I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

As dusk fell, the courtyard was enveloped in a dim, yellow twilight.

Li Jing'an returned to his small courtyard, tidied his clothes a little, and without lingering, walked straight to Xie Hui's house in the front yard.

"Knock knock knock".

The door opened quickly. Xie Hui stood in the doorway, and upon seeing Li Jing'an, a clear look of surprise appeared on his face. He raised an eyebrow slightly: "Director Li? What brings you here?"

Li Jing'an greeted him warmly, chuckling as he stepped into the house. His tone was friendly: "Brother Xie, we live in the same courtyard and work in the same factory. We see each other all the time, so we should visit each other more often, otherwise it will seem like we're strangers."

Xie Hui led him to a chair at the table, turned around and poured him a cup of hot water, maintaining a neutral attitude and a proper distance.

Li Jing'an put down his water glass, his smile fading and replaced with a earnest expression. He leaned forward slightly and said, "Brother Xie, to tell you the truth—Sha Zhu hasn't been released yet, and Xu Damao from the backyard has been arrested again. This can't go on."

He paused, carefully observing Xie Hui's expression, and continued slowly, "Won't this offend all the neighbors in the courtyard? We'll be living together day and night from now on, and if things get too tense, it won't be peaceful to live here. If word gets out, it won't be good for the factory or for your personal reputation."

Xie Hui looked up at him, his gaze calm, his expression composed, and his tone steady: "Does Director Li also think that I had them arrested?"

Li Jing'an waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Who did this isn't important at all. The key thing is that everyone in the factory thinks so. Several department leaders in the factory are quite resentful of you and are gossiping about you behind your back." He leaned forward, his face sincere, "I consider you one of my own and genuinely care about you, which is why I came over to offer you some advice."

Xie Hui leaned forward slightly, his eyes clear and unwavering: "Director Li, please speak frankly. I'm listening."

Li Jing'an's face showed a serious expression, and his tone softened, like an elder instructing a younger man: "Brother, you've offended quite a few leaders in the factory lately, this really won't do. Your head-on confrontations will not only delay the factory's production and construction, but will also bring countless troubles upon yourself. In the end, you'll be the one who suffers."

Xie Hui raised an eyebrow, looking at him sharply, his tone neither humble nor arrogant: "Director Li, do you mean I should turn a blind eye to the factory's violations, breaches of regulations, and illicit activities that benefit themselves at the expense of the company?"

He paused slightly, his gaze fixed on Li Jing'an's face: "Director Li, I heard you also transferred from the military and received military training. Do you really think I should do this?"

Li Jing'an's smile remained unchanged, his expression still one of utmost sincerity. Inwardly, however, he cursed, "Stubborn!" Aloud, he continued his gentle persuasion: "Brother, I understand your thoughts and your principles. But you can't be so straightforward and inflexible. If you feel there's something wrong with the factory, don't generalize and condemn everyone. You need to integrate first, build good relationships with everyone, and then gradually make changes. That's the long-term solution. Your current head-on approach will only provoke a fierce backlash. And then…"

Just then, the door was gently pushed open.

Wei Jialing walked in carrying a square cardboard box, calling out softly, "Xie Hui, come give me a hand, this thing is quite heavy!"

Li Jing'an's gaze swept over the box subconsciously—the words "Peony 911" were printed on it.

Xie Hui quickly got up and walked over, took the box from him, and placed it steadily on the table. He frowned in confusion and asked, "What's this? Where did you get it?"

Wei Jialing first nodded politely to Li Jing'an as a greeting, then smiled and said to Xie Hui, "You have nothing here, it's so quiet and deserted. I mentioned to my dad's men at noon that I wanted to get you a radio to keep you entertained. And sure enough, someone delivered it this afternoon."

Li Jing'an sat to the side, his eyelids twitching.

He's still sitting here, and this girl speaks without any restraint! She just said she wanted one, and someone immediately sent her a radio… Power and influence, how wonderful!

Xie Hui's brows furrowed deeper, and his face visibly darkened. He stared at the box, his tone firm, leaving no room for negotiation: "I don't want it. Take it back right now, and don't you dare touch these things again."

Wei Jialing's smile froze: "I...I was just trying to help you, wasn't I? There wasn't a sound coming from your room, I..."

