Ackery

I think it'd be so interesting to compare those two.

I believe they grew up quite differently from what we see. 2ML was probably abused since he was a kid and his stepmother is just absent. Plus he's kind of "trapped" in a house with these two terrible people and even his work depends on his dad. He also learned to always compare himself to others and well all the things you mentioned regarding his psychology that I won't repeat.
It's like there's no escape for him.

ML on the other hand, seems like he had a good relationship with his parents before his father killed himself. Even in that panic attack he had in the Dark Corridor, it looked like he was having fun with his father before the "funeral photo" appeared.
The fact that he went abroad and got away from them and then opened his own company is very important in his character development and also made him much more independent and free.

Yeap. He obviously doesn't see her as a work associate so he goes to show affection the only way he knows, by offering gifts.

It's truly a bit sad he doesn't see that she's not interested. But I suppose it's because he doesn't know he has already "lost" and at this point Hu Xiu feels like his lifeline.

He definitely is bewildered cause it's the first time he's feeling like that.
For someone like him that never knew love and affection, it must have been overwhelming when Hu Xiu treated him like a human being. It's like he can't comprehend that someone was kind to him and he just has this need to get that affection from her cause he needs it in his life that is otherwise quite empty. No relationships, no friends (also a big difference with the ML that at least has one friend and he has the VR game to get away from reality), no family that ever loved him.

I got "toxic" vibes from him from the get go, but even though this is truly a cliche trope I thought they handled it quite well.

It was a marriage that was falling apart. There were many instances where he just wasn't being a good husband. But I liked how it showed that 2FL knew that her marriage was breaking apart, but didn't want to acknowledge it and how he was in love with her at first. I also liked how we didn't have the typical "cheater" trope.

He was emotionally absent and unable to understand that he stopped loving her. I liked it cause whatever he did the focus was on the fact that they just couldn't communicate or more precisely he refused to communicate with her no matter how much she tried.

iQiyi
- Better quality
- You can bye the express package and see the last episodes quicker or have it automatically unlocked (I think it depends on the package you'll buy) -> Not that important if you start the series now, since eps will probably be available by the time you reach ep. 24
- Has previews of next episodes, but you can also find them online.

Viki:
- Has better subs
-Better segmenting (basically subs are easier to read cause they are not that "fast")
- Pretty sure it's cheaper.

If you're planning to watch it on your mobile I'd go with iqiyi cause the quality (analysis and sound) are much better. If you're planning to watch on Tv or Pc I'd go with Viki (for me at least, the quality is full HD in both except my mobile)

Great analysis.

I was talking to another MDL user about this (Grumpy Witch) and she phrased it perfectly saying that "his whole life has been transactional" and the only way he tries to show affection is by gifting expensive things to other people.

He's a very well written character and I also feel super bad for him. He's a victim and the mom is equally responsible and I'd dare say I hate her even more cause there's no way she doesn't know what has been happening all these years. She just chooses to ignore everything and do nothing.

Dai Xu is also excellent portraying this role. You can see how he feels from his eyes. The scene with the band aid and his vulnerability there were heartbreaking to see. Man has never experienced any type of affection from anyone and yet he's trying to give what he has to Hu Xiu.

🤣🤣🤣

Many platforms prefer names instead of honorifics like Xiao etc. Same thing netflix does. They always go by full name instead of writing things like Xiao or Jie.

I think it's mostly for international audiences or just a subtitling rule.

Yes very

Yeap. It was implied at least, but we saw those lights/lamps while they were kissing 😃

💜💜💜

I hope so 🙏

I don't need too much, just a nice closure for him. The series is very well written so far so I hope they don't disappoint.

Yeap I agree. The drama is light, but there are some scenes that are pretty real and raw.

I agree. I think he needs a push though and if it doesn't come from himself, someone else needs to do it. Not necessarily someone he sees as a love interest but someone that will make him open up.

I truly hope the upcoming episodes help him redeem himself and give him "a way out". I'd love to see his relationship with his brother getting better.

Yes it's quite sad. In this case I see he cab redeem himself though. I hope that's the case.

I agree about the mom. I get where she's coming from but at the same time I can't justify her actions. Same with Pei Zhen. I understand why he's acting like that, but that doesn't justify his wrongs.

I truly hope so (let me add I want his dad in jail).

I watched that one too recently! Yeap that one was pretty dark when it comes to the ML.

Yes exactly

I truly hope so.

Yeap exactly. Plus every person is different, has a different idiosyncrasy and lives in a different environment. All these are very important to stand up to your own feet and of course the way that a person was raised. It's interesting to compare the two main leads even the female lead in those aspects. It shows how families play an extremely important role in one's life.

I'm sorry you went through that. Hope u are okay now.

I hope he redeems himself and his father ends up in jail 🤞

Hope In a good way 😂

I agree and I have answered a similar post of your own above if you want to read it.

