eve
The cell door slammed shut, and the entire steel plate was embedded tightly into the wall. As the sound of the lock closing rang out, the last ray of natural light was swallowed up, leaving only a little red light from the surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling, like an eye that never closes.
The four walls were made of cement, and they felt cold and smooth to the touch. When I leaned my bruised back against them, the biting cold seeped into the texture continuously.
What is more unbearable than the darkness and coldness is the deathly silence, so the heartbeat gradually becomes louder, bouncing off the cold walls and making noise in the small dark room.
Zhou Min has always been aware that this is not normal, but he still cannot control the fear in his subconscious. Cold sweat seeps out, and the coldness in the air clings to his skin, tightly wrapping around his skin, causing his body to tremble slightly.
She wanted to hug her knees to give herself a sense of security, but the straitjacket restricted her hands, so she could only squat in the corner with her upper body folded close to her thighs.
Even though Zhou Min confessed to the charges listed by the investigators, she was still treated worse than ordinary prisoners during the interrogation, one of the reasons being the straitjacket that restricted the movement of her arms.
The large movement of squatting caused the injuries she had just sustained to tug at the pain, which was originally unbearable and dull, but she didn't care.
She deserves this.
Zhou Min gently rested his chin on his knees, his light golden eyes lost their bright embellishment, and became gloomy and out of focus.
Did Chen Shu get the trial and punishment she deserved?
In a daze, fear and unwillingness rose like a tide, and she used the embrace in her memory to struggle against the uneasiness that followed her like a shadow.
jingle--
The shrill alarm suddenly rang.
Zhou Min opened her eyes and suddenly sat up from the bed, her chest heaving violently as she breathed deeply. The cool fragrance of citron and juniper berries that permeated the air in the room gradually brought her back to consciousness from the nightmare she had just had.
Perhaps because one dreams at night about what he thinks about during the day, the memories of the time spent in detention and trial appear in dreams more and more frequently.
She fell back onto the bed, pulled up the quilt piled in front of her, curled up, buried her face in it, and took a deep breath of the lingering fragrance.
It is obviously the same perfume and smells the same at first, but when you smell it carefully, you always feel that it is different in every way. It does not have the richness that I imagined, and it has a smell that lacks warmth.
But this illusion made up of a cold smell is the best shelter Zhou Min can build for himself.
She curled her lips in self-mockery, stood up from the folding bed, and dragged her tired body to wash up.
Zhou Min rented a basement apartment with a cramped and cold bathroom that couldn't accommodate a water heater, let alone a sink. She tied up her shoulder-length black hair with a hair tie, then bent down to turn on the faucet on the wall and scooped up some water to splash on her face.
The biting cold instantly woke her up from the aftermath of the nightmare. After calming herself down, she reached out and took the toothbrush and toothpaste from the rack beside her.
The small town where I am staying now is still a bit too cold. I don’t know how many places I will have to move to before my obsession comes to an end.
There was a mirror left by the previous tenant on the tile above the faucet. It was the size of a palm, and Zhou Min had to bend down to face it directly, and she had to step back almost close to the wall behind her to see her entire face. It was very inconvenient to use, but she had no plans to replace it.
The appliances in the house were all makeshift, since she was just making do anyway.
Zhou Min put on his cosmetic contact lenses with the help of the mirror, tidied himself up, put on a thicker coat, and walked to the door.
He put his hand on the door handle, hesitated for a moment, and then opened the door.
Zheng Siying looked at Zhou Qiting, who was sitting at her desk concentrating on her work, and felt helpless. She walked towards her from behind the door and teased, "Boss Zhou, you're about to become the chairman, why are you still working so hard?"
Ever since this person has focused all her energy on work, she has practically lived in the company, leaving home early and returning late to work all day long. There is no trace of the cynical young lady she used to be. As the heirs of their respective families, Zheng Siying often feels pressured by being involved.
Fortunately, she has been unemployed at home recently and the pressure has temporarily disappeared.
Zhou Qiting flipped through the documents his assistant had just handed him. Without even looking up, he retorted in a flat tone, "Boss Zheng, you're almost out of a job, how can you still find the time to mock me?"
Zheng Siying's face darkened when she heard Zhou Qiting so bluntly expose her past. She leaned her hands on the edge of her desk and began to pour out her thoughts: "I've worked diligently for Zhenbang for six years, and this is all I have left as a personal hobby. And I'm constantly threatened by my family with money."
"Why don't you wait until you become chairman and hire me as the president of your Zhou Corporation? I promise to be dedicated to my work and strive to acquire Zhenbang within ten years."
