Ang

It’s not really explicitly explained what makes her start to like him, but it happens during her time as his mistress. Changxuan begins to soften towards her after she becomes pregnant, and she gradually softens towards him as well.

Agreed. I think a good place to start would be giving us more insight into Pingjun’s inner thoughts and emotional journey, so we can get a clearer sense of what drives her behavior and how she arrives at certain decisions. I appreciate the glimpses into her thoughts that are shared on Weibo, but I wish they would make it onto the screen as well, rather than leaving us to rely on them to get a better understanding of her character. I’m also hoping there won’t be an amnesia arc because, imo, it feels like an “easy” way to get Pingjun to fall for Changxuan all over again, not to mention the potentially devastating fallout if she regains her memories after she’s already fallen for him.

I’ll start with how their "arrangement" came about:

In the novel, Changxuan essentially forces Pingjun to become his mistress in exchange for saving Xueting, who has been falsely accused of a crime, imprisoned, and faces the threat of torture. The entire situation is orchestrated by Li Boren. Xueting is eventually released, but he misunderstands what happened and believes that Pingjun abandoned him for Changxuan.

After some time as Changxuan's mistress, Pingjun becomes pregnant. Changxuan gradually softens towards her, and she begins to soften towards him as well. He stops being violent towards her and iirc promises to marry her.

Around this time, Xueting writes a piece criticizing the Yu family, prompting Changxuan's father to order his arrest. While fleeing, Xueting encounters Pingjun, who tries to shield him from the military officer pursuing him. The officer responds by repeatedly kicking her in the stomach, causing her to miscarry. Changxuan is devastated by the loss of their child and executes the officer responsible, but his grief turns to anger when he learns that Pingjun was trying to protect Xueting. He accuses her of deliberately sacrificing their child for Xueting and chokes her. Desperate to prove that she wanted their child, Pingjun attempts to jump from a balcony. Changxuan pulls her back and slaps her before telling her to leave and that he never wants to see her again.

Pingjun returns to her mother and opens a small flower shop. Changxuan secretly supports their business from a distance. Eventually, Xueting returns to Pingjun's life and proposes marriage, claiming that he does not care about her past. However, Pingjun discovers that he intends to marry Tao Ziyi while keeping her as his mistress. When she confronts him, he callously asks how being his kept woman would be any different from being Changxuan's, among other hurtful remarks. Disillusioned by the man Xueting has become, Pingjun tells him to leave.

Not long afterwards, Pingjun's mother dies in a fire deliberately arranged by Changxuan's father, who wants to remove Pingjun as a distraction from his son's life. Devastated and with nowhere else to turn, Pingjun eventually reunites with Changxuan. They reconcile, and she becomes pregnant again. And Changxuan promises to marry her.

However, the political conflict between Changxuan and Xueting continues to escalate. For Pingjun's safety, Changxuan sends her back to Jinling by ship, but the ship explodes. Believing Pingjun to be dead, Changxuan is heartbroken. But in reality, Xueting has arranged for her to be taken off the ship and brought to another city, Yuzhou, where he imprisons her. He tries to force her to get rid of her child. And when she refuses, he abuses and rapes her.

Meanwhile, believing Pingjun to be dead, Changxuan eventually marries Jun Daiti, a woman who has loved him for years, having resigned himself to following his father's arrangements. A message revealing that Pingjun is still alive eventually reaches Changxuan, but Daiti intercepts and destroys it, preventing him from learning the truth.

As Xueting continues to abuse and rape her, Pingjun's physical and mental health deteriorate, though she manages to give birth to her child, who later features in a side story. Eventually, Xueting's position collapses. By then, Pingjun has already endured years of torment. In the end, she stabs Xueting with a short sword that Changxuan once gave her when they reconciled. As he lies there, bleeding, Xueting tells her that she is free. However, the years of abuse have left Pingjun so deeply traumatized that she is a shell of the person she once was. Meanwhile, Changxuan eventually searches for Pingjun, although I do not remember what prompts him to do so. As she is being transported out of the city on a cart, he passes right by her without recognizing her. They never reunite.

In one of the side stories, Changxuan sleeps with Xie Fanshu, who is the daughter of the couple who took in Pingjun and her son after she leaves Xueting. He later comes to believe that she might be his daughter with Pingjun. He then orders the execution of his own son, Xie Chongye, on fabricated charges, without knowing his true identity. It is implied that he does so to take revenge on Fanshu and her family. He does not realize that Chongye is his son until it is too late.

