Exclusive Possession – CH 040

Chapter 40.

I stood in front of the mirror, staring blankly at myself.

I wore a long white dress with a green belt around my waist. The hem was embroidered with green leaves, making me look fresh and clean. My long hair cascaded over my shoulders, and the only detail was a shimmering green gemstone on my forehead, which brightened my complexion considerably. Morin had also applied some light makeup to me—peach-pink lip gloss and light eyeshadow—giving me a charming and delicate look.

Morin peeked out from behind me, finally unable to hold back a sigh: “Tsk tsk tsk! Watch out, Commander, tonight…” He lowered his voice: “He might unleash his beastly nature!”

“Get lost!” I glared at him with a smile, but his words made me a little uneasy.

Just then, Mop’s voice rang out from outside the door: “Are you ready? The plane has arrived.”

“Miss, are you ready?” Morin grasped the doorknob.

My face flushed at what he said, and I nodded.

The door opened, and Mop saw me, paused slightly, smiled, and turned to look ahead. I followed his gaze and saw Mu Xian standing in the corridor with his hands behind his back, slowly turning to look at me.

He was still wearing his dark gray military uniform, black boots, and white gloves. But perhaps because he was standing in the sunlight, or perhaps because of my different mood, he looked even more handsome, fair-skinned, and pleasing to the eye than usual.

He was clearly taken aback when he saw me, his gaze becoming deep and unfathomable, sharp yet burning. A sweet feeling welled up inside me, and my heart seemed to race; I lowered my head slightly.

“Commander, you may leave now,” Mop said respectfully.

I waited for him to come and take my hand.

He did not move, his gaze still fixed intently on me.

“Commander?” Mop’s voice rose a little.

Mu Xian then calmly raised his eyes to look at Mop: “What’s it?”

Mop and I were both taken aback, then laughed at the same time—he was staring at me…losing his mind? How could such a sharp-witted person lose focus?

The sweetness in my heart was about to overflow, and he looked at me with a gaze so deep it seemed to want to swallow me whole.

“My bride, incomparably beautiful,” he said softly.

Hearing the word “bride,” my heart skipped a beat. He strode over, took my hand, and brought it to his lips, his dark eyes fixed on me, before slowly pressing a kiss to my skin.

The weather outside was perfect; the sunlight shimmered over the distant sea in golden light, making the rocks on the hillside sparkle. Ten brand-new fighter jets were parked on the lawn, each with two pilots standing beside it. Adop, the captain in charge of the escort mission, looked dignified and handsome in his custom-made white spacesuit.

“Clap clap clap clap clap—” The pilots applauded enthusiastically, and Adop bowed deeply, saying, “Your Highnesses, it’s the greatest honor for the Third Flight Squadron to escort you back to the capital for your wedding.”

They’ve started calling me Your Highness…

Mu Xian nodded to him: “Thank you for your hard work.”

I smiled and said, “Thank you, Adop. How’s Samuel doing lately?”

Mu Xian, who had been looking straight ahead, immediately turned to look at me upon hearing this.

I paused, then realized—he’d been paying attention when I mentioned an unfamiliar name. I smiled and explained, “Samuel is Adop’s girlfriend. She’s very pretty and kind.” Mu Xian’s gaze shifted indifferently.

Adop smiled slightly and replied, “Samuel’s indeed a good girl.” He looked at Mu Xian and said, “Your Highness, we may board now.”

Mu Xian nodded and led me forward. But I could not help but glance at Adop again.

His words were quite ordinary, but when I heard “good girl,” I suddenly thought of Samuel’s good figure and the passionate scenes between him and Samuel—I felt a little embarrassed. Why did I suddenly think of that? He was not referring to physical intimacy; my thoughts were too impure.

“Commander, Miss! Come back soon!” Morin waved vigorously from the lawn, while Mop stood behind him with his hands behind his back, also looking up at us. I gave them a reassuring gesture, feeling both excited and reluctant to part.

The stars twinkled in the sky, like a shimmering river. At first, we moved slowly, like a small boat gently gliding across the night waters. No one spoke on the communication channel; only soft wedding music played.

