Courtyard House: In this life, I have a new home!

174

"The pot of cold tea on the stove is still warm; pour it into a bowl and heat it up."

After breakfast, distribute the food to everyone one by one; no one can escape.

The moment the order was given, everyone in the room froze.

Ding Qiunan was breastfeeding her child; how could she possibly endure such hardship?

There were also three infants below who hadn't even grown all their teeth yet, so they were even more dangerous to touch.

The rest, besides Zhou Jimin, were Pandi, Laidi, and Xiaojinyu, those few girls.

You have to drink them all.

As soon as breakfast was placed on the table, Zhou Jimin picked up his bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped down a large mouthful.

The bitterness exploded on the tip of my tongue, and I frowned, but I only endured it for a few seconds before a cool sensation came over my throat.

When he was living a carefree life in Guangzhou, the first time he drank this stuff, his face turned green, just like Little Goldfish's current state.

I got used to it, and later I became completely addicted.

Whether or not I have any health problems, I always like to have a bowl of this after going out for a walk. It's much cheaper than queuing up at the clinic.

When it was the Pandi sisters' turn, their expressions were priceless.

They were all grimacing from drinking, tears welling up in their eyes.

After they finished drinking, Zhou Jimin casually slipped each of them a pill as a way of comforting them.

"I'll make some pear soup tonight to help cool down the kids."

Upon hearing that there was something sweet, the group, who had been looking miserable, immediately brightened up and grinned from ear to ear.

Just as the children had slung their backpacks over their shoulders and walked away, a series of urgent and violent bangings suddenly came from the alley entrance.

The two guards, Da Huang and Er Huang, let out low growls as they stared intently at the gate, preventing anyone from approaching.

Hearing the sound, Zhou Jimin pushed open the door and was met with a face full of flesh that trembled violently.

The man was about the same height as him, with a fierce look on his face and eyes that seemed to want to devour him.

"You're Zhou Jimin?"

Zhou Jimin had just nodded when the other party, without saying a word, came crashing down with a whoosh.

Without any warning, and without any of the usual rules of the underworld.

With a muffled thud, Zhou Jimin felt a burning pain on his cheek, and saw stars before his eyes.

I'm so angry!

In broad daylight, how dare you lay a hand on his doorstep?

Are they taking him for a fool?

The two instantly began wrestling outside the threshold.

The little goldfish inside poked their heads out and cried loudly in fright.

Huang Xiaohua wanted to go up and break up the fight, but her legs kept cramping.

These two fought fiercely, and her joining in would only cause trouble. What if she accidentally hurt someone?

In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the situation reversed.

The newcomer was beaten until his mouth bled, his nose was bruised and swollen, and he could not even stand steadily.

"Stop fighting! I admit defeat! I give up!"

Zhou Jimin sneered and continued kicking, kicking several more times.

"Still trying to admit defeat? Where did that fierce spirit go?"

Seeing that the other person was about to faint, Zhou Jimin suddenly withdrew his hand, his voice as cold as ice:

"If you push me any further, I might really pull out my weapon."

"Xi Jun, I'll send you to jail for a few years, you believe me?"

Hearing "soldier"

Upon hearing the two words, a hint of panic and confusion finally appeared in the other person's eyes.

Zhou Jimin, standing on high ground, pointed to the familiar alleyway surroundings and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Open your eyes and look around! Where are you? You think you can negotiate with me?"

"Get this straight, this is my home."

Are you out of your mind? You dare call the police to arrest me? Even if I lay a hand on you, you'd better put up with it! It's bad luck for the military to have a piece of trash like you."

Li Chengzhi was still glaring at him, looking utterly defiant.

"What? You want to fight me head-on? Don't think you're invincible just because you have a weapon. I'm not someone to be trifled with."

Before the other party could finish speaking, Zhou Jimin pulled a gun out of his pocket, the dark muzzle pointing directly at the other party.

Li Chengzhi's pupils contracted sharply, and his face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Tell me! Who exactly are you? I'm sure we're complete strangers."

"You're causing trouble at someone else's house! Humph, I'll take you to the police station later, and have your workplace send someone to pick you up."

Li Chengzhi feigned composure and sneered, "Who am I? My name is Li Chengzhi, and Li Yuzhu is my younger sister."

Now you know why you got beaten up, right?

Looking at the man's bruised and swollen face, Zhou Jimin cursed inwardly.

His face immediately darkened, and his tone turned icy:

"Wow, Li Yuzhu is really capable."

"I haven't even gone looking for trouble with you, yet you've come knocking on my door first."

"Go back and tell your dear sister that I'm already engaged and have a child."

Tell her to stop bothering me, understand?

Upon hearing this, Li Chengzhi froze.

What's going on?

Isn't this the same thing I heard before?

Wasn't Zhou Jimin supposed to be a scumbag who toyed with young girls' feelings?

Since that person is already married, has a family, and even has children, what does his sister want from him?

She's a top student from Peking University; she must be out of her mind to fall in love with a married man, right?

Li Chengzhi stared intently at Zhou Jimin, then suddenly asked, "Were you the one who delivered mooncakes to that Chief Lin before last year's Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Zhou Jimin was disgusted by this questioning and gave a cold snort, which was taken as an admission.

"Let me ask you again, at the Anningzhuang bus stop outside the city two years ago, didn't you run into my sister and my mother?"

"Oh, so you're planning to open a case and investigate me? Am I a wanted criminal?"

Li Chengzhi wasn't buying it at all, staring intently at Zhou Jimin.

"Our leaders often say, 'You have no right to speak without conducting an investigation.'"

Zhou Jimin's face hardened, his voice as cold as ice:

"I don't understand what's wrong with Li Yuzhu, she's been following me like a leech."

The truth is, I did meet her a few times.

