Tan Chengcheng's voice came through the phone, but it was just a prerecorded ringtone.
The ringtone played until the very end. Just as Li Ming and Tan Qingqing thought Tan Chengcheng might be asleep and wouldn’t answer, a pleasant voice suddenly came through the phone.
"Hello? Is that Qingqing?" Tan Chengcheng's voice rang out, instantly lifting Li Ming's spirits—she had picked up!
"Sis... it's me!"
Hearing her sister's voice, Tan Qingqing burst into tears, her longing to escape overwhelming her.
"Qingqing! How are you? Have they hurt you? Don’t worry, no matter what, I’ll get you out of there. Please, don’t cry!" Tan Chengcheng's voice trembled with emotion on the other end of the line.
Since childhood, the two sisters had relied on each other, inseparable—working side by side, starting businesses together, earning money together. But now, they were worlds apart, with Tan Qingqing locked behind bars. Not a single day passed without Tan Chengcheng worrying.
"Sis! I... I'm okay! Don’t... don’t worry about me! But... but I really want to get out... Sis, I miss you so much..."
Tan Qingqing sobbed uncontrollably, her words broken by gasps.
"Qingqing, just hold on a little longer. Today, I went to see Zhang Wenhai, but... it didn’t go well. I’m still trying to find other ways. If... if I really can’t find anyone else to help... then I’ll go back and beg Zhang Wenhai again! He’s the head of the prison administration—he can definitely get you out. Qingqing, trust me! I will never, ever give up on you!" Tan Chengcheng vowed with conviction.
"Sis... what conditions did Zhang Wenhai demand? Tell me!" Tan Qingqing knew her sister too well—if the terms weren’t unbearably harsh, Tan Chengcheng would have agreed without hesitation.
"Don’t ask... just wait for me, okay? I refuse to believe that even if we spend every last penny, we can’t get you out. Even Zhang Wenhai—with our wealth, he might still be tempted!" Tan Chengcheng dodged the question, as if hiding something.
"Sis! He doesn’t just want money, does he? Is it... is it that he wants you?"
From her sister’s reaction, Tan Qingqing instantly understood. They had nothing else to offer besides money and their bodies. If money alone couldn’t solve this, then he must want both.
"I know what I’m doing... don’t worry! If it really comes to that, so what if he wants me for a few days? If it means getting you back, I... I’ll do anything..."
Tan Chengcheng’s voice grew heavier. After returning from Jade Tower, she had reached out to many people—those so-called "powerful figures" who had once boasted about their connections. But now, they had all turned into cowards, claiming they couldn’t help. Some even suggested she go straight to Zhang Wenhai!
It made Tan Chengcheng so furious she felt like her menstrual cycle would go out of whack!
"Sis! No! You can’t do that! Zhang Wenhai is definitely lying to you. What if he takes advantage of you and then doesn’t keep his word? You’ll just fall into his trap! We can lose money, but not your body!"
Hearing her sister’s words, Tan Qingqing panicked, forgetting her own dire situation as she desperately tried to dissuade her.
"Then what else can we do? Let you rot in prison for 25 years? You’re still so young, but what about after 25 years? Your whole life would be ruined behind bars! How could I bear that?"
Tan Chengcheng finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably over the phone.
Listening to her sister’s cries, Tan Qingqing felt a chill run through her. Despair washed over her, but then she looked up at Li Ming and suddenly smiled, resigned. Picking up the phone again, she spoke calmly.
"Maybe... just forget it. Prison... isn’t so bad. The warden here is actually quite handsome, the food isn’t terrible, and I even have my own cell! The work is a bit tiring, but I’m getting used to it. In another week or two, I’ll be fully adjusted. So... maybe I should just stay. Sis, please don’t let him trick you—it won’t work!"
Tan Qingqing was eerily composed. If Zhang Wenhai only wanted money, that would be one thing. But if he wanted her sister’s body, she’d rather stay in prison forever than let her beloved sister be defiled by that wolf in sheep’s clothing.
"Qingqing, it’s all my fault for not stopping you! If we had quit earlier, maybe none of this would’ve happened..." Tan Chengcheng pounded her chest in regret, but it was too late for remorse.
"Enough, Sis. Just remember what I said—don’t let Zhang Wenhai fool you. Come visit me when you can. I’m... fine here."
Tan Qingqing bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry again. She couldn’t let her sister throw herself away for nothing.
"I won’t give up. I’ll keep trying to get you out. Qingqing, wait for me!" Tan Chengcheng cried out.
Li Ming had been silently listening to their emotional exchange, piecing together the whole story in his mind.
Now everything was clear. Tan Chengcheng wanted to save her sister and had turned to Zhang Wenhai, who demanded her body in return. But even if she agreed, with Li Ming here, Zhang Wenhai had no power to intervene.
After a moment’s thought, Li Ming decided to offer a word of caution.
"Tan Chengcheng, I’m the warden of Black Mountain Prison. I’ve heard your entire conversation. Normally, I wouldn’t bother telling you this, but it’d be a shame if Zhang Wenhai took advantage of you for nothing."
"Let me make this clear—even if Zhang Wenhai stood right in front of me, he couldn’t save your sister, Tan Qingqing. Prison isn’t a lawless zone. If you commit a crime, you serve time. Trying to pull her out is impossible! Don’t waste your effort. Without my approval, no one takes her away!"
"Not even Zhang Wenhai, some mid-level administrator, can override me. And even his superiors wouldn’t have a say here. So save yourself the trouble."
Li Ming’s voice carried through the phone, freezing Tan Chengcheng in place.
"You... you’re the warden?" Tan Chengcheng asked, stunned.
"That’s right. Otherwise, do you think Tan Qingqing would’ve been allowed to talk to you for so long? I’ve said my piece. You don’t have to believe me—go ahead and keep trying your connections. But in the end, you’ll only be disappointed."
Li Ming genuinely didn’t want to see the beautiful woman he’d met earlier fall victim to Zhang Wenhai’s schemes. But he wouldn’t push further—whether she believed him was up to her.
"I believe you! Warden... you sound... quite young?" A sudden glimmer of hope flashed in Tan Chengcheng’s eyes as she tested the waters.
"Well... relatively young, yes. Why?" Li Ming was puzzled. They were discussing something serious—what did his age have to do with anything?
"Warden, let’s speak plainly. Someone as young as you, holding such a position—you must have powerful backing. I have a bold request. Please, help me! Name your terms—anything I have, I’ll give!"
...
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
