C48 Overconfident!

Edi and Yang Chuxia made their way through the majority of the base until they reached the upscale military dormitory building. They ascended to the top floor in the elevator. Edi unlocked the door and led Yang Chuxia down the hallway to the end.

Upon opening the door, they were greeted by a suite complete with a balcony flourishing with greenery. The space boasted three bedrooms, two living areas, and came fully furnished.

Edi settled onto the sofa and offered Yang Chuxia, who stood hesitantly by the door, "Would you like a glass of red wine? Or perhaps you'd prefer to take a shower first?"

It suddenly dawned on Yang Chuxia that she had been charmed into following Edi to his quarters. She sprang up, saying, "No, thank you. I should head back. I have training early tomorrow morning." With that, she rushed to the door, only to find that after several attempts, she couldn't unlock it.

Edi observed her with a calm demeanor and explained, "The door lock is governed by the Secure System. It requires my Identity Imprint to open, whether from the outside or inside."

Feeling trapped, Yang Chuxia stammered, "General, could you please help me open the door? If someone sees me leaving your place tomorrow, it might not look good."

Edi nonchalantly poured himself a glass of red wine from an open bottle on the coffee table. After tasting it, he remarked, "This wine is quite good! It's superior to what you had at Lafite. Or would you prefer something stronger? I have whiskey and vodka in the cabinet. If they're not to your liking, I can have Sean arrange for something else tomorrow."

Yang Chuxia was at a loss for words, her earlier resolve to confront Edi long forgotten. Her face flushed with emotion as she scrambled for an excuse, finally saying, "General, I don't have a change of clothes with me. I really should return."

Edi casually unfastened the top button of his uniform, relaxing slightly.

Yang Chuxia's gaze involuntarily followed his hands.

Stretching out leisurely, Edi propped his long legs on the coffee table and reclined against the sofa. "Chuxia," he said, "Sean has already delivered the clothes you bought today."

Yang Chuxia stood resolutely at the door, realizing that Edi had no intention of opening it for her. With a sheepish retreat, she wracked her brain for a way to persuade him, pleading, "I'm really tired. Can we please do this another time?"

Edi gestured to the sofa, inviting her to sit.

With trepidation, Chuxia perched on the edge of the sofa, intentionally keeping her distance and her gaze drifting to the door lock. Inside the base, she felt less burdened than outside, but returning to headquarters always brought a sense of constraint.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Edi's eyes as he spoke sternly, "Chuxia, if you're playing hard to get, it's fine occasionally to spice things up, but it gets old if it's all the time."

Startled by his icy demeanor, Chuxia instinctively wrapped her arms around herself and stammered, "It's not that, I'm just worried about people finding out. They might get the wrong idea, the wrong idea..."

Edi swirled his wine, his tone icy, "Misunderstand? Misunderstand that you're my girlfriend? I recall someone claiming to be my girlfriend last night and asking me to foot the bill!"

Though Chuxia had been intoxicated the previous evening, she wasn't so far gone as to forget her actions.

Her cheeks flushed, she hastily explained, "That was just drunken babble! If it's caused you any trouble, General, I apologize."

Edi's eyebrow arched as he countered, "I've always heard that a drunk mind speaks a sober heart! Chuxia, what's really bothering you?"

Chuxia couldn't pinpoint her awkwardness, feeling utterly uncomfortable as she murmured, "Perhaps some things depend on the right time and place."

As Chuxia avoided his gaze, Edi's frustration grew. He seized her wrist firmly and demanded, "Time and place? Do you have a boyfriend on the base, and now you're eager to distance yourself from me?"

Upon hearing that, Yang Chuxia immediately became frantic, wrenching her hand free from Edi's grip and exclaimed, "I didn't!"

"Why are you avoiding me then? Don't you like me, or are you only interested in one-night stands?" Edi asked, his voice cold as he towered over her with a sideways glance.

Intimidated by Edi's imposing presence, Yang Chuxia's resolve melted, and she murmured, "I'm afraid of what people will say, that I'm getting above myself, trying to snag a general."

Edi's face softened. He lifted her chin with his right index finger, gently stroking it as he spoke soothingly, "Chuxia, haven't I shown you enough for you to have confidence in me?"

Yang Chuxia couldn't help but recall Edi's words from earlier that day, "Chuxia, with me looking out for you like this, can't you find the confidence?" A sweet sensation blossomed in her heart.

Meeting Edi's gaze, she was irresistibly drawn in by the tenderness in his eyes. Almost without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and welcomed his passionate kiss...

When she woke up the next morning, Edi had already left. Yang Chuxia struggled to sit up, her body aching. Noticing it was already 9 a.m., she realized she was too late for military training. Deciding not to rush, she lay back down, spacing out for a while before drifting off to sleep again.

The ringing phone on the bedside table jolted her awake. It was Edi calling. Yang Chuxia quickly picked up.

"Are you awake? Let's have lunch together later," Edi's voice came through the phone.

Checking the time, Yang Chuxia saw it was 11:21 a.m. She had thrown caution to the wind the night before, but now she was composed. "I'm getting up now," she replied.

Edi cleared his throat, suggesting in a low voice, "How about I bring lunch back for you, and then we can take a nap together?"

Yang Chuxia hesitated, thinking, "...Wouldn't that be overindulging?" But considering Edi's sometimes capricious nature, she kept the thought to herself. Instead, she coughed lightly and declined, "No, thank you. I need to attend class this afternoon; I've already missed military training this morning."

Edi responded with a hint of indifference, "You're not a soldier. No one will fault you for not going." While he appreciated girls who were hardworking, the kind of diligence that interfered with the growth of their relationship wasn't something he favored.

Chuxia replied, "...I'm going to brush my teeth and wash my face. I'll join you for a meal in a bit!" She quickly ended the call before Edi could respond.

Noticing a few missed calls, she checked and realized they were all from Yag. She then remembered her promise to treat them to a meal and hastily redialed.

Yag answered and immediately bellowed, "Well, Dr. Yang, you're back and didn't even give me a heads up. What about the meal you promised us? It's completely fallen through."

Feeling apologetic, Chuxia said, "Sorry! So sorry! I honestly didn't expect General Edi to have me accompany them to the Alliance's anniversary celebration."

After a brief pause, Yag expressed his concern, "I heard you were involved in an incident? The military news was rather vague, mentioning only that several Senior Officers en route to the anniversary at headquarters were ambushed. Then there was the terrorist attack on the Alliance Headquarters. I saw there were many casualties and several buildings had collapsed. You're not injured, are you?"