Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

He Yuzhu smiled honestly, "We just happened to run into her today, so I invited her to stay for a simple meal."

Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses and slowly said, "In this day and age, Zhu Zi, you really have the ability to put together a table like this."

His words were loaded with meaning, but his eyes were fixed on the empty bottle of Fenjiu on the corner of the table.

"A cook, he'll never go hungry."

He Yuzhu scratched his head. "What brings you here?"

Jia Dongxu squeezed forward and lowered his voice: "Zhuzi, I'm not saying this to criticize you."

It wouldn't sound good if word got out that it was just the two of them, a man and a woman alone together.

"Li Jianye's side..."

"Li Jianye?"

He Yuzhu was taken aback. "What does it have to do with him?"

Yi Zhonghai raised his hand to stop Jia Dongxu, his face showing his usual gentle expression.

"Zhu Zi, we're doing this for your own good."

There are many people and a lot of gossip in the courtyard, so there are some things that should be avoided if one wants to get away with something.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Liu Lili. "Miss, it's getting late. Would you like me to take you home?"

Liu Lili raised her head, her cheeks flushed slightly, whether from the alcohol or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

Her lips moved, but before she could speak, He Yuzhu spoke first: "No need for you to trouble yourself, sir. I'll take her there later."

The three of them stood there for a while longer.

The room was quiet, with only the occasional crackling of the kerosene lamp wick.

Finally, Yi Zhonghai nodded and turned to leave.

Yan Bugui gave He Yuzhu a meaningful look before leaving as well.

Jia Dongxu was the last to arrive. When he turned around, his eyes were filled with complicated emotions, but he ultimately said nothing more.

The footsteps faded into the night.

He Yuzhu closed the door and bolted it.

He turned around and saw Liu Lili still standing there, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers.

The lamp on the table cast her long, thin shadow, which slanted across the gray wall and trembled slightly.

"Were you scared?"

he asks.

Liu Lili shook her head and didn't say anything.

Outside the window, the moon climbed over the roof ridge, its clear light leaking through the windowpane and falling on the empty wine bottle, giving it a faint, cold glow.

The door to Li Jianye's house was ajar, and the light shining through the window was particularly noticeable in the night.

When Yi Zhonghai saw it from afar, he felt a sense of relief at first, followed by an overwhelming joy.

Things seemed to be going in the direction he had anticipated.

He tiptoed to the door and pressed his ear against the wooden door.

It was quiet inside; there wasn't a sound from anyone.

Yi Zhonghai frowned. Could it be... that the time wasn't right yet? He tentatively reached out and pushed the door very lightly—the door wasn't latched and silently slid open a crack.

Through the crack, he saw Li Jianye sitting at the table in the center of the room, writing something with his head down.

There was no one else in the room except him.

"Master Yi, since you're here, please come in."

Li Jianye didn't even look up; his voice came through calmly.

Yi Zhonghai subconsciously pushed the door open and went in, his eyes quickly scanning the room.

There was indeed no one else.

"Stop looking."

Li Jianye then put down his pen, picked up the teacup on the table, and raised it slightly towards him, "The person you arranged isn't here; they went to He Yuzhu's place."

Your game of chess was quite interesting... I'll offer you a toast with tea instead of wine.

Yi Zhonghai stood frozen in place, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, freezing even his fingertips.

His ears were ringing, and Li Jianye's voice seemed to come from near and far, but every word was as clear as a knife, piercing into his brain.

How could his carefully laid plan have... how could it have trapped idiot Zhu?

Not far away, Jia Dongxu and Yan Bugui, who had followed them in, also stood frozen by the door.

Yan Bugui's face drained of all color, and a layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out from his back.

He originally just wanted to watch the excitement, but little did he know he would stumble upon such a dramatic turn of events.

Li Jianye saw through it all along? And then he turned the tables on him? This guy... this guy is just too unfathomable.

Yan Bugui's legs went weak, and only one thought remained in his mind: he had chosen the wrong side this time, what would he do in the future?

Jia Dongxu didn't think that much about it.

