Chapter 148 Choice

Huo Zhenhua was in so much pain, it was more bitter than eating a huge bowl of bitter herbs.

His stiff lips drooped limply, his eyes seemed to be misty with tears, and his voice was low and hoarse, "I guess so!"

That's the grandma he's called since he was a child, how could he deny it?

When he returned from his mission, he was filled with excitement and joy at the prospect of seeing Su Meng again.

Thus, they ignored the strange looks from those around them.

I recall Nie Ronghua's pity, sympathy, resentment, and gloating.

My heart aches.

Like being crushed to pieces by a train.

Liu Cuihua must have hurt Su Meng just as she had hurt her mother, humiliating and beating her to her heart's content.

Huo Zhenhua was so angry that his teeth were chattering.

My whole body was ice cold.

He could deal with his enemies with an iron fist, but he was powerless against Liu Cuihua...

Hearing Grandpa Zhang's words, it was as if all the strength in my body had been drained away.

I want to move, but I can't.

It felt as if my feet were shackled with thousands of pounds of weight, making it impossible to lift them or take a step.

I was enveloped in bitterness, sorrow, panic, and fear.

All I could see was Su Meng's disappointed and resolute expression.

His stiff arms trembled uncontrollably, his lips moved, and his eyes were downcast, like a homeless child who had been bullied badly at the edge of the village.

Seeing his broken state, Grandpa Zhang felt a pang of pity. "Young man, should you go after your wife or send your grandmother away? You need to handle this carefully!"

Otherwise, no amount of military medals can buy back a wife.

It won't bring back reputation or future prospects.

Huo Zhenhua seemed to wake up from a dream, looked up and said firmly, "I'm going to pursue my wife."

Commander Tang said that they had notified their parents to come, and that their parents would handle their mother.

For him, pursuing a wife is the most important thing.

Grandpa Zhang watched the figure rush away, shook his head and sighed. What a lovely young couple, they can't be torn apart like this!

Meanwhile, Su Meng held the blueprints and compared them with the freshly made parts, excitedly gesturing wildly: "This time it's finally a success! Let's assemble it now!"

She couldn't wait to see the finished product.

"It's alright, let's eat first." Master Zhang glanced at Cheng Wangshu waiting outside the door and reminded her with a smile, "Comrade Su, our Factory Director Cheng has been waiting for you for a long time."

Su Meng glanced to the side and sighed silently, "Then let's eat first!"

She couldn't keep avoiding Cheng Wangshu forever.

We can't stop Master Zhang and his apprentice from going to eat and suffer with her.

Su Meng put away the blueprints and walked out confidently, saying, "Comrade Cheng."

Cheng Wangshu had turned his back as soon as he heard the machine stop.

He smiled and looked at Su Meng, "Should I call you Comrade Su, or Dr. Lin?"

Su Meng calmly patted her sleeve, showing no embarrassment at having her secret exposed, and said nonchalantly, "I am Su Meng, please call me Comrade Su."

Comrade Cheng, you're such a busy person, how do you still have time to wander around?

How is the production progress of that batch of diesel engines?

Cheng Wangshu raised an eyebrow. "Have you always been this direct? Su Meng, I'm still the same Cheng Wangshu who chatted so happily with you on the train. I..."

Su Meng is no longer that naive girl who doesn't understand love.

She understood his meaning perfectly and raised her hand to interrupt him, "I won't keep Director Cheng any longer. Goodbye!"

Cheng Wangshu frowned deeply, her long legs catching up as she said in a deep voice, "Su Meng, can't we take things a step further?"

Su Meng paused, raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down, a smile spreading across her eyes, "Director Cheng, you are undoubtedly the most outstanding young man in Zhou City, the dream man of countless girls."

She's not my type.

That's it! Can we still be gay in the future?

Her research into agricultural machinery means she'll inevitably have to deal with Zhou City Machinery Factory in the future.

Therefore, she could not say the words "the mountains are high and the rivers are long, and we will never meet again."

Cheng Wangshu was taken aback. "I knew you would refuse, but I didn't expect you to be so ruthless."

Is this how decisive you always are? If it were Huo Zhenhua, would you have refused so easily?

He glanced behind Su Meng and asked the question deliberately.

He had already learned from the gatekeeper that Huo Zhenhua had come to the machinery factory.

They had already seen Huo Zhenhua running up.

Just as he was confessing his feelings, Huo Zhenhua happened to be going up the stairs.

Su Meng, puzzled, smiled calmly, "If I didn't like him, I definitely wouldn't waste his time. After all, everyone's time is precious."

Cheng Wangshu glanced at the glimpse of military green peeking out from around the corner and continued to press, "So, do you like him or not?"

Su Meng met his serious gaze and keenly caught a hint of mischief in his eyes.

She turned her head and said calmly, "This is not something you should care about."

Cheng Wangshu was slightly disappointed, but thinking about the trouble Huo Zhenhua had gotten into, she felt better.

He gloated, his hands in his pockets, and followed Su Meng unabashedly toward the stairs.

Huo Zhenhua glanced coolly at Cheng Wangshu, then turned and stood beside Su Meng, staring at her.

The glint in his deep eyes darted around rapidly.

Her thick, long eyelashes trembled slightly.

Her usually bright and cheerful eyes drooped with a look of grievance.

His strong, powerful arm hung stiffly at his sides.

His tall figure stood imposingly in front of Cheng Wangshu, completely enveloping Su Meng in his shadow.

The moment Su Meng saw the man appear, her breath caught in her throat. She stared blankly at his pained and self-reproachful gaze, and managed a weak smile.

