Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
A pregnant woman?
The smile on Wang Zhuang’s face slowly ebbed off. It was bad enough to misbehave out in public. Now that they were in prison, she still wanted a pregnant woman to toy with? That was running a little too perverse for her liking.
“What’s so fun about a pregnant woman?” she asked. “In this prison, they don’t get to eat well or sleep well. Their complexions are horrible, and they look ugly. This one here is so much better.”
One of Wang Zhuang’s subordinates spoke up with an expression of disapproval. When Lao Zhou heard her words, she turned her head over and glared at her.
The look in Lao Zhou’s eyes was unlike anything the woman had ever seen in her time following Wang Zhuang. There was a malevolence and malice that she had never seen before. The woman who spoke took a step back instinctively in fear.
When Lao Zhou witnessed that, but she didn’t say anything. She turned her eyes to Wang Zhuang and asked, “Is there one?”
“Yes, there is, but it’s pitiful enough for a baby’s mother to be locked in here, don’t you think…”
“Pitiful?” Lao Zhou reacted as if she’d just heard the funniest joke and replied, “Which one of the inmates in here hasn’t committed a crime?”
Wang Zhuang was still hesitant. “But…”
“Drop the act,” Lao Zhou said. “Everyone knows you’ve had your share of fun that even resulted in the deaths of a few chickens. What’s up with your sudden kindness?”
Her words were very blunt.
The expression on Wang Zhuang’s face turned ugly. She waved her hand in the air and had one of the subordinates do a search.
In this prison, apart from the prison wardens, Wang Zhuang was at the top. Still, one fact was clear. Wang Zhuang treated Lao Zhou with utmost respect. Perhaps one could say it was fear.
It wasn’t just Ye Youyou who realized it. Everyone else did, too.
There weren’t many pregnant women in the prison. There were more than a hundred inmates, but only one or two that had a visibly pregnant belly.
The subordinate found a pregnant woman who looked like she was at least seven months along and brought her forward. It was clear from the woman’s expression that she had no idea what was going on.
She looked at Wang Zhuang. With a mixture of fear and respect, she asked, “Sister Wang, what can I do for you?”
Wang Zhuang didn’t dare meet her eye and said, “This is Sister Zhou. Greet her properly.”
The pregnant woman looked at Lao Zhou. With a forced smile, she said, “Hello, Sister Zhou.”
Lao Zhou tapped the ash from her cigarette and looked at her belly with a face full of satisfaction.
The sudden intensity of the piercing stare at her belly made the pregnant woman feel a sense of alarm. She instinctively reached out to stroke her abdomen.
“Even your bellybutton is protruding,” Lao Zhou said. “Are you due soon?”
The pregnant woman smiled. “Not yet. I have about two months to go.”
“Well…” The smile on Lao Zhou’s face deepened. “That’s good, then.”
The pregnant woman froze, not understanding what that was supposed to mean.
“Come with me,” Lao Zhou said. “I have a gift for you.”
The pregnant woman immediately waved her hand when she heard that. “That’s not necessary, Sister Zhou. You’re being too courteous…”
“Don’t stand on ceremony. We’re all family here.” Lao Zhou turned around and reached out to grab the pregnant woman’s hand. “You will like it very much,” she said.
The pregnant woman was very uneasy about it, but she didn’t dare resist and followed her.
Ye Youyou was at the back of the crowd. As she heard the conversation, her hair stood on its ends. For some unknown reason, she felt that Lao Zhou was looking at her the entire time. It was almost as if she had come specifically to look for her.
Furthermore, the first thing she had demanded upon arrival was a pregnant woman, and her eyes had frequently landed on her. It was indeed troubling.
Ye Youyou’s heart had been dangling with anxiety the entire time. The uncertainty of hidden danger was unsettling. Whatever was destined to come would come sooner or later.
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