21 episodes with 6 cases, approximate average of 3 episodes per case.
Director David Zhuang Xuanwei is also the main screenwriter here. This is the investigative crime drama that he's known for directing: https://kisskh.at/686045-danger-zone
Liu Ya-se is going to be solid in this.I hope she was able to do her own ADR, given I like her voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PM_jj0ega8I'm…
Whispers of Fate is the umpteenth reminder that Luo Yunxi needs people at an acting level he can create amazing emotional resonance with, such as Jeremy Tsu (when Gui Mudan's tears started to fall after a certain game, so was mine). Liu Ya-se is the type of FL that I'm looking forward to, strengthening the entire cast :)
Given the spider-related scenes, that is the part where people with arachnophobia might have to first ask viewers who watch the relevant episodes, before deciding whether to venture in (I'm mentioning this also because there were potential viewers at Sword and Beloved who have a fear of spiders and asked about the FL's cartoonish appearance in terms of extent of likeliness to spiders).
is our lead a good guy or not a good guy this clip I think is from the very beginning and it's questionable: https://weibo.com/7930087858/5247771137542950A…
Grey protagonists are a favourite of mine, especially if they lean Chaotic Neutral at first before changing stances.
Before I read that highly-detailed summary, I was already rueing the lack of parallel lessons for Tang Lici and Ye Mo strengthening their bond and outcome as per 三教. The Celestial Realm rightfully should have gotten two episodes.
With dramas such as "Immortal Ascension", followed by this drama given the overwhelming success statistics, producers and directors should now have confidence in record-breaking dramas not needing romance but focus on great characterisation. Xifang Tao should have gotten a backstory like Hua Wuyan. Shen Langhun and Chi Yun should have had more interactions with Tang Lici, given the audience support for wanting more of them.
This understanding of chinese culture and literature also applies to the song《不沐春风不遇你》sung by Liu Yuning and Jane Zhang. This song playing at the end of every episode is not a CP song but I can understand why some people would get it so completely wrong, especially when they don't understand mandarin and they know nothing about Chinese culture plus literature.
I'm impressed that English AI for Google has improved so much that it can convey the following:
[ Meaning in the drama: The "spring breeze" symbolizes the vital, life-bringing force of new relationships and the moral principles (Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism) that influence the main character, Tang Lici. His encounters with brave and sincere individuals change his initially cold and reclusive nature, helping him find joy, courage, and a spirit of chivalry. The "whispers of fate" suggest that these transformative meetings were destined to happen, shaping his journey and ultimately defining who he becomes.
Literary/Cultural Context: A "spring breeze" is a common Chinese literary metaphor for warmth, positive influence, and new beginnings. The title implies that without this specific, fated "breeze" of encounters, the character would not have experienced love, friendship, or personal liberation. ]
What a phenomenal read.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Your review mirrors Whispers of Fate itself layered, precise,…
Thank you for your reply, which is a mini-poetical review in itself :D I'll definitely rewatch in Q1 2026! Timeless classic for me that resonates emotionally and mentally, and definitely my #1 historical costume C-drama of all time. No historical costume drama has ever ventured so compellingly and innovatively into all areas of Chinese culture and history so strongly, to blend xuanhuan and wuxia.
Tang Lici is a compelling protagonist and hero who will always stay with viewers enjoying the efforts for SLY. Art of Tang Lici this month on weibo: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5243098717229895
Tomorrow Youku will announce the official date of airing for LYX's soon-to-air modern drama. I'm happy for him to continue acting in quality dramas and for the upcoming new drama, Liu Ya-se is a FL that acts well.
Got mixed feelings about Case 2. Really enjoyed the first case XD
It helps that the Director for this Season 4 is 郭世民 and not 柏杉 with 信鹏 (they helmed seasons 1 to 3), because mini-dramas need to be filmed differently. Main screenwriter is the same chap.
Very curious about Season 5. Still trying to articulate my thoughts about the second case which is ??!! but made me hungry at the start XD
I really appreciate this review for voicing what I felt. S2 is supposed to be better than S1. I'd say S4 is best for a new viewer, before going into S1. Yingtao's character in S1 was rather one-dimensional and I couldn't get why she became interested in Su Wuming.
Strange Chronicles of Tang (season 4 of SToTD) is out. It's a mini-drama of 21 episodes. Curious what you think about that. I'm currently at episode 19.
