Carpe Librum

Hi! I'm afraid either I didn't make myself clear or you misunderstood my meaning. Earlier in my comment I only shared my perspective on the breakup and the logic behind that part of the plot as I see it. I had no intention to justify the FL's behavior, for, I totally agree, she IS a red flag. I literally hated her while watching the drama since ep. 1 and I could endlessly go on about what made my blood boil (even apart from her relationship with the ML) 😆 Personally I would have preferred if FMY had just lost interest in her straight away and fired her for insubordination, but alas... (Love the actress, she did a splendid job of portraying RSX). Back to my comment above, I just tried to share my understanding of the writer's intent, because the writer apparently wanted to explain why RSX is like that AND because for the writer the breakup scene not only makes sense, but also shows that RSX begins to care about FMY (yes, the logic of badly hurting someone 'for their own good' still escapes me, but I am kinda getting used to this cliche 🤷🏻‍♀️). I am pretty certain the writer of the show did try to show the subtle transformation in RSX's character, who eventually begins to realise that by selfishly expecting FMY to just protect her against the board she is ruining his career and the chances of those positive changes that only he can bring about. So for her, breaking up with him is necessary to protect him and only him: she herself doesn't win anything, she still gets suspended and loses her progress as a pilot, but as a result of her decision he can finally let the whole situation go, rehabilitate himself as the vice-president and focus on the reform. Then, just before they get back together, yes, it's but a 'half-sign' on her part as you've described it, yet she is finally capable of showing at least this minimal initiative and willingness to get him back. Once again, in real life all of that would have been ridiculous, but this is a romcom melodrama we are discussing here, so some things are exaggerated to follow the conventions of the genre and to better convey the messages the writer had in mind. And apparently, 'people can change with the time' was just one of those messages.

My pleasure ☺️

I finished the series several days ago and am kinda still meditating on that breakup scene. I commented on it a bit earlier, but I think after a few days my attitude towards it has slightly changed. Although I still would have preferred that this stupid, pointless, and harsh breakup scene had never taken place in this otherwise rather sweet and fluffy story, now I can a bit better understand the logic behind it.
1. RSX got disciplined because she DID make a mistake and put everyone's lives at a huge risk. We want to sympathize with her, but, truth be told, the old dudes were right: the main pilot just swooned, the crew could have woken him up; otherwise, they were supposed to follow the protocol and employ the autopilot to land the plane. Yet, RSX, who had not yet passed her exam, decided to land the plane herself, under horrible weather conditions, because she apparently wanted to show off her skills (by doing that she would have proven she is her mentor's worthy successor, as well as that her failure at the exam was due to the examiner's biased attitude towards her). So, she did save everyone, but only after she herself had created the situation where everyone needed to be saved. By trying to protect her FMY was putting his own reputation and credibility at stake. Of course, RSX could have asked him to give in and to sign her deserved suspension to show his objectivity, but I am afraid, she was right in calculating that only a breakup could properly clear FMY of any suspicions and criticism.
2. It's sad to acknowledge it, but according to the drama, RSX didn't love FMY half as much as he loved her. She got used to him, she appreciated him, she was grateful for his love and kindness, she liked him, but as for profound love, I do not really think she is capable of any. She is a deeply traumatised person, abandoned by her parents, afraid of being too attached to other people, of letting dependance on other people make her vulnerable. That's how she is, and she can only be accepted by her partner as such, with all her flaws. Yet, I would say, that we do witness some evolution of her character, because ultimately it is she who finds a way to signal to FMY that she regrets their breakup and misses him. Ultimately, she manages to accept and show her vulnerability. So, for me, it rehabilitates her and him as well: he is not just a simp, who can forget and forgive everything, but rather a man who realises his partner's need for personal space and time to process things and patiently waits for her to reach out to him when she's ready.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you for your explanation ❤️ At first, I thought it was the breakup itself that I didn't like. But then, I realised that what I actually hated was RSX's outrageous, yet absolutely unnecessary rudeness during the breakup scene. Even if she thought dumping FMY was an inevitable step that could do both of them more good that evil, even if we as viewers accept her motives and decide that her actions are (at least, from her own perspective) somewhat justified, it still doesn't explain why call him 'trash' and so on. Of course, I know this drama cliche when one partner initiates the breakup to protect the other one and uses harsh words on purpose to evoke anger and bitterness, which are supposed to make the breakup itself more bearable... And, btw, I absolutely detest this cliche, but what's worst, it feels like it doesn't really apply here. Truly disappointed with the writing and sorry for the actors who had to reenact this stupid scene and make it look real.

Yeah, there is a beautiful happy ending, but you kind of have to survive the stupidest ep. 21 to enjoy the final bliss.

So true! This triggered me as well. Besides, this makes no sense within the broader context: why would she then hate her mother for choosing her career in art and yet praise her mentor for practically the same thing (ok, the mentor didn't ruin her family for the sake of her career, yet, it is clear that the baby girl is almost abandoned). Very weird logic.

Really?! Wow, that's great news, thank you!

