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

In a quiet corner backstage, the air was filled with the musty smell of old curtains, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible scent of dust.

The noise on the stage was shut out by the thick walls, making this space feel particularly secluded and oppressive, like an invisible net being quietly cast out.

He Yushui lowered her head, her slender fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes until the tips turned white.

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

A young girl's mind is always pure and passionate, and she always fantasizes about the most beautiful things.

She didn't know what Li Weidong wanted to say to her, but she vaguely felt that it would be an important moment, perhaps one that could change the course of her life.

Li Weidong looked at the girl's delicate profile, her ears slightly reddened with nervousness, and the soft shadows cast by her eyelashes under her eyelids when she lowered her eyes.

Touched by this innocent and pure feeling, the irritation and resentment he felt due to the rumors and gossip quietly dissipated.

He took a deep breath, as if he had mustered up a lot of courage, or as if he had made up his mind.

He cleared his throat, his voice a little hoarse, and said, "Rain, lately... lately there have been some rumors about us at the factory, have you heard them?"

He Yushui's heart skipped a beat.

Of course she had heard about it; the rumors clung to her like venomous snakes, making her restless and unable to eat or sleep.

But she was too embarrassed to speak, and only gave a soft "hmm" in a voice so faint it was almost inaudible.

"Those words were very hurtful." Li Weidong's brows furrowed tightly, and his expression darkened.

His voice was low and tinged with barely concealed anger: "They say you... they say you're two-timing, that our relationship is improper, and even... some people even say you seduced me, that I abused my position..."

He paused, his tone filled with resentment and a hint of unspeakable humiliation.

He Yushui's heart sank suddenly, her face turned deathly pale, as if the blood had been drawn from her face in an instant, leaving only cold fear.

Even though she knew those vicious words were false, when they were mentioned to her face, they still felt like a sharp knife stabbing into her heart.

"I don't believe in those things!" Li Weidong suddenly raised his voice, high-pitched and firm.

He seemed to want to use this method to prove his "innocence" and "openness," and even more so to dispel the unease in He Yushui's eyes.

"But, Rain, I don't want you to be pointed at and gossiped about because of me! I don't want our relationship to be misunderstood and ruined like this!"

His words were filled with disgust for the rumors and defense of He Yushui.

He took a step forward, closing the distance between them, his warm breath almost brushing against He Yushui's hair.

His gaze was fixed intently on He Yushui, his inner excitement overwhelming him, and his voice trembled slightly with intense emotion:

"Rain! I like you! I liked you from the first moment I saw you! Your kindness, your innocence, your understanding... I've seen it all!"

He gazed at her with deep affection, his tone becoming more solemn and urgent:

"Will you...will you be my boyfriend? Let's go public now! Once we're officially a couple, all those rumors will fall apart! Nobody can throw any more dirty water at you!"

This sudden confession was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, exploding in He Yushui's mind!

Overwhelmed by immense joy, a moment of panic and shyness washed over her like a tidal wave.

She suddenly looked up, staring incredulously at Li Weidong's face, which was flushed with excitement, her mind blank.

The world seemed to become both noisy and silent at that moment, with only Li Weidong's deafening "I like you" echoing in my ears.

She wanted to say something, but her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Surprise, panic, shyness... all sorts of emotions intertwined, leaving her momentarily at a loss, her body even trembling slightly.

And in that moment of utter helplessness—

"Snap!"

A soft yet unusually clear sound, like the click of a camera shutter, suddenly rang out from behind a pile of debris not far away, as if it were a curse!

The sound was particularly jarring in the quiet corner, like the snapping of a trap, instantly freezing the air.

Immediately following was Xu Damao's well-prepared, exaggerated scream, filled with "shock" and "heartbreak," which ripped through the backstage air like a thunderclap!

"Fine! Fine! You two! In broad daylight! Hiding here to have an affair! It's utterly morally corrupt! It's indecent!"

He suddenly jumped out from behind the mountain of old props and clutter.

