monkeylover

when they heard that his brother died, she ended up choosing to stay and help him, even though they already prepared the ship. she also has a business to run, but she decided to stay for him. i think you misunderstand the nice farewell message she gave him because the translated subtitles failed to convey the beautiful ambiguous message she conveyed to him. there was no threat or pressure at all. he also knew that she wouldn’t normally waste her time, he knew she also came for him but she wouldn’t say it. but she did say it in the beginning when she said she didn’t plan to leave “alone”. but she knew that if he stayed, he can be corrupted like his brother, and may even turn to his dad. she also did not want to decide for him whether to stay as crown prince or leave his title and marry into her family. that’s why in response to her farewell message, he mentioned that he promises to stay true to his original aspiration to become a just official, the version that “she loves”.anyways i’d like to think that this work was made to be poetic so they used archaic Chinese language that made it seem ambiguous. in a modern setting, they would’ve definitely worded it differently.

bingzhu’s ending i think in essence was he needed a pillar of support to remind him of what is important in his life. notice that when he was alone, even if he had principles, he had no one to support him, and he fell into obsession (causing his subordinates to work overtime, etc). when his pillar of support was pian2, who also had inner demons to fight, he was also led astray. but when tanr came back, he came back realising that his priorities were mixed up and came back to his principles.

i understand your point! because i feel sorry for HY for having to endure servicing the demons for 5000 years too! but he did singlehandedly cause the demons’ downfall (even though it was the humans, but he was their king). that was more like “the means does not justify the ends” moment. even if they elevated humans to be able to fight back against the demons, the did it through despicable means, and because HY is inherently good, he was also sad and helpless when he drank. it was a victory he wasn’t proud of. even XY’s reincarnations became worse and worse over time (top demon, to caged princess, to poor girl who was ostracised for being half demon) her actions were already causing her to get worse reincarnated lives… to think that because he cried his heart out in Yuli spring, he didn’t cry at all in his second life until he was betrayed by XY. this series has ties to karmic cause and effect in the bigger picture

yes! this is a deep drama, a food for the soul and people need to ponder and contemplate to appreciate it.

thank you Anna! this work is a masterpiece!

it’s not a bad ending, it’s just not one that would be popularly liked, but it is something that is necessary. the story is food for thought because it’s about the human condition. you need to think to appreciate it more. so a lot of people maybe don’t like it because they don’t agree with the values that are presented. though bittersweet, it’s beautiful, and i have rewatched it many times.

did anyone else notice that Hongye’s clothes changes in accordance to how much power he has? interesting note to see on your second rewatch!!

this is great because it flips the script (gender reversed; matriarchal), challenges traditionalist views and societal norms, includes political intrigues, gives a bit of a detective feel (solving cases, a lot of people sees the missed hints on second rewatches too!), drama amongst many characters, multiple character arcs, character dialogues with hidden meaning and motives.
acting from the ML was great. FL’s acting is more subtle because it’s the character, but if you pay attention you can piece it together. the supporting cast from the first 30 episodes did it’s job well done but the last 6 episodes had veteran actors so it finished it well. romance is more of a push and pull testing each other type, but both mutually drawn to one another from the start. (just that they had to overcome challenges). i definitely enjoyed my first watch but appreciate it more after my third watch and after multiple discussions and dissections of the story.

the last 6 episodes were there to contrast the rong family’s female dominated world and show a broken patriarchal society where even male and females are all suffocated by the system. it also gives that anti-cinderella ending where the hero (because it’s reversed) despite being “helped” by the heroine, does not “save” him by bringing him home but gives him the free will to choose her.
the acting in the last 6 episodes were great because they were all veteran actors. the over the top acting was only because LJL got drugged; makes the emotions more intense, giving it more like a truth serum effect.

hahaha i understand you, but i didn’t have that problem! i watched them both simultaneously. and i saw a lot of netizens also posted that they did not get the characters mixed up at all! HMH is such a great actor, the demeanor, personality, cinematography and the styling of the characters are really different.

i end up rewatching multiple times after finishing. this is food for the soul

his highlights are in the later episodes. don’t give up. I fast forwarded the second lead’s story. during the time HMH disappears, he appears as xiaoyezi the leaf (he dubs him) it’s quite entertaining and the story is deep and makes you ponder about the human condition. the pace picks up around ep 25.

but she did stay until he wrapped the case… looks like until the next day because they changed clothes too…

Don't just blindly trust the bad reviews and judge for yourself. This drama is something that can only be judged once they get to the end. Some people may get bored because they don't understand the long journey, but once you reach the end, everything makes sense and clicks into place, and it makes you want to go back and rewatch it. Plus it has great acting and comedic moments, so it won't be boring. It starts getting meaty around episode 25. But you won't be able to appreciate the second half without the beginning either! This series is like a food for the soul, makes you ponder about the human condition and moral values. Also because it being 3 lives we can also see and analyse what the same people who had different circumstances & spiritual journey would do. For those people who disagree with the ending, I feel like it's just nature taking its course. I agree that even I wanted a different deus ex machina occurrence but this ending makes the lesson that we can learn from this more hard-hitting and like the song in episode 38, "beautiful".

