I was going YES! and then er wait, how are we going to get out of this?
You know you're hooked when I forget that I'm not in the drama XD
Episode 25 makes me very happy with so many little details to history. Episode 26 was full of one-on-one heartfelt exchanges, many different types of motives both touching and scheming. Episode 27 dashed my hopes for a certain attempt to succeed. Episode 28 is full of questions and how to counter questions. Episode 29- Will 15 remaining episodes be enough to wrap things up wonderfully?
2ML Syndrome appears to be a phrase interpreted differently by different people. So as to aid in clarification,…
You're welcome. Before MDL massively lags again and prevents some of us from being on this site for hours, here is what I'd say a semi-lazy attempt at PR looks like (and you'd have to brush up, because you're nowhere close :p): https://kisskh.at/772283-ming-men-shi-jia#comment-24642016
2ML Syndrome appears to be a phrase interpreted differently by different people. So as to aid in clarification,…
Your initial post (https://kisskh.at/760693-ya-xi#comment-24834520) was pretty clear to me about Dai Xu's performance relative to Pei Zhen and nothing about 2ML Syndrome except mentioning the term, but I believe different users are interpreting the term differently in their minds, hence misunderstandings can occur upon seeing that term.
I wouldn't consider your observations to be at the level of a PR post, simply a well-phrased opinion. You did the same when posting a recent summary about several of the cast doing their own ADRs: https://kisskh.at/760693-ya-xi#comment-24841970
Thank you for your observations. If and when you write a review for this drama, I would be interested to read :D
I’ve noticed that whenever I share an opinion or analysis, my responses tend to be more comprehensive.I naturally…
2ML Syndrome appears to be a phrase interpreted differently by different people. So as to aid in clarification, 2ML in my understanding (as per K-dramas) refers to viewers rooting for the 2ML to wind up romantically with FL in a drama instead of ML with FL.
If you're praising Dai Xu's performance as Pei Zhen and not intending a romantic angle as per that definition, then you don't have 2ML Syndrome. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd say praising a performance of an actor for being good/nuanced/excellent and explaining why isn't offensive, unless someone wants to take your opinion personally in a negative light for whatsoever reasons. If a viewer cannot differentiate between an actor and the role being carried out as a performance and hence takes offence, the problem isn't yours but the viewer who needs a reality check.
Me having a dilemma, cuz I like both male leads XD
For me, Jiang Qi Lin is the strongest in emoting overall, for "The Truth Within". He's a veteran in modern dramas for certain supporting roles, and he nailed what he needed to be as a cop with a chip on his shoulder. Non-mandarin speakers wouldn't know much about Jiang Qi Lin's abilities. Liu Ya-se easily matched him, as an award-winning actress. Luo Yunxi had been given a character role with doubts and PTSD that could only be clearer for portrayal in the second half of the drama, but also matched them when the scenes primarily relied on micro-emoting to create maximum tension and history. In three episodes, I got a wonderful emotional buffet of micro-emoting. Super happy.
I always need my leads or SML/SFLs to have a certain skill acting level. If they can't nail it, I don't care if they win popularity awards because that means zilch in long-term concerns they might have about the impact of their craft and filmography being timeless, when they eventually leave the industry. Xing Fei gave a fantastic portrayal as Ning SuSu in "This Thriving Land", and I adored her as the younger sister to Yang Mi's character.
I would like to see Chen Xing Xu as a complex villain at some point, because that would be intriguing. Dai Xu has shown he can do this well enough. You'll enjoy both of them not getting along XD Frankly, just like them both. I'm happiest when I'm enjoying performances of the ensemble cast being dimensional with depth (good and evil characters), just like "The Guardians" and "River Sunset".
Me having a dilemma, cuz I like both male leads XD
Hehehehehehe.
Both are swoon-worthy, be it Chen Xing Xu or Dai Xu. I'm on a modern drama/period drama kick, so not in the mood for historical dramas. The stepbrothers in this drama (Xiao Zhiyu and Pei Zhen) look good in glasses and are executing their differences well.
