Exclusive Possession – CH 060

Chapter 60.

The night was deep and dark, and the mountains seemed enchanting.

The school, nestled at the foot of the mountain, was quiet and dark, punctuated only by a few lights. The students were all on winter break; there wasn’t a soul in sight.

I stood under a lush peach tree by the edge of the small playground and said to Mu Xian, “I planted this tree when I was in fifth grade; isn’t it nice?”

Mu Xianqing stood coldly behind me and replied in a low voice, “Mm.”

Suddenly, Morin interjected, “Your Highness, the conditions for your education when you were young must have been quite difficult.”

I smiled and said, “This is the best school around here, so it isn’t actually that tough.”

We’ve been on Earth for half a month now.

After exploring Chengdu, Morin circled some places on the map, and we began our global journey. Of course, with faster-than-light fighter jets and local Stans providing hospitality, we arrived at our destinations almost instantly.

We visited the magnificent and rugged East African Rift Valley, the frigid Siberian tundra, the fossil forest, and the Magic Tower Mountain… Morin had the most fun, followed by Mop and me. Mu Xian, on the other hand, remained rather unambitious. This made Morin feel a little guilty, and last night she specifically urged me to ask Mu Xian if he really didn’t have any places he wanted to go.

After careful consideration, Mu Xian replied, “Then let’s go see the place where you used to live.”

So we came here tonight.

I lived with my maternal grandmother in my hometown until I was fifteen. I went to Chengdu for high school. Ten years had passed, and everything in the small town seemed to have stood still, unchanged.

We strolled around the not-so-spacious campus for a while, and based on my vague memory, I roughly pointed out the sights to Mu Xian:

“As soon as it’s break time, I come to this ping-pong table to play.”

“I loved the music classroom the most. That old piano was really new back then, and I even learned to play it for a few days.”

“These hula hoops were all the rage back then. The city even held a competition for them. But the ones I used are probably thrown away by now…”

…

A few days ago, when we went to other places, Mu Xian was always indifferent and expressionless. But as I talked about these trivial things, he looked at each one carefully and listened very attentively.

As he was leaving the school gate, he suddenly spoke: “Mop.”

Mop replied, “Yes. I will buy it tomorrow.”

I wondered to myself, did he want Mop to buy the school history and emblem?

I felt a bit awkward.

***

The next day, we went back to the spaceship to check our luggage—we were heading back to Stan the next day. It was only then that I learned what Mu Xian had bought the day before.

For the past two weeks, the storage room had been filled with the spoils of our three-person collection: all sorts of strange and unusual things that Morin likes (a Zhang Fei mask, an ear pick, a wild horse skull, the complete set of Qiong Yao’s works…); exotic handicrafts that Mop likes; and some books, CDs, snacks, and clothes that I bought.

But now, most of the storage space was filled with things that Mu Xian bought:

The peach tree I planted was completely transplanted; the old piano I played for a few days at school was placed in the corner of the cabin; even the dusty, dilapidated, and heavy cement ping-pong table was moved over.

There were also things I left at my home in Rongshi during high school—clothes, books, even pillows and blankets… I suspect he moved everything from the entire room over.

“What do you need all this for?” I was completely baffled. How could I possibly bring all this back to Stanstar, across thousands of light-years?

He stood amidst the mess, raised his deep, clear black eyes to look at me, and replied calmly, “I can’t let them be left out here.”

I chuckled; just then, his communicator on his wrist beeped. He walked to the cabin door and spoke in a low voice. I didn’t pay much attention and casually rummaged through the clutter. I thought to myself how lucky it was that before we moved to Chengdu, my grandmother had sold or given away everything in the old house; otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to fit everything in one cabin.

The area behind me had quieted down. I turned around, and he was looking at me, seemingly a little dazed.

I couldn’t help but smile and went over to hug him: “Mu Xian, I’m so happy; thank you.”

He paused for a moment, looked down at me, and slowly said, “Hua Yao, Grandma just fainted and is being resuscitated.”

***

My grandmother’s sudden illness was like a bomb being dropped into my world.

We stayed by the hospital bedside for two days.

At midnight the following day, Grandma was finally out of danger. The medical experts invited by Dean Shui Tuling said that Grandma’s brain hemorrhage was caused by arteriosclerosis. Although she was no longer in life-threatening danger, her brain had begun to slowly atrophy.

After a good cry, I quickly regained my composure and spent every day with my grandmother, talking to her and trying to make her laugh. Mu Xian sat silently in the ward, keeping us company. I knew my grandmother was old and had finally fallen ill, something unavoidable. But every night, lying in Mu Xian’s arms, the thought that my grandmother might suddenly cease to exist in this world one day, leaving me forever, would make me choke up uncontrollably. Mu Xian would just hold me tightly, staring at me with his clear, dark eyes, silent.

