59: garden

Two days had passed since the exhausting conversation with Li Zhe. Lu Jianchuan tried to throw himself completely into work, dulling his senses with endless trivial tasks.

Organizing backlogged files, mediating neighborhood disputes caused by renovation noise, verifying information on the floating population... He kept himself spinning like a top, not daring to pause for a moment, afraid that if he stopped, the heavy guilt and the boy's desperate eyes would consume him.

It was another uneventful afternoon, and the sun was lazily spilling onto the streets.

Lu Jianchuan and his colleague, Old Zhang, were driving a patrol car, conducting a routine inspection within their jurisdiction. Most of the radio traffic consisted of routine alerts, and everything seemed calm.

Just then, a slightly urgent call broke the silence: "Command Center calling Vehicle 07, Command Center calling Vehicle 07. We received a public report that a young woman has collapsed in the small park at the southeast corner of the intersection of Wenhua East Road and Fenglin Street. Her condition is unknown.

The caller has already contacted 120. Nearby police units are requested to proceed to the scene first to investigate and maintain order. Acknowledge and reply.”

Old Zhang held the steering wheel with one hand and picked up the walkie-talkie with the other: "Vehicle 07 received. We are nearby and expect to arrive within three minutes."

The patrol car immediately sounded its siren, turned around, and sped toward the location. Lu Jianchuan subconsciously straightened his police uniform and looked out the window.

The area around Wenhua East Road was not particularly busy, and the small park was mainly a place for seniors to do morning exercises and play chess; it was usually quiet in the afternoon.

In just over two minutes, the patrol car made a sharp stop at the entrance of the small park. Several passersby had already gathered, pointing and talking.

"Excuse us, police! Please spread out a bit and allow for air circulation!" Old Zhang was experienced. He shouted while he and Lu Jianchuan parted the crowd.

Near a peeling park bench, in the center of the circle formed by the onlookers, a figure was curled up on the ground.

It was a very young girl, perhaps in her early twenties, wearing faded jeans and a simple solid-colored T-shirt. She was terribly thin.

Her eyes were tightly shut, her face was deathly pale, and her lips were cracked. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow beneath her eyelids, making her look as fragile as a porcelain doll that might shatter upon touch.

Her bangs were damp with sweat and stuck to her smooth forehead. Beside her lay an empty, heavily worn canvas backpack.

Lu Jianchuan's heart inexplicably tightened. This feeling of extreme weakness subtly triggered some terrible memories deep within him concerning energy depletion.

He immediately crouched down, his movements practiced and professional. "Miss? Can you hear me? We are the police."

He kept his voice low while carefully observing whether her chest was rising and falling, and he extended two fingers, cautiously reaching for the artery on the side of her neck.

A faint but definite pulse reached his fingertips. Although her breathing was shallow and rapid, it had not stopped.

"She has a pulse and is breathing." Lu Jianchuan looked up, quickly reporting his initial assessment to Old Zhang.

Old Zhang nodded and addressed the body camera on his shoulder and the surrounding crowd: "She is still conscious, and her vital signs are stable. Everyone please step back, don't crowd her, and leave a clear path for 120."

He immediately pressed the walkie-talkie on his shoulder, "Command Center, Vehicle 07 has arrived on site. Initial observation: a young female is unconscious, vital signs are present, but she is unresponsive. Repeat, 120 has not yet arrived. Please check on their estimated location."

In the distance, the distinctive siren of the 120 ambulance grew rapidly clearer as it approached. Within a minute or two, professional medical personnel carrying first aid kits and equipment quickly parted the crowd and walked in.

"What's the situation?" The lead doctor asked while quickly taking over, crouching down to begin examining the girl. Checking her heartbeat, measuring her blood pressure, observing her pupillary light reflex... the series of checks was rapid and professional.

"Her vital signs are relatively stable, but her blood pressure is low and her heart rate is slow."

The doctor frowned and looked at Lu Jianchuan and Old Zhang. "The preliminary diagnosis is highly likely hypoglycemic shock caused by prolonged lack of food. The specific cause requires further examination back at the hospital."

Just then, perhaps stimulated by the surrounding noise and the doctor's touch, the girl's eyelashes fluttered again, and she managed to open her eyes slightly. Although still weak, her gaze held a trace of conscious pain.