Guys, from my perspective, Pei Zhen’s (SML) character is quite fascinating. His reels have been going viral…
Dai Xu is definitely getting attention on weibo (haven't checked out douyin yet), as I pointed out to someone yesterday earlier on this page. I label his character Pei Zhen as charming yet repellant, and I haven't decided whether 2ML Syndrome will apply.
He's been professional yet underhanded within the boundaries of what a guy in his position would do (red-flag upbringing?). His obsession is centered on ML, not FL. The car incident is one example, where he did what he did because FL was driving ML's car. Previews for next episodes seem to emphasise this. This far, he hasn't been a cartoonish clown or an exaggerated dumb villain, which easily drags down an entire drama.
The reality is that an actor is not his role. However convincing or unconvincing their portrayal, conflating an artist doing his job to the best of their abilities (also primarily with the input from screenwriting and directions from the creative crew) as offline reality to take it personally (or on behalf of a favourite idol) isn't fair to the actor or actress. People praising or gushing over Dai Xu's performance doesn't mean people are dumber than other viewers for appreciating Pei Zhen's role in this drama as a foil that isn't stereotyped and boring yet.
"This Thriving Land", "Fated Hearts" and other dramas that succeed usually require a strong ensemble cast to go with the plot and directing. Leads alone don't carry the success of a successful drama except for specific situations, such as it being a vertical drama or the longform drama has significant flaws needing compensation. Ni Dahong, Qin Hailu, Lu Xingyu and Jiang Qi Lin are sought-after supporting actors who automatically elevate any drama they are in because their performances are realistically strong and captivating onscreen. Nothing to do with looks. Ni Dahong was repulsive yet commanding and well-nuanced in "This Thriving Land" and if you think Pei Zhen is damn annoying to the point that a fictional character is affecting you offline, be prepared for a lot of disgust and losing more than your temper with Ni Dahong for TTL, which no one would deny he executed very well.
As Pei Zhen, Dai Xu "lost" where he needed to in portrayal to Chen Xingxu but when he needs to level up his screen presence, he did so, as seen in episode 14 when they have one-on-one scenes. Pei Zhen doesn't irritate me because in RL, I've met far-worse people in all sorts of shades and had to handle them accordingly. Very curious to see how the drama will allow all supporting characters to turn out. I'm more interested in the evolution of the supporting characters than any romance for them, when it comes to the supporting cast.
In fact, I would prefer Pei Zhen not to fall for FL because I prefer to see how he will deal with achieving his goals or failing in them and changing as a person. Some of us do not automatically pair up single characters in a drama just because they happen to be under the age of 40. We don't think being in a happy romance is the ultimate happiness for everyone. In terms of dimensionality writing characters for this drama, a well-written character for leads and supporting cast is what I want. I like that this far, ML and 2ML are allowed to showcase nuancing and dimensionality as individuals which makes their current dynamics interesting, because what happened from the time they were kids until now?
Maybe someone's already done this much earlier, but I shared my thoughts on the title of this drama yesterday (I only came to this page yesterday):
[ The term 轧戏 (gá xì) originates from Peking opera, whereby an actor could take on multiple roles in the same performance during different parts of the same play, or two or more actors taking on two or more roles in the same performance. In the Golden Age of HK, 轧戏 was a symbol of the popularity of an actor or actress eg. Andy Lau. After 2017 from a mainland China POV given today's regulations, the term has a negative connotation of unprofessionalism due to abuse of substitutes in dramas and choosing work conditions resulting in not sufficiently understanding a role to portray it with the attention it deserves.
In this drama being inherently meta, certain characters take on multiples personalities in more than one reality. The VR reality is akin to a Chinese live-action game of role-playing to solve a fictional murder, hence known as 剧本杀 ((jù běn shā).... ]
Me having a dilemma, cuz I like both male leads XD
Trivia tip: The fox plushie I mentioned is also a wordplay on the FL's name ie Hu Xiu (胡羞) and fox (狐), and it's very adorable to remember the context of how and why this fox plushie affects Xiao Zhiyu because of FL. And that's all I'll say. If you want to know, you'll have to watch this drama :p
Ps. 2ML Syndrome is definitely smouldering on weibo XD but I have not decided yet. I hope he stays a gentlemanly villain (if he's going to fall into that definite category).