📣Dear fans🥝, this is a business support initiative tip📣Recently, as Hou Minghao's business collaborations have been officially announced one after another,
each brand has launched several collectible business sets.
We've also seen different voices and discussions surrounding the product content, price, and sets.

Here, we'd like to help you focus on the key points:
1️⃣ Hou Minghao is currently in a very clear period of career advancement and business boom. This is recognition from the industry for his years of hard work, and it's a window of opportunity that an actor, singer, and artist must seize at this crucial stage.
2️⃣ The intensive collaborations and different levels of business exposure mean that the market is evaluating him, recording him, and deciding whether to continue choosing him.

👉🏻 Regardless of whether you purchase, choose which set, or participate to what extent, it is ultimately a free choice made by fans based on their personal needs and capabilities.
👉🏻 Some people offer their full support, while others act within their means. Both approaches should be understood and respected.

Therefore, we hope everyone can make rational assessments and careful considerations,
maintaining warmth in discussions and rationality in choices.
Let discussions return to facts and information,
let expressions be measured and respectful,
and let liking remain dignified, gentle, and powerful.

This is not only respect for our partners
but also protection for those we love.
May Kiwifruit always be Xiao Hou's best support, and
let's walk side by side.
Let's encourage each other!

I really like this post by the HMH Global Fan Club account
I think liking HMH comes with benefits, where we become more mature and wiser.

https://m.weibo.cn/status/5257612203397779

i think he melted her. we never see her smile that much in front of other people. and she worries about him a lot. just that i think she didn’t want to force him to come with her, she wanted him to “choose” her with his free will.

OOC? Why blame Lu Jiang for bravely fighting for what he wants?
I don't think Lu Jianglai's character collapsed after the Yu Ming Cha arc! The Guogong Fu arc is practically as epic as Consort Xi returning to the palace! It masterfully reveals the protagonist's core personality. To put it bluntly: Lu Jianglai actually craves the stability of a family life. All his scheming, fighting, and 'green tea' behavior stem from this very reason.

After losing his mentor, Lu Jianglai was left with emotional trauma. Having lost his mother and adoptive father from a young age, he cherishes his older brother and nephew dearly. His outburst with Rong Shanbao was born from the panic of fearing his beloved would leave him after discovering his own brother was trying to harm him (the poisoning also amplified this psychological wound).

Lu Jianglai's pride is built on a sense of achievement, but it's unfortunately founded on the unstable bedrock of "no one loves me." This makes it inherently precarious and easily destroyed by things he craves but can't have, like family ties. With that bond severed, he resolutely turns to Rong Shanbao, returning to be a local official, because love and career bring him the inner stability he desires.

Internally, he is starved for love and self-pitying, yet externally, he is poised and in control. This isn't a sudden shift in his character; it's the medal of honor for a wounded child who has finally found a way to heal himself. Fortunately, Lu Jianglai grew into a strong man. He experienced true kindness from his adoptive father and pure support from his mentor, which is why he didn't become as narrow and selfish as the Guogong.

Some say the Guogong Fu arc had the protagonist suddenly dumbed down just to empower the female lead, but I disagree. What he received from Rong Shanbao was the kind of special, exceptional affection he had never gotten before. And this affection was given even after he repeatedly tested her with schemes, tantrums, and being fickle. His attempts to provoke her with fights, desperate pleas, and playing the victim were completely accepted by her. In this process, he gained a profound sense of security, which in turn bolstered his pride.

The choice to become a champion of justice is Lu Jianglai's free will, and so is his choice of Rong Shanbao. This is precisely what I want to defend: from beginning to end, this drama is about the exercise of individual free will under external pressure—and this applies to every single character!

Rong Shanbao's choice to shoulder her family's responsibilities was not made reluctantly; she was always an ambitious person. When she told Rong Si about her hardships growing up, she was only acknowledging that past, not devaluing her family.
Rong Er's choice of her husband was also her own. Rong Wu's choice to become the "black lotus" and return to her clan was hers as well.
Even the supporting characters made their own choices: Jun Dai chose to follow a new master for his livelihood, and the butler, oh sorry, Manager Cheng, chose to bury his own feelings.

Lu Jianglai chose what he subjectively desired and yearned for, not what he objectively deemed the more sensible or worthwhile option.

Lu Jianglai, with all his scheming and insecurities, his feelings for Rong Shanbao were never about the fear of losing her, but the desire to have a stable familial tie with her. I find it incredibly brave for someone who fights so hard to finally achieve their heart's desire.

this is well written but it’s not really a love pentagon coz the other three are not reciprocated hahaha. xy has always been that magnetic character where people just flock to her.
i agree it deserves more love. it’s not a typical popcorn series but it’s a food for the soul that makes you ponder about the human condition and our moral choices. I’m rewatching multiple times already

the ratings and everything made yuzheng happy but are they really going to make a sequel? did he make an unrealistic target or is it achievable? not sure if the translation was off but i think he commented under HMH’s farewell post wishing him to be more influential in the future.