Niao Ni
Chapter 192 Si Lili's Secret
Si Lili was taken aback, looking at Fan Xian, who had arrived uninvited after many days. She didn't know what to think. Hearing this abrupt question, she felt even more inexplicable. She smiled slightly and said, "Even ants cling to life, let alone this humble woman."
Fan Xian didn't like to hear her call herself "this humble woman," but she insisted on doing so today, still acting like a young girl. After all, she wasn't a truly seasoned female spy.
The carriage started moving forward again, swaying slightly. He took the opportunity to sit next to Si Lili. Si Lili subtly moved away, seemingly wanting to keep her distance. Fan Xian frowned and said directly, "There's poison in your body. I believe you don't know it."
Si Lili's eyes were clear and bright. She stared at Fan Xian's eyes, and after a long silence, she said quietly, "Is that true?"
"I see you don't seem very surprised."
"Having survived my time in prison, what else can surprise me?" Si Lili said with a hint of self-deprecation, sighing softly. This sigh was very alluring. "Lord Fan is skilled in using poison. Since you say there's poison in my body, then it must be true. The Qing Kingdom's Overwatch Council always has means to control me. I guessed as much."
Fan Xian looked at the woman's beautiful face, speechless for a long time. In fact, since arriving in the capital, none of the women he had seen around him could match Si Lili in terms of charm and allure.
"This isn't a means to control you," Fan Xian explained with a smile. "It's a means to deal with the Emperor of Northern Qi."
Si Lili could no longer pretend to be calm. She covered her lips with her hand in surprise. After a long while, she said anxiously, "What do you mean?"
Fan Xian watched her reaction, and for some reason, he felt a faint discomfort in his heart. Although he had anticipated her reaction, the fact that the young Emperor still held some importance in Si Lili's heart... He smiled slightly, and replied calmly, "This poison will infect the Emperor of Northern Qi through your body."
Si Lili stared at his eyes, suddenly biting her lip and said with resentment, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I know you want to change this, before you achieve your goal." Fan Xian smiled gently, "So I hope you can tell me, what method did Chen Pingping use to control you?"
Si Lili fell silent, not answering his question. Instead, she smiled radiantly and said, "Very well, since Lord Fan has told me, I will naturally have a way to detoxify it when I go to Shangjing. Thank you very much."
Fan Xian smiled mockingly and said, "Although this poison isn't strong, besides me, probably only the imperial physicians in the palace have the means to detoxify it. Could it be that you can tell the Northern Qi royal family that you're carrying this poison in your private parts? If you really do that, no matter how much affection the Emperor of Northern Qi has for you, I'm afraid you won't be able to enter the palace in this lifetime."
Si Lili said stubbornly, "What if I don't enter the palace? At worst, your Overwatch Council's 'Rouge Association' plan will fail. What does it have to do with me?"
Fan Xian finally became angry and scolded, "I told you, I don't like hearing the word 'humble woman'."
For some reason, Si Lili's eyes turned red. Looking at Fan Xian, she gritted her teeth and said fiercely, "But in your heart, am I not even inferior to a slave?"
Fan Xian looked at the red-light district singer's delicate face, his brow furrowing even tighter. He wanted to judge what she was truly thinking deep down, and after a long silence, he said quietly, "I think Miss Si should understand the current situation. Your life, at least for now, is unlikely to be completely under your control... As for the future, that's a matter for the future. And I think you haven't thought about those very... absurd things."
"Absurd things?" Si Lili looked at him with a sneer. "Indeed, it's very absurd. Lord and I are just a pair of men and women who occasionally meet on the road of life. Mutual exploitation is more realistic and reliable than mutual warmth."
"I'm very glad that Miss understands this," Fan Xian replied calmly.
"Why are you so curious about the agreement between me and Chen Pingping?" Si Lili secretly turned her back, quietly wiping the corners of her eyes with the corner of her clothes, then regained her composure. Smiling like the first bloom of flowers, she said softly, "You are the Head Official of the Overwatch Council. You should know the details of the Rouge Association very well."
Fan Xian mocked himself and said, "I know the plans for the White Rouge Association very well. I just don't know how Director Chen managed to persuade you." He paused and then said, "Since Miss knows that she is just a pitiful pawn used by Chen Pingping to spread poison, why don't you tell me the whole story?"
"What benefit would I get from telling you?"
Si Lili forced herself to remain calm, looking at the young, handsome, and sunny face in front of her. She hated him in her heart. For some reason, during this short journey, she had gradually become enamored with the occasional innocent smile on this face. But when she thought of his previous ruthless and indifferent words, hatred rose in her heart. She said coldly, "Can you give me what Chen Pingping can give me?"
