Wendy52

Lol I genuinely wrote it thinking some viewers didn't get it 😂

Fair enough. But I think the sequence in episode 21 itself was building up one after the other for this possible scenario. Right from the beginning- Fu's chat with dad, Fu meeting with the shareholders, she noticed he wasn't coming home until early hours, her tel chat with Captain Fan and the final call made when she called Bai Yang who said these words "the board is making a big deal out of your relationship". She wasn't herself when she was with her friends and looked gloomy while with Fu and her internal monologue was pointing in that direction "Just meeting someone like you is more than enough for me,if we weren't together, you wouldn't have to struggle like this?,.. Followed by the invitations for a date with the words- "we had been too busy before that we never had a proper date."
After the time at the amusement park, by the lake, at sunset it was all coming. I have to say Miles's expressions were fantastic here. He already knew what was coming and didn't want to agree to it but she made it harsh so he really couldn't say anything. Her cry after she walked away said it all.
Anyway this is how I interpreted. We all think differently and have different expectations I suppose. No offence.

For romcoms, You are My Secret was good. You are My Fateful Love was a nice very slow-burn romance
Perfect and Casual and Unforgettable Love are fluffy romcoms

For other genres- recommend Flourished Peony 1and 2
19th Floor
Marvellous Fable is very quirky, I enjoyed it.

Re breakup, my comment above may help

I'm unable to simplify it anymore I'm afraid 😅

I just wish more people understood the reasons behind the break-up. It is a plot requirement, not a plot hole.

Since Captain Fan was grounded Fu Mingyu had been trying to make the QAR reforms recognising that their system was outdated and had serious problems for employees to have a fair path for promotion. He is trying to implement sweeping corporate reforms to modernize Hengshi Airlines. However, the airline's board and older management tiers are heavily populated by factional interests and rely on the traditional, highly subjective system of promotions and resource allocation. Fu Mingyu's reforms threaten their unchecked power and nepotistic networks.

With Ruan Sixian's incident, there is a clear conflict of interest and hence the corporate pushback that creates more obstacles for Fu Mingyu’s reforms.

Scenario 1
If she is not grounded: leads to conflict of interest (for Fu Mingyu's position + for Ruan Sixian, public accusations that she is relying on Fu Mingyu's influence = strain their relationship

Scenario 2
She is grounded but no break-up: No public accusations that she was favoured for being his girlfriend but the boards resistance still exists due to the conflict of interest= no reforms

Scenario 3
She is grounded+ they break-up: No public accusations + **stronger reform proposals= board has no excuses but to pass the proposals.
*For her, the accusations of favouritism or nepotism due to her relationship with the CEO threaten her career credibility and the character she stands for. This break-up allows her to stand entirely on her own professional merits during a critical time of rigorous final pilot assessments. Also it is unacceptable for her to be a hurdle for Fu Mingyu’s reforms, his position and career.
*For him, it is an opportunity to throw away the 20 year old corporate policies and make major reforms that suits the current requirements. Also to learn to support her dreams from a respectful distance rather than trying to manage or fix her problems.

And it forces both Fu and Ruan to confront what their lives look like without each other.

Ultimately, his reforms are blocked not because they are bad for the company, but because conservative forces use his association with Ruan Sixian to paint him as compromised, forcing both characters to prove their professional excellence independently to get the reforms passed.

**Instead of letting opponents weaponize the QAR logs against the flight crew, he shifts the reform's goal from using data as a tool for administrative punishment to using data to proactively identify safety blindspots and support cockpit training. The episode 20 incidence provides undeniable real-world evidence that human judgment and pilot experience are indispensable safety layers that numbers alone cannot capture.

