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

Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, slanting into the office on the third floor of the steel mill's guesthouse, falling on the smooth desktop and the huge solid wood photo frame behind Li Jing'an.

Inside the frame, gold-embossed certificates, metal medals, group photos of leaders at all levels, and newspapers publishing their achievements are neatly arranged, gleaming and imposing, like silent medals that highlight the owner's status and position.

Li Jing'an leaned back in his office chair, holding a copy of the Beijing Daily, his expression relaxed and serene. A steaming cup of herbal tea sat on the table, the rising steam blurring his profile. His cigarette case was open, a half-smoked cigarette resting in the ashtray, its smoke curling gently. The entire office was filled with a faint aroma of tobacco and tea, quiet and pleasant.

There was a soft knock on the office door, the rhythm was restrained.

"Come in," Li Jing'an said, putting down his newspaper. His voice was calm and steady.

The door was pushed open a crack, and Wang Caixia peeked in, a smile on her face: "Director Li, there's a woman outside looking for you. She says she's from the switchboard, her surname is Zhou, and her name is Zhou Yufei. She says she has something urgent to discuss with you, but she doesn't seem to be in good spirits. Will you see her or not?"

Li Jing'an raised an eyebrow slightly, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes, before regaining his composure and saying calmly, "Let her in."

Wang Caixia stepped aside to make way for the doorway and whispered to the outside, "Come in quickly." Zhou Yufei's figure slowly appeared in the doorway.

She stood there, motionless. The torment of a sleepless night, the extreme fear and anxiety, had ravaged her beyond recognition.

Her hair was disheveled and clung to her cheeks, devoid of any luster. Her once clear and bright eyes were now filled with dense blood vessels, swollen and red. Her face was so pale it was almost transparent. Her old coat was wrinkled and swaying precariously, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

Li Jing'an looked at her. He stood up, his face immediately displaying just the right amount of concern and doubt, his tone gentle and considerate: "Comrade Yufei? What brings you here? You look terrible, your eyes are so red, is something wrong? Tell me slowly, don't rush."

He walked to the table, picked up a clean glass, poured a glass of warm water, and turned to walk towards Zhou Yufei. But Zhou Yufei seemed rooted to the spot, motionless, staring blankly at the ground, oblivious to his movements, completely immersed in her own despair, unresponsive to anything around her.

Li Jing'an walked up to her, handed her a water glass, and softened his tone: "Have some water first to warm yourself up. If you have any difficulties, tell me, and I will definitely help if I can."

Just as his fingertips were about to touch her, Zhou Yufei suddenly raised her head, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Li Jing'an's face.

She spoke, her voice hoarse and dry, as if it had been sanded, light and airy, each word clear and distinct.

"You did it, didn't you?"

Li Jing'an's concerned expression froze instantly, replaced by a perfectly measured look of bewilderment and confusion. He frowned slightly, took a half step back, as if he couldn't understand her words at all, his expression innocent and puzzled: "Comrade Yufei, what did you say? What do you mean I did it? What did I do? Explain yourself clearly, don't be so nonsensical, I'm completely confused."

"Chen Qing has been arrested by the police station." Zhou Yufei looked at him without shifting her gaze, her voice still eerily calm. "He was detained at Jiaodaokou Police Station as a vagrant. It was your doing, your deliberate scheme, your attempt to force him to his death."

Li Jing'an's face instantly lit up with surprise and astonishment. His eyes widened slightly, his mouth gaped open, and his expression was exaggerated yet genuine, as if he were hearing the news for the first time, utterly incredulous: "Chen Qing was arrested? How is this possible? Wasn't he supposed to be in Huairou helping farmers in the countryside? How could he be arrested by the police station? Did he commit some serious crime? Theft, fighting, or disobeying orders?"

"He didn't do anything." Zhou Yufei's voice was completely calm, as still as a stagnant pool. "He was maliciously harassed in Huairou, made to do the hardest work, and subjected to the harshest insults. He couldn't take it anymore, so he asked for leave to return to the city, hoping to get a change of assignment from the factory to the countryside. He left in such a hurry that he didn't get a letter of introduction, and was detained by the police on duty as a vagrant. All of this was arranged by you."