Damn. I was hella entertained and drawn in. I love Tang LiCi’s character. I noticed a lot of references to what…
Liu Yan isn't comfortable with beating around the bush and not understanding something, when he is being addressed. Opera is too indirect for him. And he didn't get how Gui Mudan was mocking him and totally disrespecting him in that exchange.
Buddhism is quite heavy in this drama, which at least four reviews will attest to. TaraVerde did an amazing write-up here that is fully encompassed in three links to three reddit posts with images + screenshots pertaining to the arts, aesthetics and philosophies of this drama.
Enjoy your next C-drama! If you're looking for something intriguing in a different light, try "Strange Chronicles of Tang", an investigative historical costume mini-drama of 21 episodes that is done airing for IQiyi VIP members.
For 17 November, Tang Lici’s solo tag on douyin had approximately 700 million views. The closest thing to a romance pairing for him had 5.38 million views.
If you want accurate statistics on this drama, kwanto or suzuko_d_law can provide those. They are good with data. kwanto was very good at debunking why Yunhe's data is totally unreliable for this drama.
I won't lie A'Shei was not as "useless" people seem to perceive her. She was every smart, seemed to understood…
I would like to point out something about the novel that a lot of people don't know. It was unfinished and abandoned for more then ten years by the author, when the novel was adapted for the drama. The author did not like this novel and spoke disparagingly about the characters.
It was after the unfinished novel was adapted for the drama that the author picked it up again. Luo Yunxi's performance as Tang Lici moved Teng Ping greatly.
When it was re-adopted, the author followed some aspects of the screenplay to finish her novel.
To say Tang Lici was in love with A-Shui by the end of the novel is not conclusive. To say Tang Lici loved A-Shui in the unfinished novel before the novel was adapted for the drama is definitely untrue.
There are viewers before you who watched this drama, and wondered about the maternal vibes they were getting in terms of why Tang Lici seemed mostly unmoved by A-Shui even in episodes 33 to 35, plus wondered about Tang Lici's relationship with a mother. Once I provided the context for the necessary, they realised why they picked up on what they saw, and why there is no romance tag for this drama.
The viewer who has been primarily selling A-Shui and Tang Lici as a CP for this drama in numerous replies to you over the past four days hasn't watched further than episode 21 of this drama, when asked by multiple viewers about her claims pertaining to them. She has also twisted the words of viewers that resulted in those viewers no longer wanting to engage her in any way. She has attacked BL shippers, who also don't want to talk to her. I was once fine with her on this drama page, such as when she asked me about what Gui Mudan was saying in episode 14 (she needed to use MTL to translate but for Gui Mudan's lines, it is impossible to use any machine to translate the lines of a Yuan zaju). So I explained to her and her sockpuppet account.
However, she has twisted my words when talking about A-Shui to another viewer and as a result, I told her off for being dishonest. I have told her to stop harassing me with her multiple sockpuppet accounts. Multiple people have told her off for being dishonest. For at least the past four weeks, she has been mostly talking to herself on this page because no one wants to engage her.
But she has no qualms misleading viewers new to this drama, primarily because nobody wants to talk to her after how badly she behaved. On the TTEOM page on this website, nobody wants to talk to her either.
She led a bunch of fans for a specific actress to this page based on misleading them and selling this drama as a CP with romance, people who expressed opinions supportive of other actresses on this page were attacked by these fans, and then the end results of episodes 33 to 35 was upsetting enough that this drama page saw melodrama from fans of one actress who didn't get their expectations met when at least one producer said much earlier by end-2023 that this drama is heroism-focused. All this of course, you've thankfully missed.
Zhong Chunji has the greatest screentime and impact on other characters so if one wants to pick an FL, she would be the FL. Zhong Chunji isn't my favourite female character, yet Tang Lici tells her about what he was in the Celestial Realm including knowing nothing about emotions and not learning from Fang Zhou how to love someone. In that same episode after he rejects her, he watches fireworks with A-Shui. What he doesn't tell anybody else including Shen Langhun and Chi Yun is that he has chosen to die for Fang Zhou so after the fireworks in episode 29, he goes to Shui Duopo and confides in her his deepest desires pertaining to Fang Zhou.
