From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

My lips trembled slightly as I looked at her, a thousand words stuck in my throat, unable to be uttered.

Su Qing chuckled, "Looking at your silly face, were you scared, or are you dissatisfied?"

On a whim, I forced myself to joke, "You were scared, but just a kiss on the cheek doesn't seem very sincere."

I was just making a casual joke to lighten the mood.

To everyone's surprise, Su Qing's eyes widened suddenly: "Wow! You've got some nerve now, you want me to kiss you on the lips?"

"I...I didn't think that way!"

I was instantly incredibly embarrassed and wished I could disappear into the ground.

Su Qing snorted smugly, a gentle smile hidden in her eyes: "Don't rush, I'll grant your wish once you come out of the no-man's land safely, okay?"

A surge of immense joy welled up within me.

I'm not good at expressing my emotions. I may appear calm on the surface, but my heart is already churning with turmoil.

At that moment, I truly felt that I was probably the luckiest person in the world.

I stood there, stunned, my mind a jumble of emotions, unable to describe the feeling.

I never dreamed that Su Qing would fall for me and even confess her feelings to me.

Although the relationship is not completely settled yet, everything will only be considered once I safely emerge from the no-man's land.

But that alone was enough to stir my emotions.

I know very well that if I were to be with her, I would inevitably face enormous pressure in the future.

The difference in our backgrounds is obvious, and the gossip from others and the gap in reality are enough to give me a headache.

But at this moment, I don't want to think about those distant troubles; I just want to cherish this rare feeling in front of me.

At the same time, I also had a strong desire to prove myself.

This trip to the no-man's-land was not only to retaliate against Fang Heng, but also to give myself a chance to transform.

As long as I can get out of here alive, I believe I can grow up quickly.

When I make money in the future, I'll buy a house that truly belongs to me.

Even if I plan for the worst, I am confident and capable of protecting her.

I was lost in my own thoughts and didn't utter a sound for a long time.

Su Qing stared at me, who was motionless and expressionless, and couldn't help but squint at me.

"That's strange, why aren't you reacting at all?"

I snapped back to reality and looked at her: "What was your reaction?"

"Aren't you surprised that I'm confessing my feelings to you?"

"Surprised? Of course I'm surprised!"

I gave a wry smile. "My mind is completely blank right now, but that's just my personality. My heart is in turmoil, but I can't show it on my face."

Su Qing stared at me, then suddenly said with a hint of jealousy, "You agreed way too readily, didn't you? Would you have agreed to this if any other girl said it to you?"

That question stumped me, and I didn't know how to respond for a moment.

I was indeed caught off guard, but that doesn't mean I was careless.

I know perfectly well that my feelings for Su Qing are completely different from those for other people.

I took a deep breath, put away my joke, and looked at her seriously as I said:

"Actually, when you came back to my hometown with me, I had a very special feeling for you."

"How does it feel? Tell me quickly!" Before I could finish speaking, Su Qing eagerly leaned in and pressed me for an answer.

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but from that moment on, I secretly hoped that you would become my wife someday."

"Haha! So you already had your eye on me back then?"

Su Qing smiled openly and generously. She was a person who dared to love and hate and was not coy at all.

I stopped hiding it and nodded frankly: "Yes, I liked him back then."

"Then why don't you confess your feelings to me first, instead of making me, a girl, the one to say it?"

I gave a self-deprecating smirk: "I don't have that kind of courage."

The huge chasm between reality and the past was something I took too seriously, and I never dared to even dream of it.

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Qing stepped forward and hugged me again.

This hug was light, more like a comforting gesture.

She gently patted my back and said softly, "What are you afraid of? I'm not a tiger, I'm not going to eat you."

"What I fear is the gap between us," I said in a low voice.

"There's no difference. You're a human being, and I'm a human being. It's that simple."

One sentence she said made me laugh.

After letting go of me, she looked serious and said to me, half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"We have a deal. If you get out of the no-man's land safely, I'll be your girlfriend. If you don't, then I'll have to find someone else. You know what I mean."

These words were indeed very Su Qing's, straightforward and unreserved, and I couldn't help but smile.

Then she stretched out her index finger and pointed it in front of me, looking at me with a warning expression.

"There's one more thing! You have to go into the no-man's-land with my sister and stay together every day. You're not allowed to have any wicked thoughts about her."

I looked utterly helpless: "Do you think I would have feelings for her?"

"That's hard to say, what if?" she said, pursing her lips.

I jokingly retorted, "Didn't you say before that if your sister were interested in someone like me, you'd do this and that, remember?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Su Qing's face, and she stuck out her tongue.

"Those were just casual remarks made in anger. Of course I know what kind of person my sister is. There's no way she could like you. I'm just afraid you might develop feelings for her."

"You can rest assured about that. I have absolutely no romantic feelings for her; she's just a teammate I'm traveling with."

Hearing me say that, Su Qing nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Go eat, you've just recovered, you can't go hungry."

"Um."

Su Qing turned to pull the door handle, then suddenly looked back at me with curiosity in her eyes.

"What do you think our expressions would be if Wang and the others knew about us?"

My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly said, "You're not going to go public now, are you?"

"What, are you feeling guilty?"

"I'm not guilty," I quickly explained. "It's just that things are still very uncertain. What if I end up in the no-man's land and something really happens..."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Su Qing quickly reached out and covered my mouth, her brows furrowed tightly, her tone both urgent and annoyed.

If you say such discouraging things again, I'll sew your mouth shut.

I quickly shook my head to indicate that I would no longer talk nonsense.

She then withdrew her hand and said seriously, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone now. We'll tell everyone after you're fully recovered."

"it is good."

I nodded emphatically and followed her out of the room and downstairs.

Walking in the hallway, we both put aside our earlier flirtation and appeared no different from usual.

At the restaurant, Wang Ge and his friends had already ordered their food and were sitting there waiting for us, but none of them had touched their chopsticks.

Upon seeing us approach, Su Qing was the first to step forward and apologize:

"I'm sorry, I was being willful just now and kept everyone waiting."

Luo Peng immediately pulled out a chair: "It's alright, Sister Qing, please sit down."

A-Qiu turned to the waiter and called out, "Add two more sets of bowls and chopsticks."

As soon as I sat down, Luo Peng quietly turned to the side, gave me a thumbs-up, and whispered, "Brother Lin, you're really something."