I'm going to start this tomorrow. You've got me hyped with this wonderful post 🥰.
Fun facts: The term 轧戏 (gá xì) originates from Peking opera, whereby an actor could take on multiple roles in the same performance during different parts of the same play, or two or more actors taking on two or more roles in the same performance. In the Golden Age of HK, 轧戏 was a symbol of the popularity of an actor or actress eg. Andy Lau. After 2017 from a mainland China POV given today's regulations, the term has a negative connotation of unprofessionalism due to abuse of substitutes in dramas and choosing work conditions resulting in not sufficiently understanding a role to portray it with the attention it deserves.
In this drama being inherently meta, certain characters take on multiples personalities in more than one reality. The VR reality is akin to a Chinese live-action game of role-playing to solve a fictional murder, hence known as 剧本杀 ((jù běn shā) . The settings of that fictional reality is Republican-era since episode 1, so you get old-school glamour and one of the best-looking visuals of an actor in a uniform.
This drama is not about incisive social commentary or some arthouse deep-dive into a niche topic or a bleak Master Rubik cube of mysteries shattering you with highly-distressing situations to unsettle you and make you stew for half the night. The Director knows what meaningful angles this drama ought to be through utilising specific scenarios and realities, hence weaving an architectural game of curiosities, comforts and consequences engaging specific emotions within the viewer to connect to. It would be impossible to grasp basic fullness in layers of a very tasty cake without understanding everything I have pointed out in this post. "Love Between Lines" is brilliant for understanding where it wants to be, which intentionally includes overall being as comforting as a bowl of cream to a cat. You might find yourself ODing on this unique cream full of schmaltzy grounded surprises XD
Shi fu…. I am here tooooo… initially not a fan of ml and definitely not a romance viewer, but as the story…
Let me help you further. There are ten songs for the official OST. This user matched scenes from various episodes with short segments of each song, using all ten songs for this FMV: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1pVrwB2Eks/
It's so sweet that you might get cavities after finishing this XD
Me having a dilemma, cuz I like both male leads XD
That's what you get for sucking me into Pro Bono, heh!
Oh, given the tech involved here, an AI-generated duet makes me think of Zhiyu and Hu Xiu in this drama (Adele and Jungkook = "Without Words"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWHkQm7xNB4
Me having a dilemma, cuz I like both male leads XD
Don't worry, you only decide at the end of the drama ( I suggest enjoying various gifs and stills XD). I find the competition between Pei Zhen and Xiao Zhiyu professionally assuring. It's very annoying when a drama makes 2ML a completely melodramatic caricature and/or dumber villain inferior to ML. Is 2ML truly a villain yet? Can't decide.
The incident involving his car tells us a lot about his mindset relative to his father's upbringing.
As someone who typically doesn't watch romance dramas because I want plot, subplots, screenplay, pacing plus characterisations to align like marshmallows happily melting in sequence over a campfire of night-time stars merrily twinkling overhead- This drama is lit! Be warned: You might not be able to stop once you start, because you can forget to sleep (or make bad jokes about sleep being for the weak).
The Shanghainese cultural references are fun. Shanghainese architectural appreciation and AI are well-integrated, so to use VR here with architecture is spot-on.
And the leads! Lu Yuxiao is super-adorable yet feisty once she is inspired. A kind nice exterior contains a rainbow of surprises and ideas for others to discover. She definitely brought a smile to my face every episode, while rooting for her to overcome obstacles and win. No unnecessary melodrama, communication FTW and any misunderstandings get resolved. Chen Xingxu is a green light showing off so many little tweaks and nuances to his expression- That plushie fox will never stop being funny when triggered XD
Romance and realism are nicely balanced in many episodes. Director's camerawork will make one feel at home and/or intimately spying on scenes of what is happening and feel shameless about it all. I enjoy seeing Xiao Zhiyu and Hu Xiu naturally slide headlong into friendship + emotional feels together with all the brakes of a bicycle gathering speed downhill.
