Chapter 1 : Resurrection
Zhong Nuannuan was startled by a shrill, annoying noise mixed with the sound of rusted metal being opened and closed.
Her eyesight was fuzzy from the sudden explosion, making her squint. The view in front of her slowly became clearer.
She was facing a thick, rough wall built out of mixed dirt and lime soil. The wall had a big, red slogan written on it.
Confess to your crimes, Resistance is futile!
The metal gate of the room was opened from the outside. A female police officer with a grim look on her face walked in. Two words were printed on the emblem on her chest – Justice!
“Zhong Nuannuan, your charges have been withdrawn1. The courts have declared you innocent and pronounced you not guilty for murder. You can leave prison now. Your family is waiting for you in the waiting room outside.”
Family?
Zhong Nuannuan was startled. She pushed the female prison guard to the side and ran toward the waiting room. She did not even bother to put on her shoes.
If not for the icy feeling she felt at every step of the way reminding her that this was not a dream, Zhong Nuannuan would not have believed that she had resurrected.
Zhong Nuannuan ran to the waiting room in a single breath. She looked up to see a tall silhouette and her heart scrunched up in a tight squeeze.
He was very tall, very cold. He had the imposing persona of a military man that warned off people from getting close to him.
The late autumn’s sunlight shone through the glass windows, shining across his perfectly chiseled face, a light shadow formed from his sharp nose at its alae. It gave his flawless face an added mystery and charm.
At that moment, he was on the phone while standing in front of the window. He spotted her running in and gave her not more than a side glance. He quickly moved his gaze towards the outside of the window and continued his serious conversation on the phone.
He acted as if picking her up from prison was nothing more than a matter of convenience.
Zhong Nuannuan finally felt relief in her heart when she once again saw this man, who was as tall as a pine tree and as noble as the gods.
There was a sudden pain in her heart that flooded into her eyes. If she had not done all she could to keep them under control, her tears would have fallen again.
“Nuannuan, how are you doing? You’ve been in prison for a month. Did anyone bully you? Are you hurt anywhere? Tell mum and I’ll make sure to settle everything for you!”
“Nuannuan is my daughter. There is no way that the daughter of Zhong Kuijun would be so weak. Just look at Nuannuan’s healthy face, she is in the pink of health. One look at her and anyone can see how well she is doing! Hahahaha... My girl, the Zhou family has withdrawn their suit against you. You have been pronounced not guilty for murder. Your dad is here to take you out of prison. Are you feeling happy?”
Zhong Nuannuan’s sight was suddenly blocked as her father, Zhong Kuijun and mother, Jiang Shuwan, stood in front of her. One of them took her left hand and the other held her right. They were concerned over her as they kept asking about her wellbeing.
In the middle of the room, her older sister, Zhong Qianqian, whom they shared the same father but had different mothers, stood not far from where Chi Yang was. Her body was a little slighted and from where Zhong Nuannuan was standing, it looked as if they were standing side by side.
When Chi Yang had come to pick her up in her last life, she had also felt a little bristled by the scene.
The sight of her fiancé being busy on the phone with no time of day to even bother about her made her feel frustrated. It did not help that Zhong Qianqian was acting intimate with him while showing off that she was standing right by his side.
She had used so much time and paid such a huge price to return to her home and reunite with her parents. All she wanted was to spend quality time with her family and enjoy the happiness and warmth of her loved ones. She did not come back just to be in a jealous fight with her older half-sister.