"For my own good?" Xie Hui interrupted her, his voice not loud, but every word as hard as stone. "I don't need these things in this house. Take them back and return them to their owner."

Seeing the atmosphere turning sour and the two about to argue, Li Jing'an immediately stood up and tried to smooth things over with a smile: "Brother Xie, Comrade Wei meant well. You two can chat for a while, I won't disturb you any longer, I'll head back now."

As he spoke, he took a few steps away, and before leaving, he turned back to add a sincere sentence, his tone as earnest as if he were speaking from the bottom of his heart: "Brother Xie, what I just said was all for your own good. Think it over carefully, don't get stuck on one thing."

Once outside, Li Jing'an's smile vanished instantly. He didn't go far, quietly hiding behind the screen wall in the courtyard, listening intently and holding his breath as he waited.

He was calculating in his mind—this Wei Jialing was no pushover; he needed to find out more about her.

Sure enough, a few moments later, hurried footsteps could be heard. Wei Jialing, carrying the radio case, stormed out, her face full of grievance, anger, and confusion. Her steps were filled with rage, and she was muttering something under her breath.

Li Jing'an immediately stepped forward from behind the screen wall, his face instantly showing concern. He walked quickly forward, his voice soft and gentle: "Comrade Wei, why are you leaving so soon? Why did you bring your things out?" He reached out his hand, his movements natural and considerate, "Here, let me help you. This box is heavy, don't tire yourself out."

As he spoke, he reached out and took the box from her, leaning slightly to the side as if to share her burden.

Wei Jialing didn't refuse, angrily letting go of her hand, her eyes still red, and she muttered aggrievedly, "He doesn't want it! I really don't know what he's thinking—I kindly got it for him to cheer him up, and he just takes my kindness for granted!"

Li Jing'an quickly followed her lead, gently advising her with a tone full of agreement and comfort: "Hey, don't be angry, don't hold a grudge against him. I know Comrade Xie Hui—he's just too straightforward and inflexible, offending people wherever he goes." He sighed and lowered his voice, "Right now, there are quite a few people in the factory who are plotting against him and looking for an opportunity to get back at him. He's in a tough spot too."

Wei Jialing frowned and said angrily, "I told you long ago to have my dad put in a good word for me, but he absolutely refused! He insisted on making a name for himself and doing it all himself!"

Li Jing'an's eyes darted around, and an idea immediately formed in his mind. He moved closer to Wei Jialing, lowered his voice, and offered a seemingly considerate suggestion: "With Xie Hui's temper, he definitely won't let you do this. But think about it—why don't you just have your elders talk to the leaders at the factory and the Ministry of Metallurgy, and get them to look out for you? Even if Xie Hui finds out later, can he blame you? You're helping him avoid trouble; it's for his own good, not harming him."

As Wei Jialing listened, the anger on her face gradually subsided, and she revealed a thoughtful expression.

As they were talking, a black sedan was parked at the gate, its gleaming body standing out conspicuously in the twilight. The driver saw Wei Jialing and immediately rushed over to take the radio case from Li Jing'an, carefully placing it in the trunk.

Wei Jialing turned to look at Li Jing'an, her face still showing lingering grievance. She looked at him earnestly: "Thank you, Director Li. I think you're the only reasonable and sensible person in this courtyard. Look at the others in the courtyard, what are they like? Vulgar! Xie Hui is also stubborn, leaving a perfectly good house to suffer here."

She paused, stared intently at Li Jing'an, and earnestly instructed, "If Xie Hui gets into any trouble in the courtyard in the future, if he is bullied or harassed, you must keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't suffer any more losses."

Li Jing'an nodded repeatedly, readily agreeing, his tone as sincere as could be: "Don't worry, don't worry, you can rest assured. I live in the small courtyard on the west side of the central courtyard. If you need anything in the future, just go to the small gate on West Street to find me."

Wei Jialing nodded, turned around and got into the car.

The black sedan slowly drove out of the alley and disappeared into the twilight.

Li Jing'an stood there, his smile gradually fading. He stared in the direction the car had disappeared, his eyes narrowed, his mind racing with thoughts—

Xie Hui isn't difficult to deal with; he's stubborn and inflexible. But this Wei Jialing... she's really not someone to mess with!

She's very outgoing and doesn't shy away from anything; who knows what unpredictable things she might do?

I hope I don't get accidentally hurt by her.