With a scowl on her face, Alina crossed her arms like a boss about to scold her employee for arriving too late. "It's been two weeks since your release and not a word or a call received from you! Where have you been?" She asked after pulling her friend to the private room.

"Its… complicated." Yan Xiaoran said. Her tone was filled with guilt before her eyes flashed, "But how did you know that? Even I was shocked and was only told a day before I was actually released."

Yan Xiaoran only got the news of her release a day before her actual release. At that time, she couldn't believe the news and thought it was a prank played by the Zhao's and it was until she was out of the gate of Qinglu prison did she believe.

"Duh! We once shared the same room in the prison and I stayed longer than you. So, it's only natural that I have an informant inside the prison." Alina rolled her eyes.

When Yan Xiaoran was sent to prison, she thought that it was the end of her. Her mother left her alone and let her own daughter take her crime for her, her step-sister framed her up for attempted murder that was in truth planned by her mother to kill Zhao Shuxin.

Yan Xiaoran was overwhelmed with shock and disbelief that the two people by her side would use her. She didn't know how to fight back and she was utterly alone. Her friends who claimed to stay by her side, abandoned her while no one cared to listen to her side of the story.

Helpless and frightened, Yan Xiaoran won't deny that she let other people step on her.

Even inside the prison, the other convicts and police officers would belittle her and bully her. At that time, she thought that there was no hope at all and it was better to end her life until Alina appeared in her life.

Like Yan Xiaoran, Alina was an ex-convict and was sentenced to seven years-long imprisonments. And by the time Yan Xiaoran arrived in the prison, Alina was already destined to be released a year after. However, that didn't stop the fact that the two became each other's pillar.

Like two kindred souls, they became sisters by oath and decided that when they got out of the prison, they won't forget the sisterhood they shared behind bars.

"Anyway, what's with that filthy bitch outside?" Alina asked after she sat on the couch, "So early in the morning and my eardrums busted just after hearing a word coming out of her mouth." She commented and frowned even more when she remembered how Zhao Liuyin arrogantly spoke in front of her.

"God! She's worse than Gao Yan!" She added.

Yan Xiaoran laughed at how she compared Zhao Liuyin to one of the loud convicts and sat beside her, running a hand through her hair, "Let her be. She's always like that even when I was staying in the Zhao mansion."

Alina's eyes softened as she put her hand on top of her friend's hand, "Don't worry, she won't be able to act like that when she sees you next time."

"I doubt that." Yan Xiaoran meekly said while she raised her trembling hand, "I'm still shaking when I see them. I'm still weak, poor, and alone."

"Hush now, lady. You're not weak or alone, I'm here with you." Sighing, Alina looked at her eyes, "As for being poor... Don't worry about that I've got that covered."

"What do you mean?" Yan Xiaoran creased her eyebrows.

"Hehe…" Alina flashed her a brilliant smile that looked extremely creepy and wicked.

A realization hit Yan Xiaoran as she gasped before saying loudly, "Oh my god… Alina did you hack the government Intel again?!"

Alina put a finger on her lip and sharply, "Shh! Do you want the staff to hear us? And no, I didn't hack the government intel again."

As Yan Xiaoran released a sigh, she suddenly heard her friend continuing, "But I did hack a tycoon's bank account."

…

Yan Xiaoran circled the desk table for the fifth time. "Alina! Come back here!"

They've been chasing and running from each other, rounding the whole private room like children playing tag till they're panting.

"No, I'm not returning it!" Alina said as she made her way behind the couch as Yan Xiaoran stood across her, "I earned this money with my effort. I'm not returning it!"

"Are you kidding me?! You stole that money from someone. It's only natural for you to return it!"

"Xiaoran, your logic is twisted in the wrong way. "I stole it so I can spend it, not return it!" Alina retorted and stuck her tongue out to her.

Yan Xiaoran narrowed her eyes at her friend. She was practically taking deep breaths to force herself to calm down and regulate her breathing.

"This boutique... Did it come from the money you stole too?" Yan Xiaoran asked.

Alina only shrugged and didn't answer her question.

Yan Xiaoran looked at the ceiling, her blood pressure was slowly rising and she could hear a sound of breaking inside her head.

Seeing her friend was about to blow like a volcano, Alina tried to defend herself, "Look, the money I stole isn't even half of that tycoon's money so I'm sure it won't hurt him that much. Besides, I made sure I didn't leave any traces this time around."

Yan Xiaoran sat on the couch with a thud. Her eyes already lost all hope for her friend to change her life. The only thing that was left was the fear that something might happen to her friend when that tycoon finds her.

Looking at her friend pouting like a child, Yan Xiaoran couldn't stay angry at her. She chuckled and shook her head as she said, "Let's get this right, I'm not going to help you if you get caught by that tycoon you stole from and I won't help you hide from him either."

Alina didn't believe her words but still obediently nodded her head. She was happy that Yan Xiaoran was finally agreeing to her method and welcomed the dark side.

Alina giggled at that thought and suddenly asked while wiggling her eyebrows "But you will spend it with me right?"

Yan Xiaoran glared at her, "I swear I'm going to roast you alive someday."