Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

With his senior brother's help, Pei Lian's first day in prison wasn't too difficult.

The bedding was thick enough on the wooden board to prevent it from being uncomfortable, but the May weather was inevitably hot and humid, and the prison was poorly ventilated. The damp and rotten smell mixed with a sour stench lingered in his nose. In addition, the snoring and the groans of tortured prisoners were incessant throughout the night, so Pei Lian could not sleep well that night.

The next morning, the bailiffs still brought him a delicious meal.

Pei Lian watched as the constables took the dishes out of the lacquer box one by one. When they took out the last dish, Pei Lian stared at the familiar milky white liquid in the bowl and pursed his lips impatiently.

He usually doesn't care much about food, but this time he specifically instructed: "No milk for the next meal."

The constable nodded without the slightest hesitation: "Yes, yes."

Seeing the constable agree so readily, Pei Lian's expression softened slightly.

This bowl of milk still benefited the prisoner next door.

When it was lunchtime, the servants arrived as scheduled to deliver the food.

When the milk reappeared in Pei Lian's sight, his expression was visibly fascinating.

His voice involuntarily rose in pitch: "Didn't we say we didn't want cow's milk?"

He stared intently at the constable as he spoke, as if he wanted to see something tangible through the constable's face.

The constable, facing his piercing gaze, slapped his forehead, his fierce face twisted into a forced smile: "Right, right, look at my memory! My kid only gets to drink it once a year during the New Year, he's been craving it so much, he's been nagging me about it all day long, I'm sick of it. Next time, next time for sure."

He thought to himself: Everything else is fine; Boss Xie has given enough money, and the higher-ups are willing to make an exception. The only problem is that the higher-ups have specifically instructed that the milk must be added, and it must be served three times a day without fail. Next time? Next time I'll definitely have to send it again…

Although Pei Lian didn't know what he was thinking, she had already sensed that something was wrong.

After the bailiffs left, he stood up with the milk in his hand.

The prisoners in the next cell were already waiting impatiently by the fence.

Just as he was about to reach the prisoner, Pei Lian stopped in his tracks.

He turned a corner, carrying a cup of milk, and paced back and forth in the cramped cell, his face alternating between hesitation and surprise.

The prisoner next door craned his neck to look for a while, and seeing that Pei Lian showed no intention of giving him the milk, he wondered to himself: Didn't this young master dislike drinking milk? He even specifically told him not to give it to him, so why is he hesitating now? Is he afraid that Pei Lian will give it to him for free?

Pei Lian stood in the center of the cell, holding a cup of milk. His expression changed several times before he finally bit his lip, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp, his expression one of humiliation.

The prisoner in the next cell: "..." Even if he was afraid of getting it for free, did he really have to force himself like this? Drinking it despite the pain, it truly lived up to the old saying. He spat at Pei Lian, his face full of disdain: "The richer you are, the stingier you are!"

Pei Lian: "..."

Pei Lian ate his meal in a rather uneasy manner; his heart was pounding in his chest, and he had a constant feeling of unease.

When he found a note inside his steamed bun, his heart pounded twice, and his anxiety reached its peak.

Without making a sound, he casually crumpled up the note while putting the leftovers back into the food box. It was his senior brother's handwriting.

Tonight at midnight, my senior brother will disguise himself as a cook delivering midnight snacks to the night watchman and come to meet him.

Pei Lian held the note in her palm, her eyelids twitching incessantly.

He stood up and pounded on the bars, trying to get the jailer's attention.

Sure enough, the commotion he made attracted the attention of the jailer.

"What are you doing, patting me? You want to die?" The jailer grumbled as he entered. Seeing it was him, his expression softened slightly, and his tone became gentler: "Young master, what is it?"

Pei Lian was in a hurry to enter prison and didn't have time to take anything with her. She had no choice but to grit her teeth, take off a jade pendant that she always carried with her from her waist and hand it to him: "Thank you for taking care of me these past two days."

He has always been arrogant and looked down on people who were not as smart as him as fools, and he would not even bother to talk to them. So when has he ever done such a thing as currying favors?

Once a sentence is uttered, one doesn't know how to continue.

On the contrary, the jailer realized that he needed something from someone.

"Young master, is there anything we can do for you?"

Pei Lian gritted his teeth.

The endless bowls of milk made him unsure whether these people could truly be bought with money, but he couldn't bear to watch his senior brother walk right into the trap.

He carefully chose his words, striving to deliver the message to his senior brother without leaving any flaws.

"I've been in prison for two days, and I was worried that my brother might be concerned. I wanted to ask you to send a message to let him know I'm safe..."

The jailer asked, "Anything else?"

"No," Pei Lian insisted. "I just wanted to let him know I was safe and sound, and to tell him not to worry."

His senior brother had just told him that he was coming to visit him in prison, and he immediately sent someone to let him know that he was safe and sound and that his senior brother should not worry. Presumably, his senior brother understood what he meant and thus canceled tonight's plan.

I just don't know if anyone has seen that note.

Pei Lian observed the jailer's expression without revealing his feelings.

The jailer carefully tucked the jade pendant into his pocket, a smile on his face: "That's easy, young master. You don't need to worry. Since your brother entrusted us to take good care of you, how could he not ask about your situation? We've been telling him you're doing well!"

"Don't worry, I'll definitely deliver it for you if you let me know you're safe."

Pei Lian forced a smile: "Thank you."

...

Dinner included milk, and Pei Lian's complexion was beyond simply being described as ugly.

He didn't drink the bowl of milk, nor did he give it to the prisoner next door. He anxiously stared at the bowl of milk until midnight. When it was Hai hour (9-11 PM), he thought that as long as he could endure another hour and his senior brother received his message and didn't come, he would be able to get through the night peacefully.

The clanging of chains echoed through the night.

Pei Lian's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly looked towards the door.

Their steps were synchronized, their armor gleamed, and the torchlight illuminated the entire passageway as if it were daytime.

The Commander Shang, whom he had met once before, stood at the door. His handsome face flickered in and out of the torchlight. He said in a businesslike tone, "Young Master Pei, would you please come with me?"

...

Second update delivered, goal achieved! Double update tomorrow!