First, then, love.

"Don't be afraid, your husband is here."

The low, hoarse voice, mixed with the wind and snow, struck Shu Yao's eardrums.

The distant sound of sirens finally pierced the night sky, and three or four police cars roared in, their red and blue flashing lights tearing a blinding strip of light through the heavy snow. Police officers from the local police station arrived at the scene with riot shields and steel forks.

Several police officers rushed out of the car and were stunned when they saw the horrific scene on the ground.

The thug with the knife lay in the snow, his face covered in blood, his arm twisted at an ergonomically incorrect angle, too weak to even howl in pain, only twitching as he exhaled more than he inhaled.

"Captain He! Leave this to us!" The police station chief in charge recognized He Zheng and quickly ran over. Looking at the mess on the ground, he gasped.

That's too ruthless. This kid will probably spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

He Zheng didn't turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the trembling woman in his arms.

"Cuff him tightly. This bastard has a knife on him. Notify the criminal investigation team to conduct a surprise interrogation tonight."

He Zheng's voice was cold and hard as he gave a businesslike instruction.

Then, with both hands supporting her, he lifted Shu Yao, who was huddled in the snow, into his arms through her large down jacket.

The woman was very light; now curled up in a ball, she was even lighter, like a feather, without any weight at all.

He Zheng was wearing only a thin long-sleeved T-shirt, his muscular arms exposed to the minus five degree air, but he seemed not to feel the cold.

"My... piano..."

Shu Yao leaned against his chest, her voice barely audible, tinged with a sob, as she pointed with difficulty at the carbon fiber box on the snow.

Even at a time like this, you're still thinking about this piece of broken wood.

He Zheng gritted his teeth, turned his head and spoke coldly to a security guard next to him.

"Could you please carry my violin case over and put it in the back seat of that black SUV?"

The security guard nodded frantically, picked up the violin case, and followed behind, barely daring to breathe.

He Zheng carried Shu Yao and strode toward the SUV that was blocking the middle of the road.

The boots crunched on the snow, and the steps were large and steady.

Open the passenger door.

He carefully placed her into the large leather seat.

I moved very gently, afraid of hurting her.

He leaned over and pressed the car's start button.

The V8 engine emitted a deep roar.

He Zheng reached out and turned the car's heater to the highest setting, with scalding hot air gushing out of the vents.

The temperature inside the carriage began to rise rapidly.

With a "bang," the back door slammed shut, and the security guard put the violin case away and wisely ran off.

He Zheng stood in the wind and snow outside the passenger door.

He bent down, trying to pull his arm, which was being held tightly by Shu Yao, and went around to the driver's seat to drive.

"I'm here. I'll go get the car and take you to the hospital," he coaxed softly.

The moment it moved.

Shu Yao shuddered violently, as if she had been electrocuted.

"Don't go!"

She let out a terrified scream, a shrill sound filled with barely suppressed panic.

A hand, scraped and blistered, emerged from the black windbreaker and gripped the hem of He Zheng's black T-shirt tightly.

Her eyes were closed, tears streaming down her face like broken beads, her whole body trembling like a sieve, her teeth chattering.

"I won't leave, I won't leave."

He Zheng's heart instantly clenched into a lump of rotten flesh, the pain making it hard to breathe.

He immediately abandoned the idea of ​​going to the driver's seat.

Raise your hand and turn on the reading light on the top of your head.

The dim, yellow light poured down, illuminating the woman in the passenger seat.

The moment He Zheng saw her injuries, his pupils contracted sharply.

It was too dark outside and he was far away, so he only saw that she was slapped.

Now, with the lights shining on it, the horrific scene is laid bare.

Not only was his left cheek swollen, but several clear finger marks were also visible, and the subcutaneous capillaries were ruptured, revealing a horrifying purplish-red color.

There was a large gash on the corner of his mouth; the blood had dried and formed a dark red scab.

What troubled him most were her hands.

The delicate palms were cut raw and bloody by the rough ice shards, mixed with mud and snow water, a shocking sight.

These hands, once the hands of a cello player, are now horribly injured.

He Zheng's breathing stopped abruptly, and the anger in his chest exploded again with a "boom".

That kick was too light.

"Does it hurt?"

Shu Yao didn't speak, she just shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face.

She clung tightly to his clothes, refusing to let go.

"He Zheng... I'm scared..."

She sobbed, like a child who couldn't find her way home.

"He waits for me here every day... He says he's watching me every day..."

Shu Yao sobbed incoherently, recounting in broken sentences what the pervert had said earlier.

Upon hearing these words, He Zheng felt his blood run cold.

How many days has it been?

Has that jerk been watching her for days?

And he, as her husband, knew absolutely nothing about it.

An immense sense of guilt weighed heavily on his back, making it hard for him to breathe.

He spends his days catching thieves and protecting others, yet he didn't even notice that his own wife had been followed by a pervert for days.

If he hadn't rushed over early today because he was distracted, if he had arrived a minute late...

He didn't even dare to think about the consequences.

He Zheng reached out his rough, large hand, wanting to touch her face, but was afraid of hurting her.

His hand froze in mid-air, his fingers trembling slightly.

"I'll take you to the hospital to see a doctor and get your medicine."

He gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the violence and self-blame in his heart, and tried his best to make his voice sound gentle and calm.

"Your hand is injured like this, so you need to disinfect it. You also need to apply a cold compress to your face. Don't worry, I'll stay with you."

He tried to distract her from her fear with this calm tone.

"I'm not going..."

Shu Yao shrank deeper into the seat, staring in terror at the dark night outside the car.

"I don't want to go to the hospital... there are bad people there... I want to go home... take me home..."