A-Shui doesn't have the greatest weight in this drama also because she has minimal impact or importance to other characters. There are no FLs. This drama is originally only one lead which is LYX, and the rest are supporting cast.
I will quote a section of chapter 40 for you, which comes from the unfinished section of the novel before the novel was adopted for the drama (so you can be very clear about how novel-Tang Lici sees novel-A-Shui. Novel-Liu Yan is the one who liked A-Shui, not Tang Lici). I don't like insisting on romance for WoF even if I claim you can ship whoever you want. Luo Yunxi has chemistry with a lot of the cast, so shipping whoever you want with him is doable.
But viewers generally expect certain things when it comes to the "romance" label, and then they are rightfully disappointed when it doesn't happen according to expectations. Romance (one-sided or two-sided) is up to the viewer, because even a one-sided romance is romance. I will never claim a CP for the drama, just as I can never claim there is definitely love between Tang Lici and A-Shui.
By the way, for giving up that fragment of the Divine Stone to help Tang Lici, Tang Lici doesn't know A-Shui will die and her letter is meant to also hide that. Why are episodes 33 and 35 so restrained for Tang Lici? The directors and screenwriters are definitely aware of this section of the unfinished novel, hence they granted drama-Tang Lici the greatest obsession of novel-Tang Lici in the drama. The exchange in episode 35 was so wonderfully conveyed. I had a lot of emotional sand in my eyes because Tang Lici met the most important woman in his life, and he never wanted to let go. That is why she is whom he thought of, near the end of episode 40. Several other viewers here also felt the same way, especially those who are aware of the unfinished novel.
Remember Wanyu Yuedan? From Book 4, Chapter 40 (part 3):
[ “Be at ease. Master Tang has already gone.” Wanyu Yuedan bent low, clasping her hand with a steady, reassuring smile.
Ah Shui froze. At those words, the world seemed to reel around her. “He… he’s already gone?”
Wanyu Yuedan inclined his head. “As soon as he awoke and learned you had led Brother Shen and Zhu Yan to storm Wangting Manor, he set out at once. Do not fear. With Master Tang there, none will come to harm.”
She stared at him.
“But… his health…” Her voice trembled.
Wanyu Yuedan raised a finger and traced a small circle beside his temple, still smiling gently. “It was merely agitation. I gave him a calming draught, and he drank the rice soup you made. Already he is better than before. Rest assured, when Master Tang is present, he will never allow anyone to be hurt. He is the kind of man who will stake his very life for others. And with his ability… tell me, what can he not achieve, once he throws his life into it?”
Ah Shui gazed at Wanyu Yuedan in a daze. How could he speak with such certainty—so matter-of-factly—when he said that Tang Lici was the kind of man who will stake his life for others?
“He…”
Wanyu Yuedan drew out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the mud and melted snow from her face. His voice was gentle as he went on,”I once knew another man who would risk his life for those who had nothing to do with him. He did so out of compassion. He was kind to everyone, wished happiness for all, and for that ideal he was willing to stake his life. A man like that is easy to love, easy to praise.
“But Young Master Tang is not like that. He risks his life for others not because of compassion, but because he is fragile.”
Ah Shui blinked slowly. Meltwater pooled at the corners of her eyes, turning everything into a blur. She heard Wanyu Yuedan’s voice, gentle as falling snow:
“He is too lonely, too starved for care. That is why he throws himself into saving others. Through saving them… he gains a sliver of fulfillment, a sense that he matters. He could not let go of Fang Zhou, nor of Liu Yan, and he fought desperately to save Chi Yun—because so few have ever truly cared for him. The ones who do, he engraves upon his heart, and he cannot bear to let them slip away.
“But few truly understand him. His emotions flare too fiercely, and most people are afraid of him. He always seems as though he alone can shoulder the work of dozens, even hundreds. As though if he exists, others need not. Yet the truth is otherwise. He is only too lonely. He needs that lofty posture… because he longs so desperately to be cared for, to be valued. He cannot live as ordinary men do.”
I… I have been so foolish all along. Tears slid down Ah Shui’s cheeks. “Yes…”
Wanyu Yuedan sighed softly. “I will say something I perhaps should not. Miss Ah Shui, you cannot go on without truly understanding Master Tang. I believe the reason he clings to you is not for any other cause, but because you… you carry within you something of a mother’s presence.”
