Chapter 579: Extra—Lu Yazhi

Chapter 579 Extra Story — Lu Yazhi

It was time for yard time again. Wearing the standard prison uniform, Lu Yazhi, her hands cuffed, walked behind the others, heading toward the yard.

The prison walls were impossibly high—so high that even when gazing into the distance, nothing could be seen beyond them, not even mountains. All she could do was look up at the blue sky and white clouds above.

A few small birds perched on the barbed wire fence, chirping before quickly flying away.

She stared in that direction for a long, long time, her eyes filled with longing and envy. The direction the birds flew was toward City A.

Several guards on watch stood not far away, keeping a close eye on the inmates moving around the yard. One of them held his gaze on Lu Yazhi for two seconds.

Even here, dressed in prison garb and makeup-free, Lu Yazhi remained beautiful and elegant.

Her neck was slender, her skin fair and smooth. A gentle breeze passed by, hinting at her curves hidden beneath the oversized prison uniform. Her delicate, fair fingers revealed a woman who had lived in luxury.

"What’s inmate 0247 in for? She doesn’t look like someone capable of heinous crimes. How did she end up with a death sentence?"

Another guard glanced toward the crowd. "Oh, her? What a shame. Trusting the wrong person can be devastating. The law is merciless..."

Their conversation wasn’t hushed, and Lu Yazhi heard every word.

Three years ago, at Zuo Shangdang’s insistence, she had gradually started doing housework, learning to shop for groceries and cook. But it’s easier to go from frugality to luxury than the other way around. A woman who had been pampered and cherished by Zuo Shangdang her entire life suddenly found herself living in hardship in middle age.

Food, drink, clothing, shelter, and daily necessities—everything went from luxury to misery.

Zuo Shangdang was not only tight with money but also made her work.

If it were just about enduring worse food and clothing, she could have managed. But he made her do chores—something she had never suffered through in her life. Lighting the coal stove, smoke stung her eyes, making it hard to even open them. Cooking a meal, from shopping for ingredients to serving it, took two to three hours of continuous labor. Three meals a day, plus laundry and other chores—it felt like there was never a moment to rest. She couldn’t take it anymore.

She knew Shang Dang loved her, but she truly couldn’t endure that kind of hardship. Besides, Zuo Shangdang was busy all day scraping by, coming back only to eat and sleep. It had been so long since he last tried to make her happy.

With no way to vent her frustration, when Huang Guangming hit on her at the bathhouse entrance, lavishing praise on her, her heart fluttered.

Huang Guangming was handsome, generous, and knew how to sweet-talk—just like the charismatic and ambitious Zuo Shangdang of the past.

She loved Zuo Shangdang—the man who had protected her, kept her worry-free, and provided her with luxury. But now he had changed. He no longer deserved her love.

Money troubles ruin marriages. After one particularly bitter argument, Lu Yazhi took off with Huang Guangming without hesitation, heading south.

Huang Guangming was a capable and charming man. He took her to many places, bought her gifts, and promised her big money.

Lu Yazhi found happiness again. She was out in the open with Huang Guangming, listening as people respectfully called her "sister-in-law." She was no longer the hidden mistress she had been with Zuo Shangdang—now, she was out in the open.

She accompanied Huang Guangming to dance halls, wearing fancy dresses, dining at expensive restaurants. He even helped her with paperwork, taking her abroad for trips and business.

Making money was so easy—hundreds at a time. She fantasized about returning to City A, throwing a hefty bag of cash in Zuo Shangdang’s face, and sneering, "See? Earning money is easy! If you couldn’t make any, it’s because you’re incompetent—not because I dragged you down!"

She still cared about Zuo Shangdang, but that man had accused her of not knowing how to live, of crying over every little thing. Lu Yazhi couldn’t take it anymore. She had envied Hou Li her entire life and hated being constantly compared to her.

But the good times didn’t last. During one customs inspection, she was stopped.

"Hey, you—come here."

