"This way, please. I'm afraid you won't like the food in our canteen," The commander said while walking toward the canteen with Edward. He hardly ate in the canteen himself. His food was usually brought to him from the canteen by his orderly. Of course, it was a little different from the soldiers'. It was an open fact, so there was no need to hide it.
Of course I will. I'm not a picky eater." Edward smiled faintly. Luke, who was following behind, rolled his eyes at him and thought, 'Since when?' No one could have lied so naturally and easily as Edward.
"Okay then. Let's ask Daisy and Kevin to join us." The commander liked young men like Edward who were from a rich family yet not arrogant, so he was very happy to talk to him.
Commander, Major General Gu has left the army base for the army in H City," The commander's aide reminded him. As the commander's confidential secretary, he had to know everything.
"Oh, it will be the three of us then. Go find Colonel Ouyang." The smile on the commander's face paused for a second. He had thought if Kevin ate with them, there would be more communication among them, since Kevin, Edward and Daisy were the same age. Unexpectedly, he had gone on an experience exchange visit to another army base.
"No need. She's already coming." At the sight of that familiar figure, Edward smiled and winked at her.
"Commander, have you two talked business yet? I want to make sure I'm not intruding on something." Daisy ignored Edward's smile with knitted brows. He was either getting eye cramps or just showing off his teeth, she thought.
"Yes. Daisy, how about having lunch with us in the canteen later?" The commander said, not noticing what was going on between Edward and Daisy.
Sure. But doesn't Mr. Mu have to go?" Some of the people didn't know Edward was Daisy's husband, so they thought everything was normal. But the ones who did were surprised to hear how Daisy had addressed Edward. Edward smiled and could tell from her tone that she was still in a bad mood.
Colonel Ouyang, I'm not working right now. In fact, I'm not allowed to. You can say I am unemployed now. So since I'm here, can you buy me lunch?" She wanted to play? So game on. He had plenty of time.
Luke and Mark looked at each other. Neither of them could understand what was going on. To them, couples were weird. They talked about so many things that other people wouldn't understand.
Huh! You two are interesting. It's all good. Young people like flirting with each other. I get it." The commander was confused at first, but soon from their words he realized that Edward and Daisy were having a fight. He had been young once after all.
"I'm sorry, commander. We should wait until we get home, but it seems Colonel Ouyang couldn't wait so now she's embarrassed herself." Edward was eloquent. Somehow he had made it all Daisy's fault.
"Edward, you think it's fun pissing me off, huh?" Daisy took a deep breath and quashed her anger. She tried to stay clam. He had come to see her make a fool of herself. If she lost her temper, then he won. She wouldn't like that. So she decided to talk to him in a different tone.
Not at all. I was just asking. Did I do something wrong?" Edward had been worried that she might kick him in public. In that case, everybody would know he was afraid of his wife. Was he? He was puzzled by that thought. But in a second it didn't bother him anymore. Being a henpecked husband wasn't humiliating. It had been said that the henpecked men were more likely to succeed. He just needed to believe it. Then there would be nothing to be embarrassed about.
"It's just lunch. Since Mr. Mu has asked, of course I'll be a good host. This way please, Mr. Unemployed CEO. I'm not rich, but I have enough to buy you lunch. However, if you want to have shark's fin or lobster, I'm sorry, we don't have any in our canteen." Daisy gave a pale smile, which made her seem cordial, but the ones close to her knew that that smile meant someone would be doomed. It was the smile of a shark.
"Thank you for your generosity, Colonel Ouyang. Since I don't have any income presently, all I want is someone to buy me food. Nothing more." Was she pretending to be polite now? No problem. That he could do too. He was more than just a sly businessman. Wait. Since when was he a sly business man? It seemed he had started to think of himself like that too, after hearing Daisy refer to him as one so many times.
Don't mention it. Let's go." It seemed they were both enjoying the game. She wasn't worried about losing. He was standing in her territory. How hard could it be to beat him?
Still mad?" Edward walked closer to her and asked quietly. But the commander heard every word he had said. He was right. They were indeed having a fight.
"What do you think? Isn't this what you want? To make me mad, embarrass myself?" Daisy rolled her eyes at him. But her eyes looked so sad, as if they were telling Edward that he hurt her. He started to feel bad and sorry.
"Okay, I was just joking. Couldn't you see it? How could you take it seriously? Silly girl." Edward pinched her nose lightly. He would have taken her into his arms and comforted her if they hadn't been on the army base. But how quickly her attitude had changed! She had been pushy one minute ago, but now she was acting like a spoiled child. Women were really capricious.
The commander saw the tender side of Daisy for the first time when they were on their way to the canteen. Only Edward could let her open her heart and be herself and thus, only when Edward was around could one see this side of hers.
When the crowd showed up, the noisy canteen suddenly quieted down. Then all the soldiers stood up and saluted them, wondering why the commander had come to the canteen. His orderly usually got him food, didn't he?
"Everybody, sit down. Relax. I just want my guest to taste our food. Oh, this is the CEO of the FX International Group, Mr. Edward Mu, also the sponsor of the new weapons we have bought recently. Meanwhile, Colonel Ouyang's husband. Let's welcome him!"
The commander had intended to keep Edward's identity secret, because he thought that way the soldiers would be intrigued by his identity at the new weapon drill. On the other hand, he was worried that the closeness between Edward and Daisy might cause new rumors. In the end, he decided it would be appropriate to make Edward's identity public. And then Daisy's name could be cleared from the rumor that had gotten her summoned by the investigation department.
Edward was used to applause which had accompanied him since his childhood. But today's accolades meant a lot to him. He was proud of himself, not as a sponsor but as Daisy's husband.
Thank you, everyone. Please help yourselves. I was just curious about what my wife eats every day and decided to come here to have a taste of it myself. That's all. So pretend I'm not here." No matter how angry he made Daisy in daily life, in public Daisy would always be the one spoiled by him. He wanted her to be the center of attention.
This was Colonel Ouyang's husband? It seemed they had been all wrong in the past, the soldiers thought. Her husband being too ugly, running away with the other woman, going abroad, none of these conjectures had been right. If this man was ugly, then no one in the world was handsome.
But a new question came along. Why did Colonel Ouyang live with Justin alone for so many years since she had such a wonderful husband? The soldiers had heard a lot about FX International, although they didn't know its CEO. So they got even more curious. But it wasn't something they could ask in person without being impolite, so they had swallowed their questions, and made up their own stories about him silently.
They had already been discussing who this man was on the training field. Now they knew. They all agreed that only an excellent man like this deserved a brilliant woman like Colonel Ouyang.
For the first time Daisy blushed in front of the soldiers, which had been beyond imagination before. Their gaze made her uncomfortable and unsure where to look. This lunchtime was turning out to be more interesting than she had imagined.