Once again, tears spilled from Ah Shui’s eyes. She could no longer tell whether they were caused by snowmelt or sadness.
“I understand now.”
This gentle young man, seeing her for the first time, seemed able to pierce through every veil of mist. At last she understood what Tang Lici sought from her. At last she understood why he yearned for a love that would “die for him.” At last she understood why, though he treated her so well, she had never felt he loved her—and why did it always left her so disappointed.
So…
So that was it.
Only that, and nothing more.
She broke down and wept, collapsing to the ground in anguish. He had wanted only a mother who would die for him. And she—she had mistaken it all along.
She could never be his mother. And though she had cared for him with all her heart, still… still… what he longed for was only a mother, nothing else, nothing beyond.
Thank you for lending us your insight. I really loved how they wove the schools of thought together with historical…
There are dramas and movies of different languages from different countries that I believe is best appreciated by the older viewer and/or the viewer who comes to these dramas or movies with a literary and/or a history background, preferably a literary and/or a history background in at least two languages.
Writers Dostoevsky and Trevor understand the human condition very well, but express themselves very differently. William Trevor is one of my favourite authors writing about small-town Irish life, blending wry dark humour with a wonderful understanding of women and small town lives. His incisively wise style of writing came to mind when I was watching this drama. He very carefully and skilfully allows his voice to become quiet and his characters to fill the spaces thereby drawing in the reader, his words are succinct, and he has compassion towards his characters.
When Fang Zhou teaches that all human beings are born inherently good, how can one believe that, least of all Tang Lici? In philosophical Taoism, another section of《道德经》is about withholding judgment and being careful with judgment. Tang Lici learns to truly exercise wisdom in judgement by episode 40. And he comes to that through experiences with different people, which the directing of the screenplay allows for unfolding in the good and evil of those who oppose him and those who support him.
There are dramas that allow the audiences to see the characters for what they are, being portrayed as accurately as possible yet with compassion. Bad deeds and characters are not whitewashed, intentions allowed to be organically revealed. One of them is "Beloved", a modern drama of investigative suspense with heavy human psychological elements (and a happy ending) under the IQiyi Light On series. Another one is this drama.
There are aspects of Confucianism I don't agree with, given his views of women are delineated within some very specific mores of a patriarchal and patrilineal social structure. But if I look via the wuxia aspect of family being chosen being more important than blood ties, Zhong Chunji's warmth and protectiveness of A-Shui and in turn, A-Shui's gentleness tempering Zhong Chunji's impulsiveness is very endearing.
The exploration of relationships between different people in varying shades as the primary factor of relationships rather than romance is very heartening and interesting, especially when the drama loosely adapts an unfinished novel that was abandoned for more than ten years and not considered fondly by its author. This focus on the human condition, especially of Tang Lici, is what interests me given my literary interests also centred on the human condition.
2 
7 
1 
3 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
Director David Zhuang Xuanwei is also the main screenwriter here. This is the investigative crime drama that he's known for directing: https://kisskh.at/686045-danger-zone
I look forward to a happy ending in all this, for pre-CNY vibes!
https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146760-whispers-of-fate-worldview-timelines-and-other-details
Before I read that highly-detailed summary, I was already rueing the lack of parallel lessons for Tang Lici and Ye Mo strengthening their bond and outcome as per 三教. The Celestial Realm rightfully should have gotten two episodes.
With dramas such as "Immortal Ascension", followed by this drama given the overwhelming success statistics, producers and directors should now have confidence in record-breaking dramas not needing romance but focus on great characterisation. Xifang Tao should have gotten a backstory like Hua Wuyan. Shen Langhun and Chi Yun should have had more interactions with Tang Lici, given the audience support for wanting more of them.
I wrote a comment about classical literature sources for this drama one day ago: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24569086
This understanding of chinese culture and literature also applies to the song《不沐春风不遇你》sung by Liu Yuning and Jane Zhang. This song playing at the end of every episode is not a CP song but I can understand why some people would get it so completely wrong, especially when they don't understand mandarin and they know nothing about Chinese culture plus literature.
