LissaJones

She's also had examples where he's claimed trust and then shows that he doesn't quite live up to the claim. It's understandable that he is upset at being lied to, but his words and actions do contradict. She never blames him though. But it definitely partly informs her choices however, and this means she feels she can't trust he'd choose her. And her love, and guilt, means she doesn't want to make him.

I think his reaction to the truth comes from seeing that she was unlike others who wanted it: she was only trying to save her life. And that's the cure's actual purpose. Yet, she literally chose repeatedly to disregard her own need in order to help him, love him and risk her life, literally burning it away for him. Then she took all the consequences on her own. That's what gets to him, I think. He has the tangible proof that her love is unconditional like his own, that she does in fact reciprocate. Her actions are also like his own too. That he kept doubting, and failed to see the truth, kind of to suit himself, that's where he breaks. After all this realisation, curing her is paramount for him. Of course he has to save someone who loves him and did all that.

She also didn't want to make him choose between her and his master. She kind of works herself into a hole in a way. On the one hand, she has been conditioned her whole life to never reveal she is Ming Xian and thus a woman, and she's already seen a reaction of what would happen if he finds out (ep 13). Finding out your rival tricked you this way... On the other, she does love him, and trust him up to a point. But he's literally done everything to avenge his master, including using her several times. She has no answer as to whether he'd choose her or Bo Yulan's wishes, and she ultimately can't bring herself to put that on him out of both fear and love. The only way out of the hole is to just force the issue and steal, suffering the consequences either way. Being Ming Xian, she was always going to end up damned no matter what happened. Loving him was just a unexpected factor, but it ultimately doesn't change the fact it was never going to go well.

I thought it was a calm drug or sleepy one, but I realise that she explained it's calming effect when she called it GMD as a feint.
All I've seen about what's in it is that she claimed she was going to take advantage of him in return for him using her in the Hou Zhou case. But I don't quite see her sleeping with him randomly like that, since she seemed so awkward about it every other time.

Yeah, that irritated me too. He's not taking her seriously in that moment, even though he's being serious. I can't tell if it's because he's just feeling to confident or what. But when she lies, he gets angry, but when she tells the truth, he ignores it like it's a joke. He's always a bit blind to the truth though.

I find it a bit hypocritical too. He's gotten so worked up several times at being tricked/lied to, that he doesn't actually seem to take the truth seriously, or even want to hear it when it's not suiting him. (As noted, he has three magical, iron clad proofs that she loves him, but doesn't immediately press as to why she's seeming to contradict those by taking the GMD). He's actually as selfish as MY in this way; he's thinking of himself.

It's understandable. They're both traumatised kids who really have no idea what they're doing; he's simply more aware of his emotions than she is. But his mindset at this point is, I love her and thus I want her to love me, like her actual independence doesn't fathom into it. It's only when he's actually really tested in the aftermath that he kinda realises he didn't love as openly as he claimed he would/could.

(It's a contast to Situ Ling too, in that JBZ finds that he loves the person and her individuality, whether she stays with him or not, whilst SL wants her around to make himself feel better and fulfil the fantasy).

Where'd you learn about the deleted bit?

I like how this explains why he goes completely shameless by ep 26.

Exactly. It's when he really realises that sincerity did happen for her during it all, like for himself, that he gets over the confusion and disappointment. I think it was her sincerity, which he did have proof of, weighing against the shock of knowing he was initially right to be wary of her when they met. And a bit of blindness: it's like he wanted her to be ming Xian's fiancee in a way, since it probably meant one less lie he had to deal with and unpick. That's his angry reaction in the moment, then that gut feeling coupled with his loyalty (as per the comment you put below) causes him to reasses and want to make sense of it all because he love he has is real and he wants it to be real, and he has evidence hers is too.

^^Again, this^^
I do like the affection he seems to have when he tells Buxiu that too. Like, "she was raised to lie, so she's gonna do that, it's kinda quirky".

However much he thought he loved her, I think he knows he wasn't as committed as he claimed until he knew she was Ming Xian and poisoned. That she reciprocated his affection so much that she not only played along for him, but lied for him, took care of his emotional and physical well-being, fought to protect him, his home, people and the Abyss, risking her life more than he knew, whilst also being in physical and emotional torment... that's what really confirms it. Despite him having literal magical proof, it's the self-sacrifice that does it, since nobody has done that for him. And she started that even before she had proof that he didn't poison her to win too. She started helping an enemy/rival in a sincere way outside of the cat-mouse thing they had.

Of course he doesn't want to lose the person who did that. Hence him giving her the cure. Prior to this, it's actually fairly unclear if he would have. Probable but not 100%.

