Life in the harem was repetitive and monotonous.
Li Xiang felt like a caged canary from one of those domineering CEO novels, except canaries didn't have to work.
None of the girls selected to enter had any freedom. Their every move was subject to someone else's control.
Their daily schedules were packed tight.
At the first light of dawn, everyone had to get up on time and head together to the main hall for breakfast. No whispering among themselves was allowed.
After breakfast came a fixed period of labor. Sweeping the lanes and other such chores all fell to the girls.
At noon, they returned to their quarters together for a nap, then resumed work in the afternoon. They endured until the communal evening meal, then returned to their rooms on schedule after nightfall.
The most suffocating part was the complete lack of freedom.
Anyone who wanted to visit the outer areas had to report to the guards on duty in advance and wait for approval through every level before going anywhere.
This life, with every move under someone else's control, often gave Li Xiang an absurd sense of familiarity.
Was this a labor camp?
Then you'd hit the jackpot.
Everyone wore a vacant expression, their eyes dull and lifeless as they mechanically completed each task.
Watching their lifeless faces, Li Xiang felt an ever-deepening chill in her heart.
This couldn't go on.
That afternoon, while the sunlight was gentle, Li Xiang went out with Lillian. Using the legitimate excuse of gathering wild fruit in the courtyards, they left the secluded courtyard where they were temporarily staying.
Plenty of wild fruit trees grew here, laden with tiny fruits that formed part of their daily meals. Picking them counted as authorized labor and wouldn't arouse suspicion.
The two picked fruit at