Du Haokun recognized three types of women in his life. One was like his mother, who regarded her husband as the center of her world, truly virtuous and forgiving of her husband's many women, a type many men considered ideal but whom Du Haokun found utterly dull.
The second type appeared kind and magnanimous on the surface but was secretly envious, always embroiled in conflicts with other women, with a heart of venom. These were the kinds of women Du Haokun despised and avoided, like his current three concubines—Liu Feifei, Fang Hong, and Fan Mei.
The third type was like Tian Xueli, lively, cheerful, and charming. Educated, independent in thought and capable of standing on her own, these were the women Du Haokun admired most. From the moment he met Tian Xueli, his heart, once untouched by women, fell deeply in love with her.
