Exclusive Possession – CH 006

Chapter 6. I Will Be Patient

He stood by the bathroom door for only a moment before walking towards me with that thing on his front.

I was filled with regret. I should have pretended to be asleep; at least I wouldn’t have had to face his nakedness directly. I lowered my head, and his legs quickly came into view. Straight, clean, with bulging, hard calf muscles and thick hair. His feet were large but long and well-proportioned.

My whole body stiffened.

“Sleep inside,” he said softly.

I immediately moved inside, lay down, and tried to turn to face him, but then I felt terrified to leave my back to him, so I just stared straight at the dark ceiling.

The bed dipped slightly as he lifted the covers and lay down, his shoulders and arms gently touching mine, and I immediately felt a slight itch in those areas.

He didn’t speak, and I stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, he turned over, facing me. I didn’t even need to turn my head to feel his intense gaze and warm breath.

Then… something soft yet taut pressed against my thigh. My face burned, and the thought of that night’s pain and madness made my heart ache.

He felt a weight on his waist as his hand rested on it.

“I will be patient before we get married,” he suddenly said, his voice low and clear.

I was stunned for a moment before I realized what he meant. A sudden sense of relief washed over me, like a fish on a chopping board suddenly thrown back into the water—the feeling of being resurrected was indescribable. He had just stripped down like that, and I thought I was doomed, but it turned out he didn’t intend to do anything.

As far as I know, the Stan aliens don’t mind premarital sex at all. So why is he like this?

Who cares? It’s best not to get married.

“So when have you decided to get married?” I asked.

Isn’t marriage just a unilateral decision he made? I wish this day would never come—he could definitely hear the sarcasm and resistance in my tone.

“Mu Xian,” he replied.

“What?” I didn’t understand.

“Mu Xian, that’s my name.” He used Chinese, probably a transliteration.

Mu Xian…

I subconsciously repeated it in my mind, feeling that this name, like others, was… indescribable.

He didn’t tell me the wedding date immediately but stared at me quietly. Perhaps because we were so close, he didn’t seem as cold and domineering as he had during the day. His wet, short black hair clung to his forehead and temples, and his delicate, dark features unexpectedly appeared quiet and obedient.

However, his next words immediately proved that these were just my illusions.

“The value of marriage to me is to satisfy desires and procreate. As long as the person is healthy and loyal, it doesn’t matter who it is,” he said calmly and coldly. “You are already my woman, and you are not allowed to change. After marriage, I don’t care about anything else, I only require your loyalty in body and mind. The specific wedding date needs to be confirmed by my father.”

I felt like I’d been slapped and spat on—he forced me, yet he arrogantly and directly said I was nothing more than a tool to satisfy my desires and reproduce.

I blurted out, “If it doesn’t matter who it is, why did you choose me in the first place? Why not find a woman who was willing? Why do this?”

To my surprise, he seemed stumped by my question. After a moment of silence, he looked away from my face and replied curtly, “You don’t need to know.”

After that, we didn’t speak again. He quickly fell asleep, his steady, long breaths ringing in my ears. This made me very uncomfortable; I tried to turn over, but he held me tightly around the waist. I endured the discomfort for half the night before finally drifting off to sleep.

I had a series of bizarre dreams: I dreamt that the monster he transformed into that day pounced on me, and I kicked it in the face. Suddenly, it turned into a small white dog, which lay heavily on my stomach and licked my hands and neck repeatedly, making me feel sticky and uncomfortable.

Later, the puppy disappeared, and then I saw my grandma again. I rushed over, hugged her, and cried. I told her, “Grandma, I’ve been put through so much hardship by others, and I don’t know how to go on with my life. But I’ve never dared to tell you this.”

Grandma stroked my head and said a lot of things, but I couldn’t hear a word she said. She then gently patted my back, a feeling that was so warm, like sweet rice wine on a cold night, making me want to drift away and never wake up.