The tone sounded inappropriate, so Zhou Qiting automatically ignored what Zheng Siying said next. She raised her head and glanced at the silk scarf around Zheng Siying's neck, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
In the past, Zheng Siying's family would at most have some complaints about her hobby, but it would not be to the point of being a threat. However, in the past three years, Zheng Siying's hobby has undergone a huge change, so her family strongly opposed it and even gave her a long vacation as a warning.
Zhou Qiting expressed understanding for Zheng Siying's lack of time to pick a fight with him, but he didn't respect her. His gaze fell back on the photo on the file and he said calmly, "There's pain relief gel in the lounge. If you need it, go get it and apply it yourself."
"Oh, someone helped me apply it before I went out." Zheng Siying said to Zhou Qiting, who had lived alone for three years, with a boastful tone.
She followed Zhou Qiting's gaze to the document spread out on the table, and understood. "You said you already knew where she was, but instead of arresting her and locking her up, you let her wander around?"
The person in the photo obviously discovered the person who was following and taking pictures. He looked at the camera with a cold expression, as if he was dissatisfied and also gave a warning.
Zheng Siying had only seen similar looks in wildlife documentaries. It was like a ferocious beast warning any creature that had invaded its safe zone, clearly indicating that it would be torn to pieces if it came any closer.
Look at him, he's only been on the run for three years, and he's already back to his wild and unruly self. Zheng Siying marveled at this.
Zhou Qiting only briefly explained to Zheng Siying how Zhou Xihe had let Zhou Min leave on his own initiative. She knew the deeper details of the past, and she answered truthfully, "I don't want to restrict her personal freedom any longer."
The implication is that they don't plan to capture the person? Zheng Siying showed a surprised look.
It's no wonder she made a fuss. She was curious when she learned that Zhou Qiting had been keeping an eye on Zhou Min's movements. She thought Zhou Qiting was just waiting for the right opportunity to capture him.
I didn't expect that I would have to wait until now.
This is no longer waiting, this is enduring.
Zheng Siying also guessed that Zhou Yiting must have been obstructed by some irresistible force and had to endure it until this point, so she kept it a secret.
She recalled the recent news about Zhou's equity changes and asked with concern, "Will you go see her after the shareholders' meeting?"
This time, Zhou Xihe transferred part of his shares to Zhou Qiting, which meant that he wanted her to truly enter the decision-making level, accept shareholder elections, and become one of Zhou's directors.
People do not share the same joys and sorrows. When Zheng Siying was still working as a senior worker at home, her best friend was already about to become a director.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiting's fingertips moved slightly, but when they were about to touch the person in the photo, he retracted them, clenched them little by little, and pressed them against his palm.
A look of confusion flashed in her eyes, and she replied in a low voice: "I'm not sure."
After the separation, sadness did not occupy Zhou Yiting's mind for too long. In a blink of an eye, it was replaced by complicated and busy work. Only when the night was darkest would sadness surge with longing.
During these three years, she has been fighting against Zhou Xihe's opposition, including investigating what happened to Zhou Min three years ago and inquiring about Zhou Min's movements. These actions are her silent way of expressing to her mother that she cares about Zhou Min very much and has always cared about him.
She also used her effective work and strong tactics to prove that she was not afraid of the "bad influence" mentioned by Zhou Xihe, and that she had the absolute ability to fight against the possible malice that might come with it.
Zhou Qiting also knew that everything she did was just for herself, to give herself more say and stop being manipulated. It was also to make herself feel better and make the days without seeing Zhou Min less difficult.
But now, the closer we get to reunion, the more hesitant I become.
Could it be that Zhou Min has already let go of everything related to Zhou Qiting in the past?
The fact that she had decided to leave Zhou Qiting without saying a word and went to jail with the evildoers without hesitation actually showed how self-deprecating she was and how little she cared about Zhou Qiting's feelings.
Zhou Qiting firmly believed that if Chen Shu had not escaped from prison later, Zhou Min would never have accepted his mother's suggestion to exonerate her. He would rather spend the rest of his life in prison than see Zhou Qiting again.
Thinking of this, Zhou Yiting's eyes darkened a little as he looked at the photo.
Zheng Siying caught the subtle changes in Zhou Qiting's expression, understood what she was worried about, and used an inappropriate suggestion to neutralize the sudden drop in pressure.
"Are you afraid she'll escape again? You don't want to restrict her personal freedom...how about I help you restrain her? I'll definitely tie her up tightly and bring her to you."
After a moment of silence, Zhou Yiting calmly ordered Zheng Siying to leave and stop disturbing her work.
Before leaving, she took into consideration her friend's recent state of unconsciousness and reminded him, "Take care of yourself."
After seeing Zheng Siying off from the office, she instructed her assistant, "Please arrange for me to free up a few days. I have some personal matters to attend to."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
