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

The Mid-Autumn Festival had just passed, and the chill of the north seeped in day by day. On Sunday evening, the sky was overcast and gray, but the workers' club was already brightly lit with warm yellow lights. The sounds of people mingled with music from a gramophone, and the air was thick with warmth. This dance, organized by the union, was ostensibly to enrich the lives of the workers, but everyone knew perfectly well that it was also meant to play matchmaker for young men and women.

Li Jing'an, dressed in a crisp, dark blue Zhongshan suit, his hair neatly combed, was slowly moving along the edge of the dance floor with a young woman in his arms. The woman, surnamed Su, had been personally introduced to him by Liu, the union official. She had only started working at the steel rolling mill this spring, answering phones in the switchboard room; she was probably in her early twenties. In the lamplight, she could see the fine lines on Li Jing'an's collar, but she didn't dare look him directly in the eye, only staring down at the second button of his Zhongshan suit.

"Comrade Xiao Su, relax a bit." Li Jing'an's voice was tinged with laughter, the warmth from his palm seeping through his thin shirt and resting on the girl's waist. He felt a slight stiffness in her body beneath his hand, so he naturally pulled his arms closer, bringing them so close that he could almost smell the cheap soap in her hair. His fingers seemed to casually brush against her lower back, a movement so subtle that it was almost imperceptible in the crowded dance floor.

"How old are you?" he asked, his gaze falling on her smooth forehead.

"Ten...nineteen." The girl's voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's hum, and her face was already red to the roots of her ears.

"Which district do you live in? What do your parents do?" Li Jing'an continued asking unhurriedly, as if completing a routine interrogation, while his gaze lingered with interest as he watched her increasingly flustered expression. Her eyes darted around, her answers were incoherent, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on her forehead. Li Jing'an felt a surge of pleasure in his control.

As the song ended, he leaned down, close to her ear, and whispered with an undeniable familiarity, "You can come find me at the factory's second guesthouse when you have time. It's on the third floor." He paused, then added, "I'm usually here."

After saying that, he released her hand, patted her arm, and his gentle, leader-like smile returned to his face: "I have something to do, you go ahead and have fun." He turned and walked towards a less crowded area, his steps steady and his back straight.

The young woman stood there, stunned for a few seconds, before finally letting out a long sigh of relief as if she had been released from a spell. She practically fled the dance floor. As soon as she reached the rest area with benches against the wall, several female factory workers of similar age who had been waiting there swarmed around her. They were all her colleagues from the switchboard room.

"How was it? How was it? Isn't Director Li a nice guy?" a round-faced girl asked eagerly.

Xiao Su clutched her chest, the flush on her face still lingering, but her voice carried a strange exhaustion, as if she had just completed a major task: "I'm... I'm alright. It's just... they asked quite detailed questions."

"Of course we need to understand the cadres!" Another girl with a long braid chimed in, her tone full of envy. "Su, don't be silly. Director Li is a bit older than you, but he's a proper section chief, with a high salary and a bright future. So what if he's older? Older people are more caring! Look at the one our Sister Wang married, he's about the same age, what's the use? They argue about daily necessities every day."

"That's right," a short-haired girl next to her sighed, half-jokingly expressing her regret, "It's a pity I just got married this year, otherwise... sigh, such a good thing would never have come my way. Xiao Su, you'd better hurry up."

The round-faced girl who spoke first suddenly lowered her voice, glanced at the center of the dance floor, and said with an ambiguous tone, "Hey, do you guys think that if Xiao Su really gets together with him, wouldn't that be better than Zhou Yufei from our switchboard? Zhou Yufei only married a technician, but Director Li is a proper leader."

These words were like a pebble thrown into water, creating subtle ripples. Several girls all looked towards the center of the dance floor, their gazes complex.

Li Jing'an walked through the slightly noisy crowd to the corridor near the club's main entrance. The lighting was dimmer and there were fewer people there. Section Chief Sun from the technical department was leaning against the windowsill smoking, the scarlet cigarette butt glowing and dimly lit.

"Hey, Director Li, done dancing?" Section Chief Sun grinned when he saw him, took out a "Daqianmen" cigarette from his cigarette case and handed it to him.

Li Jing'an took the match, lit it with the one handed to him by Section Chief Sun, took a deep drag, let the pungent smoke swirl in his lungs, and then slowly exhaled. "Just some exercise," he mumbled.

"That girl from earlier, Xiao Su, she looked pretty pretty. What do you think?" Section Chief Sun gestured with his chin toward the dance floor, a knowing smile typical of men discussing such topics.

Li Jing'an flicked his cigarette ash, his gaze sweeping over the group of chattering young female workers in the distance. His tone was as casual as if he were discussing the weather: "Me? I haven't planned to settle down in the next couple of years. Marriage is a big deal, no rush." ​​He paused, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips. "If the girl's willing to give it a try, then let's see. We men shouldn't be too rude, don't you think?"

Section Chief Sun understood the underlying meaning, chuckled twice, leaned closer, and lowered his voice: "Brother, that's true, but these young girls who have just joined the factory are naive and easily become stubborn. You'd better be careful, or they might become too attached to you and you won't be able to shake them off, which would be troublesome."

"Heh," Li Jing'an snorted a short laugh from his nose, his eyes narrowing. "Brother Sun, you underestimate me too much." He didn't say anything more. In his eyes, a young female worker who had just started working and was answering phones in the switchboard room was no different from a blank sheet of paper. Could she possibly escape his grasp?

He then asked, "By the way, what brings you here today? I remember your wife is quite strict with you. Aren't you afraid of getting criticized when you get home?" He knew that Section Chief Sun's wife worked in the labor union and was a formidable figure.