I don't want to interfere in the Li family's affairs, but please investigate thoroughly and then stop bothering me with these trivial matters, understand?

My good mood was completely ruined this morning.

The sound of a baby crying came from inside the house; the child was fussing and Huang Xiaohua was holding and comforting him.

"Get out of here."

Zhou Jimin gave him a cold glance, turned around, closed the door, and went back inside to be with the child.

Outside the door, Li Chengzhi's face was ashen.

He firmly believed in his sister's innocence and was convinced that Zhou Jimin was definitely involved in something wrong.

But then she thought, if Zhou Jimin really had feelings for her sister, he would never have acted so aloof just now.

Why did my sister run home crying last night?

It's a complete mess! Free love is sure to cause all sorts of trouble!

Forget it, I'll go back and investigate the details thoroughly.

After closing the door, Zhou Jimin was also pondering this matter.

Having lost face today, Li Chengzhi will certainly not let it go and will definitely dig deeper.

Once the truth comes out, it will probably have nothing to do with me anymore.

That slap to the face was indeed a bit unfair.

Zhou Jimin's sense of balance came entirely from Li Chengzhi's miserable state.

When Ding Qiunan pushed open the door at noon and saw the red, swollen bruises on his face, her heart clenched instantly.

The third and fourth brothers were so angry they jumped up and down, yelling that they wanted to fight someone to the death.

The second sister gave them a cold look, and the two siblings immediately shrank back, not daring to utter a sound.

"It's no big deal, don't make a fuss."

Seeing the distressed expressions on their faces, Zhou Jimin could only bite the bullet and try to comfort them.

He didn't mention the cause and effect at all.

Anyway, given Li Yuzhu's personality, she'll probably never come back after being humiliated like this, and that's the end of the matter.

The days passed uneventfully for a few days as usual.

Most of the scars on Zhou Jimin's face have faded, leaving only faint red marks that are barely noticeable unless you look closely.

June is fast approaching, and the busy season has officially begun.

Since I'm going abroad with the team for research, I have to do everything myself, from passports and visas to academic presentation materials and exhibit preparation.

The atmosphere in the office was somewhat awkward.

Old Duan approached with a smile: "Professor Zhou, could you waive this paper? I've been so busy lately, I really can't find the time."

Old Duan shook his head and said, "You've got the wrong person."

These assignments are mandatory tasks assigned by Professor Hua. Don't want to do them? Then go ask Professor Hua himself.

Zhou Jimin's lips twitched, his face full of helplessness.

He dared not act rashly in front of Elder Hua.

The two didn't interact much, and when Old Man Hua had a stern face, he exuded an aura of authority.

Every time we meet, we can't stop talking about math problems.

Those profound theories and formulas poured into my notebook like they were free.

The pen tip made a scratching sound, which made Zhou Jimin's scalp tingle and he was completely overwhelmed.

Therefore, one should avoid it if possible, and never walk into a trap.

Just as I stepped out of the office, my frustration still lingering, a figure suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking my way.

Zhou Jimin was furious. He looked up and saw that it was his classmate.

Several girls, their faces ashen, immediately launched into a tirade of accusations:

"Zhou Jimin, how could you be so cruel to Xiaoyu? Even if you don't love her, you can't trample on her dignity like this! You've disappointed us so much!"

These words struck a nerve, and Zhou Jimin's face instantly darkened.

"How did I treat her?"

He sneered, "You're throwing around accusations without even understanding the situation? You call yourselves Peking University students? Is this how your teachers teach you to blindly follow others?"

Before the words were finished, several girls pointed to the opposite side:

"Look for yourself, aren't we wronging you!"

Deep within the Yenching Garden, dappled shade is cast by trees, and winding paths meander through the grounds.

In late May, the heat in Beijing gradually intensifies.

If you walk under the scorching sun, you'll be drenched in sweat in less than ten minutes.

But Zhou Jimin, who was standing in the shade, felt a chill run down his spine and straight to the top of his head.

At the end of the line of sight, Li Yuzhu's figure came into view.

In just a few days, she has become so haggard.

Just a few days ago, she was the most dazzling pearl in Peking University, as beautiful as a rose, radiating youthful energy.

Now it is emaciated, like a plant about to wither, dull and lifeless.

They were like two completely different people, even though it was only a few days.

Although he did not know the specific reasons, Zhou Jimin knew in his heart that he was to blame for this incident.

He gazed at the other person silently for a long time, his throat bobbing slightly, before he managed to utter a sentence with difficulty:

Why bother?

Those eyes, which had been lifeless, briefly lit up with a tiny glimmer of light the instant they met his figure.

Then, like a candle flickering in the wind, it was completely extinguished.

Images from "Dream of the Red Chamber" suddenly flashed through Zhou Jimin's mind.

Lin Daiyu's body withered away day by day, and she eventually passed away tragically.

His gaze shifted a few steps away.

Several female students were standing there, looking anxious and indignant.

He stepped closer and asked for details.

A moment later, it surfaced.

A few days ago, Li Yuzhu ran back to her dormitory crying.

After that, he locked himself inside and didn't come out for even a moment.

When others asked her, she just bit her lip and remained silent.

Someone suggested finding the counselor, but she grabbed her wrist tightly and stopped them.

She said she didn't want to be a burden to anyone.

I just want to be alone.

This stillness lasted for several days.

He didn't drink a drop of water or eat a single grain of rice.

Aside from silent weeping, all he did was stare blankly into the air.

Even sleep time has been compressed to the limit.

My roommates just couldn't stand it anymore.

I forcibly pried open her mouth and forced her to drink some water, then dragged her to the cafeteria.

The results of it?

He vomited everything up.

Immediately afterwards, they ran into Zhou Jimin.

They believed that he was the cause of all this trouble.