Fiona was drawing the cliff across the training ground. She looked down at the sketchpad and suddenly felt a black shadow blocking the sunshine.
She guessed who it was even without looking.
"Fiona, you aren't even looking at me!" Spencer spat.
"I'm drawing!" she replied shortly. She wiped the spot that she was unsatisfied with and continued drawing. She still didn't look up at Spencer. She got the feeling that he was making a mountain out of a molehill.
"Well stop drawing. A guest has arrived at the base. Come with me." As he spoke, he took the opportunity to quickly peep into her painting.
Finally, Fiona raised her head. From this point of view, she felt that Spencer looked unusually beautiful. His angular chin, long neck, and slightly protruding Adam's apple gave him a dreamy appearance.
"Ahem!" Embarrassed at herself for ogling at him, Fiona turned her face away pretending to cough. "I'm also a guest!"
"What kind of a guest are you?" Spencer grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
"Oh, no! My sketchpad! Stop!" Fiona struggled. "Stop it! Don't grab me!"
"Johnson! Hold those things for her!" Spencer ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Johnson immediately picked up her stuff and followed them.
"Let me go!" Fiona's tiny hand was captured by Spencer's big one. She was uncomfortable with such intimate contact. "Let go of me, I can walk by myself!"
"Why? This could be a date. Don't you need to hold my hand if we're on a date?" Spencer clutched her hand even tighter. It felt good to hold her delicate cold hand!
"Bah! Who wants to date you? Just let go of me now!" Fiona wriggled, desperately trying to get out of his grip. She had always been soft, but now she couldn't help but howl.
Spencer stopped abruptly and released her hand.
"Phew!" Fiona breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her swollen hand glaring at him. Damn, he was too powerful!
But before she could completely relax, her body suddenly became lighter, and her feet were off the ground. In an instant, the sky and the earth were spinning, and she could smell Spencer's musky scent. 'He is truly crazy!'
Johnson, who was standing behind them, was astonished. How could Spencer actually carry Fiona on his shoulder!
"Wow! You look small, but you are a little heavy," Spencer grunted and smile wickedly.
Fiona came to and wobbled on Spencer's shoulder. She frantically twisted her arms and legs. "Put me down this instant! Spencer! Now!"
"It'll only take a few steps to get there. Don't worry, I'm not tired." He was determined to not let her go. 'I can fix you!' he thought.
As he crossed the shooting field, the playground and the fight field, the image of Spencer carrying Fiona on his shoulder was seared into everyone's mind.
With her head hanging in the air, Fiona felt like the blood was going to cause her brain to burst. Unaffected by the stares he was receiving and Fiona's constant wriggling, Spencer continued striding along and soon arrived at the white building.
When Kristen Qu saw the tall figure approaching not far away, the light in her eyes faded a little before she could smile.
"Spencer! Come on, put me down!" Fiona cried desperately.
"All right, all right. I'll let you go! You so annoying!" Spencer wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her down from his shoulder and set her down.
When her feet touched the ground, Fiona shook her head. Her face was red either due to the insufficient oxygen supply or perhaps humiliation.
When she regained composure, she noticed several women standing not far away from her. 'Are these Spencer's guests?' she wondered.
The leader was a woman in uniform with two bars and three stars on her shoulder, which indicated that she was a colonel.
Fiona secretly measured her. She was tall with ordinary features. Her uniform couldn't hide her excellent figure. Her neat crew cut made her look heroic and cool.
"Spencer!" Kristen called out.
"Come, let's go meet her." Spencer grabbed Fiona's hand and shoved her in front of Kristen. "How come you are here?" he asked her with a smile.
"I just came here to have a look." Kristen unconsciously eyed Fiona.
Sensing the slight hostility in Kristen's eyes, Fiona greeted her and ignored the ill-feelings. "Hi."
"This is...?" Kristen saluted and asked Spencer.
"Didn't you come here because you knew that Fiona was here?" Spencer asked as a sly smile appeared on his face.
"Spencer, you...!" Fury was written all over Kristen's face. She was taken aback at being caught.
It suddenly dawned on Fiona. She stared at her hand, which was still in Spencer's, wanting to bore a hole into it with her gaze. 'Is he using me as an excuse?' she speculated.
"Let me introduce her to you, Fiona." He gestured towards her with his chin and said, "This is Kristen Qu."
"Hi, Kristen." Fiona nodded.
"And this is Fiona Ji, she is my..." With a frown, he turned to look at her emotionally and asked, "What are you to me, Fiona? My date? My girlfriend? Or... my fiancee?"
"Fiancee?" Kristen turned pale.
"Yes!" Spencer put his arm around Fiona's shoulder, pulling her closer.
'Oh dear! He is going to crush my shoulder!' she cried inwardly.
