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

After finishing the meal, Director Xu gave many instructions and thanked him repeatedly before leaving respectfully.

Since it was still early, Li Jing'an took Zhou Yufei to the department store next door for a stroll.

As soon as Zhou Yufei entered the clothing counter, her eyes were immediately drawn to a Lenin cotton-padded coat, and she couldn't look away.

The smoky gray twill fabric, double-breasted, cinched at the waist, and with a crisp neckline—this style was only affordable for female cadres from very well-off families; ordinary people wouldn't even dare to dream of wearing it.

Seeing that she was staring at him intently, Li Jing'an said calmly, "If you like it, give it a try."

Zhou Yufei instinctively wanted to refuse, but the words wouldn't come out. As if possessed, she took the clothes and went into the fitting room.

He took off his faded old cotton-padded jacket and put on a crisp, fitted Lenin suit, and he looked like a completely different person.

She stood in front of the mirror, staring blankly at herself.

Li Jing'an looked him up and down and nodded: "It's alright, it fits well."

He said directly to the waiter, "Wrap it up, how much?"

"Forty dollars."

Li Jing'an's expression paused almost imperceptibly. He glanced at the waiter again, and seeing the waiter's serious expression, he knew that the price had not been quoted incorrectly.

Zhou Yufei was also shocked: Forty yuan? That's not even enough for her monthly salary!

She quickly grabbed Li Jing'an's sleeve and said urgently, "It's too expensive, I don't want it anymore, I really don't want it."

Li Jing'an felt a pang of regret and wanted to say no—forty yuan was enough for a worker's monthly wage. But the words were already spoken, and in front of Zhou Yufei and the waiter, he couldn't go back on his word.

I had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Wrap it up."

He cursed inwardly: This knife wound was unjust.

In fact, his feelings for Zhou Yufei were different from those for Wang Caixia and Qin Huairu.

For Wang Caixia, it was merely an emergency measure at the beginning.

He was attracted to Qin Huairu because of her star-like face and leading lady aura; he was determined to get his hands on her and have a good taste of her.

But with Zhou Yufei, he genuinely wanted to hold her firmly in his grasp. He couldn't quite explain why—perhaps it was her cautious obedience, or perhaps it was the alluring way her eyes looked when they were red-rimmed.

Zhou Yufei hugged the brand-new Lenin suit, feeling both flustered and sweet. Her fingers gently touched the fabric. She had never worn such expensive and beautiful clothes before.

Li Jing'an also picked out a high-end men's outfit for himself: a navy blue Zhongshan-style cotton overcoat, a knitted cardigan, Western-style cotton trousers, and a pair of suede cotton shoes, spending over a hundred yuan in one go. A man should spend money when he needs to; he should treat himself well and not shortchange himself.

The two then went to the tobacco and liquor counter. Li Jing'an wanted to stock up on a few bottles of Moutai, but surprisingly, this huge department store didn't have a single bottle in stock.

He clicked his tongue: This thing is so in high demand right now?

-

As they left the department store, it was already getting dark, and the wind felt like knives on their faces. Zhou Yufei clutched her clothes and whispered that she wanted to go home.

Li Jing'an was unwilling to comply.

He had just spent forty yuan on her, plus industrial coupons, so he couldn't just let it go like this.

It was chilly at her house in the morning, and I couldn't even stretch out in bed.

The guesthouse has heating; it's very warm.

He spent so much on her today, he has to make it up to her somehow.

Li Jing'an reached out and grabbed her, his tone forceful and leaving no room for refusal: "Why go home? It's too cold. Come with me to the guesthouse office; it's warm there."

He pulled Zhou Yufei forward, and she stumbled, the paper package in her arms rustling. She lowered her head, didn't speak, and didn't struggle anymore.

As soon as Li Jing'an and Zhou Yufei returned to the gate of the steel rolling mill, they saw a figure pacing back and forth in the distance—it was Old Wu.

Old Wu was getting anxious waiting at home. He first went to Li Jing'an's house but found it empty, so he rushed to the steel rolling mill. The gatekeeper stopped him, called to ask, and when he heard that Li Jing'an wasn't there, he wouldn't let him in no matter what.

Li Jing'an's expression darkened slightly. He turned to Zhou Yufei and said, "Go back to the guesthouse and wait. I have something to take care of here."

After Zhou Yufei left, he frowned and walked up to her, asking in an unfriendly tone, "What are you doing at the factory gate? Who let you come?"

As soon as Old Wu saw him, he immediately approached, his expression timid and pleading: "Director Li, I really can't stay at home anymore. I'm so anxious, I just want to ask how things are going..."

Li Jing'an immediately frowned and reprimanded him, "What are you panicking for! This is the main gate of the steel rolling mill, with people coming and going. Are you standing here to make sure people know you need something from me? Don't you have any manners at all!"

Old Wu shrank back after being yelled at, and dared not utter a sound.

Seeing his expression, Li Jing'an softened his tone slightly and said coldly, "I've already delivered the items, and the police station chief has agreed to talk to the branch office leaders. Tomorrow, I'll arrange to meet with people from the branch office to clarify this matter in person."

Upon hearing that he needed to speak with a branch office leader, Old Wu's face instantly fell, and he muttered under his breath, "Why do I need to speak with other leaders... Can't the police station chief handle this?"

Li Jing'an glanced at him sideways, his tone tinged with impatience: "Don't you know how serious your grandson's matter is? It's long past something a mere director can decide on his own. The fact that someone was willing to step in and help you make connections is already a huge favor to me."

He paused, stared at Old Wu, and said, word by word, "Don't think about anything else. Get the money ready by noon tomorrow. You'll treat us to a meal and pay the bill. Don't let me down."

After saying that, Li Jing'an stopped looking at Lao Wu's worried face and turned to walk into the steel rolling mill, leaving Lao Wu standing alone at the door, unable to go in or out, feeling uneasy.