she asked, "Who said that? Who spread it?"
The classroom was silent, with no one responding.
Tao Siyue repeated her question, her voice sharp, “Who said it?”
Jiang Zhaolin murmured, “They said your parents caused a scene at the police station…”
Tao Siyue stood up abruptly and walked straight out. Jiang Zhaolin followed her, but when they reached the door, Tao Siyue turned and yelled, “Get lost!”
Jiang Zhaolin stood there, stunned. By the time he tried to follow her again, Tao Siyue had already dashed down the stairs.
“I don’t know where I was going.” Tao Siyue sat slumped in a chair, her eyes half-closed, her expression distant. “When I left school, I still wasn’t fully aware. I was scared someone would talk to me. I felt like everyone recognized me. I couldn’t stay in this city anymore. I waited at a crosswalk for the light to change, crossing back and forth aimlessly. I couldn’t think about details or anything beyond my anger at my parents. Why couldn’t they understand that I didn’t want anyone to know about this? They never once asked my opinion.”
“Now I can understand why Tao Xianyong lashed out in desperation, but back then, I couldn’t. While I was wandering at the intersection, that man appeared again.”