Chapter Fourteen: Within Arm’s Reach

On the roads that crisscross the outskirts of Binyang, in the blink of an eye, countless helmeted police officers and armed paramilitary soldiers appeared. Every vehicle—from heavy trucks hauling mud to tractors pulling manure—without exception, was stopped at the checkpoints for inspection and questioning, let alone the short-distance passenger buses of various sizes.

A mid-sized bus traveling from Litang to Binyang was halted at a checkpoint by three officers. Two of them quickly boarded, their eyes sweeping the passengers with suspicion. Two minutes later, the police called down the plump ticket woman, ordering her to open the luggage compartment at the rear of the bus for inspection. Grumbling to herself, the woman complied, her face full of resentment. After the rotund officer finished his search, he barked loudly, “Go on! Move!”

The woman muttered a silent curse and was just about to climb back aboard when another tall, thin police officer stopped her. “Wait! You, come here!”

“What is it now? Are you police going to let anyone make a living?” The plump woman couldn’t hold back and answered loudly.

The tall officer ignored her attitude, produced a photograph, and handed it to her. After a few silent seconds, seeing she didn’t respond, he snatched the photo back and asked sternly, “Have you seen this man? Did a tall railway worker board your bus today… Are you deaf?”

The woman found the face in the photo familiar, but couldn’t immediately recall where she’d seen him. As she tried to remember, the officer’s insult made her furious. “I’m not blind! Railway folks have their own rides; they wouldn’t bother with my broken-down bus!” With that, she turned and stomped up the steps.

“You! You’d better hope you never end up in my hands!” the tall officer shouted after her, pointing menacingly.

The portly officer pulled his colleague aside, trying to calm him. “Forget it. Don’t stoop to her level.”

The bus continued on to the station. After the passengers disembarked, the young driver turned to the plump woman. “Sister San, didn’t a railway guy get on when we started out this morning? You even joked with him, don’t you remember?”

She spat out the window. “Didn’t you see the way those thugs acted? Even if I knew anything, I wouldn’t tell them! Damn it, there are checkpoints on the Litang side too. All this running around—how am I supposed to make a living? It’s nearly dark, and today’s earnings aren’t even half of yesterday’s! It’s infuriating!”

“Yeah, it’s really outrageous. The police here are too overbearing.” The driver, remembering something, asked, “Sister San, I saw lots of officers showing photos. You saw one too. What did the guy in the picture look like?”

She broke into a laugh. “A handsome young man, movie star good looks. I can’t say exactly who he resembles, but he was really pleasant to look at.”

“Haha, Sister San, you’re swooning again. Careful or Brother San will give you a beating!” the driver joked.

She answered boldly, “He wouldn’t dare! With his scrawny frame, I could toss him around like a sack of potatoes. Let’s go—there probably aren’t many passengers left. Once we’re back in Litang, we’ll call it a day.”

The driver agreed and turned the bus around. When they passed the checkpoint again, they were stopped and inspected once more before being allowed through after a round of shouting from the officers.

As night fell, the patrol car lights atop the checkpoint spun and flashed. None of these vigilant, busy police officers could have guessed that the important fugitive they were after was, at that very moment, lying less than a hundred meters away in a roadside clinic.

Su Fang closed the clinic door and bolted it with a thick iron bar, then dusted off her hands and entered the temporary ward separated by a white curtain. She checked the IV drip and the rate of the infusion, then placed her slender, fair hand gently on Kang Ning’s feverish brow, finding the high temperature had yet to subside. Sighing, she lifted the small cloth pouch from his forehead and went to the kitchen. She removed the plastic bag of melted water, tossed it in the trash, then opened the mini-fridge, took out a tray of square ice cubes, packed them into a fresh bag, tied it off, and carefully replaced the pouch. As she flattened it and returned to Kang Ning’s side, she gently laid the fresh ice pack on his bruised forehead.

Sitting on a stool, her delicate chin resting in her palm, Su Fang gazed at Kang Ning, lost in thought—her mind drifting back to the events of two years before.

Su Fang had met Kang Ning two years ago.

Back then, she was a second-year student at the affiliated hospital’s nursing school, spending her final three-month internship in the surgical department where Kang Ning worked. His approachable manner and rigorous professionalism earned the interns’ respect, but what made the nurses swoon was his tall stature and handsome features. In every nurse’s dormitory, his looks and character were a favorite topic of gossip.

Su Fang’s strong feelings for Kang Ning stemmed from an incident during her internship. Because of her delicate features and slender figure, she stood out among the nurses. It was summer, and her figure, accentuated by the nurse’s uniform, drew many admiring glances. One night during a lull in her shift, the on-duty male doctor called her into the office. As soon as the door closed, he showered her with sweet words. The timid Su Fang grew frightened as she realized his intentions and tried to leave, but he grabbed her and began groping her, threatening, “If you scream, I’ll ruin your reputation.” Helpless, Su Fang, overwhelmed and nearly stripped, could only let tears of humiliation well up in her eyes.

Just as she was about to give up resisting, Kang Ning, who had come to the office for some files, opened the door. Surprised by the scene, he saw Su Fang pinned on the desk. She managed to cry out, “Doctor Kang, help me!”

Kang Ning instantly understood. Frowning, he addressed the man coldly, “Xie Jinsheng, I never thought you were that kind of person. Put your pants on!”

Pale as a ghost, Xie Jinsheng hurried to pull up his trousers, bent over and pleaded, “Kang, I lost my head! I didn’t touch her, really. Please, if this gets out, I’m finished! I beg you, help me!”

Kang Ning sighed. “What can I say? You just spent a fortune getting transferred here, your wife and child’s paperwork isn’t even settled, and now you do something so disgraceful… I won’t say anything, but you’d better mend your ways. Apologize to her—if she forgives you, I have no objection.”

The panic subsiding, Xie Jinsheng collapsed to his knees before Su Fang, begging her for forgiveness. But all she could do was weep. Unable to watch further, Kang Ning sent Xie Jinsheng out and stayed behind to comfort her.

He picked up her clothes from the floor, saw several buttons missing, and gently draped it over her shoulders. “Put your trousers on first. I’ll get you another blouse.”

With that, Kang Ning left, closing the door quietly. Only then did Su Fang realize she was nearly naked. She hurried off the desk, sobbing as she dressed and wrapped herself in her clothes. Soon, Kang Ning returned with a slightly worn nurse’s uniform, handed it to her, and went to the water dispenser to pour a glass of water, placing it gently on the desk in front of her.

“What do you want to do?” Kang Ning asked softly. “Don’t worry, I’ll respect any decision you make.”

After a long while, Su Fang, head bowed, whispered, “I don’t know.”

He sighed. “How about this—you rest here a while. I need to check the wards. Xie Jinsheng is probably panicking; if something happens, it’ll be trouble. When I return, let me know your decision. Whatever you choose, I’ll support you.”

Half an hour later, Kang Ning returned. Kind-hearted Su Fang quietly stated her decision. “I won’t report him. If I did, I couldn’t stay here myself.”

Kang Ning nodded. “I respect your choice. Your name is Su Fang, right? Remember, Su Fang, you must have backbone and courage. You’re only seventeen, aren’t you? Don’t let hardship scare you, and never bow to violence. We’re still young, and the road ahead is long—be brave and face everything head-on. If you ever run into trouble, you can always talk to your teachers or come to me. We’re colleagues, after all. Even if you leave the hospital after graduation, we’ll still have been coworkers and friends. Don’t lose heart.”

…

“Friends! Friends…” Su Fang gazed at the sleeping Kang Ning, muttering the word softly, her heart racing with emotion. Was she really friends with Kang Ning?