After all the inspection materials were compiled, it was past 11 p.m. The office building was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. After several days of intense work, Liu Li's mind relaxed, and fatigue washed over her like a tide. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and yawn slightly.

"Are you hungry?" Fu Jingchen, who was walking beside me, suddenly spoke up. His voice was particularly clear in the silence. "There should still be a canteen on duty. I'll go see if I can get some hot food."

He shouldn't have brought it up; once he did, Liu Li realized her stomach was empty, the steamed bun from the evening long gone. She nodded, her voice tinged with weariness: "Okay."

The two turned towards the canteen. Sure enough, most of the windows were closed, except for one small window at the very back, where the night shift cook was dozing in his chair. Fu Jingchen walked over, whispered a few words to the cook, and handed him a few food coupons. A moment later, he returned with a tray containing two steaming bowls of soy sauce noodle soup, each topped with a golden fried egg.

"Eat up." He pushed a bowl of noodles in front of Liu Li and handed her chopsticks.

In the empty cafeteria, only the two of them sat facing each other at a long table. Several fluorescent lights overhead hummed softly, casting their shadows on the smooth terrazzo floor. The rising steam from the soup dispelled the chill of the late night and blurred their slightly tired faces.

Liu Li lowered her head and took a bite of noodles. The warm food brought her a real sense of comfort. She looked up and saw Fu Jingchen also eating, his glasses seemingly covered with a thin layer of moisture. At this moment, far from the hustle and bustle of the day, the pressure of work, and those indistinct gazes, only this quiet space and companionship made her feel a rare sense of peace and security.

"This time, I really owe you a lot," Liu Li said earnestly, putting down her chopsticks. She knew that if it weren't for Fu Jingchen's precise assistance and companionship tonight, she might have had to stay in the office even longer.

Fu Jingchen also put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with the handkerchief he carried with him, and looked up at her. The fluorescent light fell on his face, softening his usually aloof expression. He didn't respond to her thanks, but remained silent for a few seconds, as if carefully choosing his words. His gaze behind his glasses was focused and serious, even carrying a rare, barely perceptible tension.

“Liu Li,” he called her by her full name, his tone more serious than usual, “we’ve known each other and worked together for a long time.”

Liu Li's heart skipped a beat, and she vaguely sensed something. Her hand on her lap unconsciously clenched slightly. She remained silent, just watching him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

The cafeteria was unusually quiet; you could almost hear the faint sound of electricity flowing through the fluorescent lights.

Fu Jingchen took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. His gaze calmly met hers, and his voice, though not loud, was clear and distinct, carrying immense weight in the silent air:

“From seeing you grinding drill bits in the workshop, to translating documents and overcoming difficulties together in the project team, and then later… every exchange, every time we worked side by side, I felt that we were very similar.” He paused, as if searching for the most accurate expression, “Not in terms of personality, but in… our attitude towards technology and work, and our perspective on problems. Discussing and working with you feels very smooth and reassuring.”

His words lacked flowery language and were even somewhat plain, yet they unfolded with the same rigor and sincerity as when he checked data.

“I know that many people may think you are… very special and outstanding.” He made a pointed remark, but quickly circled back, keeping the focus on “them”. “But for me, what attracts me is not only your excellence, but also this… rare resonance and tacit understanding.”

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze intense, and finally uttered the core statement, with a directness and sincerity unique to technical workers, stripped of all embellishment:

"Therefore, I would like to formally and earnestly request you, Comrade Liu Li, let's be together. Let's begin our relationship with the aim of making progress together and supporting each other."

After saying these words, he seemed to have exhausted all his courage. A faint blush appeared on his ears, but his gaze remained firm as he looked at her, waiting for her response.

Liu Li's heart pounded strongly in her chest. She looked at the somewhat nervous but unusually serious man opposite her, recalling their first brief exchange about the process in the workshop, the days and nights they spent translating documents side by side in the project team library, the unreserved technical support he provided time and time again when she needed it, and the figure of him silently accompanying and precisely assisting her in the office just now.

He didn't possess Zhao Weiguo's flamboyant enthusiasm and charisma, but what he offered was profound understanding, unwavering support, and a resonance on a soul level. This affection, like a gentle stream, had quietly permeated her heart through countless days and nights of shared struggle.

In his focused and expectant gaze, Liu Li clearly heard the answer in her heart. All hesitation, all comparison, vanished in that moment.

A bright and warm smile slowly bloomed on her face, like the moon emerging from behind the clouds, dispelling all weariness. Meeting Fu Jingchen's gaze, she nodded solemnly, her voice clear and firm:

"good."

There were no extra words, just a simple "okay," which carried all the promise and heartfelt wishes.

A bright light instantly shone in Fu Jingchen's eyes, and his tense shoulders visibly relaxed. A genuine smile, filled with immense joy and relief, slowly spread across his face, dispelling the last trace of tension.

In the empty cafeteria, under the dim lights, two bowls of noodles with a little soup left, stood a young couple who had just confirmed their feelings for each other. There was no hug, no holding hands, only the silent joy and tacit understanding flowing between their eyes, and the heavy promise based on shared ideals and deep understanding, quietly settling in the quiet of the night.