Mu Cheng did not go in with them.
Mo Shangjun followed at Ya Tianxing's side, half a step behind, wrapping her overcoat tightly around her, concealing the traces of her camouflage uniform completely, leaving only a pair of combat boots exposed.
Though scrutinized by the waiter, at least her identity wasn't exposed.
The private room Ya Tianxing had reserved was clearly upscale, judging by the restaurant's decor. As a military officer, being seen freely entering such a place would certainly invite criticism.
The private room was large enough to accommodate more than ten people. Mo Shangjun raised her eyebrows, her gaze sweeping over the long table, and finally chose the closest position to settle in.
"Come here."
Just as she had pulled out a chair, she heard those two cold words.
Mo Shangjun watched intently, only to see Ya Tianxing standing directly opposite her, signaling her to move two seats to the right, staring at her with a chilling gaze.
Resigned, Mo Shangjun complied, moving two seats to the right, facing Ya Tianxing directly.
Only then did Ya Tianxing finally withdraw his gaze.
Without a word, the waiter handed the menus to both of them.
Ya Tianxing hardly ordered anything, while Mo Shangjun, on the other hand, ticked off dish after dish, unfazed by the frighteningly high prices, completely disregarding the military rule of frugality.
After they ordered, the waiter left.
Pouring herself a cup of tea, Mo Shangjun was about to drink when suddenly something occurred to her, and she looked up, eyebrows raised, "Commander, this isn't being expensed to the public account, right?"
"No," Ya Tianxing replied, looking straight at her, his answer crisp and firm.
Mo Shangjun then drank her tea with peace of mind.
Putting down her tea cup, Mo Shangjun rest her elbows on the table, fingers interlaced, habitually sitting up straight and proper.
"Commander, if there is anything you want to say, you can speak first," she said, her demeanor suddenly becoming more serious.
"Phone," Ya Tianxing said in a flat tone.
Mo Shangjun was startled, noticing his gaze linger on her overcoat, and immediately reached into the pocket, fishing out not only her phone but also her wallet.
With three black lines forming on her forehead, Mo Shangjun hesitated for a moment before taking out only her mobile phone.
But before she could hand it over to Ya Tianxing, she heard his voice again, "Phone number."
He only spoke to the point without detailed instructions, but luckily Mo Shangjun's EQ was not low, and she understood the meaning, saving her own number in his phone after a moment's pause.
"Call it." Just as she was about to set down the phone, she heard Ya Tianxing's next command.
With a pause of her finger on the screen, Mo Shangjun raised her eyebrows in resignation, "You're done?"
"Go back and save it," Ya Tianxing issued his final instruction.
"Can I harass you?" Mo Shangjun narrowed her eyes.
"I don't mind," Ya Tianxing said lazily, leaning back in his chair.
Mo Shangjun slightly curved her lips, pressed the call button, and then, under Ya Tianxing's implicit gaze, she put the phone back into her pocket.
In this short time, the waiter had brought all the dishes to the table.
As soon as Mo Shangjun got hold of the chopsticks, she started putting food into the hot pot. Once it was cooked, she began eating, unconcerned with maintaining appearances.
In contrast, Ya Tianxing only occasionally moved his chopsticks, spending most of the time observing her.
"What do you know about the assessment?"
Only as the meal was coming to an end did Ya Tianxing finally broach the real topic.
"Not much," Mo Shangjun transferred all the meat from the hot pot to her plate, answering distractedly.
"For example?" Ya Tianxing asked.
After thinking for a moment, Mo Shangjun paused, raised her eyes to look at Ya Tianxing, her expression somewhat serious.
"The Reconnaissance Camp often has various assessments, and the military region also regularly holds exercises. There's no need for a sudden unconventional assessment. Besides, different military branches aren't comparable," Mo Shangjun said with a smile in her eyes, "having a military rank and being called captain, the chances for others are slim... So is it the special forces selecting new recruits?"
Her analysis was spot on.
Yet Ya Tianxing did not show the slightest surprise.
"You're not interested?" he asked with interest.
"More or less," Mo Shangjun shrugged, "You know, I just came to the Reconnaissance Camp, I probably won't leave for the next two years."
The special forces indeed attracted many people, but Mo Shangjun was not among them.
Having grown up in a military camp and considering her family background, she had a lot of contact with the special forces squad. As such, she found the things she was accustomed to having around her naturally unattractive.
"Come here." Ya Tianxing suddenly said.
"..." Mo Shangjun looked at him, confused.
Meeting her gaze, Ya Tianxing emphasized, "This is an order."
Outranking someone by one level could indeed be oppressive.
After a moment's hesitation, Mo Shangjun stood up, walked around the long table, and approached Ya Tianxing.
As soon as she got to Ya Tianxing's side, the man stood up. His tall and straight figure blocked the light, casting a shadow that darkened her vision. She subconsciously wanted to step back to clear her sight.
However, just as she took a step back, a hand slid into her coat, and the next moment, a broad and strong palm pressed against her waist.
With a slight force from the hand, Mo Shangjun's body leaned forward.
Ya Tianxing's other hand passed through her hair, holding her head down, and he kissed her lips.
Perhaps it was the overpowering scent of male pheromones, Mo Shangjun was momentarily dazed, but the tenderness and entanglement of lips and teeth quickly drew her attention.
She widened her eyes, only to meet those soul-stirring eyes, which caused an unfounded palpitation.
Flirting aside, principles and experiences differ, and this sudden move caused Mo Shangjun to be unusually nervous and flustered. Yet, being quick to learn didn't mean that the instincts etched into her bones were also suppressed.
She wrapped her arms around the man, attempting to seize the initiative, but the enemy was too strong and fierce, leaving her helplessly suppressed.
With temptation right in front of her, she had long forgotten what resistance was. Yet Mo Shangjun's forwardness unintentionally deepened the kiss.
Catching a glimpse unintentionally, she saw his handsome face, like a sculpture, enter her line of sight. For some reason, in that moment, four words flashed through Mo Shangjun's mind—
"Handsome, distracting, men, beware!"
Ya Tianxing released her waist, his hand gently landed on her shoulder, slowly fixing her collar.
Afterwards, he lifted Mo Shangjun's chin, his gaze falling on her reddened lips, his voice husky and ambiguous, "Now what?"
"I'll consider it."
Mo Shangjun tugged at the corner of her mouth, feeling a bit of pain at the edge of her lips.
"How long?"
"This charm of yours..." Mo Shangjun's slender fingers rose, lightly touching the corner of her mouth, her expression not hiding the disdain, "at most, it's worth three points."
Ya Tianxing's eyes darkened.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Mo Shangjun pushed his hand away, and then raised her hands to straighten his shirt collar.
"I'm free this weekend."
Looking at the neat collar, Mo Shangjun clapped her hands, boldly meeting Ya Tianxing's gaze.
However, Ya Tianxing did not care about her latter words, his eyes narrowing as danger and a murderous aura spread in his expression, "Only three points?"