Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

Xu Damao's insidious scheme can be summarized in four words: fabricating something out of nothing and framing someone.

His darting eyes always manage to catch the slightest clues that others might miss, and with his silver tongue, he can turn a small fact into a huge scandal.

Using his position as a projectionist, he traveled to almost every workshop and department in the factory, which gave him a vast and well-connected network of information. He was like a spider lurking in the shadows, meticulously weaving a web of lies and malice, waiting for his prey to walk right into it.

The propaganda department, as the factory's ideological and public opinion stronghold, naturally became his first stop for spreading poison. The female colleagues there had leisurely workdays and loved to gossip.

During lunch break, several female colleagues gathered together, eating sunflower seeds and whispering among themselves.

"Hey, have you heard? That Li Weidong has been getting quite close to He Yuanchao's sister from the fitter's workshop lately." Xu Damao pretended to be passing by, casually throwing out a remark before disappearing to the side, keeping his accomplishments hidden.

The words had barely left his lips when they were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples all around.

"He Yuanchao's sister? You mean He Yushui?" A female colleague with curly hair and bright red lipstick immediately perked up, spitting out sunflower seed shells even faster. "The one whose brother just got fired, and who's having an ambiguous relationship with the new engineer?"

"You bet you are!" Another woman with a square face lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Let me tell you, this is no simple matter. That He Yushui, she looks quite innocent, her face is as white as a sheet of paper, but she's very shrewd! And Li Weidong, what's wrong with his taste? He just broke up with Xiao Zhang from the finance department, and it hasn't even been a week, and he's already found someone else?"

"What next job? I think she's more like a backup plan!" The curly-haired woman curled her lip, looking disdainful. "You guys didn't see it. Last time I passed by the workshop, I saw He Yuanchao wiping her sweat with my own eyes! The way he acted, the way he looked at her, tsk tsk, they don't look like sworn siblings at all! I think He Yushui is eyeing what's in the bowl while also coveting what's in the pot!"

These words, like yeast in fermentation, were embellished and spread by a few gossipy female colleagues, and quickly went awry, turning sour and foul.

The version spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

Within a day, the rumors escalated from "being close" to "having an affair".

Two days later, it escalated into something shocking: "He Yushui was two-timing, hooking up with Li Weidong, a handsome but unattractive scholar from the propaganda department, while also having an ambiguous relationship with her stepsister He Yuanchao. It was all so morally reprehensible and unacceptable!"

……

Li Weidong is a proud and arrogant young man.

He came from a reasonably well-off family, was fair-skinned, and because he worked in the propaganda department, he could write a few sentimental poems. He always had a refined and cultured appearance, which made him quite popular with some unmarried young women in the factory.

Recently, he had indeed developed a strong liking for He Yushui, who was always quiet and had clear eyes in crowds. He felt that she was like a lily budding, fresh and refined, completely different from those noisy female workers. He had also taken the initiative to find opportunities to show his affection for her several times, under the guise of borrowing books and discussing manuscripts.

Every time Li Weidong saw He Yushui's shy, blushing face, his heart felt as sweet as if he had eaten honey.

However, these malicious rumors, like poisoned knives, pierced his heart.

When he heard those offensive comments from several colleagues, his face instantly turned a deep shade of purplish-red, filled with both shame and anger.

In particular, the harsh phrase "playing both sides" was like a poisonous thorn, deeply wounding his pitiful and fragile self-esteem.

He couldn't accept that the pure lily in his heart was being spoken of so negatively by others. He couldn't bear it even more that he, a talented student in the propaganda department, was being treated as a "backup plan"!

These past few days, he's been completely lost and confused, making frequent mistakes in his writing. The way he looks at He Yushui has changed from admiration and love to suspicion and scrutiny.

Xu Damao appeared "at just the right time".

He carried an enamel mug, sauntered over to Li Weidong's desk, plopped down, and, acting like a "big brother," patted Li Weidong's shoulder heavily.

"Weidong, what's wrong? You've looked like a wilted eggplant these past few days, you have no energy at all!"

Li Weidong raised his head, his eyes dim, and forced a smile that looked worse than crying: "No...it's nothing, Brother Xu."

"Still pretending with me?" Xu Damao put the jar on the table, leaned forward, lowered his voice, and earnestly "enlightened" him:

"Weidong, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you need to work on your judgment of people! Some women are two-faced; you're such an honest guy, you're easily taken advantage of!"

Seeing the slight change in Li Weidong's expression, he knew he had hit the nail on the head, so he continued to add fuel to the fire:

"Take He Yushui for example. How complicated is her family? Everyone in the factory knows what kind of scoundrel her brother, Sha Zhu, is. He's a brawler, a complete thug! And now there's He Yuanchao, who I heard isn't even her biological brother. They're living together like this, their relationship is all ambiguous. Think about it, a girl from a family like that, exposed to all sorts of things, how innocent can she be? She's got a lot more depth than you think! Don't be fooled by her innocent appearance! It's all an act!"

Every word Xu Damao said was like a heavy hammer, striking Li Weidong's already crumbling defenses hard.

