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

Su Liting was facing the mirror, carefully applying face cream.

"Liting, let me see you off. I'll wait for you outside," Engineer Wang said, following behind her.

Su Liting abruptly stopped applying the ointment, looked up at Wang Gong's reflection in the mirror, and said impatiently, "What are you going there for? They didn't ask you to go. Besides, with your quiet nature, you're so unyielding, what could you possibly say?"

"Liting, I'm just worried about you. I'm not going in to get involved; I'll just wait outside."

"You're worried? Now you're playing the good guy? When you forced me to go out and beg for favors, to pull strings and plead for me, why didn't you ever think about how much you cared for me? Now you're standing up for me and making yourself look good."

Wang was rendered speechless by her retort, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal for a long time. He could only stammer, "Then... then I'll just ride my bike to take you there, okay?"

"Come on, just stay home. When your daughter gets home from school at noon, just cook her lunch. I'm really confused, you're working a regular job, why did you specifically take a day off?"

"I was worried I wouldn't be able to get enough cigarettes at the black market this morning, so I asked my coworker to help me get a day off. I figured if I couldn't buy them at the black market, I'd try my luck at department stores and state-run stores. There are so many big places; I'm sure I can find enough cigarettes there." Wang Gong, like an inseparable shadow, followed closely behind Su Liting, hurriedly explaining.

Su Liting put on her coat, casually straightened her collar, turned to look at Engineer Wang who kept pacing back and forth in front of her, her brows furrowed instantly, and she reached out and shoved him aside. She quickly walked to the table, picked up the cloth bag containing cigarettes, and turned to walk out the door.

Engineer Wang quickly chased after her, repeatedly calling out, "Hey, Liting! Wait for me, I'll get it for you!"

The two walked all the way to the bottom of the tenement building. Wang Gong was still unwilling to give up and earnestly persuaded her, "Liting, it's not a short distance to the guesthouse with your things. Don't walk there. I'll ride my bike to take you. It'll be faster and easier."

"Alright, alright, aren't you annoying with your dawdling? Just stay home and wait for the kids to get out of school and cook dinner. Why are you causing trouble by coming out with me?" Su Liting abruptly broke free from Wang Gong's hand that was grabbing her sleeve and walked away without looking back.

Wang was about to try to persuade him further when a clear car horn suddenly rang out, interrupting him.

Su Liting had been preoccupied with Engineer Wang and hadn't paid any attention to what was happening ahead. When she looked up, she saw a black sedan parked in front of her. She had seen this car twice before; it was Li Jing'an's official car.

The next second, the back door of the car opened, and Li Jing'an stepped out, a gentle smile on his face, his gaze fixed on her. Su Liting quickly stepped forward to greet him, while Engineer Wang, who didn't recognize the man in front of him at all, could only stand silently in place, not uttering a word.

"I just happened to be out running errands, and since it was almost noon, I made a detour here hoping to run into you, so I offered you a ride." Li Jing'an smiled at Su Liting, then his gaze swept over Engineer Wang behind her, his tone tinged with doubt, "Liting, who is this?"

Su Liting quickly replied, "Oh, this is my husband, he works in the technical department of our factory."

"You must be Engineer Wang, it's an honor to meet you." Li Jing'an greeted Engineer Wang with a broad smile, extending his hand. Engineer Wang, out of politeness, could only return the handshake. Li Jing'an then said, "Engineer Wang, I'm Li Jing'an from the factory's first guesthouse."

Seeing her husband standing there dumbfounded, not saying a word for a long time, Su Liting felt both angry and anxious, and quickly whispered a reminder. Only then did Engineer Wang come to his senses and awkwardly say, "Ah, Director Li, hello, hello."

He was still unaware of their past relationship, so Su Liting quickly explained, "Last time I went to Zhou Yufei for some business, I happened to run into Director Li. Director Li helped me speak up and even got involved in our matter for no reason. This time, it was Director Li who stepped in to help me find the factory leaders and resolve my difficulties."

"Director Li, I'm so sorry to have troubled you so much. I feel really bad for getting you involved in the incident last time." Engineer Wang quickly bowed and apologized.

"You can't say that. Nobody wants this to happen. Don't worry, since I promised Liting, I'll definitely take care of it for her. After all, this whole thing was caused by a misunderstanding arising from Zhou Yufei's room assignment at our guesthouse, and I should take responsibility for it."

After Li Jing'an finished speaking, he turned to look at Su Liting and said in a gentle tone, "Come on, Liting, get in the car, let's go together." As he spoke, he took the heavy cigarette pouch from her hand.