Hearing that He Yuzhu had been dragged into this mess, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

That silly Zhu who stares at his wife all day long deserves it.

Yi Zhonghai stared intently at Li Jianye.

The other person continued to sip their tea at a leisurely pace, as if they were admiring the moon in their own backyard.

That composure sent a chill down Yi Zhonghai's spine, from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He suddenly felt like a clever mouse who had been struggling all along, only to be caught in someone else's clutches.

How did Li Jianye see through him? Was every step he took, even every glance, anticipated by the other party?

The room was deathly silent, except for the faint sound of the tea lid lightly touching the rim of the cup.

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

A faint sense of disappointment crossed his mind, but it wasn't heavy.

After all, this accident inadvertently injured He Yuzhu.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

I'll have to have a serious talk with Qin Huairu about this later.

He wanted to see what kind of expression she would have on her face then.

"……broken!"

Yi Zhonghai was stunned for a moment, then suddenly woke up.

Zhu Zi must never get involved with that woman!

Li Jianye is a cunning fellow; he must have already called the police!

He didn't even have time to say anything more before turning around and running towards He Yuzhu's house.

The remaining two stood there, stunned and at a loss for what to do.

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

Li Jianye leaned against the door and asked lightly:

"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?"

"Let's go, we're leaving now!"

The two hurriedly responded and stumbled away.

"waste."

Li Jianye chuckled softly and shook his head.

He naturally understood why Yi Zhonghai was so flustered—

What I fear most is the sound of sirens.

"What a pity, I didn't call the police at all."

Thinking of this, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Calling the police wouldn't do him much good.

There are reasons why he has remained inactive.

Firstly, although Yi Zhonghai was the mastermind behind it all,

However, no evidence was left behind, and the plan did not come to fruition.

There is no way to report it.

Secondly, when did He Yuzhu and Liu Lili become entangled?

He struggles to seize opportunities.

If the two had not yet crossed the boundary when the police arrived.

Wouldn't it be a waste of time?

Even if they were caught red-handed,

He Yuzhu at most lost his job, but he won't go to jail.

If the deaf old woman were to use her connections to smooth things over...

They might not even be expelled, only receive some punishment.

This is completely different from Li Jianye's own situation.

These days, promiscuous relationships are considered a matter of moral conduct.

Although it does not violate criminal law, it will be deeply engraved in the file.

Once you get this stigma...

At best, they'll be transferred or demoted; at worst, they'll be dismissed from their posts, ruining their future.

If Li Jianye is labeled with this accusation,

He could no longer remain in his position as a researcher.

The only option was to pack up and return to the countryside.

The reason why the endings were so different was...

It's simply that the two people occupy different positions in this world.

The higher you stand, the more you fear being embroiled in gossip and rumors.

Thirdly, He Yuzhu had already been firmly in Liu Lili's grasp.

She would never let go of the money until she had it in her hands.

As long as the sirens don't sound

She would then lead He Yuzhu by the nose.

Given his obsessive nature,

No amount of persuasion could change anything.

And finally—

He also prepared a small gift for Yi Zhonghai.

"This courtyard is about to become lively."

Li Jianye got up with a smile and strolled out the door at a leisurely pace.

How could we miss such a wonderful show?

*

"This is going to get interesting!"

Xu Damao next door was so excited he almost rubbed his hands together.

Ever since recognizing the woman as Liu Lili and seeing her slip into the central courtyard with He Yuzhu,

He patiently waited.

Now, seeing Yi Zhonghai rushing over in a frenzy...

He knew the time had come.

This courtyard is finally about to be thrown into turmoil.

He pushed open the door and hurriedly chased after the court.

*

Meanwhile, Yi Zhonghai had already sprinted to He Yuzhu's doorstep.

Yi Zhonghai pushed hard against the door, but the wooden door did not budge.

His heart sank suddenly, and his last glimmer of hope was extinguished.

In this situation, knocking on the door might alert the neighbors and spread He Yuzhu's disgraceful affair throughout the alley; but if he left it unattended, wouldn't it be even worse if Liu Lili was really hiding inside? He stood frozen in front of the door, caught in a dilemma.

