Lady_Kexing

Six months in the novel

Loving someone selflessly is the purest form of love.

And by the way, this is a love story. What did you expect? That they broke up and goodbye? That would’ve been a tragedy. But since it’s a love story, the only way for Fan Xiao to prove to Shulang how much he loves him, it’s to be selfless and to love him without expecting anything in return.

Fan Xiao is a person with a very huge trauma. I believe (without doing a diagnosis, because I’m not a doctor unfortunately) that he has sociopathic tendencies, developed due to witnessing his mother dying.
He simply doesn’t care about anything. His brain has created some sort of barrier to prevent him to suffer further. And that’s also why he has psychotic breaks when he gets too much emotions that he cannot handle.
That said, in real life he would need a doctor, a therapy and someone who helps him.
In the series, he’s trying to be saved by Shulang, because he’s the only one who was able to make him feel something. And that shocked Fan Xiao, making him act recklessly to keep what he sees as a God (a Buddha in this specific case).
But since he’s not stupid, he understands that he’s doing bad things, but his lack of empathy is not helping him.
As for Shulang, he’s well aware that Fan Xiao has problems. That’s why he told him that he cannot save him. Because Fan Xiao needs help. For his own good.
He will eventually forgive him because firstly and foremost, he’s deeply in love. Fan Xiao is the love of his life.
And secondly, because Fan Xiao will improve himself. and he will do it exclusively for Shulang.
That’s enough for Shulang to forgive him.

Their story is divided in two parts. The first part (the one we are witnessing now) is before the events of s1. In s1 they’re in a transitional phase, where they have already seen each other for the two months before the start of the lessons. The second part of their story will happen after the events of s1.I suppose that we will get there around ep 3 or 4.
We can say that their story starts before North and Ter story, but it developed after they started dating Hill and Johan

Alright, let’s do some book spoilers for the ones who like to understand better Typhoon backstory.

1. He’s an illegitimate child. His father is one of the worst piece of shit you can think off and he’s a fuckass who likes to cheat and get women pregnant.
2. Since he’s not the child of the ex wife (the mother of Typhoon’s sister) they are threatening him like shit. The only one kind to him is the sister. But she died in an accident and the whole family acted like it was Typhoon’s fault.
3. All the shit that his family put him through, lead him to have severe trauma. He’s depressed, he doesn’t eat and he has very severe sleeping issues.
4. In a bit his father will force him to cut ties with Tonfah, because he cares more about his reputation than anything else. This will lead at a sort of bargain between Typhoon and his father in which Typhoon will have two months to be with Fah (he’s madly in love with him) and then he has to cut ties with him for good.
5. The situation is heartbreaking for Typhoon and he decides that he will stay with Fah for the time he has left and then he will kill himself.
6. Fortunately before ending in the afterlife with his sister, Typhoon meets north and Ter and he will find a new reason to stay alive.

He is a very traumatized person. He’s depressed and he’s willing to die because he can’t bear anymore all the hate that his father has always thrown at him.

Since it was clear enough that Thyphoon has problem with his family, problems that lead him to have a trauma, maybe instead of saying that he’s stupid, you should watch more than one episode and discover the reason behind his behavior.

Basically because he wants Shulang to find the will to live once again. And he want to pave the way for him to work in a field that he loves. That’s why he will buy like 80% of the quotes of the company, putting them under Shulang’s name.
The professor is cooperating because Fan Xiao is spending a lot of money and he basically doesn’t give a shit about Shulang.
Fan Xiao is using his toxic methods because Shulang wouldn’t accept to work at the project otherwise.

it must be the name (my real name is also Francesca) that give us the badass attitude we need to fight bigots 😏😎

I’m making my life mission to put the morality police in their place 😏😌

This 🙌🏻

I feel you 😂 I can watch a dark romance today and a fluffy one tomorrow 😂
But it really bothers me when people try to preach their morality on others, trying to make them feel inadequate.
Especially because this debate its a huge thing in the dark romance book community and it also happens in real life that people tend to judge you for what you read/watch. And I’d like to be able to talk about a series in a fan space, without being judged. I really wish people can enjoy a show without the morality police spreading hate as if it’s their life mission 🙄

it’s very important that if you don’t have the ability to watch a DARK ROMANCE, you don’t do it.
All this wave of morality that you are forcing on people in the comment section is tiring and unnecessary.
A dark romance is a dark romance for very specific reasons.
There are trigger warnings for a reason.
The rules of normal life doesn’t apply to a dark romance, and it’s very important that you’ll understand this thing.
You are entitled to dislike the story and the characters, nobody cares if you dislike them.
What you’re not allowed to do is giving a life lesson to people who doesn’t give a shit about your opinion because they are emotionally intelligent and they can understand what a dark romance is.

He’s not leaving YET, because he’s working to put his brothers and his father in jail. That’s why. He will let Shulang free in the next episode. And if you don’t believe my words you can read the novel in which he clearly says that he understands that he’s a piece of shit and that he was scared for Shulang’s life.
He will go to jail for three months because he wants to pay for what he did. And I’m simply stating facts. 😀

Ok so, for the ones who wants to understand a little bit better what’s happening.. let me tell you. 😌

Do you remember the scene in which Fan Xiao is watching at the closed window in Shulang’s bedroom?
That is the moment he got a come to Jesus moment.
He’s scared shitless for Shulang’s life and from that moment on, everything he’s doing is doing for let Shulang go.
He already knows that he’s the reason Shulang is slowly dying. And he understands that he has to free him.
The whole three months thing is happening because he wants Shulang to find a reason to live, forcing him out of the house.
And he’s using shitty methods because Shulang won’t believe in his good actions if he doesn’t do them in his usual ways.