He knows she's been lying and ends up accepting he loves her anyway. But he does tell his master's portrait that her past doesn't bother him because he knows she loves him at that point, so he trusts her. Yet, despite knowing and claiming trust, the lie does end bothering him, hence his reaction when she tries to steal it. So even if he says this thing, he actually doesn't hold to that, at least in the short term. It doesn't mean he doesn't love her, even in spite of the lie, but it goes to speak to MY's mindset since a similar thing happened with the Marriage Stone, and he lashed out then too. He's definitely not wrong in being upset, his feelings are valid. She admits they are. But from her POV, this is why his love alone wasn't reliable enough for her to take the risk.

So, mostly, he does care more about her reciprocity of love than the lies. He gives her a lot of opportunities to come clean on it too because of this, and ultimately it does outweigh the lies in the end. Especially as he's compassionate enough to see it from her POV. It doesn't even matter if her love is as strong, as HMH said, as long as it's something. But even with three magical proofs (bridge, torture, and array), he still doesn't initially live up to what he claimed. If he did, he'd have bothered to actually properly question her then and there about why she was stealing it, but the betrayal and thus lie was something that did bother him. It's understandable, and given he goes to find her shortly after, it's clear he feels he failed to do what he said. But it makes MY's actions valid based on her experience.

He does course correct pretty fast too, but this time his anger actually helps him step back and focus on the incongruities in her stories to find out the truth. Because he has proof she loves him, he finds what she says to be at odds with her actions, so it always niggled at him as to why there was that love and yet the lies. You see that process in eps 23 to 25, and it's why he doesn't let go and ultimately why he forgives her. Since he knows it actually is real, there is no fiancee, so he gives he the antidote. Could it have happened earlier? Possibly, likely even, but jot 100%.

^^This^^

Ming Yi was always damned no matter which way she chose. She is no way she can absolutely trust Ji Bozai was at a stage where he would give her the cure. Certainly not immediately, from the jump - they were rivals from enemy realms. How's it going to look if she goes, I'm Ming Xian, I think you poisoned me, give me the cure because your win was actually not legitimate?

Even by episode 22, when she has proof that he really does love her thanks to the Heartbond Array being a magical proof. It still doesn't mean that he'll give it to her once he knows her issue. This is a guy who has said, "I trust/like her, despite her past/lie" and then turned around and acted against that statement when he finds out she lied more than he thought. He also then explicitly says "You're the only one who didn't want the GMD" and thus this trust and love is basically conditional upon this. And all of it is basically built on her having been useful to him in the first place; he was forced to marry her because she was useful, and the proof (the array) literally came about because she was also being useful. Whether his love actually is unconditional or not, is irrelevant. She doesn't know that, and can't know that, since he hasn't told her. Like her, his words and his actions are at odds in her eyes.

Add to this, he never actually tells her he himself still needs the cure. Yes, he says he once had Heavenly Grief, but that his master treated it. He does say his master didn't want it getting out into the world though. This is her only reference for the actions she takes in episode 23. If she had known he needed it too, I bet she would have just gone off and died on her own after having done something else to drive him off. She chose to take it to force a particular outcome that was best either way in her mind.

Even HMH, in an interview, said that Ji Bozai's decision to forgive Ming Yi all her lies is because he chose to see her POV of the situation. He chose to understand why she lied and kept lying, and he had empathy for those decisions. He saw that, unlike everyone else who was after the GMD, she wasn't after power, she was trying to save her life. He understood each and every lie and it's necessity in her mind. He does end up giving it to her because he loves her, but this much more legitimate love now comes from understanding her and empathising with the pain she suffered. And also with the fact that despite the lies, and her initial mistrust of him, she ultimately saw he was a good person, risked her life several times, to the point of nearly dying, to aid him, a rival, and does in fact love him back.

Also most self-involved, oddly enough 😂🤣

Already rewatching the final eps, and forgot about CY/STL bathing fascination. When he takes on the netherbeasts I was like "Agh, the bath of pure evil!" Seriously, that bath went from vaguely creepy, to exhibitionist, to satanic real quick.

Just the fact that they technically BOTH married Crown Prince Ming Xian is and always will be hysterical 😂🤣!
That stone should have read Ming Xian - Ming Xian.

I'm on a fixed income, but I got really fed up with waiting (which also happened with IQIYI and Fated Hearts because my patience has been curtailed this month for reasons), and had to screw around with Youku sign-up and Google Play for a solid 20 minutes on my tablet because if you do it through the PC it only offers Alipay?! Seriously.

I feel like if they're getting our hard earned money, they really should put some effort into their platform. I'd rather put up with Youtube versions, which miss background songs half the time, since the quality comes off as better in a lot of cases.