Both male leads need therapy for different reasons and this post is about her relationship with Pei Zhen not her son. I'd curse her the same there if it was about him cause she's a horrible mother and whoever just turns a blind eye to abuse is a terrible person in general, doesn't have to do with being a parent in my book.

Thank u!

I agree and honestly same with the ML. They both need some serious therapy. SML for the abuse and First ML cause he has PTSD.

I expect her to be a decent human being. Yet she's there like decor. This post is about the second male lead and their relationship, if it was about the first male lead I'd curse her the same for similar reasons. Some people are just not meant to be parents and she's one of them.

Yeah she has no free will of her own. However she seemed to have a good relationship with her first husband and with her son before he died, so I think she just ended up worse after her new marriage. I get it, her husband killed himself and left her all alone, but I don't justify it especially since there is abuse and I can't fathom how someone can turn a blind eye to it being her son or not.

If you don't like Pei Zhen don't read. This is a character analysis for him.

I really really like Pei Zhen. Now, do I want him to end up with the FL? No. I think she's a great couple with Zhi Yu, but I'd definitely want Pei Zhen to find someone that truly loves him and will make him open up.

I feel for his character quite a lot. I can't deny that his behaviour can't be condoned and he did many wrong things, but I can't hate him nor I think he is a "villain". His character is so well written I can't help but feel for him.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
From what we have seen until episode 21, Pei Zhen is just a hurt person that has received no love from anyone and he has no one that truly cares about him in his life. Yes, that is partly his "fault", cause he can't open up and he has created this whole "I am above everyone" persona to make himself feel enough and better, but he's an abused person and it's typical for that to happen, but I am gonna get on that later.

For me Pei Zhen found the FL interesting and was attracted to her from one point forward, but the moment he truly fell for her for me was after the "band-aid" scene. FL was the first one that immediately acted and didn't just ignore what she saw or walked away. It was also the firs time we saw him feeling ashamed, turning his back on her thinking she will just walk away.
Like he said, "That band-aid meant more than that one yuan for me". Hu Xiu is that one bright person that you rarely find in real life that is just there for you no matter what and she never judges nor makes you feel inferior. And he never had that in his life. His father is abusive, his "mother" is absent and he has no friends or relationships outside work, which gets me to my other point.

His father is abusive. It was evident from the get go but I just chose to ignore it. All scenes he has with his father, you can see he's just a scared kid. From that first moment he went back home and saw him standing there, he froze. And now it was implied, and thankfully not shown, that he beat him with a golf club. I hate his guts as you can understand.

I know many people are unable to comprehend how abuse shapes ones character and how difficult it is to get away from your abuser. I won't try to convince anyone, but it is a theme that upsets me greatly and I just wanted to talk about it.

Pei Zhen was probably abused as a kid too and it is obvious that he always wanted to be the best and climb higher than everyone else. I don't think he truly feels superior. I think he wants to feel superior, cause anything else would break him and that is obvious from the fact that he never shows emotions.

His father is a bastard, but in this episode I also hated his "mom". No, a simple "Have you eaten?" and "How are you today?" is not enough to show love and care. She's just another pawn of his father that has no will of her own.
I am sorry I simply cannot look away in this episode. She tried making a heart to heart conversation in the last episode and I am glad she did, but where was she all this time?
Taking into consideration this is probably happening for years, where was she?

Now, he hasn't eaten with the family for ages and she's asking her husband where he is knowing full well of their relationship. How about checking on him? That didn't cross her mind?

I mean how is anyone expecting from him to open up when no one tried to truly approach him and pay attention to what is going on all this time?
He has been abused for who knows how long. Abused people can't open up to others easily and in this case it is easy to see he is also feeling vulnerable when he does, losing control.
He's all alone. He was raised by a monster, in the same house with a "mother" that didn't understand her husband beats him and that for me shows how much of an absent character she is and how much she's scared to be involved.

I hate people like her more than the actual abusers and it's mindblowing to think how many real life cases like those exists. Mothers that look away, that didn't know that they "children" were abused for years.

She did that heart to heart convo about Hu Xiu with him, but she didn't dare to speak up when they were having dinner as she should have and when it would matter the most. I understand where she's coming from, but again, like with PZ, I won't justify her actions.
The fact that she's married to a man that said in front of her that he won't allow his son to get with HX cause of her background, shows us how much he loves his wife that he probably married cause it was advantageous for him too...
He shows that carrying image to her, but when it comes to his son, he either beats him or just never praises him.

I am not sure how Pei Zhen will act and what he will do and I can't justify his actions, but that scene where he just sat in this bedroom floor after his dad beat him, holding that scarf broke me. I just truly hope he finds someone that will be there for him, cause he has love to give and he just needs to receive acceptance from someone. HX is like his lifeline at this point and I am not sure what will happen when he finds out she's with his brother.

If I catch Pei Zhen's father, he's not gonna live to see another day