However, I was not relaxed. The thought of arriving at Peace Square in the capital in a few hours and completing the wedding ceremony with Mu Xian under the watchful eyes of the crowd made me a little nervous.

“Hua Yao,” Mu Xian suddenly pulled off our masks and whispered to me, “I have something for you.”

I thought it was a wedding gift, and my heart skipped a beat, but then I realized I was in trouble—Morlin had not reminded me to prepare a gift. I looked at him with a hint of guilt, but he seemed oblivious to my odd behavior. He reached into the box beside him and took out…a white veil?

When I took it, I saw that it was a large, soft, semi-transparent white veil, surrounded by some sparkling diamonds.

“Thank you. I really like this shawl.” I was a little touched, even though I never wear shawls.

“It’s not a shawl; it’s a veil.” A deep voice.

I was stunned.

“There are at least 100,000 people watching the ceremony at Peace Square today,” he said slowly, looking at me. “Wear this.”

I understood immediately.

One hundred thousand people—that means about fifty thousand men—would see me. This was definitely something he really did not want, but the wedding was a royal ceremony. So, he came up with such a…clichéd method as wearing a veil?

I felt a little sweet and a little amused. I was already nervous about the wedding, so I did not mind wearing a veil; having something to cover up would give me more courage.

“Okay.” I looked up at him with a smile. “I will wear it, and I will not let anyone else see it.”

A smile appeared in his eyes, and his handsome features relaxed; clearly, my words pleased him.

“Your Highness, the fleet’s firing salutes,” Adop’s voice came. We both looked out the window and saw five space fortresses lined up in a row in the distant starry sky, firing their cannons simultaneously. Arcs of white light streaked across the sky, like giant, blooming fireworks.

“Your Highness, congratulations on your marriage!” Eun’s voice rang out on the channel. “Salute!”

“Happy wedding!” Countless calm voices rang out at the same time, and I knew they were the fleet’s pilots.

“Hua Yao and I thank you all for your blessings,” Mu Xian said gently. “After returning from the capital, we would like to request that you attend our wedding held in the desolate land.”

Cheers and laughter filled the channel, so enthusiastic it felt like they were about to burst my eardrums. This military-style celebration both excited and moved me.

After a while, the celebratory cannon fire in front finally subsided. Adop laughed and said, “Your Highness, we are about to jump.”

“Okay,” Mu Xian replied in a deep voice. Suddenly, he picked me up from the seat, placed me on his lap, and looked down at me thoughtfully.

“There’s an Arab people on your planet who have an admirable sense of fidelity. Women wear veils when they go out…” His voice lowered slightly. “…a wife’s face is only shown to her husband. This veil’s made according to the Arab method.”

I was both annoyed and amused. Did he expect me to wear a veil every time I went out from now on? His possessiveness was really growing every day.

“No, I will not agree. I’m not Arab.”

He was silent for a moment, seemingly unable to bear it any longer, then lowered his head and kissed my lips: “Hua Yao, wear this from now on.”

I was slightly breathless from his kiss, and I managed to murmur, “Absolutely…no.” He silenced me with a kiss, commanding, “Be good.”

“All fighters, follow my command, countdown 10, 9, 8… 2, 1, jump!” Adop’s voice rang out again.

I laughed and dodged Mu Xian’s kiss, turning my head to look outside the cabin, ignoring his domineering attitude.

A sudden burst of silver light appeared, and the space seemed to shrink and press in instantly, but it quickly returned to calm.

I was taken aback.

Before me stretched a starry sky shrouded in dust and sand.

But shouldn’t we jump over the sun-drenched, colorful, bustling squares of the capital?

My waist tightened, and Mu Xian’s grip tightened. His cool voice rang in my ear at the same time: “Adop?”

I looked ahead; Adop was sitting with his back to us, but he did not answer. The co-pilot was also motionless. The cabin was eerily quiet.

Suddenly, with a loud “thud,” Adop was launched upwards like a cannonball, seat and all! In the blink of an eye, the cabin roof opened and closed, and Adop was nowhere to be seen.