Thank you for the support, and, wow, so beautifully said ❤️ And yes, totally agree, falling not for the pretty face of the flight attendant, but for the maturity and growth of the lady pilot, actually does him a lot of credit.

I don't think the change in the ML's attitude has anything to do with the social distance between them, for a junior / trainee pilot is just as 'lowly' to him as a flight attendant. The gap is huge in either case. So I am pretty certain it's about the inner transformation that the FL has undergone in the three years. If you have ever encountered people who enjoy themselves and their life, who live in line with their goals and values, you know how magnetic their presence can be. And this is what has happened to our FL: as a flight attendant, she was meek, quiet, as if a bit of ashamed of herself, and definitely not satisfied with her position. She desperately desired to live the life of her dreams, to reinvent herself, to tune in to who she was always meant to be. Three years later she IS the reinvented version, the person who has worked hard and ultimately achieved her goals. Her newly gained contentment, confidence, and integrity have changed her self-perception and naturally began to inform how other people perceive her. So for me, it totally makes sense that FMY didn't recognize her at first (she is in a way a new person), yet instantly felt magnetised.

Hi, everyone! I've been following the comment section with some interest since the broadcasting began, and thanks a lot to all those who share their opinions on the drama, because it really enriches the whole experience and helps notice things I otherwise would have overlooked. I've noticed that quite a lot of viewers seem to dislike the 'sudden shift' in the ML's attitude towards the FL: basically, the problem is that "he ignored and then insulted a 'lowly' flight attendant, yet instantly fell in love with the super cool lady pilot, and it kind of makes him cheap." In the comment below I would like to share my perspective on that shift, which, I hope, will provide another way to look at the whole situation (for the record, I haven't read the novel, so it's just my understanding of the plot, which might differ from how everything is explained in the original source).

Frankly speaking, that scene made me feel more frustrated with the FL. In the first place, why on earth would she go to that cafe to see someone who, as she knows for certain, has a secret agenda and has even tried to ruin her relationship previously? Then, even if she went there out of pure curiosity, why would she take so close to heart something this Shenglan-lady had to say? I mean, come one, you're a grown up person, why can't you be a bit more confident and assertive when it comes to your own life? Why do you allow other people have a say?! Nope, she has nothing better to do than to listen to someone else's rubbish and then sit in her apartment feeling that her world has fallen apart.

Anyway, I'm not imposing anything here ☺️ Thanks to your explanation, now I can see why for some viewers the drama is a bit slow and the central conflict a bit stretched. Just saying, that for me personally, it's all fine, so far.

I think that ultimately depends on the person. Some people are braver in that respect when they are younger, and for some the courage to express their feelings openly comes with age. Anyhow, I support you in that ML should have explained how he and his sister are involved in the matter. The only logical explanation I can see to it is the scene in the beginning of the 2nd ep., when ML let FL be the one to decide whether she wants to acknowledge that they know each other, and then just followed her lead (which I think was rather considerate and respectful of him). Since FL preferred to pretend to not know him and ML supported this legend, it probably would have made no sense to involve the sister and explain everything in detail... That's just my guess 🤷🏻‍♀️

谢谢您的回答，您说的对。评分不太重要的，每个人有自己的drama味道，所以 'just enjoy drama' 总是是最好的态度☺️

Thanks for your reply! I see your point, though do not entirely relate. I think it's exactly because both the ML and the FL are adult people who have been out of touch for some time, they are so hesitant and cautious. When you're 18, it's probably OK to say: 'Hey, I like you. What do you think?' It's not so ok when you're 28. Besides, no one wants to look like a fool who hasn't got over a school crush after so many years.

I haven't seen all the episodes that are already out, though. Maybe the progress gets really draggy in eps 10-12...

I've rated al the episodes I have watched so far 10/10, because I really like this drama, -- and I am a picky eater when it comes to films and dramas. Hope it helps increase the overall rating a bit, because as you've said, viewers do check the rating before deciding whether they want to invest their time and emotions into a product or not. Though, truth be told, I think seasoned MDL residents have already grown rather sceptical about those figures in the box. For instance, some of my most beloved projects have under-8 ratings, and quite a few dramas I dropped midway are rated 8.7 and higher. So you never know.

I wonder what's wrong with the rating: why is it so low? 🤔 The drama is highly enjoyable, I'm liking it a lot, even though romance dramas are not typically my genre of choice, and as for the actors, it's the first time I see both of them. I mean, it is really sweet, like, Hidden Love-kind-of-sweet 🤍

Dream cast... Any news, though? Is it even being filmed?

Most certainly, Bi Zhi remembers everything. He went to that bar on that very day on purpose to see Bei Lu. He seemed very happy to see Bei Lu. And, what's more important, he didn't seem discouraged by the fact that Bei Lu didn't recognize him or the circumstances. And they exchanged contacts, which apparently means that this time Bi Zhi doesn't intend to leave soon and is sure he will either be able to help Bei Lu remember what they have been through OR to create new memories together. I think, this ending is just perfect and it gives a huge opportunity for the second season, because they can basically repeat some of the tropes (thanks to Bei Lu's amnesia) and this repetition will be totally justified.