Love Against All Odds

For the woman I loved, I agreed to take the blame for her brother. She promised that once I was released from prison, she would marry me. Two years passed, and when I finally walked free, she was preparing to marry someone else.

I felt utterly betrayed, a burning rage swelling within me as I went to seek an explanation from her.

Qingxi County, Economic Development Zone, Tiangong Garment Company. I arrived at the entrance to her company, and the security guard called her office.

Soon after, a young and beautiful woman emerged, dressed in an off-white suit, looking every bit the secretary. When she reached the guard post and saw me, she said, “You are Li Shuifeng.”

I nodded. “And you are?”

“Mr. Li, you may call me Xiao He,” she replied. “The General Manager is waiting for you in her office. Please follow me.”

I walked behind Xiao He, entering the five-story building. I noticed that the first four floors were workshops and warehouses, while the offices were located on the fifth floor.

Xiao He pressed the elevator button, and I followed her inside. In the cramped space, the scent of her perfume teased my senses, stirring a restless desire within me. Two years in prison had been unbearable—only I knew the pain and humiliation of those days.

The fifth floor arrived quickly. The elevator doors opened, and I trailed Xiao He down the corridor to its eastern end. The door to the innermost room bore the sign: General Manager’s Office.

Xiao He approached and knocked. “Ms. Jin, Mr. Li is here.”

A clear voice replied, “Let hi