Just as he hesitated, Xu Damao's voice boomed from behind: "Hey, isn't this old man? Peeking around at Sha Zhu's door, could it be that you've also taken a fancy to that Miss Liu? I've heard—that Liu Lili is a notorious 'night-fragrant flower' in the alley, charging this much for a night!"

He held up five fingers and waved them, deliberately raising his voice, "Fifty dollars! Are you trying to compete with Sha Zhu?"

Night-blooming jasmine

He enunciated the three words so heavily and loudly, like a pebble thrown into a pond.

The residents who were relaxing in the courtyard turned their heads and gathered around in twos and threes.

"What flower? Xu Damao, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"Did Sha Zhu bring some unclean people home?"

"Wow, this is something new..."

Yi Zhonghai immediately straightened his face and sternly rebuked, "Xu Damao! What nonsense are you spouting! Today is Zhuzi's blind date, and as an elder in the neighborhood, I'm just here to inquire about the situation!"

"A blind date?"

Xu Damao scoffed, "Yi Zhonghai, you're arranging a marriage for Sha Zhu, suggesting a back door? What are you up to?"

"A hidden door?"

Yi Zhonghai sneered, his gaze piercing like needles. "How do you know she's a secret agent? Could it be... that you know the place well and have personally checked it out? Why don't you tell everyone which alley and which courtyard it is?"

Xu Damao choked, his face turning a deep liver color.

He couldn't accept that; no matter how he said it, it would be like throwing dirty water on himself.

"Why are you so quiet?"

Yi Zhonghai pressed on, "If you can't explain yourself, then you're just slandering someone's innocence! Xu Damao, you have to explain yourself clearly today: why are you trying to pin this mess on an innocent girl?"

The onlookers began to whisper amongst themselves, and the wind suddenly shifted.

"So it was all made up!"

"Of course! If Sha Zhu really gets married, will Xu Damao be happy? The two of them have never gotten along since they were kids."

"Xu Damao, you're a truly wicked person!"

"They're just doing despicable things!"

The barrage of accusations made Xu Damao's ears burn.

He suddenly realized he had been out of his mind! Seeing that Yi Zhonghai had been humiliated by Li Jianye, he assumed that the old man had become an easy target, completely forgetting how he had been thoroughly manipulated by Li Jianye in the past.

What to do? He looked around frantically, his eyes quickly sweeping over each face, and finally found the figure leaning against the wall.

"Brothers of Jianye!"

Xu Damao shouted as if grasping at a straw.

Li Jianye glanced at him leisurely, not only failing to defuse the situation but also adding insult to injury, following Yi Zhonghai's lead: "Xu Damao, what are you yelling about? You were indeed in the wrong."

How could you so readily ruin someone's reputation like that?

Everyone was stunned by these words.

Who doesn't know that Li Jianye and Yi Zhonghai have a grudge? For an enemy to speak up for his enemy? Is the sun rising in the west?

Yi Zhonghai was also stunned, his brows furrowed, and he wondered to himself: What is Li Jianye up to?

People were enjoying the cool air in the courtyard when they suddenly heard the door of He Yuzhu's house creak open.

It opened with a sound.

He Yuzhu stood at the doorway, his face flushed, veins throbbing on his forehead, as if he had been forcibly dragged away from the edge of a hot stove.

His gaze swept over the crowd gathered in front of the house, finally settling on Xu Damao's face.

"Xu Damao!"

He was burning with anger. "Were you gossiping behind my back again?"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already pounced on him.

Xu Damao, like a startled mouse, darted away.

In a flash, he slipped through the crowd and darted away—having been chased and beaten by He Yuzhu for years, he had long since mastered the art of escaping.

There were many people in the courtyard, and He Yuzhu stopped after taking two steps. Remembering that there were still people waiting inside, he could only spit out his anger.

"I'll let you off this time! Just don't let me see you again!"

He turned around, waved to the neighbors who hadn't yet left, and said impatiently, "Go away, everyone! Haven't you ever seen a blind date before?"