November 2009, Bangkok International Court
The courtroom was brightly lit, the air so solemn and dignified it had nearly solidified.Amidst the silence, a slender woman slowly stood up and walked toward the witness stand. The crisp, lonely echo of her high heels striking the polished floor was firm and graceful with every step. However, under the gazes of the crowd, some sympathetic, some morbidly curious, the knuckles of her hands hanging at her sides were white from the force of her grip, trembling uncontrollably.In the defendant's dock, a man's eyes were fixed on her like a venomous snake, a gaze blending bone-deep hatred with ultimate fear.The judge's voice, solemn and cold, resonated through the courtroom: "Will the witness please state your real name and identity to the court."She took a deep breath, and the trembling in her fingertips miraculously subsided. When she finally lifted her head to look directly into those eyes from hell, her voice was clear and calm, yet powerful enough to shake the entire courtroom:"My original name is Chen Yu, the 'Yu' from 'universe,' and I was once... a male..."Before the words had even settled, time seemed to freeze, then shatter.Let us rewind to the summer of 1997—that hot, humid summer, filled with cheap hope and fatal temptation.