Chen Pingchuan's hand slowly rested on the doorknob and gave it a gentle push. The door to the room opened without any resistance.
This unexpected development stunned him, filling his mind with doubt. The door to the room holding the female prisoners—a cell door, really—was actually unlocked.
The slight creak of the door startled the woman huddled in the corner. Like a frightened fledgling, she curled her body tightly into a ball, as if only that cramped space could offer her a pathetic sense of security.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person. You're free now!"
Chen Pingchuan tried hard to make his tone sound relaxed, but his heart felt as if it were weighed down by a massive boulder, and each word he spoke felt incredibly heavy.
The woman in the corner slightly lifted her head, her gaze falling on Chen Pingchuan. The moment she saw his face, her eyes, once as lifeless as stagnant water, seemed to ripple as if a small stone had been tossed into them.
