5

5

I gathered all the documents and took my wife straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Throughout the process, my wife didn't say a word, she just held my hand silently.

I chose to leave without taking anything, granting custody of the child to my wife. The staff at the bureau had never seen such a scene.

They scrutinized me and my wife with doubtful eyes, and after repeatedly trying to persuade us without success, they finally proceeded with our paperwork.

"No matter what you're planning to do, I support you, but there's one thing: you must not harm yourself. Our daughter and I still need you."

After more than ten years of relying on each other, this woman has always been my most steadfast support.

Back home, my daughter limped over and poured me a glass of water.

Seeing the scabs still on her face, I held her tenderly and said,

"Yaoyao, I've taken care of your school leave. Tomorrow, you and your mom will head back to our hometown for a while, okay?"

My daughter lowered her head somewhat guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Dad, I've caused trouble for you. It's okay, I can go back to school, at worst I'll just avoid them."

Even though she said it was no big deal, I could clearly see the deep-seated fear and anxiety in her eyes.

After my repeated assurances, my daughter finally nodded cautiously.

Before I saw them off on the high-speed train, my daughter, wearing a hat and mask, looked back reluctantly.

"Dad, you should come to pick us up early, we will miss you a lot."

Watching their figures fade into the distance, I took a deep breath. Yaoyao, I promise you, bad people will get what they deserve...