After training, Xiang Bei went to find Mo Xin to fulfill his promise.

Mo Xin brought out the four pairs of shoes he had used during training, leaving only one pair for himself. The rest were sent to the water room to receive Xiang Bei’s treatment.

Xiang Bei frowned, “We’ve only been in training for over two months, and you brought so many shoes?”

“Not many, just enough to rotate.” Mo Xin lined up the shoes neatly in front of Xiang Bei, politely nodded at him, and said, “Thank you for your hard work.”

But his cold tone and aloof posture made Xiang Bei feel uncomfortable.

“Wait, don’t go yet. Let me get this straight,” Xiang Bei stopped him and asked, “Where did you learn to shoot? I’ve never ranked in the top three among my peers in shooting.”

“I practiced on my own,” Mo Xin said, “For seven or eight years.”

“Seven or eight…” Xiang Bei looked him up and down, “How old are you?”

“Nineteen,”  Mo Xin said.

So, he started handling guns when he was around ten years old?

Xiang Bei was shocked, “If I remember correctly, guns are prohibited in Danga State, right? Not only are you breaking the rules, but you also started playing with guns at such a young age. Do your family members know?”

Mo Xin replied indifferently, “It was my family who wanted me to practice.”

Xiang Bei was speechless.

The more Xiang Bei thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. While untying the shoelaces, he muttered, “I’m just full and bored, don’t even have a girlfriend yet, and I’m worrying about the Liang guy! It’s not only laborious but also thankless.”

“I have to come here to do grunt work like shining shoes for others. It’s humiliating!”

Mo Xin, who had reached the doorway of the water room, paused at the words and glanced back at Xiang Bei.

“Oh, you’re shining shoes pretty diligently,” came Liang Qiuchi’s voice suddenly from the corridor. Mo Xin turned to see him standing by the window outside the water room, snapping his fingers at Xiang Bei.

Xiang Bei exploded instantly, “What are you laughing at! What are you here for?!”

“I’m here to supervise you,” Liang Qiuchi replied casually as he walked towards the door. He met Mo Xin face to face, but Mo Xin kept his head down as if he hadn’t seen him. Liang Qiuchi stopped him and asked, “Is everything packed for tomorrow’s field training?”

“Yeah,” Mo Xin quickly glanced at him and then hurried away.

Liang Qiuchi found it a bit strange. He turned into the water room, pointed outside, and asked Xiang Bei, “What did you say to him just now to upset him?”

“Do you think I would dare to provoke him, ge?” Xiang Bei knocked on the water pipe. “Don’t you care to know how your brother is doing?”

Liang Qiuchi chuckled lightly and revealed the insulated lunch box hidden behind him, stuffing it into Xiang Bei’s arms.

“I packed sweet and sour pork for you. Eat up.”

“Indeed, you’re a good brother. You remember what I like.” Xiang Bei took the lunch box and went out to the corridor. Liang Qiuchi glanced at the row of shoes by the sink, shook his head with a smile, and followed him out.

As Xiang Bei ate, he sighed, “I really messed up this time! I thought he was just a newbie, so I challenged him. Who knew he’s been playing with guns since he was a kid? We’re about to finish training and return to school, and then this happens. It’s really embarrassing.”

“It’s not as serious as you’re making it out to be,” Liang Qiuchi leaned against the wall and smiled at him. “It doesn’t even count as a formal competition.”

“Anyway, it’s shameful.” Xiang Bei regretted deeply. “If this spreads around the school, it’ll be even harder for me to find a girlfriend, won’t it?”

“You don’t have a girlfriend because you’ve always been too picky, you know?”

“Am I really that picky? Can I be pickier than you?” Xiang Bei rolled his eyes. After taking a few more bites of his meal, he suddenly looked at Liang Qiuchi as if remembering something. “How come Young Master Mo suddenly set his sights on me? I’ve been so modest and kind to him.”

Liang Qiuchi jokingly kicked him, “Hurry up and eat your food, I’m leaving.”

“Aren’t you going to shine shoes with me?” Xiang Bei asked, pulling at his collar.

“Go back and rest,” Liang Qiuchi waved his hand and walked away without looking back.

This three-day field training was a journey of nearly fifty kilometers, integrating various skills learned in the past two months of training, and it served as a final assessment.

During the day, they marched in the wilderness, traversing forests, streams, and steep slopes. At night, they underwent tactical training, organizing simulated night reconnaissance as if in real combat, and then bivouacked for rest until dawn to continue their journey.

