"Gifford! What are you playing at? You're really clueless, you know that?" Instead of getting down from Matthew, Erica held him even more tightly. Her head cocked to one side, she retorted, "Besides, you kissed Chantel in front of your soldiers! Everyone knows that! Why can't I share a public display of affection with my own husband? I think you're jealous of me because I have someone. But Chantel's too far away to hold!"
Her words made Matthew laugh.
Gifford wanted to say something back, but he couldn't think of anything sharp enough. Erica was too good with the comebacks, and her words often stung! He had to threaten her, "You shut up! Did you forget where you are? This is a military installation—I'm in command here! What if I order you to run twenty kilometers with a five-kilo pack? Could you do it?"
Matthew held the woman in his arms tightly and told Gifford in a calm voice, "You're right. Rika's been a bad girl. But between you and me, we were supposed to teach her how to behave. We're responsible for this. So maybe we should be punished together."
'Together?' Gifford was not afraid of the twenty-kilometer run. He was afraid Matthew had spoiled Erica and never set any boundaries. "You gave her everything she wanted, and how did she thank you? She ran off for more than three years without so much as a word. Next time might be even worse. You sure you still want to spoil her without a care in the world?" He was afraid that if Matthew continued to mollycoddle her like that, this woman would really become a problem.
Erica glared at her brother. It was obvious what he was trying to do. "Gifford, you are such a dick! If I hadn't asked Chantel to come back, where would you be now? But now, when you see me with my husband, you start stirring up shit. See if I do anything for you again!"
Matthew scooped her up into his arms and said slowly, "You're right, of course. I won't make the same mistake twice!"
"What?" She was so sad.
Gifford suddenly felt a little guilty. Did he really drive a wedge between them?
However, what the man said next blew Gifford away again. "But you all have to spoil her. I'm the only one who can reign her in. Anyone tries, then they're going to have to go through me." Then his eyes fell on Gifford's face. "I'm the only one who can handle my wife. No matter what she does, no one can punish her but me!"
Gifford had to say he was really envious of his sister now. "Is it too late for me to transit to female? I'm sure the army will pay for the surgery. I want to be your woman, Matthew." He was only half-joking. He really envied Erica.
Matthew's face was full of disgust. He really wanted to kick Gifford off a mountaintop right now.
Erica immediately became vigilant. She put her face close to Matthew's and glared at her brother with a WTF look. "What's wrong with you? Have you thought of Chantel? What would possess you to say a thing like that?" 'God hates me. That has to be it. My husband is so awesome that I not only have to worry about another woman stealing him away, but another guy too? Even my brother!' she thought to herself.
When he heard Chantel's name, Gifford got quiet.
Matthew glanced coldly at the men not far away and said, "Don't worry. I'll teach Rika a lesson, but not here." He didn't trust her around all these guys. She'd probably have gathered a harem for herself before she finished the training here.
Erica had enough of the human contact she'd been craving. She jumped out of his arms, and batted her sad, puppy-dog eyes at him. "Dad's already put me through the wringer for a couple days. So I have to listen to you, too?"
Matthew glowered at her.
Frustrated, Erica lowered her head. It was all her fault. She had no right to complain.
He took a look at his watch. There was less than an hour left before lunch time. He told Gifford, "I'm taking her out to lunch. I'll have her back later."
Gifford didn't want to see them anyway, so he nodded, "Okay! Hurry up!" Once they left, he could go home too. He'd find his wife and let her know how much he cared.
'Humph! I have a wife, too. And I can easily spoil her. I'll pamper my wife so much Erica will turn green with envy.'
Erica gladly followed Matthew. Her stomach had been rumbling, and she was starving. She was a nonstop chatterbox as they walked from the training area to the parking lot.
Owen drove the car away from the military base and headed east.
"Can we stop this, please? These training sessions are really starting to get on my nerves."
Matthew didn't say a word.
"Why don't you believe me? I know what I did wrong. If you tell him to stop this, he'll listen to you," she continued.
But the man remained silent.
Frustrated, Erica sat back in her seat and happened to look out the window. "Owen, you're driving on the wrong way," she said anxiously. "We're heading to the burbs. We should go south!"
South was where all the restaurants would be. It was the main part of the city.
Holding back his laughter, Owen cleared his throat and said in the same voice as usual, "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo has something special in mind."
"What? Something special?" She looked over at the man sitting next to her, who was as calm as the sea.
Matthew glanced back at her and said nothing.
She sighed helplessly. Knowing that Matthew was a man of few words, she didn't bother asking. Anyway, wherever he was taking her, at least he wouldn't sell her.
A few minutes later, the car suddenly turned onto a narrow road. They drove on that lane for a few minutes before stopping at the roadside.
She rolled down the window to get a better look at the scenery outside. It was an endless field without shops or houses. She turned to him and asked, "Are we going on a picnic?"
"You can think of it that way," he said mischievously.
"What?" Confused, the woman watched Owen get out of the car, light a cigarette and walk away.
At this moment, she had a bad feeling. She suddenly looked at the poker-faced man and asked, "Where is Owen going?"
Matthew looked up at her and asked instead, "How's your training going?"
"I guess it's going okay. It's just so boring!" Because she had learned some martial arts in the past and was used to exercising, they didn't wear her out too much. In addition, the training officer was kind to her, so she didn't have to do the grueling regimen the others were subjected to.
"That's good!" As he said those words, he pulled her into his arms with his right hand.
Then she was pressed against the back seat, and he was on top of her.
She blinked and looked at her husband. She knew exactly what he had in mind, and it didn't matter whether she was in the mood or not. "Uh…I thought we were stopping for lunch? What's going on?"
"We are stopping for lunch. And you're on the menu!" He lowered his head and kissed her red lips.
Erica was dumbfounded. 'What kind of lunch is this?'
Erica had already thrown the camouflage cap aside. Now with her hair separated into two braids, she looked as young as a teenager. This made him feel a bit guilty about having sex with her.
Gritting his teeth, Matthew grabbed her camouflage cap and pulled it down over her face. The guilt in his heart diminished some.
They made love for a long time.
When he finally was finished, she opened one of her eyes and looked at the man who was busy mopping up the mess. She tried to say something to him, but her voice was a hoarse whisper. "Matthew Huo, you're crazy!"
