Eleison

I am with you. I do think what triggered the mean comments was his jealousy/fear of Sui YuanQing, not Song Yan. They showed that flashback of Sui gloating about how he'd noticed Changyu and her beauty (in less respectful language, of course) and it made him all broody and jealous. I don't think it's out of character necessarily, because we've seen glimpses of this kind of behavior before, but there was never a situation serious enough to warrant him flipping out (except when she got kidnapped; it was a precursor to this moment).

I didn't care for him getting all jealous like that, either, and foolishly allowing that to channel itself into irrational anger, and then lose control.

I think jealousy like this honestly comes about when you see your beloved as a possession rather than as a person, and it also comes from fear and insecurity, as you pointed out. I hope they deal with it properly later and don't just stuff it under the rug and act like it didn't happen.

The fight did feel realistic, though, like how childish, petty and passive aggressive they started to get as each one resorted to more and more hurtful comments rather than addressing the real issue and concerns they had deep down.

The fact that Changyu didn't reward ihis behavior and meanness was the only thing that saved that scene for me.

I still care enough about them and the bond I know they've formed to root for them as the story progresses, but I hope we don't see any more of that kind of behavior from the ML. I like watching characters grow, so as long as we see some for the ML, I will be content. (Some users have said we see some more of this side to him in upcoming episodes, and that makes me nervous. Don't make me not root for you, Xie Zheng! 😭).

😅😅😅

I loved that little insertion of her being confused. 😅 She figured it out, though. 😉

I'm already struggling with people thinking what Xie Zheng did in Episode 17 wasn't a big deal or somehow squealworthy. 😅

Li Huai An hasn't been terrible by comparison. The FL's four little ducklings also shaped up pretty well. I hope the ML tones things down a bit with her, too. Let's not feel like we can compare him in any way to Qi Min or Sui YuanQing. 😬

Uncle Gongsun hanging out with the kiddos and teaching them Go. 😅

To each his own! I can only tolerate it if he makes things right later. 😉

The comment section for a Cdrama is so much more fun when the airing schedule is the same on all platforms. It means no one's super far ahead and everyone has to experience the ups and downs at the same time. ☺️

But he was more wrong. 😉

Yeah, and I was trying to remember why he hasn't decided to tell her at this point? Obviously at the beginning it was to protect his identity since he didn't know her, but now there seems to be no reason. He's starting to see her as a permanent member of his life which means she will need to find out at some point. The longer the wait the more angry she'll be...

In addition to the excellent points already made, I will add that consenting to lovemaking and being forced to do it are radically different, and that's why she was so aggressively anti his request in that moment. He trampled on her choice, and completely turned her off. I appreciate that the drama did not make it romantic as many romances tend to do (she didn't melt and give in once he got all tender again). Even if the victim of this behavior realizes the behavior was mainly due to the heat of the moment, such behavior should not be rewarded.

I think handsome villains are actually perfect. That's the only realistic thing about dramas like this. 😉

Yeah, as much as XZ disappointed me in 17, I also appreciate watching characters make mistakes that they can (hopefully) grow from. Perfect characters are boring (yes, I'm a sucker for growth arcs! :)).

If only cliffs in Cdramas were as effective as the White Truck of Doom in Kdramas.

Yeah, she was angry by that point, and she refused to come with him because he got the order all wrong and asked her after he basically insulted her and kissed her against her will to assert his dominance 🤮.

We all know, and she knows, that she wants to be with him, but he crossed a line he shouldn't have crossed and she's not letting him back in because of that. Obviously they'll make up, but the dude let his jealousy get the better of him, and now he's paying for it.

It revealed that they have a long way to go in conflict resolution when one of them is angry.

Yeah, he did everything in the wrong order 😅(though a FORCED kiss should never be in any order, before or after).

Me, too. I wanted them to make up ASAP, but it was more important for her to tell him his behavior was unacceptable and not just melt when he tried to get all lovey dovey again and make ridiculous requests afterwards.

He was angry and jealous, lost his head, and now he has to suffer the consequences.

No reinforcing of male entitlement from Changyu! 👍 You don't get a pass just because you're beautiful and a man.

Okay, that fight in 17 kind of came out of nowhere... and also, come on, dude, how'd you think she was gonna respond? 😬🤦‍♀️

Yeah, perhaps! It's certainly crossed his mind, and if it was just her and not Ning, too, then he might be more inclined to to give it a shot.

Okay, so this is roughly what I've gathered also.

It's Qi Min's backstory that I can't make heads or tails of. 😅 I know technically they haven't told us much about him yet, but all they have told us I promptly got confused by. All I know is he's a beautiful bad egg and he was bad to Qian Qian at some point which is why she's terrified of him (though I think you haven't got there yet? Hopefully you don't mind me jumping ahead...).

And I have no faces for the names of the various princes I'm hearing about yet so I have nothing to ground their names with and to keep them straight. They seem to be of different generations, too? And then there's a deposed emperor and HIS children in the mix? And one of the princes apparently died with Xie Zheng's dad 16 years ago (I assume a good prince? But not the crown prince?)? And how did this weakling puppet emperor even get this far with all these scheming vultures hovering around? 😂