Time can change many things, including a person's appearance and mental state, but there are exceptions. When Fan Xian stepped into Si Lili's carriage, the first thing he saw was a slightly haggard, but still beautiful woman. Half a year in prison did not seem to have done any damage to the face of the most popular woman on Liujing River.
Seeing Fan Xian enter, Si Lili bowed slightly. Her eyes were slightly flustered, as if she did not know how to address him. It seemed that she was not prepared for this meeting.
Fan Xian quietly looked at the girl's face. He found that her eyebrows were still soft like willow branches, and her black eyes were still moving. However, her lips had not been colored today, so they looked a little pale.
When the two of them first met, Fan Xian was the illegitimate son of a nobleman who had just arrived in the capital. Si Lili was already the most popular woman on Liujing River. That night, he caressed her crazily. Although he had not truly reached ecstasy, he had done all the most intimate things between a man and a woman.
But he had not expected that Si Lili was a spy planted in the Qing Kingdom by Northern Qi. Through the second prince's invitation, she and Wu Bo'an had set up a plan to assassinate Fan Xian. Fan Xian was lucky enough to escape that disaster. In the end, he entered the Overwatch Council, and now he had taken on the duty of returning Si Lili to Northern Qi.
He quietly looked at the eyes, nose, and lips of the woman in front of him. For some reason, he thought of the physical contact he had with her that night on the pleasure boat. Although his heart did not waver, there was still an indescribable feeling. After all, aside from the servant girls in Danzhou, she was the woman he had been closest to before marriage.
"A few days ago, I rode by Liujing River." The silence in the carriage was broken by Fan Xian's gentle words. "I saw that pleasure boat again."
Si Lili was slightly taken aback. She had not expected this handsome young man to use such a line as an opening remark. She had thought that what followed would be a very serious conversation.
Fan Xian laughed. "It's already very run-down, but I don't think you will miss that place."
Si Lili smiled bitterly. "I am a duckweed, a guest on the four seas. Please do not make fun of me, sir."
"I don't like the word 'me'." Fan Xian looked at her watery eyes and smiled slightly. "The affairs of the world are wondrous. When you wanted to kill me, it was because you had a mission. Although I won't forgive you, I won't hold any prejudice against you because of it. At the time in the Overwatch Council prison, I told you that as long as you gave up the mastermind, I would think of a way to let you live. However, I want to tell you clearly that I did not do anything to allow you to return to Northern Qi, so you don't need to thank me. "
Si Lili raised her head in surprise. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. She couldn't understand this young man, who was sometimes pure and amiable, and sometimes cold and terrifying. Why did he say such things?
"From the day you left the prison, we've been colleagues." Fan Xian sat next to her and relaxed against the carriage. His nose picked up a faint fragrance, knowing that it was the girl's body fragrance. He enjoyed it a little and said, "I don't know about the agreement between you and Chen Pingping, but since he believes you can be trusted, I will trust you. I hope you can trust me too, and that we can carry out the House of Red Sleeves' plan."
Si Lili's hands clutched her lake-green sleeves. She gently bit her lower lip, not knowing what to say.
"Give me a massage. I have to be on edge every day, not knowing when that old monster in the carriage will go berserk. It's a little stressful." Fan Xian wasn't lying. He really did look tired.
Si Lili made a sound of agreement and turned her body to the side. She knelt on the soft cushion of the seat and carefully placed her soft, warm hands on Fan Xian's head. She slowly rubbed it.
Fan Xian closed his eyes and enjoyed the comfortable feeling in his head. He enjoyed the slow touch of Si Lili's fingers, and subconsciously sighed.
"What is it? Do you think it's too heavy? " He didn't know what method Chen Pingping had used, but Si Lili was no longer as desperate and determined as she had been in prison. Instead, she had returned to the way she had been on the pleasure boat, gentle and charming. Her soft voice slid across Fan Xian's heart.
Fan Xian said gently, "I was just thinking about how I tortured you. I was afraid I would break your beautiful little hands."
Si Lili's fingers, which had been rubbing Fan Xian's temples, paused. After a while, she said quietly, "It's not that easy to break someone's hands."
"Don't hold a grudge. That won't be good for our cooperation in Shangjing," Fan Xian said quietly. He didn't open his eyes. "You wanted to kill me, and I only tortured you. No matter how you look at it, you owe me."
Si Lili bit her lower lip again. Her pearly white teeth pressed against her lips, creating a soul-stealing charm. A soft light flickered in her eyes. "I … I owe you. You can take it back at any time."
"How? Like the first night? "Fan Xian opened his eyes, full of mockery.
