"The inability to escape is the defining characteristic of domestic violence."
As the final summary was delivered, the lecture came to a close.
Inside the auditorium of the Jingwei Building at the Jiangdu Police Academy, the sparse crowd of students began to stand and filter out. A few students, harboring questions about the lecture's content, approached the podium with their notebooks.
The silver-haired lecturer on stage was Professor Chen from Tsinghua University, a doctoral supervisor and a renowned psychologist. Zhang Kaiyang had made a special trip back to his alma mater today specifically to attend this public welfare lecture.
He remained in his seat until the crowd around the podium had mostly dispersed before standing up to approach her.
"Professor Chen, I was deeply moved by your lecture just now. Do you have a moment? I still have some questions I don't quite understand..." Zhang Kaiyang asked sincerely.
Professor Chen packed her teaching materials, not looking up as she spoke. "You're a graduate, aren't you?"
"Yes, I'm already working. I came back specifically to hear your lecture."
"Encountering problems at work?"
Zhang Kaiyang showed a look of hesitation. Professor Chen didn't press him; she leaned her right elbow on the lectern, resting her weight slightly as she looked at him patiently. "Go ahead, child. What is your question?"
Zhang Kaiyang had organized the questions he wanted to ask before coming. But now that it was time to speak, a tangled mess of countless doubts blocked his tongue.
Six months had passed since he had accompanied Weng Xiuyue to visit the public and gather evidence for her lawsuit.
In those six months, he had seen more cruelty at the police station than he had in the previous twenty-five years of his life. The gray areas of human nature were infinitely magnified there, nearly drowning him.
"I wanted to ask... about your final sentence, 'the inability to escape.' Why is it like that?" Zhang Kaiyang asked.
Professor Chen smiled slightly, understandingly. "You want to know why—since they have hands and feet and their movements aren't restricted—they don't just leave on their own?"
Zhang Kaiyang felt a surge of shame, as if he had become one of those people who gossiped behind others' backs without knowing the internal reality.
"The existence of an iron cage is easy to detect, but a transparent prison in the name of 'home' is invisible to outsiders. A home is often a man's palace, but few realize that this same home can be a prison for women and children."
Professor Chen’s gentle tone eased the guilt in Zhang Kaiyang’s heart. He couldn't help but look up at this woman who, though elderly, radiated the light of wisdom.
"In the prison of the 'home,' children become captives because they lack the ability to support themselves independently. Women, however, become prisoners more often due to economic, social, and psychological reasons, as well as substantive intimidation and physical abuse."
"Whether someone suffers domestic violence for a short or long term, they are likely to sustain severe psychological trauma. This isn't just a 'cold' of the soul; it is a serious, potentially lifelong illness of the spirit. A person whose spirit is sick may have perfectly functioning limbs, yet still be unable to walk out of that cage independently."
"Because the moment they sustain that trauma, their ability to connect with others, their capacity for self-rescue, or even their ability to seek help is greatly diminished."
Zhang Kaiyang frowned unconsciously. "Do people suffering from psychological trauma have any obvious symptoms?"
"Everyone expresses it differently," Professor Chen said slowly. "However, all psychological trauma shares a commonality: extreme fear, helplessness, a sense of loss of control, and the feeling of impending destruction."
Zhang Kaiyang froze. The faces of the domestic violence victims he had encountered recently flashed before his eyes. Without exception, they all had those terrified, uneasy eyes. The shorter the duration of the abuse, the more obvious the expression; whereas victims of long-term abuse mostly had eyes that were numb and hollow, where even fear had vanished.
"The same person might appear to us as a loathsome abuser. We might even think: he isn't tall, he isn't strong, he’s even a failure in society—so why does the victim endure it for so many years, or even actively choose to stay and refuse to leave?"
Zhang Kaiyang blushed; this was exactly the confusion that often haunted his mind.
"Because to a victim who has suffered years of violence, a person who is otherwise unremarkable and utterly unworthy of respect may be someone who, upon sight, causes her entire body to freeze in place, her mind filled with a fear like a lightning strike. This is not a matter of logic; it is a post-traumatic symptom."
"When an average person faces danger, the sympathetic nervous system secretes adrenaline, putting the body in a state of alert. A psychological sense of threat not only causes high focus but can also alter human perception, causing one to ignore negative sensations like fatigue and pain. Finally, the sense of threat triggers fear and anger. These reactions combine to arm the individual's entire being in preparation for 'fight or flight.'"
"Once these actions fail—especially if they fail repeatedly—the person develops a traumatic response. Because resistance and escape have both utterly failed, the human self-defense system collapses and becomes disorganized. Even if the crisis is resolved, the state of hyper-reactivity cannot return to normal. A single or multiple traumatic events leave severe and long-term changes in the victim's physiological arousal, emotions, cognition, and memory."
"Staying is not an active choice; it is a form of inertia following trauma."
