Early the next morning.

  he arrived at the company even earlier than the day before.

  The office area was still mostly empty.

  Elena's office door was tightly shut.

  Mia was already at her workstation organizing files.

  Her hair tied in two ponytails, she was leaning over a calculator, her brow slightly furrowed in concentration, looking especially cute in her seriousness.

  "Michael, you're here so early!"

  Mia looked up and saw him, her eyes immediately curving into crescents.

  "I just made you a cup of hot water. It's on your desk."

  A warm feeling bloomed in Michael's heart.

  He was just about to say thank you when the door to Elena's office clicked open with a "crack."

  She was still in that black uniform, as coldly stunning and imposing as ever.

  Holding a list, she walked straight over to the two of them.

  "Mia," Elena's voice was clear and cold,

  "the new goods for Warehouse 3 must be inventoried and transferred to our Warehouse 8 this morning. Arrange for a few male colleagues to help."

  "Yes, Manager Chen!"

  Mia immediately stood up, taking the list. "I'll go coordinate right away."

  Elena's gaze swept over Michael.

  Without saying anything more, she turned and went back into her office.

  Mia held the list, frowning with some difficulty.

  "Everyone's out at the stores today. We're short on hands... Mike, could you help me? It's just moving a few boxes. It'll be quick!"

  Michael nodded. "No problem, I'll go with you."

  Warehouse 3 was deep in the factory area.

  The two of them, pushing a small cart, moved heavy boxes of metal samples onto the vehicle.

  Each box weighed dozens of pounds. Mia gritted her teeth, her small face flushed red, but she insisted on helping move the lighter boxes.

  "Mia, you rest. I can handle these."

  Seeing her struggling, Michael felt a pang of reluctance in his heart.

  "No, no! Manager Chen assigned the task. I have to complete it with you!"

  Mia shook her head, picking up another small box. "I can do it!"

  Just then, a stack of sample boxes piled at the very top suddenly lost its balance.

  With a "creak," the entire row of boxes slid down towards Mia with a crash!

  "Careful!"

  Michael's pupils contracted.

  It was almost instinct that made him charge forward.

  The vine mark on his chest suddenly grew hot.

  A steady, powerful force instantly surged through his entire body.

  He shielded Mia, raising his hands to forcefully hold up the falling boxes!

  "Thud—"

  A dull, heavy thud shook the very air.

  Hundreds of pounds of weight slammed into Michael's shoulders and forehead.

  Mia screamed in fright,

  "Michael!"

  However, Michael stood firmly in place, his body not budging an inch.

  He didn't even feel much pain, only a warm wetness spreading on his forehead—blood was trickling down from his brow bone, dripping onto the ground.

  "Mike! You're bleeding!"

  Mia rushed over, tears instantly welling up.

  She trembled as she pressed a handkerchief to his wound.

  "It's all my fault, it's all my fault for not watching the shelves properly..."

  "I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

  Michael shook his head. He could feel the wound healing at an astonishing rate, but it was covered by blood and the handkerchief, so no one noticed.

  The company's medical department quickly sent someone, giving Michael a simple bandage.

  The doctor instructed him to rest, but didn't notice that his wound was almost healed.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  It was fortunate that this company doctor wasn't thorough enough, not cleaning Michael's wound completely.

  Otherwise, he would have definitely discovered that the wound on Michael's head had already completely healed.

  Mia stayed by his side the whole time, her eyes red, filled with guilt.

  After the doctor left, she tugged at the corner of Michael's clothes, her voice choked with tears.

  "Mike, come to my place tonight. I'll make you hot noodles, and I have the pickles I made. I really have to thank you properly..."

  Michael looked into her sincere eyes, remembered his thoughts from last night, and nodded. "Okay."

  In the evening, Michael followed Mia into the shantytown area where she lived.

  It was a bit cleaner than his rented room. A small room held a bed and a table, with a few yellowed posters on the wall.

  Mia tied on an apron and busied herself at the small stove.

  She cooked coarse grain noodles, and even took out the canned food vouchers Michael had brought, exchanging them for a small can of meat.

  She cut it into small pieces and sprinkled it into the noodles.

  "Michael, try it! This is the most delicious noodles I can make!"

  Mia brought the bowl to him, her eyes sparkling.

  Michael took the bowl. Warm steam wafted up.

  The aroma of the noodles mixed with the meat, in this resource-scarce wasteland world, felt especially precious.

  He took a bite.

  Warmth spread in his stomach and flowed through his blood vessels to his heart.

  Mia sat opposite him, propping her chin in her hands, watching him with a gentle smile on her face.

  Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened. Inside the room, only a dim yellow lamp stretched their shadows long.

  "Mike,"

  Mia suddenly spoke, her voice soft,

  "you were really amazing today... I've never seen anyone block such heavy boxes before."

  Michael put down his chopsticks, touching the gauze on his forehead where the wound was long gone.

  He looked into Mia's clear eyes.

  "I don't know either. Maybe I'm just stronger."

  Mia didn't press further, just nodded.

  Then she slowly leaned closer, her cheeks slightly flushed.

  "Michael, I... I, I..."

  Her voice was very soft, but it was like a pebble tossed into Michael's heart.

  Michael was stunned.

  Looking at Mia's face so close, and the shyness and sincerity in her eyes, those vague thoughts from last night surged up again.

  This is meat delivered to the door.

  It can't be compared to Elena.

  But, Mia is so tender and fresh, brimming with youthful energy.

  A proper girl-next-door.

  She must be so sweet!

  He didn't act immediately.

  Reason was pulling at him frantically:

  Mia looks truly tempting, but I just arrived in the Western District...

  But Mia's eyes were too clear, too warm, like a beam of light shining into his gloomy life.

  He longed so desperately to grasp this light...

  Michael abruptly reached out, wrapping an arm around Mia's waist, pulling her into his embrace.

  Mia's body trembled slightly, then she leaned in willingly, burying her head against his chest.

  Under the dim yellow light, their shadows snuggled tightly together.

  Outside the window, the searchlights were still patrolling.

  The high walls of Vine Corporation remained cold.

  But in this small room, the temperature had risen somewhat.

  ......

  Much later, the two, not caring about the sweat on each other, wearily held each other.

  Michael knew that his relationship with Mia had taken a critical step forward.