Time can change many things, including people's appearances and mental states, 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. It seemed that the half-year imprisonment hadn't caused any damage to the looks of this popular courtesan from the Liujing River.

Realizing that Fan Xian had entered, Si Lili gave a slight bow, her eyes flickering with a hint of panic. She seemed unsure of how to address him, as if she hadn't fully prepared for this meeting.

Fan Xian quietly looked at the girl's face, noticing that her eyebrows were still as soft as willow branches, and her dark eyes still sparkled with allure. However, her lips were bare of color today, making them appear somewhat pale.

The first time they met, Fan Xian was a newly arrived illegitimate son of a noble family in the capital, while Si Lili was already the most popular girl on the Liujing River. That night, there was feverish touching and wanton desire. Although they hadn't truly consummated the relationship, they had done almost everything else.

However, he never expected Si Lili to be a spy planted in Qing by the Northern Qi. Through a banquet hosted by the Second Prince, she conspired with Wu Boan to assassinate Fan Xian. Fan Xian, blessed by fate, escaped this calamity. Later, he entered the Supervisory Council and now had the duty of escorting Si Lili back to Northern Qi.

He quietly looked at the woman's eyes, nose, and lips, and for some reason, he was reminded of their physical contact that night on the pleasure boat. Although it didn't stir his heart, he still felt a strange sensation. After all, she was the woman he had been most intimate with before marriage, besides the maids in Danzhou.

"A few days ago, I rode my horse along the banks of the Liujing River," Fan Xian broke the silence in the carriage with a gentle voice. "I saw that pleasure boat again."

Si Lili paused slightly, not expecting this handsome young nobleman to use this as an opening line. She had assumed that a serious conversation would follow.

Fan Xian smiled, "It's quite dilapidated now, but I don't think you'd be nostalgic for that place."

Si Lili gave a wry smile and said, "My body is like duckweed, drifting with the tides. Master, please don't make fun of me."

"I don't like hearing the word 'slave'," Fan Xian said, looking into her watery eyes with a smile. "The world is full of wonders. You wanted to kill me back then because you had a mission. Although I won't forgive you, I won't hold any grudges against you because of that. I told you in the Supervisory Council's prison that as long as you revealed the mastermind, I would find a way to let you live. But I want to make it clear to you that I didn't do anything to help you return to Northern Qi, so you don't need to thank me."

Si Lili looked up in surprise, her lips slightly parted, hesitant to speak. She was now even more unable to understand this young man, who could be pure and amiable one moment and coldly terrifying the next. Why was he saying these things?

"From the day you left prison, we've been colleagues," Fan Xian said, sitting next to her and leaning back against the carriage wall in a relaxed manner. He smelled the faint fragrance, recognizing it as the girl's natural scent. He took a few appreciative sniffs and said, "I don't know the agreement between Chen Pingping and you, but since he believes you are trustworthy, I will trust you too. I hope you can trust me and complete the 'Red Sleeve' plan well."

Si Lili clasped her lake-green sleeves tightly with both hands, gently biting her lower lip, unsure of what to say.

"Give me a massage. I have to be constantly on guard every day, not knowing when that old monster in the front carriage will go berserk. I'm under a lot of mental stress," Fan Xian said, not lying. He did look a bit tired.

Si Lili gently nodded, turning her body sideways and kneeling on the soft cushion. She carefully placed her soft, warm hands on Fan Xian's head and slowly began to massage.

Fan Xian closed his eyes, enjoying the comfortable sensation on his head, the gentle touch of Si Lili's fingers. He sighed unconsciously.

"What's wrong? Does Master find it too strong?" Si Lili asked. She was now completely unlike the desperate and resolute person she had been in prison, as if she had reverted to her former self on the pleasure boat, gentle and charming. Her voice was soft and tickled Fan Xian's heart, which showed Chen Pingping's methods.

Fan Xian said gently, "I was just thinking that the torture back then, I was afraid of hurting your beautiful little hands."

Si Lili's fingers, which were massaging Fan Xian's temples, paused for a moment. After a long while, she said quietly, "A hard life, not so easy to break."

"Don't harbor resentment. It won't be good for our cooperation in Shangjing," Fan Xian said quietly, his eyes remaining closed. "You wanted to kill me back then, and I only tortured you. By any measure, you're the one who owes me."

Si Lili bit her lower lip again, her teeth pressing a captivating allure into her lips. Her eyes flickered with tenderness as she said, "I owe Master, Master can take it back at any time."

"How? Like the first night?" Fan Xian opened his eyes, his face full of teasing.

