chapter 1 get out of jail

"Bzz~~~"
The prison gate slowly opened, and Alexander Xu, with a scruffy face, strode out.
The early morning sun was a bit dazzling, and Alexander Xu squinted his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, two elderly people in their fifties immediately entered his line of sight.
"Dad~Mom~"
Seeing each other again after four years of separation, Alexander Xu's heart was filled with mixed emotions, and his eyes turned red in an instant.
Alan Xu and Luna Wang had already burst into tears. They ran towards Alexander Xu and hugged their son tightly.
Looking at his father's graying hair and his mother's wrinkled cheeks, Alexander Xu felt a deep sense of guilt in his heart.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Alexander Xu couldn't help but ask, "Mom, why didn't Isla Song come?"
The fundamental reason why Alexander Xu ended up in prison four years ago was because of his fiancée, Isla Song.
Four years ago, Isla Song's younger brother ran away due to gambling debts, and the debt collectors came to Song's house for money. A dispute ensued, and in the chaos, Isla Song, armed with a fruit knife for self-defense, accidentally killed a person.
After receiving the call, Alexander Xu rushed to Song's house, comforted Isla Song, and then called the police.
Originally, the debt collectors were the ones causing trouble, and accidental manslaughter at most could have been considered excessive self-defense. However, what Alexander Xu didn't know was that the person who died had powerful connections. The deceased was the younger brother of the debt collection company's boss, and eventually, this boss used his influence to classify the accidental killing as intentional homicide.
Intentional homicide meant imprisonment, and Isla Song's family felt like their world was falling apart.
Alexander Xu held the trembling Isla Song in his arms, hearing her plea for help.
In the end, he made up his mind in court and loudly claimed that he was the one who killed the person, shouldering all the charges for Isla Song.
Originally, they were about to get married in a few days, but now Alexander Xu had sent himself to prison.
He had also ruined his promising future.
He had just received a job offer from a top 500 pharmaceutical company in Beijing.
Furthermore, the pharmaceutical company had promised that as long as Alexander Xu joined, they would provide him with a downtown apartment.
Unfortunately, he had thrown it all away with his own hands...
Four years, more than 1,400 days and nights, were filled with his parents' worry and his love for Isla Song, which kept him going.
He had always looked forward to the day he would be released from prison, wearing a sharp suit, and marrying Isla Song with great joy.
As for his plans after release, Alexander Xu had already made arrangements. He had met a big shot in the pharmaceutical industry before going to prison, someone with extensive connections. Even in prison, they had kept in touch.
This big shot had promised that once Alexander Xu was released, he could provide assistance whenever needed.
Alexander Xu believed that with his talent in the pharmaceutical field, he would have a bright future.
"Son, how could that ungrateful Isla Song come to pick you up?" Mentioning Isla Song, Luna Wang was filled with anger. "You have no idea..."
"Honey!" Seeing that Luna Wang was about to continue, Alan Xu quickly interrupted, "Today is the day our son is released from prison, it's a joyous occasion, don't bring up unpleasant matters."
Luna Wang was furious, "Why can't I say it? Can't I talk about what Isla Song did?!"
"Alright, let's talk about it at home!"
Alan Xu's face darkened, and he pulled Luna Wang toward the car.
A bewildered Alexander Xu quickly followed, his mind filled with thoughts of what might have happened to Isla Song and why his mother was so angry.
Silence enveloped the car, and Alexander Xu looked at his parents, both wearing gloomy expressions, struggling to find the right words.
His intuition told him that Isla Song must have done something wrong; otherwise, his usually easygoing mother wouldn't be so angry.
"Son, forget about Isla Song. In a few days, I'll ask someone to find you a decent job, and once everything stabilizes, we'll arrange some blind dates for you to find a good girl."
Finally, Alan Xu broke the silence.
Alexander Xu's heart skipped a beat. "Dad, what are you saying? Isla Song is my fiancée, your future daughter-in-law!"
"Fiancée?!" Luna Wang became furious. "You don't know, in your third year in prison, Isla Song got together with Barry Ye, and they're getting married soon."
"What?!"
Alexander Xu felt like his brain had exploded, and his mind went blank for a moment.
No wonder Isla Song had been visiting him less and less for the past year and always seemed distant during their conversations, unable to stay for more than a few minutes.
He couldn't believe that she had gotten together with his close friend Barry Ye!
"Chirp—"
Alan Xu abruptly stopped the car, turned to glare at Luna Wang, and said, "Our son just got out of prison, why are you telling him this? Do you want to upset him even more?!"
