Xia Lihua's eyes fluttered open and closed in a gentle rhythm, adding a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic quality to her presence.
Yang Lingyun felt like the luckiest man in the world to be loved by her.
As the sun set, painting the sky with hues of orange and red, Xia Lihua and Yang Lingyun lay in each other's arms, their bodies sated, their hearts filled with desire.
***
The rain that night came hard and cold, soaking the narrow streets outside the county detention center.
Inside the gray walls of the holding facility, Tang Mingze sat in a dimly lit cell. His once-polished appearance was gone; his hair hung loose and unkempt. He was wearing a dull prison uniform that did not fit him.
His sharp eyes, however, had not dulled. They flickered with a restless fury, with disbelief that he — Tang Mingze — could fall this far.
A sound echoed down the corridor
clink… clink… clink.
Footsteps.
More than one set.