I tossed and turned for the first half of my sleep, but the second half was a deep, peaceful sleep. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt was a dry, painful sensation; I knew they were swollen from crying.

Upon closer inspection, I felt as if my entire body was covered in thorns, both stiff and itchy.

My head wasn’t on the pillow; it had somehow ended up on his arm. Before me lay a pale chest, and… One of the red dots on his chest was right in front of my nose! I could even see the small, round bump standing upright in the center and the slight wrinkles around it. They adorned the smooth, even chest muscles—it was just… so incongruous.

I instinctively stepped back, only to find my hand resting on his slender waist, my thighs crossed over his, and I could even feel the soft hair on his legs. On the inside of my raised thigh, something hard and hot was pressed against me, trembling slightly.

I quickly put my hands and feet off him and stepped back, immediately bumping into the wall. Only then did I realize that he had squeezed me into a corner, and most of the bed behind me was empty.

“Good morning.” A soft, lazy voice suddenly sounded from above.

I looked up and met his calm, clear black eyes; he seemed to have been awake for a while.

I didn’t answer but instead curled up against the wall.

He lifted the covers and got out of bed, and I couldn’t avoid seeing his fair and muscular body. I immediately closed my eyes as if pricked by needles and turned to lie down in the back.

I heard rustling sounds behind me; the bathroom door opened and closed. I didn’t turn around until his footsteps faded away. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief and sit up.

I took a shower and changed into a clean dress, but the feeling of his touch lingered on my skin and wouldn’t go away.

The enclosed room felt a bit oppressive, so I went outside to the hallway and stood by the narrow window. Space remained deep and vast, the starlight still dazzling, and the universe was as pure and quiet as if it were newly born. This was a beauty that most Earthlings would never see in their entire lives.

Without Mu Xian, what a wonderful and novel journey this would have been.

I know very well that nothing can be changed anymore.

So how should we face the rest of our lives?

A life bound and possessed by him?

No. A strong and clear thought surged into my mind: My life is mine. He only sees me as a tool called “wife”! Can’t I see him as a piece of equipment called “husband”?

For twenty-two years, I have been humble and polite to everyone, genuinely respecting each and every one of them. But at this moment, this unprecedented, arrogant, indifferent, and vengeful mentality gives me a sense of satisfaction I have never felt before.

He tacitly admitted to me that forcing me that day was out of desperation and that his desire to marry me now stemmed from loyalty to the beastman race’s genes. Everything he did wasn’t intended to harm me. How could he intentionally hurt me? I have no meaning beyond “sex” and “reproduction,” so why would he associate with a tool? Why would he consider the feelings and thoughts of a tool?

Yes, I should do that too. I shouldn’t even deign to hate him. Why should I waste my energy on him, like I have these past few days, spending all my time loathing and resisting him, wallowing in negative emotions?

To me, he is nothing either.

Even if I have to be his woman for life, even if I can never leave Stanstar, I will still live a free and unrestrained life. I should care about myself—on this strange planet, besides Hua Yao, who else cares about Hua Yao?

I took a deep breath to calm myself. Then I silently gazed at the dazzling space.

When I was very young, I dreamed of my future lover. He should be gentle, tolerant, and upright. He should respect all my wishes and be both a lover and a friend. We should have a deep resonance of soul and emotion, and our feelings should be a gentle, flowing stream that grows over time.

…Never mind, I don’t want to think about it anymore.

There are many beautiful things in life; I’ve just lost some of them.

“Miss Hua.” A cheerful voice rang out at the end of the corridor, pulling me back from my reverie.

I turned my head and froze—two robots were standing there, Mop and Morin. Mop had no expression, while Morin was grinning widely, so they were easy to tell apart.

We went inside and sat down together, and I couldn’t help but glance at Mop a few more times. His head was perfectly smooth, showing no signs of the flattened piece I had smashed yesterday.

