AmericanoLover

Knowing the angsty scenes from the trailer have yet to come I'm not expecting them to confess to each other just yet I wont be surprised if its the last 5 episodes hehehe

I laughed so hard when the dog dropped the piece of meat right after their deep convo I was like noooo

That's all thanks to the first half of the drama being dedicated to slowly building up their relationship from strangers to trusted master/disciple. The slowburn turned off many viewers but those who stuck through can finally reap the benefits >:]. Totally worth it

I had a feeling he explained a reason but I was too lazy to look back for it, but my first reason will always be the technical aspect of the cgi haha

Flying Chong Ming means more CGI scenes they gotta animate and film with the green screen, but also if he's in human form the actor can talk with facial expressions and physically react to Shi Ying more. Maybe they also wanted to add that sense of open world because they do have real backdrops in their traveling scenes and I remember the staff in the production bts prided themselves in wanting to look as authentic as possible.

Pasting this paragraph I posted somewhere else because I didn't think that ep 24 conversation would hit me this hard. I'm so invested in these characters...

The way this pairing interacted this ep was to be expected of master/disciple who hadn't seen each other for a while but I can really feel their dynamic start to shift a bit after their time at the mountain from this argument alone. I'm sure many viewers were waiting for Zhu Yan to finally get her big scolding for all the things we witnessed her do but it's not like she is the only one in the wrong here. Shi Ying is always the most logical and wise of the two but he does overlook additional factors probably due to his detachment from mortal affairs as he did really did not expect Consort Qing to go after Zhu Yan in retaliation. When he's like "why didn't you just ask me for help" that kinda showed me he is unaware of how strong of an impact his words/actions had on her in the past few eps that only we got to see as the viewer. When he sent the wedding wishes, returned her letters, and locked her out of his spiritual realm to crush her hopes for a confused girl like Zhu Yan that must have been like a pile of rejections after another from someone she used to trust. That did not give her the vibes that he is still someone she can always turn to. This is why she retorts that he didn't think about her perspective in a forced marriage situation and always shuts her out. Both of them having their flaws pointed out by the other was necessary for them to understand each other's thought process better because both have alot more to learn about the world. Shi Ying is not too good at conveying his intentions and Zhu Yan is unaware of the consequences her actions can bring to those around her. I appreciate this kind of communication between couple more than A yelling at B>B caves in to appease them>A never gets called out even if they were also wrong. Most viewers were annoyed at Zhu Yan's behavior since she does cause more trouble but I did see some comments also criticize Shi Ying in recent eps so this "we were both wrong" sentiment is nice to see in a xianxia romance.

It was so good to see Shi Ying's mischievous nature return now that he has a disciple to handle once again with the past few eps being just him looking so lonely and aloof. The way he smiled with that one liner before leaving her in the tent with a book made me laugh so hard. And then the warning strike he gave to Chong Ming for crossing the line for suggesting marriage haha

I think that argument was a good start to open communication between the two. Can't wait for the next eps based on the previews Shi Ying's powers will get nerfed for a bit so they can't rely too much on his stronger cultivation powers to save the day. Also that passive aggressive exchange with Zhi Yuan concerning Zhu Yan's safety? Oh boy. Also looks like their visit to the palace will involve punishment (the Emperor still sucks after all) but at least before that we'll get some comical scenes during their travels haha.

I feel like the slowburn of their relationship makes their separation hit harder :( Thanks YGY

Poor master/disciple in 19-20, the reluctant feelings when parting were so palpable I felt bad for the both of them who are obviously happier together but their circumstances won't let them stay master/disciple cut off from worldly matters as Zhu Yan wished. The way he gifted her the Jade Bone Bai Family heirloom right in front of his mother's grave just shows how seriously he cares for her. Then Chong Ming just had to add that those are usually given to the emperor's betrothed I was like ooooh ;) sneaky Shi Ying. I just realized the last time they parted ways was when Shi Ying told her they are not friends and he would move out of the valley if she returned, but now they have grown so much since the early episodes as they parted on more bittersweet terms. Zhu Yan is more accepting of that fact that she really fell hard for Shi Ying and this pining is amplified from the spiritual realm visits (no thanks to meddling DSM of course). Shi Ying was tested alot in these two episodes and it was very sad to see Zhu Yan react to his engagement blessings and even returning all the letters she sent. We can see what his heart truly wants with the way the red flowers bloomed in his spiritual realm they both just look so empty without the other. I can't wait for that super sad exchange at the wishing tree shown in the ep 21 teaser.

