Chapter 26.2

The news had already spread. If she ran away now, she’d never be able to clear her name for the rest of her life.

She closed her eyes and nodded to Ye Nianwen. “I understand. I’m sorry.”

“Let’s go.”

Seeing that Ye Sibei had regained her composure, Lin Feng led her, Qin Nan, and Ye Nianwen upstairs.

At the door, Lin Feng asked the three of them to sit and wait while he went inside to confirm the situation with the prosecutor’s office.

As she sat on the bench, Ye Sibei continued to tremble slightly.

She couldn’t stop her mind from racing; the recording kept playing over and over in her head.

If Fan Jiancheng only recorded the part where she was forced to take the initiative, could she still win the case?

After today, if she claimed it wasn’t consensual, would anyone believe her?

How would people see her? As a mistress who falsely accused someone?

She even started to question whether a rape without full resistance was still considered rape.

Had she, in some way, consented to Fan Jiancheng’s assault?

These thoughts overwhelmed her, and if not for the pain on her face reminding her, she might have already gotten up and left.

Qin Nan noticed her inner struggle and stood up, crouching down in front of her.

“Sibei,” Qin Nan took a deep breath, holding her shoulders and gently urging her to face him, “look at me.”

Ye Sibei lifted her head to meet his gaze. Qin Nan’s eyes were calm and steady, like a tree deeply rooted in the ground, unshaken by any storm.

These eyes drew her in, helping her gradually regain her composure.

“You’ve come this far,” he began, “think about how you’ve made it here.”

How had she made it this far?

She had once stood at the brink of death. She had questioned herself countless times, endlessly scrutinized her own actions, but every time, the answer led her here—to expose this wrongdoing and ensure that those who deserved it paid the price.

So she had stepped down from the rooftop, confronted her parents, argued with her brother, recounted her experiences over and over, endured everyone’s scrutiny, been harassed and threatened by the criminal, and seen her entire family lose their jobs, all while enduring immense humiliation.

She had struggled so hard to reach this day.

“You’re not wrong.”

He looked into her eyes, emphasizing each word, “He is guilty.”

“Sending a guilty person to face justice, making him apologize to you, making him say he’s sorry—that is what should happen in this world.”

“No audio recording, no photo, no video, no words can cover up the truth.”

“Ye Sibei, he is guilty. You are not wrong.”

They gazed at each other in silence, and tears began to fall from Ye Sibei’s eyes.

“Ye Sibei?”

A female voice suddenly called from the meeting room, “Please come inside.”

Hearing this, Ye Sibei bowed her head, taking a moment to gather herself.

Qin Nan squeezed her hand firmly, and Ye Sibei nodded.

“I can do this.”

She wasn’t sure if she was reassuring Qin Nan or herself, “I can do this, don’t worry.”

With that, she stood up and walked into the meeting room.

Inside, there were many people. Zhang Yong introduced them to Ye Sibei, explaining that they were members of the public prosecution department at the prosecutor’s office, responsible for reviewing her case.

Ye Sibei nodded and sat down. The other party took the records and verified each one with her. Finally, they asked her once more, “Ms. Ye, are you sure that you were forced and that you want to press charges?”

Hearing this, Ye Sibei sniffled and nodded. After nodding, she was afraid they might not understand, so she looked up and confirmed again, “Yes, I want to sue him.”

After verifying all the relevant evidence with the prosecutor’s office and confirming her intent, Ye Sibei was escorted back home by the police, just as she had been when she arrived.

Ye Nianwen, Huang Guifen, and Ye Ling had already gotten into the car to head home. Before getting in, Huang Guifen grabbed Ye Sibei’s hand. She wanted to say something but awkwardly couldn’t find the words.

Ye Ling urged her, “Let’s go, Sibei needs to rest.”

Huang Guifen took a deep breath and squeezed Ye Sibei’s hand firmly, “We’ve come this far, there’s no turning back.”

“Sibei,” Huang Guifen looked up at her, “Actually, you weren’t wrong. Things are different now; you’re not like me, you can keep going.”

“Just hang in there,” Huang Guifen reached up to brush the hair away from Sibei’s face. Perhaps, out of everyone, she was the one who could most understand Sibei’s pain. With tears in her eyes, she said, “Sibei, just hold on a little longer, and it will be over.”

Ye Sibei kept nodding, choking on her words, unable to speak.

Huang Guifen reached out and gave her a tight hug before turning and getting into the car.

As the car drove away, reporters chased after the van. Ye Sibei and Qin Nan got into Zhang Yong’s car. Zhang Yong had brought along a colleague, and when they saw that there were fewer reporters, they quickly drove away, heading back to their apartment.

When they arrived at their building, reporters were already gathered at the entrance. Zhang Yong and his colleague escorted them up the stairs and blocked the entrance. The colleague called the police station for backup, while Zhang Yong stood at the stairway, shouting, “Are you reporters crazy for a story? If anyone comes up here, I’ll arrest you!”