I had always thought he was just following orders and was about to apologize to him when Morin clapped his hands and said in an excited and obsequious tone, “Miss, we’re here today to report on the Commander’s assets.”

“……property?”

“Of course. He’d love to give you everything, and this report was prepared before he went to Earth to pick you up,” Maureen said.

He took a palm-sized, thin black chip from his pocket; it looked like a chip. Then he pressed his finger on it, and a floating image, about a meter square, suddenly appeared in the air in front of me. I was startled and shrank back into the sofa. He had already stood up and began to explain in a pleasant, announcer-like voice.

“The commander’s assets are very simple: a sum of money, an asteroid, and his collection of 574 antique fighter jets,” Morin said, pointing to the screen.

The report was presented very vividly, with some glittering gold coins on the left—of course, it was a virtual image. A number in Stan’s alphabet was marked above it, and I silently calculated it in my mind, feeling a little alarmed—it roughly equaled the value of the Earth in tens of billions of dollars.

“The Commander has no interest in financial management; this money has always been kept in the Imperial Bank,” Morin shrugged. “So, tabloids criticize the Commander as a combat genius but a financial idiot.”

I couldn’t help but think, “Of course he’s an idiot.” My professional instincts kicked in, and I couldn’t help but mentally calculate that any low-risk investment of that money would yield more than a fixed deposit. Morin chuckled and said, “The Commander isn’t an idiot; he can just find a wife who understands finance.”

I remained silent.

A three-dimensional planet appeared in the center of the screen, slowly rotating. The planet was mostly blue with a few touches of green, appearing fresh and perfectly round. Morin said proudly, “The Softan asteroid, two hundred light-years from Stan, is a legacy left by the Commander’s mother.”

It turns out his mother had passed away. To own a planetoid, she must have been a very noble woman.

Morin pointed at the planetoid, and the scene before him instantly changed. The azure sea shimmered like smooth silk in the sunlight, and the boundless plains stretched out like green velvet across the land.

We were like passengers on a helicopter, looking down at the planetoid Softan from a low altitude. Suddenly, a group of small animals slowly passed by in the frame. They looked like dogs, pure white, with short limbs and chubby bodies. But they weren’t dogs; their heads were covered in long fur, and their big, silly blue eyes were even cuter than Mop’s eyes.

“That’s a velvet puppy, a rare species in Softan,” Morin explained. “A very docile animal.”

We glanced at some of the images: a blue, misty forest, a colorful river, milky white mountains, and tall, shimmering orange-yellow plants… Even though I had no interest in his story, I was still deeply captivated by this spectacular sight.

As for the antique fighter jets, I glanced at them but wasn’t interested. Morin turned off the screen, handed me the black chip, explained how to use it, and said that he would still manage the assets, but I had full control over these things. I took the chip, thinking I’d just treat it like watching a movie for myself.

They both got up to leave, and I looked at Mop, who had been silent all along, and said sincerely, “Mop, I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Maureen immediately tilted his head and looked at me, which I think indicated his great surprise. Mop’s reaction was much calmer; he turned to look directly at me and said, “I accept your apology.”

His formulaic words made me a little uncomfortable, but I didn’t intend to say anything else.

He continued, “Miss Hua, I don’t understand why you’re running away. A marriage prospect like the Commander—young, handsome, wealthy, and loyal—I really can’t see why you would refuse him.”

Before I could even speak, Morin immediately clutched his head and shook violently. “Yeah, yeah! I can’t understand it either. There’s no better man than the Commander.”

“…Is that so?” I sneered.

Morin nodded frantically. “Of course! Of Stan’s ten fleet commanders, only he treats all races equally, without discrimination or mistreatment. Even the notoriously ‘cunning and suspicious’ Orange People are highly valued as long as they are loyal to him. He’s also a military genius, having led more troops to eliminate rebellious races than anyone else. Moreover, he’s physically robust, possesses half-beast genes, and his sexual prowess is undoubtedly as formidable as his combat abilities. What more could you possibly want?”

