CHAPTER 111: CHAPTER 111: WHAT’S THERE TO FEAR WITH A CHALLENGE? (2)_1

"Andrew, why are you still standing there daydreaming? It was you who suggested we go out for a stroll," Ruby Bluen said as she approached the military vehicle. Unable to open the door without keys, she turned around and saw Andrew Carter standing there, seemingly lost in thought, and called out to him with a smile.

"I’m coming." Andrew Carter quickly dismissed his worries and, carrying the simple luggage Ruby had from her hospital stay, hurried over to the vehicle. Upon reaching it, he opened a door and tossed the simple luggage inside. He then opened the passenger door for Ruby. After she was seated, he got into the car himself.

Andrew Carter drove the car, shuttling Ruby through the streets, helping her pick out clothes to give to Marcel Horne.

Ruby was eager to return, so she wasn’t as picky as usual when buying clothes. She quickly purchased winter attire for both herself and Marcel. She also wanted to buy a couple of pieces for Andrew. She was very grateful to him for keeping her company during the past week; without him, she would’ve been suffocated by boredom in an unfamiliar place. However, Andrew refused, explaining that the entire military camp cared for her and if she were to give him clothes, she would have to give them to all the soldiers in the camp. Ruby could afford it, but since she didn’t know everyone’s sizes and worried about giving the wrong fit, she gave up on the idea.

Instead, she bought lots of delicious food for everyone, and by the time it was nearing noon, she urged Andrew to head back.

"Ruby, look, it’s already noon, and we still have a long way to go. Shouldn’t we have lunch before heading back?" Andrew Carter said with a mischievous grin, looking in no hurry whatsoever.

Thinking it over, Ruby agreed and had lunch with Andrew at a small restaurant on the street.

Ruby, being the daughter of a wealthy family, was accustomed to exotic delicacies: birds from the skies, creatures from the land, and fish from the waters—she had tried them all. But since her arrival in Tibet, staying by Marcel Horne’s side and watching him eat simple meals with the soldiers—meals that seemed bland and coarse to her—she had forced herself to partake. Once, she had found the greens fried in the camp canteen so distasteful she could barely swallow them. Yet as time passed, she wouldn’t allow even half a vegetable to go to waste. Now, she had managed to overcome her issues with the food, and plain meals were enough to sate her hunger.

And so, at the restaurant, she didn’t order anything particularly expensive but just quickly filled her belly with a fast meal.

After eating her fill in the shortest time possible, Ruby began to urge Andrew, who was eating leisurely, to hurry up, fearing that it would be dark before they could make it back to the camp.

"Andrew, you usually finish your meals in three to four minutes. Why are you eating slower than me today? Hurry up, it’s past twelve o’clock now. If we dawdle any longer, we won’t make it back to camp before nightfall." Ruby nearly went mad at Andrew’s slow pace, feeling as though the composure she had maintained for twenty-eight years as a pampered young lady was being ground away by him.

"Ruby, don’t rush, okay? Relax, we’ll definitely get back before nightfall," Andrew replied with a smile, speeding up his eating only slightly.

The two of them were like the emperor and the eunuch, perfectly embodying the saying, "The emperor isn’t in a hurry, but the eunuch is dying of anxiety."

Ruby had no choice but to stare, exasperated, as Andrew shoveled food into his mouth.

"Ruby, stop staring at me. I can’t eat when you do that," Andrew said to Ruby, winking and smiling teasingly.

"Can’t eat anymore? Fine, I’ll go pay the bill, and let’s get going," Ruby said, delighted to hear him say he couldn’t eat any more, and she hurried off to settle the check. Andrew was left frozen on the spot until he saw he still had half of his meal left. Then he quickly stuffed the remaining food into his stomach. By the time Ruby came back with the change from the owner and turned around, she only saw a completely clean bowl, without even a drop of sauce left.

"I thought you said you couldn’t eat anymore? Don’t force yourself. I paid for it, so don’t worry about wasting it and overstuffing yourself," Ruby said, unable to resist expressing her concern upon seeing this.

"No worries, no worries, I’m not stuffed. I could eat another portion," said Andrew. After all, their rigorous training had long accustomed them to eating large quantities of food.

"Then let’s hurry back," Ruby replied, intent on returning to the camp and eager to see Marcel Horne, whom she hadn’t seen in five days.

Over the days in the hospital, whenever she had a moment to herself, her thoughts drifted to Marcel’s care for her and his slightly warmer demeanor. Although he still maintained his stern expression, his actions were considerate and meticulous. He took care of her just as Glades Horne would.

Glades Horne?

Suddenly thinking of her fiancé whom she had hurt, a wave of apology washed over Ruby.

Once Marcel opened his heart, with no barriers between them, and they bravely pursued their happiness together, she would definitely stand before Glades and apologize to him. The one who owed him an apology was always her.

She sincerely hoped that Glades would find a woman better suited for him, someone who would love him wholeheartedly and completely.

Andrew knew he couldn’t find any more excuses to delay Ruby—and after all, she was bound to find out sooner or later. But he felt slightly indignant on her behalf.

It was a shame that it wasn’t their place to meddle in who their commander chose to be good to.

"Alright, let’s head back."

Seeing Ruby’s impatience, Andrew swallowed the words he had been about to say.

Ruby was anxious to get back to the military camp. At that very moment, Marcel Horne was at the military camp, training his soldiers on a nearby open ground. Even though they were already qualified soldiers, daily training was still indispensable.

The new military doctor, Emma Wright, whom he had personally requested to be transferred, stood watching in the distance alongside a nurse named Tiffany Alvarez.

With no one sick, their work was quite leisurely.

"Dr. Wright, Commander Horne is really strict when he trains. No wonder everyone says he’s like a devil," Tiffany Alvarez said as she watched Marcel from afar, unable to help commenting to Emma Wright.

A smile bloomed on Emma’s delicate face as she watched the tall, pine-straight figure in the distance, replying to Tiffany, "An officer should be that strict. Haven’t you heard the saying, ’Strict teachers produce outstanding students’?"