No, she wasn't. She's the daughter of the couple who took Pingjun in after she left Xueting. Iirc they're also the ones who secretly saved and raised Chongye after Xueting tried to get rid of him shortly after his birth.

And for the rumored amnesia arc, can you imagine how devastating the fallout could be, especially if she regains her memories after she has already fallen for him? Something like that could traumatize a person all over again.

I just want to correct some details, if that's okay. He did not marry Jun Daiti for revenge. He married her because he believed Pingjun had died and eventually resigned himself to following his father’s arrangements. I also do not remember the novel saying that he kept a mistress who looked like Pingjun. In the side story, Changxuan sleeps with Xie Fanshu, and only later comes to believe that she might be his daughter with Pingjun. He then orders the execution of his own son, Xie Chongye, on fabricated charges, without knowing his true identity. It is implied that he does so to take revenge on Fanshu and her family. He does not realize that Chongye is his son until it is too late.

He sexually assaults her and attempts to rape her twice. But no, there was no penetration involved. He only stopped because the FL started to cry. Episodes 13-14

Agreed. I love seeing different perspectives and hearing what others have to say. I'm all for respectful debates and disagreements, but it’s a different story when you (general you, not directed at anyone in particular) resort to ad hominems or dismissive remarks rather than thoughtfully engaging with the other person’s perspective. And imo, as a community, we shouldn’t be okay with that.

"if you enjoy this show, fine, but call the ml character what he is which is an assaulter and abuser. he can love pj and care for her no one is denying that, except he’s also abusive towards her sexually, physically, and mentally."

💯 It’s completely possible to enjoy toxic characters while recognizing that they’re toxic. You can enjoy a character without excusing their actions or brushing them off as “just misunderstood,” “just complex,” or with “I want flawed characters.” Recognizing a character’s complexity doesn’t mean we have to justify their actions. If anything, we should be able to acknowledge a character’s flaws without feeling the need to defend them. And of course, like you, I'm not referring to people who enjoy these dynamics while acknowledging their problematic nature, but rather those who feel compelled to justify their behavior.

I'm hoping we get something similar to another drama, where after the FL regains her memory and realizes the ML had been using her and was her enemy, she confronts him, stabs him, and leaves xD What he did isn't brushed under the rug, and a period of time passes before they reconcile. Of course, it helps that the ML in that drama didn't SA her or attempt to rape her in the first place. Soo, if the amnesia arc rumors are true, I'm wondering how the fallout will play out.

Lol the story has already surprised me plenty with how far the drama is allowing the ML to go xD Passing censorship, I mean. But yes, as I mentioned in my previous comments, I'm still debating whether to continue. In the meantime, I'll be lurking in the comments, reading other people's insights and sharing my own (:

Oh shoot, I didn't think of that. That would be a nightmare. The fallout afterwards could be even worse, especially if she regains her memories after falling for him. I really hope these rumors are wrong. And imo, amnesia just seems like an "easy" way to get Pingjun to fall for Changxuan.

That doesn't really address my comment, though? I'm aware the drama might not be for me. I'm pointing out that the ML has attempted to rape the FL twice, and no amount of context changes what he did imo.

I'm just going to link this comment: [https://kisskh.at/776525-yu-dian-qiu#comment-27901028] as a reply. Adding to it, being disturbed or repulsed by a character's behavior isn't the same as disliking the drama itself. It's also possible to watch a drama for reasons other than the romance. As I mentioned in my other comment, I'm considering continuing for Pingjun or for the historical setting and overall story.

He's even worse in the novel, so I thought they'd tone down his character for the drama, but imo, it wasn't enough. I honestly don't think I can root for their relationship, no matter how much he changes or how remorseful he becomes later on. And if the clips and previews I've seen are accurate, then I'm even less on board with how their eventual romance develops and plays out.

(possible spoilers)

Pingjun is going to attempt suicide, and Changxuan is going to let her go. Apparently, there's an amnesia arc coming up, too? That doesn't happen in the novel, so I'm guessing this is the drama's way of giving their relationship a forced reset... allowing Pingjun to get to know Changxuan all over again while giving him a chance to make amends, if that's even possible. I don't know, some things just can't be "redeemed" imo. And for me, attempted rape is one of them. So I’m torn between dropping it altogether, continuing for her sake, or sticking around for the overall story and historical setting.

