AdriC93

He's a product of his time and upbringing. To him, his behavior is normal. Still, there are moments when you can see him questioning whether what he's doing is actually right.

Like in this episode, when he watched Ping Jun walking away from the prison through the car window, looking completely lost and disoriented. He took a deep breath, and I felt like there was a hint of guilt there.

Or at least, that's what I felt Leizi was trying to convey through his performance.

Chang Xuan isn't going to take things so far that there's no coming back from it, even if the episode 14 preview seems to suggest otherwise.

In today's episode, he asks her, “What is it that I can't give you that you want so badly?” and her answer is pure, respectful love. I think that will be his breaking point: when he pushes her so far that he can no longer recognize the woman who awakened feelings of love in him. Obsessive feelings, yes, but love nonetheless.

While watching the car scene and then the rain scene, I was literally going, “OMG, OMG!”

Ping Jun just got a reality check when she saw just how obsessed this man is with her. She put a stop to things, but at the same time, there's still this thread connecting her to Chang Xuan that won't let her cut ties with him completely. That's why, when he calls out to her and asks what she wants, she stops and answers him instead of walking away.

Episode 13 got pretty intense, especially with those two scenes where Chang Xuan forcibly kisses Ping Jun. And that ending makes it clear that Ping Jun is willing to become his mistress to get her fiancé out of prison. That man does NOT deserve that kind of sacrifice, Ping Jun. And of course, Chang Xuan is going to take full advantage of it.

The rain scene was phenomenal. It captured the emotional storm both of them are about to get caught up in during this arc. And Chang Xuan has already made his position clear: she's his.

On top of that, it's become clear once again that he still doesn't understand love. All he understands is power and control.

Here's the link: https://x.com/czhouye/status/2111280089895981514?s=20

I don't want to stop watching either, even if we're about to enter a pretty dark arc for Chang Xuan. It's part of the journey he has to go through to set “the canary in the cage” free and free himself in the process, too.

The way he makes Chang Xuan's jealousy and obsession feel so believable while also showing his softer, more tender feelings is incredible to watch.

I just watched a clip from the arc where Chang Xuan holds Ping Jun captive, and he goes completely off the rails. Jealousy has driven him insane. But hey, I knew what I was getting into when I hit play.

I know this kind of story can be a hard pill to swallow in 2026, but I'm absolutely loving Leizi's performance as Chang Xuan here 😍 He's dethroning all the other characters he's played that I've loved.

I'm in that club too 😂

This is a dark romance drama, so the lines between right and wrong get blurred. The story takes some liberties that might not sit well with everyone. If that’s the case for you, this drama might not be for you.

In these early episodes, Chang Xuan is the one who has the most growing to do, and Ping Jun serves as the catalyst for that growth. He needs to fall for someone who’s completely different from what he’s used to, someone who can challenge him and push him to stop acting like the arrogant young master of the Yu family and learn to be a partner who builds a life with her instead of using his power to force her into things.

That said, I also think Chang Xuan’s toxic behavior pushes Ping Jun out of her comfort zone and makes her question whether she really loves her fiancé and what she actually wants. But that doesn’t mean his behavior is okay or that she needs to put up with it in order to grow. It’s more that the conflict between them forces her to confront questions she might not have asked herself otherwise.

As their relationship gets more complicated, more secrets come to light, characters start dying, and war breaks out, I imagine we’ll start seeing Ping Jun mature and develop more as a character.

I feel like she has two conflicting emotions fighting inside her. One makes her want to add fuel to the fire and get a reaction out of him. Ping Jun won’t let him humiliate her or treat her like she’s beneath him, but at the same time, she’s drawn to the danger Chang Xuan represents. Then there’s the more rational side of her that knows they come from completely different worlds, and getting involved with him could seriously damage her reputation...

Thanks for asking! That way, we all get to learn from each other

Exactly!

I see the cage as a metaphor for his need to possess her and make her dependent on him. Right now, Chang Xuan confuses love with keeping her under his control. It’s what he learned growing up as the son of a warlord.

But if you think about it, he’s the one who has two cages. I think his character arc is about learning to set her free while respecting the very things that made him fall for Ping Jun in the first place: the way she challenges him, questions his worldview, and refuses to obey him. At the same time, he needs to free himself from the ruthless persona he’s been hiding behind and embrace the man who genuinely cares about others.

Because he doesn’t just need to set her free. He needs to set himself free, too.

Totally! She likes playing with fire. And this isn’t the first time he’s shown his possessive side, but she knows exactly how to get to him. She’s attracted to Chang Xuan and the danger he represents

These last three episodes were so good! And I’m gonna say it: while it’s true that it doesn’t take much for him to go crazy over her, Ping Jun clearly enjoys pushing his buttons. And that girl is definitely attracted to him, she just hasn’t realized it yet. She thinks she wants to say no, but her body language and her eyes are telling a whole different story. I’m really enjoying the dark, intense dynamic between these two. And that ending to episode 10: EXPLOSIVE. 🔥

Now that I’ve watched the first seven episodes, I went back and rewatched the trailer, and I’m starting to think that whatever horrible thing we think Chang Xuan is going to do to Ping Jun might not be as bad as we’re expecting.

First, I just don’t see the Chinese censors letting a male lead get away with that much aggression toward the FL in a drama with a romantic storyline. Second, the show is already giving us reasons to question the ruthless, heartless reputation he’s built for himself. So I don’t think his actions are going to make him an irredeemable ML.

Yeah, he can be rough, possessive, and controlling, but I think a lot of that comes down to the era he lives in, what he learned growing up in his family, and the way he’s learned to protect himself and hide his own vulnerability.

I'm with you on that

I’m not sure the scene you’re talking about is from this drama, because the way you describe it doesn’t really ring a bell from Sunsets, Secrets, Regrets. But there are three main characters: a female cop, a criminal profiler, and an ex-cop. Romantically, it’s a love triangle. They all grew up together, and the FL had always been in love with the ex-cop. But then something happened, and that’s when Jiang Han Sheng, the profiler, got a chance to win her over. All of this is intertwined with the case they’re trying to solve throughout the thriller.