Lu Yazhi complied without protest. Her eyes were bright and lively, her demeanor relaxed. She had gone through customs several times before and had seen others get pulled aside—it was just a routine luggage check.

The uniformed officer asked her a few simple questions: where she was from and what she had been doing.

Lu Yazhi answered everything with ease.

Until the customs officer opened her suitcase and pulled out an object wrapped in yellow adhesive tape from a hidden compartment, his face hardened.

"What is this?"

Lu Yazhi blinked in confusion. "I don’t know. I was just helping someone carry it."

The officer used a utility knife to peel open the tape, revealing foil inside. Carefully unwrapping it, Lu Yazhi caught a sharp, vinegary stench.

Before she could react, several people surrounded her, grabbing her arms and marching her to a back office.

They barked at her to stay put. Lu Yazhi didn’t understand, but having run with Huang Guangming, she knew how things worked. He always said that to achieve great things, the first rule was to keep your cool.

She didn’t know what was going on, but she wasn’t afraid. She believed the authorities would investigate and clear her name.

It was just helping someone carry something, right? Worst case, she’d cough up a fine.

Soon, a junior officer emerged holding a report, followed by members of the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Departments. Their expressions were ice-cold as they demanded her full cooperation and a thorough explanation.

Lu Yazhi protested her innocence. None of this was hers—she was just helping someone. What was there to explain?

Then a short-haired female officer arrived, explaining the severity of the situation and citing national law: smuggling or transporting 50 grams of heroin warranted the death penalty.

Her suitcase contained over 1.8 kilograms of heroin. If her contacts—suppliers or recipients—weren’t quickly identified, she would bear full responsibility for the crime—even if she didn't know.

Lu Yazhi eyed the officer skeptically. Stop trying to scare me! She had already said it wasn’t hers—she was innocent.

Mimicking Huang Guangming’s tactics, she played dumb and evasive.

But once she grasped the reality, she trembled uncontrollably, shrieking like a cornered animal, "I’ll tell you whatever you want! Go find them! I’m innocent—I really didn’t know anything! I just helped carry things a few times. This was the third time. I had no idea! They said their clients couldn’t travel abroad easily and asked me to buy things for them. I didn’t know! They just paid me a few hundred each time for the trouble."

But it was too late. Over forty minutes had passed. The person meant to receive her had vanished forever after losing contact for half an hour.

Every interrogation left Lu Yazhi sobbing in terror. She was scared out of her wits.

The officers informed her that she would likely face the death penalty for large-scale drug smuggling, as sentenced by the Fangchenggang Intermediate People’s Court, with lifelong deprivation of political rights.

After the court’s initial verdict, the officers urged her to contact family. But who did she have left?

At that moment, the only person Lu Yazhi could think of was the pathetic Zuo Shangdang, the man she had abandoned.

She pleaded with the officers to reach out to A City. After considerable effort, they finally contacted Zuo Shangdang. She wanted to see him—she was so scared. She longed to bury herself in his arms again, just like before, safe from the world’s cruelty.

Deep down, Lu Yazhi knew: if there was one person in this world who’d loved her through hell and back, it was Zuo Shangdang.

The Zuo Shangdang who grew up with her.

The Zuo Shangdang who’d squared his shoulders against her bullies.

The Zuo Shangdang who wriggled through a damn dog door to bring her bread when she and her mother were locked up and denied food.

The Zuo Shangdang who, during turbulent times, sacrificed his dignity to marry Hou Li—a woman he didn’t love—just to protect her, condemning her to a life in hiding.

The Zuo Shangdang who sheltered her like some hothouse orchid, leaving her naive to the world.

Lu Yazhi lifted her head, staring desperately toward A City. She wanted to see him one last time. (Legal note: 50 grams of heroin—regardless of purity—warrants the death penalty. For example, 10 grams of drugs mixed with 40 grams of powdered milk counts as 50 grams. Never carry items for others unknowingly. If caught transporting drugs, fully cooperate with authorities within 30 minutes to help apprehend suppliers/recipients. Otherwise, you bear full responsibility—ignorance is no defense. The law shows no mercy!)