But at that moment, she didn't know whether to laugh or... ignore it.

Sensing that Cheng Wangshu was following, she subconsciously didn't want to be the center of attention or embarrass Huo Zhenhua.

Instead, she roughly grabbed his stiff arm and walked away with her head down.

Cheng Wangshu laughed in exasperation, "This is discrimination."

Su Meng didn't turn her head and walked down the stairs step by step.

Huo Zhenhua's heart and eyes are filled with Su Meng.

His gaze was fixed on that porcelain-white, slender face, not missing a single expression.

All her senses were focused on the small hand on her arm; every nerve was sensing her palm and its warmth, trying to see into her heart through her palm.

She was so calm!

It was as calm as the moment before a storm.

"Xiao Meng!" Huo Zhenhua suppressed the panic in his heart and called out.

Su Meng seemed not to hear him, and without saying a word, she led him down the stairs, let go of his hand, and walked towards the gate of the machinery factory on her own.

At this moment, her mind was in turmoil.

When she was hurt by Liu Cuihua, she hardened her heart and decided to thoroughly examine her relationship with Huo Zhenhua.

But the moment I saw him, my heart was in turmoil!

I want to ignore him, but I can't.

If they don't let go, they can't ignore Liu Cuihua's vicious insults.

My mind went completely blank.

"careful!"

"Get out of the way!"

Lost in her chaotic thoughts, she didn't see the porters walking straight towards her.

She had barely looked up when she found herself in Huo Zhenhua's arms, her body spinning in the air, her nostrils filled with the man's familiar scent.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up, only to be met by his deep eyes.

"Xiaomeng, I'm sorry! Let's talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" Su Meng asked knowingly.

The man tightened his arms around her, sighed, and whispered in her ear, "Holding you in my arms makes me feel alive again!"

I held her in my arms, and my restless heart finally settled down.

I feel at ease now!

His warm breath sprayed all over Su Meng's ears, burning her ears and cheeks red.

Before she could say anything, her head was forcefully pressed against someone's chest. "I'll take you to eat!"

Su Meng struggled to jump down, pushing him forcefully, "Put me down!"

Huo Zhenhua raised his hand to press her down again, but then his eyes darted around, and he hissed, "I won't let go!"

As night slowly descended, the surrounding scenery seemed to be shrouded in a dark gray hue.

Because Su Meng insisted on perfecting that important part, she and Master Zhang were among the last to leave work.

The dim streetlights under the eaves of the factory buildings cast long, overlapping shadows of the two people.

That painful scream, in the silent space, was like a heavy hammer blow, striking her so hard she forgot to breathe.

"Are you injured?"

She leaned closer to his chest, her nostrils flaring slightly.

Upon smelling the familiar scent of medicine, she frowned. "You're really injured! Let me see."

Huo Zhenhua chuckled softly, his large head lowered as he fixed his intense gaze on her. "Really want to see? Then I'll go back and call..."

Su Meng glared at him angrily, "Dream on! You haven't passed my test yet. First of all, your family is the chasm between us."

She forcefully broke free from Huo Zhenhua's grasp, jumped down, and glared at him angrily, demanding, "How dare you, a man with a fiancée, go out and cause trouble? You...!"

Before she could finish speaking, tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.

Her long, feather-like eyelashes instantly became wet and clumped together. The grievances that had been building up for days turned into strings of tears, falling silently.

It hit Huo Zhenhua's hand, burning him so badly that his nerves tensed and his muscles stiffened like a wooden stick.

He raised his hand to support her trembling shoulders and pull her into his arms to comfort her.

Su Mengru, like a startled rabbit, immediately took several steps back, bristling her quills and staring at him warily, "Don't come any closer!"

Huo Zhenhua stopped helplessly, his lips moving several times before he finally managed to utter a dry, strained sentence, "I didn't!"

He always kept his identity as a soldier in mind; how could he possibly know he was wrong and make a mistake?

"Xiaomeng, let's talk in the car."

He drove a Jeep here specifically to save time.

Su Meng glanced at the occasional passersby, hesitated for a moment, and then walked towards the car first.

She didn't want to cry in the street; she wanted to hear Huo Zhenhua's explanation.

I don't want to end this relationship so carelessly.

"Open the door for me." She pulled on the car door a few times but it wouldn't open, so she ordered it around with an air of entitlement.

Huo Zhenhua sighed, a hint of doting in his eyes.

Even when she's angry, this girl is still so cute!

He originally thought that Su Meng would ignore him and wouldn't give him a chance to explain.

Even when he heard Cheng Wangshu confess her feelings to him, he was so shocked that he was afraid she would really leave him in a fit of anger.

Unexpectedly, she took his hand and left right in front of Cheng Wangshu.

Although I didn't say a word and only glanced at him, in the end... I chose him.

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, opened the door, lifted her up, and fastened her seatbelt.

Turning my head to look at her, I asked, "Shall we go eat first?"

Su Meng turned her head away from him, wiping away her tears with the backs of her hands, and said in a muffled voice, "I want to hit someone!"

Although she knew it wasn't Huo Zhenhua's fault, the humiliation Liu Cuihua inflicted on her was brought by him.

If he hadn't entered her life, she wouldn't have been attacked by Liu Cuihua for no reason.

Perhaps, regardless of Huo Zhenhua's presence, she would have been attacked anyway, since the scarred man had always been targeting her.

Huo Zhenhua paused for a moment, turned off the car engine, and without hesitation stretched his head over, revealing his thin profile. "Do you want to hit this side, or the other side?"

Or you can switch sides and play.

Xiaomeng, please don't cry.

My heart aches!