Si Lili stubbornly stared back at him. After a long silence, she looked at the handsome young official and somehow thought of the shameful things that had happened on the pleasure boat that night. Her body felt weak and powerless. She slowly leaned over, resting half of her body on Fan Xian's shoulder, massaging him with her fingers as she whispered, "All the women in this world have hard lives. I don't know how Master plans to take it."

That night on the pleasure boat, Fan Xian had used aphrodisiacs, so Si Lili's reaction was extremely strong, and she remembered it vividly. Later, she was subjected to Fan Xian's merciless torture in prison. Besides hating him, she also felt some strange emotions.

Fan Xian noticed a softness against his right shoulder, which was undoubtedly Si Lili. Thinking that she was trying to seduce him, he took a deep breath to calm his mind. However, he inhaled a breath of the girl's alluring fragrance, and his heart fluttered. He turned his head and said with a smile, "Where did that Si Ling go?"

"Still locked up in the capital," Si Lili said, her face expressionless. It seemed that Si Ling was not her real family.

Fan Xian was even more curious about what methods Chen Pingping had used to make Si Lili listen to the Supervisory Council. He thought for a moment and then frowned, asking, "You are not an unfortunate person, at least the young Emperor of Northern Qi still misses you."

Si Lili frowned slightly and sighed, saying, "Relying on beauty to serve others, how can that last?"

"That's what I'm a bit confused about," Fan Xian said with a smile. "I wonder if you could tell me about your past with the Emperor of Northern Qi in detail. That way, it will be easier for us to arrange for you to enter the palace after we get to Shangjing."

In Fan Xian's view, the so-called "Red Sleeve" plan was just a version of Xi Shi entering Wu. From the contents of this secret agreement, it could be seen that the Emperor of Northern Qi truly had some affection for Si Lili, otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically emphasized wanting to exchange her back. However, Si Lili's background was somewhat humble. Even if Northern Qi respected Si Lili for her contributions to the country, it was only respect. Compared to Qing, Northern Qi paid more attention to lineage and would never allow a woman who had once been a prostitute to enter the palace.

Si Lili didn't seem willing to talk about those past events, she just lowered her head and said softly, "Master Fan doesn't need to worry, as long as you send me to Shangjing, the Emperor of Northern Qi will naturally take care of the rest."

……

……

The carriage fell silent again. Fan Xian sat next to the woman, smelling the faint fragrance. For some reason, he felt a little regretful for having let go of her fingers earlier. He sat quietly for a while, then slowly opened his mouth and said, "Then rest well."

Unexpectedly, Si Lili also spoke at the same time, "Master, do you want me to continue rubbing?"

……

……

"Alright," Fan Xian answered extremely quickly.

"Okay," Si Lili's answer contained a hint of disappointment.

After this strange exchange ended, the two realized that the atmosphere in the carriage had become a bit awkward. They both seemed to have vaguely sensed something, and a warmth began to gradually ferment, making the air warmer.

Si Lili bit her lower lip again, kneeling on the cushion with her hands pressing on Fan Xian's shoulders, secretly exerting force. She thought to herself that she just didn't want to be alone in the carriage, so she was willingly debasing herself to serve...this enemy.

Fan Xian smiled, feeling the softness of the woman's body behind him. He wondered why this woman was not only not resentful, but was deliberately trying to please him. Could it be...she had fallen in love with him? As soon as this guess came out, Fan Xian quickly slapped himself in the face, warning himself that although he was like Pan An, he was not an astonishing person who spread aphrodisiac essence.

Why did he also want to stay in Si Lili's carriage? Fan Xian frowned, trying to find an answer to convince himself. Perhaps it was because he felt a faint unease about going to Northern Qi, perhaps it was because Xiao En was too ugly, perhaps it was...actually, it was nothing. He was a normal man, and Si Lili was a beautiful woman whose naked body he had once caressed. It was perfectly normal to want to be with her.

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Fan Xian didn't linger in the gentle embrace. He considered himself a lecherous person, but also a person of firm will. He would never be unable to extricate himself from a gentle trap. He only let Si Lili massage him to relieve some of his fatigue before getting off the carriage.

Wang Qinian greeted him and walked beside him towards the rear of the envoy's convoy, whispering, "Master, be careful of the spies around. After all, Si Lili is going to be sent to the Emperor of Northern Qi in the future. If Master wants to stay in the carriage for so long in the future, this subordinate should clear the field first, so as to prevent any rumors from spreading to Shangjing and affecting Master's subsequent plans."

Fan Xian knew that his confidant had misunderstood, but he didn't explain anything. He just rubbed his temples lightly.