Mu Xian had originally planned to postpone his return to Stan by a month. However, on the night of the fifth day, he received an urgent summons from the emperor—the mercenaries of Yi Pucheng had broken the agreement and were invading the desolate land again. He was ordered to return within twenty-four hours.

When the news came, we were all surprised. There must be some special reason why Yi Pucheng suddenly turned against us.

On the morning of the sixth day, Mu Xian and I sat on the lawn of the sanatorium. Not far away, two pilots stood silently, waiting for him.

“A month at most,” he said in a deep voice. “I will have everything sorted out.”

“Take care of yourself and don’t worry. I will be fine here.” My heart ached a little. Grandma’s condition was unstable right now, and I couldn’t leave her side for even a moment. But how could I bear to suddenly be separated from Mu Xian?

He paused for a moment, then said, “If Grandma’s condition stabilizes, come back as soon as possible.”

“Um.”

We were quiet for a while, the atmosphere a little heavy. I thought it was probably because my grandmother had just had an accident and we were about to be separated that the separation felt all the more bitter and difficult.

“Alright, you can go now.” I laughed. “Actually, we won’t be apart for more than a few days. Just think of it as… absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

He glanced at me but didn’t smile. He just stared at me intently, his tone cold and calm.

“Hua Yao, I will think of you every day.”

Mu Xian returned to Stan with only one fighter jet. The other nineteen fighter jets belonging to him, more than thirty of his personal guards, and Morin and Mop all stayed behind to protect me. At his request, half of the Empire’s fleet remained deployed around the solar system to protect me.

***

The night was quiet, and I couldn’t sleep the night Mu Xian left.

Grandma took her medicine and slept peacefully. I tossed and turned, but finally got up.

The corridor was dimly lit, but the light was still on in the room opposite, where Mop and Morin were. The other soldiers were stationed in the surrounding rooms. I walked over and gently knocked on the door. Mop’s and Morin’s loud voices came from behind: “Madam, what are your orders?”

The door opened with a click, revealing his smiling face.

I couldn’t help but laugh too: “It’s nothing; I just can’t sleep.”

Mop walked up behind him, and the two of them looked at me gently.

“Missing the Commander?” Morin asked teasingly.

I paused for a moment, then answered softly, “Yes. I really want to.”

They both laughed, and Mop said, “Come in and talk.”

I nodded and was about to take a step when Mop suddenly turned to look at one side of the empty corridor.

His expression was serious, and my heart skipped a beat. He pulled me inside and shouted in a deep voice, “Arrest team, assemble!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the doors to the other rooms opened one after another. Most of the soldiers were disheveled, but they stood straight, holding weapons in their hands, looking at Mop.

About half a minute later, footsteps were heard in the corridor.

The sound of neat, steady footsteps.

I stood behind Morin and Mop, my heart pounding with tension. I wondered if they were enemies with ill intentions or people from Yi Pucheng.

But upon hearing the footsteps, a sense of unease suddenly arose.

Wrong.

Not to mention that the entire solar system was under the control of the Empire’s air force; even this small sanatorium was heavily guarded by Shui Tuling.

How could an enemy be walking so swaggeringly in like this?

So…not an enemy?

Who was that?

Under our tense gaze, a group of people finally appeared around the corner.

The familiar dark gray military uniforms, black leather boots, and the gold belts symbolizing royalty at their waists. Everyone appeared tall, upright, solemn, and dignified.

This is……

The Emperor’s personal guard?

How did they get to Earth? Were they here to pick me up?

But that wasn’t right; Mu Xian just left.

Mop and the others lowered their guns as well. Mop gestured for me to stay where I was, and he went up to them first: “Brigadier General Lin Luo?”

I looked at the man at the head of the group. He was a tall, strong man with dark skin and handsome features, appearing to be around thirty years old. But his expression was very serious, his lips tightly pursed, making him seem unapproachable. He was actually a brigadier general, a higher rank than Mop.

“Colonel Mop,” Lin Luo replied, enunciating each word clearly, “This is His Majesty the Emperor’s decree. Please hand over Princess Hua Yao to us.”

“What?” Mop exclaimed, immediately taking a light blue note from Lin Luo’s hand and looking down at it.

I was taken aback, Morin was also dumbfounded, and the other officers and soldiers looked at each other in disbelief.

Why did the emperor suddenly send people to arrest me?

