Favorite Villains + Antagonist

My favorite character/part of this entire show was Princess Wanning
- 10/10 acting
- realistic villain portrayal with nuance
- backstory to why/how she became so cruel & 'heartless'
- redeeming qualities; her deep yearning & desperation for love, her desire to be a mother & protective instincts, her loyalty to her brother & mother

Xiao Yuanyi
- Absolutely stunning performance/acting
- A nuanced & complex portrayal of a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship:
------> On the surface: A toxic mother who is overly strict, undervalues her child, plays favorites, & consistently strains their relationship.
------> Deeper: her struggle & desperation to protect and connect with a child that is completely different than she is. We see that her intentions are good at their very core but she consistently fails to deliver on those intentions over & over again.

Su Yunqi (antagonist/protagonist)
- A true anti-hero FL that chooses herself over anyone else over & over again
- Wonderfully written character development:
------> (spolier) when she FINALLY let's love in & then loses it; SO GOOD. I've never loved angst so much. 10/10