Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

When I woke up the next morning, my eyelids felt extremely heavy.I rubbed my eyes and thought, after telling Maxon everything, I felt relieved.This palace, which looks like a beautiful cage, is actually a place where I can be honest. McKesson's promise last night reassures me that I'm safe here.It would take him weeks, if not months, to choose one of the thirty-five women.And time and space are what I need most now, although I don't know if I can completely forget Aspen.My mother said that first love is the most unforgettable, but with such a period of time to heal, I may be able to take everything lightly.

My maids didn't ask about my swollen eyes, I watched them swallow the question.They didn't ask me why my hair was so messy, they just came to comb it for me.I appreciate their efforts to hold back their curiosity, it helps me a lot, it's not like at home where my family can see my grief and do nothing about it.Here, I can feel that they all care about me and worry about what I have been through, and take care of me even more. It's halfway through the morning and I'm finally ready to start the day.Today is Saturday, and there are no plans or agendas, but we are all asked to stay in the women's space.The palace receives foreign guests every Saturday, and they said that these guests might want to see us.I'm personally on the dark side of things, but one thing makes me happy to at least be able to wear my new pants.These are some of the best fitting pants I've ever owned, and, now that I'm on such a good relationship with Maxon, I hope he'll let me take them with me when I leave.

The exhaustion of last night made me go downstairs very slowly.Before walking to the women's space, I could already hear the girls chatting inside.As soon as I walked in, Marie immediately pulled me into two chairs at the back of the room. "You're here at last! I've been waiting for you," she said. "Sorry, Mary, I was a little late last night and slept in a bit in the morning." She turned to look at me, probably sensing the sadness in my voice, but she turned her attention to my jeans sweetly: "It's so pretty." "Yeah, I've never had pants of such quality." My voice brightened a little.I decided to stick to the old rules: Aspen can't be here.I want to get the thought of him out of my mind and focus on my second favorite person in the palace, "I kept you waiting, what do you want to talk about?"

Mary hesitated, biting her lower lip as we sat down.There is no one else around, she must have a secret. "Actually, now, after thinking about it, I think it's better not to tell you. Sometimes, I always forget that we are competitors." Oh, her secret has something to do with Maxson, so I need to hear it all the more. "I know how you feel, Mary. I think we could be close friends. I can't think of you as a rival, you know?" "Yeah, I think you're really nice, and the people like you so much. I mean, you're probably going to win..." She was a little deflated as she said the thought.

I had to work hard to resist the urge to laugh and make faces at her statement. "Mary, can I tell you a secret?" I said with the utmost sincerity in my voice, hoping she would believe me. "Of course, America. Whatever it is." "I don't know who's going to win in the end, but seriously, it could be anyone in this room. I guess, everyone will think it's me, but I know in my heart, if it can't be me, then I hope it's you. You are very generous and beautiful, and I think you will make a great Faye Wong. Really." These are basically true words.

"I think you're smart and chic," she whispered, "and you'll be a great Faye Wong." I put my head down.She's such a sweetheart, thinks of me so well.However, every time someone praises me, I feel a little unnatural...Xiaomei, Kenna, my maids...it's hard to believe how many people really think that I am Faye Wong material.Am I the only one who sees my flaws?I'm not elegant, I don't have the air of a leader or a clear mind.I'm selfish, I have a bad temper, and I don't like being the center of attention.I'm not brave either, and this job requires a lot of courage.This is also the real meaning of the term Faye Wong, which not only represents a marriage relationship, but also a position.

"I do think a lot of girls are pretty good," she admits, "everyone has their specialties, and they're all better than me." "That's it, Mary. You can find something special in every girl in this room. But who knows what Maxon is looking for?" She shook her head. "So let's worry less about that. You can tell me anything you want, and I'll help you if you promise to keep my secret. I'll cheer you up, and if you want, you can I'll do my best. It would be a great thing to have friends here." She laughed and looked around to make sure no one could hear what we were saying.

"Maxon and I dated," she said softly. "Really?" I asked.I know I'm probably looking too excited, but I just can't help it.I'd love to know if he can relax around her and if he likes her. "He sent a letter to my maid asking if I could see him on Thursday." Mary said, and I laughed too, thinking that I would have sent a letter like this between him and me, but then decided to abandon it. Formal communication method, "I wrote back and said yes, of course. Dare I still refuse him! He came to pick me up, and then we walked around the palace. We talked about movies and found that there are many movies we like, so we Went to the basement, have you seen the cinema below?"

"No." Actually, I haven't even been to a movie theater, so I really look forward to her speaking soon. "Oh that's awesome! The seats are all roomy with reclining backs and they make popcorn and they have a machine. Maxon stands there and makes us some! That's so cute, ya Melika, he miscalculated the oil temperature and burned the first pot, so he called someone to clean up the broken ones and do it again." I rolled my eyes.That's great, McKesson, that's great.Luckily, Mary thought it was cute behavior. "Then we watched the movie together and he took my hand when we saw the romantic ending! I felt like I was going to pass out. Although I held his arm when we walked together, it was just a habit How to do it. And at that moment, he took my hand..." She sighed and leaned back in the chair relaxed.

I giggled and she was completely smitten.Great! "I can't wait for the next time he visits me. How handsome he is, don't you think?" she asked. I paused: "Yeah, he's cute." "Don't do that, America! You must have noticed those eyes, and that voice..." "Except when he laughs!" I can't help laughing at the thought of his laugh, it's cute and weird, he exhales forcefully, inhales intermittently, the breathing itself is very much like laughter. "Yeah, well, his laugh is kind of weird, but it's also cute." "If you like hearing a cute, asthmatic laugh every time you tell a joke, that's fine."

