The world is not as idealized as in *Dream of the Red Chamber*; its protagonist is a person loathed by the author, and there isn't a single good person from top to bottom—all are thoroughly despicable. The author of *Jin Ping Mei* (The Plum in the Golden Vase) observes coldly from the sidelines, whereas the author of *Dream of the Red Chamber* is much more outwardly emotional, with every word written in blood and tears. In fact, Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng (the presumed author of *Jin Ping Mei*) is not entirely devoid of emotion. It feels like he has a particular fondness for Pan Liu'er. The occasional depictions of worldly prosperity at the end of *Jin Ping Mei* evoke a sense of touching sentimentality, reminding us that despite the darkness of life, there is still joy to be found in the present moment (such as the scene during the Lantern Festival where the wives and concubines cool off together and sing songs).