I'll probably have to unsubscribe once the month is out because I can't afford... five streaming services (I have Netflix, Disney+ and Stan too). Media these days is getting really complicated, lol. Technology... it'll end us all.

The issue I had was the subtitles going bonkers when it couldn't cope with dialogue and songs overlapping in eps 33 and 34. I think it missed a few lines too, as the songs are apparently far more important than WHAT'S GOING ON!

Why is it over?!!! (And why did I get angry and blow money on actually getting an app I now have to find an excuse to use for the next month? Which I already did for Fated Hearts three weeks ago... dammit!)
That aside...

I mostly enjoyed the final four episodes. I particularly liked the humour actually. The two funniest scenes were:
MY turning into JBZ and asking CY/STL if he wanted to continue the oncoming kiss. I could see MY twitching at her finger and knew it had to be JBZ because he fiddles with his ring, and I can imagine the thought going through his head was just: "This guy is far too obsessed with my wife, and - OMG, MY hurry up, I DO. NOT. WANT. TO. KISS. YOUR. STALKER!"
The shear audacity of the team up between JA and YM to keep having a tie. Emperor Ming looked like he wanted to have a conniption. I kinda wanna know what MY and JBZ did in his Spirit Well... did they just have a short rest? Tea? Make-out? Take bets?

Ming Xin: As always, you're an ungrateful sack of dung and I'm glad your smugness got it's comeuppance, and your last words ultimately had very little effect.
BX and 27: No notes, you loyal beasties you. Just please date already.
She Tianlin: Embarrassing dad of the year award, but you do come through when it matters.
Fuyue: He sent you away for your own good. Frankly, that's a good thing. Do not fall for a butterfly, they're always sus.
Chao Yuan: Just... uck. Also, you could have listened to MY. I agree with her, live for yourself next time.

My main gripe is that we got a bit of an expo dump with Lin Xiyun?, who popped up only a couple of eps before, just randomly in the last episode. And it didn't take much for CY's defeat with a slash attack we didn't even see connect with him. I dunno, I feel like I wanted to see him get a massive hit into a crater or something. Or maybe it would have been more meaningful if the Heartbond Array actually shut off the Sky-Swallowing Array. Something more visual in any case.
I do feel there is stuff missing too, like any sort of collection of rulers at the tourney going "hey, we messed up, we'll go for the peaceful option now", or a more concrete team up between the 3 realms vs. Zhushui.
Other than those minor gripes, absolutely enjoyable and lovable.

Who knew drunk JBZ wasn't much of an act back when he was hugging MQB? He turns into a sulking, clingy child! Also, props to him telling his dad to just go father another child, lol. He's gonna have a brother/sister running around alongside his own kids.

Love how the storyteller is like Spirit Well v. Pure veins, and the cat/dragon picking sides. I knew MY wouldn't have a Spirit Well; she would never have been allowed to create such a double-edged sword as it could be a weakness, but she is clearly capable of doing so.

Also, I wonder if JBZ and MY now just settle their marital arguments at the tournament every year? "If I win, you have to apologise for that thing you did that annoyed me six months ago!" Feels like JBZ would get hit with a lot of, "You left the kitchen in a mess" type aggression during that. My money's still on her, particularly if they have kids.

Can I wipe my mind and start this show again?

Oh, and yay, DUCKS! Exasperated ducks. I feel you.

Yeah. That's my take too. The GMD doesn't remove HG exactly, just neutralises it's toxic effects. BYL's explanation basically says you have to take both to qualify, not that HG has to be in active state with half-strength GMD dose. Logically, if you've had both full drugs, then HG is cured and in passive form thanks to GMD. It's likely related to the fact they combine to boost cultivation.

JBZ is banking on him having partial GMD to fulfil the terms, but he's aware MY is also qualified, perhaps more so since she got complete GMD. If she knew, she'd sacrifice, and since he figures he can't get full cure, he might as well die instead since he's going to the grave anyway.

The look of "are you kidding me you hypocrite?!" on JBZ's face was unmistakable. Though maybe a little of it is just shock at his wife's forging fascination going a tad bit too far this time...

Reminds me of the bell Mo Yuan made in TMOP that literally could destroy the world. Why the hell he did that given his serious demeanour is strange enough, but giving it to the bad guy? At least Mo Yuan had a way to stop it... MY, girl, FAILSAFES next time, please!

MY was surprised the tower hadn't been destroyed like the emperor said it would be after he confiscated it from her a while back. Why she designed something even she couldn't get out of is a deus ex machina riddle for the ages though. The girl's an overachiever.