CKDramaddicts

Ah, I see. Thanks for sharing. LLYG is on my (long) list of dramas to check out, so I was curious. But I agree, intrigue and tension based on misunderstandings and secrets are easy. Destined has really set the bar high for doing it without those (often annoying and tired) clichés.

Curious - in a good way or bad way?

This is very interesting! And it all makes sense now. I can only imagine the competition and intensity behind-the-scenes with licences, deals, etc.

Oh, I know. I just mean psychologically, they lure us in and spoil us with daily episodes. Once we're hooked and completely addicted, settled into the daily routine, we realize, oh wait, now we have to wait 3 days! 😭😅 Yes, not actually bait and switch, but I couldn't think of another way to describe the feeling.

In my view, she is portraying a character that has lived her entire life with restraint in order to be "perfect" so that she can ensure she marries well and can take care of her mother. So she is very careful with her behaviour; that includes crying in a "delicate" and "ladylike" way etc. No big emotions. At the same time, she has strong opinions that she can't be too obvious about. To be able to convey those two sides I think is challenging and she does a great job acting demure with a steel core. As her character evolves and she is accepted into a family who allows her to be her true self, she becomes a lot more natural in her behaviour. Those delicate sniffles are gone, for example, and the emotions are more heartfelt. BJT's acting is really strong, but his character is more straightforward and clear; hers is more complicated because she is literally "acting" a certain way that's somewhat against her nature.

I was grinning so much. The relationships dynamics in this drama are all so wonderful and ridiculously healthy - so open, trusting, communicative, respectful, warm, loyal: OTP, parent-child/in laws relationships for main couple, employer and employee, servant and mistress/master, sworn brothers, sworn sisters, etc.

Destined viewers side-eying The Longest Promise's true daily airing schedule with envy 😭 (no bait and switch at the 20 episode mark 😅).

Awesome, thank you!

Right, make sense, thank you! I was curious given in the most recent episode, we had a time reference of nearly 3 years since that guy joined the army to fight Liang rebellion. Glad the book ending is satisfying. I'd love to read the book version of lots of dramas, but sometimes hesitate because I worry I'll prefer the drama changes more and don't want the book to ruin the story for me. This is the first drama where I feel like the book might add to my enjoyment of the drama version.

Curious, without too many spoilers, does the book have a happy satisfying ending? And does the book say how many years the entire story covers?

Agree! I'm usually so-so with big battle scenes, because it's just endless fighting. But here, everything helped drive the build-up of tension and the David vs Goliath nature of the fight and the enormous stakes involved.

Looks like that daughter from Bingzhou is set up to be Zhou Ye's perfect dream partner, lol.

Given the 40-episode limit now though, I feel like they're doing a pretty great job telling a tight story. The pacing is great and nothing has been draggy or prolonged, in my view. Not sure how much more detail they could've woven given how much plot there is to go through as well.

🤣🤣

Yes. It goes to show you can have great character and plot development without resorting to terrible communication and stupid misunderstandings. You can have swoonie romance, healthy supportive relationships and excellent communication and still tell complex, compelling, interesting stories.

Not really. There were/are one or two others who had/may have feelings for the FL, but so far, it's barely on the radar in terms of relevance, in my opinion.

i think she sympathized with Ye Yun's situation, but at the same time, felt that Ye Yun was "lucky" and fortunate that she was at least living in comfort. It was her way of trying to push her to eat and fight to live. If I recall, Xifeng was forced into the sex trade herself before LZS saved her, so she has a very low opinion of men. She was trying to advise her that her options were limited and it could be a lot worse. But Ye Yun reminded her that women like her grandmother and Yuru forged their own path despite their circumstances. When she helps her escape, she basically hopes Ye Yun can carve a better path then the one Xifeng chose.

A key reason why they didn't want him to marry the princess is just not wanting to be involved in court politics. The father notes very early on that if something goes wrong (changing alliances, political missteps or damage) the consequences could mean their entire family and their servants are all executed/wiped out.

100 pct!😅

In my experience, this is a pretty standard schedule these days with these platforms. Lure us in like the addicts we are with two episode everyday for about half the episodes, then torture us by shifting to a 3 or 4 days-a-week schedule. Often the last 4-6 episodes get release all at once though at least! 😅