Joy of Life - Volume 2 - Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Time can change a great many things, including people's faces and minds . But there are exceptions . As Fan Xian walked into Si Lili's carriage, the first thing he saw was a gaunt, pale, but still beautiful woman . She had been in prison for the greater part of a year, but it didn’t seem to do any damage to the complexion that she flaunted on the pleasure boats of the Liujing River .

When she saw Fan Xian enter, Si Lili felt a slight joy, her eyes frenetic . It seemed that she didn’t know how to address him, nor was she sufficiently prepared for this encounter .

Fan Xian calmly looked the young woman in the face . Her eyebrows were still as supple as willow branches, and her dark eyes still darted around the room, but her lips had no color to them, looking somewhat pale .

When the two of them had first met, Fan Xian was the illegitimate son of a noble who had just entered the city for the first time . Si Lili was the most popular young woman on Liujing River . That night, they had caressed each other to the point of madness, and though it was not true ecstasy, they had essentially performed the most intimate of acts between a man and a woman .

But he had not expected Si Lili to be a Northern Qi spy planted in the Kingdom of Qing; by way of the Second Prince's invitation, she plotted Fan Xian's assassination with Wu Bo'an . Fan Xian was lucky to escape with his life . Finally, he had entered the Overwatch Council, and now had received the duty of returning Si Lili to Northern Qi .

He calmly looked her in the face, his gaze going from her eyes to her nose to her lips . Somehow, he found himself recalling her touch that night on the pleasure boat; although it did not give him pause, he still felt something indescribable . After all, before he had gotten married, and apart from a couple of servant girls in Danzhou, she had been the woman with whom he had been the most intimate .

"A few days ago, I was passing by the Liujing River on horseback . " Fan Xian gently broke the silence in the carriage . "I saw that pleasure boat . "

Si Lili was somewhat taken aback . She hadn't expected this handsome and elegant young man to start off with that sort of opening remark . She had fully believed that what was to follow would be a solemn conversation .

Fan Xian laughed . "It's already in ruins, but I don't think you much cherish the memory of the place anyway . "

Si Lili smiled, a little embarrassed . "We are but duckweed, adrift on the waters . Please, do not mock your servant, sir .

"I do not like to hear the words 'your servant' . " Fan Xian looked into her bright, intelligent eyes and smiled . "Some things in life are truly remarkable . You once wanted to kill me . Such was your mission . Although I cannot forgive you, I also have no prejudice against you for this . I told you in the prison of the Overwatch Council that if you provided me the name of the mastermind behind it, I would find a way to let you live . But I must tell you clearly, I made no effort to have you returned to Northern Qi . So there is no use in thanking me . "

Slightly startled, Si Lili raised her head, her lips slightly parted, wanting to speak but saying nothing . She was less and less sure of this young man - at one moment pure and amiable, the next cold, dark, and frightening . Why did he want to say such things?

"From the day you left prison, we became colleagues . " Fan Xian sat down beside her and leaned in relaxation against the side of the carriage . He could smell a faint fragrance, and he knew that it was her own bodily scent . He inhaled it, appreciating it . "I do not know what agreement you have with Chen Pingping . But since he believes you are trustworthy, then I trust you . I hope that you can trust me, and we can carry out Operation Red Sleeve . "

Si Lili grasped the green sleeves of her garment with her hands and softly bit her bottom lip, unsure what to say .

"Will you massage me? I'm on edge every day . I don't know when that old bastard in the front carriage might explode . There's a lot of psychological pressure . " Fan Xian wasn't lying . He really did look exhausted .

Si Lili let out a slight noise of acknowledgement and leaned to one side, kneeling on a soft floor cushion . She carefully placed her supple, gentle hands on Fan Xian's head and began to slowly knead his temples .

Fan Xian closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of comfort radiating through his skull and the gentle touch of Si Lili's fingers . Unthinkingly, he sighed .

"What is it? Do you feel heavy, sir?" He didn't know what methods Chen Pingping had used, but Si Lili seemed completely unlike she had been in the prison - desperate and stubborn - and instead had returned to the way she had been in the pleasure boat: tender and charming . Her voice penetrated Fan Xian's heart .

"I was just thinking of punishments," Fan Xian said gently . "In truth, I was worried what damage they could do to a young woman's beautiful hands . "

Si Lili's fingers stopped at his temples . After a long while, she spoke quietly . "People who have had a hard lot in life are not so easy to break . "

"There is no need to be resentful . It's of no benefit to our agreement in Shangjing," said Fan Xian calmly, his eyes still closed . "You wanted to kill me, I only wanted to punish you . When you look at it, you owe me . "

Si Lili gently bit her bottom lip once more . The points of her pearly white teeth pressing down on her lip looked utterly beautiful . There was a soft light in her eyes . "Your s . . . I do owe you, sir . You could take me back at any time . "

"Take you? Like I did on our first night?" Fan Xian opened his eyes, filled with mischief .