The training intensity continued day and night, with Liang Qiuchi not only coordinating with the instructors to supervise the students but also handling various unexpected situations, keeping him busy. Sometimes, when his gaze accidentally met Mo Xin’s, Mo Xin would quickly look away, as if deliberately avoiding him.

Liang Qiuchi found it strange but didn’t have the time to dwell on it. He could only wait until the end of the night training to find Mo Xin and have a chat.

He found Mo Xin behind a dirt mound, dressed in camouflage, blending almost perfectly with the dark night and the jungle.

Liang Qiuchi sat down beside him.

“So you’re here. Aren’t you supposed to be on guard duty by the kitchen?”

“I switched,” Mo Xin replied.

Liang Qiuchi looked at his face, still smeared with black and green camouflage, the dim night making it hard to discern his expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Mo Xin felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze and lowered his head, fiddling with a dried tree branch between his fingers.

Liang Qiuchi didn’t answer, he looked up at the starry sky, “This should be the last time we’re on night duty together. The stars are really abundant tonight.”

After the wilderness training, it would be time to officially start school again and return to the school area to study theoretical courses.

Mo Xin also looked up at the sky with him for a while, and silence spread between the two. Unconsciously, his gaze fell on the person next to him.

Liang Qiuchi noticed and met his gaze openly.

After a moment of silence, he spoke, “Xiang Bei’s mouth may be sharp, but he’s not a bad person. If he said or did anything wrong, I apologize on his behalf.”

Mo Xin frowned, “Why suddenly bring him up?”

“I noticed you’ve been in a bad mood these past few days, is it because of him?” Liang Qiuchi pretended to be aggrieved. “You’ve been indifferent to me as well.”

Mo Xin averted his gaze guiltily and muttered, “I haven’t.”

Liang Qiuchi asked, “You haven’t been mad at him, or you haven’t been avoiding me?”

“…Neither.”

Mo Xin didn’t want to say more, and Liang Qiuchi didn’t want to press him further. Since he said there wasn’t an issue, they’d leave it at that.

Liang Qiuchi lay back on the slope, his arms folded behind his head, gazing at the stars above. He said, “Once we return to the urban area, it’ll be hard to see such a beautiful night sky.”

Mo Xin looked up again, took a moment, then softly responded with a “Hmm.”

But no matter how beautiful the scenery was, it couldn’t penetrate his mind filled with thoughts. After hesitating for a long time, he finally made up his mind and asked Liang Qiuchi, “Is your girlfriend also a military academy student?”

“Hmm?” Liang Qiuchi looked at him unexpectedly. “Why are you suddenly asking?”

“Just curious,” Mo Xin didn’t dare to turn his head, so he could only sit there, staring at Liang Qiuchi’s crossed feet. “I heard from Assistant Xiang the other day that you seemed to be in a relationship.”

“Don’t listen to his nonsense.” Liang Qiuchi smiled helplessly.

“…Oh.”

Mo Xin was thinking about how to continue when Liang Qiuchi turned the question around, “What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”

Mo Xin shook his head, “No.”

“It’s normal not to have one,” Liang Qiuchi chuckled, “You always wear a poker face, scaring away all the girls. Who would dare to confess to you?”

Mo Xin turned to look at him, “Many girls have confessed to you, haven’t they?”

Liang Qiuchi neither admitted nor denied it, but instead stared at Mo Xin and asked, “But I’m curious, what kind of person do you like?”

Mo Xin looked straight into his eyes and replied, “I’ll ask you first.”

Liang Qiuchi thought seriously for a few seconds and said, “Fair skin, slim waist, long legs, and a pretty smile.”

Mo Xin said coldly, “Judging people by appearance, how superficial.”

“Then tell me, what kind do you like? Let me hear if it’s superficial or not.” Liang Qiuchi sat up, looking amused at Mo Xin’s lowered face.

Mo Xin turned his head away and said, “I don’t like anyone.”

Before Liang Qiuchi could coax more words out of him, someone in the distance called “Instructor Liang” looking for him. Liang Qiuchi responded loudly and then turned back to Mo Xin with a somewhat helpless expression, “You’re being evasive.”

Liang Qiuchi took a few steps towards the slope, then suddenly turned back and said quickly, “Forgot to tell you the most important thing, my preference for appearance also includes being male.”

Mo Xin froze on the spot.

Liang Qiuchi waved at him with a smile and then turned away gracefully.