A faint whimper escaped her throat, and her hand instinctively covered her stomach. Her body curled up slightly in discomfort.

"Hungry..." This time, her voice was slightly clearer, accompanied by a physiological tremor.

Hearing the doctor's preliminary diagnosis and seeing the girl's instinctive reaction, Lu Jianchuan felt a stirring in his heart. He remembered the consuming hunger he felt every time he ended his transformation.

With almost no hesitation, he immediately reached into the inner pocket of his police uniform—where he habitually kept several high-energy chocolate bars prepared for emergencies.

He tore open the wrapper, and the rich aroma of cocoa mixed with nuts immediately wafted out. He held the unwrapped energy bar to the girl's lips, his voice unconsciously softening: "Here, eat something first."

The girl's nose twitched slightly. The aroma seemed to activate the deepest survival instinct in her body. Almost greedily, she bit down on the bar, taking small but rapid mouthfuls from Lu Jianchuan's hand.

She ate somewhat messily, even choking slightly, but her swallowing movements never ceased.

The energy bar was quickly finished. A little light returned to her eyes, but she still looked at Lu Jianchuan weakly, her gaze full of yearning.

Lu Jianchuan said nothing, silently unwrapped another bar, and offered it to her.

Just like that, under the gaze of the medical staff and police, the girl ate three high-energy chocolate bars in a row. A faint hint of color finally returned to her pale face, and her breathing became much steadier and stronger.

She seemed to finally realize her lack of composure, and a faint blush crept onto her face as she lowered her head shyly.

"Thank you... thank you..." Her voice was still very soft, but no longer faint. She looked up bravely at Lu Jianchuan, her eyes, which looked exceptionally large due to her weakness, filled with sincere gratitude. "My... my name is Lin Wan. The 'Lin' from forest, and the 'Wan' from night."

"You're welcome, this is what we should do." Lu Jianchuan withdrew his hand, his tone calm. "I am Lu Jianchuan. What happened to you..."

Lin Wan lowered her gaze slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. She explained with a hint of embarrassment: "I'm an Artist... I take commissions online for illustrations and designs. Recently... the commissions haven't been going well, so I haven't had much income, and I... I haven't really eaten anything for two days."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her shirt. "I originally wanted to come out today to see if there were any odd jobs I could do, but... I collapsed before I even got there..."

Her explanation was reasonable: a financially strapped freelancer encountering temporary hardship. This vulnerability and effort added a layer of poignancy to her collapse on the street.

By this time, the medical staff had completed their preliminary treatment and told Lu Jianchuan and Old Zhang, "The patient's condition is stable, but she still needs to return to the hospital for a full examination and to receive some glucose to ensure there are no other issues."

As soon as Lin Wan heard about going to the hospital, panic and resistance immediately appeared on her face. She quickly waved her hands: "No, there's no need! Doctor, I feel much better, truly! I don't need to go to the hospital, I... I don't have any money..."

Lu Jianchuan watched her look of distress and sighed inwardly. He looked at the doctor, inquiring with his eyes.

The doctor checked Lin Wan's condition and nodded: "She is conscious, and her vital signs are stable. If she insists on not going to the hospital, she must ensure she eats regularly afterward, gets plenty of rest, and seeks medical attention immediately if she feels any discomfort."

"I will be careful, thank you, Doctor, and thank you, Police Comrades!" Lin Wan was immensely relieved. She thanked them repeatedly, struggling to stand up from the ground.

Lu Jianchuan instinctively reached out to help her up. The girl's arm was so slender it felt as if it might snap, and through the thin fabric, he could feel her slight tremor.

"Can you get home by yourself?" Lu Jianchuan asked, his tone carrying a subtle hint of concern.

"Yes, I can, no problem! Thank you so much, Officer Lu!" Lin Wan stood steady, bowed deeply toward Lu Jianchuan, then thanked Old Zhang and the medical personnel. Only then did she pick up her old canvas bag and walk away from the small park, her steps still slightly unsteady, but resolute.

Lu Jianchuan stood rooted to the spot, watching the frail figure gradually merge into the stream of people at the street corner, eventually disappearing. He subconsciously touched the last remaining energy bar in his pocket. The girl named Lin Wan, with her pale, grateful face, had left a clear imprint on his heart.