After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

Her mind raced, but her face remained impassive. She simply placed her bag on the counter, changed into slippers, and walked inside, her tone indifferent:

"Did the sun rise in the west? Section Chief Li actually has time to cook?"

These words were barbed, in her usual tone.

Li Shida had been having a rough time in his official career in recent years, and he had become increasingly timid at home. That's why she needed to use this condescending tone to put him on the spot.

She knew all too well that if she spoke to him in a humble manner, he would only take advantage of her; she had to be aloof to keep him in line.

Li Shida seemed oblivious to the barb in his words, still smiling: "Wash your hands and eat it while it's hot."

Yu Yue didn't move, standing by the dining table, and suddenly spoke, "Why are you back so early today? Don't you have any social engagements?"

"I'll pass." Li Shida placed the bowl of rice in front of her and sat down opposite her. "My stomach isn't feeling well."

Yu Yue then sat down, picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fish belly meat, and slowly picked out the bones.

The light shone on her face, her eyelashes drooping, making it impossible to see her expression.

Li Shida also picked up a piece of fish, put it in his mouth and chewed, casually asking, "Were you also working late the night before last?"

Yu Yue paused in her picking at the food, then looked up at him. "Hmm. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Li Shida said, shoveling rice into his mouth. "I just noticed you came back the other day with several mosquito bites on your legs. The streetlights in this old neighborhood are dim, so there are a lot of mosquitoes."

These words sounded ordinary, but Yu Yue's heart skipped a beat.

She recalled waiting for Gong Yuelong for more than half an hour at the entrance of the courtyard where the characters were being removed the night before last, her legs were bitten and were itchy and swollen.

When they got home, Li Shida did ask her a question, and she only said that she had been bitten by a mosquito on the way.

He suddenly brought it up again today...

Yu Yue put down her chopsticks, picked up a tissue and wiped her mouth. "Li Shida, just say what you mean. Beating around the bush isn't like you."

Li Shida raised his head, his face still bearing that lukewarm smile: "What can I say? I just care about you."

He seemed to suddenly remember something, and said in a gentle tone, "Oh right, didn't you say last time that Lily wanted to meet Mr. Li Qianghua, the general manager of the municipal construction company?"

Yu Yue paused in her picking at him, then looked up at him.

Li Shida lowered his head and said in a flat voice, "I've been thinking about it these past couple of days. Mr. Li's side... although the threshold is high, it's not like we can't have any influence at all. I'll find a suitable time to arrange a meal and have Lily come over for a visit."

Yu Yue was stunned.

This came as a complete surprise. She had indeed mentioned it a while ago, but Li Shida had made excuses, saying it was too risky and he didn't have the face to save. Why did she suddenly bring it up today?

She tensed up. "What? You've thought it through? You're not afraid to take the risks anymore?"

Li Shida looked up, smiled, and said, "Lily is your own sister, so I should help her if I can."

"We can't let you work for nothing about my sister's affairs," Yu Yue said. "We know what needs to be done and what needs to be prepared."

But another image surfaced in my mind—that night, at the entrance of the courtyard where the characters were being demolished, Gong Yuelong waved his hand, exuding the confidence of someone who held the world in their grasp. There was also that decisive, open, and even somewhat reckless boldness.

And look at this guy in front of me—Li Shida, head down, picking at fish bones, speaking slowly and deliberately, each word seemingly taking its own thought.

Section Chief Li is a calculating man who even weighs the risks when helping his sister-in-law.

High judgment.

"Mm," Li Shida responded, then picked up another piece of fish for her. "Eat more."

The dinner table fell silent.

As Yu Yue chewed on the fish, a hint of doubt arose in her mind.

Why did he suddenly change his attitude?

Has he truly come to his senses and decided to pave the way for Lily? Or...?

She suddenly remembered the dim streetlight at the entrance of the courtyard two nights ago, the red and swollen mosquito bites on her legs, Gong Yuelong's rugged face, and the vitality that emanated from him when he spoke.

