It turned out that there was a team member on duty who had a stomach ache and wanted to ask Liang Qiuchi for leave.

Liang Qiuchi approved the leave and escorted him back to the tent to rest, then walked around the campsite but didn’t go find Mo Xin again.

He felt that he should give Mo Xin some time to digest everything.

Although on one hand, when the topic came up, he naturally revealed his orientation, because he didn’t want Mo Xin hearing any nonsense from Xiang Bei or others.

On the other hand, he also considered that if Mo Xin minded the issue of his orientation, it would be convenient to end the training and return to school immediately, avoiding the awkwardness of meeting each other.

He didn’t want his concerns to come true, as his appreciation for Mo Xin had nothing to do with gender or orientation.

On the last day of the wilderness training, the intensity of the training decreased significantly. Everyone had endured hardships together under the sun and wind for over two months, and as they returned, their bond had grown stronger.

In coordination with Xiang Bei’s command, the chorus almost echoed through the mountains and fields.

Liang Qiuchi glanced at Mo Xin in the team and indeed, he didn’t open his mouth, and even seemed a bit absent-minded.

As if sensing his gaze, Mo Xin looked up, and in that instant their eyes met, Mo Xin quickly looked away again, pulling out a hat from somewhere and putting it on his head.

Liang Qiuchi helplessly pulled the corners of his mouth and didn’t look at him again.

After leading the team back to the military training camp, Liang Qiuchi and Xiang Bei completed their tasks as assistants.

“I heard there’s a bonfire party on the playground tonight,” Xiang Bei grinned at Liang Qiuchi. “I won’t accompany you to the cafeteria for dinner, I want to save my appetite for some barbecue.”

“You have such low aspirations.”

Liang Qiuchi folded his clothes neatly into his suitcase, thinking about his hat and jacket still with Mo Xin. He didn’t know what that guy would do with them.

Return them? Or just throw them away?

“I’ve been exhausted like a dog during these days of training, aren’t you tired?” Xiang Bei lay on his bunk eating an apple, looking at Liang Qiuchi packing up as if he was looking at an alien.

Liang Qiuchi said, “I’ll be going back to school later today.”

“Huh?” Xiang Bei was surprised for a moment. “Why not wait until tomorrow to go back with the rest of the team?”

Liang Qiuchi didn’t lift his head. “There’s something going on at school, I don’t want to squeeze into a car with you guys.”

Xiang Bei just said, “Oh,” and didn’t ask further.

The Federal Military Academy was located in the central city area of San Lorenzo, one of the federal institutions of higher learning dedicated to training excellent military officers and soldiers.

This school was adjacent to the Federal Parliament, and the residential area nearby was only open to federal officials and members of parliament.

Liang Qiuchi first went home, had dinner with his dad, and talked about each other’s recent situations.

He didn’t plan to stay overnight at home, so he took some clothes and carried his suitcase back to the school two blocks away.

Students were returning to campus one after another, making the campus lively.

Usually, Xiang Bei would chatter endlessly by his side, but today Liang Quichi suddenly walked alone on campus, which made him feel a bit awkward.

He put down his luggage, ran a few laps on the playground, took a shower after returning to the dormitory, but still couldn’t fall asleep.

The surprised look on Mo Xin’s face that night and the deliberate avoidance during the day kept flashing in his mind.

Hmm, it seems he was too careless.

If he hadn’t blurted out that phrase “male preference,” maybe he could still be friends with Mo Xin.

It  was probably a pity that he wouldn’t be able to compete with Mo Xin on the track in the future—he really liked the feeling of meeting a worthy opponent.

Liang Qiuchi regretted not sleeping until midnight and stayed in bed until almost noon the next day.

After washing up, when he was about to go to the cafeteria for lunch, Xiang Bei came back.

He carried a marching bag on his shoulder, humming a tune, and whistled at Liang Qiuchi with a cheerful expression, “Hey, going to eat? Wait for me, I’ll put my things down.”

Liang Qiuchi kicked him, “Hurry up.”

Xiang Bei leisurely threw the bag on the bed, then magically took out a bottle of drink and shook it at Liang Qiuchi, “Do you want to drink?”

“No.”

Liang Qiuchi walked out, and Xiang Bei followed with the drink, asking with a grin, “Really not drinking?”

Liang Qiuchi glanced at him and said, “The energy in this bottle of drink will take at least half an hour of jogging to consume, drink it to your heart’s content.”

“You are no fun at all!” Xiang Bei tossed the bottle up and down, wearing a smug smile on his face. “This bottle of drink is special, it was personally bought and given to me by Mo Xin.”

