Star-Crossed Lovers: The Ex-Convict and the White Rabbit - Chapter 1 - Prison Visit

Chapter 1 – Prison Visit

At the end of May, Duhua Garments received an order to re-measure and make a batch of new clothes for the prisoners of Yueya Correctional Facility in Zhangchuan City.

Yueya Correctional Facility was the most populated prison in Zhangchuan District with thousands of prisoners serving their time. They were a special group and it was a project of large undertaking; the factory manager handed over the heavy responsibility to Lu Yin.

Lu Yin was an assistant designer at Duhua Garments, a fashion design graduate from East China University. She had better prospects elsewhere with her degree, it was a waste of her talent to work in a clothing manufacturer instead.

However, she had given up the opportunity to continue her studies for Liu Zecheng. She was content with the way things are. It had taken five years for her to finally deeply root herself in this field.

On Monday morning, she brought two tailors along with her to Yueya Correctional Facility.

An impassable barrier separated the two worlds. The atmosphere inside the iron gates was depressing, terrifying.

After a strict registration process and examination, the three followed the prison guard through the empty yard. On the other side of the fence, a few prisoners had been let out for exercise. They leaned against the railing, their faces fierce, their eyes holding not so good intentions. They chased them all the way, like wolves after their prey.

Lu Yin trembled. The hairs on the back of her neck erected. She calmed herself down, retracted her gaze and, without her eyes wandering, followed the guard into a door.

Beyond the door was a long stretch of empty and lifeless corridor. The air was cold and solemn. It was very quiet, only the sound of her heels gently tapping against the floor could be heard. Lu Yin couldn’t help but tiptoe, severely regretting her decision to wear high heels today.

They passed through another iron gate. They entered a capacious room that had only one window at the very top of one wall, sealed with thick steel reinforcement. The room was a bit dark, the two incandescent lamps made the walls look bleak and intimidating. She felt suffocated by the atmosphere.

The tailors were younger than her and were usually very lively and talkative. Yet, at present, they could only stand motionlessly behind her, quiet as a mouse.

Lu Yin ordered herself to relax. She turned to the two behind her and laughed, relaxedly saying, “Be quick and efficient later, don’t get distracted. Once we’re done measuring, we can leave immediately.”

The two hummed in agreement and started busying themselves.

Fifteen minutes into the hour, the iron gate was pushed open and in came two prison guards after a rustling sound. They were wearing a green uniform, the top tucked into the waist of their trousers. A utility belt was tied around their waist, holding equipment she had never seen before. And in their hand was a thick baton.

Afterwards, a group of men entered in a straight line, standing next to the wall in order.

Lu Yin looked over. They were all bald, wearing thick black vests and sports pants. Tall and short, fat and skinny; old and young; there were all sorts of physiques in the line.

She stood in place for a while before finally moving.

The prison guard said, “These are representatives selected based on their height and weight. The male and female wards are separated. We’ll go to the female ward later.”

Lu Yin picked up the measuring tape. “Okay.”

“Sorry to trouble you.”

She smiled generously, “Not at all, it’s our job.”

Lu Yin took the lead. She did some mental calculation: there were a total of twenty people; if they moved quickly they could be done in half an hour.

The group was divided into two rows, Lu Yin took the back row while leaving the front to the tailors. Shuffling across the line of men, there was nothing to note other than a special smell. The kind of smell that, like that of an animal attracting the opposite sex when in heat, was too special to describe in words.

It was understandable, though, since these male prisoners had served more than a year in prison. They hardly saw any female within these high walls, let alone touch them. It was inevitable that their gazes would be improper and borderline dangerous.

Lu Yin was quick and efficient, quickly measuring two people. She hung the measuring tape on her neck and looked down to jot down the measurements on her notebook, tripping on the way to measure the next person.

“Raise your arms to the side,” she said with her head down.

As soon as she finished talking, she paused slightly. A breeze blew across the hair on her forehead. Her scalp tingled, she could feel the aura around her becoming stronger. Her eyes moved up, the tip of her pen scratched lightly on the paper. Instinctively, she took a step back… Right in front of her, an arm’s length away, stood a giant beast who bared his teeth at her.

And so our two leads meet, the dangerous, dragon-like ex-convict and the innocent, rabbit-like designer. Tension is high in the air for these two, so stay tuned because uploads are going to be on Tuesdays and Fridays!