EtoileNoire

"The shift started in ep. 17 when Menglin stood up for her in front of Liu Wan and her toadies and Muzhi wouldn't/couldn't."
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To me, that was a high point in his character development rather than a turning point. Even then, the actor's line delivery was that of a petulant child. He had a couple other good moments, but IMO it wasn't enough for her to fall in love with him - friendship maybe, mutual respect, or the dynastic version of FWB. That ending didn't feel like a natural or logical conclusion & the heroine would have done just as well in life by herself or with a better partner (someone smart & driven like the middle Qi brother for example).

I enjoyed everything about this show except the "romance" with Qi Meng Lin. He was just too dumb, impulsive, & childish for the FL even though he improved somewhat over the course of the series. To the very end I couldn't stop thinking, "Dude, she's not that into you." It seemed against character for Luo Shu to fall in love so quickly after ending things with the Magistrate.

If the romance hadn't been shoe-horned in for no damn reason, the last case and the conspiracy around it could have been played out & resolved more satisfactorily.

Despite the good qualities of the drama, that aspect left me feeling annoyed & let down as if I'd wasted my time.

So far she seems to veer from fierce & clever to vapid & stupid. That business with the sitar had me rolling my eyes.

I'm glad there's a second season because the ending felt inconclusive.

I couldn't find the actor who plays the head of the flower guild, probably due to a difference in how the character's name is transcribed. If you or anyone else knows who he is, please point me in the right direction.

Report & block the trolls. It's what they deserve.

I wonder if he grooms them to hand over to Madam Yu.

I'm getting lost with so many similar character names, one character having different names, etc.

Episode 20 was heartbreaking.

Possible wedding scene
https://youtu.be/CQ0TcgOTHmc?si=XDp9VPEOJJqKQ7U2

(Apologies if this has been posted already; I looked and didn't see it in the comments.)

Revenge on the princess was sweet because she doesn't know who did it or if it wasn't an accident.

I was thinking the same thing last week. Unfortunately, although she is beautiful, she is too low in status for that family.

I agree with this so much. She left a small child care in the care of a slightly less small child and blames the boy when the inevitable happens. She (and the husband too, quite frankly) should have been prosecuted for child endangerment. The first husband's saving grace is that he had the good sense not to blame his son for what happened.

Zhen Zhen's mother is so tightly wound that I wonder what her problem is? She fights at home, she fights at her job, she fights at her daughter's school. As a firm believer in not avoiding confrontation because it's the easy thing to do and in fighting for what one wants and for rights, even I think she fights too damn much. My goodness. Inside her brain must be such a big tangled mess of emotions & thoughts. I can't imagine never being at peace like that.

On episode 11 and he is no better. He can't be the love interest. Lordy.

Straight off the bat, Liu Chang is doing something stupid.

Just block them and keep it moving.

Liu Chang could actually take steps to create his own relationships outside of the princess & her father, but he is incapable of thinking outside of the box he's in. Poor thing. I still don't like him and his whiny self-pity but he literally cannot think any other way - no imagination, no guidance, and inadequate parenting.

I've noticed that Sheng Yi's ideas are always shot down. Although she is clearly loved & valued in the sisterhood and business partnership, I wouldn't blame her for feeling otherwise. IJS.

I also don't think she is weak. Some people need an intimate companion and children to give their lives meaning and to feel fulfilled, while others need professional success, camaraderie, or intellectual companionship more. Thankfully, we're all different.

Sheng Yi's story is gearing up to show what happens when we neglect that which is essential to our well-being: we can become vulnerable to the ill-intentioned. Even Mudan was like half a person until Yulu's death kicked her ass into gear.

I was riveted by the interaction and parallel conversation between the mismatched Li You Zhen & Liu Chang. What a great scene with great dialogue.