Chapter 4 Chapter Four

Today is Friday, and 8 pm is the broadcast time of "Elia Capital Report". Although it is not mandatory to watch, everyone does not want to miss it. Even the homeless eighth grade will find a store or go to The church reads "Report".Especially now that the selection of Fei has started, it is even more necessary to read the "Report". Everyone wants to know the progress of this matter. "Do you think they will announce the shortlist today?" Xiaomei asked with her mouth full of mashed potatoes. "No, baby. Girls who meet the criteria still have nine days to submit the application form, and it will take at least two weeks before the list will come out." Mom's voice is now calmer than ever, and she finally got what she wanted A state of total relaxation after stuff.

"Ah! I really can't wait!" Xiaomei complained. Can't she wait?That's my application! "Your mom told me you've been waiting in line for a long time." I was surprised that Dad jumped into the conversation. "Yeah," I replied, "I didn't expect there to be so many girls. I think all the girls in the province have submitted their forms. I don't understand why it takes nine days." Dad giggled: "Do you think it's funny to see the competitors?" "I don't have time to watch it, I leave the fun to my mother." This is my sincere words.

She nodded approvingly: "I saw it, I couldn't help it. I think America is still very good, elegant and natural. You are so beautiful, baby. If they are really selected, not randomly selected If you do, you have a better chance of standing out than I thought before." "I'm not sure," I could only be evasive. "There was a girl with red lips painted so much that it looked as if she could bleed. Maybe the prince likes this kind of thing." Everyone laughed, and my mother and I continued to tell everyone about the strange costumes in the team. Xiaomei was fascinated by listening, and Gerald only smiled occasionally.Sometimes it's easy to forget that Gerald has come to understand the world he lives in, the stresses of life as a family.

At eight o'clock, we all crowded into the living room, turned on the TV, and tuned to the public channel.Dad sat in his seat, Mom sat on the couch with Gerald on her lap, May next to her, and I stretched out on the floor.This channel is the only free-to-air channel, so anyone in the eighth rank can watch it if they can afford a TV. The national anthem is played.I've always loved our national anthem, maybe it's childish, but it's definitely one of my favorite songs to sing. A group photo of the royal family appeared on the screen, and then there was a picture of King Clarkson standing in front of the podium, and the camera cut to the side, his advisers were sitting in their seats with progress reports on infrastructure and environmental issues. There are several things to announce.On the left hand side of the shot are the Queen and Prince Maxson, who are still elegantly dressed and sitting on the throne, looking aloof.

"Yami, look at your boyfriend!" Xiaomei's words made everyone laugh. I looked at Maxson hard, he should be considered handsome, although he was not at all as good-looking as Aspen.With honey-colored hair and brown eyes, he looks sunny and summery, which may be attractive to some.His hair was short and neatly groomed, and a gray suit fitted him perfectly. His sitting posture is stiff, whether it is the too perfect hairstyle or the too upright suit, it reveals his restraint everywhere.The whole person looks like an oil painting, not like a real person.I even feel sorry for the girl who ends up marrying him, what a boring life that will be.

I then observed his mother, who looked calm and sat upright, but not indifferent.It suddenly occurred to me that she didn't grow up in the palace like the king and Prince Maxson, she was originally a commoner woman in the beloved Kingdom of Ilia, maybe she was like me now. The king is already speaking, but I really want to know. "Mom?" I said softly, trying not to disturb Dad. "Ok?" "Queen... what is she originally? I mean her rank." My mother smiled at my curiosity: "The fourth level." fourth grade.So, she probably worked in a factory, a shop, or a farm before she was an adult.I'm curious about her life before, was she also born in a big family, and she shouldn't have to worry about starvation when she grows up?Were her friends jealous when she was chosen?If I have friends too, will they be jealous of me?

This is really a ridiculous idea, how could I be selected. I diverted my attention and concentrated on listening to the king. "This morning, there was another attack in New Asia, which destroyed our base and temporarily reduced our army numbers compared to the enemy army. However, the new round of conscription next month makes us very confident that morale will improve immediately. Yes, not to mention that fresh blood can enhance our combat effectiveness." I hate war.Unfortunately, we are a newly formed country, and we must be wary of anyone. This land really cannot withstand another round of invasions.

Then the king mentions the latest rebel sweep, then the finance team gives an update on the debt, and the infrastructure team unveils a two-year plan to rebuild highways, some of which haven't been built since World War IV .The last person to speak was the Minister of State Affairs. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the Kingdom of Elijah. You should all know that the notice to sign up for the contest has been mailed to everyone recently, and we have counted the number of people who signed up for the first round. I am happy to announce , thousands of beautiful Ilya girls have already submitted applications!"

Prince Maxson in the background moved in his seat. Is he nervous? "On behalf of the Royal Family I thank you for your passion and patriotism. If it goes well, our beloved prince will start the new year with the choice of a beautiful, talented and wise Lady Ilya and we can celebrate them Happy engagement!" The consultants sitting in the back applauded in unison, and Maxson smiled, but looked awkward.After the applause, the Minister of Affairs went on to announce: "Of course, we will broadcast a lot of programs about Xuanfei, let everyone know these young ladies, and even broadcast a special program of their lives in the palace. Hosting this series is particularly exciting. The candidate for the show, of course, is Gavriel Fade!"