Fun, fresh, and a genuine mood-booster. A feel-good drama that sits warmly in your heart, before you know it. Very curious to see how Pei Zhen of Zhuling firm turns out (Dai Xu is charming and repelling me in turns, and I hope this isn't going to give me 2ML syndrome XD). Wang Zhi Fei acting as his father of layers was a significant character in forensic investigative suspense thriller "The Truth Within", which just finished airing. Kudos to the cast, especially the leads!
# Top 1 drama on International Qiyi & WeTV, Monomax (historical record high, certified no 1 C Drama in 2025), MOA Korea, Netflix, etc: North America regions, UK, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and more.
# IQiyi International broke historical record: Most viewed drama in one day, surpassing 10M views (while Qiyi aired 2 Its own flagship dramas). Qiyi actually bought SLY several big screen Adv for NON Qiyi drama in Hong Kong, showed high ROI satisfaction.
# Broke historical record for C-Drama: simultaneous overseas broadcast sold to 23 platforms covering 120 countries and 8600 cities worldwide.
#Huace ONLY Youtube views 10M+ and counting
# News Coverage by 800+ international publications (Associated Press-USA, Straits Times, Thailand Business News, etc.).
# Spotlighted by Xinhua News, China Daily, China Women’s Daily, and Beijing TV for international success. Main actor Luo Yunxi featured by Xinhua News 9x in 1 month. China Rating (the issuer of CVB) issued an article praising SLY for its cultural export and excellent broadcast data (these are all heavy weight in China)
# AliPay co-branded drama (only 3 dramas have ever received an AliPay skin offer – Joy of Life, Empress in the Palace, and SLY, and SLY Tang Li Ci character ranked No. 1 in historical AliPay co-branded sales skin.
# China Rating, CVB quoted SLY is the winner 2025 winner of 🥭TV total drama views and SLY is no 3 (the only costume drama in the top 3) for satellite TV prime time drama views. TV Landmark 2025 and Online Audiovisual survey list awarded SLY as “Excellent TV Series of The year 2025”, Note: This certification was guided by The Development Research Center of the State Administration
The leads for Love In The Clouds will be happy that you gave "Love In The Clouds" 10/10! I hear the romance…
Which episode are you at now? I reckon anyone would fall for Tang Lici, given how he carries himself and how he speaks, when he decides to be kind :D
Shen Langhun is my favourite jianghu therapist, although it sucked that Xiao Shunyao got injured during a stunt and it affected his screentime in the drama. I enjoy every scene he shares with Tang Lici and/or Chi Yun. Chi Yun made such an entrance in episode 1, and he's a hoot to watch with Zhong Chunji. I have a younger brother, and I would be happy to have Chi Yun as a second younger brother because he is very fun to be around and super-loyal XD
Gui Mudan is my favourite C-drama villain in decades, and keep an eye on his cat. Xue Xianzi is a wonderful foil, and he'll be even funnier when we get to a certain episode XD Characterisations of many characters are rich, and the drama doesn't over-explain what a character is.
If you want any references or want to explore trivia for those episodes you have already watched, here's a few.
underthestars created a very-helpful explainer and hidden-facts thread capped with a general timeline for all 40 episodes, alongside a very useful diagram. See how many nuggets you noticed! Start from the top of the post for the earliest episodes after watching an episode, and work your way down:
There are other phenomenal posts such as Azure's timelines and trivia forum post, but that contains spoilers for where you are. Look through the forum posts when you have the time and if you are curious :D
2 
7 
1 
3 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
You know you're hooked when I forget that I'm not in the drama XD
Episode 25 makes me very happy with so many little details to history. Episode 26 was full of one-on-one heartfelt exchanges, many different types of motives both touching and scheming. Episode 27 dashed my hopes for a certain attempt to succeed. Episode 28 is full of questions and how to counter questions. Episode 29- Will 15 remaining episodes be enough to wrap things up wonderfully?
