Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 86: The Stubborn Woman

"I forbid you from going, Xin Yi."

Sha Chen’s voice was firm and final. The tone he used when giving commands to his warriors.

It did NOT have the desired effect on Xin Yi. But not that he was surprised. He already expected it wouldn’t.

She crossed her arms, an eyebrow shooting up. "You forbid me from going?"

"Yes."

"You FORBID me?"

"That is what I said, yes."

"Well that is too bad," she said sweetly. "Because I am going anyway."

Sha Chen resisted the urge to grab her and shake some sense into that stubborn head on her neck.

They were standing in the morning sunlight outside her room. She had woken up demanding to go to the Temple of Mán Shū immediately. Right now. This very instant.

He had said no.

She had not taken it well.

He had been shocked by how quickly she had found out what it meant...probably AI Yun and Mei Lan.

He should have told them to keep quiet. If he had, this wouldn’t be happening.

"Xin Yi," he said, keeping his voice level. "You nearly DROWNED yesterday. You were attacked by a kraken. You are still recovering—"

"That doesn’t matter! I feel fine, Sha Chen!"

"You are NOT fine. You are being reckless."

"I am being PROACTIVE!" She stepped closer to him, her eyes lighting up with a rebellious light. "That mark on my ankle? It means something! And I need to know WHAT!"

"And you will," he said. "Just not today."

"Why NOT today?!"

He ran his hand through his hair. A habit he had picked up from Papa when dealing with Mama’s equally stubborn nature.

"Because I said so."

Wrong answer.

Her eyes narrowed. "Because you SAID so? That is your reasoning? Because the big strong Alpha SAID so?"

"Yes."

"Well that is a TERRIBLE reason!"

She was standing right in front of him, and it was clear she wasn’t aware of the effect she was having on him. Sha Chen could smell the soap she had used that morning. He could—

Focus, Sha Chen.

"You are very difficult, Xin Yi," he said.

"Good!"

She huffed. How adorable. "So when CAN we go?"

"Two days."

"TWO DAYS?!" Her voice went up several octaves. "Why not today?! Or tomorrow?! Why TWO DAYS?!"

"Because I need to prepare. The path to the temple is dangerous. We will need supplies. Guards. And—" He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to argue. "—and do not argue with me."

She closed her mouth, but her expression was mutinous.

"Hmm. Fine," she muttered. "Two days. But if you try to delay it further—"

"I will not."

"—I will go by myself!"

"You will do no such thing."

"Watch me!"

They glared at each other.

Sha Chen had dealt with enemy tribes. Hostile negotiations. Life-or-death battles. None of them had been as exhausting as arguing with this one small female.

He sighed. "The hunting party will return today."

She blinked. "What?"

"The hunting party. They left three days ago. They will return this afternoon with their kills."

"Hunting party?" She tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion. "You mean.....you still hunt? Even though you have all this civilization?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Xin Yi. We have civilization. But we still keep to our culture. Our traditions. Hunting is part of who we are."

"Oh."

"The warriors will present their kills to me. It is a ceremony. A ritual." He looked at her. "And you will be right beside me."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because you are part of my harem. It is expected."

She pouted, her lower lip sticking out slightly. It was......distracting.

"I do not want to sit through some ceremony," she muttered. "I want to go to the temple."

"Two days," he repeated firmly. "Until then, you will rest. Recover. And attend the hunting ceremony."

"Hmm." She crossed her arms again, still pouting.

Sha Chen could not help himself, just like last night. He reached out to touch her face, to stroke that stubborn little chin.

SMACK.

She slapped his hand away.

"Do NOT touch me," she said.

"I was just—"

"NO touching!"

"You are being ridiculous."

"And YOU are being presumptuous!"

Another sigh escaped his lips. "Please just get ready," he said, his tone slightly softer now. "We will go. In two days. You just need to calm down."

She huffed. "Hmm."

Then, under her breath, she muttered something that made his blood pressure spike.

"Qing Lin used to listen to me."

Sha Chen’s white eyes darkened immediately. "What did you just say?"

She looked at him. Initially there was a flicker of fear in her eyes—good, she should be afraid—but then her expression shifted. That stubborn, rebellious light returned.

"I said," she repeated, slower this time, meeting his gaze directly, "Qing Lin used to listen to me."

A cracking sound rang from his mouth. He had gritted his teeth too hard. "Wing Lin? Do I LOOK like Qing Lin to you?"

She scoffed. "No. You do not."

"Then why—"

"Because Qing Lin actually RESPECTED my opinions!" She was gesturing wildly now. "He did not just bark orders at me like I was some—some mindless female who could not think for herself! He LISTENED! He ASKED what I wanted! He—"

"He let you get KIDNAPPED!" Sha Chen’s voice rose. "He could not even protect you properly! If he had been stronger, smarter, MORE CAREFUL, you would not BE here!"

Her face flushed red. "That is NOT fair! He—"

"And now you are under MY protection!" He stepped closer. "MY territory! MY care! So forgive me if I do not take orders from a female who nearly got herself eaten by a kraken less than a day ago!"

"I was NOT giving orders! I was making a REQUEST!"

"It sounded like a demand!"

"Well maybe if you were not so CONTROLLING—"

"I am trying to PROTECT you, Xin Yi!" His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Do you not understand that? The temple is DANGEROUS! The path is treacherous! There are creatures in those mountains that would tear you apart before you even reached the entrance!"

"Then COME WITH ME!"

"I AM! In TWO DAYS!"

"But—"

"No!" He cut her off. "Two days. That is final. And if you do not like it—" He stopped himself, and took a breath. "If you do not like it, then you can go back to your precious snake king and see how well HE protects you from ancient evils and mystical marks!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Her expression shifted, and hurt flashed across her face. Then anger. Then a coldness.

"Fine," she said quietly. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Xin Yi—"

"You know what, Sha Chen?" She stepped back away from him. "At least Qing Lin never compared me to his other females. At least he never made me feel like I was just another PROBLEM to manage."

"That is not what I—"

"At least when I was with him, I felt like a PERSON. Not a possession. Not a burden. Not some fragile thing that needed to be controlled and managed and CONTAINED."

His chest tightened. "You are not—"

"I do not wish to hear it." She turned away. "I will attend your hunting ceremony. I will sit beside you like a good little harem girl. I will smile and nod and do whatever is EXPECTED of me."

"Xin Yi—"

"And in two days, we will go to the temple. As you commanded. Because that is all this is. You commanding. Me obeying."

"That is not—"

She looked back at him one more time. Her eyes were even more cold now.

"You know, for someone who claims to be different from other males, you are remarkably similar." Her voice was soft. "You just have nicer buildings."

Then she walked away.

Into her room.

And closed the door.