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

"Jing Yang is back. What's that he's holding in his hand...?"

Li Chengze shifted his gaze to the two paper bags that Tao Jingyang was carrying.

Tao Jingyang didn't lower his head. Instead, after hearing the voice, he glanced discreetly at the pastry in his hand and replied:

"I brought you some snacks."

Then, I silently apologized to You Ran in my heart:

I'm sorry, Youran, we'll have to deal with your pastries later.

The "Impermanence" brothers were nowhere to be seen, and the only attendant outside the hall left after receiving the pastries.

Tao Jingyang then sat down opposite Li Chengze without a second thought.

Li Chengze smiled silently and poured Tao Jingyang a cup of tea. The process of brewing and pouring the tea was very simple.

The tea soup was clear and bright, and Tao Jingyang picked it up.

With a gentle sip, the clear tea soothes the soul like a light rain, leaving a lingering, delicate fragrance.

"I thought I'd have to wait a while before I could drink this."

Tao Jingyang only took a small sip on the first sip, but on the second sip, he gulped it down in one go.

After finishing his drink, he picked up a handkerchief from the table, dabbed it on his slightly damp lips, and then casually put it back on the table.

Li Chengze saw her actions, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

He then picked up his own glass, savored the first sip, and downed the second in one gulp.

She said softly, "Jingyang wants to see tea ceremony? I actually know a little bit about that."

Princes and princesses always need to learn some "projects" to cultivate their character.

Before leaving the palace, I studied with Li Chengqian and Wan'er.

A memory suddenly flashed back to the past, causing Li Chengze's thoughts to linger for a moment.

"I'm not looking, it's too much trouble." Tao Jingyang's sudden voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, Jingyang's words make perfect sense."

In the end, it's just a memory. The Crown Prince and I have long been irreconcilable enemies.

Even Tao Jingyang, who was usually oblivious to others' feelings, could tell that the person opposite him had seemed to have experienced a moment of disappointment.

"What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?" She reached out and waved her hand in front of Li Chengze's eyes.

Li Chengze snapped out of his daze, closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his eyes revealed a complex and indescribable expression.

"Li Chengze, this is the first time you've shown such emotion in front of me." Tao Jingyang was filled with thoughts.

She didn't press him for details about "what happened." Sometimes, not asking is a form of comfort.

When he wants to talk, when he needs you, all you need to do is offer him a shoulder to lean on and a hug, and that will be enough.

Li Chengze remained silent for a while, then steadily raised his head, his eyes seemingly filled with some inexplicable sadness.

"Aren't you really curious about why I'm secretly cultivating my own power?"

After saying this, Li Chengze subconsciously pursed his lips, lowered his eyebrows, and focused his gaze on Tao Jingyang.

As if for no reason at all, Li Chengze said this nonsensical sentence "to himself".

He didn't sleep well last night, partly because of the excitement of his "wish fulfilled" yesterday, but for another reason.

Last night, Tao Jingyang neither asked him the reason nor advised him to let go; he simply said, half-jokingly, that one sentence—

"Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately."

Later, for some reason, the topic was changed.

This caused Li Chengze to feel, from last night until now, inexplicably as if something was filling, pressing down, or burying his heart.

My heart felt so tightly wrapped up, as if I couldn't even breathe.

Moreover, he already disliked the Crown Prince, and this morning in the court, Li Chengqian deliberately put on that "foolish" act.

Not only did he lavish praise on Fan Xian in the palace, saying that the poems he wrote yesterday were all worthy of being passed down through the ages, and that he was worthy of being called the "Poet Immortal".

While Li Chengze was distracted, she secretly stepped on his foot.

After praising Fan Xian, Li Chengqian changed the subject, tilting his head with a half-smile as he looked at Li Chengze, and jokingly said in front of all the civil and military officials:

"Second Brother, your eyes look a bit bluish today. Could it be that you didn't sleep well last night?"

Could it be that he spent the whole night reading Fan Xian's poems?

Li Chengqian's sudden outburst and the words he uttered definitely brought trouble upon Li Chengze.

This forced Li Chengze to put on another show in court.

[Li Chengze]: Alright, alright, so you're the Crown Prince, huh? I'll kill you sooner or later.