Su Liting glanced at Engineer Wang, said nothing more, and bent down to sit in the back seat of the car. Li Jing'an closed the car door, then smiled at Engineer Wang: "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll take good care of Liting. Just wait for news at home." After saying that, he gently patted Engineer Wang's shoulder.

"Thank you so much, Director Li. You've worked so hard; we really don't know how to repay you."

"It's only right that we work hard, after all, it's between the two of us. If I don't work hard, who will? Don't worry, I will do my best to take good care of Liting."

After Li Jing'an finished speaking, he walked around to the other side of the car with his cigarette pouch, opened the door, and got into the back seat. The back window wasn't closed yet, and Engineer Wang quickly leaned forward, bowing his head and calling into the car, "Liting, what time are you coming back? I'll come downstairs to pick you up."

"No need, I can walk back myself, it's just a few steps." Su Liting didn't even turn her head, frowning as she refused indifferently, not even glancing at him.

"Don't worry, Mr. Wang. I'll personally drive her back and hand her over to you safe and sound." Li Jing'an replied with a smile, then turned to the driver and instructed, "Drive."

Wang Gong stood by the roadside, watching the black sedan slowly drive away towards the steel rolling mill, his expression complex.

The car drove smoothly into the courtyard of the guesthouse. Li Jing'an got out first, carrying a cigarette pouch, and led Su Liting inside. Su Liting had never been to a place like this before. Looking at the exquisite and meticulous furnishings of the guesthouse, her eyes widened in amazement, and she secretly clicked her tongue in amazement: No wonder only leaders can stay here.

Li Jing'an walked into the lobby, beckoned to a waiter, and instructed, "Take Comrade Su to a private room in the restaurant to wait."

He then turned to Su Liting and whispered, "I'll put these cigarettes in the office first. Carrying them around like this will attract gossip. I'll take them out when I need them." After saying that, he carried the cigarette bag to the office, and the two parted ways.

Su Liting followed the waiter inside, feeling awkward and uneasy the entire time. In her eyes, the First Guesthouse was the most luxurious place. After being led into the private room, she sat stiffly on the stool, unsure of what to do, and could only nervously rub her pants repeatedly.

Not long after, a waiter brought in tea and poured her a cup. A moment later, Li Jing'an's hearty laughter came from outside the door, mixed with several other unfamiliar voices.

"Director Li, you're really going to great lengths! We can't let you treat us to a meal; we should be the ones treating you!"

"Hey, why are you making such a big deal out of who we are? We're all friends. If I don't call you, you won't come to me. Are you deliberately distancing yourselves from me?" Li Jing'an's voice carried a hint of teasing.

"How could we dare? It's just that you're too busy; you just came back from giving a report in the Northeast. Even if we wanted to invite you to dinner, we wouldn't have a chance."

"I think you're just making excuses. I'm free every day; I'm clearly just afraid of spending money."

"Look at what you're saying. It's our honor to dine at the same table with you. It's not that we're stingy with money, it's just that we're afraid of bothering you too much."

"Stop with the pleasantries. Let me make this clear: one bottle per person, no one leaves until they finish it."

"Haha, alright! Today we'll risk our lives to keep you company!"

After a burst of laughter, the door to the private room clicked open. Su Liting quickly stood up and looked towards the door. Li Jing'an walked in first, followed by three factory cadres. The three were startled to see Su Liting in the room, unsure how to address her.

Li Jing'an waved his hand and introduced her generously: "This is my friend Su Liting. She is a teacher in our factory's child development class. You can just call her Teacher Su."

The three immediately understood, exchanged glances, and greeted each other with enthusiastic smiles, "Hello, Teacher Su!"

Su Liting's face flushed instantly. She had never been treated so politely and warmly by cadres before, and she was at a loss for words. She could only lower her head and whisper, "Hello, hello."

"Please sit down, please sit down, don't be shy." Li Jing'an greeted everyone, then naturally put his hand on Su Liting's shoulder and said to her gently, "Liting, you sit down too, don't be shy, we're all family."

Su Liting sat down as he pulled her, and this dinner party was an eye-opener for her. Throughout the meal, her worries were never mentioned; only Li Jing'an chatted and laughed with the three men. Li Jing'an sat at the head of the table, exuding confidence and charisma, while the three cadres fawned over him, showering him with compliments.

Throughout the meal, Li Jing'an took extra care of her, constantly serving her food and turning to speak with her every now and then to keep her from feeling awkward. Looking at Li Jing'an, who was so considerate and protective of her, Su Liting felt a strange stirring in her heart. She drank a couple of glasses of wine; Li Jing'an told her not to drink more, but even those few glasses made her cheeks flush and her whole body feel dizzy.