Chapter 189 I was wrong, I shouldn't have said that to you
The warm glow of the desk lamp fell on the spread-out drawings, the dense, precise lines, data annotations, and partial sectional views exuding a neat and rigorous style.
Every part embodies her hard work and the basic military vehicle design blueprints she obtained from the subsystem.
Xu Zhili rubbed her sore and achy temples, and carefully checked the drawings one last time.
To ensure the engine modification plan was sufficiently robust, the weight reduction design data was repeatedly verified, and even the transmission system, which is most prone to problems, was given double backup.
Looking at her work, she couldn't help but smile with a tired but satisfied expression.
She carefully folded the core blueprints and put them into the metal box on the corner of the table, which was used to store important items. She had just gotten up to pour herself a glass of warm water to moisten her parched throat.
Then they heard a very faint footstep, which sounded like it was being deliberately made louder, and a low cough coming from outside the courtyard gate.
Who could it be so late?
She was puzzled, so she tiptoed to the window and looked out in the bright moonlight.
Beside the fence outside the courtyard gate, a familiar tall figure was leaning against the wall. Who else could it be but Xie Yunce?
He looked like he had just returned from a long journey, his brows showing obvious signs of travel fatigue, and even the buttons on his military jacket were undone.
In his hand, he was also carrying a light-colored cloth bag.
Xu Zhili's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking too much, she quickly and quietly went over and opened the door.
"Xie Yunce?"
She lowered her voice, her tone clearly surprised, "Why... are you here so late? Didn't you just get back from a mission? Why aren't you resting at home?"
She remembered him saying he would probably be back next week, and counting the days, it was tomorrow.
Xie Yunze looked up at the sound and his gaze fell on her face, which was obviously tired from staying up all night.
He didn't answer immediately, but instead handed over the cloth bag that was still steaming. His voice was a little hoarse from the long journey, but it was still clear and pleasant to hear.
"I guess you stayed up late again. My mom just steamed some brown sugar buns last night. They're sweet, and I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you two to tide you over."
The warmth of the cloth bag seeped through the coarse cotton fabric and clearly reached Xu Zhili's slightly cool fingertips. The warmth seemed to extend beyond her hands, spreading all the way to her heart, making her heart skip a beat.
"Xie Yunce".
Xu Zhili's voice was soft, with a hint of hoarseness from staying up all night, yet it was also sweet, carrying a unique tenderness in the quiet night.
She looked at his slightly stunned expression, a sly glint in her eyes, as if she had made up her mind.
She beckoned with her finger, a gesture that carried a hint of playfulness and provocation.
Almost instinctively, Xie Yunze obediently bent his tall body slightly and moved a few steps closer to her.
His gaze held a questioning quality, but perhaps a deeper hint of indulgence.
Just as he leaned down, Xu Zhili quickly moved forward and gently placed a kiss on his cheek with her soft lips.
They parted as quickly as a butterfly's wing.
Xie Yunze remained bent over, as if he had been put on pause.
He subconsciously raised his hand and gently touched the spot that had just been touched by that warm, soft touch with his fingertips.
That fleeting touch, as if carrying a subtle electric current, stubbornly lingered on the skin, burning all the way into the heart.
His fingers, calloused from years of holding a gun, rested near his cheek, a gesture that gave him a rare air of bewilderment.
Xu Zhili, like a kitten who had successfully stolen some fish, lowered her head, pretending to be calm, and tore open a corner of the cloth bag to reveal the plump, white brown sugar steamed buns inside.
She opened her mouth and took a bite. The soft dough and sweet brown sugar flavor melted on her tongue. It was warm and delicious, and the taste was unexpectedly good.
Her stomach, empty from staying up all night, was immediately soothed by this simple, sweet aroma.
As she chewed, she looked up and saw Xie Yunze still standing there dumbfounded, his fingers touching the spot she had kissed, his gaze fixed on her face.
His eyes held a dazed look, as if he hadn't quite come to his senses, and a kind of pure confusion, as if he were trying to confirm whether what he had just witnessed was an illusion.
"Pfft... Hahaha..."
Xu Zhili couldn't help but burst out laughing while holding the steamed bun, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents. "Xie Yunce, you idiot..."
She had never seen him like this before. Since returning to the army, the image of him as a cold, composed, and capable soldier had instantly collapsed, leaving only the man in front of her, stunned by her sudden kiss.
She laughed heartily, unaware that she still had a steamed bun in her mouth. Before she could catch her breath, crumbs of the bun choked her: "Cough cough...you...cough cough cough..."
The laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by a series of awkward coughs that brought tears to her eyes.
Xie Yunze seemed to be awakened by her cough, and his initial shock was quickly replaced by helplessness and concern.
He stepped forward, naturally raised his hand, and gently patted her back with just the right amount of force to help her catch her breath.
His movements were swift and efficient, characteristic of a soldier, yet they also revealed a cautious gentleness.
A deep voice sounded above her head, carrying a hint of indulgence and a helpless smile: "Eat slowly, and don't laugh while you're eating, or you'll choke."
Xu Zhili finally stopped coughing, her cheeks flushed from the coughing and the kiss.
She was a little embarrassed and annoyed, turning her head away from him, her tone stiff, with a hint of girlish coquettishness: "Hmph, mind your own business."
Despite saying that, she held the half-eaten brown sugar bun tightly in her hand, showing no intention of putting it down.
She was starving after staying up all night.
Xie Yunze looked at her chubby cheeks as she chewed diligently, her cheeks twitching like a little squirrel clinging to its beloved nuts, so incredibly cute.
The last trace of surprise that had lingered in his eyes completely melted away, melting into a soft warmth that he himself hadn't even noticed, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but curve slightly—so cute.
Xu Zhili was so engrossed in eating her steamed bun that she felt a little embarrassed to face him directly, so she turned away. Naturally, she didn't see the tender smile that almost overflowed in his eyes after his cold, hard facial features softened.
After a brief silence, Xie Yunze's voice rang out again, gentler than before, even with a hint of cautious probing: "Ali, I was wrong, I shouldn't have said that to you."
Hearing his abrupt apology, Xu Zhili immediately turned around, her mouth still full, and asked indistinctly, "Huh? What did you say?"
Xie Yunze coughed lightly, a helpless yet indulgent smile spreading across his eyes. He shook his head, realizing that his heart was ultimately completely under her control.
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