River State, Court.
"All rise, now, to announce the verdict... The defendant Forsythia Brown is convicted of kidnapping and intentional homicide (attempt), and is sentenced to eight years in prison. Her political rights will be stripped..."
The judge's solemn verdict echoed within the courtroom, startling the pigeons perching on the high walls of the courtyard. They fluttered away in flocks, heading for the blue sky.
As Forsythia was escorted out of the court by the prison guards, reporters from various radio stations, media outlets, and entertainment websites swarmed her.
"You were sentenced to eight years. How do you feel about this verdict, Mrs. Brown?"
"Will you appeal?"
"We heard that the court has granted Mr. Gem's petition for divorce. Is that correct?"
"You were married for three years. How do you feel about this outcome, Mrs. Brown? Do you regret your actions?"
Amid the barrage of questions, cameras and microphones were thrust forward, almost jabbing Forsythia in the face. Prison guards and her lawyer had to fend them off, while her lawyer repeated, 'Please make way, we'll provide information at a press conference later.'
Unable to even glean a word from Forsythia, the reporters persisted in pushing forward but the prison guards and lawyer prevented them from getting close to her.
"Forsythia, you deserve to die! You deserve to die!"
A sharp, piercing female voice cut through the clamor, drawing people's attention to the woman who angrily strode towards them.
It was Coral Ruby, the biological sister of the victim, Norma Ruby.
With her approach, it was obvious she had come for vengeance.
Sensing the brewing gossip, the reporters cleared a path for Coral.
Norma, a well-known socialite in River State, was known for her gentleness and competence. However, at that moment, her face was twisted with rage, and her usually delicate features were twisted into an ugly snarl.
Stopping before Forsythia, Coral looked at her handcuffed adversary with disdain and bitterness, and sneered, "Forsythia, you ruined my sister. You destroyed her life. Eight years in prison can't possibly make up for her suffering. You should die, you deserve the death penalty." Finished speaking, Coral raised her hand to slap Forsythia across the face.
Her slap was intercepted by Forsythia's lawyer. Furious, Coral yelled, "Let go, let go!"
In the ensuing chaos, more police officers ran out from the court to maintain order.
In a black Lykan car parked discreetly under a large ginkgo tree, a distinguished man in the back seat had eyes as dark as ink, seemingly staring at the chaotic scene, yet also not looking at it.
From the driver's seat, his assistant glanced nervously at his boss, sensing a storm brewing in his usually calm and gentle gaze.
That storm was fueled by hatred, directed at the woman now being led into the prisoner transport van.
The assistant lamented in his heart: Madam, how did you end up like this? This time, even the boss won't tolerate you.
"Drive to the hospital."
Upon hearing the icy command, the assistant snapped to attention, "Yes."
Moments later, the prison transport van and the black Lykan crossed paths at an intersection before heading in opposite directions, disappearing from each other's rearview mirrors.
Five years later.
First Woman's Prison.
The heavy iron gate opened, and four figures slowly walked out into the courtyard – tall and short, fat and thin, old and young.
These four were being released today after serving their sentences. Once they stepped through the iron gate, they would no longer bear the weight of their crimes but would become free people.
The middle-aged woman in a police uniform standing by the iron gate took the documents from the hands of the four people in succession, checked them, stamped them, and then instructed the four individuals one by one, "0315, you can go, walk forward, and don't look back."
"1276, you can go, walk forward, and don't look back."
"0082, you can go, walk forward, and don't look back."
"2547, you can go, walk forward, and don't look back."
Don't look back—don't return to the path you've taken. Aim for good fortune.
The four people respectfully bowed to the policewoman, thanking her before stepping out of the gate and not looking back.
Outside the iron gate, the world welcomed some with open arms and joyous smiles while others faced lonely and dejected expressions.
Having worked as a prison guard for many years, the policewoman no longer felt as emotional as before. She looked at the stack of release papers in her hand with indifferent eyes and wondered to herself, "Why hasn't 1314 come out yet? Today should be her release date."
Inside prison, there are no names, only code numbers.
The reason she remembered 1314 was because of her mysterious circumstances—she seemed to be both a prisoner and not a prisoner at the same time. Although she was not a prisoner, she had stayed here for five years.
Could it be that something happened? Was her release date delayed?
As the policewoman pondered, a tall figure approached slowly from the distance—it was the 1314 she had been thinking about.
Unlike the previous four released prisoners who had respectfully bowed to the police officer, 1314 waved and called out cheerily, then strode over to greet her and affectionately draped an arm over her shoulder, calling her "Mrs. Armstrong."
The policewoman's surname was Armstrong.
Mrs. Armstrong had grown accustomed to 1314's behavior and wasn't bothered by it. She just said coldly, "1314, congratulations on getting out."
Hearing this, Forsythia Brown's face broke into a brilliant smile like a wildflower, and her dimples filled with laughter. For a moment, Mrs. Armstrong was captivated by her beauty.
As Forsythia handed over her release document, she laughed and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Armstrong. I'll come back to visit you when I have time."
"Don't jinx it!" Mrs. Armstrong said, pointing to the world outside the iron gate. "Once you leave, don't come back."
Forsythia giggled, her peach blossom eyes full of playfulness. "Haven't I tried not to come back many times before?"
Indeed, during those five years, 1314 had tried not to come back many times, which was precisely why Mrs. Armstrong felt that 1314 was different from other prisoners.
It was more accurate to say that 1314 spent five years in a medical prison rather than a real one; she was frequently granted Released on Medical Parole for alleged illnesses, with the longest medical leave lasting more than a year.
Mrs. Armstrong came from a family of doctors, and she had a rough understanding of medical diagnosis. She knew that 1314 was not really sick. The fact that 1314 was allowed to leave the prison under the pretext of "medical treatment" was most likely due to her extraordinary background.
There has always been injustice in the world, as exemplified by 1314.
However, the first rule of being a prison guard is to maintain confidentiality and not to judge, especially since Mrs. Armstrong didn't think 1314 was evil. So...
"Alright, Mrs. Armstrong, don't look so reluctant to let me go. Don't worry, I won't look back this time. Bye-bye!" With a casual pat on Mrs. Armstrong's shoulder, Forsythia strode proudly out of the iron gate.
As she closed the gate slowly, Mrs. Armstrong squinted her eyes, watching Forsythia's tall figure walk away. She remembered that when she first saw 1314, she still had some baby fat on her face. Five years later, the baby fat was gone, and her body had become much slimmer: 1314, may we never see each other again, and may you find happiness and peace.
With the sound of the closing iron gate, Forsythia hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment—she did not look back.
Glancing around, there was no one there to welcome her.
She gave a self-mocking smile and continued to walk straight ahead until she reached an intersection. Taking a left turn and walking another hundred meters, she finally stopped, leaned against the fence of the prison, crossed her arms, and looked up at the gloomy sky.
Eight years of imprisonment, and she was out in just five.