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

Li Jing'an ate the meal with a restless mind. He never expected to meet such a renowned figure at a family banquet. Throughout the meal, he remained quiet and focused, his expression seemingly calm, but his heart was in turmoil. Even picking up food and raising his glass were done with a deliberate restraint.

Stepping out of Uncle Wang's small villa, a cool evening breeze blew. Wei Jialing turned to look at him, her face full of confusion. From the moment they started eating until now, Li Jing'an had remained silent, his eyes darting around, completely unlike his usual lively and attentive self. She couldn't help but ask softly, "Jing'an, what's wrong? You haven't said a word since just now. Is something on your mind?"

Li Jing'an snapped out of his daze, glanced at her indifferently, and uttered only two perfunctory words: "It's nothing."

The words had barely left his mouth when the car that was supposed to pick them up came to a smooth stop at the roadside, its headlights casting a soft beam of light in the night. Just as the two were about to walk towards the car, they heard footsteps behind them. Li Jing'an turned around and saw Zhang Qiuqiao, who had just been at the banquet.

His eyes suddenly lit up, and a warm and friendly smile immediately spread across his face. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Secretary Zhang, are you going back too? Why don't you stay and sit with Uncle Wang for a while longer?"

Zhang Qiuqiao smiled gently and said calmly, "Hehe, I finished talking to the leader about work this afternoon. I'll head back now. My place isn't far from here; it's in this area too."

Li Jing'an quickly replied, his tone deliberately friendly: "Hearing you speak makes me feel especially close to you. May I ask where you're from?"

Zhang Qiuqiao casually replied, "Oh, I'm from Shandong Province."

Li Jing'an's expression instantly shifted between surprise and delight, his voice rising several decibels: "Ah? What a coincidence! My hometown is also in Shandong Province!"

Wei Jialing, standing to the side, frowned slightly, filled with doubt—in her memory, Li Jing'an was clearly a native of Beijing, so when did he become a native of Shandong Province? But in front of outsiders, she ultimately didn't ask. Li Jing'an was indeed from Shandong Province, just not now.

Zhang Qiuqiao's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately became interested: "Really? That's such a coincidence! Which part of Shandong Province are you from?"

Li Jing'an smiled and casually announced a place name.

Zhang Qiuqiao's smile widened, and he patted his arm: "Then we really aren't far apart, we're practically neighbors, true fellow villagers!"

"That's right!" Li Jing'an quickly echoed, his tone earnest. "It's a pity I've never been back. The older generation settled in Beijing a long time ago. But I can still speak a few words of the local dialect."

Zhang Qiuqiao looked surprised. Li Jing'an immediately spoke a few words in fluent Shandong dialect to him, with a pure accent and familiar tone. Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiuqiao completely believed in this friendship between fellow townsmen, and his gaze towards Li Jing'an became more genuine and warm.

Li Jing'an followed up by asking, "Secretary Zhang, where are you staying now? Before we return to Beijing, I will definitely pay you a visit and catch up on our shared hometown."

Zhang Qiuqiao, without any suspicion, readily gave his address, which was nearby and not far away.

Li Jing'an's smile grew even more sincere: "Then it's a deal, I will definitely pay you a visit. Please don't think I'm bothering you and refuse to see me, pretending you're not home."

Zhang Qiuqiao was amused by him and readily agreed. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he turned and left.

Watching Zhang Qiuqiao's figure disappear into the night, Li Jing'an and Wei Jialing got into the car returning to the guesthouse. The car fell silent. Wei Jialing turned to look at him and asked softly, "Why were you so enthusiastic with Secretary Zhang just now? Is there... something you're hiding from me?"

Li Jing'an smiled faintly and said calmly, "It's nothing, it's probably just fate. I met someone from my hometown and we chatted for a bit."

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Wei Jialing stopped asking.

Li Jing'an leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, seemingly resting, but his heart was churning. He never imagined that Zhang Qiuqiao had become a member of the municipal party committee and the personal secretary of a high-ranking leader. He only knew that Zhang had worked at a newspaper and later served as the head of Shanghai's propaganda department. He never imagined that Zhang had risen to such a high position.

A surge of warmth coursed through Li Jing'an, and he clenched his fist tightly. This wasn't just a simple connection; it was a genuine protective shield. With this hometown ties, even if storms and turmoil arose in the future, Li Jing'an would have nothing to fear.

For the next three days, Li Jing'an accompanied Wei Jialing and Sister Zou, Li Huaide's wife, on a tour of all the famous places in Shanghai. They visited Nanjing Road, the Bund, the City God Temple, and department stores, leaving their mark everywhere. They also sampled all of Shanghai's renowned restaurants, enjoying Jiangnan dim sum and local cuisine to their heart's content.

Li Jing'an took the camera that Director Zhao had given him and took many photos of Wei Jialing along the way. He improved his photography skills by leaps and bounds over the course of a few days by framing, composing, and adjusting the lighting.

Before they knew it, it was the night before they were to return to Beijing. Li Jing'an accompanied Wei Jialing to visit Uncle Wang from the Municipal Party Committee once again, as a farewell gesture. Most importantly, he deliberately took a detour to Zhang Qiuqiao's residence.

He knew that since it was his first visit and they were not yet familiar with each other, he dared not act rashly, much less bring an expensive gift, lest he make a fool of himself. So he simply brought a few kinds of fresh fruit, simple yet polite.

Zhang Qiuqiao was quite surprised to see him. He had thought it was just a casual remark that day, but he hadn't expected Li Jing'an to actually come all this way. Li Jing'an was well-mannered and spoke politely. He didn't linger, exchanged a few simple pleasantries, and then got up to take his leave.

He knew in his heart that relationships needed to be developed gradually, and things shouldn't be rushed. Now that the connection had been established and the seeds of affection had been sown, why worry about not having opportunities to get closer in the future?

The next day, as they set off, Director Zhao personally went to the train station to see Li Jing'an and Wei Jialing off. At noon, he even hosted a farewell banquet, treating Li Jing'an to a meal alone.

Wei Jialing carried a small bag and walked ahead, while Li Jing'an dragged a suitcase and walked alongside Director Zhao behind. Director Zhao took a suitcase from him, and the two talked quietly as they walked.

"Jing'an," Director Zhao said earnestly, "when you go back, if you run into Director Gao from the ministry, please mention my name, Zhao Yuankang, and if you have the chance, I hope you will put in a good word for me."

As they spoke, Director Zhao discreetly pulled a thick envelope from his pocket and quickly stuffed it into Li Jing'an's pocket, his movements stealthy and leaving no trace.

Li Jing pretended to be completely unaware, still smiling, and repeatedly replied, "No problem, no problem, Director Zhao, don't worry, I'll take care of it."

As Li Jing'an boarded the train for his return journey, he was surprised to find himself in the same carriage as Li Huaide once again.

The train slowly pulled away, and Shanghai gradually receded from the window. Li Jing'an leaned against his berth, gazing at the passing scenery, his mind clear and calm.

The food, drinks, and entertainment were secondary to this trip to Shanghai; the biggest gain was meeting Zhang Qiuqiao.