Prison.

The wind in the corridor even carried a foul smell.

"Congratulations on being released."

The prison guard gently patted Gu Wan Ci's shoulder, looking at the skinny woman in front of him, his eyes full of regret.

He clearly remembered that five years ago, when this woman was brought in, she was stunningly beautiful.

But looking at her now, she was almost unrecognizable.

"Thank you."

Gu Wan Ci trembled as she stepped out of the prison gate.

As the fresh air entered her nostrils, Gu Wan Ci looked up at the stars in the sky, her numb expression finally cracking, her nose souring, and her eyes heating up.

Five years!

A full five years!

She had finally left the most brutal prison in Country S and regained her freedom.

All the grudges and grievances of the past seemed to disappear at this moment, and Gu Wan Ci almost greedily breathed in the long-lost fresh air.

But unexpectedly, a glaring light suddenly shone on her.

At the same time, an incredibly cold male voice sounded in Gu Wan Ci's ears.

"Gu Wan Ci, long time no see."

The owner of this voice...is He Ting Xiao!

Even though Gu Wan Ci has seen countless bloody and violent scenes and cruel criminals in prison over the years, she could still recognize He Ting Xiao's voice in an instant.

Gu Wan Ci's body stiffened involuntarily, feeling fear in every cell of her body.

An invisible pair of hands seemed to choke her neck, and the air in her chest became thinner and thinner. She subconsciously wanted to escape.

But just as she took a step, the bodyguard had already viciously kicked her knees, causing her to fall heavily to her knees.

"Trying to run? Where can you run to?" The man's voice was still indifferent. He seemed like a high and mighty god, looking down at Gu Wan Ci with disdain.

"He Ting Xiao... I was released from prison legally... I was released legally..."

Gu Wan Ci was speaking incoherently, trying to explain herself. She didn't know why she would encounter He Ting Xiao on the day of her release, but the deep-rooted fear of this man made her too scared to even lift her head.

She could only stare at the shiny black leather shoes in front of her, recalling the cold-blooded image of He Ting Xiao five years ago.

Cold, terrifying.

For a moment, all the fear, helplessness, and desperation surged like a tidal wave.

"Heh..." A sneer came from above her head, and Gu Wan Ci only felt a dislocated-like intense pain in her jaw, forcing her to lift her head and meet the man's eyes.

He Ting Xiao's handsome face was as cold as frost, but his black eyes were filled with gloom and cruelty. He stared intently at Gu Wan Ci, as if his gaze could burn her.

"Do you think you can get out of jail without my permission?"

Just a short sentence, but it made Gu Wancer feel like she was in an icehouse.

The last bit of joy of being released from prison was gone.

The man in front of her was He Tingxiao!

He Tingxiao, who had personally sent her to jail!

How could he possibly let her get out of prison legally? Just like five years ago, he would hate for her to die but would prefer to torture her until she was worse than dead.

"He Tingxiao, I've atoned for the mistakes I made back then. I've been living in misery every day for the past five years, and I truly know my wrongs now..."

Gu Wancer found it difficult to speak, and her trembling body seemed on the verge of fainting, like a frightened bird.

Once, He Tingxiao had been the god that Gu Wancer had fallen in love with at first sight. And now, he was the most feared demon in the depths of her soul.

In these five years spent in prison, she had been tortured to the point that she was unrecognizable, yet those eyes of hers remained untouched, bright and captivating.

Looking down at Gu Wancer from a higher position, He Tingxiao recalled that he had been deceived by this woman's pitiful gaze.

He had thought she was innocent and naive, never expecting that dangerous things were the best at disguising themselves.

Innocent? Naive?

Not at all!

It was just a means for this malicious woman to deceive people!

Having learned his lesson once, he was determined not to let himself suffer another loss.

He Tianxiao increased the force in his hand, his cold, abyss-like eyes flickering with a destructive madness. His entire body radiated undisguised murderous intent, even Gu Wancer felt... He Tianxiao would kill her.

But in the next second, He Tianxiao laughed, like a poppy blooming in the most dangerous place, a tempting trap.

He gently stroked Gu Wancer's cheek, his touch gentle and tender, his voice softened as well, "Atonement? Gu Wancer, the mistakes you've made could never be atoned for in a lifetime. Did you think you only hurt An'an? When you tried to burn her to death, she was already more than a month pregnant."

The night breeze blew gently, seemingly tearing He Tianxiao's words to shreds.

But from beginning to end, Gu Wancer was constantly on tenterhooks.

She feared He Tianxiao's touch, her body unable to stop trembling. Long-term malnutrition and excessive physical exhaustion made her dizzy, even her vision and hearing were beginning to weaken.

He Tianxiao leaned close to Gu Wancer's ear, using an unprecedented gentle tone to utter the most terrifying words in the world.

"Because of your malicious actions, that child never had a chance to come into this world."

"I will make you live a long life, forever trapped in the chains of suffering."

"Only five years to atone for your sins? You're too naive."

Gu Wancer felt like she was trapped in a swamp, countless skeletal hands reaching out to drag her into hell.

With a single Tang An'an, her life was already a living hell; now, adding the life of He Tianxiao's child, Gu Wancer could not imagine how she would be tortured by He Tianxiao in the future.

She had to enrage this man and make him kill her!

That would be her salvation!

Gu Wan Ci's emotions became agitated, her feelings of fear and humility were replaced by madness, and she began to struggle wildly.

"He Tingxiao, do you think locking me up in prison for five years will make me repent? Let me tell you the truth, I think about it every day, why didn't I just burn Tang An'an alive?"

"Tang An'an, that cheap woman, deserves to die. If I can't have you, she shouldn't either."

"I have no regrets for what I did; I'm thrilled. That child deserved to die, hahaha."

Gu Wan Ci's face was filled with a crazed smile, but her eyes were determined.

She could clearly see the killing intent in He Tingxiao's eyes rapidly condensing, and the fierce murderous aura around him was even more chilling than before.

He Tingxiao slowly gripped Gu Wan Ci's wrist, quickly increasing his strength.

Gu Wan Ci's pain made her face as pale as paper, but He Tingxiao could not see it.

Gu Wan Ci was in so much pain that she was almost suffocating, her eyes full of fear.

"Gu Wan Ci, there's no need to provoke me; I won't kill you. Do you remember Feng Huimei? He doesn't have long to live, and he knelt in front of me yesterday, asking to see you before he dies."