NOVEL NEXT 03
Chapter 3: Inner Voice
His emotions tell him: He likes him.
But, what does he like about him?
Xi Tian touched the terminal on his right wrist and asked himself.
From childhood to adulthood, he had liked many people and many things. For example, during his teenage years, he liked a mature, uniquely charming intern teacher. Or his previous partner, a lively sub-female who loved horseback riding.
But later, he didn’t like them anymore.
Liking stems from a moment of impulse. When people are impulsive, passion takes over, and they are willing to make any irrational choice. Once the passion fades, it becomes dull and uninteresting. Things bought on impulse are played with for a while, and once the novelty wears off, they’re tossed aside.
Liking born of impulse will eventually turn bland.
This was a lesson Xi Tian had learned through countless experiences.
“The one you ordered is a bit bitter,” Xi Tian glanced at the coffee Ellis ordered.
Ellis had already composed himself by this time, “It’s fine, a little bitterness can help me stay alert.”
Xi Tian observed the female adjust his posture into an elegant pose. The female smiled politely, with no wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his hands were clasped lightly on the table, thumbs gently rubbing against each other.
He was nervous and trying to alleviate it.
Xi Tian said, “You’re late,” glancing at his terminal, “by three minutes. Is your home far from here?”
Ellis replied, “I don’t live here; I stay in the military barracks.”
Xi Tian asked, “You’re a soldier?”
Ellis confirmed, “Yes, I’m 25, currently a captain in the Fourth Army. I thought the details were provided on the system.”
Xi Tian remarked, “I’ve been to the military base before, and it doesn’t take long to travel back and forth by aircraft.”
Ellis explained, “I haven’t been to the city for a while. At some point, they installed traffic signals and speed limits in the airways. I hit three red lights on the way. Otherwise, I could have been early.”
A waiter approached, and Ellis thanked him.
Ellis took a sip of coffee, still holding the cup as he exhaled slowly from the bitter taste, leaned back against the chair, and adjusted his sitting position slightly.
Ellis said, “You haven’t talked about yourself yet.”
“You don’t need to know much about me.”
This statement made Ellis frown almost imperceptibly.
Xi Tian got straight to the point, “I need to get married currently, so these dates are with marriage in mind. I believe it is necessary to understand my future partner before marriage. I will show you some questions, and you can answer them honestly.”
This somewhat arrogant attitude made Ellis almost want to leave immediately, but etiquette held him back.
Xi Tian took out a piece of paper and a pen, handing them to Ellis. It contained the top ten pre-marriage questions downloaded from the largest marriage forum, unchanged even in the title. Ellis had seen these standard questions on a gossip site for females, so standard that they were already included in the third version of the etiquette guide for female companions.
“1. What is your view on everything being centered around the male master after marriage?”
“2. How do you feel about the male master having lovers outside the marriage?”
“3. What are your thoughts on becoming a female lord or a female servant to a male?”
“4. How do you view the phenomenon of females resigning from their jobs to manage the household, take care of the family, and serve the male master after marriage?”
“5. Can you accept the use of physical devices during intimacy, and how do you view the physical harm caused by such devices?”
“6. How much do you currently have in savings, what is your monthly salary, and what is the government subsidy for military females in the account after marriage? If staying at home after marriage, how do you plan to contribute to household expenses?”
“7. How do you view the phenomenon of young offspring being raised solely by females?”
…
These questions made Ellis glance at the male opposite him in surprise. Many of these questions touched on the current dissatisfaction of females with marriage.
The first two questions were fine, as they were original. However, the next three questions puzzled Ellis: “Isn’t becoming a female lord or a female servant dependent on the male’s attitude? Resigning and staying at home? Aren’t there fewer who continue to work after marriage? As for intimacy… ahem, isn’t that at the male master’s discretion?”
Ellis took a large sip of coffee, the bitterness possibly helping to clear his mind. The male across from him remained silent, showing no sign of replying.
Feeling a bit awkward, Ellis pursed his lips and continued to look at the remaining questions. The last five questions were straightforward, concerning income, personality, preferences, and lifestyle habits, making them easier to answer. He quickly finished and handed the paper back to the male while carefully observing his reaction.
Having dealt with unexpected questions earlier, the simpler, practical questions about his own situation greatly reduced the likelihood of lying.
Xi Tian first checked the account savings and monthly salary; among those he had already seen, this was above average. Next, he looked at Ellis’s personality and preferences, which aligned with his own liking for introverted and quiet types (since such personalities best matched his own).