Just then, Mop suddenly looked up: “The princess is a political prisoner? That’s impossible, Brigadier General…”

I was horrified—political prisoners? What did that mean? They must have made a mistake.

Lin Luo glanced at me calmly, then said to Mop, “Colonel, you shouldn’t question His Majesty the Emperor’s decision. Take her away.”

As soon as he finished speaking, several soldiers behind him strode toward me.

“No!” Mop moved and blocked their way.

His movement caused our soldiers, who had been standing still, to all raise their guns and aim at Brigadier General Lin Luo’s men. The other side also raised their weapons, and for a moment, the dark muzzles of guns were pointed at each other, creating a tense and deadlocked atmosphere.

“Colonel, are you planning to defy His Majesty’s orders and attack the Royal Guard?” Lin Luo’s expression turned somewhat gloomy.

Mop replied coldly, “Brigadier General, I daren’t disobey His Majesty’s orders. But I must first consult Prince Nor!”

“No,” Lin Luo said decisively.

“No?” Mop said without fear. “Brigadier General, if we allow these soldiers to approach and take the Princess away without His Highness’s knowledge, are you prepared to face His Highness’s wrath?”

My heart skipped a beat.

I’d had a feeling all along that my grandmother had just fallen ill when Mu Xian received orders to return to Stan. Everything seemed to be happening at the same time; it was such a coincidence.

Could it be… that Mu Xian was deliberately sent away by the Emperor? Perhaps… I looked up at my grandmother’s sickroom—judging from tonight, Shui Tuling was clearly on Lin Luo’s side. Could this also be arranged by the Empire?

A chill suddenly ran through me—why did the emperor suddenly want to separate us and falsely accuse me of being a political prisoner? What on earth happened?

At this moment, Lin Luo paused for a moment, then turned and said, “All of you, step back!” The royal guards beside him immediately lowered their guns and jogged away from the corridor. Mop was silent for a few seconds, then said, “You all, step back too.”

Lin Luo glanced at me and said, “Your Highness, please excuse us as well.”

I stood still. “No, what exactly happened?” Mop glanced at me and said to Lin Luo, “Brigadier General, Princess Hua Yao’s still the Empress of the Empire. You have no right to evade or conceal anything from her when she questions you.”

Lin Luo paused for a moment before speaking: “Colonel, I personally have the utmost respect for His Highness Norl. I was also blessed by the divine light at His Highness and the Queen’s wedding. However, this matter concerns the security of the Empire.”

He glanced at me, paused, and then said, “The mysterious poem you provided has attracted the Emperor’s attention. My department, the Imperial Security Service, has formed an investigation team to conduct a thorough reinvestigation into the Princess’s background. A few days ago, we made a discovery.”

Lin Luo looked at me and said, word by word, “Before the age of fifteen, Princess Huayao left no trace of her life on Earth.”

My mind went blank—what did it mean to have no trace of having lived?

Before I could speak, Mop sneered, “Commodore, I don’t know how you came to this conclusion, but I can say with certainty that you’ve made a ridiculous mistake. Many items from the primary and secondary schools the Princess attended are now stored on the Angel. You can find any trace of them. I need to inform Prince Nor immediately…”

But Lin Luo remained completely calm, staring at me and saying, “I’m afraid that isn’t the case. We examined those things long before you moved them onto the spaceship—there were no fingerprints of hers, no DNA, no shadows of hers, not even a trace of her scent. She never went to those places or touched those things. Mop, you know the Empire’s forensic technology; even after a hundred years, they can trace these marks. But we didn’t find them.”

Mop suddenly looked up at me, but I was completely baffled—what was he babbling about?

Lin Luo looked at us with a solemn expression and continued to drop bombshells: “Not only that, we thoroughly investigated all the clues provided in the princess’s background information. Before she was fifteen, no one remembered seeing her at the schools she attended or the houses she lived in. We couldn’t find any trace of her anywhere that she was said to have lived.”

My whole body stiffened—no, what was he saying? No way! I lived in this town with my grandmother for fifteen years; I remember all the neighbors, classmates, and friends so clearly…

At this moment, Mop spoke slowly and heavily: “How’s this possible? If the princess had never lived in these places, how could she have memories? Where did she live before?”

I looked at Lin Luo, only to find him staring at me with sharp eyes.

I was startled and realized—he was observing my expression and reaction.

He said these things partly to persuade Mop and partly to test my reaction.

He suspects me? He suspects I was lying?

He then slowly spoke: “Our preliminary conclusion is that Princess Hua Yao appeared on Earth at the age of fifteen. For His Highness Nou’er’s safety, Mop, you must hand the princess over to me immediately.”