SpicyLime

I may have missed what you are referring to in the novel. I can't recall that part.

I did a long spoiler post on what happens from the time skip to the end. Not sure if you read it, but it's below and has some of my thoughts.

https://kisskh.at/687167-xing-han-can-lan#comment-10500703

Here's what I do recall:

CSS was really pissed off at the time since LBY betrayed her. It was an irrational emotional response. I think she describes it as the only time she had any power over LBY, the cancellation of the engagement. CSS says, LBY kept attacking her heart until she finally gave in, and in the end he betrays her. After that she turtles up her heart again as to avoid getting hurt. She turned the love to hate. Honestly, I think she broke it off to sort of get back at him for betraying the trust she had given him. LBY really did fuck up.

CSS never heard LBY's confession. This was all directed towards Yuan Shen.

The explanation we get from LBY is that he really wanted to give up on CSS for her sake. He really thinks he hurt her and doesn't deserve her. He was okay with him marrying Yuan Shen or even Lou Yao as long as she has a good life. As he stated several times, he will marry no one else but her. He was going to die alone by himself while secretly protecting the only person he loves.

However, he changed his mind after he saw CSS. He realized that she still loved him as well. She's not fooling anyone. So he committed to trying to get her back. CSS only pretended she didn't care about him anymore, but she couldn't control herself anymore after his reapperance and begging.

The last words before CSS starts the process of reconciliation with LBY's are his words that he will never marry anyone else but her. She knows he meant it. She immediately goes off to break off the engagement with Yuan Shen. CSS NEVER stopped loving LBY. Any hate or ill feelings she had about him were all lies. She only denied herself of that love due to the pain she felt after losing him. When she realizes, she does everything to be with him again. Her fear after going back to him, wasn't that she was mad at him, but if he was mad at her. She denied her own feelings and kept pushing him away and made him wait. On top of that she almost married someone else.

Suggestion. Go back two chapters to 75. The scene where LBY admonishes 3rd princess and the reaction in the final paragraph from CSS is worth it.

Wondering if I could say LBY suffers some sort of PTSD?
Definitely. He witnessed the death of his entire family at a young age and has to pretend that he is the son of the family that killed his. It comes out especially after he kills the Ling family. He planned so carefully for so long, but at the last minute, he just goes into rage mode. He has flash backs and that stone cold face he always wears comes off. A vulnerable side we don't get to see comes out. Only the people most close to LBY knew about his vulnerable and innocent side, like CSS and the Empress.

I think maybe the one who could understand his anger and why he killed the entire Ling clan will be HZJ?
Not just her. Everyone that he is close with understands and is in pain. But that doesn't excuse him for what he did. Remember, CSS at that point is already ride or die. She was willing to go down with him. The only thing she couldn't stand was the betrayal. She actually never stopped loving him even after the betrayal. The only person she could fool temporarily was herself. She took steps to avoid LBY because deep down she knew that once she saw him, she might not be able to control herself. She was right. There is a discussion on the board, that LBY never changed, but CSS did. She was no longer being honest with herself and tried her best to deny her feelings. I agree that LBY never changed, but CSS tried. It's quite possible that if LBY did not return early from his exile, she would've married Yuan Shen and had kids with him. Disclaimer: I am a Yuan Shen hater. Yuan Shen is selfish, so even though he knew that CSS only loved LBY, he still coveted her. He took advantage of the situation. He later admits to it. I hate Yuan Shen's character. Once CSS realized her true feelings, she noped the fuck out of Yuan Shen and the engagement. Good for her in the end. Bad that she even considered it.

And wondering another thing:
Other than YS, many ladies especially in the court one, wanted to be LBY's wife (women thinks he's cool)
After the killing of Ling's clan, would they still think to have him as a husband? And do women still think he's cool?
Yes. There are many ladies that still want babies with him. Although LBY did something that could be seen as heinous, the Ling family would've died anyways once the evidence came out of their crimes. If LBY didn't go into rage mode he might've gotten his justice in the end without his massacre. If you ever watched 'Under The Power,' it's like when the ML finally gets his revenge on the main villain. That's what LBY should've done, but couldn't control himself. Anyways, I digress. When LBY returns from his exile, he returns in glory and full of merit. He also eventually becomes an official. So yes, he is still going to be considered a hot commodity.

