Like many others, it can be tiring to watch MQY use CZ as a pawn instead of treating her as an equal partner. But when you consider the environment he grew up in—surrounded by manipulation and people who wanted him dead—it’s easier to understand why he behaves this way. That same environment has also shaped his idea of love. His love is toxic, but it’s also complicated. Having never really experienced genuine care, even a small act of kindness from CZ becomes deeply meaningful to him, turning into obsession and eventually feelings. Yet despite caring about her, he still treats her as a pawn in his plans.
CZ, on the other hand, isn’t completely unaware. She knows MQY is manipulative and scheming, yet she still accepts it.
Their ideas of peace are also very different. CZ wants a peaceful life within her own world—her family, friends, and her sect—and she is willing to overlook the hypocrisy within it. MQY, however, seems to want a broader kind of peace so that the two of them can live openly in that world.
For example, when CZ learned what really happened to her aunt, she struggled to accept that harsh truth, and MQY forced her to confront it. In many ways, she wants to maintain the status quo, while he is trying to break it. CZ has the ability to challenge that system but lacks the desire to do so.
Hopefully, with several episodes still left, we’ll see MQY start to respect CZ more and treat her as a true partner—someone who walks beside him, not someone he always has to stay one step ahead of.
That's what I'm thinking, he's keeps telling everyone that MQ is terrible and trying find any way to paint him…
yes, maybe it’s related to Zhao’s aunt. he liked her but she liked someone from Mu family. something happened (?) and he wants to sabotage them. can’t exactly tell but something is definitely wrong with him (or maybe the whole Cai family based on preview). it will get clear in the upcoming eps.
loved it, esp the beautiful ending. but i have one doubt about the ending👇
on X, I found two explanation regarding the ending. First one was they lived their whole life till old age in the book and then came back to the modern time. Second is that he died early and she was in the book for 15 years, and then came back. The second explanation seems more acceptable considering he migrated when he was in middle school, so he has to grow old and for that her time has to be stopped so that when they met again, they are of the same age. But how did he die? The poison was already out of his body. Is it because of some other reason?
young ml’s dairy is so fucked up. and just getting to know from comments that he was 🍇 by maid/concubine arranged by empress dowager. no wonder he doesn’t look normal and fl is his lifeline.
wth? really? he spend his childhood in that crazy palace. no wonder it didn’t looked like he was “acting” as a tyrant. but what happened to his real self?
1 
CZ, on the other hand, isn’t completely unaware. She knows MQY is manipulative and scheming, yet she still accepts it.
Their ideas of peace are also very different. CZ wants a peaceful life within her own world—her family, friends, and her sect—and she is willing to overlook the hypocrisy within it. MQY, however, seems to want a broader kind of peace so that the two of them can live openly in that world.
For example, when CZ learned what really happened to her aunt, she struggled to accept that harsh truth, and MQY forced her to confront it. In many ways, she wants to maintain the status quo, while he is trying to break it. CZ has the ability to challenge that system but lacks the desire to do so.
Hopefully, with several episodes still left, we’ll see MQY start to respect CZ more and treat her as a true partner—someone who walks beside him, not someone he always has to stay one step ahead of.
The second explanation seems more acceptable considering he migrated when he was in middle school, so he has to grow old and for that her time has to be stopped so that when they met again, they are of the same age. But how did he die? The poison was already out of his body. Is it because of some other reason?
sad we are getting only 1 ep tomorrow.