In the Zhu Family, she had seen the arrogance of noble children, the stern authority of the elders, the heaviness and helplessness her father carried as the clan leader, and her elder sister Zhu Zhuyun's twisted struggle under the crushing weight of fate.
Those "important figures" were either high above everyone else or trapped deep in the mire. They all carried the burden of their shackles and the calculations of self-interest.
But Big Brother Lin Xia was completely different.
He was only one year older than her, yet he could already stand at the center of a scene as blazing as a furnace and become someone countless adult blacksmiths looked up to.
Those muscular men, who could swing enormous hammers as though they weighed nothing, looked at him with genuine respect, gratitude, and even dependence.
It was not fear of his status, but heartfelt recognition of his abilities and of the hope and future he had brought to their entire community.
She watched him calmly deal with countless toasts and conversations. She watched him effortlessly sort through complicated matters involving orders, mining rights, and technical problems. She watched him use gentle yet firm words to ease the worries of old craftsmen and ignite the passion of the younger generation.
His smile was sincere and infectious, and his words were filled with wisdom and foresight.
It was as though he possessed a unique aura, one that allowed him to blend into this rough and lively atmosphere while at the same time rising above it, like the brightest star in the night sky, illuminating the entire bustling plaza.
"Even though he's only one year older than me..."
Zhu Zhuqing murmured softly, so quietly that only she could hear herself.
Her small hands unconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes, and her heart pounded violently in her chest, as though it wanted to break free of its restraints.
An indescribable warmth surged through her tiny body.
Back in the cold room of the Zhu Family's western courtyard, she had cultivated beneath the moonlight with only a single obsession, to become stronger and break free from her fate.
But now, as she gazed at the radiant Lin Xia, she saw a possibility more clearly than ever before.
A kind of strength so great that it could control one's destiny and even illuminate the lives of others.
This kind of strength was not a cold Level or merciless slaughter. It was what Big Brother Lin Xia possessed, wisdom, power, responsibility, and the light that inspired hope in others, all perfectly united.
"I will become..."
She swore silently to herself. The coldness deep within her, belonging to the Hell Civet, was replaced by an almost fanatical determination.
"As strong as Big Brother Lin Xia! No even stronger!"
She no longer desired strength merely for survival or revenge.
Instead, she longed for the radiance of leadership that Lin Xia displayed at this moment, the power to shatter shackles and forge a new future.
Lin Xia seemed to sense her unusually focused gaze.
During a pause in his conversation with one of the elders, he slightly turned his head and, through the noisy crowd, accurately found the small figure hiding in the shadow of the barbecue rack.
Through the dancing firelight and drifting smoke, he saw Zhu Zhuqing's astonishingly bright eyes, filled with undisguised admiration and longing that bordered on reverence.
Lin Xia was momentarily stunned.
Then a look of understanding and gentle warmth spread across his deep eyes.
That smile was like a warm breeze passing through a forest of steel, dispelling the last traces of unfamiliarity and unease in Zhu Zhuqing's heart.
He did not stop talking to the blacksmiths.
He merely gave her a barely noticeable, encouraging nod.
That tiny gesture and understanding look instantly made Zhu Zhuqing feel as though she had been wrapped in warm spring water.
Her little face reddened slightly, and she hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to focus on eating the flatbread in her hands.
Yet her racing heartbeat and the uncontrollable upward curve of her lips betrayed the excitement and unprecedented sense of belonging surging within her.
In this city of steel filled with strength and warmth, in this place illuminated by Big Brother Lin Xia's brilliance, she seemed to have truly touched the shape of "hope" for the first time.
Solid and burning hot, just like the special Iron Helm Flatbread of Gengxin City in her hands, crispy on the outside and piping hot on the inside.
The banquet gradually reached its peak.
The snores of drunken blacksmiths thundered across the plaza, but at its center, the flames and celebration symbolizing Lin Xia's return still blazed fiercely in the metal-scented night sky above Gengxin City, illuminating the road to the future in the eyes of countless craftsmen, a path paved with steel and sparks.
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze never left that young figure, who already seemed as reliable as a mountain.
The burning admiration and determination to follow him in her heart grew ever stronger, like a newly kindled flame inside a furnace.
The noisy celebration banquet, like molten lava burning at its hottest, finally died down late into the night.
The uproar of voices faded into scattered snores and drunken hiccups.
Across the enormous Furnace Plaza, blacksmiths lay sprawled in every direction, completely satisfied and heavily intoxicated, while the air was filled with the strong scent of alcohol, the lingering aroma of roasted meat, and the faint smell left behind by cooling metal.
Zhu Zhuqing sat quietly in a shadowy corner, her tiny figure almost blending into the darkness. Only her astonishingly bright eyes remained fixed on the figure surrounded by the crowd at the center of the plaza, Lin Xia.
She watched him being surrounded by enthusiastic craftsmen.
She watched him handle everything calmly.
She watched his young face, already carrying the bearing of a leader, shine brilliantly beneath the light of the bonfire.
A scorching warmth surged through her small chest, mixed with the joy of surviving a disaster, the ecstasy of escaping her cage, and an overwhelming sense of admiration and dependence toward the person before her.
"Big Brother Lin Xia is the best!"
It was as if she could still hear her own tearful voice from not long ago, when she had thrown herself into his embrace.
That sense of reliance, that warmth, that power that had pulled her back from the cold abyss of despair.
At the height of these turbulent emotions, a thought suddenly split her consciousness like a bolt of lightning, exploding clearly and passionately in her mind.
"If only Big Brother Lin Xia were my husband, how wonderful that would be!"
The moment the thought appeared, Zhu Zhuqing froze completely!
A wave of heat shot from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, instantly turning her delicate little face as red as a ripe apple.
Her deep, tranquil eyes widened in shock, filled with disbelief, embarrassment, and panic.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest like a drum, as if it were about to break free and leap out.
"W-What am I thinking?!"
Zhu Zhuqing screamed inwardly, flustered beyond measure. She hurriedly lowered her head, wishing she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
She felt even the tips of her ears burning hot. Her little hands tightly gripped the corners of her clothes until her knuckles turned white.
The innocent feelings of a six-year-old child, mixed with her utmost admiration for her hero, had now fermented into a cup of strong wine that left her dizzy and flustered.
"Zhuqing?"
Lin Xia's gentle voice, carrying a trace of weariness that was hard to notice, sounded above her head.
He had finally managed to escape the enthusiastic crowd and found this quiet little corner.
Like a startled kitten, Zhu Zhuqing trembled violently and hurriedly looked up. The blush on her face had yet to fade, and her eyes darted around, not daring to meet Lin Xia's gaze.
"B-Big Brother Lin Xia y-you're finished with your work?"
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, filled with obvious nervousness.
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