His face was filled with righteous indignation, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, forming an irrepressible smug curve.

He held the old-fashioned camera high in his hand, the lens pointed directly at He Yushui and Li Weidong, as if he had caught some heinous adulterers and couldn't wait to expose them to the public.

"Li Weidong! He Yushui! You two have some nerve!" he roared hoarsely.

"Backstage at our Workers' Cultural Palace performance, in such a sacred place, how could... how could you do such a shameless thing! Do you think you've lived up to the organization's expectations? Do you think you've lived up to the people's trust? Do you think you've lived up to the clean reputation of our factory?!"

His voice was sharp and piercing, with a inflammatory quality, as if he himself were the embodiment of morality and a messenger of justice.

This earth-shattering roar, like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly ignited the attention of everyone backstage!

Everyone was startled by this sudden turn of events and stopped what they were doing.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"It's Xu Damao's voice!"

The actors waiting to go on set haven't had time to change out of their costumes yet; the busy staff members are still holding props or scripts.

They all followed the sound and gathered around, filled with curiosity, doubt, and whispers, making the quiet corner completely crowded.

"Everyone come and see! Come and see!" Xu Damao, always eager to stir up trouble, shouted at the top of his lungs, using almost all his strength.

He pointed at He Yushui and Li Weidong, his voice filled with malicious pleasure: "Li Weidong from the propaganda department, taking advantage of his position as a cadre, actually used his power to seduce female colleagues! He Yuanchao's younger sister, He Yushui, at such a young age, is not learning good things, getting all lovey-dovey with men backstage, engaging in inappropriate relationships!"

He spoke with spittle flying, his words becoming increasingly vicious: "I...I saw it with my own eyes! Their faces were almost touching! I even took a picture! The evidence is irrefutable!"

He brandished the camera in his hand; the cold lens, now in his grasp, was like a triumphant trophy, reflecting the ferocious and smug grin on his face.

That smile was filled with the wickedness of a successful conspiracy.

He Yushui and Li Weidong were completely dumbfounded!

They never imagined that a naive confession, a pure expression of their true feelings, would turn into a public "caught in the act"!

All the curious gazes fell upon them like needles, leaving them nowhere to hide.

The immense humiliation and the injustice they suffered left them frozen in place.

"You...you're talking nonsense! We didn't!" He Yushui was so anxious that tears were about to come out.

Her face flushed red, not from embarrassment, but from extreme anger and grievance.

She shook her head frantically, shouting herself hoarse as she tried to escape this sudden nightmare.

"We're just talking! We're not doing anything!"

"We were just talking!" Li Weidong was both surprised and angry.

He pointed at Xu Damao's nose, trembling with rage, and shouted, "Xu Damao! You're slandering me! You're defaming me!"

His voice was hoarse with anger, and his body swayed precariously from the extreme blow.

"Framed?" Xu Damao sneered and shook his head smugly.

He held the camera up high enough for everyone to see, his face full of provocation: "I have photographic proof! Black and white paper, uh, no, black and white photos, crystal clear!"

He glanced at the two of them sideways, his tone even more contemptuous: "Besides, if you're innocent, why are you hiding in this corner saying such things? What were you doing before? Choosing a place like this of all places—isn't it just like trying to hide something obvious?"

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out on the outskirts of the crowd.

Sha Zhu, leading several propaganda officers, feigned a heartbroken expression of "sacrificing family for the greater good," and squeezed into the crowd at just the right moment, appearing at the scene.

His face was stern and ashen, but a hint of hidden pleasure flashed in his eyes.

He walked up to He Yushui in a few steps, and without giving her a chance to explain, he raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face!

"Snapped!"

A crisp and loud slap suddenly rang out, like a thunderclap, echoing throughout the noisy backstage area!

The noisy crowd fell silent instantly, and all eyes were focused on He Yushui.

He Yushui was so hit that she staggered, and her shoes almost fell off.

