This is cleaner

Lin Xi went on to tell Li Ming about some strange incidents that had happened in the prison before, and she specifically reminded him to discuss any unusual situations with her first. If things became too much to handle, he could then inform her father—or Li Ming's own dad.

However, Li Ming had no intention of contacting his father for now. He wasn’t a child anymore—how could he run home to his parents every time he faced hardship outside?

The two chatted for over an hour until Li Ming’s eyelids grew heavy. Only then did he bid Lin Xi farewell and return to his office. Too tired to even wash up, he lay down on the bed and soon drifted into steady, even breaths.

The next morning…

Today, Li Ming woke up naturally. Lin Xi didn’t come to rouse him—perhaps still feeling awkward after accidentally seeing him in an exposed state last time. Li Ming was more than happy to enjoy a good, uninterrupted sleep.

After washing up, he checked the time and headed straight to Wang Keyan’s quarters. Today’s main task was arranging the meeting between her and her mother.

When he arrived at Wang Keyan’s door, it was open. He stepped inside but didn’t see her. Puzzled, he asked a guard outside and learned that she had gone to the cafeteria with the second-in-command officer for breakfast.

Since Li Ming was hungry too, he made his way to the cafeteria.

There, he immediately spotted Wang Keyan, still wearing the same "ik" outfit from the night before. Seated at her table were not only the second-in-command officer but also—surprisingly—Lin Xi.

As soon as Li Ming appeared at the cafeteria entrance, Lin Xi noticed him and waved him over.

"Look who’s here—the warden himself! Come join us! This table’s got a pretty girl, so the food tastes better!" Lin Xi’s voice carried across the cafeteria, drawing amused glances from the other officers.

"Ahem! What nonsense…" Li Ming’s face flushed slightly as he quickly took a seat.

Wang Keyan couldn’t help but smile at his flustered reaction.

"Pfft. Keyan just told us all about it—how you heroically saved the day, traveling far and wide to reunite her with the mother she’s been longing for. That’s amazing! If I were the warden, I’d give you a commendation. Too bad I’m just the deputy… Guess you’ll have to award yourself one!" Lin Xi shrugged, teasing him deliberately.

"Uh… So you all know already. It’s nothing special, just part of the job. Let’s eat!" Li Ming sighed inwardly—Wang Keyan had spilled everything to them. He had no choice but to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Sorry, Brother Li… I didn’t ask before telling them…" Wang Keyan lowered her head, looking guilty.

"Hey, no need to apologize to him. It’s nothing embarrassing," Lin Xi cut in, waving her hand dismissively.

"Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal. Keyan, eat up—you barely had anything yesterday. You must be starving. After this, I’ll arrange for you to meet your mother." Li Ming took the bowl handed to him by the officer from the first block and dug in.

"Ladies, take notes! If you’re looking for a boyfriend, our warden here is the standard—thoughtful, attentive, the whole package. Better yet, just aim for the warden himself—skip the middleman!" Lin Xi’s remark sparked laughter and cheers from the surrounding officers.

Li Ming kept his head down, speeding up his eating as if to escape the conversation.

Meanwhile, Wang Keyan’s cheeks turned pink. She took Lin Xi’s words to heart, stealing a glance at Li Ming before quickly looking away.

After wolfing down his meal—only about 60% full—Li Ming stood up first, giving Wang Keyan a meaningful look before leaving the cafeteria.

Wang Keyan followed closely behind, her hands fidgeting nervously as she stole glances at his back.

Sensing her unease, Li Ming reassured her softly.

"Keyan, don’t worry. I’m taking you to the counseling room now. Your mother will be there soon. Just relax."

Wang Keyan nodded. "Brother Li… I’m just scared. My mother and I were separated when I was very young. If not for an old photo of her, I wouldn’t even remember what she looked like. Now that we’re about to meet… I’m afraid she won’t be the way I imagined…"

"Silly girl. No matter how different she is from what you pictured, she’s still your mother—the woman who’s spent 13 years in prison worrying about you, missing you every single day. Don’t stress over it. Once you see her, all these worries will disappear."

"Come on, let’s hurry. The sooner you meet her, the sooner these anxieties will vanish." Li Ming smiled gently and quickened his pace.

At the counseling room, Li Ming had Wang Keyan wait while he and the second-in-command officer went to retrieve Wang Xin from the second block.

After passing through multiple security checkpoints, Li Ming finally stood outside Wang Xin’s cell.

Without needing instruction, the officer swiftly unlocked the door.

Wang Xin’s cell housed six inmates. She glanced at the digital clock on the wall—it wasn’t time for yard access yet. Why was the door opening?

The other prisoners stared curiously until they saw Li Ming.

"Warden!" they greeted in surprise. Only Wang Xin wore an expression torn between hope and dread—fearing bad news but also fearing no news at all.

Ever since her last meeting with Li Ming, she had been stuck in this emotional limbo. Over the past few days, she had lost weight from the stress.

"Mm. Hello. Wang Xin, come with me," Li Ming said simply.

"Y-yes, Warden!" Wang Xin stepped out eagerly, and the officer locked the cell behind her.

"Warden… Why did you call me…?" she asked nervously.

"Follow me. What we discussed last time—I’ve taken care of it. Let’s go to the counseling room." Li Ming deliberately withheld the fact that Wang Keyan was already waiting there, planning to surprise her.

But Wang Xin’s mind raced with anxiety. Was he… thirsty again?

After days without contact, another trip to the counseling room could only mean one thing—he needed her to "help" him once more. There was no way he had already looked into her daughter’s situation in such a short time.

Steeling herself, Wang Xin resolved to give it her all this time. If he didn’t mind, she’d offer him everything—anything to secure his help.

In this prison, he was the only man around. If she wanted to trade her body for something, he was her only option. She couldn’t afford to miss this chance. If she failed to satisfy him, she might never learn about her daughter again.

"Warden… Could we stop by the medical room first? I’d like to freshen up… It’d be cleaner that way…" Wang Xin whispered near his ear.

…