Restrictive Zone

RA 19 - Jam

Jiang Chijing explained the situation between Princess and Xu Sheng, warning Zheng Mingyi, "You've already incited Old Nine and Old Nine is under Xu Sheng's wing. If you annoy Princess as well, he won't let you off for sure."

Zheng Mingyi looked thoughtful. He asked, "What is Xu Sheng in for?"

Jiang Chijing's heart stuttered. "Are you thinking of revolting again?"

The last time when Zheng Mingyi asked about Chen Er's crime, he ended up stirring a big fuss; if he really went for it with Xu Sheng, the fuss arising from this might be something that even confinement couldn't settle; his sentence might even be increased.

"Murder. He killed someone, it's a death sentence that was changed to life imprisonment." Jiang Chijing said seriously. "I repeat. Don't get on his bad side."

Zheng Mingyi nodded, pensive, asking, "And what if that Princess comes to annoy me?"

Frankly, that was a very likely scenario.

"He works at the sewing factory. Aside from the afternoon break, the two of you usually shouldn't have much chance for contact." At this, Jiang Chijing paused, contemplative as he said, "Just avoid him during meals, and come to the library during free time. I can help you keep an eye on him.

As soon as the words were spoken, Jiang Chijing felt something amiss. He and Zheng Mingyi had no relation whatsoever, why would he, for no good reason, help him keep an eye on Princess?

Zheng Mingyi seemed to also notice this point, gazing at Jiang Chijing and asking, "Officer Jiang, are you covering me?"

"Ahem," Jiang Chijing cleared his throat, an awkward look on his face. "What I mean is, as a prison officer, I'll keep an eye on him."

"Okay," Zheng Mingyi said. "Thanks, Officer Jiang."

Jiang Chijing felt that his explanation wasn't solid enough, so he added, "The warden still needs you to study stocks for him, I don't want him to have any business to pick with me."

"Mm-hmm." Zheng Mingyi hummed carelessly, clearly not taking this reason seriously.

"Also, I don't want an incident to happen in my library," Jiang Chijing went on.

"Yep," Zheng Mingyi said. "In essence, Officer Jiang's reason for helping me is because of the warden, because of the library, and most assuredly not because it's me. That's what you're trying to say, right?"

Jiang Chijing pursed his lips. He also realised that he was overdoing it, but it also wasn't possible for him to take back his earlier words, so he could only thicken his skin to say, "That's right."

"Got it." Zheng Mingyi nodded, as though completely nonplussed about this question.

However, Jiang Chijing was clear inside that he hadn't managed to hide any of it at all.

Back when he had heard Guan Wei's analysis of the case, a part of him was moved to believe that Zheng Mingyi was innocent. However, as this part of him was very, very small, he still treated Zheng Mingyi as a normal inmate.

But ever since Zheng Mingyi injured Chen Er, the scales in Jiang Chijing's heart suddenly tipped in the other direction, because if Zheng Mingyi was really wicked at heart, he wouldn't have asked about Chen Er's crime before determining whether it was deserving of him going hard on this person.

Jiang Chijing had a clear-cut standard of good and evil. Similarly, his treatment towards these two different types of people was poles apart.

As such, the reason that he said he would help Zheng Mingyi wasn't because of the library, nor was it because of the warden—it was purely out of the sense of justice that he carried in his heart.