Chapter 187: Medicinal Oil
After her shower, Gu Qinghuan held up a bottle of medicinal oil and called out, “Mom, help me apply this!”
Gu Haiyan came into her bedroom, closed the door behind her, and sat by the bed, taking the bottle. “Where did you get hurt?”
Gu Qinghuan quickly slipped off her nightdress and turned her back. “My back!”
Seeing the bruises covering her daughter’s back, Gu Haiyan was shocked. “How did it get this bad? Does it hurt?”
That afternoon, Gu Qinghuan had told her she would be practicing Sanda after school and would come home late.
Gu Haiyan didn’t know what had prompted her to suddenly learn Sanda, but self-defense was always a good thing, so she agreed.
She hadn’t expected her to come back like this—it made her heart ache.
Gu Qinghuan shook her head. “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt much. It’s just the beginning—we’re mainly practicing falling, so it looks worse. It’ll get better after this stage.”
“As long as you know your limits,” Gu Haiyan sighed, carefully rubbing the oil into her back.
A warm, slightly burning sensation spread across her skin. Resting her chin in her hand, Gu Qinghuan said, “Mom, what do you think goes on in the mind of someone who likes destroying things?”
“What kind of destruction?” Gu Haiyan asked.
Gu Qinghuan briefly described Wei Xiao’s behavior.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Haiyan said, “Probably just can’t stand seeing others doing well.”
“Sounds like a villain from TV,” Gu Qinghuan pouted.
Gu Haiyan smiled. “Actually, villains in TV shows are still better—because for the sake of logic, they’re usually given a reason that makes sense.”
“But reality is different. Reality doesn’t follow logic. There are plenty of bad people who destroy the happiness of others for no reason.”
“I know you’re a kind child, Qinghuan. But you don’t need to understand how bad people think. Some people, no matter how deep they’re stuck in the mud, struggle to become better. Others, no matter how well they live, rot in the worst way.”
Gu Qinghuan nodded thoughtfully. “So compared to the latter, the former deserve more understanding and help, right?”
“Yes. And I also have a selfish reason—I don’t want you to get hurt while dealing with bad people.” Gu Haiyan finished applying the oil and helped her put her nightdress back on.
“What if protecting the former means I have to deal with the latter?” Gu Qinghuan asked carefully.
Gu Haiyan paused, looked at her for a moment, then said gently, “Then I hope you remember—no matter when, you can always ask your parents for help. We will protect you.”
Gu Qinghuan’s nose tingled. She sniffed, then broke into a bright smile. “Okay, I understand!”
Gu Haiyan smiled too, joking, “If it’s something serious, call the police first—they might get there faster than us.”
Then she went to wash her hands—the smell of the medicinal oil was far too strong.
Gu Qinghuan slept well that night, though her back ached a little when she woke up the next morning.
Carrying the strong scent of medicinal oil, she went to school. On the bus, other passengers clearly kept their distance, and even the flatbread in her hand didn’t taste as good anymore.
As soon as she sat down in class, Qin Yue, sitting in front, sniffed the air repeatedly, then turned to her with a hesitant expression.
“You used medicinal oil?”
Gu Qinghuan said expressionlessly, “Yes. Got a problem with that?”
“No, no, of course not! It’s just… it smells… smells…” Qin Yue racked his brain, then brightened. “It’s refreshing! I was feeling sleepy this morning—now I’m wide awake!”
Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help laughing. “Your flattery skills are getting better and better.”
Qin Yue lifted his chin. “That’s not flattery—I’m serious!”
After joking around, he became serious. “With such a strong smell, where did you get hurt?”
Gu Qinghuan told him about learning Sanda with Yu Yuan.
Qin Yue nodded. “No matter what, learning more skills is always a good thing.”
“Yeah, but you know what? After falling so many times, my reaction speed really improved,” Gu Qinghuan said excitedly. “The moment I feel myself losing balance, I immediately prepare to protect myself—and even get ready to get back up.”
“That’s reflex,” Qin Yue said. “It’s the same when I play ball. Before the ball even reaches me, I’ve already planned how to shoot. The moment it touches my hand, my body adjusts instantly.”
“And after enough practice, you develop a kind of instinct—you can sense the ball coming even without seeing it.”
They chatted enthusiastically until Bao Qingsong rushed into the classroom and interrupted them.
“Class monitor—!”
He was about to speak, but caught the scent in the air and was shocked. “Did someone beat you?!”
He was very familiar with that smell—when his sister first entered the police academy, she constantly smelled of medicinal oil and patches.
“No, I’m just learning Sanda. I wasn’t used to it, so I applied some oil,” Gu Qinghuan explained briefly.
Bao Qingsong nodded heavily. “You should learn it. Class monitor, I did more research last night—not just Wei Xiao, the Wei family is really bullying others with their power!”
The surrounding students immediately gathered closer, eager for gossip.
Gu Qinghuan steadied herself. “Go on.”
Bao Qingsong had found three girls who had been seriously bullied by Wei Xiao.
After being bullied, all three transferred schools to escape the Wei family. For now, they were living relatively normal lives.
In addition to the usual harassment—throwing insects at them, scribbling on their skirts—there was something worse.
Injuries to the eyes and mouth.
Shi Guanghui swallowed. “You mean… that kind of injury?”
Bao Qingsong nodded grimly. “All three had tears at the corners of their eyes and lips, leaving scars that are very hard to repair.”
“They all hate smiling now. First, because the scars make their smiles look distorted. Second, because it triggers their trauma.”
Gu Qinghuan’s expression turned darker than ever. “Because they smiled happily… he wanted to destroy their smiles?”
“That’s my guess. But who knows what a psychopath is thinking,” Bao Qingsong spat. “Their families weren’t as powerful as the Wei family, so they just took compensation and stayed far away.”
What affected him the most was this—
When he contacted those girls, although they didn’t have the courage to face Wei Xiao again, once they heard that Gu Qinghuan might become his next target, they still tried their best to recall their traumatic experiences.
Some typed incoherently out of fear and anger. Others sent voice messages with trembling voices.
But all of them wanted to help another girl who might be harmed.
Bao Qingsong lowered his gaze, staring at his hands.
Maybe these hands could do more than just type and gather information.
The class was furious.
Song Yi clenched his fists. “Should I just beat him up?”
Gu Qinghuan stopped him. “Violence isn’t the answer. Setting aside the trouble it would cause you, whatever he suffers would only be temporary. It can’t compare to the long-term pain those girls endured.”
She calmed everyone down and reassured them repeatedly that she would be careful. Only then did they reluctantly return to their seats.
Gu Qinghuan rubbed her temples and called out to the system.
“System, is the key turning point in Yu Xin’s most desperate fate related to Wei Xiao?”
The system had previously withheld some key points, saying they would affect the future. Now she could only probe carefully.
After calculating for a moment, the system replied:
“You already know Wei Xiao’s true nature, and Yu Xin’s mission has been completed. Within allowable limits, I can tell you this part.”
“The answer is—yes.”
In Yu Xin’s most desperate fate, Wei Xiao entered the Yu family as Yu Yuan’s fiancé.
At that time, Yu Xin had shut herself away at home.
When Wei Xiao learned of this, he treated her with exceptional kindness—gentle and attentive.
To Yu Xin back then, Wei Xiao was like a savior.
