SpicyLime

I want to know this too. It looks like during the time skip he was off fighting a war and "abandoned" CSS. When he comes back, he doesn't mess around and tries to rekindle their romance like immediately and doesn't give a shit about his other prospects.

I'm just fully guessing here. If I had to guess, he probably promised to marry her regardless of his duties. He decides to leave without marrying her. That's what I'm guessing.

I hope someone answers this.

LOL. I don't know why but I laughed when I read "spanked". I mean flogged in the ass, spanked, same difference.

On a side note, I just love how the Emperor is on the ML side, just like In The Story of Ming Lan. I think the Empress is great too from what I know. They try to play cupid for LBY.

My speculation is that they may marry by the first part. The reason I'm guessing that is because of his declaration that he won't marry anyone else but CSS in the trailer. My understanding is his declaration is after he returns from the time skip after she is engaged again, most likely with Yuan. That engagement gets broken up since LBY is her one true love. I don't know if they have enough episodes to fill in all the details from the novel.

It looks like in the drama the romance is developing much more quickly than the novel. It's still anybody's guess.

It is up to interpretation. However in the novel when they are talking about it, she confesses she didn't fall in love him during the arrow scene. It's more like seeing him in a different light, after being annoyed with him throughout their small interactions. For him I think it was love at first sight during the lantern festival.

My understanding is she figures out what love is like if you watched ADOS. It's the realization that if you love someone you want to take on their burdens but still continue to live your life outside of just your partner. Pan'er in ADOS wants to take on GQF's burdens, but she is going to continue to work on herself independent of him. It's the same if you watched Story of Ming Lan. The way she loves her husband is by thinking about him and what she can do to take off his burdens.

In all cases the ML has devoted their life and love to the FL. The FL has to figure it out what they want. Love at it's worst can be selfish. But, love at it's best is very selfless.

At this point in the story she is not concerned with love and just looking for stability and freedom. She is going with the flow when she is proposed to. She is actually not in love. Like you mentioned she doesn't know what it is. Her mom is giving her tough love but a lot of it is for her own good. She isn't aware of how cruel the world really is. It's only until through the various interactions with her prospects as well as her outside experience she learns about herself and what it means to love.

Although CSS has a really tough life growing up without her parents she will slowly begins to understand their burden.

I don't want to do spoilers unless you want them, but SOM is very slow burn and very detailed with it's story telling. It's also a more accurate representation of the life during the Song Dynasty, where reputation is king and one misstep can destory your life. It is serious with some fluff. The story really starts to pick up in the second/third half. I didn't stop after getting there. The first half can be draggy for some.

SOM is one of my favorite all time dramas. There are a lot of life lessons and a great cast. You will laugh and cry with them.

73 episodes was barely enough IMO.

I might start next week since that's when the romance kicks off and they break off the engagement with the first guy.

This is where I am skeptical. Does the trailer only cover part 1? If it does, then the time skip should happen in part 1. Since my understand is his speech about only marrying CSS happens when she is engaged to Yuan and has just returned.

It's happy. I hear they do not marry until the epilogue. Also she only marries and loves LBY.

I'm just making a guess, but Yuan only becomes a real love interest during the time skip. When they get engaged it's mainly due to them having similar personality. But, being similar doesn't mean love. It takes her a while to figure it out.

If I understand the previews, the time skip should probably happen towards the end of part 1. His speech on how CSS will be the only one he will marry in the trailers happens after the time skip. He returns right when she is engaged with Yuan.

The whole time she is at the palace is to kind of shape her up to be a woman more suitable for LBY (and just to mature in general), as the Emperor doesn't think she is good enough.

Edit: I could be wrong about the timing of the parts. I'm not sure if they would include part 2 scenes in the Trailers. If they did, then it's possible the time skip doesn't happen until part 2.

This gives off the same vibe in that, the FL will be slow to fully accept the ML's love and devotion. She is definately going to be jilted like Ming Lan was.

Sure. I didn't actively watch the episodes. Just skimmed through them and watched the previews.

I <3 U. Thanks for your help.

My guess would be it has to do with the revenge too, and probably "abandoning" her. From what I gathered so far, CSS is definately not a MingLan. At the early point of the story she doesn't have resolve in her convictions and love for LBY. From the time skip to when he returns, she has built up those things. Ultimately realizing that LBY is her one true love.

Yep I do. LOL. SOM is Story of MingLan. From what I am gathering a lot of key points are stressed in LLTG as well. Although we won't know until the end. Both shows were adapted from novels from the same author. The drama had lots of changes for both shows. In LLTG, the female lead is also a time traveller like in Ming Lan.

Even after the 5 year time skip, the FL realizes that she can only be a free independent woman with LBY. They will be equals. Although she doesn't know all about his secrets and he remains mysterious, he doesn't try to control her and will give her autonomy while providing and protecting her. Her other prospects cannot give her the same level of reassurance and freedom.

After he returns from the time skip he remains fully devoted to her. My understanding is that he never changed, she did. Once she makes that realization she knows he is the one for her.

LOL. Last question I promise. What was the reason for the betrayal? Betray as in not marrying her, or something worse? From what I already gathered the only true choice was LBY if she wanted to be able to be free and independent. She would never be able to with her other choices.

LOL. And I already read about the 5 year time skip. What was the reason for the time skip, did LBY need to leave for war? Or was that right after the scene in the clips where we see LBY fall off the cliff, so he had to go into hiding for awhile. What happens during that skip?

I'm just here for the spoilers. From what I gather our OTP only marry each other. The "wedding" scene in some clips looks like a dream sequence. She was imagining who she wants to marry and she dreams it to be ML.

For SOM, most of the men of the FL's prospects always let her down in the end. So, she doesn't care about love, just wants to live a more stable life.

Sorry to bug you. Do you know if the FL gets pissed or is kind of indifferent? How does she react.

My guess is... They won't get married til the end of part2. The romance is going to develop over part 1 and 2.

CSS is already jaded when it comes to love. She will slowly learn to trust ML in the first part. The other candidates will let her down just like in SOM.

Also the ML will block the FL's prospects.

Do you know how long it took the engagement with Lou Yao to end? Was it quick?