Hearing Li Ming's voice, Lin Xi looked down in confusion, only then noticing the physical change in his body!
Her fair cheeks suddenly flushed red, and she hastily moved away from his back.
"Li Ming! Are you teasing me?" Lin Xi planted her hands on her hips, pointing at him angrily.
"Hey! Heaven knows my innocence! You were the one who leaned on me—how is that me teasing you? I'm a young man in my prime—it's only natural to have some reactions!" Li Ming turned his back, covering the change in his body, his voice full of grievance.
"You!... I never realized you were this bad when we were kids!" Lin Xi shot him a fierce glare.
"Well, you said it yourself—that was when we were kids. Back then, who even understood this stuff?" Li Ming suppressed his excitement, calming down slightly before turning back to face her, a hint of awkwardness on his face.
"You pervert! Have fun by yourself—I'm leaving!"
With that, Lin Xi stormed out of the armory, leaving Li Ming behind.
Li Ming let out a bitter laugh, his earlier enthusiasm now gone. He grabbed a holster from the nearby rack, fastened it around his waist, and slid the pistol inside before leisurely strolling out of the armory.
"Warden, Deputy Warden Lin has already registered the firearm for you. You can take it with you now—just be careful with it!" The guard at the armory saluted him, her eyes brimming with curiosity.
Li Ming had long noticed that everyone in the prison—whether guards or inmates—stared at him as if he were some rare spectacle. He couldn’t understand it!
Sure, he was the only man in the prison, but it wasn’t like he was the only man in the world! Why were they all looking at him like that?
Unable to bear the female guard’s gaze any longer, Li Ming finally spoke up. "Hey, forget that I’m the warden for a second—can I ask you something?"
The guard seemed momentarily surprised but quickly composed herself, smiling warmly. "Of course, Warden! Ask away—I’ll tell you whatever I know."
"Ahem! So… ever since I arrived here, I’ve noticed everyone looks at me weirdly. Even if there aren’t other men in the prison, surely you’ve all seen men before—during breaks or before inmates got locked up. It can’t be that unusual, right?" Li Ming kept his voice low, afraid of being overheard.
"Heh! Warden, I can answer that, but you’ve got to promise not to tell anyone I told you," the guard chuckled, lowering her voice as well.
"Great! I won’t say a word. Just tell me what’s going on—I’m getting goosebumps from all the staring!" Li Ming urged impatiently.
"Well, Warden, before you arrived, Deputy Warden Lin told us that a new leader was coming—young, ridiculously handsome, fair-skinned, a former male model with an amazing physique! She encouraged all us single ladies to ‘seize the opportunity’ and win you over. So… that’s why everyone’s looking at you a little… differently. And the inmates? Word must’ve spread from someone, and now they all want to see what you look like too." The guard glanced around nervously, making sure no one was eavesdropping before relaxing.
"What?! Lin Xi—again! It’s always her!" Li Ming fumed. He should’ve guessed—without her encouragement, the guards wouldn’t dare stare at him so blatantly.
Gritting his teeth, Li Ming suppressed his anger. Revenge was a dish best served cold—he’d remember this.
Leaving the armory, he wandered aimlessly without Lin Xi to guide him.
The inmates were enjoying free time in the yard, basking in the sun and strolling after meals. Li Ming couldn’t help but think their prison life seemed pretty comfortable.
Walking along the chain-link fence bordering the yard, he moved closer to the inmates. Soon, some of them noticed him and began approaching.
Their gazes locked onto him with unsettling intensity, as if they wanted to pounce. Every step he took, the women inside the fence followed, their numbers swelling until it finally caught the attention of the guards.
A group of guards rushed into the yard, swiftly dispersing the gathering inmates.
"What’s going on here?! Everyone—on the ground, now!" a guard’s sharp voice rang out.
The inmates immediately dropped into a crouch, hands on their heads—but their eyes still flickered toward Li Ming.
Once the crowd of inmates had settled, the guards spotted Li Ming outside the fence and realized what had caused the commotion.
Wiping imaginary sweat from their brows, they saluted him.
"Good afternoon, Warden!"
"Yeah, it’s fine. Let them look—they’ll get bored eventually," Li Ming sighed.
What could he do? He couldn’t control where people’s eyes wandered.
"Understood, Warden!" The guards saluted again before withdrawing from the yard.
As long as the inmates weren’t causing trouble, their job was usually relaxed. But when things did go wrong, injuries—or worse—were inevitable.
Don’t underestimate female inmates—they could be just as vicious, if not more so, than men.
After making a full loop around the yard, letting the inmates get their fill of his "peerless beauty," Li Ming returned to his office.
Pushing open the door, he felt a chill at the sight of the empty room.
The previous warden had died here. Before, he hadn’t known—but now, the knowledge made his skin crawl.
Swallowing hard, Li Ming stripped the bedding from the bed and replaced it with his own from his luggage.
Only then did he feel slightly at ease, lying down to rest.
As the highest authority here, no one could dictate his schedule. He could clock out whenever he wanted.
Having woken up early, exhaustion soon overtook him, and he drifted off to sleep.
As dusk approached, a sharp knocking jolted him awake.
Bang bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
Li Ming’s eyes flew open, his mind still foggy as he stumbled to the door.
Lin Xi stood outside once again.
"Warden! Finally awake? Someone’s asking for you—clean yourself up and come with me!" She eyed his disheveled state with disapproval.
"Someone’s asking for me? Who?" Li Ming rubbed his face, baffled.
Who in this prison even knew him? He’d just arrived—how could anyone be looking for him already?
"It’s an inmate. She specifically demanded to see the warden—she wouldn’t even talk to me! Hurry up!" Lin Xi snapped impatiently.