Above

Xia Hong suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing Li Ming’s cursing.

Perhaps this was what drew her to Li Ming—unlike that man, who was always so serious and wore a hypocritical mask.

When she was with Li Ming, even though his eyes constantly roamed over her body, especially her legs, she felt comfortable around him. It didn’t feel like an intrusion; instead, it made her feel appreciated, boosting her confidence and pride.

Aside from his slightly lecherous tendencies, she had been quite interested in him during their few meetings. But alas… such a good man belonged to Lin Xi… She couldn’t steal him away…

"Alright, alright, enough of that. You haven’t even finished your meal—go ahead and eat," Xia Hong said with a smile, shaking off her earlier sorrow.

She gently pulled her hand free from Li Ming’s tight grip, her palm damp with sweat from being held so firmly.

Seeing Xia Hong return to her usual self, Li Ming let out a relieved sigh.

He hadn’t realized she carried so much pain in her heart. He wondered how she had managed all these years alone.

"Hong-jie, I’m just glad you’re okay. I much prefer seeing you smile—you’re absolutely stunning!" Li Ming’s sweet talk flowed effortlessly.

Xia Hong wiped away her tear-streaked face and shot him a coquettish glare when he complimented her again.

"So after that, Hong-jie, you just gave up and ended up at our prison?" Li Ming asked.

"Mm. Pretty much. After I quit surgery, I wanted a quieter job, so fate brought me here. It used to be really dull, but ever since you arrived, the prison doesn’t feel as boring anymore," Xia Hong replied calmly, her emotions now subdued.

"Oh! Then I should thank that ungrateful bastard! Otherwise, where else would I have met such a beautiful, gentle, and virtuous beauty like Dr. Xia Hong? Hahaha!" Li Ming teased.

"Just eat already, stop fooling around! I’m leaving… My eyes are all swollen from crying. I need to go freshen up. See you later~"

Xia Hong didn’t wait for Li Ming’s playful retorts. Without a mirror, she couldn’t see how she looked, and she didn’t want anyone to see her in such a state. So she hurried off to the infirmary to tidy herself up.

With Xia Hong gone, Li Ming turned his attention back to his plate of fried rice.

His mind, however, drifted back to their intimate moment in the kitchen earlier.

Xia Hong’s figure was as incredible as ever—how did she maintain it? Every curve was in the right place, and even without makeup, her natural beauty was breathtaking. Sometimes, just a fleeting glance from her made him feel like the seductive Xia Hong was deliberately teasing him!

When he had set her down earlier, he’d rushed out of the kitchen to hide his own… reaction.

A true enchantress, especially with those gold-rimmed glasses!

She really knew how to bewitch a man…

After polishing off the fried rice, Li Ming made his usual rounds through the prison blocks.

It was still a workday, so the blocks were empty as usual.

He stopped by Tan Qingqing and Wang Xin’s cell, where the two sat facing each other.

Peering through the cell’s observation window, he saw Tan Qingqing still looking utterly despondent, as if she hadn’t accepted reality yet. Her once-pristine face was now smudged and darkened, likely from countless tears.

Wang Xin, on the other hand, grinned at Li Ming’s appearance.

"Oh! Warden’s back! Any new orders for us~?"

Hearing Wang Xin’s voice, Tan Qingqing immediately turned toward the cell door. Spotting Li Ming, she scrambled to her feet and pleaded,

"Warden… please, you have to help me… I’ll do anything! Anything at all! Warden…!"

Li Ming cut her off with a wave before she could finish.

"Tan Qingqing, I can’t help you. I’ve made myself clear. You’d be better off accepting your situation—otherwise, you’ll only suffer more the longer you stay here."

Tan Qingqing bit her lip hard, her face ashen.

"Little sister, prison isn’t so bad once you get used to it. You’re new here, but after a while, it’s not so terrible. Take me… over a decade just flew by."

Wang Xin continued cheerfully, unfazed by Tan Qingqing’s silence.

"When I first got here, I was even younger than you, just as scared and lost. But after a month or two in the workshop, you’re too exhausted to think about anything else. Eventually, you adjust. No one’s bullying you now—what’s the point of resisting? You’ll have to accept it sooner or later…"

"And honestly, ever since our brilliant warden took over, this place has improved a hundred times over~" Wang Xin added, throwing Li Ming a flirtatious wink.

Normally, Wang Xin’s flirting wouldn’t faze him, but Li Ming’s guilty conscience made him tense up instantly.

He quickly changed the subject.

"Ahem! The prison organizes plenty of activities. If you behave well and participate, I can even apply for sentence reductions for you!"

"There’s a group dance competition coming up soon. If you’re interested, I can sign you up. A 25-year sentence might seem long, but with good behavior and active participation, you could get out years earlier."

Tan Qingqing remained unmoved. None of it mattered—no amount of "getting used to it" or "sentence reductions" would help. She didn’t want to spend a single extra day in this sunless hellhole…

Seeing her stubborn silence, Li Ming sighed and turned to Wang Xin.

"Keep an eye on her. Talk to her—you’ve got experience. If anything comes up, have the guards contact me."

Wang Xin nodded eagerly. Thanks to Li Ming, she was still comfortably full. Of course she’d obey him—though this girl would be hard to convince unless she was thoroughly crushed and resigned to her fate.

After leaving Block B, Li Ming swung by the workshop area. Everything was running smoothly, so he headed back to his office.

Not long after settling in, a knock sounded at his door.

Knock knock knock!

Li Ming opened it to find Lin Xi standing there, holding her phone with an ongoing call displayed on the screen. Confused, he wondered what this was about.

Lin Xi first gave him a meaningful look, then adopted a formal tone.

"Reporting to the Warden! There’s a call from higher-ups—Director Zhang from the Management Bureau! He says he needs to speak with you. Here’s the phone."

Hearing "Director Zhang," Li Ming immediately understood—it must be Zhang Wenhai! Before he could even reach out, Zhang Wenhai had beaten him to it.

Could it be… about Tan Chengcheng?

Had she really gone to Zhang Wenhai again?!

...