Si Lili opened her eyes that fixed on him with a tenacious, unyielding look . There was a long silence . She looked at this handsome and elegant young official, and found herself somehow recalling the shameful events on the pleasure boat . She felt a sudden weakness in her body, and slowly leaned to one side onto Fan Xian's shoulder, her fingers still massaging him . "All the women of the world have had a hard lot in life . I don't know how you are preparing to take me . "

That night on the pleasure boat, Fan Xian had used knockout drops and aphrodisiacs, and Si Lili had reacted strongly . It was engraved in her memory to this day . Then, in the prison, Fan Xian had punished her without even a hint of remorse, his heart full of hatred and many other odd feelings .

Fan Xian became aware of the softness on his right shoulder, and knew, without thinking, that it was Si Lili's soft bosom . He presumed that she wanted to seduce him, and he took a deep breath to calm himself . As he did, he unexpectedly inhaled her faint scent, and his heart skipped a beat . He turned his head with a smile . "So where did that Si Ling end up?"

"Still locked up in the capital . " There was no expression on Si Lili's face . It appeared that Si Ling was not a true friend of hers .

Fan Xian was increasingly curious as to what Chen Pingping could have done to make Si Lili heed the orders of the Overwatch Council . He thought for a moment, then frowned . "You are not pathetic, young lady . At least the young Emperor of Northern Qi still always keeps women in mind . "

Si Lili creased her brow and sighed . "One cannot win people over with beauty forever . "

"That's something I doubt too," said Fan Xian with a smile . "I don’t know if you’re able to speak of your past with Emperor of Northern Qi in detail . It is best if we arrange for you to enter the palace after we have arrived in Shangjing . "

This so-called Operation Red Sleeve, as Fan Xian saw it, was merely copying the story of Xi Shi entering the Kingdom of Wu . From the terms of this secret agreement, he could see that the Emperor of Northern Qi and Si Lili truly had some feelings for each other; otherwise they would not have stressed the importance of her return . But Si Lili was of low birth - even if Northern Qi respected her service to the country, they could only show respect, nothing more . Compared to the Kingdom of Qing, Northern Qi placed even more importance on one's bloodline and the circumstances of one's birth . They could never allow a woman who had once been a prostitute to enter the palace .

Si Lili seemed unwilling to discuss matters of her past . She simply lowered her head . "Do not worry, Master Fan . Simply get me into Shangjing . Everything after that will be for the Emperor of Northern Qi to worry about .

Silence fell upon the carriage once more . Fan Xian sat by her side, smelling her faint scent . For some reason, he felt some regret at separating from her touch . He sat in silence for some time before he finally spoke . "You had best get some rest . "

To his surprise, she suddenly spoke at the same time . "Sir, do you want me to massage you some more?"

"That would be fine," replied Fan Xian quickly .

"Very well . " There was a trace of disappointment in her response .

After this odd exchange, they both found that a strange atmosphere had fallen upon the carriage . It seemed they could both vaguely sense something . A warm darkness began to ferment in the air .

Si Lili bit her lower lip once more and kneeled on the pillow, her hands kneading Fan Xian's shoulders, secretly using her strength . She did not want to be alone in the carriage, and so she was willing to debase herself in attending to . . . this enemy .

There was a slight smile on Fan Xian's face as he enjoyed the soft touch of the woman behind him . Not only did she not hold a grudge, she made great effort to fawn on him . Why? Could it be . . . she had fallen for him? As soon as he thought of it, he immediately wanted to slap himself around the face . Although he was Pan An, he reminded himself, he was not the kind of brute to release an aphrodisiac into the air . [1]

Why did he want to stay in Si Lili's carriage? Fan Xian frowned, and tried to think of a persuasive answer . Perhaps he was uncertain about this trip to Northern Qi . Perhaps it was because Xiao En was not easy on the eyes . Perhaps . . . it was really nothing . He was an ordinary man, and Si Lili was a beautiful woman whose naked body he had once touched . It was only normal to want to stay with her .

Fan Xian did not linger too long in his fantasies . He knew he was a lech, but he was also a person of unswerving determination . He would not allow himself to be trapped by tenderness, unable to free himself . He let Si Lili massage him, just to rid him of some of his fatigue, then he left the carriage .

Wang Qinian came to greet him, and accompanied him as he walked to the rear of the convoy . "Sir, be wary of who may be listening or watching . After all, we want to deliver Si Lili to the Emperor of Northern Qi . If you are going to spend so long in her carriage, then make sure the subordinates are dispersed first, so as not to allow rumors to spread throughout Shangjing . It will have an effect on your future plans . "

Fan Xian knew that his aide had gotten the wrong idea, but he explained nothing, and simply rubbed at his temples .

[1] Pan An, a young prodigy and poet, known for being one of the most handsome men in Chinese history .