Wait, was this on an episode? Which episode? Or are you talking about what happens in the novel before the time skip?

Definitely. Sometimes the fruit really does fall far away from the tree. Just a personal theory of mines. There are a group of people that didn't grow up with love, but are very compassionate and kind. The reason is because they want to treat others how they wish they were treated. CSS takes on this almost sort of motherly role when dealing with Lou Yao. She couldn't stand to see him bullied, so she takes it upon herself to help him. However, because of all the constant toxic behavior and negativity from her parents, CSS doubts her own worth and has really bad self-esteem issues. They only concentrate on their shortcomings. She is amazing, but really doesn't believe it. So they self sabotage a lot. It really takes a dedicated person like LBY who is a constant, to pull them out of it.

It's what happens when you have parents that are not strict enough. 5th Princess was brought up during a time of peace and was never severely punished. She never knew hardship. Basically a typical spoiled princess. Both the Emperor and Empress knew, but just let her continue to get away with things. What about Consort Yue? When she shows up, everyone backs tf down. She is not softhearted like the Empress and will use her power to put you in your place.

I think he may have had a hidden agenda. It was probably to quash the gossip. He also knows that Lou Yao is like a brother to CSS, so he doesn't want her to feel that she needs to hide or ruin the relationship just because of the circumstances of what happened.

If they show episode 28... The preview for ep28 is from chapter 75. So like around 40ish percent of the novel has been covered. Actually that's kind of amazing, assuming the 2nd part will have similar pacing.

I'm assuming so. I really want to see episode 28 bad. In the novel after LBY does his speech admonishing third princess and saying he will not marry anyone else, that's when CSS actually is touched and begins to tear up. She hides it though. The amount of delusional characters that like LBY is insane.

She's just that archetype that can't really adjust and change. She's stuck in her ways. I had parents that never said I did anything right. They would only point out everything that was wrong. It really messes with you. Just like how it messed up CSS's self esteem. Looking back it makes me sad, since I was full of bright ideas and was really driven, just like CSS. But all of that was quashed. Still affects me today.

Thanks. I glossed over some details. I only read the stuff that interested me so I need to go back and re-read.

Np. Lemme know your thoughts.<3

The author wrote some extra chapters after the original novel ended.

You can find it below. It's chapter 8-11. Hope you enjoy as much as I did. I got a little emotional.

It's told from the perspective of 4 other characters. The first 2 fill in some details on what happened during the original novel. The last two takes place after the original novel ends.

8 - Soldier - LBY during 3rd year of exile.
9 - Prince - Yuan Shen is released from prison and engagement is broken off.
10 - A Villager - After LBY gets married to CSS.
11 - Yuan Shen - LBY and CSS leave the Capital.

http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=1710991&chapterid=8

1. What happen to his cousin? Is he dead, missing or he was killed by his birth father?
If his cousin still alive, i hope it wasn't YS.
Cousin was killed. Basically by switching clothes with LBY, he was fated to die.
2. Does the emperor know he is actually HC son, not nephew? Because for some reason he really really treasure LBY nit because LBY is HC nephew but HC son.
I don't think he knew. I think the Emperor was just trying to honor to Huo family by taking care of LBY.

I think the drama has a more angsty vibe than the novel. But the drama also has more comedy to even out the angst. If that makes sense. The drama is also more romantic and has more interaction with the leads. Both are slice of life and deal with character development and growth through the various situations depicted. There are both light and dark elements. That said if they remain true to the main plot points of the novel, the end should be satisfying. This novel with the epilogue chapters has one of the most satisfying endings.

No. If I remember she isn't really crazy, she's just acting. Part of it I think is to garner pity. The acting served as a reminder for LBY to never forget what happened and to get his revenge.

He is actually the son of the Huo family. The Ling family was responsible for the death of his real family.

Did you finiah the novel? I'm a LBY Stan and I dislike Yuan Shen to the core. He's not really redeeming in the novel imo.

Yeah a lot of the families are connected so they can't really get away from each other. As I understand it, they don't have a direct involvement. It's just that they were complacent and let it happen. Later when Yuan Shen did digging in the matter he realized that all of the shady shit happened under his nose and he missed it. His dad knew but kept quiet about it.

There is a rough couple of years, but eventually they mesh and are in a loving marriage. They had at least one child together.