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

The two stared at each other, bewildered, for a while before Lin Wan'er was the first to "suddenly realize" something, thinking to herself:

Could it be that Ling'er has noticed that we're both already... so, Ling'er also wants to find a "suitable husband"?

The more Lin Wan'er thought about it, the more she felt that this was the truth of the matter.

So she began to comfort her softly, but her tone was actually full of teasing as she said:

"Ling'er, don't sigh, it's okay. One day, you will also find the 'husband' you desire."

Don't rush, don't rush, the time just hasn't come yet.

"Pfft... Hahahahahahahahaha..."

Tao Jingyang laughed out loud, thinking to himself:

[Wan'er's thought process is really interesting, hahaha...]

At this moment, Fan Wujiu, who was guarding not far from the door, heard faint laughter coming from inside the house, and he kept thinking to himself:

Hey, these three girls seem to be having a great chat...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Ye Ling'er became anxious immediately after hearing Lin Wan'er's words:

"What are you saying, Wan'er?! I, Ye Ling'er, have no such thoughts! Don't make false accusations."

Tao Jingyang picked up on her words and turned to tease Lin Wan'er:

"Now that you mention it, Miss Wan'er, if we have any suitable candidates, we should introduce them to Miss Ye, hahahahahaha..."

Lin Wan'er, who was mentioned, also covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes crinkling as she looked at Ye Ling'er, who was now even more anxious than before.

"What? I...I was just sighing for you two!!!" Ye Ling'er blushed at the teasing and quickly pressed the back of her hand to her cheek to cool it down.

[Ugh! I've never felt this irritable even when I'm practicing martial arts!]

Tao Jingyang and Lin Wan'er exchanged a knowing glance and said in unison:

"Why?" "Miss Ling'er, why are you sighing for the two of us?"

The latter lowered her hand from her cheek, calmed herself down, and said, "Miss Jingyang, let's start with you."

Upon hearing himself being called upon, Tao Jingyang quickly sat up straight and listened attentively to Leader Ye's "instructions."

She slowly spoke:

"Miss Jingyang, perhaps I am worrying unnecessarily."

But... the one you truly desire is the Second Prince of the current dynasty.

The Second Prince... he's a member of the royal family...

"You've been staying at his house all this time, has he made any promises to you?"

Ye Ling'er only said this much, and this was already the most tactful way to put it.

But both Tao Jingyang and Lin Wan'er understood what she was trying to say.

To be honest, for Lin Wan'er and Ye Ling'er, marriage was not something they could choose for themselves.

If they could freely choose within a suitable range... they would definitely not choose royalty.

This is not to say that royalty is bad; on the contrary, in this era, marrying into royalty symbolized "honor."

But... who truly deserves the glory?

It's a family.

It could be the Ye family, or it could be the Lin family.

But it was neither Ye Ling'er nor Lin Wan'er.

For women like them, backed by powerful families, their marriages are almost always politically arranged.

Although both men and women are politically arranged, at least men in this era can still openly marry two concubines they truly love.

Women, however, cannot.

For them, if they were "fortunate" enough to marry a court official of equal status, they could then "get" the position of mistress of the house according to their social standing.

For this era, that's a pretty good ending.

But what if she married into the royal family?

I fear I will be confined to that small world for the rest of my life. Once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea; you can never see your birth parents again.

There was no imperial power or wealth to speak of; whether one was of high or low status, it was all the same.

The lonely, caged birds, who can never escape, can only gaze at the four corners of the sky until their lives end.

If one could marry someone who is not royalty, at least one could travel around more freely and one's life would not be so restricted.

But if you're in the royal family, you'll be forever bound by palace rules. It's fine if you're just a "collateral" member of the royal family who doesn't have much to contend with the imperial power.

But this second prince is right at the very center of the vortex.

Power "chasers".

"Although I, Ye Ling'er, have always been straightforward, I am also aware of my own limitations."

I know what I should say and what I shouldn't say.

To be honest, Miss Tao, today is the first time I, Ye Ling'er, have met you, but I always feel that we are very compatible.

To be honest, I really don't want to see you, Miss Tao... and live out my life like that.

What Ye Ling'er said was indeed true.

From the moment she first saw Tao Jingyang today, she felt that there was something unique about her.

Compassionate and empathetic? That doesn't quite sound right.

But whenever Ye Ling'er met her gaze, she always felt a sense of being "inclusive".

How can I describe this? It's like this person completely "knows" you. At the same time, she can also completely "understand" you.

It makes people want to get close to it.

Having said all that, Lin Wan'er thought for a moment and decided to speak her mind as well:

“Miss Jingyang, to be honest, I’ve come here today for the same reason. However, I’m here on behalf of Fan Xian.”

Before Lin Wan'er arrived, she hadn't planned to reveal everything.

But... she, like Ye Ling'er, had similar feelings.

Since we hit it off immediately, let's just be honest about it.

Tao Jingyang was stunned for a moment when he heard the two of them say the same thing.

She had no doubt about their intentions in saying those words. On the contrary, Tao Jingyang knew very well that only people who truly cared for her would say such things.

Yes, the struggle for the throne between the second prince and the crown prince was so intense that it was obvious to everyone that there was a lot of infighting going on around them.

Moreover, Tao Jingyang and Li Chengze had neither an imperial decree to marry each other nor any support from their maternal families.

If the social norms of this era were followed, even if Tao Jingyang were made a concubine by the prince's side, she would have no grounds for complaint.

That's just how the world is.

It leaves one feeling powerless.