Courtyard House: Starting as an eighth-grade worker, with too many wives.

But Director Yang seemed to have seen through his thoughts and directly waved his hand to interrupt him.

"Don't even think about refusing. This is to put everyone at ease. It's settled then."

As Li Jianguo walked out of the factory gate after get off work that evening, he noticed two faint, imperceptible gazes.

The two people had already disappeared into the crowd. They followed at a perfect distance, their technique superb. Unless one was consciously trying to sense them, they would be completely undetectable.

He felt somewhat awkward throughout the journey.

But after walking for a while, and deliberately not thinking about it, the feeling gradually faded.

Back at the courtyard house, the two men didn't follow him inside. The feeling of being watched finally vanished completely.

The courtyard was unusually quiet.

The deaf old woman and the Jia family, who usually love to cause trouble, were completely silent today.

Li Jianguo, on the contrary, felt a little uncomfortable.

"Am I being a masochist?"

He couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Have I developed Stockholm Syndrome? I'm actually not used to them not making a fuss?"

He was cooking inside the house while glancing out the window.

He glanced over and saw Qin Huairu coming out of the Jia family's house. Her figure moved in the twilight, heading straight towards him.

"I knew it!"

He patted his mouth self-deprecatingly.

"How could things possibly calm down?"

He put down the groceries he was holding, walked to the living room, and sat down. He waited calmly.

-

The door was pushed open.

Qin Huairu stood in the doorway, backlit. Behind her was the gradually darkening twilight, and in front of her was the dim yellow light from inside the house. She stood at the boundary between light and shadow, looking at the man sitting calmly in the living room.

In that instant, a strange, inexplicable flutter welled up in her heart.

Why isn't such a good man hers?

Why do I have to pick on her?

"What's up?"

Li Jianguo's voice rang out. Cold and distant, like a transparent wall, keeping her outside.

That sound shattered that sliver of beauty completely.

"Go out if you have nothing else to do."

He never gave the Jia family a kind look.

"I……"

Qin Huairu snapped out of her daze and took a deep breath. She forcefully suppressed the inappropriate thoughts that were swirling in her mind, burying them deep within her heart, pressing them down with a stone.

She remembered Sha Zhu's plan and the purpose of her trip.

"There's something I want to tell you..."

"Speak your mind, or shut up!"

Li Jianguo stood up, walked to the door, and blocked her way.

Having learned his lesson, he would never again be alone in a room with Qin Huairu, a man and a woman.

Standing at the door, he caught a glimpse of movement coming from the Jia family's side.

A thought crossed my mind.

An invisible fly silently flew by.

really.

Sha Zhu and Jia Zhangshi were crouching by the window, sneaking peeks in their direction. They were hiding quite well, only half their heads showing.

That silly Zhu is really restless.

They couldn't wait to cause trouble as soon as they were released.

Seeing his avoidance, Qin Huairu felt a pang of grievance. She bit her lip, severing that last vestige of tenderness completely.

"Haven't you always wanted to know about the deaf elderly woman who's on welfare?"

She raised her head, trying to make her voice sound calm.

"I have evidence."

Li Jianguo raised an eyebrow.

Why make such a big move right from the start?

"real?"

"right."

Seeing that he had reacted, Qin Huairu felt a little relieved.

"There's also something hidden about your parents' trip to the Northwest. If you want to know, I'll bring the evidence tonight."

As she spoke, she turned to walk out.

"Say it now."

Li Jianguo stood motionless in the doorway, his gaze sharp and piercing, as if trying to see right through her, down to her very bones.

Qin Huairu felt a pang of panic and stopped in her tracks.

"I...I'll tell you tonight."

As she spoke, she reached out to push him away.

"Are you perhaps plotting something?"

Li Jianguo's voice drifted from behind, like a cold thorn piercing Qin Huairu's spine.

She froze.

His hands were clenched tightly together, his nails almost digging into his flesh.

"What...what kind of conspiracy could I possibly have..."

She forced herself to calm down. But her voice trembled uncontrollably, like a spider's web in the wind, shaking violently.

"I really have evidence... but I can't say it now... Move aside, let me out, tonight... I'll tell you tonight..."

Li Jianguo looked at her flustered appearance.

Looking at her evasive eyes, her trembling voice, and her clenched hands.

A slow, gentle curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

That curve is full of playfulness.

something wrong.

There's definitely a problem.

Moreover, it's definitely related to Sha Zhu and his gang.

He was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you at home tonight."

He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold.

"You know the consequences if there's no evidence. I, Li Jianguo, have never been a soft-hearted person."

"I...I understand..."

Qin Huairu's voice was already trembling with sobs.

Li Jianguo stepped aside to make way for him.

Qin Huairu lowered her head, mumbled something indistinctly, "I'll definitely be there," and rushed out without looking back.

His footsteps were hurried, as if a demon was chasing him.

The feeling of unease didn't subside until she stormed into the Jia family's house. She leaned against the door, gasping for breath. A sharp pain shot through her palm—looking down, she saw that her fingernails had cut her palm, drawing blood.

"How is it?!"

Sha Zhu eagerly came forward to greet him.