The tea and cake time scene barely had any words exchanged but their actions and smiles showed alot.

https://www.toutiao.com/article/7253829424724951591?wid=1689019159001 Just adding link source

Yes I hope you find better ways to start discussion with other watchers

Yes it’s rude because it’s already assuming I got the wrong intepretation. Why would someone take that calmly if they believe in what they said and previews already confirmed. That’s already setting a sour tone when I did not need correction

Lol sorry your first mistake was telling me to “pay more careful attention” so why would I calmly respond to the implication I missed something when I wrote my recap with the previews in mind. If you want to discuss don’t end your comment with that phrase. You could have just added that he’s also protecting himself too and that would have been fine to leave it at just that. He could be protecting himself and her I have no problem with that statement, but its obvious what his true intentions to go 180 on her like most people would do in that situation.

Some nerve you have to lecture me about not paying attention. I already saw the upcoming previews since they were out on tencent video days ago where he confesses his true feelings at the tree. GO CHECK EPISODE 21 IF YOU WANT. I'm not wrong sorry 🫥 nice try

Episode 17-18 were crazy with giving us more lore while furthering their relationship and the plot, and now it's time for the ML to deny his feelings and go through the "distancing myself to protect you" trope :') The long awaited truth of Shi Ying's true identity finally revealed to ZY and the conversation they had right after that was so heartfelt and touching and full of honesty, I was definitely going through it. Sadly that would be their last honest convo until the unforeseeable future BUT AT LEAST they both got their closure. UGH DSM has so much stuff planned for the two leads in his war against the Qing Clan-- that curse cannot be good news for ZY and damn BXL got what her engagement but at what cost...Qing Gang hurry up and fix her please. I should also mention that the fight scene with the Ice Clan was great AND WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT UNDERWATER KISS, amazing visuals as alwayss good thing she learned that water spell. God of Dragon is waiting for a Bai woman?? The sage has a grudge against the one who left the ring?? So much happening

The previews for 19-22 look insane I can't wait for them it looks like a lot happens ESPECIALLY MORE ANGST with this denial of feelings :), whoever dropped the show because of slow pace is missing out. It's just so funny how in the beginning DSM and Chong Ming were against the pairing from getting closer but now that they both approve and encourage SY to leave with her (for different reasons) he has decided to end their relationship hahaha

Uhhh no where has the translation ever wrote "Estate" it was always "state"

Can anyone with familiarity with xianxia drama explain the real state Shi Ying is attempting to ascend to. Will he become a true immortal?

Well I guess you can have beef with her impulsive mind, but I personally don't have an issue as long as the show makes good use out of her decisions and moves the story along. Like her eagerness to gift the coat right away wasn't even anything I would take ever special note of because I could see it was a conventional device to get her down where he is. With that we got to learn alot of stuff in one episode alone such as her inner confession to stay by his side, a showcase of her improved cultivation and fighting, more development on DSM vs the Qing clan. She gets hurt protecting a vulnerable Shi Ying for the first time so it leads to Zhi Yuan gifting the dragon jade for protection and Shi Ying has a reason to thank her and they have a nice flute cloud session. So I'm just chill not hoping she died early on as long as these scenes serve a purpose to the grander plot. She is his calamity after all and it seems to be evident in every episode.

It is very easy to blame ZY for triggering all the events that are needed to move the plot but maybe we should step back and consider what she is thinking in the moment? She doesn't have the power of audience foresight or knowledge of Xianxia tropes like we do come on this is just nitpicking at this point.. this kind of view will just not make the drama enjoyable

ZY gets the hair strand > Shes too focused on repaying QG who saved her life at the mountain and helped with her homework
ZY goes down to gift the coat > why is this a big deal are people not allowed to be excited to gift stuff, no one told her the true reason he was meditating nor did she know about the trap spell
ZY listens to the letter > well if she's writing to her friend why would she expect the reply to be someone else posing as Xueying she has been kept in the dark from alot of the political scheming happening between DSM and the Qing clan