Li Weidong already had some reservations, and Xu Damao's highly inflammatory "analysis" only fueled his suspicions, completely tilting the scales in his mind.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh.

"Then... what should I do?" Li Weidong was somewhat at a loss, like a drowning man grabbing onto a poisonous vine that he thought was a lifeline.

"What should we do?" A sinister glint flashed in Xu Damao's eyes, fleeting and elusive.

He leaned closer, his voice filled with seductive power:

"Weidong, listen to my advice. A man's pride is everything! You can't let her keep you hanging on like this, treating you like a backup plan, making you a laughingstock in the factory!"

"You have to do something! You have to get a clear answer from her! You have to make her either cleanly distance herself from you in front of the whole factory, or clearly define your relationship with her!"

At Xu Damao's urging, Li Weidong, who had initially been somewhat hesitant, was completely blinded by anger and his desire to save face. He decided that he had to do something to "defend" his ridiculous dignity.

……

Meanwhile, Sha Zhu was responsible for targeting He Yushui.

Xu Damao was becoming increasingly adept at using this chess piece. Sha Zhu was like a tamed dog; given a bone, he would bite whoever he was told to bite.

Sha Zhu took advantage of the last bit of affection He Yushui still had for him as her older brother and started playing the "family card".

He no longer talks about Qin Huairu all the time, nor does he argue or even fight with He Yushui over trivial matters.

He became "considerate".

Every few days, he would buy some peach shortbread or White Rabbit milk candy that He Yushui liked from the supply and marketing cooperative and quietly place them on her bedside table.

He would quietly help her repair the leaky faucet in the yard that had been used for many years and replace the washer with a new one.

He would even remember to bring in the clothes she had hung outside to dry on rainy days.

These subtle changes were undoubtedly heartwarming for He Yushui, who had longed for her older brother's love since childhood.

Although she still harbored resentment towards her brother for hitting her because of Qin Huairu, blood was thicker than water after all. Seeing her brother's "prodigal son returning home" attitude, her heart gradually softened.

That evening after dinner, Sha Zhu, seeing that the time was right, casually brought up the topic while clearing away the dishes:

"Hey Rainwater, I heard you're getting pretty close to that kid from the propaganda department named Li Weidong?"

He Yushui, who was reading a book, blushed instantly upon hearing the name, her face turning as red as the sunset. She lowered her head shyly, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the corner of the book: "We're just...just ordinary colleagues, we've talked a few times."

"Ordinary colleague?" Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu immediately slammed his bowl and chopsticks on the table, put on a stern face, and adopted the older brother's demeanor he hadn't used in a long time.

"Rain! You're my own sister, I can't just watch you jump into a fire pit!"

He took the dirt he had heard from Xu Damao and embellished it himself, and then piled it all onto Li Weidong.

"I've looked into it all. That guy has a bad reputation! He looks respectable, but he's always messing around with women! He was dating Zhang from the finance department, but he was two-timing her, and he's also hooking up with a woman from the factory office! He's a total womanizer, you better stay away from him! Don't let him fool you!"

Upon hearing this, He Yushui's heart skipped a beat and tightened instantly.

She did have a vague fondness for Li Weidong, finding him to be fair-skinned, refined, gentle-spoken, and cultured—completely different from the rough, greasy men in the workshop.

Hearing her brother say this, she felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, and her heart began to race with unease.

"Brother, are you... are you telling the truth?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"How could it be fake?" Sha Zhu patted his chest, looking completely confident. "Would I harm you? I've been through this, I can judge people better than you! You're just a young girl, too shy to understand the wickedness of people!"

He sighed, his tone softening and taking on a heavy emotional tone.

"Rain, our parents died young, and as the eldest brother, I have to take responsibility for you. Listen to me, don't associate with him anymore! Otherwise, if something happens, I won't be able to face our deceased parents!"

He Yushui's heart was in complete turmoil.

On one hand, there was her brother's earnest "advice," and on the other hand, there was her budding, hazy affection for Li Weidong. These two thoughts clashed fiercely in her mind, leaving her at a loss.

And so, through the skillful manipulation of Xu Damao and Shazhu, one openly and the other covertly, one pushing and the other pulling, a deep rift appeared between Li Weidong and He Yushui. A time bomb filled with suspicion, misunderstanding, and resentment was silently planted.

What they had to do was find a suitable moment, under the watchful eyes of everyone, to personally ignite the fuse of this bomb.

That opportunity will come very soon.

In October, the factory decided to hold a grand cultural performance to celebrate National Day.

He Yushui was recommended by the workshop to join the choir because of her clear voice and pretty appearance.

Li Weidong, on the other hand, was assigned by the publicity department leaders to write the script for the entire performance because he could write a few lines of poetry and was quite skilled with a pen.

This meant that the two of them would inevitably meet frequently in the propaganda department's rehearsal room.

When the news arrived, Xu Damao and Shazhu exchanged a glance in a secluded corner. In each other's eyes, which gleamed with excitement and malice, they saw a sinister smile of triumph.