Section Chief Sun immediately looked distressed and waved his hand helplessly: "Don't even mention it! It's my wife who forced me to come 'to make up the numbers,' saying that for union-organized activities, family members of cadres should take the lead in supporting them. So I'm just hiding here having a smoke, trying to get some peace and quiet!"

Li Jing'an was amused by his appearance and laughed heartily. After laughing, his gaze returned to the center of the swaying dance floor, or more precisely, to the figure in the red dress. The red wasn't bright or dazzling; it was a dark maroon, but amidst the sea of ​​gray, blue, and black, it stood out like a dancing, warm flame, firmly capturing his attention.

"Brother Sun," he gestured slightly in that direction with the finger holding the cigarette, "who's that one in the middle, the one in the red dress?"

He had actually been observing her for quite some time. The girl was beautiful, her skin looked exceptionally fair under the light, and she had short hair that reached her ears, with the ends curling slightly inwards, which accentuated her long neck.

She was dancing with a young man wearing glasses. Her smile was bright and lively, her eyes crinkled as if filled with light, and small dimples appeared and disappeared at the corners of her mouth. Her dance steps were light and quick, her waist supple, and her skirt swayed in small arcs as she twirled. For some reason, Li Jing'an felt that the air around her was more lively and clearer than anywhere else.

Section Chief Sun followed his gaze, but quickly looked away: "Her? Zhou Yufei. What, you noticed her too? She works in the switchboard room, and she's a colleague of that Xiao Su from earlier."

Li Jing'an pondered the name: "Zhou Yufei, what's her situation?"

"What's wrong? You've taken a liking to her? Too late," Section Chief Sun explained. "They got married this spring." He gestured towards the dance floor. "Look, the one dancing with her, the one with glasses, that's her husband, Chen Qing, an officer in our technical department."

"Married?" Li Jing'an asked instinctively, his fingers holding the cigarette pausing. His gaze returned to the "spark," watching her and her scholarly husband chatting and laughing softly, their eyes meeting in a tacit understanding that no one else could penetrate.

"It seems they were together before, and after graduation they were assigned to the same factory. They're a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman." Section Chief Sun didn't notice the subtle changes in Li Jing'an's expression and continued talking to himself, his tone carrying a hint of tolerance and appreciation for the young man.

Li Jing'an didn't reply. He simply took a deep drag of his cigarette, letting it fill his lungs before slowly exhaling. The thick, bluish-white smoke blurred his vision and temporarily obscured the glaring red figure on the dance floor. But when the smoke cleared, the figure remained clear, even more striking and vivid due to the brief obscuration.

As the ball ended, the crowd surged towards the door like a receding tide, a cacophony of laughter, farewells, and the rustling of chairs being moved. Li Jing'an straightened his clothes, preparing to leave as well. His gaze swept around and he saw Chen Qing being pulled aside by Section Chief Sun, while Zhou Yufei and several female companions waved and walked alone towards the side corridor where clothes were stored, passing right by Li Jing'an.

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning. Li Jing'an's expression remained unchanged, but he slightly adjusted his direction, using the crowd as cover to slowly and deliberately cut diagonally towards her path. Just as the two were about to pass each other, he seemed to trip over something, lost his balance, and suddenly leaned towards Zhou Yufei.

"Ouch!"

"Be careful!"

They both gasped almost simultaneously. Li Jing'an slammed into Zhou Yufei's shoulder with considerable force. Caught off guard, Zhou Yufei staggered backward, about to fall. Li Jing'an reacted swiftly, extending his arm to firmly grasp her arm, while his other hand steadied her back.

In that instant, even through her sweater and coat, he could still feel the slenderness of her arms and the momentary tension. Her hair brushed against his chin, and a very faint, fresh scent, unlike cheap soap, like face cream, wafted into his nostrils.

"I'm so sorry! Comrade, I'm so sorry! There were too many people, I wasn't watching my step. Are you alright?" Li Jing'an quickly steadied himself, but didn't immediately let go of her arm. His face was full of just the right amount of apology and concern as he asked repeatedly. His gaze swept quickly and carefully over her face—up close, her skin was even more delicate, her eyelashes were long, and they were trembling slightly from the shock. Her smiling eyes were now wide open, clearly reflecting the club's dim lights and his own shadow.

Zhou Yufei used the leverage to steady herself, exhaled softly, clearly startled. She quickly and politely pulled her arm out of his grasp, leaning back slightly to create distance.

"It's alright, it's nothing." She shook her head, her voice clear and steady. The surprise on her face had faded, and she had regained that polite, slightly distant, gentle smile. She even nodded to him, her gaze lingering politely on his face for less than a second. After confirming that he hadn't done it on purpose, she turned to her husband, Chen Qing, who was looking in their direction.

"Qing, I'm here," she called out, her voice clear and melodious.

Li Jing'an's hand lingered in the air for a moment before slowly withdrawing and putting it in his pocket. His apologetic expression deepened, and he nodded repeatedly, "It's alright, it's alright. I'm so sorry, comrade."

Zhou Yufei didn't say anything more, only nodded slightly to him again, and then walked briskly towards Chen Qing, who was coming to greet her. Chen Qing put his hand on her shoulder and asked something in a low voice. She shook her head, smiled and said, "There were a lot of people, I accidentally bumped into someone," and then naturally took her husband's arm. The two of them walked towards the door with the flow of people.

Li Jing'an stood there, watching the two figures disappear into the deep night outside the door. The hem of that maroon skirt flickered one last time before vanishing. The crowd in the corridor gradually dispersed, leaving only a few staff members tidying up the tables and chairs; the gramophone had long since fallen silent.