"Ding-ling-ling— Ding-ling-ling— Ding-ling-ling—"
The telephone rang piercingly through the empty office.
Mo Shangjun looked around and, not seeing Lang Yan, she closed the door behind her after entering and then walked over to her own desk.
Picking up the phone, she said, "Hello."
"Come downstairs," replied a voice, cold, brief, and decisive, brooking no questioning.
Click, the call was disconnected.
Mo Shangjun felt baffled, furrowing her brows as she looked at the receiver in her hand.
The man's voice was distinctly recognizable; Mo Shangjun would not forget it after hearing it just once, but having thrown that encounter to the back of her mind, she truly hadn't expected him to actually show up.
After a moment of thought, Mo Shangjun put down the phone and walked out of her office, but rather than hurrying downstairs immediately, she stepped into the corridor to take a look below.
A familiar Jeep was parked downstairs, but aside from that, nothing unusual could be seen.
A faint smile played at the corners of her lips, and Mo Shangjun patted her hands before heading downstairs.
Upon reaching the Jeep, Mo Shangjun could see the inside through the open car window.
An army officer was sitting behind the wheel, his rank evident by the one bar and three stars. He was young and handsome, winking at her from his seat. Mo Shangjun only gave him a brief glance before shifting her gaze to the backseat.
There, the man sat languorously, his long legs crossed, his profile as sharp and defined as if carved from stone. He wasn't wearing his military uniform but was instead dressed in civilian clothes—a black overcoat left open, revealing a white shirt underneath. The contrast of black and white added an extra layer of sophistication, yet the man's aura was even more enigmatic, his aloofness forbidding and intense.
"Get in."
After a few seconds of her standing motionless outside, the man spoke again in a deep voice, still issuing orders.
Mo Shangjun opened the door to the backseat and slid in.
"Sir, I only have half an hour," Mo Shangjun reminded him, focusing on the essentials before the car started moving.
The man turned his head to give her a fleeting glance, "I've gotten you leave."
After a moment of silence, Mo Shangjun asked, "For how long?"
The man looked away without answering her.
By then, Mu Cheng, who was the driver, had already started the Jeep and began driving toward the base entrance.
"Sir…" Mo Shangjun tried to speak again.
"My name is Yan Tianxing," the man interrupted her coldly.
"So?" Mo Shangjun raised an eyebrow, prompting further.
He swept a glance at her, his eyes bewitching, filled with resolve, "Change the way you address me."
"…" Mo Shangjun's expression froze. After a pause, she naturally proceeded to call him, "Brother Xing."
Yan Tianxing paused, his brow furrowing as his gaze swept inch by inch over her face. For some reason, the temperature inside the car seemed to drop considerably.
"Where are we going?" Mo Shangjun asked directly, ignoring his mood.
"To eat," Yan Tianxing replied succinctly.
"What are we eating?" Mo Shangjun lazily squinted her eyes.
"Hotpot."
"Good."
Upon agreement, Mo Shangjun took off her hat and loosened her belt. Then, lifting her slender fingers, she started wearily unfastening the buttons of her coat.
Halfway through, Mo Shangjun felt the scrutinizing gaze of the person beside her.
She leisurely met his gaze.
Yan Tianxing's assessment was bold and open. When her eyes, hinting at amusement, met his, the cold indifference on his brow softened slightly, replaced by a very clear suggestive implication.
"Commander, I have an exemplary conduct." Mo Shangjun straightened her spine and declared earnestly.
"I can't tell."
Ya Tianxing lazily withdrew his gaze, responding with a faint voice that was low and pleasant to hear.
"That's because," Mo Shangjun chimed in, bending her head to continue unbuttoning her uniform while implying with a deeper meaning, "you're superficial."
"Cough cough..."
Mu Cheng, who was driving, suddenly coughed, leaning fiercely on the steering wheel as he took advantage of the red light. His eyes sneakily glanced through the rearview mirror. Distracted, he caught sight of Ya Tianxing's calm expression and almost got scared again.
Jeez, what's gotten into the captain today? He's not even getting mad after being 'insulted'?
By the time the car started moving again, Mo Shangjun had already taken off her coat.
She was wearing a winter exercise uniform which was a two-piece set. She could have added more clothes underneath, but Mo Shangjun found it troublesome and restricted movement, so she wore only the set.
Underneath was a camouflage short-sleeve shirt, the car window was left open, and the cold wind blew in, caressing her skin and inducing a shiver.
"Your coat..." Mo Shangjun scooted to the right, getting closer to Ya Tianxing, and as she drew out her words, she eyed his coat and bluntly said, "it's useless, isn't it?"
Glancing at her, Ya Tianxing lifted his left hand, grabbed the collar of his coat, and flung it upwards; the overcoat flew directly towards Mo Shangjun.
Mo Shangjun raised her eyebrows and smiled faintly, her hand reaching out to catch the half-airborne coat, thereby avoiding being hit.
Ya Tianxing lifted his eyelids to see her nonchalantly putting on his overcoat. His gaze paused briefly, and then he couldn't help but smile.
At a height of one meter seventy, Mo Shangjun was not short among women, but she was slim with no excess weight and a small frame, giving her a well-proportioned figure. The long overcoat hung loosely on her, but since she crossed her arms tightly around her chest, the incongruity wasn't too pronounced.
"I'm going to take a nap."
Flipping the collar up to cover half her face, Mo Shangjun spoke and then leaned her head to the left, closing her eyes to sleep.
She had slept for only two hours the previous night, and after spending the whole morning practicing with them, once she relaxed, Mo Shangjun indeed felt tired, and in no time, she really fell asleep.
Ya Tianxing didn't bother with her.
However—
When Mo Shangjun's head thudded onto his shoulder, Ya Tianxing's attention was involuntarily diverted.
Originally leaning to the other side, Mo Shangjun had somehow turned and, sitting close to him, seemed to 'naturally' lean on his shoulder.
Ya Tianxing looked at her.
Her short hair, where a hat had been, was a bit messy; a few strands hung over her smooth, full forehead. Her skin was fair, as if it had never been touched by wind or rain. With her eyes closed, she lost some shrewdness and gained a bit of tranquility.
This woman didn't at all seem like someone who had served in the military.
The overcoat she had wrapped tightly around her now loosened as one hand let go. The opening at the collar revealed a stretch of white neck and the faint outline of her clavicle...
Ya Tianxing looked away.
At that moment, Mu Cheng sat up straight, focusing solely on the road ahead as he dutifully drove.
"Close the window," ordered Ya Tianxing, though his voice came out softer than before.
"Yes."
Mu Cheng promptly complied.
With quick and efficient movements, he rolled up all the windows and even considerately turned on the air conditioning.
Mo Shangjun was roused from sleep by the heat.
Upon waking and finding herself leaning on Ya Tianxing, she didn't particularly mind, but her first move was to open the car window.
She had been a bit cold while sleeping, but setting the air conditioner so high was indeed too much; she wondered how the two men could stand it.
Mu Cheng switched off the air conditioning with good timing, but before he could decide whether to open the window, they had arrived at their destination.
As Mo Shangjun got out of the car, she specially glanced at the restaurant's signboard—it was indeed a hotpot place.