enf-jade

i don’t think liu chang will get that redemption arc himself—his resentment and jealousy run too deep, especially seeing mudan gain the freedom he could never have. but i still want to give him a chance next season to prove me wrong. he has great potential to serve the country, but the real issue is that patriarchy is a system that cripples anyone who tries to change it. he’s been trying, sure, but until he actually takes action, i can’t believe in his growth just yet. (i just can’t unsee what he did to mudan, and his drinking problem only makes it worse) even though he might have realized his mistreatment forced upon mudan too late, but that alone isn’t enough—redemption requires more than just regret. but we'll see ><

aww, i’m really sorry you had to deal with that kind of nonsense. ingrained beliefs are hard to change, especially when they’ve been taught since childhood. it looks like he's been heavily influenced.😩 but if you ever hear a guy saying stuff that devalues women, just hit him with: "𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙤, 𝙞𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣, 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨?" just challenge his brainrot logic then watch him malfunction. 😂

but honestly, i’m glad you can see through that toxic behavior. those kinds of guys love calling women “𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡,” yet the second their ego is challenged… the fragile masculinity is showing. i hope your friend has found a way better partner than those pretentious, egotistical men. she deserves so much more & you too! 💖✨

frr, their expressions be wild! both of them are chaotic IRL and BTS. plus, every scene with the team clowning them was straight-up gold!

oh, i totally get your take! we all have different tastes in what's good-looking. (i kind of see your point with the actor from joy of life, but not so much with li xian) i'm probably a bit biased since i love the dynamic between him and yangzi, even off-screen—he’s so gentle. but i respect your perspective! and i really admire that you stuck with the drama for the script, literally, it’s the backbone of the whole thing. the way the female lead is written, not letting pettiness take over, is just so refreshing. and thanks for sparing us your list about rusty grandpa, i might cry hahaha love your honesty tho.

hey omg i decided to watch it after this series, because of their chemistry—and they're colleagues in real life, and they look really cute together. i endured 'Go Go Squid!' even though i didn’t like the drama, just had to watch their scenes. haha

i totally feel you all; i can't wait for the two leads to finally see eye to eye. i really love the male lead—he's never threatened by a woman's independence. he's not jealous of her strength; instead, he respects her space and knows exactly when to step in and help. it's refreshing to see someone who truly gets that support and equality go hand in hand. this is why i'm so invested too so bad it hurts

𝗶 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻. they exploit and gaslight, but over time, you can see him slowly suffering under that same system that devalues mu dan. he thought he could control her, but it was never love—it was his own inferiority complex. despite mu dan being a woman, she refuses to succumb to a system orchestrated solely by men, and it's a clear case of fragile masculinity. he can't handle her strength or independence because it threatens the outdated power structure he's clinging to, and that shakes him to his core. for mu dan, who was raised to explore her desires and knows her worth, this dynamic is as real as it gets—it hits home every time.

p.s, keep watching omg—you'll see how it all plays out. you won't just hate his villain arc; it's satisfying to see him aware of his flaws yet failing to redeem himself. there are so many people like that, using their resentment as an excuse to act evil.

hey, same feelings at first but mudan understood the situation deeply; choosing understanding over pettiness. she knew how to handle conflict and could discern who truly harbored malice—and sheng yi was not one of them. i’m just happy to see this executed so well. too often, people are quick to blame without evidence, but mudan sought the truth for herself. she refused to fall prey to rumours. instead of casting sheng yi aside, mudan offered her warmth and acceptance, not just out of loyalty but out of a desire to help her break free from the "ingrained belief" that she was unworthy.

so bitter, yet a powerful reminder to us viewers—just like you said. people are hell-bent on their rotten worldviews and the roles they assign to women because once a woman learns her worth beyond those roles, they see it as a threat. they will believe what they want to believe. they will tear down someone else’s power. just look at how sheng yi’s parents and husband reacted to her 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘—it’s as if, to them, 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘆.

the funny thing is, it’s still happening. people don’t really learn. they just mask their insecurities as superiority, mistaking control for power. but real power? that’s something else entirely. it’s maturity, self-growth—the kind of strength that’s hard to earn, and even harder to find in a world that fears it.

p.s. sorry for the long comment—just really appreciate the script, the drama, and the casting. first time a supporting character has had this much depth.

"𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙?" that line from sheng yi hit hard. she spent her life believing her worth depended on being submissive. so when mudan’s world expanded, sheng yi didn’t just feel insecure—she felt like she didn’t belong. for the first time, she saw women who had something she didn’t: education, skills, independence. but she wasn’t raised to be any of those things. she was raised to serve, to obey, to shrink. rather than reinventing herself, she went back to the only role she understood: the devoted wife. it was familiarity, the pain she knew over the fear of self-worth.

as for mu dan, her forgiveness wasn’t about excusing betrayal but understanding that sheng yi was shaped by the same system that once tried to cage her like a bird with clipped wings. the difference? mu dan had choices; sheng yi never did. 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲; 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻. and that’s why her story lingers—it’s not just about her actions, but about how deep the cycle of oppression runs. from the outside, it’s easy to ask, why didn’t she just leave? but real life isn’t that simple. victims of control, abuse, and deep-seated ideology (manipulated you for someone you are not) don’t just wake up one day knowing they deserve better. breaking free isn’t an overnight decision—it’s a war within oneself.

so i think the path sheng yi chose will never resonate with most of us. but to her, it was the only power she had left—ending things on her own terms rather than letting others decide for her. this time, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚.

i really want to see him land a big male lead role in a 16-episode romantic comedy. i love him so much, but it pains me to see him stuck as a supporting character—especially when his plotline ends up outshining the main ones. he is just that good! 😭

aaaaa, that’s so cute of you. no rush. go revive those brain cells. sleep tight! (:

hey nono, just sent you a friend request! my reply’s gonna be a continuation in your inbox. i wanna bug you a little longer so we can yap away hahaha.

omg, keep going, my friend. you’re gonna love the self-awareness in his villain arc when you get to the episode where he narrates his resentful monologue. it’s like a direct reflection of the suffering of the opposite gender—how the same system that oppresses women is the one that ends up consuming him. idk if i’m giving too much away, but the way they executed the shift? flawless. the way the tables turn is just chef’s kiss. i love it even more because my father is just like him—so much fragile masculinity, always using projection as an excuse.

i'm glad u enjoyed this! we have same feelings. at first, i misunderstood. but her best friend wasn’t just a battered wife—she was conditioned to believe her worth was tied to the only life she had ever known (a role to follow anyone). this is why, when Mu Dan expanded her business, her vulnerability and insecurity resurfaced. but Mu Dan, with her deep empathy, reassured her bestfriend that what truly hurt her wasn’t the betrayal itself– but the fact that she wasn’t trusted enough to confide in her before making such a huge decision.

i cried so much during her bff’s monologue, and that scene where she reclaimed her life to escape abuse. my god, i cried. we knew it was her way of holding onto her dignity and would never be controlled again.

it’s tragic how women are judged more harshly for leaving a marriage than for enduring abuse. i hope more victims can find the strength to escape. this was just so beautifully written—it moved me deeply. 😭 this is why i'm visiting this page from time to time.

oh understandable. but since it’s a business genre, money is bound to be a big part of it. maybe it isn’t to your liking.

omg hello there!! yes, thank you for pointing that out—it’s still an issue. sadly, people reject liberal feminism when, in reality, it benefits anyone who’s oppressed, not just in terms of gender roles but also social status.

i love that you truly empathize with her. she has the ability to see beyond surface actions, which is why she sees the best in people and takes the time to understand them before passing judgment. her character arc stayed true till the end of the drama. so beautiful 💗 ((sorry i’m yapping too much 😭

hey, omg, same here! i saw your comment under flourished peony—just finished it, and my heart feels so warm. i can’t wait for season 2! so i had to come back here to watch this pairing again. never finished it before since it’s modern and gaming, but giving it another shot now. 💗

hey, whoever you are, we’re basically on the same page. i love historical dramas—especially anything with yangzi. i put this on hold years ago because it’s modern and gaming, but after getting addicted to flourished peony, i couldn’t wait for season 2 and decided to give this one a go. hoping i’ll love it too!

i guess we’re all seated then. but if this goes on for long, our seats might turn into rocking chairs from waiting. 👵😭

HAHAHAHA oh look at that length. just had to throw this here. i got no one to tell this so i might as well just leave my appreciation down the comment sec