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

Ring ring ring—

Li Jing'an picked up the phone.

He stood by the office window, watching the drizzling rain outside, and held the receiver to his ear.

"Hello, um, okay, got it."

He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice: "Follow the car, don't let them spot you."

After hearing something from the other end, Li Jing'an's lips twitched slightly: "Okay, I understand. Just follow my orders and don't act rashly."

Click.

He hung up the phone.

Li Jing'an took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, his eyes fixed on the rain outside.

There's finally some movement at Lou Xiao'e's house...

It seems that Xu Damao knows about Lou Xiao'e and Sha Zhu's upcoming marriage registration.

Li Jing'an took another drag of his cigarette, the butt glowing briefly between his fingers. He slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.

Xu Damao, oh Xu Damao.

You have disappointed me greatly.

I told you in advance that they were having an affair, not so you would threaten them to break up. I was thinking that once you found out, you would report Lou Xiao'e's family's hidden assets at a relative's house.

But what about you?

You're just like in the TV dramas, using this to threaten Lou Xiao'e into leaving. You don't actually have feelings for Lou Xiao'e, do you? This isn't like your usual persona!

Li Jing'an put a cigarette in his mouth, put his hands on his hips, and shook his head.

You have disappointed me greatly.

In the past few years, I've promoted you—first by giving you a position as a worker instead of a cadre, and then by making you the leader of the special task force—how are you going to repay me?

You've wronged me.

Everyone says you're a villain, a bad seed. But you actually... are two-faced!

Li Jing'an stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, grinding it repeatedly while muttering to himself:

"I'll have to do it myself... It won't amount to anything."

He stared at the extinguished cigarette butt, his eyes dark and brooding.

---

night.

The main entrance of the courtyard house.

A car slowly drove up from a distance under the cover of night, its headlights cutting two beams of light through the rain.

Inside the car, Lou Xiao'e sat in the back seat and turned to the driver in the front seat, saying, "Sir, could you please wait for me here?"

The driver turned around and said, "Don't worry, I won't leave until you come back."

Lou Xiao'e nodded and opened the car door.

The rain outside was heavier than during the day, pounding on the ground and splashing up a cloud of water. She opened her umbrella and hurried towards the front door, her footsteps making a pattering sound.

Just as I was about to step onto the steps of the courtyard house—

Suddenly, two incandescent lights blazed on, shining directly on her.

Lou Xiao'e instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes, her pupils shrinking as the bright light pierced them.

It was a black sedan hidden in the shadows, parked there for who knows how long. The lights shone on her terrified face, making it appear deathly pale.

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.

Li Jing'an's small courtyard.

living room.

Li Jing'an sat on the sofa, leaning against the cushions, slowly swirling a teacup in one hand. A slight smile played on his lips as he looked at Lou Xiao'e standing in the doorway.

Lou Xiao'e leaned against the door frame, raindrops still clinging to her clothes, her face ashen.

Li Jing'an chuckled: "What? Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Lou Xiao'e remained silent.

Li Jing'an tilted his head, looking at her with amusement. "Although we haven't interacted much, we're not strangers, are we?"

Lou Xiao'e stiffened her neck and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Director Li," her voice was curt, "what exactly did you call me here for? Just tell me directly."

Li Jing'an raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Look at your tone! Why are you so hostile towards me? I'm here to help you. How ungrateful!"

"No need for your concern." Lou Xiao'e's voice was as stiff as her expression. "I'm fine now."

"hey-hey--"

Li Jing'an chuckled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "Really? You really don't need my help? It's you who doesn't need it..."

"Or are they your parents, relatives, or friends who have already left the city?"

Lou Xiao'e's fingers clenched tightly.

My fingernails dug into my palm, causing a sharp pain.

He knew, he actually knew.

If they get caught... what will happen to them? Will their family even have a chance to survive?

There is absolutely no way out!

Their family and their relatives' and friends' families together represent dozens of people.

Li Jing'an stared at her face, watching the color drain away from her skin little by little, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved up.

"What? You're not answering me?" he said slowly. "Do you need my help or not?"

He had her completely under his thumb.

Lou Xiao'e spoke with difficulty, her throat feeling as if it were being choked, her voice hoarse: "What...do you want?"