I wouldn't consider your observations to be at the level of a PR post, simply a well-phrased opinion. You did the same when posting a recent summary about several of the cast doing their own ADRs: https://kisskh.at/760693-ya-xi#comment-24841970
Thank you for your observations. If and when you write a review for this drama, I would be interested to read :D
If you're praising Dai Xu's performance as Pei Zhen and not intending a romantic angle as per that definition, then you don't have 2ML Syndrome. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd say praising a performance of an actor for being good/nuanced/excellent and explaining why isn't offensive, unless someone wants to take your opinion personally in a negative light for whatsoever reasons. If a viewer cannot differentiate between an actor and the role being carried out as a performance and hence takes offence, the problem isn't yours but the viewer who needs a reality check.
I always need my leads or SML/SFLs to have a certain skill acting level. If they can't nail it, I don't care if they win popularity awards because that means zilch in long-term concerns they might have about the impact of their craft and filmography being timeless, when they eventually leave the industry. Xing Fei gave a fantastic portrayal as Ning SuSu in "This Thriving Land", and I adored her as the younger sister to Yang Mi's character.
I would like to see Chen Xing Xu as a complex villain at some point, because that would be intriguing. Dai Xu has shown he can do this well enough. You'll enjoy both of them not getting along XD Frankly, just like them both. I'm happiest when I'm enjoying performances of the ensemble cast being dimensional with depth (good and evil characters), just like "The Guardians" and "River Sunset".
Both are swoon-worthy, be it Chen Xing Xu or Dai Xu. I'm on a modern drama/period drama kick, so not in the mood for historical dramas. The stepbrothers in this drama (Xiao Zhiyu and Pei Zhen) look good in glasses and are executing their differences well.
Dai Xu is doing a good job with his acting: https://kisskh.at/760693-ya-xi#comment-24839670
He's been professional yet underhanded within the boundaries of what a guy in his position would do (red-flag upbringing?). His obsession is centered on ML, not FL. The car incident is one example, where he did what he did because FL was driving ML's car. Previews for next episodes seem to emphasise this. This far, he hasn't been a cartoonish clown or an exaggerated dumb villain, which easily drags down an entire drama.
The reality is that an actor is not his role. However convincing or unconvincing their portrayal, conflating an artist doing his job to the best of their abilities (also primarily with the input from screenwriting and directions from the creative crew) as offline reality to take it personally (or on behalf of a favourite idol) isn't fair to the actor or actress. People praising or gushing over Dai Xu's performance doesn't mean people are dumber than other viewers for appreciating Pei Zhen's role in this drama as a foil that isn't stereotyped and boring yet.
"This Thriving Land", "Fated Hearts" and other dramas that succeed usually require a strong ensemble cast to go with the plot and directing. Leads alone don't carry the success of a successful drama except for specific situations, such as it being a vertical drama or the longform drama has significant flaws needing compensation. Ni Dahong, Qin Hailu, Lu Xingyu and Jiang Qi Lin are sought-after supporting actors who automatically elevate any drama they are in because their performances are realistically strong and captivating onscreen. Nothing to do with looks. Ni Dahong was repulsive yet commanding and well-nuanced in "This Thriving Land" and if you think Pei Zhen is damn annoying to the point that a fictional character is affecting you offline, be prepared for a lot of disgust and losing more than your temper with Ni Dahong for TTL, which no one would deny he executed very well.
As Pei Zhen, Dai Xu "lost" where he needed to in portrayal to Chen Xingxu but when he needs to level up his screen presence, he did so, as seen in episode 14 when they have one-on-one scenes. Pei Zhen doesn't irritate me because in RL, I've met far-worse people in all sorts of shades and had to handle them accordingly. Very curious to see how the drama will allow all supporting characters to turn out. I'm more interested in the evolution of the supporting characters than any romance for them, when it comes to the supporting cast.
