Platinum Fox

Yes, the whole drama is about being honest with yourself and others. The theme running throughout the drama is illusion vs. real. Don't be scared it all gets sorted out in the end, and they come out a stronger, more loving couple in the end.

They get married in episode 6. Episode 13/14 is when the lies come out.
No, she changes a great deal during the drama. She becomes very honest and forthright.

around episode 29/30 with the last scene showing their full merger as a couple

They get married in the early episodes. They never get divorced but go through what they call the "cooling off" period twice. It is during the cooling off period that they reconcile. Despite what other commenters are saying, it is one of the most mature dramas I have watched even with all the silliness in the second half. That silliness supports the main theme that runs throughout the drama. In the end, that silliness becomes very serious as the couples look at their relationships in realistic ways instead of through the rose colored glasses they had in the beginning. For me, it is one of the most mature and intelligent social commentaries on Chinese culture. It is beautifully shot with the camera work supporting the main theme.

As for the business aspect of it, her journey through the world in front of the camera and then creating a clothing business reflects the main theme of the drama. His business venture stresses the need for a change in mindset of what is important when doing business. In the end their business ventures merge and what is created is a mature look at doing business and life in general. jmo

Happy drama watching. If you don't finish the drama, it's not the end of the world.

Yes, I totally agree. We can only hope.

Yes, they could file for custody if all other family members are gone, but the fact that SHC has known maternal grandparents and a maternal aunt, they carry more weight than a family who took care of him for 12 years. The fact that the Shens had a paternity test done in the first place shows that they didn't trust the mother's word that HM was the father of the child. This fact should have been double checked, but HM trusted Fang Lei and the lab report. Biological children carry more weight than non biological children in Chinese culture. This is shown through the man who usurped the company chair along with the god son. As soon as the god son was of no more use, he was sent far away which actually worked in his favor.

Everyone wants SHC to have a happy ending. The same goes for XY and SHM. However, life sometimes doesn't work out the way we want it to. The fact that SHC is not in the last episode shows that XY and SHM have accepted this fact. They can still think of SHC as their child, they just can't have physical custody of him until the courts say so. This is why it was important that they look ahead to having their own children.

Nice chatting with you again. Happy drama watching.

I understand that you and others want the fairy tale ending for SHC, but legally XY and SHM have no right to him. The point of the whole drama was about finding your roots and finding out who your true self is. SHC was deprived of this by the decisions made by the Shens and his biological aunt. Is it horrible that SHC is 12 when he finds out he is not actually a Shen, yes. But it is better to have him live as his true self then be part of a lie that is still being perpetuated and come back to haunt the family in some way. In society the definition of family is defined legally and socially. What you and others are describing is the social definition of family, not the legal definition of family.

Remember it was this lie that started this whole thing in the beginning. It was a sloppy lie and bound to come out. However, kids are resilient, SHC will recover eventually, and he will have the support of XY and SHM throughout the process. They can still be a part of his life if the other party agree to this. This is like being a step parent. Step parents can love a child who is not biological theirs and even raise them, but the child knows who their biological family is. Now whether the child accepts their biological family as their family is up to the child.

So I agree the photograph shows that family doesn't necessarily have to be a blood relative, but that is the social definition of family, not the legal definition of family. In this drama you have to separate the two definitions.

As always thank you for the discussion.

I have to disagree with you. Even if they make the choice to raise him, legally they have no right to him. He still has a grandfather, an aunt, and his biological father who can take care of him until he is of age. Doesn't matter that he has been with the Shen family for 12 years. Legally, biological family wins out over who actually raised him.

In reality what the Shen family and Fang Lei do to HC is deprive him of ever knowing his true identity and meeting his real mother's family. This was done purely to keep up the ideal, picturesque family that the Shen's desperately wanted to keep. By HC not being in the last episode, except in the photo album, it shows that XY and SHM did the right thing and allowed HC to discover who he really is. This is why I say that the "heart felt" confession of Fang Lei at the end was actually revenge for SHM not choosing to marry her and keeping the masquerade she had created. jmo

Uh, we have no indication that XY and SHM will raise him. Since he is not HM's biological son, neither one has legal claim to keep him. Biologically, HC has at least a grandfather, a father, and an aunt who can take care of him until he becomes of age and can make his own decisions. HC has met his aunt briefly in the school parking lot, but has not met his mother's other family. So when he is not present in the last episode, we know that XY and SHM did the right thing and allowed HC to be returned to his rightful family. It is the perfect resolution to the problem that was created by two sets of lies.

