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

Old Wu, hunched over, placed the three items on the table one by one, announcing their names as he placed them: "Director Li, look, this is a gilded Buddha statue from the Qianlong period, this is a Hetian jade ornament, and this is a Han Dynasty jade disc."

Li Jing'an leaned back in his chair, his gaze slowly sweeping over the three items. The Buddha statue had a full, round face, the jade disc had a natural patina, and the ornament was so lustrous it seemed to drip with oil.

His face remained expressionless, but inwardly he thought: This old man has a really deep pocket. What a pity—his grandson, Xiao Wu, will be fifteen days old tomorrow; it's time to release him.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair twice, then changed his mind: No, I have to mark this. When the wind picks up, I'll wipe them all out.

He looked away, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke casually as if chatting about everyday matters: "Old Wu, are these things alright? If they don't meet the boss's standards, I'll have a hard time explaining myself."

Old Wu quickly stepped forward, bending even lower, his face beaming with smiles: "Director Li, don't worry, these are all top-quality items! They've been passed down through my family for generations, the most treasured possessions." He pointed to the Buddha statue, "My father told me that this Buddha statue and ornament came from the palace, there's no mistake."

Li Jing'an gave a noncommittal "hmm" without even lifting his eyelids.

Old Wu rubbed his hands together, cautiously leaned forward, and lowered his voice even further: "Um... Chief Li, about my grandson Xiao Wu's matter... when can you get him out?"

Li Jing'an then raised his eyelids to look at him, put the teacup on the table, and said slowly, "Alright, since you, Lao Wu, are so sensible, I'll send it over to you today. He can be released tomorrow." He paused, his tone carrying a hint of business, "You don't need to come here anymore. Just wait at home; Xiao Wu will go back on his own."

Upon hearing this, Old Wu's wrinkles smoothed out, and he repeatedly expressed his gratitude: "Oh, thank you, Director Li! Thank you, Director Li! You are truly a great benefactor to our family!" As he spoke, he took two steps back and bowed again, "Then you go ahead with your work, I won't bother you any longer."

Li Jing'an waved his hand, and Old Wu turned and left, thanking him profusely.

As Old Wu walked out of the courtyard, the fake smile on his face disappeared. He looked back at Li Jing'an's courtyard, sighed, and walked away with a hunched back.

The door closed, and the room fell silent. Li Jing'an stared at the three items on the table, a slow smile creeping onto his lips. He reached out and picked up the jade disc, weighing it in his hand.

---

It was noon. Li Jing'an had just finished putting away those things when the courtyard gate was gently pushed open.

Bai Ting stood at the doorway carrying a lunchbox, her cheeks slightly flushed by the sunlight. She came in with her head down, placed the lunchbox on the table, and said softly, "Brother Jing'an, I made this at home. Please try it."

Li Jing'an's eyes swept over her, and he chuckled, a hint of malice in his smile: "Want to try some? Sure, you feed me." He sat down on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), patted the spot next to him, and said, "I've fed you so many times, now it's your turn to feed me."

Bai Ting's face flushed instantly, the red spreading from her cheeks to her ears. She bit her lip, unsure of what to say, her fingers gripping the lunchbox strap until her knuckles turned white.

"What are you standing there for? Come on." Li Jing'an squinted at her.

Bai Ting hesitated for a moment, then sat down. She opened her lunchbox, picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, and tremblingly brought it to his lips. Li Jing'an opened his mouth to eat, but his eyes remained fixed on her. His hand wasn't idle either; it slipped under her clothes along her waist.

Bai Ting froze, nearly dropping her chopsticks. She forced herself to take another bite, her voice trembling, "Just...just one more bite?"

Li Jing'an smiled and opened his mouth, but his hand didn't come out. After the meal, Bai Ting's face was so red it looked like it could bleed, and her breathing was erratic. Li Jing'an's hand was inside her clothes, and he hadn't taken it out the entire time.

After finishing his meal, Li Jing'an wiped his mouth and glanced at her. "I'm free this afternoon, so I need to test your learning progress these past few days."

Bai Ting lowered her head and didn't say anything. She stood up, walked to the door, and closed it.

---

Two hours later.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the window, falling on the kang (a heated brick bed). Li Jing'an leaned against the headboard, shirtless, lit a cigarette, and squinted as he exhaled smoke. Bai Ting had her eyes closed, her cheeks still flushed, her head resting on his lower abdomen, one hand around his waist, her fingers gently resting on his side.

Li Jing'an held a cigarette in one hand and absentmindedly stroked her hair with the other.

He looked down at her, a satisfied smile on his lips, his voice low and cloying: "Tingting, was that comfortable?"

Bai Ting kept her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she let out a soft "hmm" from her nose.

Li Jing'an chuckled, his hand sliding from her hair to her earlobe, gently rubbing it. "Tingting has really improved a lot, I'm quite satisfied." He paused, then suddenly sighed, his hand stopping its movement. "It's a pity... there will be fewer opportunities like this in the future."

Bai Ting opened her eyes, looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion and unease: "What's wrong?"

Li Jing'an continued fiddling with her hair, his tone as casual as if he were remarking on the weather: "Xiao Wu will be out tomorrow; I helped out." He looked down at her, his eyes devoid of warmth. "Once you two get married, won't opportunities like this become fewer?"

Bai Ting froze for a moment, then propped herself up on her arms. The thin blanket slipped down, revealing her smooth shoulders and collarbone. She stared at him in disbelief, her voice trembling, "What did you say?"

Li Jing'an squinted, a smile still lingering on his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes at all: "Didn't you hear what I said? You're Xiao Wu's fiancée, you're not trying to cling to me, are you?"

Bai Ting's tears welled up instantly, and she choked out, "But you...you said you liked me and wanted to be my girlfriend..."

"Alright, alright." Li Jing'an waved his hand impatiently, his brows already furrowed. "If you want to cry, go cry outside. Who can testify that I said that?"

He took a drag of his cigarette, his tone softening, but it was even more chilling: "That was a prerequisite for Xiao Wu's labor reform. Now that he's coming out, how could I do something like poaching him? That's immoral."

He watched as Bai Ting sobbed, her shoulders shaking as she clutched her blanket, and his voice carried a hint of earnestness: "I advise you to go back and prepare to marry Xiao Wu. Making a big fuss about this won't do you any good—you're engaged and you're still messing around. If word gets out, you and your family will be ashamed."

Bai Ting didn't speak, but buried her head even lower, hugging the blanket tightly, tears falling onto the back of her hand.

Li Jing'an took another drag of his cigarette, his tone suddenly becoming relaxed, as if he were reasoning with someone: "Besides, you didn't lose out, did you? I taught you so much, guided you step by step to familiarize you with the key points of each movement, and carefully honed your skills. Little Wu can just pick up the pieces right away; you guys really hit the jackpot."

He muttered to himself: "I've been studying the advanced experiences of Japan and South Korea for over thirty years, and they don't even know how to be grateful?"