I'm impressed that English AI for Google has improved so much that it can convey the following:
[ Meaning in the drama: The "spring breeze" symbolizes the vital, life-bringing force of new relationships and the moral principles (Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism) that influence the main character, Tang Lici. His encounters with brave and sincere individuals change his initially cold and reclusive nature, helping him find joy, courage, and a spirit of chivalry. The "whispers of fate" suggest that these transformative meetings were destined to happen, shaping his journey and ultimately defining who he becomes.
Literary/Cultural Context: A "spring breeze" is a common Chinese literary metaphor for warmth, positive influence, and new beginnings. The title implies that without this specific, fated "breeze" of encounters, the character would not have experienced love, friendship, or personal liberation. ]
https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5247725840632185
I'll definitely rewatch in Q1 2026! Timeless classic for me that resonates emotionally and mentally, and definitely my #1 historical costume C-drama of all time. No historical costume drama has ever ventured so compellingly and innovatively into all areas of Chinese culture and history so strongly, to blend xuanhuan and wuxia.
Tang Lici is a compelling protagonist and hero who will always stay with viewers enjoying the efforts for SLY. Art of Tang Lici this month on weibo: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5243098717229895
Also compilation efforts by fellow fans (you should see the video, if you haven't already): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5239451669236288
Tomorrow Youku will announce the official date of airing for LYX's soon-to-air modern drama. I'm happy for him to continue acting in quality dramas and for the upcoming new drama, Liu Ya-se is a FL that acts well.
Looking forward to this!
Very curious about Season 5. Still trying to articulate my thoughts about the second case which is ??!! but made me hungry at the start XD
Strange Chronicles of Tang (season 4 of SToTD) is out. It's a mini-drama of 21 episodes. Curious what you think about that. I'm currently at episode 19.
Buddhism is quite heavy in this drama, which at least four reviews will attest to. TaraVerde did an amazing write-up here that is fully encompassed in three links to three reddit posts with images + screenshots pertaining to the arts, aesthetics and philosophies of this drama.
In November 2023, RBF shared a very-important writeup about the poster on MDL synopsis page, pertaining to fundamental details about Tang Lici which is also reflected in the ending of the drama (spoilers for episode 40 which won't affect you, since you finished watching): https://kisskh.at/discussions/shui-long-yin/121095-sly-art-poster-analysis-slight-spoilers?pid=2851189&page=1#p2851189
Enjoy your next C-drama! If you're looking for something intriguing in a different light, try "Strange Chronicles of Tang", an investigative historical costume mini-drama of 21 episodes that is done airing for IQiyi VIP members.
For 17 November, Tang Lici’s solo tag on douyin had approximately 700 million views. The closest thing to a romance pairing for him had 5.38 million views.
If you want accurate statistics on this drama, kwanto or suzuko_d_law can provide those. They are good with data. kwanto was very good at debunking why Yunhe's data is totally unreliable for this drama.
It was after the unfinished novel was adapted for the drama that the author picked it up again. Luo Yunxi's performance as Tang Lici moved Teng Ping greatly.
When it was re-adopted, the author followed some aspects of the screenplay to finish her novel.
To say Tang Lici was in love with A-Shui by the end of the novel is not conclusive. To say Tang Lici loved A-Shui in the unfinished novel before the novel was adapted for the drama is definitely untrue.
There are viewers before you who watched this drama, and wondered about the maternal vibes they were getting in terms of why Tang Lici seemed mostly unmoved by A-Shui even in episodes 33 to 35, plus wondered about Tang Lici's relationship with a mother. Once I provided the context for the necessary, they realised why they picked up on what they saw, and why there is no romance tag for this drama.
The viewer who has been primarily selling A-Shui and Tang Lici as a CP for this drama in numerous replies to you over the past four days hasn't watched further than episode 21 of this drama, when asked by multiple viewers about her claims pertaining to them. She has also twisted the words of viewers that resulted in those viewers no longer wanting to engage her in any way. She has attacked BL shippers, who also don't want to talk to her. I was once fine with her on this drama page, such as when she asked me about what Gui Mudan was saying in episode 14 (she needed to use MTL to translate but for Gui Mudan's lines, it is impossible to use any machine to translate the lines of a Yuan zaju). So I explained to her and her sockpuppet account.
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
However, she has twisted my words when talking about A-Shui to another viewer and as a result, I told her off for being dishonest. I have told her to stop harassing me with her multiple sockpuppet accounts. Multiple people have told her off for being dishonest. For at least the past four weeks, she has been mostly talking to herself on this page because no one wants to engage her.
