Recently, Ning Wan had been chatting to the new senior partner at the firm every day via email. She had become more and more comfortable analyzing the their cases, and they had basically established a contact frequency of one email a day. It seemed as though the two of them had come to a tacit understanding.

It had to be said that a senior partner was a senior partner for a reason. Sometimes they would make a simple point, but after reading it she would be suddenly enlightened. Since the other wasn’t a teacher, they often only touched lightly on subjects, leaving room for Ning Wan to research on her own. Outside of case analyzing, she would sometimes also bring to them her doubts with her career, and they would carefully and patiently answered her questions, even sharing with her a lot of their own personal experiences and insights.

Although she had never seen them in person, it felt like they were old friends. Ning Wan was full of trust and reverence for them, and hoped very much to join their team.

She had been very keen on community work, but now, with new motivation and goals, she was more energetic every day.

Having taken care of several telephone consults bright and early in the morning, she remembered to check in on Chen Shuo when she had some free time–

“Do you feel better after chatting with Dr. Zhao yesterday? Do you still feel the impulse to end your life?”

Chen Shuo didn’t look well. He gave Fu Zheng, who was sitting on the other side, a sidelong glare, and then Ning Wan a smile. “Much better.” As if he were trying to suppress some emotion, he continued. “I no longer want to die.” Then glancing at Fu Zheng again, “I’ve thought about it. I haven’t even found a girlfriend yet, so I can’t die so soon.”

“That’s true!” Ning Wan patted him on the shoulder. “I’m so glad that you’ve figured it out! Do you want me to introduce you to someone? What’s your type?”

“No need.” Chen Shuo nibbled on his lip. “I…”

Unfortunately, he was interrupted by a knock at the door before he could finish saying “I already have someone I like”.

Leaning against the door was a slender figure. Though it was no longer cold in Rong City, they were still armed to the teeth in thick, long sleeves, long pants, a hat, and a winter scarf around their neck. Their face was covered with a pair of sunglasses, and their demeanor seemed timid. But although they were wearing very strange clothes, their behavior was very gentle and reasonable – the door of the community office was always open, so few people knocked before entering.

“I beg your pardon. I’m sorry to bother you, but I would like to consult about divorce…”

It was a woman’s voice, soft and tactful, barely above a whisper. It was a very pleasant voice to hear, but with a slight catch from crying. Ning Wan felt like it was somewhat familiar. She quickly welcomed the person in. “Come in, can you tell me about yourself? Why do you want a divorce?”

The woman entered in silence, then turned and looked at the door. “Could you… could you close the door?”

Before Ning Wan could speak, Fu Zheng and Chen Shuo got up at the same time to close the door. In the end, Fu Zheng was the taller of the two and had longer legs. He arrived at the door first and closed it.

Divorce cases required a great deal of privacy. This consultant was very young, and it was normal for them to pay attention to protecting their privacy and assure no interruptions.

But even after Fu Zheng closed the door, the woman remained like a frightened bird. Her voice choked with anxiety, she requested, “Can you lock the door?”

“I’ll do it!” This time Chen Shuo volunteered out loud, and immediately trotted toward the door to lock it.

Normally, Ning Wan would feel moved about eager Fu Zheng and Chen Shuo were. But at the moment, she was looking at the customer sitting at her desk, frowning. She seemed to remember who this was.

Seeing that the door had been locked, it seemed as though the tightly wound string in the woman had finally relaxed. Letting down her guard a little so she wasn’t so timid and alert, she took off her hat.

Ning Wan has originally found it a little queer that the other was wearing so much. But as the woman removed her hat, then her sunglasses, then her scarf, Ning Wan’s heart sank further and further.

The woman’s face was black and blue, one eye swollen and bloody. A little iodine had been hastily daubed about the eye, but the smudged yellow color around the edges of the wound only made the injury seem more shocking. The one eye was nearly swollen shut, her lip split and covered by a bloody scab. The gentle facial features she remembered from the last consultation were now completely obscured, like a dirty canvas smeared at will, broken and destroyed, despondant and gloomy.1

Ning Wan’s heart was heavy.

She remembered very clearly that a few months ago, this young woman had come in for a consult. Back then she had had an injury on her face and tears in her eyes, and she was seeking a divorce due to her husband’s domestic violence.

Ning Wan had a habit of recording the consultations she had handled, and she always kept more detailed records of domestic violence cases than any of the general ones. She clearly remembered that she had instructed the woman to lodge a report with the police and taught her how to obtain evidence of domestic violence. She had also expressed her willingness to provide legal aid.

Afterward she had never been contacted again to follow up on the divorce. Ning Wan hadn’t been too surprised, because she hadn’t gotten the impression that the young client was from a poor family. She spoke politely and logically, and at first glance one could tell that she was highly educated. Such clients who weren’t badly off often didn’t end up going with a community lawyer. After all, community lawyers gave most people the feeling that they were there to help, and the general inclination was that nothing good came free. Therefore, many clients who could afford it were more inclined to spend the money on a lawyer with more experience.

But now looking at this young woman’s tragic appearance, she had probably never found a lawyer to sue for divorce after the consult…

“Lawyer, I want a divorce. I was beaten by my husband… I’m afraid that if this goes on, he’ll kill me…”

The young woman’s voice was hoarse and choked with sobs, but her eyes blank and devoid of tears. When she opened her mouth, Ning Wan found that she was missing half a front tooth, presumably thanks to her husband…

Chen Shuo hadn’t met her, but Fu Zheng had. He gave Ning Wan a solemn look, obviously recognizing the woman. “Can you tell us what’s going on?”

It was the locked door that finally seemed to give the young woman a sense of security. She looked around again, and then finally cried out, “I’m begging you, save me!”

She was greatly agitated, and her mind almost seemed as though she was in a trance. However, through her intermittent, stuttering narration, the three of them eventually pieced together the truth–