The opportunity they had been waiting for to create "concrete evidence" had arrived.

……

Meanwhile, in the engineer's office at the other end of the steel rolling mill, He Yuanchao was completely unaware of all this.

He devoted all his attention and every taut nerve to the final sprint of the "compressor modification project".

Under the lamplight, his shadow stretched long, making him appear somewhat lonely, yet incredibly resolute.

After more than a month of working day and night, hundreds of modified parts with improved designs have been processed and passed the most stringent dimensional and performance tests.

Now, everything is ready, and only final assembly and testing remain.

Late that night, He Yuanchao was still in his office, finalizing the checks on the blueprints spread out on his desk. He had to double-check every piece of data and every line, allowing no room for error.

As usual, Sha Zhu brought him a steaming cup of strong tea.

After this period of "reform", Sha Zhu has become much more composed. He talks less, the arrogance in his eyes has subsided, and he works more diligently.

He gently and quietly placed the teacup on the corner of the table, looking at He Yuan-chao's focused profile illuminated by the table lamp, his eyes filled with an indescribable complexity.

Inside his heart, it felt like two little devils were fighting. One told him he couldn't do it; He Yushui was his own sister, and He Yuanchao had given him a second chance at life. The other screamed in terror, telling him he was already on Xu Damao's pirate ship, and he dared not, and could not, tell him.

He feared He Yuanchao's thunderous rage, and even more so, he feared losing this hard-won "new life" that allowed him to live like a human being.

Just as he was about to bow and silently retreat, He Yuanchao suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet office.

"Silly Zhu, sit down."

Sha Zhu froze, as if he had been frozen in place, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.

"I have a question for you." He Yuanchao didn't even look up, his gaze still fixed like a nail on a certain detail of the blueprint. "Do you think someone who is willingly and even enjoys being used as a pawn is incredibly stupid?"

"boom!"

Sha Zhu felt as if a bomb had exploded in his heart. A fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, and the back of his clothes was soaked with cold sweat in an instant.

Did he...did he know something?

How did he know?

"I...I don't know...Mr. He, what...what do you mean?" Sha Zhu's voice trembled uncontrollably as he stammered.

He Yuanchao finally slowly raised his head.

Those deep eyes were calm and still, like two bottomless ancient wells. Yet, their gaze possessed an indescribable penetrating power, as if it could see through all pretense, reaching the deepest darkness of the human heart, staring directly into Sha Zhu's eyes.

"It's nothing." He Yuanchao's tone was very calm, so calm that it was unsettling. "I'm just reminding you. Some people and some things, once you get involved, are like mud in a quagmire, you can't shake them off no matter what. Don't end up being sold out and then gleefully counting the money for others."

After saying that, he didn't look at Sha-Zhu again, as if his words were just a casual remark, and turned all his attention back to the complex blueprint.

Sha Zhu felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice water in the dead of winter, the chill running from his head to his heels.

He knew perfectly well that He Yuanchao was giving him a warning.

He knows everything!

A tremendous, boundless fear, like an invisible hand, instantly seized Sha Zhu's heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Looking at He Yuanchao's calm profile, he felt, for the first time, an irresistible tremor from the depths of his soul.

This man is terrifying.

He not only possesses extraordinary abilities, capable of turning the rotten into the miraculous, but also has a discerning and insightful mind that can see through people's hearts.

In his presence, I felt like a clown stripped naked, all my filthy thoughts and despicable schemes laid bare.

……

The day of the cultural performance has finally arrived.

The factory's auditorium was brightly decorated with lanterns and red flags, and the festive atmosphere was lively and bustling.

The backstage area was bustling with noise.

He Yushui changed into a brand-new white shirt and blue skirt, her hair styled in two glossy black braids, each tied with a red ribbon. Her young face carried a natural nervousness and an undisguised excitement.

She and her choir colleagues squeezed backstage, chatting and laughing.

Just then, Li Weidong, carrying a stack of manuscript paper covered in writing, walked straight over through the crowded people.

He looked at He Yushui, who appeared exceptionally beautiful under the lamplight, his eyes filled with complex emotions—struggle, anger, and a barely perceptible hint of expectation. He hesitated for a long time, his lips moved, before finally deciding to speak:

"Rain, I...I have a few words I'd like to say to you privately."

His voice was a little hoarse, but clear enough for those around him to hear.

"oh--!"

Her colleagues immediately started making ambiguous noises and playfully shoved He Yushui.

He Yushui blushed deeply, her heart pounding like a rabbit's. With her head down, she followed Li Weidong, whose face was grave, to a quiet corner backstage where old curtains and props were piled up.

What they didn't notice was that behind a pile of junk not far away, Xu Damao, like a seasoned hunter, was holding his breath, holding up an old-fashioned borrowed camera, its dark lens quietly aimed at them.

In another direction, Sha Zhu, leading several propaganda officers, was pretending to be "inspecting safety," shouting loudly, "Everyone, be careful of fire!" as they "casually" walked towards this corner.

The fish has taken the bait.