EsiNotEssie

Oh yeah, I've seen him on variety shows, he's hilarious! Never a dull moment with him😂

Well he sounds like a genuinely good person, and it looks to me like he's also lucky to have a fan like you!

That's admirable! I've always liked Dylan, since Meteor Garden. My friends and I always called him Pineapple because of his hair lol. But I just liked that he seemed really chill and down to earth in the BTS clips, so I have high respect for him even more now that you've said that!

They absolutely belong together, and I think the novel did a really good job explaining why they were the best couple pairing. Neither of them would have worked with anyone else (regardless of what that spoiled brat 4th Miss Lu thought lol)

And I'm very much out of entertainment news, so I genuinely couldn't tell you which actors are good or not. I avoid drama like the plague unless it's an actual drama. And same, I ran away from kdramas years ago because I could no longer stand all that actor bashing and overt politicking. It didn't help that kdramas began feeling draggy and traumating just for the sake of shock value, or boring with reused tropes and barely decent execution. When I found CDramas, it felt like a whole new world of fresh twists, new ideas, and better editing and CGI

Oh their sons, now that's going to be fun to watch! Also I have to say, it's going to be interesting how they portray Lu Ling's character, especially since I genuinely couldn't hate him even though he was another love interest that, had this been an ordinary story, Shen Miao could've married. But instead the poor guy became a catalyst for Shem Miao realizing she couldn't just settle down and live an ordinary life with an ordinary man🤣 And same here, I was not expecting how much hate against actors I'd find here! I just wanted a place to log my finished dramas but found that apparently people REALLY care who is casted before it ever comes out. I have actors and actresses I like, but I'm generally pretty blasé about casting in general. I'm here to watch and enjoy, not psychoanalyze people who just did the best with the scripts they had.

Also I'm so glad I found someone like you who could talk about the finer details of my favorite novel!

I think I cried when I read that. We'd always known XJX was head over heels for SM before, but that really proved that no matter what, XJX would never bow to anyone's will (except SM's lol). Many emperors who supposedly truly loved their wives would buckle under the pressure and get another empress, but not XJX, never him. SM was his ride or die, whether she was alive and well, sickly and comatose, and we can infer, even if she was dead. He raised my standards SO high

No, she didn't remember the meeting, and he didn't remember the previous life at all

I believe in the side stories, it shows that the ML and FL did meet secretly once (accidentally), and they deeply respected each other. He respected her so much that he honored a promise he gave her even when she was drunk during that meeting (although it already aligned with his plans), so in a way, it helped her "let go" and reincarnated (with help from another source). He did think about her and was sad to hear that she'd died, but the story left it open ended for the first life

I can't see Yao Chi as Pei Lang😂 But maybe he'll do well!

I read it at least once a year, for maybe the past 4-5 years. It's hands down one of the few stories I've reread so much, but I do admit I haven't often reread that last part when XJX went off to war. I kind of just pick and choose. Also yeah, it would be really interesting to see how they tie Shen Qing to Prince Yu. Because we both know that massacre at his mansion wouldn't have the same impact without a marriage, and SQ had nothing else to bargain except her baby (and I have to say, SM's little display forcing SQ's pregnancy to be made public was devious but necessary 😅) I really couldn't care much about the POV as long as the personalities of XJX and Shen Miao are retained. XJX stepping in at every step wouldn't even do justice to his character either, because not only did he start out being suspicious of her, but he also understood her in a way absolutely no one else did. He knew she never wanted to be treated as a damsel in distress.

Ghislane Maxwell's mentor is absolutely spot on lol! I think they might rewrite that part entirely, but they'd have to do it in a way that they keep the importance of that meeting between the leads as a result

Jing Chuchu absolutely had what was coming to her. Princess Ming'An punishment was surprising for a moment, but then again, we know that things are definitely cut off when XJX gets involved, and SM getting kidnapped at her behest by his "brothers" was something that would understandably cause this reaction. But I really didn't expect what he did after their deaths at the lake😅 I think even SM was surprised

Oh yeah, their story comes near the end of the novel but it hits right in the feels. I do believe I cried he first time I read it

Agreed. It's clear XJX fell for her intelligence and tenacity despite the odds, and SM isn't SM without those traits. She'd be like every other so called "strong FL" in other dramas if they do too much. But you're right. I LOVE a good revenge done right (like diverting Chang Zai Qing's schemes to the 3rd household instead of her own), and I love morally grey leads, but Wo Long Temple was uncomfortably too far.

Oh phew I'm not overthinking, that's good news😅

This left me really confused and I had to go skim the novel again but I think I know what you mean. Are you talking about Emperor Yong Le of Great Liang (name Xie Chi) and Empress Xian De (name Ke Jing Zhen)? If so, I'm impressed you know their real names despite not reading it, because the novel only mentioned their real names a few times. Even my memory was failing me😅

I'm flattered you think so lol, but I'm only learning Chinese myself, so I'd hardly say I "know" it. I could be wrong though, you know how Chinese has 294938 different ways to say something, or I could be overthinking it😅

Okay I just checked the Chinese title. I actually changed my mind now, it's a wordplay! 将门独后 could mean "only daughter of a general family", but since they used "后", it also is reminiscent of the word for Empress (皇后). I gotta hand it to them, it's smart

Ke Jingzhen? I read the novel but don't remember that character. Who is it?