Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

The atmosphere was subtly awkward.

Liu Jianguo quickly smoothed things over, saying to Qin Huairu, "Huairu, Jingxian probably hasn't had breakfast yet. Could you please get her another bowl of porridge?"

Then he called to Tang Jingxian, "Jingxian, don't stand, sit down. I'll make you a cup of tea, some freshly brought back. Try it."

As he spoke, he got up to get a thermos and a teacup in an attempt to ease the tension.

Liu Jianguo placed the brewed tea in front of Tang Jingxian, sat down again, and started a conversation: "Jingxian, the team isn't busy today, so why did you have time to come here?"

Tang Jingxian picked up her teacup but didn't drink it. She glanced at Qin Huairu's back as she busied herself in the kitchen, her tone clearly sour and sarcastic: "Hmph, if I hadn't come, how would I have known that someone is so considerate to you, Brother Jianguo, serving you tea and water, doing your laundry and cooking for you every day?"

These words, laced with barbs, left Liu Jianguo speechless for a moment. He could only shake his head helplessly and pick up his teacup to hide his embarrassment.

At this moment, Qin Huairu brought out a steaming bowl of cornmeal porridge, gently placed it in front of Tang Jingxian, and added a boiled egg and a small dish of pickled vegetables. She said meekly, with her head bowed:

"Section Chief Tang, I didn't prepare much this morning, please make do with this."

Tang Jingxian was indeed hungry; she had come over early in the morning without having eaten.

Seeing Qin Huairu's humble posture, she didn't dare to lash out again, and her tone softened slightly:

"Okay, thank you, Sister Qin. You're welcome. Just call me Jingxian."

After saying that, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat in small bites.

A silence fell over the dinner table for a moment, broken only by the soft sound of chewing.

Tang Jingxian ate her porridge, but her mind was already racing.

She looked at the composed Liu Jianguo across from her, then glanced at the seemingly docile Qin Huairu beside her. A surge of competitive spirit welled up within her, coupled with her bold and direct personality, and she suddenly put down her chopsticks.

He raised his head, staring intently at Liu Jianguo, and asked a startling question:

"Brother Jianguo, when are you planning to... come to my house to propose marriage?"

"Pfft—cough cough cough..."

Liu Jianguo spat out the mouthful of tea he had just drunk, choking and coughing repeatedly, his face turning red.

Qin Huairu, standing next to her, was so shocked that she almost dropped her chopsticks on the table. Her eyes widened as she stared at Tang Jingxian in disbelief.

Liu Jianguo finally caught his breath, wiped his mouth, and looked at Tang Jingxian with a mixture of annoyance and amusement:

"Propose marriage? What marriage? Who's proposing marriage to whom? Jingxian, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Tang Jingxian had already spoken, and she was ready to go all out. Although her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were unusually firm, filled with a girl's stubbornness and grievance:

"You're the one who proposed to me, to my dad. Brother Jianguo, you...you don't like me? I can tell you have feelings for me."

Her words were so blunt that the air seemed to freeze.

Liu Jianguo remained silent for a moment, looking into Tang Jingxian's expectant eyes, knowing that he had to make things clear, otherwise there would be endless trouble.

He took a deep breath, his tone becoming serious and candid:

"Jingxian, you're a good girl—beautiful, brave, and from a good family. But...we might not be a good match."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Qin Huairu beside him, then turning to Tang Jingxian, before continuing:

"I believe you're not stupid; you should be able to see the relationship between me and Huai Ru. And I won't hide it from you, besides Huai Ru, I... have other women. I might not be that devoted in relationships. So, I can't hold you back. If you're willing, I can always treat you like a younger sister and protect you."

Tang Jingxian never expected to receive such a direct, even somewhat cruel, rejection.

She stared blankly at Liu Jianguo, her eyes instantly reddening, tears welling up, and she cried out in a heavy sob:

"Don't I see? Am I stupid? I... I can pretend I don't know! I like you, I just like you! I don't want to be your sister!"

After saying that, she suddenly stood up, tears finally falling. Forgetting about the breakfast she hadn't finished eating, she turned and ran out of the east courtyard, her footsteps hurried and disordered.

Watching Tang Jingxian's retreating figure, Qin Huairu whispered with some worry:

"Shouldn't you...go after her? Or offer her some comfort?"

Liu Jianguo shook his head and sighed:

"Comfort? How do you comfort her? Give her unrealistic hopes? It's better to end it now than to suffer for a long time. It's better for her to be upset now than to get into a deeper mess later, or even... have trouble at home."

He walked to the window, looked at the empty courtyard gate, and remained calm. Although it was somewhat cruel, he did not regret it.

Hesitation only leads to more trouble. This might be the best outcome for both Tang Jingxian and herself.

However, after this incident, his relationship with Director Tang will likely become more delicate.

Tang Jingxian ran out of the moon gate of the east courtyard in one breath, her pace slowing down subconsciously, her ears perked up, hoping to hear footsteps and calls behind her.

However, the courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the old locust tree leaves.

She waited for a moment, then her heart sank completely. A mix of grievance, shame, and a touch of sadness at being ignored brought tears to her eyes again.

She took a deep breath, blinked hard to force back her tears, straightened her back, and tried to make her steps appear calm and unhurried. She walked step by step through the front yard and out of the courtyard gate without looking back.

After seeing Tang Jingxian off, Liu Jianguo had two peaceful days.

Work proceeded smoothly at the factory, and no one disturbed the residents of the courtyard.

During the day, he would handle routine documents in the office and listen to Li Bing's report on factory security. In the evening, he would return to the East Wing and enjoy the meals and tenderness carefully prepared by Qin Huairu.

This peaceful life away from the bloodshed of Kowloon Walled City allowed him to relax and rejuvenate his tense nerves.

But he knew in his heart that this calm was only temporary, and the rewards and aftereffects of his trip to Hong Kong would soon arrive.

On Monday morning, Liu Jianguo, refreshed and full of energy, hopped on his bicycle and joined the flow of people going to work.

Amidst the stirring strains of "We Workers Have Strength," he rode into the steel rolling mill gate with the workers' movement.

As he passed through the various gate posts, the security guards on duty immediately straightened their backs, their gun-holding posture became even more standard, and their eyes showed respect as they greeted him in unison, "Good morning, Director Liu!"

After quickly handling a few urgent matters in his office, Liu Jianguo checked the time, got up, and went to the factory building, knocking on the door of Party Secretary Nie Huaiyuan's office.

"Please come in."

A calm voice came from inside.