JOY OF LIFE

[VOLUME 2] chapter 99: Sweet Words

The damp air, mixed with the fishy scent of blood, was beginning to ferment at the end of the corridor outside the prisoner's cell. The man and woman who had exchanged insincere affection in bed just a month ago had long since switched roles. Fan Xian looked at this miserable woman and frowned slightly. At first he had thought that she was the kind of woman that they wrote about in novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and that they could do wonderful things together, or that he could take her home like the poet Bai Juyi. Who would have thought that the story would end so hastily; before it had even started? But there was little to regret. Since she had wanted to kill him, if he had shown too much sympathy, as Fei Jie had warned him years ago, that would be extremely irresponsible, not just for himself but for those around him.

Their bitter glares met each other. "I think life is something you should grasp hold of if you can," explained Fan Xian calmly. "I gave you the poison, but you should know that your death would be of no benefit to me, so there's no need to look at me like that. I still pity you, but I don't feel guilty in the slightest. Your people crushed three of my guards' skulls like watermelons. Who would feel guilty about your death?"

He waved his hand. "Perhaps you don't believe me. I once despised Heaven, and thought that all the good things in life would always come to a miserable end. If hate was of any use, then my hate would have pierced a million holes in Heaven. So I finally understood, when you are still able to take control of your own health, you should be happy that you still have more days left to live."

Si Lili remained silent. She simply lifted her wounded hands to stop them from touching the rough grass on the floor.

"Think about it, Miss Si. No one's life is that important in this world," said Fan Xian calmly. "You are a subject of the Kingdom of Qing, but you are giving your life for Northern Qi. You're giving up so much. I don't think it's for the money, but for revenge. I don't know if the rumors about you in the capital are true, but if you want to do something about it, then you have to save your own life. And if you want to live, you're going to have to pay the price."

Si Lili suddenly lifted her head, though the light in her eyes had dimmed, like a fire burning deep within a tomb. She was never going to be willing to let it burn out. After a long time, she finally spoke through gritted teeth. "How can you make sure that I'll stay alive?"

Fan Xian was surprised. He knelt down beside her. "You came back to the capital today, and today I'm able to be here to investigate you in the Celestial Prison. You can guess at what my position is in the Overwatch Council."

Si Lili weakly shook her head. "Do you think I can believe you?"

"It has nothing to do with belief," said Fan Xian gently. "This is a gamble, but right now, you're only a passive part of it. Because you don't get to choose between life and death."

Si Lili's gaze wandered helplessly. It seemed like her emotions had gotten the best of her. For some reason, she turned to look at Fan Xian's handsome face. But when she thought of the night that the two had spent in the pleasure boat, an inexplicable hatred arose in her heart. Like a lunatic, she threw herself at him and spat in his face.

Fan Xian moved sideways to avoid it. He was astonished. It was clear that this woman was softening toward him. How could she suddenly act this way? He did not know that no matter whether it was in his previous life or in this one, no matter what their occupation, women's thoughts were elusive. They were as treacherous as the seafloor and as hard to get a hold of as climbing on rocks.

Fan Xian felt rather annoyed. His brow wrinkled tightly, and his face shifted from one expression to the next. It was unclear what he was thinking. He thought of the official who had killed himself the night before, and of the one in Wuzhou who he feared was already dead. He knew that this woman was ruthless and quick. If he wanted to capture the person who had really targeted him, it seemed he only had Si Lili's say-so to go on. If her confession came too late, he feared that the people linked to her would also be dead, or would have already escaped. And it seemed that there was not enough time to break down this Northern Qi spy using torture. Unfortunately, what Fan Xian needed now was time. Even if he tried to stall for time, who knew what might happen?