Mary could bear it no longer, and bent over laughing. "Okay, okay." She straightened up and took a breath, "You will definitely see the attractiveness in him." I opened and closed my mouth two or three times, impulsively wanting to continue teasing Maxon, but not wanting Marie to think negatively about him, so I gave her question some serious thought. What is so attractive about McKesson? "Well, when he puts his guard down, he seems so easy-going. He's also quite outspoken, and sometimes, you can catch him staring at something, like...like he's looking for beauty in it .” Mary's smile told me she saw it in him too. And what I love is that whenever he's there, he's really into it, you know?Even if he wants to govern the country, there are a thousand things waiting for him to deal with, but when he is with you, he is wholehearted and devoted to the people and things in front of him.I like that about him. "And...well, don't tell anyone, his arms...I like his arms." Those last few words made me blush.How stupid... I'll just talk about his obvious advantages, luckily, Mary is happy to talk about it. "Yes! You can feel it under such a thick suit jacket, right? He must be strong." Mary couldn't help saying. "I'm curious, what's the use of being so strong? He's just doing paperwork. It's weird." "Perhaps he likes to look at his muscles in the mirror," said Mary, making a face and holding up her tiny arms. "Haha! It must be. You can ask him!" "No way!" It sounds like a good date for Mary.I'm curious why Maxson didn't bring it up last night, looking back at him acting like they never dated.Perhaps, he is shy? I looked around at the girls in the room, and more than half looked nervous or unhappy.Janelle, Imega, and Zooey were listening attentively to Chris, but Chris was smiling and dancing, but Janelle's face was full of worry, and Zooey was biting her nails.Iomega absently rubbed under her ears as if there was some discomfort there.Next to them, Celeste and Annie, who were rarely together, were also having a heated discussion. Celeste spoke with the same expression as usual, aloof.Mary saw me staring at them and explained to me what had just happened. "The people who are in a bad mood are the ones he hasn't dated alone. He told me I was his second date on Thursday. He needs to get along with everyone." "Really? You think that's why?" "Yeah. Look at me and you, we're fine, because he and we both met alone, and, we knew he liked it so we went to see us, and he didn't kick us out after the date. Who ever got along with him , Who didn't, the news spread quickly, they were worried that he was not in a hurry to see them because he was not interested in them, and when it was their turn, it was time for them to leave." Why didn't he mention this at all?Aren't we friends?Friends should talk about this kind of thing.He picks his dates based on the girls' smiles, and last night, after all the time we've been together, he made me cry.What kind of friend would let me tell all my secrets, but I didn't tell the truth? Dusty, who looked anxious, had been listening to Camille just now, and now she stood up suddenly, looked around, and when she saw Mary and me in the corner, she quickly walked over. "What do you do on your dates?" she asked abruptly. "Hi, Dusty." Mary greeted cheerfully. "Oh, shhh!" she yelled, and turned to me immediately, "Come on, America, just say it." "I told you." "No, it was a date last night!" A maid came over to pour us tea. I wanted a cup, but Dusty waved her away. "how……?" "Dinnie saw you guys together and told us." Mary explained Dusty's emotions, "You're the only one he's met twice, and many girls who haven't seen him alone are starting to Complained, they thought it was unfair. But it's not your fault that he likes you. " "It's totally unfair," Dusty wailed. "I've never seen him, or even met him, except at mealtimes. What the hell are you doing together?" "We... um... we went to the garden again, he knows I like being outside. Besides, we're just going for a walk." I was a little nervous, like I'd made a mistake.Dusty's expression was so serious that I couldn't bear to look directly at her, but when I turned my head, I saw that the girls at the nearby tables were all listening to our conversation. "Just a walk?" Her tone was suspicious. I shrugged. "Just a walk." Dusty walked back to Chris's table angrily, asking her to tell her story again.I was speechless after being made such a fuss by her. "How are you, America?" Marie's greeting pulled me out of my trance. "Well, what's the matter?" "You don't look well." Mary frowned. "No, it's fine, everything is fine." Suddenly, with lightning speed, Anne Warmer (she was the fourth degree of subsistence farming) rose to her feet and slapped Celeste across the face.If they weren't so close to me, I certainly wouldn't have noticed. Several people, including me, gasped, and those who hadn't seen it with their own eyes turned their heads to ask what happened. Among them, Ding Ni's shrill voice was especially harsh in the quiet room. "Oh, Anne, no," Iomega whispered with a sigh. After the incident, Annie slowly realized what she had done.She will most likely be sent home because we are not allowed to harm other candidates.Anne sat stupefied, startled, while Imega began to cry.They are all farming girls, and they have a very good relationship from the beginning.As you can imagine, I didn't know what I would do if Mary suddenly had to leave. As for Anne, who was my acquaintance, she gave me the impression that she was very lively, and I knew that she didn't have any thoughts of hurting others in her heart.She had been kneeling on the ground in prayer as the rebels attacked. She was undeniably enraged, but no one was close enough to hear the conversation.If confronted, Anne and Celeste would disagree; as for Celeste, a roomful of people would say that she had indeed been beaten.In order to set a good example, Maxson must be persuaded to send Anne home. Celeste said something to Anne in a low voice, and hurried away, leaving Anne with tears in her eyes. Annie was sent off before dinner.