But she has no qualms misleading viewers new to this drama, primarily because nobody wants to talk to her after how badly she behaved. On the TTEOM page on this website, nobody wants to talk to her either.
She led a bunch of fans for a specific actress to this page based on misleading them and selling this drama as a CP with romance, people who expressed opinions supportive of other actresses on this page were attacked by these fans, and then the end results of episodes 33 to 35 was upsetting enough that this drama page saw melodrama from fans of one actress who didn't get their expectations met when at least one producer said much earlier by end-2023 that this drama is heroism-focused. All this of course, you've thankfully missed.
Zhong Chunji has the greatest screentime and impact on other characters so if one wants to pick an FL, she would be the FL. Zhong Chunji isn't my favourite female character, yet Tang Lici tells her about what he was in the Celestial Realm including knowing nothing about emotions and not learning from Fang Zhou how to love someone. In that same episode after he rejects her, he watches fireworks with A-Shui. What he doesn't tell anybody else including Shen Langhun and Chi Yun is that he has chosen to die for Fang Zhou so after the fireworks in episode 29, he goes to Shui Duopo and confides in her his deepest desires pertaining to Fang Zhou.
A-Shui doesn't have the greatest weight in this drama also because she has minimal impact or importance to other characters. There are no FLs. This drama is originally only one lead which is LYX, and the rest are supporting cast.
I will quote a section of chapter 40 for you, which comes from the unfinished section of the novel before the novel was adopted for the drama (so you can be very clear about how novel-Tang Lici sees novel-A-Shui. Novel-Liu Yan is the one who liked A-Shui, not Tang Lici). I don't like insisting on romance for WoF even if I claim you can ship whoever you want. Luo Yunxi has chemistry with a lot of the cast, so shipping whoever you want with him is doable.
But viewers generally expect certain things when it comes to the "romance" label, and then they are rightfully disappointed when it doesn't happen according to expectations. Romance (one-sided or two-sided) is up to the viewer, because even a one-sided romance is romance. I will never claim a CP for the drama, just as I can never claim there is definitely love between Tang Lici and A-Shui.
By the way, for giving up that fragment of the Divine Stone to help Tang Lici, Tang Lici doesn't know A-Shui will die and her letter is meant to also hide that. Why are episodes 33 and 35 so restrained for Tang Lici? The directors and screenwriters are definitely aware of this section of the unfinished novel, hence they granted drama-Tang Lici the greatest obsession of novel-Tang Lici in the drama. The exchange in episode 35 was so wonderfully conveyed. I had a lot of emotional sand in my eyes because Tang Lici met the most important woman in his life, and he never wanted to let go. That is why she is whom he thought of, near the end of episode 40. Several other viewers here also felt the same way, especially those who are aware of the unfinished novel.
Remember Wanyu Yuedan? From Book 4, Chapter 40 (part 3):
[ “Be at ease. Master Tang has already gone.” Wanyu Yuedan bent low, clasping her hand with a steady, reassuring smile.
Ah Shui froze. At those words, the world seemed to reel around her. “He… he’s already gone?”
Wanyu Yuedan inclined his head. “As soon as he awoke and learned you had led Brother Shen and Zhu Yan to storm Wangting Manor, he set out at once. Do not fear. With Master Tang there, none will come to harm.”
She stared at him.
“But… his health…” Her voice trembled.
Wanyu Yuedan raised a finger and traced a small circle beside his temple, still smiling gently. “It was merely agitation. I gave him a calming draught, and he drank the rice soup you made. Already he is better than before. Rest assured, when Master Tang is present, he will never allow anyone to be hurt. He is the kind of man who will stake his very life for others. And with his ability… tell me, what can he not achieve, once he throws his life into it?”
Ah Shui gazed at Wanyu Yuedan in a daze. How could he speak with such certainty—so matter-of-factly—when he said that Tang Lici was the kind of man who will stake his life for others?
“He…”
Wanyu Yuedan drew out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the mud and melted snow from her face. His voice was gentle as he went on,”I once knew another man who would risk his life for those who had nothing to do with him. He did so out of compassion. He was kind to everyone, wished happiness for all, and for that ideal he was willing to stake his life. A man like that is easy to love, easy to praise.