Moving on, Xi Tian circled questions three, four, and five. He thought that since Ellis was the last person he was meeting today, it might be better to continue the conversation outside.
Ellis noticed the circles and, for some reason, recalled his previous rejections.
Then, to his surprise, the male stood up.
Ellis jumped to his feet, realizing his reaction was rash. Embarrassed, he quickly touched his nose and sat back down.
Xi Tian found his actions amusing.
He placed the paper in a folder, grabbed his jacket, and said, “Come walk with me.”
As they were about to leave the café, Ellis still seemed a bit disoriented. Xi Tian reminded him, “You need to settle the coffee bill.”
“Oh… ah! Right.”
When Ellis returned, he found Xi Tian, now wearing his jacket, standing by the door, looking elegant.
Ellis couldn’t help but ask, “I looked at the bill. Why does it only have my coffee on it?”
Xi Tian’s slightly smiling eyes crinkled at the corners. “The previous person settled mine before you arrived.”
The Saming River originates from the peak of the Tangdong Snow Mountain in the Laso Mountains of the Shengla Plateau, the ancient birthplace of Zerf civilization, with a history spanning thousands of years. It flows through five states and two cities of present-day Zerg Star.
One of these cities is Saming City, the highest capital of Zerg Star.
They gradually arrived at the famous Saming Bridge, a suspension bridge held aloft by tens of thousands of steel cables, the longest of its kind on Zerg Stat.
Xi Tian: “I read your answers, and they’re very standard. You got them from the *Female Servant Guidelines*, version three, right?”
Ellis: “… You’re a male. Why would you read a book meant for females?”
Xi Tian: “Books are written for people to read. Why make distinctions?”
Ellis: “True. You’re different from the males I’ve met.”
Xi Tian: “Oh, how so?”
Ellis: “You’re polite. They’re spoiled little suns, pampered and overbearing.”
Xi Tian: “… I’ve never heard a female describe a male like that. You’re very honest?”
Xi Tian bit his lip. He hadn’t heard many females speak candidly about males.
Xi Tian: “I’m curious now. How do you really feel about questions three, four, and five?”
“Um…” Ellis hesitated, but the look of genuine curiosity in the male’s eyes was undeniable.
He was never the obedient and well-behaved type that males favored, and since he didn’t want to marry, he didn’t care about offending them.
Anyway, they probably wouldn’t see each other again after this, right? So, it didn’t matter if he spoke his mind.
“I don’t know what others think, but I really like the army. I was an orphan, raised by society, and I feel it’s my duty to give back, to protect this country. Although I’m quite ordinary, I deeply love it as well.”
Ellis sighed, turned around, and gazed at the distant river from the Sming Bridge. The setting sun was casting a red glow across the sky and the water below.
“I used to think that becoming a female lord or a female servant, no matter which, was like pushing a female into the fire once they entered marriage.
Family stability, social stability. That’s the slogan they always promote. But if there weren’t soldiers defending us on the battlefield, adventurers risking their lives to explore unknown space, scientists tirelessly researching, advanced technology, military power, and a vast market, could this society really prosper and run smoothly? Could it continuously attract outstanding people from other planets to immigrate to Zerg Star?
But why must there be marriage? It forces females to give up creating the future and revert to primitive caregiving roles, which in itself is a waste of Zerg’s advanced technology.
I truly don’t understand why they’re willing to give up the freedom of being single to jump into the fire of marriage, why they’re willing to give up favorable conditions to struggle in hardship. No one likes suffering, so why do married females say ‘suffering is a blessing’?
Wouldn’t life be better without hardship?
I hope to take control of my own marriage decisions. Joining the army is the fastest way for a civilian to gain autonomy in marriage. Just endure the first two years at the base, wait for opportunities to fight or explore space, accumulate enough military merits, and eventually, you’ll escape this trap.”
Ellis spoke freely, then turned to see the male beside him deep in thought.
The evening breeze was still warm, but after calming down, he broke out in a cold sweat.
It doesn’t matter, nothing matters.
After all, they wouldn’t meet again.
Author’s note:
Ellis [curious]: Why was your first sentence to me so overbearing during our first blind date?
Xi Tian [thinking hard] [remembering] [helpless]: When I spoke politely to other females, they all thought they had upset me, so I had to adopt the ‘proper’ attitude of a male.