She breaks up with Captain Yue, resigns and pursues further studies choosing her own independent path

Agree wording could have been less hurtful

This is a moral and ethical dilemma.
Taking two steps back and waiting out the storm seems like the logical, pragmatic choice, but doing so would have compromised everything the characters stood for.
Had they remained a couple this mandatory professional penalty would have been emotionally devastating and viewed as a betrayal.
The breakup frees both of them from an impossible conflict of interest, allowing Fu Mingyu to perform his duties objectively as a corporate leader while giving Ruan Sixian the space to face her professional hurdles cleanly.
Ultimately, the breakup wasn't a sign of weakness; it was a necessary tactical withdrawal.

Did Dong Xian get a redemption arc in the novel?

Oh I loved it in the novel.
Copy and paste:
"Dong Xian: What about you? What would you choose? The last chance in this lifetime to take the pilot exam, or continue to be a dutiful wife and mother staying at home.
Ruan Sixian's nervousness and indecision gets interrupted when Fu Mingyu steps in and dismisses the question.
Fu Mingyu: I won’t make her choose between the two. Auntie, asking such questions is meaningless. This kind of hypothetical scenario doesn’t apply here. Auntie, have you eaten? Would you like to sit down and have dinner together?
His “invitation” sounded more like a dismissal.
Dong Xian didn’t need further explanation. She weighed her position against Fu Mingyu’s in this house, and the answer was clear.
She very distinctly felt Ruan Sixian’s dependence on Fu Mingyu.
The two stood opposite her with what seemed like a barrier between them, indicating they had taken different positions.
In the end, they would part on bad terms.."

She does not completely forgive or deeply reconcile with Dong Xian, instead, she chooses to make peace with the past and let go of her long-held resentment.
I am inquisitive to know their outcome in the drama. I guess C dramas give redemption arc even for some evil characters and this isn't exactly evil

It was incredible!

Why is Ruan Sixian grounded?

Even though she successfully and heroically handles a dangerous, high-stakes in-flight emergency in heavy rain and low visibility, civil aviation safety rules mandate a complete review following any major operational risk warning or severe incident. The temporary grounding is not a personal punishment from CEO Fu Mingyu, but rather a standard industry procedure. The company must thoroughly inspect the aircraft, review data, and ensure the pilot's psychological well-being before clearing them to return to the cockpit.

Ruan Sixian is aware of this and as we can see in the preview, the board pressures Mingyu to ground Ruan Sixian, but he absorbs the stress himself and refuses to sign the order. Ruan Sixian discovers the sacrifices he is making for her, adding emotional strain to their romance. They seem to be sharing a heart-to-heart talk to process recent setbacks and clear up any misunderstandings.

Why is she overly snappy or cold towards the deeply affectionate, "clingy" CEO Fu Mingyu even after they get together?

Ruan Sixian’s behavior is not coming from a place of malicious arrogance, but rather from a strict sense of self-respect, professionalism, and the lingering effects of how their relationship began.
She did not rely on him or the company to become a pilot; she resigned, completed rigorous training independently, and graduated at the top of her class.
Her mistake for "arrogance" is often her absolute refusal to let her romantic relationship compromise aviation safety or professional boundaries. In Episode 19, when Ruan Sixian fails an assessment, Fu Mingyu attempts to intervene and argue with the examiner (Yue Yang) on her behalf. She doesn't let him do that.

Rather than the cold, aloof boss, Fu Mingyu becomes the highly affectionate and clingy partner. Ruan Sixian’s sharp, teased reactions ("I can't believe you're so clingy") are part of their established flirty, "enemies-to-lovers" banter. For viewers who prefer more submissive female leads, her dry wit and teasing nature can be misconstrued as being overly aloof.

Her unyielding personality does occasionally cause friction, such as in Episode 18 during a family gathering with Fu Mingyu's mother. Because Ruan Sixian speaks her mind and does not filter herself to placate high-society expectations, the gathering ends up derailed, causing Fu Mingyu's mother to initially oppose the relationship. However, Fu Mingyu respects this trait, choosing to stand by her side and fiercely protect her rather than asking her to change. Fu Mingyu convinces his mother to accept and respect Ruan Sixian through a combination of deliberate protective actions, emotional truth-telling, and leveraging his mother’s own strong personal rivalries.

