Early in the morning, a gentle rain continued to fall.

Within the women's prison in District Thirteen of South Province, four female convicts due for release today were carrying out the last phase of their identity verification process.

"Tang Feng, Du Jing, Liu Fangfang... Ruan Qingcheng."

As he called out the last name, the prison guard couldn't help but look up at the person bearing the name.

A twisted scar stretched from the corner of Ruan Qingcheng's eye to her mouth, marring her left face like a pinned centipede cantilevered on her countenance.

Grotesque and ugly, it made one shudder to look at.

Four years ago, when Ruan Qingcheng was sent to jail, her stunning beauty had shocked the entire women's prison of District Thirteen.

However, not even six months into her sentence, an argument led to another inmate slashing her left face with a pair of homemade scissors.

The acclaimed beauty of South Province had fallen from grace.

Whether someone was pulling strings behind this incident was something everyone knew without saying.

After verifying her identity, the prison guard handed Ruan Qingcheng an envelope. Inside was her ID, a certificate of completion of her sentence, and the meagre wages she had earned for labor while in prison.

"Ruan Qingcheng, your family cannot be reached for now. You can't wear your prison uniform out. You will need to buy a set of casual clothes."

On hearing this, the three other convicts shot jeering yet pitiful looks towards Ruan Qingcheng.

How pitiful it was that Miss Ruan, who used to be adored and idolized, had no one to receive her upon her release from prison.

After spending four years in prison, Ruan Qingcheng had long grown unflustered under all kinds of stares. She calmly nodded, bought and changed into a set of casual clothes, and then walked out of the prison.

From behind her, the prison warder yelled, "Move forward, don't look back."

*

The moment Ruan Qing Cheng walked out of the prison gate, she was stopped by a stranger, "Miss Ruan, Mr. Shen wishes for you to meet him. He would like to discuss the matter concerning the custody of your mother."

Her mother is Cheng Su Mei, a mentally ill patient.

The 'Mr. Shen' referred to by the stranger is the adopted son of the Ruan family, Shen Heng An. He is also the devil who drove her father to suicide.

Knowing that a bleak reality awaits her, Ruan Qing Cheng had no choice but to answer Shen Heng An's request. All because her mother is the only family she has left in this world.

"Lead the way."

The car pulled up in front of Changsi Club.

Ruan Qing Cheng got out of the car, staring up at the majestic structure in front of her, felt suffocated.

Because this place is not only where Shen Heng An proposed to her, but also where her father had hung himself. If she could, she wished that she wouldn't have to come and go from this place ever again.

The man told her after turning off the engine, "Mr. Shen is waiting for you in box 5115."

Ruan Qing Cheng followed her memory to box 5115.

The door was partially open, light was leaking from within. The instant Ruan Qing Cheng stepped into the room, she saw the man who stood by the window.

He was still as elegantly dressed as ever.

Such a pity, she regretted not having successfully killed him that day.

Ruan Qingcheng withdrew her gaze, suppressing her anger to ask, "Where is my mother?"

Ever since she was jailed, her mother hadn't visited her once. It was only when an old friend visited her in prison did she learn that her mother had long been under Shen Hengan's control.

How absurd. Shen Hengan, the culprit behind the ruin of the Ruan family, unexpectedly became her mother's guardian.

Shen Hengan turned, looking down on her from above, appreciating Ruan Qingcheng's unsightly appearance at his leisure.

Having had enough, he sneered disdainfully, “Have you heard of Nanzhou Mental Hospital?”

Nanzhou Mental Hospital—where they detained mental patients with severe violent tendencies!

Ruan Qingcheng gritted her teeth and rushed forward, clutching the man's collar and accused, "Shen Hengan, you're truly a beast! Even though my father had wronged your family, you forced him to death."

"My mother is just an innocent woman. She raised you like her own child, but you cruelly had her committed to a mental hospital!"

"Innocent?" Shen Hengan lifted his pant leg, revealing a prosthetic limb.

