KevinToronto

I will go back and check on the photo later. My recollection was that there was a gap between Xiguang and the others, and that she was not facing straight forward. So, you might be right that the photo had been modified after it was initially taken.

My mistake. I refer back to my reply to @SwollenGoggles.

Do you mean the one in Zhuang Xu's book, that his brother found? If so, I thought it was a graduation photo with Xiguang at edge. My impression was that Zhuang Fei noticed Zhuang Xu's lingering look towards Xiguang's spot in it, put 2 and 2 together and got 99. That is why he thought about the "whole" family ski trip as an opportunity to play match-maker (or at least that is how I viewed it).

Thanks for the information. It is the weekend and my poor brain cell is still asleep. :-)

I also had the fear that we are going to have a ski trip with Zhuang Xu turning up like the proverbial third wheel. However, it would be a complete reversal of his character to date, and totally at odds with his previous actions.

Not certain about anyone else, but I really liked Xiguang's "self-commentary" when she said she was now the pursued when previously she had been the one who was the pursuer. Yes, it could be viewed as another example of the misogynistic "man chases woman" trope. However, I prefer to see it as a role reversal where the person who has previously taken the lead faces a situation where they are not dictating things, and that is not a comfortable feeling.

Beat me to it. I could not remember when she found out, but I was sure she did know. Indeed, I suspect that it is an open secret in within the company. Although I am not certain that the Sheng's own 51% of the company. I seem to recall Yusen saying that Xiguang's father was the largest shareholder.

In contrast, Xiguang's relationship to the company ownership is not widely known, probably because she does not have the same family name as her father.

@Cash-grab-man You should really do a bit of research before posting things about the "spark of light".

First, this phenomena was first described in 2011, when the researchers used mice eggs.

Second, the 2016 study did not use actual sperm. They used the sperm enzyme. So, there is no creation of a fertilised egg. The title of the article was "The zinc spark is an inorganic signature of human egg activation".

Third, the image/video was made using a fluorescence microscope. The "spark" is an artifact that can be seen using the microscope. It is visualisation of the release of the zinc.

I will agree with you that this phenomena is amazing. To me, it is yet another example of how fantastic this universe is, and how little we know.

@cindesaurus I am afraid that you are conflating science with ethics. As I am sure you are aware, ethics are "a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral value" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). They are best described as "a branch of philosophy".

The position put forward by @eighthsense is based on science, and it is one that I agree with. In fact, my personal position is that abortion should be allowed up to the point of foetal viability, which is around 5 months. The current "record" for the youngest pre-mature baby to survive is 21 weeks, born in Iowa in 2024.

You correctly note that almost all countries that allow abortions have 3 months (12 weeks) as the cut-off point. Why pick this point? Well, I have some thoughts.

First, this is about the time the woman starts to feel the foetus move. Clearly, a very significant and emotional event.

Second, the foetus has changed shape from a rather amorphous "blob" with a tail to a discernible human being.

Third, the laws have been enacted by legislations that are dominated by men, who have no understanding or comprehension of the emotional or psychological impact of being pregnant has on a woman. Is it easier for those men to defend the termination of a "blob" vs the termination of a discernible human?

Finally, I do not know how many people here have knowledge or experience of an abortion. Amongst family and close friends, I know of 5. In each case, I have witnessed the turmoil and distress that the decision had on the woman, before and after. In my opinion, it is unconscionable to add to the pressure on a woman by stating that a foetus takes precedence over her choice.

@eighthsense First, I agree with your comments.

Second, I would like to add some comments from my perspective.

As the father of a gay son, who is happily married to his husband, I am really pleased to see dramas increasingly present stories that reflect the broad spectrum of society, including the LGBTQ community.

And, as the father of a daughter who is a surgeon, I am firmly (as is she) of the opinion that doctors must leave their religious beliefs at the front door of the hospital. Also, in the case of an abortion, the doctor's patient is the woman, not the foetus.

Finally, why do people, claiming to be Christian, state that homosexuality is against the teachings of Christianity? To my knowledge, there is nothing in the New Testament that says that. And, just to "rub it in", Jesus wandered around during his 3 year preaching tour with a group of 12 men and one female prostitute.

Unfortunately, there was a group of people who were constantly negative towards Esther Yu. The comment from Strawberrylush above is typical. They were even giving a rating to episodes that had not yet aired. Last weekend, EP 23 had a rating of 7.3 from 44 votes, and it did not air until yesterday.

I suspect that the same group will appear for the next Esther Yu show and repeat the process.

It took me a little while to think of a metaphor of how I felt watching this show. Perhaps it is because I live in Canada (aka the Great White North) and in keeping with the show's winter theme, but the best way to describe it is that
"it was like the warm, cosy blanket you wrap around yourself as you watch the snow falls outside."

Early on, I had Shan and Dai Duo as the second couple. Their relationship had much more "substance" to it, and I am glad they were together at the end.

The Nan Feng and Yan couple was somewhat disappointing, but some people have previously mentioned that in the book, they were both players, so perhaps their ending is more in keeping with the book than the show. Perhaps a few of the cut episodes would have helped resolve the differences and they would have had a better ending.

Regardless, I found this to be a very nice, pleasant, and comforting show to watch.

It depends on who the second couple actually were. I think that Nan Feng and Yan were meant to be, but I felt Shan and Dai Duo were the better second couple.

Shan and Dai Duo end up together at the end. However, Nan Feng and Yan do not appear to do so.

I think most of us agree that 23 episodes were not enough. However, I think that 36 episodes would have been too much; almost certainly there would have been draggy filler material. Perhaps 28 episodes would have been the right length.

While there are some flaws with the show, I found it to be a nice pleasant watch. I do not regret watching it at all.

Welcome to the world of Intellectual Property. At the beginning, the CEO asserted that the pen name was the IP of Tiger Comics and not Wei Zhi's. We know that this was a lie, but at the time, ManMan would not think she was stealing the name.

Anyone who has seen The Princess Bride (ancient movie, I know, but still great entertainment) will know that it was the name "Dread Pirate Roberts" that scared people, not the actual person. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dread_Pirate_Roberts)

As a warm/hot weather person, I think the title should be "Surf into Love". 🤣

Ah, now I understand. That scenario would have made sense.

While it would have been nice if the CEO had been the "AI villain", it would have required him to have a level of skill and industry understanding that would not have fitted with the character. Also, having the editor be responsible allows the story to identify that has to support his family. And, it allows the story to show Wei Zhi's big hearted, forgiving personality.

I am in agreement with your view on the ManMan story arc. It fits within the overall redemption theme of the story.