Five clear finger marks instantly appeared on her fair face, so red and swollen it was shocking. A trace of bright red blood seeped from the corner of her mouth and slowly slid down her chin.

She covered her cheeks, her eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and pain as she looked at the man before her, the brother she had once thought would be her strong support.

Tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string, blurring her vision.

"Brother...you...you hit me?" Her voice was choked with sobs, filled with despair and confusion.

"Hit you? I'll beat you to death, you shameless thing!" Sha Zhu pointed at her nose, spitting as he cursed.

His face showed feigned anger and disappointment, but his tone was unusually vicious and sarcastic.

"I told you long ago to stay away from that pretty boy! Stay away from those shady characters! You wouldn't listen! Now look what's happened! You've been caught red-handed backstage! You've completely disgraced the He family! How can I ever hold my head up in the courtyard again?!"

He acted with such intensity, his voice trembling with tears, as if he were truly heartbroken and wished he could exterminate the entire family on the spot.

In reality, he felt a morbid pleasure from that slap!

He Yushui was protected by He Yuanchao since childhood, and he has always been jealous of him.

He finally made He Yushui taste the feeling of being humiliated in public, and even that humiliation came from her only blood brother!

"I didn't! I really didn't!" He Yushui cried and shook her head, her tears soaking her clothes, desperately trying to explain.

She wanted to reach out and grab Sha Zhu's clothes, hoping to make him believe her.

"Still dare to argue?!" Sha Zhu didn't give her any chance and made a move to hit her again.

His raised hand carried a menacing malice.

"stop!"

A chilling, furious voice, like a cold wind from the deepest hell or a muffled thunderclap, suddenly exploded behind the crowd!

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a suffocating pressure that instantly drowned out all the noise.

It wasn't Xu Damao's sharp shouts, nor Sha Zhu's vulgar curses, but rather carried an irresistible, profound, and deadly chill.

The crowd seemed to be cleaved apart by an invisible force at this roar.

People automatically parted to make way for each other.

He Yuanchao's face was ashen, his eyes were icy cold, like two newly drawn swords, radiating a chilling light.

He walked over step by step, each step carrying a heavy sense of oppression, as if stepping on the heart of everyone.

He was still wearing his engineer's blue work clothes, and his simple attire did nothing to conceal his powerful and suffocating aura.

At this moment, this aura was even more terrifying than any of the factory's leaders, carrying a chill that seemed capable of freezing everything.

He walked up to He Yushui and his pupils contracted sharply when he saw the clear handprint on her face and the blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

The chilling killing intent that erupted in that instant was almost tangible, causing the surrounding air to freeze.

He took off his coat and gently and carefully draped it over He Yushui's shoulders, who was trembling with fear and shame.

His movements were incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to the chilling aura emanating from him.

He looked down at He Yushui, his tone gentler than ever before, carrying an undeniable protectiveness:

"Don't be afraid, I'm here for you."

Then, he slowly turned around, his cold gaze like two sharp scalpels, scrutinizing and judging as he slowly swept over everyone present.

Those onlookers, who had initially been whispering and watching the spectacle, now all felt immense pressure under He Yuanchao's gaze.

They all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze, for fear of being "burned" by the coldness in his eyes.

His gaze first fell on Xu Damao's face, which was still full of smugness and provocation.

Xu Damao felt a chill run down his spine when He Yuanchao stared at him. His smugness vanished almost instantly, and cold sweat even broke out on his forehead.

"Photographs?" He Yuanchao's voice was very calm, so calm that no emotion could be detected, yet it was a calmness that sent chills down one's spine.

It was the calm before the storm, more chilling than any roar.

"That's right! It's a photo!" Xu Damao felt uneasy under his gaze, but he still stubbornly tried to maintain his composure, shaking the camera in his hand.

"I took the picture myself! You two were pulling and tugging at each other, your faces were almost touching! The evidence is conclusive, it's in black and white! Don't try to deny it!" He spoke toughly, but his voice trembled slightly.