Li Shida made a point of coming home early today to cook and offered to help...

Is it a coincidence?

Or did he find out something?

Yu Yue looked up at Li Shida across from her. He was eating with his head down, his profile appearing peaceful, even somewhat docile, under the lamplight.

But for some reason, she suddenly felt a chill down her back.

"By the way," Li Shida suddenly spoke, his tone still gentle.

"If you see any old friends or classmates recently and need me to put in a good word for you, just let me know. Although I'm not in a high position, I still have some influence in the planning department."

He spoke casually, as if he were chatting about everyday things.

Yu Yue's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the chopsticks.

Li Shida is behaving very strangely today.

Does he know? Does he know that I met Gong Yuelong the night before last?

Yu Yue's mind stirred slightly, but she showed no sign of panic on her face.

She may be average in other aspects, but when it comes to dealing with men like Li Shida, she knows exactly how to handle them.

She suddenly smiled, a smile tinged with self-deprecation:

"Speaking of which, I actually ran into an old friend the other day. Gong Yuelong, do you remember him?"

Li Shida's expression remained indifferent: "Oh? Why bring him up all of a sudden?"

Yu Yue sighed, "It's because of Lily, and... I want to get in touch with Lin Wei. You know, Lin Wei has connections in the construction industry. Lily wants to get into building materials, and she can't do without her."

She observed Li Shida's expression and continued, "Lin Wei and Gong Yuelong seem to be quite close. I heard that he just got his labor service qualification, and it was Lin Wei and her group who helped him get it."

I was thinking that if he relayed a message, perhaps Lin Wei would pay more attention to Lily.

Li Shida kept his head down and ate his food, without responding.

"I know you don't like hearing this. But Lily is my younger sister, and she's always out and about, which breaks my heart to see her like this."

"Given our family's current situation... we'll help if we can."

She paused, as if she had made a great decision: "That night, I went to talk to him about this... but we didn't get to the bottom of it."

He's stubborn, inflexible, and his words to me are often sarcastic and pointed.

She knew that Li Shida would fall for this – attributing his motives to the family, lowering his stance, and appearing helpless and aggrieved.

Sure enough, Li Shida looked up and glanced at her.

After a few seconds, he spoke, his voice somewhat dry: "Just for this?"

Yu Yue retorted, "Otherwise what? Did you think I was going to catch up with him?"

As for Li Shida, my past with him is a thing of the past, long ago.

"What is my status now? What is his situation? Is it worth it for me?"

These words were spoken with a strong tone, carrying her usual condescending attitude.

It serves as both a clarification and a reminder—a reminder to Li Shida, and also to herself, of her current status and the gap between them.

Li Shida was silent for a moment, then nodded and forced a smile:

"I was just asking casually. It's a good thing that you think this way about Lily."

He ladled a spoonful of soup for her. "Drink some soup. Fish soup is best enjoyed hot."

Yu Yue took the soup bowl and sipped it slowly.

If we're talking about scheming and being extremely cautious in officialdom, ten of her combined couldn't compare to Li Shida.

But when it comes to the skill of reading between the lines, manipulating people with emotions, and extracting maximum benefit from subtle nuances in conversation, Li Shida's little tricks are simply no match for her.

She knew all too well where his itch was and where his fears were.

Her tone suddenly became exceptionally gentle.

"Shida, I know you're unhappy. I always pressure you, always use family matters to weigh on you... Actually, I know in my heart that it's not easy for you to be in that position."

Li Shida paused with his chopsticks, didn't look up, and just grunted in response.

Yu Yue said with a smile, "Old Chen from the planning department will be vacating his position next year, leaving a vacancy for the deputy director position... Although there are many competitors, it's not like our family has no chance of getting involved."

Li Shida's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he suddenly raised his head, but quickly lowered it again.

Yu Yue watched this unfold and gave a cold smile.