Si Lili stubbornly opened her eyes to meet his. After a long silence, she looked at this handsome young official. For some reason, she thought of the shameful incident that night on the pleasure boat. Her body felt soft and weak. She slowly leaned over, half leaning on Fan Xian's shoulder. Her fingers kept massaging him, and she said quietly, "All women in this world have a hard life. I don't know how you intend to take it."
That night on the pleasure boat, Fan Xian had used an aphrodisiac, so Si Lili's reaction had been extremely strong, and she had remembered it to this day. Later, in the prison, Fan Xian had mercilessly tortured her. Aside from her hatred, she also had a very strange feeling.
Fan Xian felt a springy softness on his right shoulder. Without thinking, he knew it was Si Lili's soft chest. He thought she was trying to seduce him, so he took a deep breath to calm his mind. Unexpectedly, he inhaled the faint fragrance of a young woman. His heart stirred. He turned his head and smiled. "Where did that Si Ling go?"
"He's still locked up in the capital." Si Lili's face showed no expression. It seemed that Si Ling wasn't her real family.
Fan Xian became more and more curious. What method had Chen Pingping used to make Si Lili listen to the Overwatch Council? He thought for a moment, then frowned. "You're not a pitiful person. At least, the young Emperor of Northern Qi still remembers you."
Si Lili furrowed her brows and sighed. "How long will it last if you use your looks to influence others?"
"That's what I'm confused about." Fan Xian smiled. "I don't know if you can tell me in detail about your past with the Emperor of Northern Qi, so that when we get to Shangjing, we can make arrangements for you to enter the palace."
The so-called Red Sleeve Plan, in Fan Xian's eyes, was just another version of Xi Shi's entry into Wu. From the contents of this secret agreement, it could be seen that the Emperor of Northern Qi had some affection for Si Lili. Otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately emphasized her return. But Si Lili's background was a bit low. Even if Northern Qi respected her for her service to the country, it was only respect. Compared to the Kingdom of Qing, Northern Qi paid more attention to one's birth and bloodline. They couldn't allow a woman who had once been a prostitute to enter the palace.
Si Lili didn't seem to want to talk about the past. She only lowered her head and said quietly, "Master Fan, don't worry. Once I get to Shangjing, the Emperor of Northern Qi will worry about what happens next."
…
…
The carriage once again fell silent. Fan Xian sat beside the woman, smelling her faint fragrance. For some reason, he regretted leaving her fingers earlier. After sitting quietly for a while, he slowly opened his mouth and said, "Then rest well, Miss."
Unexpectedly, Si Lili spoke at the same time. "Master, do you want a massage?"
…
…
"That's fine," Fan Xian replied quickly.
"Alright." There was a trace of disappointment in Si Lili's reply.
It wasn't until this strange question and answer session was over that the atmosphere in the carriage became a bit strange. It was as if they had all vaguely sensed something. A wave of ambiguity began to brew, and the air gradually grew warmer.
Si Lili bit her lower lip again and knelt on the chair. She pressed down on Fan Xian's shoulders with both hands, secretly applying pressure. She thought to herself that she just didn't want to stay alone in the carriage, so she was willing to serve … her enemy.
Fan Xian smiled, feeling the soft body of the woman behind him. He thought to himself, Not only does this woman not hold a grudge, but she's purposely trying to please me. Why? Could it be … that she likes me? As soon as he made this guess, Fan Xian hurriedly slapped himself in the face. He warned himself that although he was Pan An, he wasn't someone who emitted the scent of an aphrodisiac.
Why did he want to stay in Si Lili's carriage? Fan Xian frowned, trying to find an answer to convince himself. Perhaps there was some unease in his heart about going to Northern Qi, or perhaps it was because Xiao En was too ugly, or perhaps … he was nothing at all. He was a normal man, and Si Lili was a beautiful woman whose naked body he had once touched. Wanting to stay with her was a very normal thing.
— — —
Fan Xian didn't linger long in the land of tenderness. He considered himself a lustful man, but he was also a man of unswerving determination. He wouldn't be unable to extricate himself from the tenderness. He just let Si Lili massage his body to get rid of some of his tiredness, and then he stepped out of the carriage.
Wang Qinian went to greet him and accompanied him to the back of the envoy's carriage. He said quietly, "Master, be careful of the eyes and ears around you. After all, Si Lili will be given to the Emperor of Northern Qi. In the future, you will be staying in the carriage for so long. Let me clear the area first, lest any rumors spread to Shangjing and affect your future plans."
Fan Xian knew that his confidant was thinking the wrong thing, but he didn't say anything. He just gently rubbed his temples.
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