“Officer, what do you mean by that? Are you saying you’ll arrest us for reporting the news?”

“Reporting the news? You’re harassing people and attacking officers!”

“Truth only becomes truth when verified,” one reporter shouted, quoting something Zhang Yong himself once believed, “The police should hold a press conference and clarify everything so we don’t have to wait here!”

While the police and reporters argued downstairs, Qin Nan pulled Ye Sibei inside.

As soon as they entered the apartment, the small space was filled with the stench from the filth on their clothes.

Ye Sibei, who had calmed down during the ride, seemed to have completely disconnected herself from the outside world. She moved wherever Qin Nan led her, did whatever he asked her to do.

“Why don’t you take a shower first?” Qin Nan suggested.

Ye Sibei stood still. Qin Nan, feeling a bit distressed, didn’t push her. Instead, he brought a chair over, sat her down, and took off her shoes, helping her into slippers.

Ye Sibei looked down at the man kneeling in front of her, doing this for her. She watched him closely, scrutinizing him.

After helping her into the slippers, Qin Nan went to the bedroom to find some clean clothes for her. He hung them in the bathroom, then returned to see her still sitting on the chair. He walked over to her and gently pulled her up.

She followed him like a lost soul to the bathroom. He took down the showerhead and adjusted the water temperature.

As the water flowed over his hand, steam filled the bathroom, making it hazy. She stood a short distance away, watching him through the mist.

“What did you feel when you heard the recording?”

Ye Sibei suddenly spoke. Qin Nan froze, the sound of the water filling the silence but failing to drown out her words.

“Did it disgust you?”

“It’s nothing.” Qin Nan collected himself, finding his composure again. “I didn’t feel anything.”

As he spoke, he hung the showerhead back up, awkwardly lowering his head. “You should wash up first.”

“Did you ever doubt me? Did you really not care at all?”

Ye Sibei stubbornly asked again. Qin Nan lowered his head, unable to speak, as if he was struggling to suppress some deep emotion.

Ye Sibei moved closer to him, stopping in front of him. Water fell on her, soaking her hair, her entire body. She slowly lifted her head, looking up at Qin Nan.

“Will you really love me?” she asked.

Qin Nan, struggling to control his slightly trembling muscles, finally raised his head to look at her. Water had already drenched her entirely; like him, she was enveloped in filth, shrouded in darkness, covered in grime, as if they were both stuck in the muck.

Was she asking if he would love her?

Tears welled up in Qin Nan’s eyes as he looked at her, fully understanding. She wasn’t talking about romantic love. She was seeking reassurance, an answer to confirm that even after everything that had happened, she could still be a normal person—someone who could love, be loved, and live the rest of her life peacefully.

Qin Nan tried to speak, his lips trembling as he sought to give her an answer. But that word was too heavy; he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He didn’t know if he could provide her with that answer.

In an instant, he saw himself as a teenager. He remembered walking out of school with his backpack, with Ms. Yang chasing after him.

“Qin Nan, you’ll regret this! Come back, stay here!”

He saw himself lying under a car, struggling to tighten a screw. His body was covered in dirt, and at night, he secretly dialed a phone number he had obtained from his teacher.

A girl’s clear voice answered, “Hello, who is this?”

He didn’t speak, so she would say “hello” a few more times. Then someone called her name: “Ye Sibei, it’s time for class.”

Finally, he would speak up, “Sorry, wrong number.”

Back then, he thought that even though he was in the mud, he could still reach for the moon. But despite all his efforts, he couldn’t even hold onto that moon.

In the steamy mist, tears welled up in Qin Nan’s eyes as Ye Sibei laughed—a bitter, sarcastic laugh that cut through him. In that moment, he suddenly surged forward, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her fiercely.

Water sprayed down from above, washing away all the filth. They clung to each other, the warm water cascading over them, drenching them entirely.

They embraced, kissed, and tore at each other’s clothes like starving wolves, as if trying to merge with each other’s very being.

Every movement reminded her of that moment—of humiliation, disgust, madness. But she held onto him tightly, refusing to let go. She was like a beast trapped in a cage, struggling with all her might against the world.

They succumbed to madness, erupted from their pain, until everything finally subsided. She sat on the sink, silently embracing him.

“Si Bei,” he said, gripping her shoulders, his voice low, “Sometimes, sex is a means of humiliation, but other times, it’s an expression of love.”

Hearing these words, the suppressed fears, the shame, and the terror surrounding that incident poured out of her, and Ye Sibei cried out loud. Qin Nan pressed his forehead against hers, sharing his warmth with her, his voice soft and raspy, carrying an unusual tenderness.

“I love you, Ye Sibei.”

Perhaps neither of us will ever understand where this love comes from, but it doesn’t matter.

The world may be absurd and unpredictable, but as long as you’re here, I’m here.

I love you, and this is the only thing, in my helplessness, that I can give you in this world.