"Yes, I'm going to get married to Spencer," Fiona replied casually, enduring the pain.
Kristen clenched her te
eth and stared at him in disbelief. "Why are getting married all of a sudden? How come I didn't hear anything about it?"
"Well, why should I tell you that I am going to get married?" Spencer asked as he deliberately caressed Fiona's hair. Actually he wanted to touch her face right now. It was indeed soft and gentle.
"But I like you..."
Before Kristen could finish her sentence, Spencer interrupted her. He was looking at her coldly. "If there's nothing else, you can leave now."
"I..." Kristen stammered. She was talking to Spencer but she stared at Fiona as she yelled, "No! The military exercise is coming up. I'm going to compete with you!"
"What's the competition?"
"Shooting!"
Fiona wasn't interested in their silly competition. But unfortunately, someone wouldn't let her go. She had just been carried here from the shooting range, and now she had to go back again. How boring!
"Can you let me go first?" she asked as Spencer dragged her and walked in the front. Fiona could feel Kristen staring daggers at her.
"I'm in a bad place," said Spencer, raising his eyebrows. "Fiona, please cooperate with me right now."
Fiona sighed, "Fine. Just this one time. I want to thank you for buying me a cellphone."
She could feel the warmth emanating from his hand. She felt that the heat from his body might singe her. One couldn't blame her. It was her closest encounter with a man in the past 18 years.
Meanwhile, at the shooting range, Johnson asked someone to clear the space, while Spencer answered a phone call.
Now Kristen and Fiona were standing alone side by side.
If it weren't for the fact that Spencer looked very serious when he answered the phone, Fiona would have suspected that he was deliberately hiding from this woman.
"May I know what business you're in, Fiona?" Kristen suddenly asked curtly.
Stunned, Fiona responded, "I'm just a student."
"A student?" Kristen raised her voice and snorted. "You're just a student! How dare you dream to marry him! Do you really think you deserve a man like Spencer?"
Spencer was on the phone but he heard Kristen's words from a few steps away. He stopped talking, curious to hear how Fiona would respond.
Lowering her head, Fiona smiled sardonically and asked, "What do you like about him?"
Kristen was stumped now. "You...!"
"Do you like him because he is handsome, talented and holds a position of power? Is that so?" Fiona asked.
"Yes!" Kristen replied straightforwardly. "He is young and promising! You are a student and you don't certainly deserve him. Anyone who hopes to stand by him must be as outstanding as him."
"So you think you are the one who can stand beside him?" Fiona asked arching her eyebrows.
"Even if I'm not the one, you are not the one either!" Kristen warned. "If you're smart, you'll get away from him."
'Wow!
What a brave woman!' she thought.
"Why don't you say something? Are you scared?" Kristen asked with a laugh. "Or do you want to wait for Spencer to come back and snitch on me?"
"Kristen, you are so young. Why are you wasting your time on him?" Fiona asked seriously.
'What the hell!
What does she mean by that? Is it a waste of time to love me?' Spencer thought.
"What do you mean?" Kristen asked angrily.
Fiona shook her head. Since Spencer had not returned yet, she didn't need to be polite. She continued,
"Kristen, you just said that the person who was to marry Spencer should be as outstanding as him. If he was choosing a colleague, I would agree with you. However, what he is looking for is a life partner, someone with whom he will spend his entire life with."
Spencer was listening to Fiona in rapt attention, patiently waiting to hear what she was going to say.
"All he needs is a warm family. A person who will worry about him when he is on a mission, cook for him when he comes home, and support him and take care of him."
Something tugged at his chest. He couldn't help thinking about what Fiona just said.
"Kristen, do you understand what I'm saying?" As soon as Fiona finished her words, she looked at Kristen.
Kristen said weakly, "That is just wishful thinking on your part."
"Well, I'm his fiancee, and my thoughts are his thoughts." Fiona dropped another bomb. "Oh, and by the way, our marriage was decided by his grandpa in person. His father, too, readily agreed. Nobody will stop me from getting married to Spencer, and what's more, even if I tried to break it off, nobody will let me."
"You..." With hurt and humiliation bubbling up inside her, Kristen cursed. She yelled like a crazed woman, "What do you mean? Are you threatening me?"
"Kristen, relax. What are you shouting for?"
Spencer finally made up her mind and walked out. Both of the two women turned back to stare at him.
"I will go to the training ground now!" Kristen stomped her feet and stormed towards the training ground.
"I can finally see the benefits of having the gift of the gab." He walked towards Fiona leisurely.
"You heard everything?" She was a little surprised.
"Yes," he said with a nod.
"Well, I'm sorry you had to hear my nonsense." She pressed her lips.
"Nonsense?" he repeated, raising his eyebrows.
"In fact, I think you and Kristen make a good match. I was just talking nonsense back there."