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

"I hereby announce that Comrade Wang Caixia will be the squad leader from now on."

In the guesthouse's duty room, Li Jing'an's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. He stood in the duty room, his gaze sweeping over the other two female staff members.

The two waiters exchanged a glance, then quickly lowered their heads again. One was organizing the register in his hand, while the other was fiddling with his keychain, the metallic clanging echoing in the sweltering air.

"Write something down and post it in the duty room later for the people on the afternoon and evening shifts to see," Li Jing'an added, his tone devoid of emotion, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

Wang Caixia stood right next to him, very close. She lowered her head slightly, her face turned to the window, the light outlining her somewhat disheveled features.

She looked a bit more languid than usual, with a lingering flush on her face, as if she had just rushed along a long way, or perhaps from the sweat rising in the summer heat. A few strands of hair slipped from behind her ears, casually clinging to her neck, but she didn't reach out to gather them.

After Li Jing'an finished speaking, he turned to Wang Caixia and said, "Come out with me for a bit. Let's arrange some work for them." His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before quickly shifting away. He turned around, his leather shoes making steady footsteps on the terrazzo floor, and went straight upstairs.

The duty room fell silent, save for the old ceiling fan whirring overhead, stirring the stagnant air. Wang Caixia looked up at the two people who remained. They were also looking at her, their eyes probing, and perhaps something else, but they concealed it well.

"Nothing else," Wang Caixia said, her voice slightly lower than usual, with a hint of hoarseness. "You two can take turns eating lunch, just don't miss your shifts."

The words were simple, but the meaning was clear. The two nodded and replied, "Understood, Squad Leader Wang."

The address sounded somewhat unfamiliar, and Wang Caixia's heart stirred slightly, but she didn't show it on her face.

Once everything was arranged, she turned and went upstairs. Her steps were slow, one step at a time, as if she wanted to make sure each step was secure.

She heard whispers behind her, but she didn't care.

On the third floor, the door was ajar. She pushed it open, then gently closed it behind her.

The sofa is very messy.

Li Jing'an stood by the window, his back to the door, lighting a cigarette. The match hissed and lit, followed by the soft sound of the tobacco being ignited.

He took a drag and slowly exhaled the smoke.

He's in a great mood right now; he's improved in every way.

"Take care of it," he said, his tone as casual as if he were ordering the most ordinary household chore.

Wang Caixia didn't say anything and started tidying up. The off-white jacquard cloth cover on the sofa was wrinkled beyond recognition and was haphazardly piled in a corner.

She picked up a half-dry rag from the corner and carefully wiped the sofa clean.

Li Jing'an leaned against the windowsill, watching her busy, and suddenly said, "Go back and drink more water."

Wang Caixia lowered her head, but her hands didn't stop moving.

After wiping the sofa, she carried the rolled-up mat out of the room and downstairs. There was a tap near the bathroom. She turned on the tap, and clear water flowed out. She soaked the mat, lathered it with soap, and scrubbed it vigorously.

She washed it, wrung it out, and instead of hanging it outside to dry, she draped it over the stair railing, right next to the window, where it would get plenty of sunshine.

After doing all that, she stood at the top of the stairs for a while, the lingering warmth on her face, whether from the sun or something else, was unclear.

Back in her office, Li Jing'an was already waiting. He had changed into a clean, light gray short-sleeved shirt, and his hair seemed to have been washed, returning to its usual neatness. Seeing her approach, he gestured with his chin: "Let's go."

The two walked out of the guesthouse one after the other. There weren't many pedestrians on the street in the early morning, the trees were sparsely shady, and heat rose from the ground. They walked along the shady side of the wall, one after the other, their destination not far—the staff bathhouse next door.

The two separated.

The bathhouse was nearly empty at this time of day. Hot water washed over her body, cleansing away the sticky sweat. Wang Caixia vigorously scrubbed her long hair, the sound of rushing water and the rising steam blurring her vision and her thoughts.

Li Jing'an waited for a while before Wang Caixia came out. Both of them looked refreshed, their hair still damp. Looking at the sky, it was almost noon.

They didn't return to the guesthouse, but went straight to the canteen. At lunchtime, the canteen was bustling with noise and filled with the aroma of food.

They ate separately.

After lunch, Wang Caixia went to the duty room. Li Jing'an went back to his office to take a nap.

The afternoon passed slowly, and the people from the branch factory arrived one after another. Rooms were assigned to everyone, and Li Jing'an went down to check; nothing seemed amiss. Nothing else happened that afternoon.