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

That evening, the guesthouse's small private room was packed with ten chairs.

Li Jing'an specifically instructed that the athletes participating today do not need to change their clothes; they should still wear their competition uniforms and simply take a shower before taking their seats.

When they took their seats, Li Jing'an first invited the minister to sit in the head seat, but the minister repeatedly declined, insisting that the participating athletes sit there, saying that he was just there to join in the fun and could not sit in the middle.

Only after Li Jing'an's repeated insistence did the minister finally sit down.

After the minister was seated, Li Jing'an busied himself arranging seats for the eight female waitresses who were participating in the competition. He got up and rearranged the seats of the women who were already seated.

Li Jing'an muttered to himself, "They really have no respect for elders. You can't just sit anywhere." He deliberately chose the two largest seats and arranged them next to the minister. The rest of the people were arranged in order of size from largest to smallest, and he himself sat in the outermost seat.

The busiest person at this dinner was not Li Jing'an, but the minister.

He toasted one waiter and poured wine for another, going around the room twice in total.

Even before drinking, the minister's face was already flushed; after drinking, his face turned even redder. Laughter never stopped throughout the meal as he chatted and laughed with the two girls beside him, creating a very lively atmosphere.

Looking at the scene before him, Li Jing'an picked up his wine glass and took a sip, thinking to himself: "The minister is a really down-to-earth person, just like me, we both like big things."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Brother Li, you wanted to see me?" Qin Huairu gently pushed open the office door and walked in.

"Ah, Huai Ru, come here, I have something to tell you." Li Jing'an sat behind his desk and beckoned to her.

Qin Huairu closed the door behind her, a smile plastered on her face: "Brother Li, just let me know if you need anything. Is your new house still not ready? I cleaned it thoroughly yesterday. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, I'll go back and redo it."

"Hey, it's not about the house. How could I not trust you to handle things? Your sister-in-law specifically told me to let you do the cleaning; she doesn't trust anyone else." Li Jing'an waved his hand, then bent down and took out a set of sportswear from under his desk, casually tossing it onto the table.

"Come on, Huai Ru, go to the inner lounge and change into this. Let me see if it fits."

Qin Huairu picked up the clothes and looked at them, her face showing difficulty: "Ah, Brother Li, I don't know how to play badminton. I know about the competition organized by the institute, but I've never even touched a racket."

"I'm not asking you to actually play in the match. Just put it on and I'll see how it goes," Li Jing'an said firmly.

Qin Huairu dared not say anything more, took her clothes and went into the lounge. She changed and came out shortly after, standing obediently in front of Li Jing'an.

It was a custom-made V-neck tracksuit, fitted tightly, highlighting her figure beautifully. Li Jing'an looked her up and down, nodding repeatedly: "Not bad, fits perfectly."

"Brother Li, these clothes are too small, they feel awkward to wear," Qin Huairu said softly, tugging at the hem of her clothes.

Li Jing'an frowned instantly, his tone turning serious: "Small? The smaller the better, it will perfectly accentuate your figure, show off everything, and look so good."

He was increasingly satisfied with what he saw, beckoned to Qin Huairu, and patted his leg, signaling her to come over.

Qin Huairu walked over and sat on Li Jing'an's lap.

Li Jing'an looked down at her, a smile playing on his lips, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, what beautiful clothes, what a great figure, so deep!"

He then raised his hand and gently patted Qin Huairu's cheek, slowly saying, "Huairu, I have a task for you to do in a couple of days."

"Brother Li, just tell me, and I'll definitely handle it perfectly for you," Qin Huairu replied quickly.

"You're so obedient." Li Jing'an raised his hand, lifted her chin, and kissed her hard. Then he leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words.

Qin Huairu, who had been gentle and docile, changed her expression drastically after hearing this. Her body trembled slightly, and she quickly shook her head in refusal: "Brother Li, don't make me go. I can't do it. I really can't do it."

Li Jing'an's eyes instantly turned cold, and he increased the pressure on her face, patting her cheek again, his tone icy: "What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."

"I...I..." Qin Huairu's lips trembled, and she stammered for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

Li Jing'an stared intently at her, his tone fierce: "Don't push your luck. You think you can bargain with me about this?"

Li Jing'an blew a puff of smoke directly into Qin Huairu's face.

"Don't think I'm trying to harm you, I'm helping you." Li Jing'an spoke slowly, his tone both threatening and enticing. "Think about it, it's just playing badminton with the leaders. If you can get in touch with the minister, what can't you get in the future? So many people are desperate to build this relationship, but they don't even have the chance. And you, you're acting all coy."

"Brother Li, I..." Qin Huairu was about to speak when Li Jing'an interrupted her.

He opened his desk drawer, took out several receipts, and slapped them directly onto Qin Huairu's face, scattering the receipts everywhere.

"Do you know what this is? This is the linen damage report for this week. Such a large amount, I checked, it was all reported during your shift. You dare say there's nothing fishy going on here?" Li Jing'an lowered his voice, laced with threat. "Let me tell you, the department is about to conduct a thorough investigation into abnormal linen losses. If it's found to be your fault, you can expect to be sent to the labor farm!"

Qin Huairu's face turned deathly pale instantly. She reached out and grabbed Li Jing'an's arm tightly, pleading in a tearful voice, "Brother Li, I was wrong, Brother Li, please forgive me, I don't want to go to the labor farm."

"Then you'd better think it through: do you want to go to the labor camp to work, or do you want to listen to me obediently?" Li Jing'an said coldly.

Qin Huairu stared dejectedly at the documents in her arms, her body went limp, and she said weakly, "Brother Li, I...I'll listen to you."

Seeing her give in, Li Jing'an's expression softened instantly, and he smiled again, giving her a big kiss: "That's right, Huai Ru, Brother Li won't hurt you, don't worry."

"Even if the minister doesn't say anything, Brother Li promises you that the next spot for a temporary cadre position will definitely be yours. This time the spot was given to Zhou Yufei, but next time it will definitely be reserved for you. From now on, you will be a formal cadre."

"If you really manage to marry into a wealthy family, I'll have to rely on you for support in the future. Don't pretend you don't know me then," Li Jing'an chuckled.

Qin Huairu remained silent, looking dejected as she changed back into her own clothes, and walked out of Li Jing'an's office in a daze.

Watching her departing figure, Li Jing'an leaned back in his chair, slowly smoking a cigarette, and pondering his next plan.

Initially, he had two candidates in mind: Qin Huairu and Yang Chunjuan, the secretary at his institute. Both were of similar stature and outstanding, but after careful consideration, he chose Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu was adept at manipulating men's minds, and coupled with her naturally aggrieved demeanor, few men could resist her slightest display of weakness. Based on his observations of the minister, Li Jing'an was certain that using Qin Huairu as a tactic would be a sure thing.