Courtyard House: I'm surrounded by celestial beauties on either side.

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, and tears silently streamed down her face.

A man nearby couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up, criticizing, "Fang Chengxuan, is it really necessary? Why are you being so harsh to a woman?"

"You think I'm harsh? Then stand up for her!"

Fang Chengxuan sneered.

The man was speechless. His wife glared at him fiercely: "Who are you to her? Does she have no parents or no police to care for her? Who are you to play the hero?"

"I just felt sorry for her..."

The man stammered.

"Pitiful? That's more like feigning pitifulness! When Shu Qianxue was slandering someone, this 'pitiful person' didn't utter a single word to defend her."

"After being an accomplice, they still have the nerve to ask for help? I really don't know where they get the audacity!"

The woman grew angrier as she spoke, glaring at Qin Huairu with disgust.

Just as Qin Huairu was feeling embarrassed by the pointing and whispering of the crowd, a voice suddenly came from the crowd: "Oh, isn't that the widow from the courtyard who relies on men for support?"

Guo Xiangyang squeezed through the crowd, glanced at Qin Huairu, and said in a strange tone, "Fang Chengxuan, this woman wouldn't still be thinking about you, would she?"

"No way, really?"

He waved his hand dramatically, "She doesn't even look in the mirror—uneducated, scheming, a widow with three kids, and still having illicit affairs with other men."

"With your pickiness, Fang Chengxuan, you wouldn't even look at her if she were a virgin. Where does she get the confidence that she can catch your eye now? Just because she's throwing herself at you?"

Guo Xiangyang's sarcastic remark elicited a light laugh from Fang Chengxuan: "Long time no see, why are you so dark?"

"Don't even mention it!"

Guo Xiangyang pouted, "Ever since I went to the Shen family with my mom, my dad and brother have sent me to the army base. I only got my leave today."

"Not going home?"

Fang Chengxuan raised an eyebrow.

Guo Xiangyang chuckled: "I'll just stay here for one night. I left in a hurry last time and missed all the excitement."

"Come on, let's have a good talk, you two!"

He put his arm around Fang Chengxuan's shoulder and walked towards the Rong family's house.

As Ying closed the door, she spat at Qin Huairu: "Pah! Shameless thing, you dare to covet my Chengxuan? My Chengxuan is a germaphobe, he won't take anything dirty or smelly!"

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut.

Qin Huairu stood frozen in place, while the residents of Xuanfang Road Courtyard cast disdainful glances at her.

"So that's why she was trying to pay me to stay; no wonder she pretended to be mute and stood there. How shameless!"

Some people scoffed.

"Even if she's willing to pay extra, she shouldn't look at herself. She's not the kind of person who should be kept as a mistress, is she?"

The crowd gradually dispersed, leaving Qin Huairu standing alone at the door.

Suddenly, a lewd-looking man approached, grabbed her breast from behind, and whispered, "Fang Chengxuan doesn't want you, how about me?"

"what!"

Qin Huairu screamed.

The man covered her mouth, threatening viciously, "Go ahead and scream! Let's see who people believe! Your reputation is already ruined!"

Qin Huairu's eyes darted around, then she stomped on his foot and rushed to Fang Chengxuan's door, pounding on it frantically: "Fang Chengxuan! Open the door and save me! Someone is bullying me!"

Residents peered out, and the man slapped him across the face, yelling, "You bastard! You dare to run around our compound and frame me?!"

"Get out! Don't dirty our Xuanfang Road area!"

He roared righteously and sternly.

Someone frowned and advised, "You'd better leave quickly. We don't welcome people who have affairs in our compound."

Qin Huairu turned pale and left in a disheveled state.

The Rong family's doors never opened again.

……

Inside the house, Guo Xiangyang joked, "You're quite the charmer, aren't you? This widow has been acting like a resentful woman ever since you got married, and she still hasn't given up."

"For you?"

Fang Chengxuan gave a half-smile.

Guo Xiangyang quickly waved his hand: "Let's get down to business! Congratulations on becoming Factory Director Fang."

"Having been in the military for so long, why haven't you developed any sense of propriety?"

Fang Chengxuan handed over the liquor, opened a bottle of beverage for himself, and said, "Xinrui is pregnant, so I'm giving up alcohol."

"Damn! Showing off that you're going to be a dad, huh?"

Guo Xiangyang took a swig of wine and lowered his voice, "Actually, I came here with news—someone is investigating Grandpa Rong's old records."

