Limecello

Yeah so not literal brother but ... agree his timing was terrible. At least he himself is like "what am I doing" after she walks away at that time but ... *sigh*
For someone who is (supposedly) so smart I'm having trouble with him not getting how impossible it is for them to be together - at least at this time. (LOL even so I hope it works out for them - although I'm kinda expecting a BE or ... if it's what some of the speculation videos say, I don't love it either.)

@drama2go I don't think ZYL is ZXW's brother - adoptive or otherwise. He calls him "师兄" which is more like "sect brother" - pretty sure it's because ZXW's father was ZYL's shifu. (They're also probably related in some way - considering they have the same surname, but the fact that ZXW calls the princess royal "师娘" (shi niang) rather than a different term indicates that as well. )

@Lee_Liu I don't know if they're on Spotify but you can find them on YouTube.

@dramafeast LOLOLOL I was thinking that too re: LYR like damn this guy is unlucky in love. Granted I've only seen him in this and LLTG so far. I think he could carry off being a ML in a costume drama so hopefully he gets a good one soon.

@dramafeast same! LOL for the longest time I rejected any modern drama suggestion people offered but I expanded when I "ran out" of things to watch. I am LOVING Scent of Time though. Fingers crossed a lot of upcoming costume dramas are as good!

What you said about "time perception" is exactly me - every time I'm like "what, that's it?!"
I am LOVING Zhou Ye in this role. And like you as well - I don't mind if she ends up with ZXW, or HRZ ... or neither! I just want her to be happy! ... T_T even though I'm bracing myself for a BE.
Episode 20 she was so boss <3

I agree I don't think we can make any judgments until the end/see how it a) plays out in the drama b) how everyone was written and potentially changed.
ZXW does seem to see HQ clearly though - her good and bad, and knows (as he stated) for her things aren't always as they appear/she seems to care more about emotion than "臉."

Hah are you my twin?! Those are the only Zhou Ye series I've watched so far too! (I only [re]started watching contemporary series like a month ago...)

@dramafeast I'm curious as to how the drama will reveal everything/sort things out. If they'll make it a dream or not. Definitely those voiceovers from ZXW are some sort of clue... I think they've happened three times so far? And the phantom smell too, as you said.
I want them all to be happy too, but I think drama ZXW will not be happy if he doesn't end up with HQ, even if he ends up "letting her go."
I don't think HRZ has sufficient personality/character development yet to grok - other than he's said he wants to be around HQ no matter what in any capacity. At least at this point. He's also 16-17 though (cuz I think it's been at least a year since he became her guard?), so realistically, that could change in six months. Or two. (I know in the book/drama it won't but ...)

Ahahah I want a HE for the 3 leads somehow, but I don't know how it'll work out - and can't expect it so at this point I almost most want/expect to see ZYL and MY get their comeuppance/be stuck together in misery hating each other for the rest of their lives. <.< (Guess I'm in an extra bad mood.)

:X I had to mute the mom cuz she made me so mad - I understand where she's coming from but even when she explains why she's awful and HQ points out she's doing the exact same thing ... the mom was just like "well whatever" so I really ... yeah no. I do feel bad for her, but considering all her previous bad behavior, I'm not willing to totally excuse her in this instance/her grief. (I mean she basically told her daughter she wishes HQ had died instead...) Or possibly both the children would've died...

And yes when HQ was sobbing it was so emotive, and even more those stoic tears. That scene when she tells ZYL that MY now owes her *two* lives... Zhou Ye is SO GOOD in this role!

@lovelyzdestiny Ok well you're making a lot of assumptions here about me - and I never said HQ wants that - in fact as you said she's asked her family to quit it all. HOWEVER - HRZ literally has no money and is a servant at this point. (Not to mention he's potentially a wanted criminal?) Any word from a "noble" and he could be imprisoned or killed, and it'd be "no big deal" to most people.

And if you're going with that - why does she need a man at all? Maybe you don't understand her since she literally told HRZ him she's over romance and isn't interested in younger men.
What she wants most is for her current servants to be free and live their own lives, and she wanted to live with her family peacefully.

Literally the drama poster has her pictured with ZXW and he's the ML. I'm not saying they'll end up together in the drama - but the billing is the billing.

If we could post gifs here I'd post the "man being thrown into a dumpster" one - that's ZYL in every episode.

She initially defended him that time because she knew he didn't try to sexually harass MY, but when she found out why MY did what she did she tells ZYL "go ahead and kill my brother if it'll vent your anger." And I think she meant it. She also didn't know about all the bad that went on in his yard - and had her people go rescue any of his concubines that wanted to leave.

HRZ is a sweet puppy but in a way he's annoying me because - how TF does he think he can care for HQ if he can't take care of himself? How is he helpful if he's too injured to fight? Two sides, same story - TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, GOOD BUDDY.
At this point I also don't think he's a good match for HQ. I know in the book he's the endgame according to other comments, but I think they changed it in the drama.
Also all the people saying the entire drama is just her dream ... (how ... do they know? Is that the book too?)

E18 legit made me ugly cry at that scene with her dad. (I cried the second time I watched it too.) And Zhou Ye was SO GOOD - her pain and emotion were so perfectly conveyed.

This! The ending of E18, that cliffhanger was cruel!

I loved those scenes - he does a lot for her but she doesn't notice it, or thinks he's got other motives. She is/was definitely clueless that *she* was the object of his affections.

They grew up together - HQ, ZXW, and ZYL. It's just HQ (in her first life) only ever had eyes for ZYL. I agree though in the drama we haven't seen any sweet moments between them per se (other than the tower "date," because from the start HQ thinks ZXW hates her and is going to destroy her family.

And :X it was actually an hour a "时辰" (shi chen) is an ancient measure of time that's two hours. He said he'd "only" been there for half of one - so one hour. (A lot of the time translations get the measure wrong. They also get numbers wrong a lot too.)

I ugly cried at that scene - when she thought her dad was going to hit her and also blamed her. (Her mom is the worst.) I don't entirely trust her dad will change but ... maybe, considering there really is "no point" for him to continue on.