Shidinje

It's been a while since I watched this, but I've been reading a few historical and xianxia cnovels.
I just realised Ma Kui was very against her doing business cause in Chinese society (ancient times at least) merchants were the lowest members of free people in the society cause people hated their greed.
Like even poor peasants and farmers were valued higher than merchants cause the empires rated agriculture.
This makes a lot of Ma Kui's actions make sense. Cause I couldn't understand why he was so crazy with opposing Yan when she just wanted to make money for survival.
But the old man was just perpetuating ancient stereotypes.

I wish my brain would have listened to advice like this when I was a student 😂
The chokehold of dramas is real.

Yes, ML's acting is top notch. Especially since we rarely see him in modern dramas.
The scene where he opened the door and acted surprised when he saw the FL outside was so good.
I think actors tend to act badly when they're supposed to "act" in a scene. He was so good with how 'surprised' he acted.
FL is great too. Her awkwardness is like seeing a friend's awkwardness so realistic and not over

Yes!
I really can't think of any drama that did a redemption as well.
She's flawed and self aware.
I think the girl is so human. With how she looks (except for when her face is heavenly pretty), how she relates to her parents, her shyness and even her job. Like a normal person human.
I just hope they keep the sticky sweet tune till the end like "You are my lover, friend" and not pull any old cdrama dramatic trick

I think the mom thought a blind date will make her feel better since FL said they broke up on good terms.
She didn't expect that the relationship left her with a bit of trauma

I think the mom thought a blind date will make her feel better since FL said they broke up on good terms.
She didn't expect that the relationship left her with a bit of trauma

Yes, her parents are so healing from the typical cdrama standard.
I think of the FL as a small girl who's naive and soft but trying to stand on her own. She tried so hard to not let her parents worry for her. We finally have parents worth the FL's consideration.

While it was hard to watch, I liked how this drama addressed the ex boyfriend chasing her at work.
Lots of times dramas glamorise when a FL is chased at work. And even here it was all cute at the beginning, but in reality, there are consequences. Like her having to apologize even though it's literally not her fault her.
A good man won't cause trouble for a woman he likes at work. If the Ex boyfriend had sense he'd have stopped especially after knowing she got reprimanded. It reminds me of "Here we meet again" the SFL suffered so much embarrassment cause of her immature boyfriend who thought being a man meant fighting stupid fights for her honour. And the ML of that drama doing his best to prevent the FL from being criticised or embarrassed in public, no matter the harassment.

Just caught up with the week's updates. And You guys, this drama did such an amazing job redeeming the FL for her harsh rejection.
Like all is very forgiven seeing her take the initiative multiple times. And it's so satisfying to watch cause the ML is so into her and very confident and comfortable in his skin.
This guy said if she makes him miserable he won't hold on. So lovely to see.
Also, are they trying to kill us with kiss scenes now that they've finally gotten together. See them kissing at the slightest opportunity. So cute

I guess I get how ML can empathise with her. It seems as if she's just starting to calm down and use her brain well. If only she had been calm when he told her he liked her.
And how hard is it to just text him that the offer has come, but that would be leading him on. So....
In all honesty, she hasn't properly settled the feelings from her breakup. If she gets into a relationship now, it'll be kind of like a rebound and shaky.
I need her to make proper intentional steps to the ML to approve after this long Hassel. I'm just glad she isn't all up in his face with no consideration. But at the same time I want her to take the initiative.
Also, she lies a little too much. For no reason really. just sits up and lies

I completely agree with you. After Ep 13 I was like, they better find a way for her to make it up to him. But then I melted a little with the cake scene cause that was really what he needed with all the things going wrong in life. (Although he had to take the initiative to talk to her first). But I'd need her to treat ML exceptional well moving forward. Guys deserve good love too

People blame her cause the way she turned him down was mean and inconsiderate. Even her best friend told her it was too harsh.
Like ML told his grandfather, her actions make him feel like she's too heartless. How will you tell someone he misunderstood. That he got the wrong idea. After kissing him???
Makes it seem like he was some delusional stalker.
If she had sat down and explained that she also likes him, but doesn't feel like they can date now cause she's going abroad and doesn't feel confident in long distance, then we'd all be applauding her now. Instead she just gaslighted him that he misunderstood and she didn't intend that to happen (babe almost assaulted him with a kiss in his house when she was absolutely sober).
I agree that she has legitimate concerns, and truly it's very logical for her to not want a relationship now, after all 7 years without proper closure is hard to completely cut emotional baggage，but her fault is her lack of consideration to the ML.
Thank God her friend spoke to him for her, so that he can at least have some inner piece. And I personally was a little satisfied with the birthday celebration.

