Rebirth: Different Way [(重生) 殊途]

Chapter 100

The first time Fang Luowei saw Shen Xi was at the door of Cell 302. When the guards brought him to the door of 302, the prisoners in the cell quickly stood up and looked at the guards beside him with ingratiating faces. At that time, Shen Xi, who stood up slowly leaning against the wall with an indifferent expression, undoubtedly looked very conspicuous.

To Fang Luowei's surprise, the guard ignored Shen Xi's behaviour, announced in an even tone that Fang Luowei would be a member of 302 and left. Fang Luowei stepped carefully into 302, facing the people in the cell cautiously and subconsciously avoiding Shen Xi. The guards' attitude towards Shen Xi made him keenly aware not to mess with him. He thought Shen Xi was a legendary prison overlord and the guards were turning a blind eye to him out of respect.

But soon afterwards he realised he was wrong. Shen Xi's behaviour was not a provocation to the guards. He was injured and would not have been able to stand up if he had not been holding onto the wall. Just before Fang Luowei arrived, Shen Xi had had a vicious fight with the prisoner next door. The guards' special treatment of Shen Xi was not out of respect but out of indifference. The guards had also suppressed the matter of Shen Xi's fight not long ago. And since there was no fight, there was no injury, so naturally Shen Xi could not find a reason to go to the infirmary to get medicine and could only grit his teeth and endure the pain on his own.

Shen Xi's story was nothing more than small gossip to Fang Luowei's ears. He overheard a few words during the evening meal and left it behind him. At the moment he was still trying to adjust to life in prison and had no desire to think about unrelated people.

On his first night in prison, Fang Luowei couldn't sleep. Not long ago, his grandparents were still by his side, he was still a signed singer, and although he was not doing well, he was at least working hard towards his dream. In less than a month's time, his only family members were forced to die, and he was so desperate that he stabbed the man who was to blame for their death. He was no longer Fang Luowei, but number 24897. He no longer was in that small house in Zhongjing, but behind bars, and if there were no accidents, this would be the place where he would live for the rest of his life. Fang Luowei thought about it bitterly, moving gently to turn over. His enemy was stabbed to death, and the hatred that had been etched in his body seemed to be gradually quelled with the death of that man. For a while in the small cell of the detention centre he had been in a trance, unsure of the meaning of his life, but at his most painful moments, he kept going relying on his grandfather's dying words.

"Xiao Wei, you must live well."

"Must live well." Fang Luowei murmured softly, cheering himself on for the long years to come.

A snicker sounded from below, and Fang Luowei rolled over to look. By the dim light from the corridor, Fang Luowei's gaze fell straight into a pair of cold, sneering eyes. He moved his lips to say something, but Shen Xi only gave him a cold glance and turned his head away. Fang Luowei didn't know when he drifted off to sleep, but Shen Xi's snort seemed to ring in his ears the whole time.

When he was sentenced to life imprisonment, Fang Luowei had already envisaged what life in prison would be like. He thought it would be tough, but he didn't expect it to be so tough, all because of this face of his. The first time he was blocked in the corner of the playground, Fang Luowei swung his fist. There was a second and a third time, until the fourth time, looking at the five men blocking his way, Fang Luowei clenched his fists. He wanted to live, but he had to live with dignity; he had his own bottom line and could not take a step back.

The result of the fight was obvious; he was no match for the opponents, so he could only grit his teeth and fight, hoping that the commotion would attract the attention of the others and someone would bring the guards. But to his despair, everyone who accidentally saw him left in a hurry with a scowl on their faces. No one was lending a hand, let alone call for the guards as he had hoped.