Li Jing'an stopped talking, turned around and walked back behind his desk, slowly sitting back in his large chair. He reached into his cigarette case, took out a cigarette, lit it with a lighter, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table in a slow rhythm.

He looked at Zhou Yufei, his expression gradually turning pained and regretful. His tone was full of disappointment and disappointment, his voice heavy and serious: "Chen Qing, you've been so foolish! So incredibly foolish! He was already being sent to the countryside as punishment for a work mistake, and he was already a high-priority individual. So many eyes in the factory were watching him! And yet, he went back to the city without permission, stayed without proper paperwork, and was even detained by the police station as a vagrant. Once this matter is officially reported to the factory, the nature of the situation will completely change!"

He paused, his eyes sharpening as he stared at Zhou Yufei, his tone becoming more forceful: "This isn't a simple request for leave; it's a blatant disregard for discipline and a display of low moral character! The factory won't just refuse to reassign him or recall him early; they might even fire him outright. If that happens, his life will be truly ruined, with no chance of ever recovering!"

Zhou Yufei remained motionless, as if she hadn't heard his words or seen his heartbroken expression. She simply looked at him quietly, and after a few seconds, repeated her words, her voice as soft as a sigh, yet utterly firm and unwavering.

"You did it."

The regret and heartache on Li Jing'an's face vanished instantly, replaced by obvious excitement, grievance, and anger.

He slammed his hand on the table, the sharp "bang" echoing loudly in the quiet office. He stood up abruptly, leaning forward, staring intently at Zhou Yufei, his voice rising several decibels, filled with the fury of someone who had been wrongly accused: "Comrade Zhou Yufei! How can you speak like that? How can you look at me like that? I have no grudge against Chen Qing. I even spoke up for him at the factory before, helping him get the lightest punishment possible, so he was only sent to the countryside to help farmers, not fired or sent to a labor camp! Why would I want to harm him? What would I gain? What makes you so sure I did it? Where is your evidence? Where is your basis?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his face flushed slightly, his expression earnest, as if he had suffered a great injustice. Every word he uttered carried a questioning force, making it hard for one to breathe.

Zhou Yufei remained expressionless, her eyes calm and undisturbed, completely ignoring his agitation, anger, and grievance. She simply lowered her head slowly, looking at her toes, her voice devoid of any emotion, hollow and numb, each word clearly reaching Li Jing'an's ears.

"What do I have to do for you to let Chen Qing go?"

Li Jing'an's face darkened, his tone turning cold and stern. He pointed to the gleaming photo frame behind him, his voice as cold as ice: "This is slander! This is ingratitude! Look closely, I, Li Jing'an, am an advanced worker in the metallurgical system, a model individual, a district-level people's congress representative, a hero who acted bravely for a just cause, and a cadre recognized by the organization and trusted by the masses! Have you considered the consequences of your indiscriminate framing and malicious speculation? Have you considered the price you will pay?"

The photo frames gleamed in the sunlight, the certificates, medals, and group photos standing out prominently, like an invisible shackle, suffocating him. But Zhou Yufei seemed completely blind to the wall full of honors, completely deaf to his threats and reprimands. Her head remained bowed, her body trembling slightly, yet she stubbornly and calmly asked again, her voice almost inaudible, yet carrying a resolute determination.

"What do I have to do for you to let Chen Qing go?"

The office fell into a deathly silence, with only the ticking of the wall clock and the faint sound of the cigarette burning in Li Jing'an's hand.

The excitement, anger, and grievance on Li Jing'an's face receded quickly like the tide, disappearing without a trace. He slowly straightened up, leaned back in his large office chair, closed his eyes, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and slowly exhaled.

Thick smoke billowed from his mouth and nose, enveloping his face, blurring his expression, and obscuring the cold, triumphant smile deep in his eyes.

The air instantly became oppressive and thick, and a dangerous atmosphere silently spread.