Why is Ruan Sixian arrogant after she became a pilot?

Ruan Sixian is not inherently arrogant towards her colleagues, but she absolutely possesses a sharp tongue, an unyielding attitude, and a fiercely independent nature. Her behavior can easily be misinterpreted as arrogant by outsiders.
She is generally not arrogant to peers who treat her with respect. She has close bonds with her mentor Captain Fan Lei, friends Bian Xuan, and Si Xiaozhen, who support her and whom she actively respects. However, because she graduated top of her flight school class and is exceptionally skilled, she refuses to let toxic co-workers or professional gatekeepers push her around. When faced with workplace sexism or unfair professional doubts, her defense mechanism is an icy, uncompromising boundary.
In the original book, Ruan Sixian's sharp tongue, wit, and "spitfire" personality are even more pronounced. She is a highly unfiltered protagonist who uses her sharp vocabulary to defend her self-esteem against the cold, arrogant ML without hesitation.
The television series frames her defiance more as professional resilience and emotional strength. While she remains fiercely outspoken, her character is given more grounded, empathetic motivations (like her dedication to female pilots) to make her a more traditional, rootable drama heroine. You will see in the later episodes how she supports her colleagues Jiang Ziyue and Ni Tong and also appreciates and supports her step-sisters' work.

Some questions I picked up from the comments section and my POV

💯

Beautiful!

It wasn't a sudden shift at all. It was gradual and Miles has beautifully shown this change through subtle change in his expressions
1. The first time when Fu Mingyu saw Ruan Sixian walk down the air stairs along with Captain Fang and Captain Yue from his office through the floor to ceiling window
2. Then the time when he realized Ruan Sixian was that flight attendant whom he had misunderstood, while going through her records which he obtained from the personnel department
3 When he met Captain Fan and learned about her time in the academy about how she financed her fees and aced through the assessments
4 When he saw the picture Zheng You An sent, of him looking admiringly at Ruan Sixian
5 When Ruan Sixian herself mentioned she liked the prospect of flying his Z101 than his double salary
He was deeply impressed with her and of course she is a gorgeous, ambitious, confident girl with self-worth and self respect.
He took time to understand and acknowledge his emotions and then started to pursue her.

Hilarious. This couple has a long-standing habit of using dry, sarcastic banter with each other and the comment followed a minor, harmless argument. Mrs Fu is a traditional, somewhat conservative, and protective matriarch, even Fu Mingyu confirms that Mr Fu doesn't dare to say "no" to her 😅

Depending on the context- can be either a humorous joke or a serious expression of resentment

Miles's eye for a script is always spot on! Really hope the director and writers live up to his trust!

She feels bitter when she comes to know the truth. However she notices that Ruan Sixian was way too polite with her mother which made her think that they were not that close and that gave her some solace.
She was defensive because of the gossip she heard at the gathering. Things like "Mrs Fu must have gifted Ruan Sixian a fake necklace " "not any girl can get into Fu family" "Maybe Ruan should get pregnant soon to get her approval"and things like that. When they made a connection between Ruan Sixian who is a flight attendant turned pilot to Fu Mingyu's brothers' girlfriend who was a flight attendant whose love life ended due to Mrs Fu not approving her, she lost her cool and defended Ruan and Fu family.

We don't have a brother character (yet!) in the drama. So I am not sure how things are going to go between the two. In the novel she is not a major obstacle to their relationship and they don't breakup.

I'm taking you straight to the relevant chapters- that's some gossip 😃
https://mydramanovel.com/blossom-through-the-cloud/boarding-gate-no-62/

https://mydramanovel.com/blossom-through-the-cloud/boarding-gate-no-63/

Thankfully we have a very nice mother-in-law who defends her daughter-in-law 😄