"You old man! Our son is flesh and blood from my body. I care about him more than anyone else! If Isla Song treats my son like this, I want to tear her apart and drink her blood! Boohoo..."
As she spoke, Luna Wang's tears started to flow again.
"Alas~~~" Alan Xu wore a deeply resigned expression, took a breath, and then said slowly, "Alexander, don't blame us for not telling you earlier. It's just that your mother was worried you might react badly when you found out."
After a while, Alexander Xu managed to recover from the shock he had just experienced. His voice was somewhat icy as he said, "Mom, Dad, I need to go talk to Isla Song and get some answers."
At this moment, he appeared exceptionally composed, with a gloomy expression that seemed about to drip water.
"You silly child, why go and torment yourself? Isn't that just causing more pain?" Luna Wang tried to stop him.
"Mom, I must go!"
Alexander Xu's determination was unwavering. After saying this, he got out of the car, waved down a taxi, and headed straight for Song's house.
Luna Wang was getting irritated and pushed Alan Xu in front of her, saying, "You old man, can't you do something? Just letting him go like this?"
Alan Xu remained silent, simply lighting a cigarette and taking a couple of deep puffs as he watched his son's retreating figure, lost in thought...
Song's house.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Suppressing his anger, Alexander Xu knocked on Song's door.
The door opened, and Isla Song's father, Carter Song, appeared in front of Alexander Xu.
Seeing Alexander Xu, Carter Song was first surprised, then his expression changed, and a smile appeared. "Alexander Xu? You're out so soon! You must have suffered a lot in there!"
"You, kid, you didn't even say hello when you came out. As your uncle, I should have gone to see you!"
Watching Carter Song's insincere smile, Alexander Xu sneered inwardly.
In the past, Carter Song would have warmly invited him in, unlike now, showing no intention of inviting him inside.
Thinking this, Alexander Xu didn't waste any more time and said directly, "Uncle, I'm here to see Isla Song."
Carter Song's smile remained, "Hehe, what a coincidence, Isla is not home right now. She said she'll be back later. Why don't you come back another day?"
"Then I'll wait for her here. I don't have anything else to do."
As Alexander Xu tried to enter the house, he was unexpectedly blocked by Carter Song, who extended his hand to stop him.
"Uncle Song, what do you mean?" Alexander Xu asked with a cold face.
"It doesn't mean anything; we just don't welcome you," suddenly, Isla Song's mother, Lvy Wu, appeared. She looked at Alexander Xu with disgust, her voice sharp and sarcastic. "You, a murderer who just got out of prison, why don't you reflect on your actions at home? Why come to our house? If the neighbors see this, who knows what kind of stories they'll make up about our Song family!"
Listening to Lvy Wu's words, Alexander Xu was seething with anger, but he didn't lose his temper. Instead, he asked, "Auntie, Isla Song is my fiancée. Is it wrong for me to come and see her?"
"Furthermore, you keep saying I'm a murderer. Have you forgotten that I took the blame for Isla Song four years ago and went to prison on her behalf?"
"As a human being, you must have a conscience!"
"Hmph!" Lvy Wu snorted coldly. "You say you took the blame for Isla Song, but do you have any evidence? The fact is, four years ago, you killed someone, and it brought disgrace to our Song family. The engagement from back then is long null and void. You should let go of our Isla Song and pursue other girls!"
"Yes, Alexander Xu, please stop pestering our Isla." Carter Song chimed in at the right moment. "You have no money, no influence now, and you have a criminal record. Finding a job in the future will be difficult, and Isla Song won't have a happy life with you."
"A murderer who just got out of prison, dreaming of marrying my daughter? It's simply a joke!" Lvy Wu waved her hand dismissively, her face filled with gloom. "From now on, don't ever come to our house again. Just get lost!"
"To save your precious daughter, I gave up a promising career and suffered four years in prison," Alexander Xu retorted bitterly.
"Do you know how I spent those four years? In a pitch-black cell, with overwhelming loneliness and despair that you can never imagine."
"What kept me going was knowing that there was a woman waiting for me on the outside, waiting for me to marry her!"
"But now that I'm out, this is the result I get. It's truly laughable..."
Alexander Xu's body trembled slightly from anger, his fists clenched tightly, and his eyes were a fiery red, like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
Seeing this, Carter Song immediately assumed a defensive stance, keeping a close eye on Alexander Xu to prevent him from losing control and causing harm.
On the other hand, Lvy Wu discreetly took out her phone, ready to call the police at any moment.
However, just at that moment, a familiar voice sounded behind Alexander Xu, "No one forced you to take the blame for me back then; it was your own choice."
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