And also the whole thing with the brother? Fan Xiao already knows. And when he says that “soon everything will be over” it’s because he wants Shulang to expose him and his family.
He will atone his sins forcing Shulang to send the files to the police. And he will go in jail for the bad deeds that he has committed.

You might have lost your faith in him at the moment, but you have to know that it’s all a plan to let Shulang free.
He tried to make him stay because he is in love. He’s not playing, he’s not lying. He truly is in love and he doesn’t know how to get Shulang to forgive him.
He’s having sex with Shulang because it’s the only moment in which Shulang is alive and responsive. (I’m not justifying his actions. I’m just trying to explain the inner monologue that we have in the novel)

He tried till the very end to keep him, because he can’t breathe without the love of his life. But he understood that Shulang’s life depends on his sacrifice. And he will sacrifice himself to let Shulang go.

I know that it’s a lot. It’s a lot even for me and I already know that it will be Shulang to go back to Fan Xiao. Forgiving him because he simply cannot stop loving him.
But trust me, you have to have a little bit of faith and you have to trust the process.
I promise you that if they don’t cut out the finale (since we have just three episodes and a lot has still to happen) all this pain will be worth it.

I illuded myself into believing that I would be perfectly fine witnessing all this pain, after having read the novel.
But I’ve never been so wrong in my life.
Seeing both of them suffering so much it’s breaking me.
They’re doing an amazing job and I can’t be more proud of them 😭😭😭

I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but let’s just say that things will be healthier in the future

Hate and love are united by a thin thread. That’s basically the whole point of the story. At the moment Shulang is mad and he deeply resent Fan Xiao. But he also loves him and that love will be the anchor for their future relationship 🥹

This episode was peak tragedy.
We’re grazing Shakespeare level of pain and suffering.
Fan Xiao is sinking, trying EVERYTHING he has in him to keep the only person who matters something to him. (Sure, He could’ve been romantic, but that’s not his style and so here we are 🥹)
But he doesn’t know how. He knows that he has done unforgivable things. He’s not stupid. But he can’t stop now. Because if he stop, if he let Shulang go he won’t be able to breathe anymore. And he’s sinking deeper and deeper in the sense of fear that’s eating him alive.
On the other hand, Shulang is dying.
He’s mad, broken and yet he can’t let Fan Xiao go. Not entirely.
He wants to leave and yet he still loves Fan Xiao, with a force that’s breaking him from the inside.
They are torturing each other, and yet they aren’t able to let go.

This is the perfect example of the famous Chinese tragedy. The one that breaks you in tiny pieces, before putting them all together.
(If you’re lucky, otherwise therapy will await for you 😶‍🌫️)

I’m in pain, I want to hug them both and I want to cry I little.
But I’m sooo seated for the next episodes 😌

yeah and I totally agree with you. I was being vague in my comment because I didn’t want to spoil anything for anyone. But I believe that Fan Xiao will do the best he can to better himself. I have read the novel and I think he will do a good job to atone his mistakes. But I agree with you, dark romance shouldn’t always have an happy ending. In this case I believe that he kinda redeemed himself and that his happy ending was earned ☺️

I don’t want to sound like someone who tells others what they should or shouldn’t watch. Everyone is free to engage with a story in their own way.
However, when it comes to dark romance, it’s important to understand the genre’s dynamics, otherwise it’s very easy to end up frustrated rather than actually engaging with the narrative.

This is one of the darkest BLs that has ever been produced, and it’s completely understandable that viewers who haven’t read the novel didn’t know what to expect.
Dark romance, as a genre, intentionally portrays manipulation, obsession, moral corruption, and relationships that are not meant to be healthy or aspirational.

Because of that, applying the moral framework of traditional romance will always lead to disappointment. Dark romance operates under a different logic. Redemption doesn’t mean becoming a good person, and love doesn’t “fix” deeply flawed characters. Redemption here is about awareness, responsibility, and a limited shift in direction, not about erasing who a character is.

This genre also doesn’t ask the audience to “approve” of the characters. Discomfort is part of the experience. Moral tension is intentional. The story is not failing because the characters are disturbing. It is doing exactly what dark romance is meant to do.

This is also why, in dark romance, the couple often ends up together. The question isn’t “is this healthy?” but “is this bond inevitable?”

If these dynamics feel uncomfortable or upsetting, that doesn’t mean anyone is wrong, it simply means this genre might not be the right fit. Dark romance isn’t meant to be consumed lightly, and it’s okay to step away from it rather than expect it to conform to different moral standards.

I want to make it clear that this is not about justifying morally questionable behavior. These actions are still wrong, and the story doesn’t suggest otherwise. Justifying behaviors is not the point of Dark Romances.
What it does, is show that dark romance operates under a different framework, and the genre isn’t going to bend itself to make us comfortable. We get to decide if we like it or not, but the genre itself remains true to its principles.

Personally, I think the experience is worth it, but it requires viewing it through a different lens. I hope that the ones who are less familiar with the genre and who feel like giving up might give it a chance until the end.

That said, if it feels too much for you, it’s completely valid to step away, there’s nothing wrong with that.