Those fifty laps Chloe ran were truly unfair.
She swore she had no inappropriate thoughts about young men's bodies; it was just that Colonel Bai's mind was too filthy.
Chloe really, truly, was only trying to smoke out that man in the black robe.
However, after that previous encounter, she realized that finding the man in black would be quite difficult.
After all, it wasn't certain if he was even among that large group of prisoners.
Being a minor leader in the Viper Group, surrounded by so many subordinates, Chloe didn't believe for a second that he wouldn't have some tricks up his sleeve to save his own skin.
He might have even escaped already.
Chloe jogged around the military camp, her mind wandering.
Fortunately, she had previously made some improvements to the camp's interior, both openly and discreetly, so running wasn't as strenuous as before; it was much easier now.
While Chloe was out there running miserably, her companions were living it up in the tent.
They had more or less accomplished something this time, so Colonel Bai had specially allocated them a tent, complete with good food and wine to entertain them privately.
The problem was that none of them were particularly good at drinking, and the only one who could handle her liquor was still out there running laps, with no telling when she'd return.
"Why is Chloe so eager to find that guy in black anyway?" someone asked.
Daniel quipped, "Love at first sight, infatuation at second glance."
Qin Huaibei nearly spat out the meat pie in his mouth, looking disgusted. "Shut up, Chloe's not that kind of person."
"I know, I'm just joking. But you never know, if Chloe's taste was really that bad..."
"Wait, did you actually spit on me?!"
Daniel scrambled up from the ground and dashed to the faucet to wash his pants.
From a distance, Qin Huaibei rolled his eyes at him. "Who knows what goes on in that head of yours all day."
"If Chloe finds out you're spreading rumors about her, you'll be in for it."
Daniel protested, "I know that! I'm only saying this because I trust you guys!"
Qin Huaibei couldn't be bothered to respond.
With the meat pies and soup nearly finished, Katherine sat with a pensive look. After a long while, she finally spoke:
"What did Chloe and that Viper Group leader talk about back then?"
She felt something wasn't quite right.
The Elf Race's intuition was always accurate, and since that day's encounter, Katherine had sensed that Chloe's mood wasn't particularly good.
Although on the surface she still appeared carefree, she seemed to lack some of her usual vitality.
Daniel chimed in, "How would we know? We all had our own tasks to handle. We each had our roles; we really don't know what they discussed."
Hearing this, Katherine furrowed her brow but said nothing more.
The group continued their idle chatter for a while. Amidst the laughter, Anderson stood up from his seat and walked towards the tent exit.
Qin Huaibei called out to him, "Where are you going?"
Anderson replied in a low voice, "To find Chloe."
With that, he left without looking back.
Daniel raised his glass to Anderson's retreating figure:
"Good luck, lover boy."
When Anderson went outside, Chloe was just finishing her fortieth lap.
She looked very focused, passing by Anderson without even noticing him.
It wasn't until the next lap that she realized a familiar face was standing there.
She suddenly came to life, waving her hand excitedly, her face beaming with a radiant smile.
Instinctively, Anderson wanted to return the smile.
But before he could react, cheers suddenly erupted from around them.
He was momentarily stunned, only realizing after a while that it was the human soldiers who had been quietly watching Chloe.
They had been observing her for who knows how long, not concentrating on their own training, their eyes stealing glances just to catch a glimpse of Chloe.
These young men, mostly in their mid-twenties, had rarely seen beautiful girls in their years of military service.
Let alone someone like Chloe.
She was beautiful; Anderson had always known that.
But beauty had never been Chloe's shackle. She was free-spirited, bold, daring, and spontaneous.
Like a blazing rose falling gracefully from the clouds.
This process was both beautiful and prolonged, and the rose never lost its original radiance despite the scorching heat.
Such a confident and proud person could effortlessly captivate the attention of others.
It made Anderson's gaze seem so small and insignificant in comparison.
But Anderson never felt sorry for himself, because he knew that no matter how enthusiastically others cheered, this rose's focus would always habitually land on him.
As always.
After finishing her fifty laps, Chloe stopped and took a good while to catch her breath before slowly walking over to Anderson.
Her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. Anderson took out a handkerchief to wipe it clean, then gave her some warm water to drink.
Feeling slightly revived, Chloe lowered Anderson's hand and asked:
"Where's Little King? Where has he run off to now?"
Anderson answered honestly, "The canned food prepared in the camp wasn't enough for him, so he went out hunting again."
Chloe was a bit worried, "What if he can't find his way back?"
"He will," Anderson said seriously, "I made sure he took a map with him."
Chloe: "..."
"Are you serious? Can a tiger read a map?"
Anderson: "We have to believe in him."
Chloe thought he had a point. Little King was a smart tiger; he would learn to read maps one day.
She glanced at the sky, then turned to head back to the tent.
But all things in life come unexpectedly.
Just as Chloe hadn't anticipated a soldier suddenly rushing up to confess his love to her.
The soldier's speed was so fast that even Anderson's attempt to pull her back seemed a bit slow and unnecessary.
Like some bizarre scene of hindsight in action.
Looking at the male soldier in front of her, who was pouring out his affections and claiming he would lay down his life for her, Chloe's expression gradually filled with confusion:
"?"
"Sir, do you know what you're doing?"
"Of course I know!" the male soldier exclaimed excitedly, "I'm pursuing my lifelong dream! The day you first arrived at the military camp days ago, I was already deeply captivated by you!"
"Whether it's your beautiful face or your agile skills, these are all reasons why I've fallen for you!"
Chloe: "..."
She glanced at the male soldier's scruffy chin and wrinkled clothes, and sincerely suggested:
"Perhaps you could tidy yourself up a bit before coming..."
"I can't wait any longer!"
Chloe was speechless.
Actually, the solution to this kind of situation was quite simple.
That was to directly use her fists to beat them until they wouldn't dare to have such foolish thoughts again.