In fact, I would prefer Pei Zhen not to fall for FL because I prefer to see how he will deal with achieving his goals or failing in them and changing as a person. Some of us do not automatically pair up single characters in a drama just because they happen to be under the age of 40. We don't think being in a happy romance is the ultimate happiness for everyone. In terms of dimensionality writing characters for this drama, a well-written character for leads and supporting cast is what I want. I like that this far, ML and 2ML are allowed to showcase nuancing and dimensionality as individuals which makes their current dynamics interesting, because what happened from the time they were kids until now?
Maybe someone's already done this much earlier, but I shared my thoughts on the title of this drama yesterday (I only came to this page yesterday):
[ The term 轧戏 (gá xì) originates from Peking opera, whereby an actor could take on multiple roles in the same performance during different parts of the same play, or two or more actors taking on two or more roles in the same performance. In the Golden Age of HK, 轧戏 was a symbol of the popularity of an actor or actress eg. Andy Lau. After 2017 from a mainland China POV given today's regulations, the term has a negative connotation of unprofessionalism due to abuse of substitutes in dramas and choosing work conditions resulting in not sufficiently understanding a role to portray it with the attention it deserves.
In this drama being inherently meta, certain characters take on multiples personalities in more than one reality. The VR reality is akin to a Chinese live-action game of role-playing to solve a fictional murder, hence known as 剧本杀 ((jù běn shā).... ]
https://kisskh.at/760693-ya-xi#comment-24832946
In the meantime, I leave you with an enchanting dance between the leads: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5255090562930936
Ps. 2ML Syndrome is definitely smouldering on weibo XD but I have not decided yet. I hope he stays a gentlemanly villain (if he's going to fall into that definite category).
In this drama being inherently meta, certain characters take on multiples personalities in more than one reality. The VR reality is akin to a Chinese live-action game of role-playing to solve a fictional murder, hence known as 剧本杀 ((jù běn shā) . The settings of that fictional reality is Republican-era since episode 1, so you get old-school glamour and one of the best-looking visuals of an actor in a uniform.
This drama is not about incisive social commentary or some arthouse deep-dive into a niche topic or a bleak Master Rubik cube of mysteries shattering you with highly-distressing situations to unsettle you and make you stew for half the night. The Director knows what meaningful angles this drama ought to be through utilising specific scenarios and realities, hence weaving an architectural game of curiosities, comforts and consequences engaging specific emotions within the viewer to connect to. It would be impossible to grasp basic fullness in layers of a very tasty cake without understanding everything I have pointed out in this post. "Love Between Lines" is brilliant for understanding where it wants to be, which intentionally includes overall being as comforting as a bowl of cream to a cat. You might find yourself ODing on this unique cream full of schmaltzy grounded surprises XD
It's so sweet that you might get cavities after finishing this XD
Oh, given the tech involved here, an AI-generated duet makes me think of Zhiyu and Hu Xiu in this drama (Adele and Jungkook = "Without Words"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWHkQm7xNB4
These scenes with the night lights, neon city vibes backdrop and our ML were giving me K-drama feels: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV18GrMBrEDE/
The incident involving his car tells us a lot about his mindset relative to his father's upbringing.
The Shanghainese cultural references are fun. Shanghainese architectural appreciation and AI are well-integrated, so to use VR here with architecture is spot-on.
Here's an example of plans to build a nature reserve in Shanghai at the mouth of the Yangtze river: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGAjrLGvYzQ
And the leads! Lu Yuxiao is super-adorable yet feisty once she is inspired. A kind nice exterior contains a rainbow of surprises and ideas for others to discover. She definitely brought a smile to my face every episode, while rooting for her to overcome obstacles and win. No unnecessary melodrama, communication FTW and any misunderstandings get resolved. Chen Xingxu is a green light showing off so many little tweaks and nuances to his expression- That plushie fox will never stop being funny when triggered XD
Romance and realism are nicely balanced in many episodes. Director's camerawork will make one feel at home and/or intimately spying on scenes of what is happening and feel shameless about it all. I enjoy seeing Xiao Zhiyu and Hu Xiu naturally slide headlong into friendship + emotional feels together with all the brakes of a bicycle gathering speed downhill.
