The Beauties Agony (part 3)

It was a hot summer day, and Fan Li didn't go to court. He was in his study room when Ying came to see him.

"Minister Fan, I just composed a song. I don't know if it's good or not. Please, listen to it and tell me what do you think about it!"

Fan Li nodded and said, "Ying, you're such a diligent girl! I'm proud of you!"

Ying put her lute and started to play the song she just composed. It was a beautiful song.

Fan Li listened to the song, and he could feel the sentiment of the song. He observed the girl who was playing her lute in front of her.

Ying finished her song and raised her head only to find out that Fan Li was observing her. She unconsciously blushed and lowered her head again and asked, "Minister Fan, what do you think about my song?"

"It's a wonderful song. Indeed, you are a talented girl!"

"You are flattering me, Minister Fan," Ying said. She's unconsciously blushed, and her eyes showed a kind of happiness and admiration toward Fan Li.

Fan Li was not an inexperienced young man. Although she didn't say anything, he could tell that the young girl was falling in love with him from her song and her eyes.

"Alright, I am busy! You could leave now," Fan Li said. He knew that he'd better not playing with her heart.

Ying looked a bit upset as she wished she could spend more time with Fan Li. She always felt happy when she's with Fan Li. Yet she smiled and complied, left the study room to go to the back garden where she used to spend time reading books.

Not long after Ying left, Xi Shi also came to see Fan Li, and they both had a long conversation. Although Fan Li knew that Xi Shi was much younger than him, and also she would go to Wu, but he couldn't help falling in love with her. It was the same kind of feeling for Xi Shi. She knew that her relationship with Fan Li would go nowhere, yet she still liked him.

In the afternoon, Fan Li took Xi Shi to the back garden, where he had a fish pond.

"Look at those fat fishes!" Xi Shi disbelieved what she saw how big and fat those fishes in the pond. "How could you grow such a big fish in a pond?"

Fan Li laughed, "Fish breeding is my hobby! Who knows that in my retirement life, I would become a fish farmer and make a lot of money!"

Xi Shi said, "Minister Fan, you're such a man who enjoys your life!"

"You have a lot of money already," Xi Shi said.

"Hmm, when you make money, you don't keep it for yourself. But for your next generations and other people!" Fan Li said.

"But, you are all alone and have no family at this moment!"

Fan Li laughed and said, "I have not found any woman who wants to be my wife!"

"Hmm, but I know that many girls like you!"

"Who? How do you know?"

"Many of the girls here under your training adore you and like you. Don't you see how they treat you nicely and differently?"

"If you mean, your sisters who are here under my training, then you should know that they treat me nicely since they hope that I would be kind to them and select them to be Fuchai's women!"

"Probably you are right!" Xi Shi paused a moment and continued, "But I know one girl who treats you nicely although she doesn't want to be Fuchai's woman."

Fan Li could guess who she was talking about. Yet he pretended and asked, "Really? All the girls here are the chosen, beautiful talented girls. I don't think that I'm lucky enough to get attention from any of the girls here!"

Xi Shi covered her mouth and giggled, said, "Minister Fan, stop pretending! Don't tell me that you don't know how Ying likes you and adore you!"

Fan Li shook his head said, "She has never said that she likes me!"

"But you can tell from her eyes when she's staring at you," Xi Shi said. There's a jealous tone in her voice.

Fan Li didn't answer and only sighed.

"You also like her, don't you?"

"Ying is a smart girl and very beautiful," Fan Li said. "Who doesn't like that kind of beauty?"

Hearing that statement, Xi Shi's eyes started to teary, and she turned her body away to leave the place.

Fan Li pulled her hand and said, "Where are you going? Why are you crying, silly girl?"

Xi Shi lowered her head and, in a low voice, said, "You like Ying, don't you? You like her better than me since she's more beautiful than me!"

"Silly girl," Fan Li wiped her tears. "Even if she's more beautiful than you, but that doesn't mean that I like her."

"Recently, you spend a lot of time with her," Xi Shi said in a sad tone.

"Ying is a studious girl. She often comes to see me ask and discuss a lot of things. It is not a heart to heart conversation like what we have," Fan Li sighed.

"You often observe her!"

"She's under my training. Of course, I often observe her!"

Xi Shi frowned, "Now you admit that you are admiring her!" Although she and Ying were friends, yet she felt unhappy knowing the man that she liked admiring Ying.

"Although she might be the most beautiful girl in the world. But for me, you are my everything!"

Xi Shi dumbfounded. She was right. Her love for him was not unrequited.

Xi Shi looked at Fan Li with her teary eyes. For a moment, both of them said nothing. Then she broke the silence said, "Minister Fan, if I could choose, then I prefer to be here and serve you as a slave for the rest of my life rather than to go to Wu!"

Fan Li looked at Xi Shi and realized how heavy his heart was. He loved the girl in front of her, but he knew that's impossible.

"Xi Shi, I wish that you could be here with me too. Accompany until we grow old with white hair. But it's impossible since this is not for me to decide! The king, the queen, and the other ministers will choose the best two girls among ten of you. "

"Minister Fan, don't overthink. I just want you to answer my question."

Fan Li stared at Xi Shi with such loving eyes. He might try to conceal his feeling toward her. Yet his eyes could not lie.

"Tell me, Minister Fan, do you …truly love me?"

Fan Li paused for a moment and said, "I love you!"

Hearing that statement, Xi Shi threw herself on Fan Li's embrace. "Minister Fan, take me as your woman!"

Fan Li hugged her and caressed her hair. His heart was troubled as he knew that Xi Shi had to go to Wu. But how could he just let the woman he loved to be with another man?

Meanwhile, behind the big stone in the garden, another girl wiped her tears. It was Ying. She was in the garden reading her book and fell asleep when Fan Li and Xi Shi went to the garden. She heard all of their conversations and her heart became heavy.