What… was going on?

Why did Adop activate the emergency escape device and jump out?

Mu Xian released me, stood up, and with a cold face, drew his sidearm from his waist. He took my hand with his other hand and slowly walked towards the front cabin. Seeing his solemn expression, I tensed up as well.

“Jiang Feng,” he called the co-driver’s name. But Jiang Feng remained seated, motionless. Mu Xian’s expression changed slightly. We walked to Jiang Feng’s side and saw a bloody hole between his eyebrows; he was clearly dead.

My heart sank, and I looked at Mu Xian. His gaze lingered on Jiang Feng for only a moment before shifting to the outer space. I looked over too and felt an even stronger sense of foreboding—

Originally, there were two fighter jets escorting us in front, with other jets protecting us around the perimeter. But now they’ve all disappeared, and in the distance directly ahead, a medium-sized black warship was hovering silently.

The fuselage was painted with a black skull and crossbones symbol—that was a mercenary warship.

I felt my heart skip a beat—the sudden departure of Adop, the murdered co-pilot, the unfamiliar star system, the vanished fighter jet, the mercenary warship… one thing led to another, and we were ambushed.

No, that was not all.

Mu Xian glanced at them only once before looking down at the control panel. He quickly pressed a few buttons, and lines of concise but clear text flashed on the screen:

Fuel remaining: 0;

Communication system: Fault;

Weapon system: malfunction;

Emergency escape device: Ineffective;

…”Did Adop do it? He’s a traitor?” I found it hard to believe, but the facts were right in front of me.

Mu Xian did not answer. He looked at the mercenary warship in front of him, his eyes as if covered with a layer of cold, snowy mist.

“Do not be afraid; I will handle it.” His voice was calm yet firm.

My heart tightened, yet I felt a pang of heartache—every time we encountered a dangerous situation, he always downplayed it when facing me. He always said, “Leave it to me,” or “I will handle it.”

I held onto his arm tightly and did not say a word.

He suddenly reached out, and his nimble fingers typed a series of commands I could not understand on the keyboard. After a while, he stopped, seemingly deep in thought. I did not say anything either.

Just then, a white light flashed across the onboard screen above the pilot was console, and then it lit up.

The image gradually came into focus, and a man slowly emerged. He was wearing a white spacesuit, with deep-set features, long eyebrows, bright black eyes, red lips, white teeth, and a nonchalant smile on his lips.

Yi Pucheng! It really was him who orchestrated everything. Although I’ve only heard him say a few words, this man gives me the feeling of being as cunning as a fox and as dangerous as a wolf.

Mu Xian gave him a cold look and said to me in a low voice, “Stand aside.”

I knew Yi Pucheng could see us through the onboard camera; I also knew they were going to talk. Mu Xian made me stand aside because he did not want me to had any contact with this dangerous individual.

I did as instructed and stepped aside, standing against the cabin wall, a chill running through me—there was only one possibility for everything before me: Adop was from Yi Pucheng, and only he could had orchestrated all of this. But the gentle and reserved Adop had actually betrayed Mu Xian?

Seeing that I had stopped, Mu Xian turned to look at the screen, his expression calm and his eyes cold, without the slightest panic or anger.

Yi Pucheng’s smile deepened in the video, and his deep voice rang out: “Your Highness, you’re the first to remain so calm after falling into my hands.”

Mu Xian looked at him quietly. On his fair profile, thick black eyelashes covered his beautiful eyes like a forest.

“Where are my people?”

I was startled, then realized—he was asking about the other nine planes. Yi Pucheng was clearly startled, too, then laughed. His handsome, deep-set face was like a heavily painted oil painting, greasy and disgusting to me.

“I have no interest in those minor characters,” he said slowly. “They should have reached the skies above the capital by now and then, unfortunately, discovered that the bride and groom… are… gone.” He spoke the last few words very softly, with a distinct hint of amusement.

So that was how it is. It must have been Yipucheng who secretly adjusted our jump coordinates, bringing us here and causing us to get separated from the other fighters.