The "fly" controlled by Li Jianguo was currently perched on the windowsill not far away. Its small compound eyes took in everything inside the room.

"It's done."

Qin Huairu tried to calm her breathing.

I'll go over tonight.

Sha Zhu and Jia Zhangshi exchanged a glance.

Smiles bloomed on both faces simultaneously. The smiles were smug and ferocious, like two wild beasts eyeing their prey.

"well!"

Sha Zhu cheered repeatedly.

"I knew you could do it! But you were such a disgrace; the way you walked over looked like a ghost was chasing you!"

Madam Jia also grinned. But her words were still sharp and sarcastic.

Qin Huairu ignored her. She just stared at Sha Zhu.

"Okay, get ready."

Sha Zhu lowered his voice.

"Let's make it as lively as possible. We'll just listen outside, and as soon as you make a sound, we'll rush in and catch him red-handed."

"Really...can it work?"

Qin Huairu was still somewhat uneasy.

"laugh!"

Sha Zhu smiled dismissively.

"No matter how capable Li Jianguo is, he's still a man! Once you've done it, we'll make sure he can't explain himself, and he won't be able to clear his name even if he jumps into the Yellow River!"

Li Jianguo witnessed all of this.

That tiny "fly" transmitted every word and every expression back to his mind.

The smile on his lips grew colder and colder.

"A honey trap?"

He shook his head dismissively.

"Let's see who jumps in last."

He turned and walked towards Xu Damao's house.

-

Xu Damao's family is cooking.

The pot was sizzling, and the smell of cooking oil filled the air. When Li Jianguo arrived, Xu Damao was startled and quickly went to greet him.

"Director Li?! What brings you here?! Please come in, please have a seat!"

Since following Li Jianguo, Xu Damao's life has become increasingly prosperous. He now feels genuine respect and gratitude towards Li Jianguo. Without Li Jianguo, he would still be the Xu Damao that the entire hospital looked down upon.

"There's something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Li Jianguo got straight to the point.

"Qin Huairu just came to see me and said she needs to give me some evidence tonight. I feel something's not right. Could you keep an eye on things for me tonight? If anything seems amiss, come out."

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao agreed without hesitation, patting his chest.

"This is nothing! Don't worry, Director Li, I won't sleep tonight, I'll keep a close eye on things!"

He thought for a moment, then suggested:

"But I'm afraid it's a bit too few for me to do alone. Director Li, you know I don't have a good reputation in the hospital. How about I call Uncle San and the others along? There's strength in numbers, and if anything happens, they can be witnesses."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

Li Jianguo nodded.

This suited him perfectly.

After leaving Xu Damao's house, Xu Damao took some food and went to the house of his third uncle, Yan Bugui.

Yan Bugui originally disliked getting involved in these matters. He was a shrewd and calculating man, and always preferred to avoid trouble.

But seeing Li Jianguo's current meteoric rise, and even Xu Damao's meteoric rise along with him, he felt a pang of envy. That envy crawled around in his heart like a worm.

Then look at the little thing Xu Damao handed over—a bag of snacks and a bottle of wine. It wasn't expensive, but the thought was there.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded.

"If something really happens, you take the lead and don't drag our family into it."

"Alright! Don't worry! If that really happens, you, my third uncle, will be the one to stand up for justice!"

One sentence made Yan Bugui beam with joy.

Although he wasn't as obsessed with officialdom as his second uncle, he felt comfortable as long as people were willing to listen to him. That feeling of being needed and valued was like a warm, comforting drink.

Everything is arranged properly.

Li Jianguo returned to the house and waited for night to fall.

-

Night was falling.

The courtyard was completely silent.

Everyone had blown out their lamps and was preparing to rest. Occasionally, a few barks could be heard from afar, as if they came from another world.

Qin Huairu walked out of the Jia family's house.

This time, she had clearly dressed up intentionally. Her dark red dress made her face look healthier and more vibrant than during the day. Her hair had also been re-combed and was now neatly slicked back.

In a dark corner in the distance, Xu Damao and Yan Bugui looked at each other.

"What is Qin Huairu trying to do?"

Yan Bugui frowned, sensing something was amiss. He had initially agreed to help, intending it to be a mere formality, assuming Qin Huairu, having just suffered a great loss, would dare not cause trouble again. Unexpectedly, she actually dared.

"Who knows?"

Xu Damao sneered.

"But it's definitely not going to be good. Third Uncle, you've seen what's been happening lately. The Jia family, along with the deaf old lady and the First Uncle, hate Director Li to the core and are trying every possible way to get him out of this courtyard."

Yan Bugui seemed lost in thought and stopped speaking. He just stared intently at Qin Huairu's figure, his eyes unblinking.

Soon, Qin Huairu pushed open the door to Li Jianguo's house.

"Is Director Li... there?"

The room was dimly lit. She stood in the doorway, nervously clutching the front of her dress. Her fingers trembled slightly as she quietly unbuttoned one button.

In his heart, he repeatedly recalled the instructions given by Sha Zhu and Jia Zhangshi:

Pounce on him, take off your clothes, tear them off—be quick!

She took a deep breath, trying her best to encourage herself. But her heart was still pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

Li Jianguo came out of the study.