Ep 13 was a bit hard to watch. I've pretty much done the same thing. And I don't have any defence for that, but 4 years down and I don't regret it.
I already knew we were going to have a problem when she wasn't setting proper boundaries once she started catching feelings. If you know you don't want to date, and feelings are coming you shut down early. Not give the guy hope. She was also busy going on blind dates, how was he to know she didn't mean it.
FL's mistake was her lack of explanation. Cause she has legitimate concerns. Going into long distance right off the start of a relationship can be scary for anyone. More so for someone whose ex (only romance) called her selfish and a bad girlfriend for considering it. She should have spoken more with her parents. They give really sound advice and they also listen to her point of view.
But words are really hard to beat out.

He could have still made it if he never encountered the princess.
His original family background was probably good enough to get him the same type of job in the ministry he got but because he proposed to the princess with no accomplishments, his father was demoted by the prince
Or if he had cherished his first wife and completely shut down the princess, he might one day write the exams and get a position by merit. After all, the princess had the audacity to come and claim him cause she heard he never favoured his wife and also seemed lovesick for her.

But you never know who might be saved cause you go out of your way to pull them out.
I don't think the lesson is to leave people suffering or stuck in abuse. Sometimes people need the gift of hindsight to know you're good for them.
I wish the writer hadn't ended Shengyi's story like that. It's realistic yes, but it's also realistic to break free from abuse. I think we all should aspire to be like Mudan and save our fellow women especially.
Not sure what they could have done differently except maybe gone completely non contact from her family and maybe switched towns cause there's no world in which the family would have changed.
There's also nothing wrong with being single. I mean, people get married and their husbands die or have children and the children die or abandon them. What's the assurance that marriage will give you someone to mourn you.
I think Shengyi should have even just married that widower in her village of she was so lonely for a family and husband. Cause him having children puts off the burden of children and he's also not a drunk. But she was a bit too prideful and had a terrible victim mentality.

Yeah, she doesn't have a grand ambitions and neither does she revenge crazy after surviving something. So it endears her to us.
Normal girl, with normal background unrealistically bullied

I was also very surprised at the behaviour of everyone at the start of this series. They were so offended on her behalf when this is typical for cdrama female leads. Especially a historical or xianxia drama.
But I guess people are allowed to be sensitive

Episode 19 is fine, Ep 20 is a little frustrating but most of it is a build up thing. Also depressive cause Shengyi enduring mental stress.
Personally I'm going to delay watching Ep 21 because the lead up from Ep 20 and the trailer are not hopeful

If I watched this drama after all the episodes had dropped, or even if 2 episodes dropped, of have skipped episode 20. Being in the head of a woman like Shengyi is exhausting. She's basically at the lowest of the lowest state with self esteem. And my self esteem is too low for me to watch women like this. I need strong women so that I can add their courage to mine.
She just kept listening to bad people. When you know you're weak hearted, don't give bullies opportunity to talk to you.
She should never have gone to her parents house.
Send money or send a message to bring your brother to town.
Stop giving that ex attention when he comes. You can't fall for his tricks of you never hear them.

The funny part is, the guys only hope for happiness is to marry the princess. There's no other way he can end up okay.
Who cares about his opinions in canceling the engagement? Delusional ass.
He won't even be happy with Mudan, her character will not suit him, not that he'll have the opportunity to try.
The only thing he had the authority to do was to divorce Mudan when she first asked for a divorce. He could have done that before his father did some calculations.
And he didn't. Missed his only chance to make a decision for himself. Now, no one will allow him. His parents will tell him the reality of their dependence on the prince and the prince won't even get to hear about it cause the princess will crush him until he conforms to her will.
She has put everything behind his marriage. Her reputation, her pride, her self respect and we can see from the cuts on her body, her life.
I think she held onto her crush on him as a lifeline too strongly when she was married. Now he's an obsession that must be satisfied. Happy or not, she's having him