Fun, fresh, and a genuine mood-booster. A feel-good drama that sits warmly in your heart, before you know it. Very curious to see how Pei Zhen of Zhuling firm turns out (Dai Xu is charming and repelling me in turns, and I hope this isn't going to give me 2ML syndrome XD). Wang Zhi Fei acting as his father of layers was a significant character in forensic investigative suspense thriller "The Truth Within", which just finished airing. Kudos to the cast, especially the leads!
https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146888-shui-long-yin-whispers-of-fate-3weeks-post-svip-finale-achievements?pid=3441282&page=1#p3441282
# Top 1 drama on International Qiyi & WeTV, Monomax (historical record high, certified no 1 C Drama in 2025), MOA Korea, Netflix, etc: North America regions, UK, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and more.
# IQiyi International broke historical record: Most viewed drama in one day, surpassing 10M views (while Qiyi aired 2 Its own flagship dramas). Qiyi actually bought SLY several big screen Adv for NON Qiyi drama in Hong Kong, showed high ROI satisfaction.
# Broke historical record for C-Drama: simultaneous overseas broadcast sold to 23 platforms covering 120 countries and 8600 cities worldwide.
#Huace ONLY Youtube views 10M+ and counting
# News Coverage by 800+ international publications (Associated Press-USA, Straits Times, Thailand Business News, etc.).
# Spotlighted by Xinhua News, China Daily, China Women’s Daily, and Beijing TV for international success. Main actor Luo Yunxi featured by Xinhua News 9x in 1 month. China Rating (the issuer of CVB) issued an article praising SLY for its cultural export and excellent broadcast data (these are all heavy weight in China)
# AliPay co-branded drama (only 3 dramas have ever received an AliPay skin offer – Joy of Life, Empress in the Palace, and SLY, and SLY Tang Li Ci character ranked No. 1 in historical AliPay co-branded sales skin.
# China Rating, CVB quoted SLY is the winner 2025 winner of 🥭TV total drama views and SLY is no 3 (the only costume drama in the top 3) for satellite TV prime time drama views.
TV Landmark 2025 and Online Audiovisual survey list awarded SLY as “Excellent TV Series of The year 2025”, Note: This certification was guided by The Development Research Center of the State Administration
Our tail is great :D
Shen Langhun is my favourite jianghu therapist, although it sucked that Xiao Shunyao got injured during a stunt and it affected his screentime in the drama. I enjoy every scene he shares with Tang Lici and/or Chi Yun. Chi Yun made such an entrance in episode 1, and he's a hoot to watch with Zhong Chunji. I have a younger brother, and I would be happy to have Chi Yun as a second younger brother because he is very fun to be around and super-loyal XD
Gui Mudan is my favourite C-drama villain in decades, and keep an eye on his cat. Xue Xianzi is a wonderful foil, and he'll be even funnier when we get to a certain episode XD Characterisations of many characters are rich, and the drama doesn't over-explain what a character is.
If you want any references or want to explore trivia for those episodes you have already watched, here's a few.
Episode 14 about Gui Mudan:
Zaju recited by Gui Mudan (context plus mandarin and English translation):
https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24049694
https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24049698
Interpretation of Gui Mudan in episode 14 referencing two works including that zaju:
https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24049658
underthestars created a very-helpful explainer and hidden-facts thread capped with a general timeline for all 40 episodes, alongside a very useful diagram. See how many nuggets you noticed! Start from the top of the post for the earliest episodes after watching an episode, and work your way down:
https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146048-it-s-all-in-the-detail-whispers-of-fate-explainer-and-hidden-facts-thread
There are other phenomenal posts such as Azure's timelines and trivia forum post, but that contains spoilers for where you are. Look through the forum posts when you have the time and if you are curious :D