Dpd666

OMG what a lovely surprise. This vertical was more enjoyable than most full length dramas. Although simple, the plot was original and had me hooked to the very end. The actors playing the MC nailed their quirky roles and their chemistry was on fire.

Loved it but nearly missed the scene AFTER the final credits.... it was was the right note to end on!

I want me some more of Dr Fang played by QXX , he is the ultimate cupid wingman, No wonder his scenes with SWL are so good, I see where they both were in The Seven Relics of III Omen, Youthful Glory & Everlasting Longing.

IRL he is unrecognisable from this character, Very cute, handsome and engaging particularly when smiling. He is nailing the depressing SML.

Love this scene where he first sees her and falls in love with her. Shame she didn't turn around then and spot him.... as there'd be no way she'd forget him!

I stumbled across this little gem while waiting for the episodes of TLOTFG to drop - Love and Strife.
https://kisskh.at/764007-gong-suo-jin-zhi
It's a historical / revenge / romance short cdrama but the chemistry & acting is just so good with a badass MC and the story has unexpected twists. It takes the first couple of episodes to work out who's who but the story takes off at a rollicking pace. Very fun & enjoyable.

To me Ming Tan is so like Jane Austen's Emma. Like Emma, we are watching this young, privileged girl develop and grow but she will still be her own person.

You're joking! She really is a true beauty, besides nailing the role.

Height difference with MC. There's a trend to pair tall actors with short actresses as they look cute. Unfortunately it can be quite distracting in some scenes where either the difference magically disappears (hidden booster step anyone?) or the MC's physical interactions look uncomfortable or awkward.
In this drama we have a tall, long legged, striding ML with a petite, short legged, scurrying FL. Their height difference actually is part of the story. If there is an issue, the ML's default position is to simply sweep her up and carry her ..... problem solved!🤣

What a talented versatile actress is He Hong Shan who plays Fan the older sister. I've just watched her as Ming Sh's father's concubine in Serendipity and also as the crazy sister in The Glory. It's hard to believed she's 38!

You are so right. This drama had so much potential if it had only highlighted the romance of the main couple and the thriller / mystery of murder of his mentor and her family .... as you would expect. Instead we are served up with heaps of side stories and don't get me started on the screen time wasted on the SML and his family.
I really feel sorry for the actors playing the main couple. They must be so frustrated that scenes they filmed have been cut out and they are not treated as the main focus of the drama. The writer / director/ editor are responsible for the mess!

This is where we see things very differently :)
To me Quinzhao is a privileged rich boy that has always got what he's after... which in this case is the FL. He is nice to her but his acts are always in his interest to win her over or get close to her. They are not selfless.
The red flag for him went up for me when he refused to accept the hairpin back with her rejection but told her he respected her decision Then he straightaway told his offsider that he didn't respect her decision and was intent on pursuing her.
His constant refusal to avoid or accept her many rejections show that he does not respect her decision or recognise boundaries apply to him.
It'll be interesting to see how he responds to the MC's breakup. Will he put his own or the FL's happiness first?

So I found his drunken aggressive behaviour in keeping with his character.

He's so delusional and can't accept rejection. I worry he's going to cause the MC problems before the end. The issue I have with his character is the amount of screen time he is stealing from the MC and the 2nd couple. Seriously, I can really do without watching him being heartbroken, moping about and feeling sorry for himself. It did nothing for the story and wasted so much time.

His cousin Princess WENHAM in episode 28 around the 15 minute mark. Poor SML is delusional.

How sweet is it that the child actor playing the young Lu Chang also played the ML's son in The Love You Give Me. (TLYGM). There's some BTS of them chatting and playing ball on this set. The scenes of them playing together and full of mischief on TLYGM were fantastic. I can still see them both with their hair tuffs tied up in multiple coloured bows!
https://disq.us/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fweibo.com%2F7752613482%2F5164015941061628%3AEtyufSd1_WVpuU036olCXqf-Wx8&cuid=4100527

Remember in one of the many rejections, the SML conned the FL into keeping the hairpin and to only return it when she was in love with someone else. So the FL got the SMLs cousin to return the hairpin to him with a letter recognising his affection but saying she could not reciprocate it.
But.... as usual the lovesick puppy refuses to accept the rejection.

Is the SML really a green flag?

Hey, so far he looks like one of the good guys but is he totally?

1. his actions towards the FL are totally motivated by the fact he is smitten/obsessed with her. After all, he doesn't treat other females the same
2. When FL was under cover at the academy, he took the opportunity to selfishly hide her in his room. This suited SML's desires but was unnecessarily risking her reputation if discovered.
3. When FL was in the coma he took liberties with her. Holding her hand and caressing her face etc even though they did not have any relationship other than friendship.
4. When she returned the hairpin and told him she didn't return his feelings. He refused to take back the hairpin but told her he respected her decision. I found this very manipulative, particularly when he told his offsider that her wasn't giving up on pursuing her.

Interesting to see how it goes. The trailer on Vikki shows the ML and SML fighting over the FL.

Is the SML really a green forest? My POV in spoiler

The actress is great. , the character is really awful.

I don't know what they are saying but they are just too cute as themselves. And aren't they different when they smile!