Prison

After leaving the Song house, I took a taxi to Chen Jia’s neighborhood.

I did not go upstairs.

I waited at the alley entrance for hours.

Liu Yang messaged:

Chen Jia had been fired by Li Yi.

At ten that night, Chen Jia finally appeared.

He looked exhausted.

His oversized clothes made him seem even more pitiful.

Pitiful people often have hateful parts.

“Chair—”

He stopped.

“Miss Song.”

“I helped you, and you stabbed me in the back. Impressive.”

“No…”

He lowered his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why give the contract to Li Yi?”

“Or was this a trap you two set together?”

His face filled with shame.

“Li Yi said she pitied our situation. She told my sister that if she gave her the contract, the debt would be forgiven.”

“My sister was ignorant and got tricked.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Song. I’ll find a way to earn the money and repay you.”

I exhaled.

Even if it was a lie, it was better than accepting that I had been blind.

“Words are worthless. Write me an IOU.”

He nodded.

“Okay.”

I lost the lawsuit against Li Yi completely.

She clung to the misappropriation charge.

I was sentenced to three years.

When court adjourned, she came to me smiling brightly.

“Song Yunge, by the time you leave prison, my child with Qianyu will be able to run.”

I looked at her slightly rounded belly.

She had worn fitted clothes today just to show me.

She knew how to disgust someone.

I stared at her.

Li Yi.

These three years and four million would count as compensation for occupying your identity.

When I came out, we would meet again.

On the second day in prison, the guard told me someone came to visit.

I thought it was a friend.

It was Chen Jia.

He brought bags of things.

Through the glass, I saw him hand a stack of money to the guard with a smile.

I picked up the phone.

Said nothing.

“I brought some daily necessities,” he said. “Take care of yourself.”

“Where did the money come from?”

I suspected another Li Yi trick.

I did not dare use anything carelessly.

Maybe I would die inexplicably in prison.

“I found a new job. I asked the boss to advance part of my salary.”

I traded all the food Chen Jia sent to other inmates for protection and favors.

After that, Chen Jia sent things every few days.

Food.

Supplies.

Everything.

But he never appeared again.

Because of those supplies, my prison life was not as hard as it could have been.

I also met a brilliant accountant named Paula Xu.

Her sentence was two years longer than mine.

Three years later, when I stepped out of prison, I noticed Chen Jia standing at the side.

He had grown taller.

More mature.

Still dressed simply.

But the clothes fit now.

His eyes could not hide exhaustion.

“Miss Song.”

His voice was deeper than before.

I looked at him quietly.

If I had not pitied him, I would not have trapped myself into prison and debt.

“I booked a hotel to welcome you back.”

“Cancel it,” I said. “Money should be spent where it matters.”

I went with Chen Jia to his home.

A small two-bedroom apartment.

Cramped.

His younger sister hid in the corner, round-faced, braided, unable to meet my eyes.

Chen Jia cooked.

Two meat dishes.

Two vegetable dishes.

One soup.

After dinner, I asked,

“What work are you doing now?”

“Construction site.”

I looked at him deeply.

He handed me a bank card.

“This is what my sister and I saved these three years.”

I used that money to rent a place.

The next day, I passed the interview at Keystone Group and joined the project department.

Weilan Group’s actual controller was now Yan Qianyu.

Li Yi, that useless woman who only knew how to climb beds, stayed home as a full-time wife.

I had expected this.

Yan Qianyu did not truly love her.

This was all use.

Keystone Group was Yan Group’s competitor.

Then the war would begin with Yan Qianyu.