The two brothers took turns speaking, one seriously questioning, the other performing with equal skill. I looked into their equally bewildered red eyes and said nothing more.

The robot doesn’t understand. Just because he’s young, handsome, rich, and loyal, does that mean I should be grateful and fall in love with him? I can live a prosperous, free, and comfortable life on Earth on my own, so why should I depend on him?

“Am I hungry? Is there anything to eat?” I changed the subject.

“Deliver it right away.” Morin immediately turned and left. Mop glanced at me, bowed deeply, and left as well.

After I finished eating, I sat on the sofa looking at the documents left by Morin. I saw a dark cave where the groundwater emitted a faint blue glow, and colorful little fish swam in it. On a shallow beach, many round, crystal-clear pebbles quietly shone with iridescent light.

I was engrossed in watching when I suddenly felt something was off behind me. I turned around and saw Mu Xian standing quietly behind the sofa, his hands in his pockets, still with that cold expression. I had no idea how long he had been standing there.

“Want to go?” His voice was unreadable.

“Is that okay?” I turned back to look at the screen and asked sarcastically.

That’s your problem.

I was a little surprised—did this mean I could go? I recalled what he said last night: he didn’t care about anything else, as long as I was faithful. It seemed he didn’t intend to interfere in my private life.

That’s better. I suddenly felt much more relaxed.

Footsteps sounded, and he walked to a wardrobe on the side, taking out two sets of military uniforms. I couldn’t help but glance at him out of the corner of my eye, only to see him walk straight into the bathroom, take out his towel and toothbrush, and come out.

“I won’t spend the night here before arriving on Stanstar.” A faint voice came from behind me.

A surge of surprise welled up inside him, but he didn’t want to show it. He simply said “Oh” and walked out.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Although I didn’t know why he was like this, I couldn’t have been happier. But then I realized I was being a little impatient—even though I had decided not to let him control my emotions, I still got nervous, and my heart raced every time he appeared.

For the next ten days, he really didn’t show up again. Only Morin brought me food every day, and sometimes he would bring me some “DVDs” to watch—let’s call those 3D levitation videos for now. I was a little uneasy for the first few days, but then I got used to it.

That day, Morin told me that if we made another faster-than-light jump in two days, we would be able to reach Stan. This undoubtedly made me feel somewhat disappointed.

He didn’t bring lunch today but instead told me in a serious tone that Mu Xian had invited me to lunch. I was a little surprised—because I had read the information about this fleet, and it was currently at full capacity, probably filled with men. Mu Xian actually allowed me to go out; it seems he’s not as possessive as Mo Lin described.

“Miss Hua, could you persuade the Commander to sleep here?” Morin asked me before we left.

I didn’t expect him to say that, so I answered simply, “No.”

Suddenly, Morin spat on the ground, which startled me! Although the spit was actually a pale blue liquid. Then, hands on his hips, he struck a very resentful pose: “Oh God, don’t be so cruel! I asked him why he was sleeping in the operations room, and he said he overestimated his self-control. Miss Hua, did you let him lose control?”

Did I overestimate… my own self-control?

I think I understand what that means, but I pretend to be clueless and say, “It’s no big deal to sleep in another room.”

Morin shook his head vigorously: “Oh, oh, oh! He’s been sleeping in his chair for the past few days. What a poor commander!”

I didn’t believe it: “There aren’t even any extra beds on the spaceship?”

Maureen covered her face with her hands, her red eyes blinking rapidly: “Don’t you know he’s a germaphobe? And he likes to sleep naked; he thinks the outer bed is filthy. Miss Hua, you’re a kind woman; you shouldn’t be mistreating your fiancé like this.”

“Remember to persuade him when you have lunch together!” Maureen said as she walked out. “He’ll be very happy if you ask him to.”

I didn’t say anything. No wonder he stripped naked without saying a word that day; he likes to sleep naked.

Then I’d be even less inclined to let him come back.