Hello, Comrade. I'm Here to Marry You!

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Do You Still Want to Marry Me?

Su Zhaozhao was a little surprised; she hadn’t expected Xie Huaizheng to actually show up.

The night was dark, but he was like a ray of light, illuminating her world.

Upon seeing Xie Huaizheng, her body began to relax.

The tension and exhaustion that had gripped her slowly faded away.

Su Zhaozhao stood up and flashed Xie Huaizheng a radiant smile.

Xie Huaizheng, in turn, strode quickly toward her.

"Xie Huaizheng, you really ca—"

Before she could finish, the man pulled her into his arms.

He held her tightly. Su Zhaozhao’s face was pressed firmly against his chest, and she felt as if she were about to melt into him.

His body was hard as steel, his firm muscles radiating a warmth that enveloped her completely, chasing away the chill.

A sting pricked Su Zhaozhao’s nose, and her eyes welled with tears.

’Whether in her past life or now, this was the first time she had ever encountered something so major.’

’In the past, even when she faced danger on assignments, she always had colleagues with her.’

’Those veteran colleagues were more professional and more capable; they were always the ones taking the lead.’

’But now, she was all alone and had to arrange things for so many people.’

’She could have chosen not to. She could have just focused on taking care of herself.’

’But her conscience wouldn’t let her.’

’So, she did her best to help every single person.’

’But deep down, she was anxious too. It was just that with so many people panicking, she was even more afraid of that terror spreading. She could only force herself to remain calm.’

’She had to try and keep everyone else calm too.’

’But that feeling of helplessness had magnified infinitely the moment she saw Xie Huaizheng.’

Xie Huaizheng held the girl in his arms, sensing how cold and soft she was. The fresh scent of jasmine wafted up to him.

He also felt her body trembling slightly.

An almost imperceptible pang of pain struck his heart.

’How does she always manage to get herself into such a sorry state?’

’It seemed that every time she appeared before him, she was in some kind of predicament.’

He didn’t release Su Zhaozhao right away. His hand closed around her arm.

Her arm was so slender, easily enveloped by his grasp. It felt as if he could snap it with just a little pressure.

Xie Huaizheng hardly dared to squeeze, but her arm felt so soft that he found it hard to let go.

But with so many people staring, Su Zhaozhao gave him a little push, and Xie Huaizheng let her go.

"It’s good you’re here. We’re saved!" Su Zhaozhao said, smiling at the people around them.

The others also looked visibly relieved.

"Don’t worry, comrades. Our soldiers are on their way," Xie Huaizheng said.

As he spoke, bright headlights in the distance swept over them.

Two military vehicles approached, drawing closer and closer.

The soldiers moved quickly and with great discipline.

In an instant, they arrived and began the emergency rescue operation.

They handed out food, water, and raincoats. Some tended to the wounded, bandaging their injuries, while others were responsible for escorting people to the vehicles.

Xiao Yuanming was also busy, but he couldn’t help glancing at Xie Huaizheng and Su Zhaozhao and grumbling to himself.

’So, the reason Brother Zheng was in such a rush to get here was because Su Zhaozhao was here.’

’No wonder...’

’Looks like Brother Zheng acts all sarcastic and cold toward her on the surface, but he’s actually really fond of her.’

’He’s all talk, really. Tough on the outside, but soft on the inside.’

With so many soldiers and military medics on the scene, Su Zhaozhao was no longer needed.

Still, everyone expressed their gratitude to her.

Su Zhaozhao had pulled many of them from the bus.

It was also Su Zhaozhao who had constantly reassured them, easing their terror.

Zhao Shuqin was also extremely grateful to Su Zhaozhao. "Zhaozhao, thank you, really. If it weren’t for you, my child would have suffered."

"It’s all right. You should go sit in the truck," Su Zhaozhao told Zhao Shuqin. "Hurry, get out of the rain."

Zhao Shuqin nodded and boarded the military truck with the others.

Xie Huaizheng’s dark eyes landed on Su Zhaozhao and stayed there.

’I never expected Su Zhaozhao to be so capable. I really don’t get it. She looks so soft and delicate, yet she has such a strong heart, able to help so many people.’

Su Zhaozhao suddenly sneezed.

Xie Huaizheng snapped back to his senses. He pulled her into the car, closed the door, and handed her a towel. "Dry yourself off. I’m taking you back to the guesthouse now."

Su Zhaozhao took the towel and wiped her face and arms. Even though Xie Huaizheng had already cranked up the car’s heater, she still felt chilled to the bone.

It was probably because she had finally relaxed completely; the exhaustion from a whole night of panic was now washing over her.

She simply lay down on the seat and started chatting with Xie Huaizheng. "How did you know I’d be there?"

"A guess," Xie Huaizheng said.

"What a good guess," Su Zhaozhao laughed. "Is it because we have that special connection, you and I? Like a real husband and wife?"

’When she was alone with Xie Huaizheng, Su Zhaozhao was always shameless. It couldn’t be helped; she just loved teasing him.’

’The sooner Xie Huaizheng falls for her, the sooner she can enjoy having such a handsome man all to herself.’

But at this point, Su Zhaozhao was running on fumes.

Hearing her words, Xie Huaizheng paused for a moment before saying, "You’re as shameless as ever."

"Only for you."

Hearing this, Xie Huaizheng’s heart suddenly began to pound in his chest.

’Only for him...’

’That did seem to be true. Su Zhaozhao didn’t talk to other people like this.’

’Xie Huaizheng knew that plenty of girls liked him, but he had never met anyone quite like Su Zhaozhao.’

’She was so bold in her advances, always trying so hard to win him over. No matter how many times she was rebuffed, she never gave up.’

’And now, she had actually managed to make his heart waver.’

’It was a strange feeling, but surprisingly, Xie Huaizheng didn’t find it repulsive in the slightest.’

After a moment, Xie Huaizheng finally spoke. "Speaking of which, where do you get all this courage? You didn’t seem panicked at all today, faced with a scene like that."

"Because I’m amazing! When have you ever seen me be anything less?"

Hearing this, Xie Huaizheng scoffed.

’What a little liar.’

’He knew she had been panicked, too.’

’At least, when he was holding her, he could feel her body trembling.’

’It proved that deep down, she was afraid.’

’She was just good at hiding her true feelings.’

’And for some reason, seeing a girl like this made his heart ache for her.’

’What on earth had she gone through with her family to become the person she was today?’

Xie Huaizheng glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Su Zhaozhao lying on the back seat, her body curled up.

He said, "Don’t fall asleep. Wait until we get back to the guesthouse."

"I’m too tired. Just for a little bit," Su Zhaozhao mumbled.

Her voice was soft and listless.

Xie Huaizheng furrowed his brow. He couldn’t let her fall asleep like this; she’d catch a cold for sure.

But Su Zhaozhao clearly had no intention of listening to him. After a moment’s thought, Xie Huaizheng could only say, "After going through all this here, do you still want to marry me?"