Destined to Meet Mr. Tan

“Number 23, come out.”

Early in the morning, outside Cell Eight in the Fifth Prison, a female guard coldly called Blue Yiqiao by her inmate number.

Blue Yiqiao was lying face down on the wooden bunk, head lowered as she drew. She slowly looked up, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the guard.

For a long time, she said nothing.

It wasn’t that she wanted to throw herself against a stone and defy the guard.

Her throat hurt as if it were being scorched by fire.

She didn’t want anyone to see her at her most wretched and take pleasure in it.

She struggled to work up some saliva and swallow it to moisten her throat before speaking. “What?”