Raisins

I feel like the type of roles really matters for him to shine. Admittedly I did not care too much for his role in MM but characters that are carefree and goal-oriented like YanChi seem to fit him well. He is also starring as Li Changshou for Big Brother adaptation (Pull Strings) and I think he'll do great for that.

That was such a sweet and earnest confession. Saying he accepts everything and her autonomy and that it wasn't a love at first sight for him but that getting to know her made him fall in love which is so much better. It's too perfect, such green flag ML cannot exist in cdrama-verse. He's going to die isn't he.

Haha yes the medical science is kind of "lol wut" but the suspense and pacing is good so I am enjoying it. Also the actors don't seem to just be phoning it in and actually putting in an effort. I like the ML here more than MM.

This show tics the box of two awkward but competent and intelligent people falling in love which is one of my favorite genres. Loved how their confession is pretty much "do you want to solve cases with me?" "Yes!". Also love the grandma kind of reminds me of the grandma in Blossoms in Adversity. The cases are also pretty interesting and isn't just flimsily put together. I am definitely enjoying this one.

probably and maybe also take down Chu

Episode 11 was 40 minutes long and not a single minute wasted. Wow, that was a rush, soooo much stuff happened. I am happy mom did the right thing and this General Qingchuan is awesome.

I am enjoying this so much more than I thought I would. The fight scenes are done well and the plot is not draggy. However I'm pretty certain this is going to have a bittersweet ending.

ML is the type that suddenly wakes up at 3am on a random Thursday realizing "oh wait...does she like me?!" because these hints aren't even subtle at this point and he is oblivious.

I love how the opener to impress a future FIL is that you're skilled in dual blades. I will be disappointed if I don't see Wei Qu using dual blades later on.

Shocked that the uncle would go that far...he seems like he's going to be trouble later on.

Ah this was really great. I love when bad guys' scheming backfire and bring them closer together. I'm so glad this plot didn't drag out and caused another rift in their relationship. He trusted her that she didn't do it and she trusted him that he'll make the right decision. They're so sweet already.

I wonder if ML's parents didn't really have a loving relationship. It was strange that he had to ask the advisor about how the husband calls his wife but surely he was old enough to have seen his parents interactions. That advisor is total MVP.

His family is his blind spot. I think there will be a reckoning and he would have to choose in the future.

FL's dad would've been better as Qiao leader because it's like pulling teeth helping them. FL is trying to so hard to strengthen the alliance and save her clan and they're always second guessing her. At least they made the right decision this time.

They also keep giving that peacock screentime. I don't know why but I find it amusing 😄 Maybe a Chekhovs bird. 🦚

I liked the way they handled the drugging issue. It showed how the ML is surrounded by short sighted fools and how they don't care about him at all. These tropes rarely consider the emotional aftermath of the drugged victim and like FL said, if he had either slept with the cousin or forced himself on FL, he would feel terrible and shameful but the mom didn't care about his autonomy or dignity at all when she plotted this for her son. So glad that this was the line where FL openly scolded the MIL on behalf of her husband because he needs someone like that.

Yes! I thought it was very much a show don't tell moment. You can tell he was like wow and then the mixed feeling afterwards because she's the enemy so he has to harden his heart. In a peaceful world he totally would have wooed her. I wonder if he was so much more cruel to her in the beginning because he did subconsciously like her at first sight.

I like the small details the director added. When her tear fell on him I initially thought it was that he was surprised she was genuinely sad but it's the theme of her being water, slowly softening him up from that point. Also the lynx scene was funny because the other guy sent a low effort weasel but it was also that he actually proposed to her with a betrothal animal, just as she said to her maid that she'll only marry him when he also wants the marriage with her.

What a complex relationship. He's been raised like a weapon to avenge his family and hate the Qiao but no one except Grandma Xu cared about his own trauma and happiness. Her side, her Grandpa told her that the existence of the entire clan rests on her shoulder so she should do whatever it takes, like she's a piece on a Go board. I hope these two will break out from paying the price for the older generation and find happiness. But knowing this actor, I am also fully ready for a bittersweet ending because you can't fool me this many times!

I also want to add that I bought the express package because I want them to make more shows like this! ( And also because I'm impatient heh)

There is so much hinging on her, surprised she's not having a mental breakdown. She had to willingly walk into the snake pit of Wei household and survive while also figuring out a way to keep her Qiao clan from being annihilated because if Wei invades Yanzhou they will probably kill everyone so she is stalling for time to strengthen Yanzhou. Even worse the Qiao clan seems pretty incompetent. She also needs to do this without alerting her husband too. That's...a lot for one person.

Thank you! It sounds like the novel Qiao may not have been very honorable in the first place. I was curious because FL was adamant that Qiao has always protected their people but what Grandpa Qiao did was pretty dishonorable so I wondered if he was between a rock and a hard place kind of situation. Seems like a lot of people are just gray and morally ambiguous.

This has a very good start but I'm trying to understand the political decisions from 14 years ago that led to this current conflict.

So Qiao and Wei, they are Yanzhou (North) and Wei (South) and were best friends. The "spine" of the map, Bianzhou attacked a Wei city Xindu and killed all of the Grandpa Wei, ML's dad, ML's bro and sacked it. Qiao from the North did not send any reinforcements although this would betray their friendship.
Soo...did Grandpa Qiao betray his friend because one city wasn't worth plunging Yanzhou to a major war with Bianzhou? Or did Bianzhou have some leverage with Liangya (the Weasel heir place) so they feared that Liangya will swoop in and conquer the weakened Yanzhou if they sent troops south? I don't really know why Grandpa Qiao made this choice because he really seemed regretful and heartbroken. The Weasel-heir was a semi-hostage for Yanzhou for five years so did Liangya say if Qiao doesn't help with Xindu, they'll leave a hostage with them as a good will? Just wondering if I missed something.

I think it's harder for shows with few episodes because even 1 or 2 so-so episodes out 12 can make a big impact overall. I generally enjoyed this but I wasn't too thrilled with the handwaving forgiveness of the grandmother. She was so vile and seriously destroyed his childhood and damaged his sense of self for decades and then she got loved so easily by because she apologized. I actually kind of hoped that they would both go out of the country and leave that hag behind.