I've watched up to episode 14. And no, I don't think any context can make it better. There's no sugarcoating his actions. That was the second attempted rape scene by the ML.

"People can enjoy whatever they want but I prefer my dark fiction shows to actually condemn the abuser."

💯 I made the same argument somewhere else. I'm familiar with these tropes and dynamics myself. I enjoy dark fantasy, horror romance, etc., and part of the appeal for me is that the problematic or disturbing elements aren’t romanticized or sugarcoated. The story acknowledges them for what they are. I feel like the drama has been a bit mixed on this so far? Sometimes, the music seems to reflect Changxuan’s emotional state rather than romanticize his actions, but other times, softer or more “romantic” music plays over scenes that are genuinely disturbing. So I’m still not entirely sure how the drama wants us to interpret certain moments.

Oh sh*t. Thanks for the heads up. I read the novel and thought they’d toned his character down, but apparently not nearly enough imo. I honestly don’t think I can root for their romance, no matter how much he changes or how remorseful he becomes later on. Some things just can’t be “redeemed” imo. Now I’m torn between dropping the drama altogether and sticking around just for her 💔

It seems like the drama is setting up an amnesia arc as a way to force a reset on Pingjun and Changxuan’s relationship, which doesn’t happen in the novel. Instead, towards the end, Xueting’s torment leaves Pingjun so traumatized that she becomes a shell of her former self. I’m not sure I’d say she actually loses her memories, though.

Just to add to the comments and to back up a bit, in the novel, during this part of the story, Changxuan more or less forces Pingjun to become his mistress in exchange for saving Xueting, who has been falsely accused of a crime, imprisoned, and is at risk of being tortured, all of which was orchestrated by Li Boren. Xueting is released but misunderstands the situation, believing that Pingjun abandoned him for Changxuan. After some time as Changxuan's mistress, Pingjun becomes pregnant. Changxuan softens towards her, and she begins to soften towards him as well. He is no longer violent towards her and, iirc, promises to marry her.

Around this time, Xueting writes a piece criticizing the Yu family, prompting Changxuan's father to order his arrest. While fleeing, Xueting encounters Pingjun, who tries to shield him. The military officer pursuing him responds by repeatedly kicking her in the stomach, causing her to lose the child. Changxuan is devastated by the loss and executes the officer, but his grief turns to anger when he learns that Pingjun was trying to protect Xueting. He accuses her of deliberately sacrificing their child for Xueting and chokes her. In despair, Pingjun tries to jump from the balcony to prove that she wanted their child, but Changxuan responds by pulling her back and slapping her. He then tells her to leave and that he never wants to see her again.

Pingjun returns to her mother and opens a small flower shop. Changxuan secretly supports their business. Xueting eventually returns to her life and proposes marriage, claiming that he does not care about her past. However, Pingjun discovers that he intends to marry Tao Ziyi for political and family reasons while keeping her as his mistress. When she confronts him, he says how is being his kept woman any different from being Changxuan’s and makes some other callous remarks. Disillusioned by the man Xueting has become, Pingjun tells him to leave.

Not long afterwards, Pingjun's mother dies in a fire deliberately arranged by Changxuan's father, who wants to eliminate Pingjun as a distraction from his son's life. Devastated and with nowhere else to turn, Pingjun eventually reunites with Changxuan. The two reconcile, and she becomes pregnant again. Changxuan promises to marry her, and for a while, they seem to have another chance at happiness.

However, the political conflict between Changxuan and Xueting escalates. When Changxuan sends Pingjun back to Jinling by ship for her safety, the ship explodes. Changxuan believes she has died, but actually, Xueting has arranged for her to be taken off the ship and brought to Yuzhou, where he imprisons her. He attempts to force her to end her pregnancy, and when she refuses, he abuses and rapes her. Meanwhile, Changxuan, believing Pingjun dead, eventually marries Jun Daiti, a character who has loved him for years. When a message revealing that Pingjun is alive reaches Changxuan, Daiti intercepts and destroys it, preventing Changxuan from learning the truth.

And you know the rest since others have already covered what happens next, so I won’t rehash all of that here.

That was a bit unexpected for me, even though I’ve read the novel. I can’t remember the last time I saw an ML sexually assault the FL on-screen. Repulsive behavior 🔪