Fang Chengxuan's eyes suddenly turned cold: "Who?"

"I don't know the specifics, but it seems like they're dredging up old grievances. Apparently, they've found a key figure who provided some clues."

Guo Xiangyang picked up a piece of cold daylily salad with his chopsticks, threw a few fried peanuts into his mouth, and took a sip of wine with relish.

"Our family and the Rong family have a close relationship, so my dad and older brother specifically asked me to come and give you a heads-up."

While chewing on peanuts, he speculated, "This matter is quite significant, involving a wide range of people. I heard it's about taking down a big shot from above..."

"Of course, they're mostly after the Rong family too. They can both strike at their rivals and seize the Rong family's assets—killing two birds with one stone."

Seeing that Fang Chengxuan remained silent, Guo Xiangyang continued on his own.

Fang Chengxuan recalled the rumors circulating about the Rong family's treasure map when Rong Yue's daughter impersonated Rong Yushu.

"Understood."

He responded with a faint reply.

Guo Xiangyang sized him up: "This matter could be a big deal or a small deal. I'm just letting you know so you don't get set up."

"You're a strange person. You even brought out a traditional courtyard house, and people are still finding ways to make trouble for you. They just can't stand to see you doing well."

He tilted his head back, took a swig of wine, smacked his lips, and said, "The Rong family's matter is indeed troublesome."

"Who doesn't know that the Rong family is a prominent and well-established clan with a long and distinguished lineage? Even if they keep a low profile now, the foundation they've built up over generations speaks for itself."

Guo Xiangyang got more and more excited as he spoke: "The problem is that the Rong family has all withdrawn from that circle now, and there are only a few people left. Even you haven't gotten involved in that circle. I really don't understand why people are always keeping an eye on the Rong family."

"I don't know about that."

"When Mr. Rong retired, he was able to meet that important person directly."

The network and influence built up over decades should not be underestimated, even after retirement.

"Not to mention that Uncle Rong and Brother Rong have both had accidents, and Xinrui is a big...

Guo Xiangyang suddenly leaned closer with a sly look: "Guess what?"

"Um?"

Fang Chengxuan raised an eyebrow.

"Right now, everyone in the industry is saying that Uncle Rong and Rong Wenyao got into trouble, and it's highly likely that you were the one who orchestrated it."

Guo Xiangyang winked and said, "Everyone's saying you want to eat up the family's bloodline!"

Fang Chengxuan took a sip of soda, a half-smile on his face: "Do I look like someone who'd eat up someone who has no descendants?"

"you?"

Guo Xiangyang looked at him with disdain: "Give me a break! With your skills, why would you need to rely on someone who has no descendants? You could make a living anywhere."

"My father and older brother analyzed that Uncle Rong and the others were probably assassinated while they were taking refuge in Tongjia Province."

Although you are very capable, your influence doesn't extend to Tongjia Province.

"But Luo Ziping was active in Chiayi Province for those years, and it was most likely him and his son who did it! The fact that you made Luo Ziping suffer so much later says it all, doesn't it?"

Fang Chengxuan paused slightly in his grip on the soda bottle: "Is that what's being said now?"

"Absolutely!"

"Everyone says that the Rong family has been caught off guard this time, and you've actually benefited from it."

"Now that the Rong family has so few people left, won't they all be yours in the future?"

Guo Xiangyang popped a peanut into his mouth: "Don't let Xinrui's marriage to you fool you. If you ever get divorced, I guarantee suitors will be lining up at your door!"

Fang Chengxuan chuckled: "Let them dream on."

"But from what you're saying, if anything really happens, you know exactly who will propose marriage?"

Guo Xiangyang said nonchalantly, "Who else could it be? By the way, do you know Cao Guohao?"

"The one in the compound on Pingxifu Road?"

Fang Chengxuan's eyes suddenly sharpened.

Guo Xiangyang nodded: "It's him! This family has a terrible reputation."

You haven't seen Cao Guohao's wife yet, she's absolutely outrageous!

"My mom told me that she was a normal person before she got married, but she became a completely different person after marriage. She was always timid and submissive, and it was like she couldn't live without Cao Guohao."

Fang Chengxuan thought of Shu Qianxue—this woman was carrying Cao Guohao's child, and she had just brought Qin Huairu with her.

Could there be another hidden story behind this?

"You mean Cao Guohao has his eye on Xinrui?"

Fang Chengxuan suddenly exuded a chill.