"Oh—not being stubborn anymore?" Li Jing'an laughed, leaning back on the sofa. "I thought you were going to stick it out to the end. Humph, I really don't like looking people up to me."

Lou Xiao'e bit her lip and stood there for a few seconds.

Then, she moved her feet and walked to the table.

He bent his knees and knelt down.

Li Jing'an looked at her, his eyes brightening, and nodded: "Okay, sensible. Smart."

He stretched out his foot and used the tip of his shoe to nudge Lou Xiao'e's chin, making her raise her head.

Lou Xiao'e tilted her face up following the force of his foot. Her chin moved with his shoe; she dared not resist, dared not dodge.

Li Jing'an looked down at her and chuckled.

"What I want is very simple."

He withdrew his foot, bent down, pulled a piece of paper and a pen from under the coffee table, and slammed them onto the table in front of Lou Xiao'e.

"Write a thank-you note." He held up one finger.

"Write a letter to the leader in the Ministry of Metallurgy that Sha Zhu took you to. Tell him to thank him for stepping in and getting your parents released a while ago. Also, say that you're leaving him a box of things as a thank-you gift."

After he finished speaking, he raised his chin, gesturing for Lou Xiao'e to start writing.

Lou Xiao'e stared at the blank sheet of paper and paused for a moment.

She only hesitated for a moment, then picked up her pen and began to write. Her handwriting was a little shaky, but each stroke was very clear.

She had no other choice.

Even though that high-ranking official had saved her parents... she had no choice but to go against her conscience in front of so many people, including her parents and relatives.

Li Jing'an picked up the paper, held it up to the light to examine it, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Can I go now?" Lou Xiao'e knelt on the ground, looked up at him, and asked in a hoarse voice.

Li Jing'an glanced down at her.

"Walk?"

He gave a half-smile.

"Where are you going? To find Sha Zhu?"

Lou Xiao'e's body stiffened for a moment.

Li Jing'an stretched out his foot again, propped up her chin, and swayed her face from side to side.

"Why would you want to see him? Does he even know how to handle this?"

He withdrew his foot, slowly stood up, and looked down at Lou Xiao'e kneeling on the ground.

"So, even on your way out, you still want to ruin a... naive old virgin? Huh? You're so wicked."

His voice suddenly lowered, carrying a sinister undertone.

"Let me tell you, I won't allow it. I'm the director of the steel rolling mill, he's my employee, and I have an obligation to protect him—from the ravages of you, a capitalist. Hehehe."

He tilted his head slightly towards the inner room.

"Come on, let's go inside. To the bedroom."

Lou Xiao'e knelt on the ground without moving, her whole body trembling.

Li Jing'an leaned down, getting close to her face, and spoke softly:

"You're not being honest. I don't think I've reformed you at all lately. Looks like I'll have to work overtime tonight and give you a good lesson."

"Tonight, I'll let you taste the iron hammer of the proletariat. I must give you a good beating."

Li Jing'an turned and walked into the inner room, his leather shoes clicking on the floor.

He suddenly stopped when he reached the door frame.

"Oh, right," he said softly, "people can get on the train tomorrow. But those few cars of stuff aren't allowed to be moved; they don't belong to you."

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.

The rain gradually subsided, turning into a light drizzle. Banggeng, fast asleep, was awakened by the urge to urinate. Still half-asleep, he reached out and shook Jia Zhangshi, who was lying beside him, vigorously: "Grandma, I need to pee."

Madam Jia was still very sleepy. She glanced at the door with drowsy eyes and lazily ordered, "Open the door a little, just stand at the door and pee facing outwards."

Banggeng got out of bed and opened the door a crack. Damp rain and mist seeped into the room through the gap, and he shivered. He had just urinated halfway when suddenly a few suppressed sobs and cries of a woman drifted in from outside, intermittent and eerie, mixed with the sound of the rain.

Bang Geng instantly broke out in goosebumps, forced back the rest of his urine, hurriedly closed the door a crack, and scrambled back to the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), still shaken, grabbing Jia Zhangshi's arm: "Grandma! There's a ghost crying outside!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? We're not allowed to talk about these monsters and demons anymore."

"It's true!"

"My little darling, please stop talking. If people find out, our whole family will be criticized and denounced."