"Okay." He Yuanchao nodded, without saying another word or looking at him again.

That single word in response sent a chill down Xu Damao's spine, as if he were being watched by a venomous snake.

His gaze shifted to the silly Zhu, who was putting on an act and looking "grief and indignation."

"You hit him?" He Yuanchao's voice was even colder, like frost and snow in winter scraping against one's cheek.

Sha Zhu felt uneasy under his cold gaze, his legs trembling, but thinking of his "heroic feat" and the plan behind it, he still braced himself and put on the airs of an older brother.

"That's right! I hit her! She's my sister! She did something so shameful, it's only right for me, as her older brother, to teach her a lesson! This is a family matter, and it's none of my business!"

"It's only natural?" He Yuanchao sneered, his laughter filled with endless mockery and chilling killing intent.

"He Yuzhu, remember what you said today."

A simple sentence, without threats or curses, yet carrying an undeniable resolve and a chilling foreshadowing.

That was not an elder brother admonishing his foolish younger brother, but a strong person judging the weak.

Sha Zhu's face paled instantly; he had never seen He Yuanchao show such an expression before.

Finally, his gaze fell on Li Weidong, who was already pale with fright and at a loss for what to do.

When Li Weidong was swept by He Yuanchao's icy gaze, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his calves began to tremble, making him almost unable to stand.

He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but fear robbed him of all his voice.

"You like rain?" He Yuanchao asked, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking an unimportant question.

"I...I..." Li Weidong stammered, unable to speak.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. Facing the imposing He Yuanchao, all his courage vanished, leaving only shame and fear in his heart.

"What kind of man are you if you can't even protect the girl you like, letting others humiliate you in public, and you're completely helpless?"

He Yuanchao's tone was full of undisguised contempt and disdain, like a sharp blade piercing Li Weidong's pride.

Li Weidong's face instantly turned a deep shade of liver, filled with shame and embarrassment, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

He Yuanchao ignored these people who, in his eyes, were like clowns jumping around.

He took He Yushui's still-sobbing, cold little hand in his, and enveloped her in his warm palm, offering her silent comfort.

He turned to the crowd of onlookers, his voice booming with unwavering resolve, like a resounding bell, shaking the very core of their being:

"I, He Yuanchao, will remember what happened today. Now, let the performance continue. We'll settle this score properly after the performance!"

After saying that, he took He Yushui's hand and slowly walked out of the crowd amidst the awe-inspiring yet complex gazes of the onlookers.

Instead of taking He Yushui backstage, he headed directly towards the audience area of ​​the auditorium.

He wanted everyone to see that his sister, He Yuanchao's sister, was not some "worn-out shoe" to be bullied, nor was she some "stain" to be hidden.

She is the person He Yuanchao will protect with all his might! He will seek justice for all her grievances!

Xu Damao and Shazhu exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of triumphant satisfaction in each other's eyes.

They successfully created chaos and publicly humiliated He Yushui.

But at the same time, beneath that exhilaration, there was also a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of panic, like a venomous snake, quietly creeping into their hearts.

They knew that He Yuanchao's revenge was imminent.

But they also believed that as long as they had the irrefutable evidence of the "photographs," no matter how capable He Yuanchao was, he couldn't turn the tide! They thought they had already grasped He Yuanchao's Achilles' heel.

However, what they didn't know was that behind them, a quiet and unassuming choir member quietly slipped out of the crowd and ran quickly toward the factory office.

He is Yan Jiefang, the eldest son of Yan Bugui.

He witnessed the whole incident, including Sha Zhu beating He Yushui and He Yuanchao's intimidating aura.

He also clearly remembered He Yuanchao's instructions to his brothers—

"Keep a close eye on the rain, inside and outside the yard. If anything seems amiss, tell me immediately, the sooner the better."

He knew he had to report it immediately.

He Yuanchao had instructed that this matter concerned He Yushui's reputation and, more importantly, the face of the He family, and that there should be no delay whatsoever.