Professor Chen spoke with a smile, but there was a sense of regret and bitterness within it.
"The most complex abuse often originates within the family, inflicted through a combination of mental and physical violence. Because of the perpetrator's extraordinary desire for control, victims are often socially isolated and helpless. The only person they can rely on is the one who hurts them the most. A victim intentionally isolated from society by their abuser might be persuaded to return after an escape attempt. What moves them isn't the violence, but the source of the abuse repenting profusely and appealing to love. He will blame everything on love; all his actions are 'proof' of how much he loves her, how much he needs her. It’s all because she doesn't love him enough that he becomes so anxious, uneasy, and loses his mind."
"The abuser will instill a concept in the victim: 'As long as you prove you love me enough, we can be happy.' 'If you don't feel happy, it's because your love for me isn't enough.'"
"The victim retreats step by step, doing everything possible to prove her love. Until her heart is completely shattered in this cycle of passion and heartbreak. To survive, her broken mind will split; she will strive to believe that she does this not just because she fears him, but because she loves him."
Professor Chen’s words were nothing short of a storm sweeping through Zhang Kaiyang’s heart.
He came from a happy family. During his upbringing, he had never received so much as a single slap. Having bathed in light, he naturally developed the desire to let that light shroud others. He wanted to save those unfortunate people and share his happiness with them, which was why he chose the path of a police officer.
But after starting the job, he realized he had imagined everything far too simply.
Too many tragedies where he was powerless to help unfolded before his eyes.
He couldn't help but empathize with those suffering victims; his heart soaked in tears alongside theirs.
The reality of a police officer's life lacked the thrills and blood-pumping excitement seen on television; it was mostly comprised of various forms of misery and helplessness.
Even if he were to break into ten million pieces, his light would not be enough to distribute among the suffering masses.
"What can I do... to help them?" As soon as Zhang Kaiyang spoke, he realized his voice was choked. He swallowed his fluctuating emotions and forced a strained, awkward smile.
"Have them seek help from professional psychologists."
Professor Chen looked into his eyes earnestly.
"Psychological trauma is contagious. Even professional therapists can suffer from stress disorders due to traumatic counter-transference, let alone an untrained ordinary person."
"No one can save another person. Never harbor such a thought. Even a psychotherapist is merely helping the patient save themselves."
"Remember my words," Professor Chen said solemnly. "The only person you can save is yourself."
***
Ji Qikun took the suitcase from Wei Zhi’s hand and pulled it into the house.
"The front door code is the date the gallery opened. The bedroom code is the date we got together. Everything in the house is for one person; take a look and see what’s missing. While deliveries are still running, buy what you need and have them send it over."
He pushed the suitcase against the wall, opened the shoe cabinet, took out a pair of shoe covers, and handed them to Wei Zhi.
"Remember to buy a pair of slippers you like," he said with a smile.
"...Thank you."
Wei Zhi lowered her head to put on the shoe covers, her voice still carrying a lingering stiffness.
"It’s good that you moved in with me. I invited you a long time ago, but unfortunately, you didn't agree. It’s fine now; from now on, we can wake up together every day," Ji Qikun said.
"I was afraid of causing you trouble," Wei Zhi said softly.
"If I were afraid of trouble, would I still marry you?"
"...True." Wei Zhi couldn't help but smile.
Even if Ji Qikun didn't yet know about her family's debts, the problems visible on the surface were already worlds apart from a normal family.
"You finally smiled."
Two fingers pressed against the corners of her upturned mouth, applying slight pressure to lift them higher.
Ji Qikun looked at her and smiled.
"Give me your phone."
Wei Zhi hesitated for a moment, but Ji Qikun had already taken the phone from her bag. He opened the contact list and efficiently deleted the phone numbers for Wei Shan, Wei Lai, and Wang Lin.
Then he opened WeChat and QQ, asking her to delete her family members' contact information there as well.
"Which ones are your parents and brother?" he asked, his tone gentle yet brook no argument.
In that atmosphere where no questioning was permitted or expected, Wei Zhi deleted all her family's contact information.
Combined with the colleagues and friends she had deleted previously, her phone's contact list now contained only one person: Ji Qikun.
"It’s okay," Ji Qikun said softly. His warm, large hand caressed her cheek as he slowly tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. "You still have me. Do you remember? I am your true family. I will never hurt you."
Such sweet words made Wei Zhi’s heart tremble.
The tears she had been holding back for so long finally burst forth.
Even though she knew all of this was built upon deception, she couldn't help but weep uncontrollably in his embrace.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 经纬楼 | Jingwei Building | A building at the police academy. |
| 创伤性反向移情 | Traumatic counter-transference | A psychological term where the therapist experiences trauma symptoms from treating a victim. |
| 受创反应 | Traumatic response | The psychological and physiological reaction to trauma. |
| 草酸艾司西酞普兰片 | Escitalopram Oxalate | An antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication. |
