The latest issue of the factory newspaper had just been posted in front of the factory's bulletin board. Zhao Weiguo stood there, his gaze fixed on his own article about Liu Li, but his eyes darted around, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the strap of his military satchel slung over his shoulder. He had just received confirmation from Secretary Sun of the Youth League Committee—the report on Liu Li and Fu Jingchen's relationship had been formally filed by the organization.

The news landed heavily in his heart like a cold piece of iron. Although Liu Li's previous clear rejections had already given him signals, it wasn't until this official confirmation that he truly realized that his subtle yet active pursuit over this period had come to a complete end.

He stood there, taking a deep breath. The crisp, early winter air filled his lungs, clearing some of his jumbled thoughts. Disappointment was inevitable; a sense of defeat at having meticulously planned something that hadn't gone as intended lingered in his mind. But he was, after all, Zhao Weiguo, the son of Party Secretary Zhao Dahai, a propaganda officer who could handle any situation with ease. After a brief moment of distraction, his usual, polite, and slightly formulaic smile returned, only now his eyes lacked their former sparkle.

He straightened the collar of his Zhongshan suit, turned around, and walked towards the technical department office. His pace was still unhurried, only slightly faster than usual.

At the entrance of the technical department office, he happened to run into Liu Li and Fu Jingchen, who were walking out together on their way to the cafeteria for lunch.

The three met face to face, and the atmosphere froze for a moment.

Liu Li paused slightly upon seeing Zhao Weiguo, her expression calm. Fu Jingchen, as always, remained composed, adjusting his glasses as his gaze fell upon Zhao Weiguo with a mixture of scrutiny and composure.

Zhao Weiguo's face quickly lit up with a smile, even brighter than usual. He stepped forward and broke the silence with a loud voice: "Comrade Liu Li, Engineer Fu! What a coincidence, we were just looking for you!"

His gaze swept over the two of them, finally settling on Liu Li's face. His tone was sincere and cheerful: "I heard that you two reported the situation to the organization. This is great news! On behalf of the Publicity Department and in my personal capacity, I extend my congratulations to you!"

He put it beautifully, both indicating that he was already aware of the situation and adopting a very high stance, directly transforming his private pursuit into a public blessing in the style of a comrade.

Looking at his impeccable smile, Liu Li felt a slight stirring in her heart and returned a polite smile: "Thank you, Officer Zhao."

Fu Jingchen nodded slightly, his tone steady: "Thank you."

Zhao Weiguo seemed to have a heavy burden lifted off his shoulders, and his smile became more natural. Looking at the two standing side by side, he spoke fluently, with the characteristic style of a cadre's son who was good at summarizing and refining: "Comrade Liu Li has excellent technical skills and is courageous in innovation; Engineer Fu has solid theoretical knowledge and a broad vision. The combination of the two of you is a model of combining theory with practice, and an example for our young employees of Hongxing Factory to work together for progress! That's wonderful, that's really wonderful!"

He said "That's great!" twice, his emotions running high, and there was no sign of reluctance in his voice.

"Officer Zhao, you flatter us. We still have a lot to learn," Liu Li replied politely.

“Let’s learn from each other and make progress together!” Zhao Weiguo readily agreed. He glanced at his watch, then pretended to suddenly remember something. “Oh dear, I almost forgot, the factory office has a draft that urgently needs revision. Well then, I won’t keep you from having lunch any longer, I’ll take my leave now! Congratulations again!”

He nodded to the two of them, his smile still on his face, then turned sharply and strode away. His back was straight, his steps firm, without the slightest hesitation.

Watching Zhao Weiguo's departing figure, Liu Li and Fu Jingchen exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding in each other's eyes. Zhao Weiguo's behavior was a textbook example of a "graceful exit." He offered his congratulations proactively, with a generous demeanor and appropriate words, saving face for himself and avoiding awkwardness in future encounters. He fully demonstrated the wisdom and basic manners bestowed upon him by his family background.

"He went to the factory office, but it seems he's not going in this direction," Fu Jingchen suddenly said in a low voice, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.

Upon hearing this, Liu Li smiled gently but didn't reply. Some things are better left unsaid.

As expected, Zhao Weiguo completely changed his ways after this incident. He no longer frequently appeared in the technical department under various pretexts, and rarely "bumped into" Liu Li in the cafeteria anymore. When they occasionally met at work, he was warm and polite, maintaining a just-right professional distance, as if the previous enthusiastic "promotion and approach" had never happened.

His attention seemed to have truly shifted entirely to his duties in the propaganda department and to other young key personnel in the factory who needed to be set an example. A potential emotional storm thus quietly subsided thanks to the frankness of the parties involved and the rational concession of the other, leaving only a lingering aftertaste that could provide some fodder for conversation, gradually dissipating into the daily hustle and bustle of the factory area.