“He gave you something?” Liang Qiuchi sneered at him.

“Why would I lie to you?”

Actually, Xiang Bei didn’t really believe it himself, but the fact was the fact.

At the time, he was also taken aback. Seeing Mo Xin walking towards him with a cold face, he thought the other party was not satisfied with humiliating him enough and was coming to challenge him again.

“But he just handed me the stuff and left without saying a word.”

Liang Qiuchi thought for a moment and asked, “Are you sure you didn’t mistake someone else for him?”

“Nonsense, could I mistake him with that icy face?” Xiang Bei snapped his fingers. “Could it be that he realized that the match that day was too much of a blow to me, felt guilty, and gave me something to comfort me?”

Liang Qiuchi couldn’t help but smile. The words “comfort” probably didn’t exist in Mo Xin’s dictionary.

While Xiang Bei kept analyzing Mo Xin’s mindset, Liang Qiuchi glanced at the bottle of drink in his hand and suddenly reached out to grab it.

“Hey, why are you stealing what’s mine?” Xiang Bei protested, “This is something I got through my honor. Give it back!”

“You should drink less of it,” Liang Qiuchi looked him up and down, “You should spend some time in the next few days reducing your body fat before the physical fitness test.”

Xiang Bei’s face instantly fell, muttering under his breath.

Both he and Liang Qiuchi were members of the special forces reserve, and they had higher requirements for physical fitness. If his body fat percentage didn’t meet the standard, he would probably be subjected to extra training until he dropped.

Xiang Bei could only make use of his spare time to run and work out like crazy in the gym.

But what puzzled him a bit was that Mo Xin seemed to be targeting him. He almost ran into Mo Xin in the gym every day.

What puzzled him even more was that every time Mo Xin would give him a bottle of water or a can of yogurt.

“Could it be that he’s interested in me?” Xiang Bei furrowed his brows and asked Liang Qiuchi, “Isn’t your relationship with him pretty good? Can you ask this guy what he wants from me?”

Liang Qiuchi smirked, “Ask him yourself.”

“I dare not, ge,” Xiang Bei was speechless, “I’m afraid if I ask him like this, he might just shoot me. I really can’t figure out this young master’s temper. You go for me. You’re better at talking to him than I am.”

Liang Qiuchi shook his head. “In these past few days, I’ve only seen him once at the opening ceremony of the school.” Because Mo Xin had performed exceptionally well in training, he represented the freshmen and spoke on stage.

The school specifically arranged for Mo xin and Liang Qiuchi, both outstanding student representatives, to take a photo together for the yearbook.

—That was also their only photo together.

At that time, Mo Xin didn’t even give him a glance and hurried away after taking the picture, without even speaking to him.

Liang Qiuchi pointed at Xiang Bei and said with a smile, “Now it’s you who has a better relationship with him.”

“Tsk, are you being sarcastic?” Xiang Bei’s brows were almost twisted into ropes.

“No,” Liang Qiuchi waved his hand at him with a smile, “Go on, good luck.”

Xiang Bei cursed at him and slung the sports bag over his shoulder, heading to the gym in a bad mood.

As expected, Mo Xin showed up again.

This time, Mo Xin handed him a brand new sports towel.

Xiang Bei couldn’t hold it anymore. He dragged Mo Xin to a secluded corner where no one was around, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Mo Xin, “I beg you, fellow student Mo Xin, can you just say what you want straight out? You come looking for me every day like this, don’t you have classes?!”

“I don’t have classes at night,” Mo Xin said.

“That’s not the point!” Xiang Bei looked around and whispered, “If you keep bringing me stuff like this every day, it won’t be long before people start spreading rumors about us!”

He was about to cry.

“Although our Federation is a country of freedom, openness, and tolerance, encouraging all kinds of love, I still want to find a girlfriend! Please don’t come looking for me anymore, okay? I’m scared.”

Mo Xin lowered his head, remained silent for a moment, then said, “I need your help… with something.”

“Ah…” Xiang Bei was taken aback, “What is it? Tell me, if I can help, I definitely will.”

Mo Xin seemed very conflicted, hesitated for a few seconds, then looked up at Xiang Bei.

“I want to know Liang Qiuchi’s elective course schedule for this semester.”

“Ah…” Xiang Bei was even more puzzled, “Why don’t you just ask him directly?”

“I don’t want him to know,” Mo Xin looked at him, “Could you help me with this?”

“Hope you can keep this matter confidential.”