Guo Xiangyang rubbed his arms: "It's not him personally, he's already worried enough about Rui's father."

"That's his son. I heard his wife died recently."

Fang Chengxuan said calmly, "Oh? Since there are quite a few people who want to marry Xinrui, why single out this family?"

"Because this family uses dirty methods!"

Guo Xiangyang looked around to make sure no one was there, then lowered his voice and said, "If we hadn't gotten him to the hospital any later, he probably would have died from blood loss."

"From then on, Cao Guohao's in-laws never dared to provoke him again."

Fang Chengxuan vaguely guessed the reason, but he did not expect the process to be so thrilling. No wonder Guo Xiangyang would specifically mention the Cao family.

Such ruthless methods,

Even ordinary people are talking about it, there must be something fishy going on.

"Let's talk about Cao Guohao's daughter-in-law."

"It's said to be the daughter of his old friend, who used the pretense of repaying a debt of gratitude to get her son to marry her."

"At first, she could fool people, but later everyone found out—that girl was the only one left in her family, but she was holding valuables in her hands."

Guo Xiangyang rubbed his fingers together, mimicking counting money.

"Ever since the Cao family got this daughter-in-law, they have suddenly become very extravagant with their money."

The neighbors are saying that the girl's death was suspicious.

"Either the Cao family has ulterior motives and wants to make room for her, or she discovered some secret and was..."

Guo Xiangyang made a throat-slitting gesture.

Fang Chengxuan chuckled: "Since there are rumors, someone will always investigate."

The fact that the Cao family is still safe and sound proves the rumors to be untrue.

Guo Xiangyang gave Fang Chengxuan a strange look, which made him frown: "What's with that expression?"

"What if that woman wasn't buried at all, and was simply cremated?"

Guo Xiangyang raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

Fang Chengxuan's eyes darkened: "Are you saying the Cao family skipped the seven-day mourning period and rushed into cremation?"

"More than that!"

Guo Xiangyang sneered, "Apart from the Cao family, no one has seen the corpse."

"Normally, there should be some noise about someone being sick and being taken to the hospital, but the Cao family didn't let out a word about it at all—Cao Guohao's wife stayed at home every day."

"We only told the public that the person was already dead when they were found, and that they requested cremation before their death."

But that's a lie!

Guo Xiangyang shook the empty wine bottle and looked at him.

Fang Chengxuan sighed and fetched another bottle: "Drink less."

"Just a little treat now and then!"

Guo Xiangyang chuckled and opened the bottle for a refill, saying, "Anyway, be careful lately."

"Come on, let me tell you again. If you really divorce Rong Xinrui, what other monsters and scoundrels will pounce on you..."

Fang Chengxuan glared at him: "Are you cursing me?"

"I'm just being prepared! These other families may not be as wicked as the Cao family, but they're not exactly good either."

Guo Xiangyang sipped his wine with delight.

Fang Chengxuan chuckled: "They won't be able to get past Grandpa Rong."

I will keep an eye on the Cao family's affairs.

Guo Xiangyang winked: "Just wait and see, anyone who tries to take advantage of you will fall. Luo Ziping is a prime example."

"I stopped paying attention to him after he moved out of the compound."

Fang Chengxuan said calmly.

The Shen family will never give that venomous snake a chance to retaliate.

"I'm keeping an eye on it!"

Guo Xiangyang gloated, "Those who have done all sorts of bad things will be punished sooner or later."

While the two were chatting and laughing, Qin Huairu, who was walking with her head down, was suddenly covered with a sack and knocked unconscious.

When I opened my eyes again, I was met with a face that seemed familiar.

"Cao Gaoyi?"

She recognized this person as someone Shu Qianxue had mentioned. "Why did you tie me up?"

Cao Gaoyi looked down at the bound Qin Huairu, her eyes sizing up goods: "I'll help you get Fang Chengxuan."

"A proud woman like Rong Xinrui will never turn back once Fang Chengxuan has had physical intimacy with you."

The light that had just appeared in Qin Huairu's eyes dimmed again: "He... has never looked at me properly."

Whether you gamble or not is up to you.

Cao Gaoyi curled her lips into a smile, "All you need to do is lie in the same bed with him one morning."

Qin Huairu gripped the hem of her clothes tightly: "Even so... he might not marry me."

Qin Huairu had her own plans in mind.

"You're helping me, you must have ulterior motives."

What benefit will I get if I do as you say?

In the end, I still offended Fang Chengxuan.