CKDramaddicts

I can't remember if they've revealed all of this in EP 25, so possible spoiler warning....

....but XL is Xiang Lan, Uncle Zhu's daughter/ML's first gf and WZ's wife.

I'm still enjoying this and still love the FL, but her naivete towards other people's scheming in 34/35 is kind of driving me nuts right now. (She was onto ZXS pretty quickly in the beginning though.) Why is Su Qian getting a pass from everyone? She's clearly out for revenge too given how conveniently she is in league with WZ. The ML is supposed to be pretty brilliant and understand how dark the world can be AND YET. He wasn't connecting all the dots either. And even if the FL is completely naive to WZ's scheming, she is extremely principled, so knowing what she knows about WZ -- raping XL and then trying to destroy ZXS -- one would think that should be more than enough for her to want to refuse WZ's investment from an ethical standpoint. (I know that decision is ultimately out of her control and up to Huang though). In a way it sort of goes back to the ML challenging her ethics and principles in the early episodes and asking her how she would chose between two impossible choices. I guess they're trying to make the point that preserving the research is more important than anything? I know QJN is fiercely independent, and this is expecting too much, but I wanted WZ/SQ's plans foiled with QJN going to her dad for financial help instead, lol.

It's bothering me that ZXS is hiding his connection to WZ from her after all they've been through to get back together. Like the lies STILL just keep piling up! Not cool. :/

QJN is amazing. They're all a little different so not completely comparable, but other dramas with kick-ass female leads who know their own minds and won't let other people get the best of them that come to mind include: Princess Weiyoung (perhaps the closest in the way she carries herself?), Imperial Coroner (FL feels a bit younger though, so different from QJN), I Will Find You A Better Home, and Flower of Evil.

100% YESSS. Just tell her already! Face everything together. She probably would have some great ideas up her sleeves too.

I know this is just storytelling and "villains being villains", but it boggles my mind how Uncle Zha and especially Wen Zhao have the audacity to blame the ML for anything, when it was all Wen Zhao's doing. He's a piece of work and I hope he goes to jail in the end. I'm really enjoying this soapy drama, but the whole, forcing someone to love them or be with them when they clearly don't want to, and not letting anyone else have them either, is one of the most annnoying drama tropes. Everytime Wen Zhao opens his mouth --- argh! I know I'm stating the obvious, but just wanted somewhere to rant, lol. XD

Ah, I see, fair enough! Would it be any less distracting to see so many random people in Europe including street musicians and conference attendees all speaking Chinese though? Not sure there's an ideal or satisfying solution, but interesting food for thought on how it can be done better! :)

You're not alone! I want all the screentime for the OTP, but I don't mind the secondary protagonists anymore. I found the 2ML annoying at first, but I like how his character has evolved and become supportive and can also see the true feelings of the ML. And through her friendship with Mo Li, I've also come to also appreciate the genuine kindness of the little sister. And ditto for the office colleagues. I've always loved Chunran though. Zhu zhu is terrible, but I guess no office is ever completely poison-free, lol.

I could see how it might be distracting for some viewers, but I've seen it done elsewhere, including Hollywood films. Given the extensive amount of dialogue Victoria would have to speak in English, including a lot of scientific conversation involving more complex terminology, I can see why they went this route. Even more so if she's not as comfortable (she spoke in English for short sentences). I would definitely find it challenging delivering this amount of lengthy dialogue in a language I was not comfortable with. It's also better than oversimplifying the dialogue just to keep it in English.

It was a bit weird at first -- I assumed the professor could understand Chinese at first, but after the street busker scene, I think the viewer is supposed to assume she's speaking English/whatever language so fluently it's like she's speaking Chinese (but it's still a tiny bit wierd, since the other characters still attempt to speak English), If all else fails, we can pretend it's like Star Trek, they've got universal translators, but viewers don't, lol.

I can't believe I am saying this given how this show started, but I actually really enjoy the office friendship and dynamics now! Except for the one toxic character left, they really showed how the self-assured, confident, and kick-ass FL was able to change things around in the office because a) she doesn't put up with BS b) she is magnanimous and fair, and able to consider context c) she helped people see they were wrong and prejudiced in their assumptions.

Also, if you like your romance and ML tortured, angsty, and kinda swoony, LYX is delivering, lol. (Let's just hope they follow through with a proper payoff and HEA ending!)

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your review, especially since your frustration was reminiscent of my own for another LYX drama, Guys with Kids, except this sounds so much worse! (I guess I won't be checking this one out since I promised not subject myself to something that bad again, even if LYX is in it, lol.)

Yeah, I'm really liking the entire OST as well, don't think I've heard any songs I didn't like.

I don't know if it's because I went in with pretty low expectations or because this is major change of pace from the last dozen-plus dramas I've watched, but I'm actually enjoying this a lot more than I expected so far -- despite/even with some of the overwrought office scheming and the heavy-handed nationalist overtones in the early episodes. I came here for LYX, but it's been refreshing to watch a FL who is mature, smart, confident and knows herself well. I don't mind the stereotypical cutesy FLs, but it gets tiresome when so many are portrayed as bad students and not very bright compared to the ML! (I'm also amused to see Xu Kaicheng playing such a goofy dork 2ML, even though the way he's treating the sister is rather annoying so far.) Finally, I love the closing song so much I actually let the credits run instead of skipping, lol.