"Chen Pingping is old, I'm still young."
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...
After saying this, both Fan Xian and Si Lili felt that it was inappropriate. It was supposed to be a very serious negotiation of interests, but it seemed to have inexplicably taken on a hint of ambiguous flirting.
What Chen Pingping can give me, can you give me?
Chen Pingping is old, I'm still young.
A faint fragrance of gardenias filled the carriage. Fan Xian coughed twice, and the blush on Si Lili's face flashed by. These men and women actually had guilty consciences. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so embarrassed by these ordinary two sentences. Si Lili rolled her eyes, as if she had understood this. It seemed that Fan Xian still had some gentlemanly admiration for her. She couldn't help but smile slightly, revealing a hint of proud shyness.
Fan Xian coughed twice again and explained, "Actually, I can guess a little. Miss is planning something big, but Chen Pingping is old after all. He might die in two years. If Miss is willing to cooperate with me, I think the chances of success might be greater."
Si Lili felt slightly annoyed, but she still suppressed her anger. After thinking for a while, she said, "Lord Fan hasn't told me what benefits I can get."
"I will detoxify you. Once I am able to take charge of the Overwatch Council in the future, I will definitely use the power of the Northern Territory to fully assist Miss in climbing up the ladder in the Northern Qi Imperial Palace."
Si Lili shook her head and sneered, "The countries are separated, the Qing Kingdom is strong, and the Overwatch Council's secret agents are powerful, but they can't reach into the Northern Qi Imperial Palace. Besides, who told you that what I want is a position in the Northern Qi Imperial Palace?"
Fan Xian was speechless for a moment.
Suddenly, Si Lili's eyes flashed with a clear light. She beckoned her hand, like calling a pet, and said charmingly with a smile, "Lord, come closer. This matter must not be heard by others."
Fan Xian smiled wryly, knowing that this woman wanted to vent the resentment of being neglected these days. He smiled and leaned his ear over, and before he could hear her voice, he felt a warm breath on his earlobe. His heart warmed, and the faint fragrance of her body entered his nostrils. But he was immediately shocked by the following content.
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After a long time, the young man and woman separated. Si Lili looked at Fan Xian with a smile that was not a smile, and said softly, "I risked everything to tell Lord Fan this agreement. May I ask, can you help me complete this agreement?"
Fan Xian's brow furrowed into mountains. Still unable to shake off his shock, he shook his head and said, "I don't believe it. What kind of person is Chen Pingping? Even if he has this idea, he wouldn't tell you."
Si Lili smiled mockingly and said, "Since even you don't believe it, he's naturally not afraid of me spreading it around. Anyway, no one in the world will believe that the old cripple has such thoughts in his heart."
Fan Xian thought for a moment, and then understood the whole story. He smiled and said, "So that's how it is." He looked at Si Lili and suddenly said, "Earlier, there were rumors in the capital that Miss Si was a descendant of a certain royal family at the beginning of the founding of the country. Originally, the people of Kyoto just thought that this was a means for Miss to raise her own status, but now it seems... it's probably true."
Si Lili slowly closed her eyes. After a long time, she said softly, "My real name is Li Lisi."
Fan Xian smiled as he looked at her smooth chin, unable to resist gently stroking his fingers. He sighed and said, "No wonder the Emperor of Northern Qi doesn't care about your identity. No wonder you're willing to be used by Chen Pingping. But I have to advise you, you're a young lady, too tender compared to those gloomy old poisonous snakes. Be careful. If you can settle down in the Northern Qi Imperial Palace, put aside the plan with Chen Pingping first and ignore him."
Si Lili looked into his eyes, slightly surprised and a little touched. She smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Lord. But I have already said the contents of the agreement. I wonder when Lord will detoxify me."
Fan Xian smiled and said, "Starting tomorrow, I need to prepare some materials. Also... after this envoy mission is over, I will find a way to take over from the Council... the safety of Miss's younger brother, or rather, the safety of that Heir. Please rest assured, under my watch, the Heir will not secretly slip from Northern Qi to Qing Kingdom again."
Si Lili was silent, stood up in the narrow carriage, and gave Fan Xian a difficult curtsy.
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In the carriage in front, Xiao En's head of white hair was tied tightly like steel thorns. The old man sat silently in his chair, his hands forming a strange posture, like a lotus flower about to bloom. The little finger of his left hand was slightly raised, touching the edge of the foul-smelling chamber pot.
Xiao En's majestic internal energy slowly circulated. A faint fishy smell covered the strange smell in the carriage. A drop of thick, black, viscous liquid was forced out from his gradually repaired meridians, flowing slowly along the tip of his little fingernail and into the chamber pot.