“Your conditions?” Mu Xian asked. Compared to Yi Pucheng’s somewhat arrogant attitude, Mu Xian was like a frozen body of water, cold and aloof.

Yi Pucheng did not answer immediately. He leaned back, his tall frame shifting slightly, before a smile appeared on his face. I held my breath, nervously awaiting his answer.

“I’m sorry to disappoint Your Highness,” he said slowly. “This time, I do not intend to make any demands.”

My heart skipped a beat. Not intending to make demands meant…

I felt a chill run through my entire body.

He wanted to kill Mu Xian.

A dull, throbbing pain, like a tide, slowly engulfed my entire chest. I did not know if Mu Xian had a way to escape, but Yi Pucheng’s words sounded too certain, too cold, making it impossible not to feel fear.

“Kill me? You can try.” The deep, gentle voice seemed to carry a chilling power, piercing through the gloom in my heart. I looked up and saw Mu Xian standing straight, his profile cold and his expression calm.

The fleet pilots were right; no matter the danger, his mere presence gave people a sense of security.

Mu Xian’s firmness may have surprised Yi Pucheng. Because he stopped smiling and fell silent.

After a while, he spoke again: “In the last battle, you caused me to lose two thousand four hundred men. As retaliation, I prepared a wedding gift for you two on the plane—a heavy bomb. Before long, you will be able to go to another world together.” He spoke slowly and coldly.

A bomb?! So he had planned all along to blow us both up.

My heart suddenly raced, and my palms became sweaty. I turned my head blankly to look at Mu Xian. He had been staring straight ahead, but as if sensing my anxious gaze, he suddenly turned and glanced at me.

A calm and profound look.

Just like the way he looks at me every day, as if our current predicament and Yipucheng was intimidation did not exist, as if nothing could change his certainty about me.

My heartbeat suddenly calmed down.

I would not die. None of us would die.

I believe him.

“Yi Pucheng, I know how you did all this,” Mu Xian suddenly said.

I was taken aback—what did Mu Xian mean? Could it be that our perilous situation today was not as simple as Adop’s defection to Yi Pucheng? Was there some hidden meaning?

Yi Pucheng was visibly taken aback, then laughed—a laugh that was both arrogant and sarcastic: “Are you sure?”

Mu Xian nodded: “We can make a bet.”

Yi Pucheng chuckled deeply: “You are in my hands; I can kill you anytime. Why would I make a bet with you?”

Mu Xian acted as if he had not heard him and continued calmly, “If I’m right, you can let Hua Yao go; if I’m wrong, not only will our lives be yours, but I will immediately write a public apology in the name of the royal family to apologize to the mercenaries of the entire galaxy.”

Yi Pucheng fell silent instantly, his sharp gaze fixed on Mu Xian.

My heart trembled—Mu Xian was actually offering me a chance to live? And what about him?

But Mu Xian stared at Yi Pucheng, completely ignoring me. His handsome profile seemed shrouded in a chilling aura, arrogant and indifferent.

I looked blankly at Yi Pucheng in the picture. Would he agree?

He would agree.

Considering the rumors about him and his past actions, I thought that although he was profit-driven and cunning, he was essentially a very arrogant and proud person.

Mu Xian had caused him a great loss, and he had held a grudge ever since. Now that he had successfully captured us, he was willing to forgo the huge ransom the Empire might pay in order to kill Mu Xian, showing that he valued his reputation more than his interests.

Given his personality, he must be very pleased to have caught Mu Xian. Now that Mu Xian had proposed a bet, he must be very curious whether Mu Xian could guess the answer. And Mu Xian’s suggestion to write an apology letter hits him right where it hurts.

Mu Xian easily changed the situation, preventing Yi Pucheng from immediately killing us.

Even if Mu Xian guessed it, would Yi Pucheng really let me go?

Even if you let me go, what would happen to Mu Xian?

As expected, Yi Pucheng glanced at his watch, then looked up and said with a faint smile, “Deal. Your Highness, I will give you two minutes.”