With a cold expression, he said, "Thanks to you, Ruan Qingcheng. Every time it rains in Nanzhou city over these past four years, you come to my mind especially."

"Nobody in your family is innocent; your mother is repaying your debt!"

Shen Hengan's view was already clouded by hatred.

Realizing that further argument would be useless, Ruan Qingcheng let go of his shirt and asked directly, "What do you want in order to return my mother's guardianship to me?"

Shen Hengan suddenly laughed.

He leaned down, speaking softly in Ruan Qingcheng's ear, "As long as you're willing to kneel down and beg for my forgiveness, serving me well, I will return the guardianship to you."

Hearing these words, Ruan Qingcheng looked up incredulously.

Looking at Shen Hengan, she wore the expression one might give to a worm that just crawled out of a latrine-pit, an extreme loathing. "Shen Hengan, you are seriously ill. The one who should be admitted into a mental hospital is you!"

"Don't want to?" Shen Hengan's eyes moved eerily, his laughter was inscrutable, "I would like to see how firm your will is."

As his words fell, Ruan Qingcheng felt her breath turn hot, and an odd reaction began to manifest in her lower abdomen.

Noticing a few peculiarly scented aromatherapy lamps scattering their aroma around the booth, Ruan Qingcheng silently berated herself for being careless.

Even the strongest of wills could not withstand a potent drug.

Ruan Qingcheng fell to her knees, her legs weak, uncontrollably moaning in a way that led to lascivious thoughts.

She looked at Shen Hengan, the look in her eyes a mix of humiliation and provocative intent, "Help me..."

Upon hearing those words, Shen Hengan’s gaze turned cold. As he unbuckled his belt, he taunted her, "Look at you, Ruan Qingcheng, look how shameless you are, you can't even hold it in for awhile..."

Just when this occurred...

Without warning, Ruan Qingcheng pulled out a fruit knife from behind her waist and jabbed it fiercely into Shen Heng An's right leg!

"Ah!" Shen Hengan howled in pain, "Ruan Qingcheng, how dare you!"

Meeting Shen Hengan, had Ruan Qingcheng prepared herself in vain?

Ruan Qingcheng clenched her teeth and got up.

With the drug impacting her, her eyes became flaming red. "You want me to give in? Only if I’m dead!"

With that said, she forcefully kicked Shen Heng'an to the ground and snatched the offending dagger. She then stumbled to her escape, leaving in a hurry.

Looking at Ruan Qingcheng's retreating figure, a perverse and mad smile took form on Shen Heng'an’s face, contorted in pain. "Qingcheng, since you're out now, let's have a slow, fun game..."

*

As Ruan Qingcheng burst out of the room, the heat inside her body didn't subside. Instead, it seemed to intensify.

Decisively, she slashed her inner wrist with the dagger, using the pain to counteract the effects of the drug.

Ruan Qingcheng hid the dagger, then entered an elevator.

Inside, two well-dressed gentlemen were quietly chatting. "Did you hear that Jun Ninth Master is here today, amusing himself on the top floor?"

"We haven't heard anything from him for quite a few months. Why is he here tonight..."

Noticing Ruan Qingcheng nearing them, the two men diplomatically shut their mouths.

Jun Ninth Master...

In all of Southern City, only that ninth Jun family member who was found and brought home six years ago, Jun Xiuchen, deserved to be called Jun Ninth Master.

Moreover, he was the only person in Southern City who didn't need to regard the Luo family at all.

Ruan Qingcheng had a strong impression of this Jun Ninth Master.

Five years ago, he had given her a room card.

But she disdained him, throwing the room card into the trash in front of him. She even left him with bold words, "The line of those pursuing me could stretch from the south of the city to the north. Take your time waiting, Jun Ninth Master."

Recalling this scene now, Ruan Qingcheng felt a bit bitter.

Back then, she was full of defiance. Today, she has been reduced to humbling herself and taking knocks in life - it stings her pride.