Chapter 183 Unlike other girls, she was refreshing.
So what if the ingredients aren't good?
His tone even carried a hint of unquestionable rhetoric, "The Xu Zhili I know is the girl who can turn a pile of scrap metal into something amazing and earn the thumbs-up of even the most experienced craftsmen."
"She is the older sister who would protect her younger brother firmly behind her back while gritting her teeth and shouldering the burden of life."
"They are people who always carry light in their hearts and will reach out to others even when they are struggling themselves. These qualities are a thousand times more important than any cold, hard labels in a file."
He raised his hand again, this time with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor in his fingertips, and gently brushed away the wisps of hair at her temples that were a little frizzy from the wind. His movements were full of careful tenderness, as if he were touching a priceless treasure.
Is the path to promotion difficult?
He almost chuckled, his laughter filled with arrogance and fearlessness. "From the first day I joined the army, I, Xie Yunze, have never been one to fear difficulties."
"On the battlefield, I never flinched when bullets were flying right past my head. Now, for the people I want to protect, for the partner I've chosen, what is this so-called 'difficulty'? It doesn't even deserve to be called an obstacle."
“Ah Li,” his voice was as deep as a steel gun soaked in moonlight, cold and firm, “what I want is not a smooth, uneventful future.”
"What I want is to have you by my side in the days to come, to have every day be peaceful and fulfilling. If you are afraid of gossip, I will stand in front of you and shield you from all the open and hidden attacks."
"If you trust me, put your hand in mine and walk with me. The road is made by walking, not by looking."
Xu Zhili's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and a surge of sour, hot tears rushed into her nose. She quickly lowered her head, her hands hanging by her sides clenching tightly, her nails digging into her palms. The slight pain, accompanied by a barely perceptible tremor, was enough to suppress the sob in her throat.
She looked up again, gazing into Xie Yunze's sparkling eyes, where she clearly saw her own somewhat bewildered reflection, as well as his unprecedentedly resolute seriousness.
"Xie Yunce," her voice was soft, yet carried a reckless clarity, as if some heavy shackles had been removed.
"Do you know... that if you walk with me, there will inevitably be a lot of people pointing fingers and gossiping, and you might even be subjected to scorn because of it?"
Her gaze was fixed on him, not missing a single subtle change in his face.
Seeing that his lips were about to move and he was about to speak, she interrupted him, speaking faster as if she wanted to lay out all the worst possibilities in one breath.
"When I repaired the machine, my hands were covered in grease, and my fingernails were black, unlike other girls who were clean and neat."
“I protect my younger brother, and sometimes when I get angry I can seem fierce and unreasonable; I… I might not be that gentle and considerate, and when I'm thinking about those parts blueprints, I even forget to eat and sleep… I…”
"I know."
Xie Yunze interrupted her, his voice firm and without the slightest hesitation, "The way you look, with your hands covered in oil and your head buried in your work, is more vibrant and more dazzling than anyone else's."
"The way you protect your younger brother and glare at him when you're upset shows that you are kind-hearted, loyal, and responsible."
"When you get absorbed in something, that's when you're completely focused. I've seen all sides of you—the good, the bad, and even those who might seem 'unconventional' to others—and I've seen them all..."
He paused for a moment, his gaze intense, and said, word by word, "I keep them all in my heart, I like them all."
Xu Zhili's face flushed bright red instantly, the color spreading from her cheeks all the way down to her neck and ears, as if she were being bathed in the last rays of the sunset.
She abruptly turned her face away, deliberately gazing at the silent machine tools in the distance. Her heart pounded like a drum, and her voice was barely audible, almost lost in the wind: "Then...then if you're going to stand in front of me from now on, you'd better...you'd better stand firm, don't...don't let anyone push you over so easily."
These words, though vague, were a tacit agreement, a shy dependence.
Xie Yunze was taken aback at first, seemingly not quite understanding the sudden turn of events. But once he realized what was happening, a huge surprise flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.
He chuckled softly, the sound resonating from his chest, deep and joyful, filled with an almost overflowing, barely suppressed happiness.
He stepped forward and carefully, tentatively, gently grasped her wrist. The heat of his palm pierced through the thin sleeve, reaching her very heart and causing her to tremble involuntarily.
"Don't worry," he said with a smile, but also with utmost seriousness, "I'm tough because I was trained in the army. I can withstand any bumps and bruises, and I'll definitely stand firm."
Just then, the last ray of sunlight stubbornly pierced through the workshop window, shining on the two people's quietly clasped hands, as if gilding this firm, newly formed promise with a warm golden edge.
Xu Zhili's heart was pounding. She secretly looked up and instantly met his smiling and deep gaze. The heat and joy in his eyes made her flustered. She hurriedly lowered her head again, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but quietly and little by little curl up, revealing an extremely sweet and shallow arc.
Having struggled to climb out of that cold, desperate abyss where every step teetered on the edge of life and death, her soul should have been calm to the point of indifference and rational to the point of being undisturbed by any unnecessary ripples.
She had long been accustomed to encasing herself in ice, disbelieving in warmth, not relying on others, and only trusting the skills in her own hands and the instinct to survive.
But at this very moment, facing the man before her with sincere eyes, a firm tone, and a willingness to shield her from the storms of life with his future, Xu Zhili's seemingly unbreakable layer of ice covering her heart seemed to quietly melt away.
Even she herself couldn't explain why, but the tenderness and flutter of her heart that she thought had long since died and would never return suddenly surged up so real and overwhelmingly.
It softened her hardened heart for some reason, and she seemed to gain a bit more warmth from the world, adding a touch of the vibrant and genuine human touch that belongs to this era.
Xu Zhili has never liked to drag things out and values efficiency above all else. Now that her mind is clear, she is even more decisive and efficient.
She raised her free, fair hand, which revealed a hint of strength, and gently but firmly placed it on Xie Yunce's large hand that was tightly gripping her wrist.
The fingertips were slightly cool, yet they carried an unmistakable, unwavering warmth that was clearly conveyed.
There were no extra words, not even a formal "okay," but this simple gesture, this handshake, was like a solemn seal, sealing the feelings that had just been revealed to each other.
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