In the novel "Joy of Life," the protagonist wakes up at Li Chengze's residence.

As night fell, Tao Jingyang opened the window, sat down at the table, and ate sunflower seeds while waiting for someone. Before long, a mountain of sunflower seed shells appeared on the table.

Just as another mountain was about to be piled up, a sudden noise came from the roof.

"Pat-pat...pat-pat." After a series of light footsteps, Fan Xian climbed in through the window.

"Hey, how did you know I'd be here today?" Fan Xian downed a cup of tea as soon as he entered the room. Anyone could see how exhausted he had been these past few days chasing after Si Lili.

Tao Jingyang gave him a barely perceptible glare, took a deep breath, and said helplessly:

"I knew you'd find a time to brag to me about catching such a big thing as a Northern Qi spy."

However, after grabbing a handful of melon seeds, he continued, "But why would the Northern Qi want to assassinate you?"

Fan Xian gave a cold laugh, and then his mood turned somber.

He looked somewhat dejected and told Tao Jingyang that he had just interrogated Si Lili.

They learned that the person who came to find Si Lili to assassinate her was Lin Gong.

Tao Jingyang looked puzzled, not knowing who Lin Gong and Lin Wan'er were.

He sighed helplessly, stared at the pattern on the cup, and began to introduce to Tao Jingyang the "Chicken Leg Girl" that he had fallen in love with at first sight.

The former chatted enthusiastically, while the latter kept refilling his teacup after cup.

Tao Jingyang listened in one ear and out the other, then suddenly remembered that Fan Xian should have also told Li Chengze about the "chicken leg girl".

[I doubt he'd like to hear that either.]

However, at this moment, Tao Jingyang not only had to listen, but also had to act as the emotional counselor. / (Annoying)

"You mean, you have a girl you like, she has an older brother, and her brother doesn't like you, so he listened to the Crown Prince and wants to kill you?"

Tao Jingyang felt as if he had recited a tongue twister.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

Were there any casualties?

"...No, not at all."

Upon hearing Fan Xian finish speaking, Tao Jingyang spread his hands as if to ask: "Then what are you still hesitating about?"

Fan Xian remained silent. After a long while, he expressed his concerns to Tao Jingyang: things had gotten a bit tense, and he was afraid the Lin family would not approve of their marriage.

"Your marriage to Miss Lin was bestowed by His Majesty, and their disagreement is useless."

"If all else fails, I'll have the Second Prince subtly support your marriage in front of His Majesty. What do you think?"

Her words caught Fan Xian off guard.

The Second Prince? What good could come from him helping me?

But Tao Jingyang's next sentence completely shut down his brain.

【What? Should I see the Second Prince? No, sister, I climbed over the wall to get in! Under these circumstances...】

Before Fan Xian could stop him, Tao Jingyang had already left and told him not to run away.

Fan Xian looked at himself, dressed in all black, sitting in a woman's boudoir, having even climbed in through the window in the middle of the night.

Then I thought about how I'd have to meet another person in this state soon...

Am I really not a lecher? Why do I keep getting this feeling of being set up...?

Stop, stop! We're both innocent!

Fan Xian felt like every day was an eternity while he stayed there.

With Wan'er, Ye Ling'er was causing trouble; with Tao Jingyang, the Second Prince was causing trouble...

No, Tao Jingyang and I aren't related in that way, but why do I always feel like there's some inexplicable connection between us...?

So Fan Xian simply stopped thinking about it and waited "quietly" for the two to arrive.