After Master Wang's letter steadied her conscience, Liu Li felt much more at ease. However, another worry surfaced—Fu Jingchen was still unaware of her decision.

That weekend, neither of them had to work overtime, so Fu Jingchen invited her to take a walk by the small river near the project site. The winter sun shone warmly on them, and the thin layer of ice on the river shimmered with light.

The two strolled slowly along the riverbank, neither speaking for a while. Liu Li pondered how to start the conversation, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the corner of Master Wang's letter in her pocket.

Fu Jingchen broke the silence first. He turned to look at her, his eyes gentle: "That matter... how have you thought about it?" He asked subtly, but they both understood what he meant.

Liu Li stopped and looked up at him, taking a deep breath as if she had made up her mind: "Jingchen, I... I've thought it through. I plan to decline that transfer."

A hint of surprise flashed across Fu Jingchen's face, but he did not immediately refute or persuade her; he simply waited quietly for her to continue.

“Master Wang wrote to me,” Liu Li poured out the meaning of the letter, along with her own thoughts that had been swirling around for the past few days. “He said that a larger platform is a good thing, but I shouldn’t forget where my roots are. I think that makes sense. I’m probably more suited to working with machines and parts. I like the smell of machine oil and the down-to-earth feeling of solving problems by hand. Sitting in an office and doing information dissemination sounds great, but I always feel… that’s not my place. I’d feel like I wouldn’t be able to fully utilize my abilities.”

As she spoke, she lowered her head somewhat shyly, kicking at the pebbles at her feet: "It's just... if we go to Beijing, we..."

Upon hearing this, Fu Jingchen suddenly smiled, a smile that appeared particularly pure and warm in the winter sunlight. He interrupted her hesitation, his tone firm: "I support you."

Liu Li suddenly raised her head and met his clear gaze.

“Really,” Fu Jingchen looked at her, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration. “You can figure out what you really want and dare to make choices, which is more important than anything else. To be honest, I also think that front-line technical work can better utilize your strengths; that’s where your stage truly lies.”

He paused, then continued, "As for the two of us, you don't need to worry about that. I also have some new developments on my end," he said with a hint of excitement, "The school has hinted that after the project ends, I'm very likely to be recommended to pursue a part-time master's degree in precision machining and automation. If all goes well, my future research will be even more aligned with my practical field."

"Really?!" Liu Li's eyes lit up, and the last weight was lifted from her heart. So he was also planning for their future.

“Hmm,” Fu Jingchen nodded, his gaze drifting to the shimmering golden river before returning to her face with longing. “So you see, we don’t necessarily have to work in the same company or the same city. You can dedicate yourself to production, while I conduct theoretical research at the university. We can each strive in our respective fields, supporting and reinforcing each other. Isn’t that fighting side by side?”

He reached out and gently touched the back of her hand, then quickly withdrew it, his tone light yet firm: "Let's each do our best, and then... meet at the summit?"

"See you at the top of the mountain!" Liu Li nodded vigorously, her heart feeling warm and bright, as if melted by the winter sun.

The two smiled at each other and continued walking slowly along the riverbank, chatting about upcoming project plans, possible research directions, and their clear or vague ideas about the future. The road ahead was still full of unknowns, but with each other's understanding and support, the fog seemed to have lifted considerably.

The future we plan together doesn't necessarily mean being inseparable; it can also be two parallel tracks, heading in the same direction and stretching into the distance.