Then there was a sporadic applause, but this time it was my mother and Xiaomei who applauded.Gavriel Fade is a legend, and for the past twenty years or so, he has covered the Thanksgiving parades, Christmas shows, and other big and small spectacles at the Royal Palace. Saw other people being able to interview royals and royal family and friends. "Oh, America, you can meet Gavriel!" Mom was already humming in excitement. "He's coming up!" Xiaomei waved her arms excitedly. Sure enough, it was Gavriel, wearing a straight blue suit, and walked into the recording studio leisurely.He might be in his late fifties, but he always looked so fresh.As he walked across the stage, the lights caught a golden glint on the pins of his lapel, as bright as the strong syllables of my piano.

"Good evening, Kingdom of Elijah!" he sang. "I must say, it's a great honor to be a part of this pageant. I've been lucky enough to meet thirty-five beautiful girls! What fool wouldn't want my What about work?" He winked at the audience in front of the camera, "but before meeting these lovely girls, I would like to invite the leading man, our Prince Maxson, to come up and say a few words." Meanwhile Maxson walked across the carpeted stage to the chairs reserved for him and Gavriel.He tugged on his tie and adjusted his suit like he needed to be super presentable.Then he shook hands with Gavriel, sat down in the chair facing him, and picked up the phone.The chair was tall, and Maxson seemed much more comfortable with his foot on one of the middle legs. "Nice to see you again, Your Highness." "Thank you, Gavriel, I am also very happy." Maxson's voice was as calm as his whole body, and his whole body exuded a very restrained aura.Just thinking about being in the same room with him makes me frown. "How do you feel about having thirty-five women in your home within a month?" Maxson smiled: "To be honest, I have a bit of a headache. With so many guests, it will definitely be quite noisy, but I'm still looking forward to it." "Then have you learned from your beloved father? How did he win the hearts of beauties back then?" Maxson and Gavriel both looked in the direction of the king and queen, who were captured on camera holding hands, smiling and looking so in love with each other.But then again, how much can we ordinary people know? "I really haven't asked. You know, the war situation in New Asia is getting worse and worse, so my father and I have been busy with the work of war preparations, and we haven't had time to talk about the girls." Mom and Xiaomei both laughed, maybe it was a little funny. "I don't have much time and I want to ask one last question. What is the ideal girl in your head?" Maxson showed a slightly surprised expression, although it was not obvious, he seemed to blush a little. "Honestly, I don't know. I think this is the beauty of choosing Fei. Every woman selected is unique, whether it's appearance, preferences, or personality. In the process of their contact, I hope to find the answer and find a partner that suits me." Maxson smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness, that's really good. On behalf of the people of Ilya, I wish you all the best." Gavriel shook hands with the prince again as a farewell. "Thank you," Maxson responded.The camera doesn't move away from him right away, so he can be seen looking at his parents, seeking affirmation of his answer.The camera has cut back to Gavriel's face, so there's no way of knowing how the king and queen reacted. "Tonight's program can only come to an end. Thank you for watching "Ilia Capital Report". See you next week!" Just like that, the ending music sounded, and the ending credits began to roll. "America and Maxson are sitting together under the tree." Xiaomei hummed a ditty. Although I picked up the pillow and hit her, I couldn't help laughing at the scene.Maxson was so dull and quiet that it was hard to imagine anyone being happy with such a coward. For the next night, I tried my best to ignore Xiaomei's teasing, and finally had to hide in my room.Just thinking about being with Maxson makes me sick.Xiaomei's ridicule lingered in my mind, making it difficult for me to sleep. There was a sound that woke me up, but I couldn't tell what it was. I tried to stay still and only used my eyes to scan the room for anyone. Tap, tap, tap. I slowly turned my head to look at the window, and it was Aspen who was outside, grinning at me.I got out of bed, walked lightly to the door of the room, closed the door, and locked it, then went back to the bed, unlocked the window, and opened the window carefully. As Aspen crawled in and walked over to my bed, I felt a rush of heat, but it wasn't summer heat. "What are you doing here?" I lowered my voice and couldn't help smiling in the dark. "I have to see you." He wrapped his arms around me, breathed on my face, and pulled me to lie down.We lay side by side on the bed. "I have a lot to tell you, Aspen." "Shh, don't talk yet. If someone hears it, it will be terrible. Just let me see you." I had to be obedient and lie there quietly. Aspen looked into my eyes deeply. After seeing enough, he put his nose on my neck, put his hands on my waist, and kept going up and down Walk.I could feel his breathing getting heavier, drawing me to follow him. His lips between my neck began to kiss my skin, causing me to breathe heavily, completely uncontrollably.Aspen's lips kissed from my chin all the way up to mine, effectively stifling my sigh.I hugged him tightly, and the quick caresses made us sweat profusely on a hot and humid summer night. This is a beautiful stolen moment. Aspen's lips finally slowed down, and I didn't stop at all.But I know we need to stay sober. If we go any further and leave evidence, we will all go to jail. Here's another reason people get married early: the wait is just too much. "I should go." He said softly. "But I want you to stay here." I put my lips on his ear, smelling his soap again. "America Singer, one day you'll fall asleep in my arms and wake up in my kisses." I bit my lip at the thought. "But now that I'm leaving, I can't push myself." I sighed and relaxed my arms.He is right. "I love you, America." "I love you, Aspen." These secret times will carry me through all the troubles: when my mother is disappointed that I am not selected; when I work hard to save money for Aspen; When facing all disputes together.As long as Aspen is around, none of that is a problem.