Rules of Engagement

Chapter 30 You Were Not a Princess (Part One)

"Oh, I see." Todd Lu said, with a trace of uncertainty in his tone. "But you can't eat too little here. There's no place to sell snacks, and perhaps we have to train with the army at any time. If you are carried back by others after the training, don't expect the army base to receive female reporters next time. If men can do all the work, why let women be the burden? "

Elsa knew that he meant well. In a gentle voice, she said, "I know. I can handle it."

Cindy couldn't help mocking Elsa for her weakness.

Hearing what Elsa said, Johnny knew her very well. He looked at her sympathetically and asked, "Are you okay, Elsa?"

"I'm fine." Elsa forced herself to eat the rice with the egg and seaweed soup. But as soon as she ate one spoonful, she couldn't bear it any more. Perhaps after frying meat, the smell left in the pot which made the soup so greasy.

Elsa didn't want to eat any more. She had no choice but to put down the bowl and said, "I ate too much in the morning. I'm not hungry yet. You guys please eat first." Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

"I think you are a picky eater, aren't you?" Apparently, Cindy hit the point.

Indeed, Elsa was a picky eater. Since that year, she had stopped eating meat. She knew it was not good and her parents had worried a lot. But there were some things that cannot be overcome with the determination. Elsa didn't explain but turned her head to another side.

"You were not a princess, don't pretend to be as picky as a real one." Cindy said in a low voice.

That was enough for Elsa. She stood up and said, "I'm going back to have a rest. I'll be on time for the work in the afternoon."

Elsa memorized the route carefully just now, and soon followed the memory to find her room. She brought almost nothing except a bag. It was time to have a good talk with Johnny when they went to work later.

She picked up her phone and texted to Soren, telling him she was busy at work and wouldn't have much time in the following days. She saw that Johnny was very serious about this interview. It was probably not as easy to complete as he said.

She had known Johnny for a long time. According to his habits and expressions, she could guess what he was thinking about.

After all, he was not the kind of person who would give up his career to indulge in a life of pleasure and comfort. Ever since Johnny suggested taking her with him, Elsa didn't think that he worked so hard and strived for this opportunity merely for her sake.

It was estimated that there would be a tough battle to fight this time.

She was pondering over what happened this time. Before she sent the message to Soren, there was a knock on the door. Elsa quickly sent the message before she went to open the door. There was a corporal standing at the door, holding a meal plate, and he said loudly, "Madam, I'm here to deliver the meal!"

Seeing that all the food was covered on the plate, Elsa did not know what was inside, so she asked, "Could you please tell me who sent it here?"

"Ha-ha, I don't know." The corporal scratched his head with a smile and said, "The order was to bring the food here to Elsa Xia. Are you Elsa Xia?"

"Yes, I am."

The corporal put the plate in her hand. "That's it. Now enjoy your meal."

Since he ran away in a hurry, she had to put the food on her desk. As she looked at the food curiously, she found that there were three dishes, some Chinese cabbage, some braised soy beans, some shredded potatoes cooked with vinegar and a soup of egg and beans. Seeing these, Elsa immediately felt hungry. But who would it be? Would it be Johnny? It might be his apology before she got him in trouble.

She picked up the chopsticks and began to eat. Maybe she was hungry, of because all the dishes suited her appetite, she enjoyed the meal a lot. While she was eating, someone knocked at the door again. Elsa had to put down her bowl and went to open the door.

This time it was Johnny. There were fried cabbage and fried green vegetables in the lunch box in his hands. When Elsa opened the door, he handed it to her and asked, "Are you hungry? Hurry up and eat it!"

Those words were uttered by him for several years, but at this moment, she was not touched any more. Elsa calmly said, "No, I have already had my lunch."

"How can you get full with just one spoonful of rice? Todd is right. We can't let others feel that you are a burden. If you cause any trouble because of this, we can't continue the interview in the future." Before Elsa could answer, Johnny said, "Just eat it. I heard that there is a fellow-townsman in the cookhouse. That's why I dare to take you here."

"I'm really full. But I have something to tell you. It's a good chance to have a talk."

Johnny was still immersed in his own emotions. "Elsa, I can bring you here, so I will definitely take good care of you!"

Had Johnny's former self-confidence all evolved into current arrogance, conceit and egoism?

Elsa moved aside and pointed at the food in the small room. She said helplessly, "I did have had lunch."

Those dishes looked much better than what Johnny was holding in his hands. He was confused. "Who arranged this for you?"

The trainings in the army were very hard, so in order to make sure of the soldiers' health, the canteen provided a lot of meat dishes. In such a peaceful age, they didn't lack food. Johnny had never seen these kind of vegetable dishes before in the canteen. As far as he knew, Elsa came from an ordinary family. He didn't know someone who would take special care of her.