In the midst of Tan Qingqing's resentment, Xia Hong showed no courtesy, carefully opening and examining everything to confirm there were no issues before nodding to Li Ming. Then, she marked a check on Tan Qingqing's file.
Having passed this hurdle, both Li Ming and Tan Qingqing let out a sigh of relief.
Tan Qingqing finally pulled the nearby clothes back over herself, covering the exposed glimpses of her skin. There was a time when she could never have imagined that this flimsy prison uniform would bring her such a profound sense of security.
At this moment, her heart was overwhelmed with grievance, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. But this was a prison—no one would cater to her fragile emotions. After the inspection was completed, Li Ming instructed the guard at the door to escort Tan Qingqing back to the cell block, specifically arranging for her to be placed in a solitary cell.
Seeing that Li Ming didn’t go back on his word, Tan Qingqing felt slightly better. With one last lingering, resentful glance at Li Ming, she followed the guard away.
Having resolved matters here, Li Ming was mentally and physically exhausted, but he couldn’t rest yet.
Wang Keyan was still waiting for him. This girl wasn’t a prisoner and had to be handled with care—especially since he still owed Wang Xin a favor.
Thinking of this, Li Ming quickly sought out the deputy warden to ask where Wang Keyan had been placed.
Before long, Li Ming arrived outside the guest room where Wang Keyan was staying.
He knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
After a long pause, the door finally opened.
Wang Keyan, dressed in cartoon-themed pajamas, shyly pulled the door open.
Her hair was still damp, clearly fresh from a shower and not yet dried.
When she saw it was Li Ming, her face flushed, and she stepped aside to let him in.
"Brother Li, you’re done! When can I see my mom? I miss her so much!" The thought of her mother, Wang Xin, being in this very prison yet out of reach made Wang Keyan’s heart ache with sadness, tears falling uncontrollably.
"Hey, don’t cry! Get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll arrange for you to see her tomorrow. It’s lights-out for the prisoners now, so it’s not the right time. I promise you’ll see her tomorrow!" Seeing Wang Keyan cry so hard, Li Ming flustered—this wasn’t like dealing with Tan Qingqing. If this girl cried, she needed to be comforted!
But Li Ming had no idea how to comfort a child. Though Wang Keyan was only a few years younger than him, in his eyes, she was still just a kid. All he could do was gently stroke her hair, hoping it would help.
To his surprise, the moment his hand touched her head, Wang Keyan instantly stopped crying. Her face turned bright red, and her body stiffened!
What shocked Li Ming even more was that he could see her body temperature rising—the damp strands of her hair were practically steaming from the heat. The bizarre sight left Li Ming gaping in disbelief.
"K-Keyan… are you running a fever?? Your face is so red!" Li Ming asked in astonishment, instinctively pressing his palm to her forehead.
But before he could hold it there for even a second, an embarrassed and flustered Wang Keyan swatted his hand away.
"Ah! Brother Li! I-I’m not sick! You… you sit down first! I-I need to dry my hair!" With that, she dashed into the bathroom like a startled rabbit, leaving a bewildered Li Ming staring blankly at the closed door.
After what felt like an eternity—long enough for Li Ming, sitting idly, to nearly doze off—Wang Keyan finally emerged from the bathroom.
But the Wang Keyan who stepped out was now wearing an entirely different outfit!
Gone were the cartoon pajamas. Instead, she was dressed head-to-toe in a JK uniform—a creamy white blouse with a blue-and-white striped necktie, paired with a pleated plaid skirt in red and black, the hem stopping just above her knees, radiating youthful charm.
Her feet were bare, toes curling slightly against the floor as she walked step by step toward Li Ming.
She had noticed before how Li Ming’s gaze would unconsciously linger on her feet. This time, she deliberately went barefoot, putting herself on full display for him to admire.
And Li Ming didn’t disappoint. Watching Wang Keyan approach, he swallowed hard.
He really wanted to ask her if she had any idea how lethal this outfit was. And she wasn’t even wearing shoes!
Was this some kind of test for a man’s willpower?
Li Ming suddenly felt tense. Had he misjudged her? Wang Keyan wasn’t a child anymore—this outfit reminded him that she was already 20, a full-grown adult.
"Brother Li… do I look good in this?" Wang Keyan asked shyly.
"You look great! But why…?" Li Ming probed cautiously.
Was this girl still carrying a torch for him? Was this another attempt to launch an offensive?
"Brother Li! I’m seeing Mom tomorrow, and I want to wear this so she knows I’m doing well and won’t worry. So I wanted you to check if this outfit works." Wang Keyan pressed her lips together in a small smile. Seeing how flustered Li Ming was, she knew her choice had hit the mark—he definitely liked it.
"Oh! Hahaha! Yeah, it’s perfect! Wear this tomorrow. Your mom will be thrilled to see her beautiful daughter looking so lovely—she’ll be so proud." Li Ming exhaled inwardly, unsure whether he felt disappointment or relief.
"Hehe! That’s good! Thank you, Brother Li! I don’t even know how to repay you!" Wang Keyan was genuinely grateful. Li Ming had appeared in her life like a ray of light, bringing her to see her mother—like some fated hero arriving on a rainbow cloud.
"No need for repayment. As the warden, helping your mom is just a small favor. It’s nothing, really—just a side thing. Don’t overthink it." Li Ming waved it off. In his mind, Wang Keyan didn’t need to repay him—Wang Xin had already settled that debt in advance.
Wang Keyan shook her head. To her, Li Ming was simply a selfless, kind-hearted man who asked for nothing in return. But she would find a way to repay him.
Just as she was about to say more, she suddenly felt his gaze drift back to her feet. A small smile curved her lips—she already had an idea.
"The floor’s cold, Keyan. You should put on some shoes." Though the sight of her delicate, pink feet was undeniably appealing, Li Ming couldn’t help but voice his concern.
"Mmm… Brother Li, it is a little cold. Maybe… you could warm them up for me?" Wang Keyan’s face flushed again as she avoided his eyes, speaking in a near whisper.
"Eh???"
Li Ming wondered if he’d misheard. Warm them up? How was that supposed to work? This… this wasn’t appropriate!
"Keyan… you… uh…" Li Ming scratched his head, at a loss for words.
"Brother Li…" Wang Keyan steeled herself. If Li Ming liked it, why should she be shy? He was surrounded by beautiful women—even Deputy Warden Lin Xi had been looking at him differently earlier!
Strike first, or lose your chance! With newfound determination flashing in her eyes, Wang Keyan made her move…