“But Young Master Tang is not like that. He risks his life for others not because of compassion, but because he is fragile.”
Ah Shui blinked slowly. Meltwater pooled at the corners of her eyes, turning everything into a blur. She heard Wanyu Yuedan’s voice, gentle as falling snow:
“He is too lonely, too starved for care. That is why he throws himself into saving others. Through saving them… he gains a sliver of fulfillment, a sense that he matters. He could not let go of Fang Zhou, nor of Liu Yan, and he fought desperately to save Chi Yun—because so few have ever truly cared for him. The ones who do, he engraves upon his heart, and he cannot bear to let them slip away.
“But few truly understand him. His emotions flare too fiercely, and most people are afraid of him. He always seems as though he alone can shoulder the work of dozens, even hundreds. As though if he exists, others need not. Yet the truth is otherwise. He is only too lonely. He needs that lofty posture… because he longs so desperately to be cared for, to be valued. He cannot live as ordinary men do.”
I… I have been so foolish all along. Tears slid down Ah Shui’s cheeks. “Yes…”
Wanyu Yuedan sighed softly. “I will say something I perhaps should not. Miss Ah Shui, you cannot go on without truly understanding Master Tang. I believe the reason he clings to you is not for any other cause, but because you… you carry within you something of a mother’s presence.”
Once again, tears spilled from Ah Shui’s eyes. She could no longer tell whether they were caused by snowmelt or sadness.
“I understand now.”
This gentle young man, seeing her for the first time, seemed able to pierce through every veil of mist. At last she understood what Tang Lici sought from her. At last she understood why he yearned for a love that would “die for him.” At last she understood why, though he treated her so well, she had never felt he loved her—and why did it always left her so disappointed.
So…
So that was it.
Only that, and nothing more.
She broke down and wept, collapsing to the ground in anguish. He had wanted only a mother who would die for him. And she—she had mistaken it all along.
She could never be his mother. And though she had cared for him with all her heart, still… still… what he longed for was only a mother, nothing else, nothing beyond.
And she… she could never be his mother. ]
Here are two sites: https://qianjiemei.wordpress.com/2025/09/05/chapter-40-brokenhearted-unto-despair-part-3/
https://mydramanovel.com/shui-long-yin/chapter-40-heartbroken-to-the-point-of-death-03/
I also share the mandarin link: https://www.kanunu8.com/book5/1000jiemei/17467.html
I hope all this is helpful. If you want to know more about the classical literature used for this drama, I've made a new standalone comment above.
Writers Dostoevsky and Trevor understand the human condition very well, but express themselves very differently. William Trevor is one of my favourite authors writing about small-town Irish life, blending wry dark humour with a wonderful understanding of women and small town lives. His incisively wise style of writing came to mind when I was watching this drama. He very carefully and skilfully allows his voice to become quiet and his characters to fill the spaces thereby drawing in the reader, his words are succinct, and he has compassion towards his characters.
When Fang Zhou teaches that all human beings are born inherently good, how can one believe that, least of all Tang Lici? In philosophical Taoism, another section of《道德经》is about withholding judgment and being careful with judgment. Tang Lici learns to truly exercise wisdom in judgement by episode 40. And he comes to that through experiences with different people, which the directing of the screenplay allows for unfolding in the good and evil of those who oppose him and those who support him.
There are dramas that allow the audiences to see the characters for what they are, being portrayed as accurately as possible yet with compassion. Bad deeds and characters are not whitewashed, intentions allowed to be organically revealed. One of them is "Beloved", a modern drama of investigative suspense with heavy human psychological elements (and a happy ending) under the IQiyi Light On series. Another one is this drama.
There are aspects of Confucianism I don't agree with, given his views of women are delineated within some very specific mores of a patriarchal and patrilineal social structure. But if I look via the wuxia aspect of family being chosen being more important than blood ties, Zhong Chunji's warmth and protectiveness of A-Shui and in turn, A-Shui's gentleness tempering Zhong Chunji's impulsiveness is very endearing.
The exploration of relationships between different people in varying shades as the primary factor of relationships rather than romance is very heartening and interesting, especially when the drama loosely adapts an unfinished novel that was abandoned for more than ten years and not considered fondly by its author. This focus on the human condition, especially of Tang Lici, is what interests me given my literary interests also centred on the human condition.