Yes, you and other viewers want that glossy, fake happy ending that comes at the end of the drama. In reality what the Shen family and Fang Lei did to Hao Chen was despicable. By saying that HC was HM's brother the family literally deprived HC of knowing his real mother's family and his real identity. They created a fake identity for HC to save their reputation. Fang Lei did it in hopes that having this connection to HM would give her better leverage in becoming his "trophy" wife, creating another false illusion.

The entire drama is a social commentary on people being their true selves. If XY and SHM keep him and claim him as their son, then they are continuing the lie and the fake family. It is better for SHC to return to his biological grandparents who can then find his biological father (if they so desire). SHC needs and has the right to be able to live as his true self as well, but he doesn't know what that is because he was deprived of it by the Shen's and Fang Lei's lies.

By the way any person who has just raised a child for thirteen years would say what SHM says. He is in shock and denial and the same with XY, but that doesn't mean they have a legal right to him.

Also, another paternity test can be ordered or even another copy of the paternity test can be sent as those records are kept forever.

The ending of this drama was perfect. The true family in this drama was the couple and the grandmother. Now, in the future when SHC becomes of age he could say that he wants XY and SHM to adopt him. They gladly would. Then he would become their real son in the right way.

As always thank you for the discussion.

Uh, we don't know that Hao Chen will be staying with them. He was absent from the last episode and nothing further was said about him, except that he was shown in the family album right before the picture of grandmother and the couple. The fact that he was not in last episode showed that XY and HM did the right thing and gave HC back to his real family. Will the kid have a hard time adjusting, of course. But I think just like with Mr. Huang's mother-in-law, Xu Yan will continue to support Hao Chen or whatever name his real family gives him.

Yes, the thought and care put in to each of the scenes in this drama are thought provoking. It's as if the writer is saying, "Stop, there is more to a drama than just the overall picture." Thank you so much for this analysis.

Totally understandable. There were about three episodes that I wanted to fast forward through as well, but I understand why they put the scenes in the drama, except for the drunk scene which they obviously had drunken sex and then felt guilty about it the next morning. It's not the end of the world if you don't finish it. It is quite a serious drama.

Find something that you will enjoy. Happy drama watching.

They keep the identity of the boy a secret because HM was 19 when he fathered a child. In the olden days parents would have been happy with this. But in modern times men are not allowed to marry until they turn 22. The child, born out of wedlock, would create trouble for the father and HM in the company. This is why the parents decide to claim HC as their son born abroad.

I will not comment any more until you have finished the drama as it will make sense in the end. Remember this drama juxtaposes what is real and what is fake. HM is suppose to have real family while she is faking her family.

Remember she was away when he was killed, and she has no clue as to who the minister of war is. He gets his just desserts in the end.

Sang Yan was my favorite part of the whole drama as well.

See for me her "confession" wasn't a guilt purge. It was revenge for not being able to make HM love her. Misery loves company. She hinted throughout the drama that she could take him away at any time as he was her nephew and related by blood. She says this Xu Yan when she goes to the school to pick him up. This caught my attention because if HM is the father, he would have more rights than her. jmo

Good to chat with you again.

Victor Ma stated in an interview that he felt he could not play a romantic Sang Yan. Notice we never meet WYF in Hidden Love we only hear about her.

I was going to add to my first post, but it won't let me see edit. Your comment on Fang Lei, she has no redemptive arc. She should have taken her secret about Hao Chen to her grave. However, had she done that, then Hao Ming, Hao Chen, and Xu Yan could not have lived a real life because as you said this drama is all about illusion and realism.

This is why I never write reviews as people like you say everything I would say and in a much better way. Love your review.