It could have been time constraints or budget that they had to film it that way. I also found it strange compared…
I'm sure it wasn't filmed at the same time. Maybe a scene that was added later. But someone could have clued in CY as to how to stand and look. This drama is full of little blunders like this. Makes one wonder what was going on during production/filming.
The reveal in Ep.29 should have been at the beginning of the drama. It would have saved viewers a lot of grief. Or at least there should have been foreshadowing and proper framing. Dropping it in the middle of the story when the action was just becoming good is a waste and a disruption of the flow.
Ep.28: the conversation between the two CY's is strange. I don't know how the director filmed this. They're not even looking at each other and that's not in-character.
Many Cdramas do have smart and capable female characters though
I've watched all those dramas you mentioned. I agree that FL in a journey to love was good but she's not the norm but rather the exception. I dropped LoFG because of the FL, the way she behaved was too illogical/irritating. It didn't help the actress looked like a teenage girl opposite the male lead actor.