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Agreed. I’ve been saying this, but Pingjun still feels largely like a plot device for Changxuan’s growth and development. So much of the drama revolves around revealing different sides of the ML, while the FL’s own background, inner thoughts, and emotional responses remain underexplored. At times, she feels more like a prop being passed from one character or situation to another than someone who actively drives her own story, if that makes sense. I really wish the drama would give her more agency and develop her beyond her role in Changxuan’s growth. This is starting to feel like a “she can fix him” trope.

We know Pingjun has a strong moral compass and cares about her mother, the orphans, and justice, but so much of her background remains a mystery, while Changxuan gets much more depth in terms of his history, motivations, and inner conflicts. I’m enjoying him as a character, just not as a love interest xD I really hope the drama gives Pingjun the same attention and develops her as a fully fleshed-out character in her own right.

Ooo what Kdramas are you watching? I’m thinking of watching 100 Days of Deception—is that one of the Kdramas you’re watching?

Correct. After Li Boren frames Jiang Xueting, Pingjun agrees to become Changxuan’s mistress to save him.

Exactly how I feel. In the novel, the author makes Changxuan face the consequences of his actions, and I’m hoping the drama does the same. I heard there’s an amnesia arc coming up? From what I remember, 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? It’s starting to feel like a “she can fix him” trope, which personally, I’m not a fan of. But I think I’ll keep watching for Pingjun, rooting for her happiness and freedom 🥲

Continuing the pattern of making drama Changxuan a bit more palatable than his novel counterpart. In the novel, he more or less forces Pingjun to become his mistress in exchange for saving Xueting, who has been falsely accused of a crime and imprisoned, which was all the doing of Li Boren. Here, Xueting actually committed a crime by leaking information. I just told someone I didn’t think we’d be going down this route (sorries), but it seems like we are…! Even if she’s only going to be confined and there’s no sex involved, she is still, for all intents and purposes, his kept woman and will be seen as such..

I did not expect an attempted rape at the hands of the ML. This whole thing has actually been reminding me Meteor Garden (2001). At this point, I’m honestly hoping for the novel’s tragic ending, where they don’t end up together. Pingjun deserves so much better.

Episodes 12-13 thoughts

Then you’ll be glad that the drama isn’t following the novel exactly! Drama Changxuan is already plenty toxic and problematic, but novel Changxuan is even worse. For example, he more or less forces Pingjun to become his mistress in exchange for saving Xueting, who has been falsely accused of a crime and imprisoned because of Li Boren. Their relationship involves elements of coercion and violence. From previews and clips I've seen, we're definitely moving away from this exact plot with elements of the original.

Not at all. Some elements are the same, mainly the character names and dynamics, but the drama is largely different from the novel. I don’t want to say more in case of spoilers.

The Butterfly Lovers (梁山伯與祝英台) is one of China's most famous tragic love stories, often compared to Romeo and Juliet. Zhu Yingtai disguises herself as a man so she can study, where she meets Liang Shanbo, and the two become close companions. She falls in love with him, but he doesn't discover her true identity until later. By then, her family has already arranged for her to marry Ma Wencai, and she's unable to change her fate. Shanbo eventually dies of heartbreak, and when Yingtai passes his grave on her way to her wedding, she begs to see him one last time. His grave opens, and she leaps inside to join him. In the end, the two turn into butterflies, finally free to be together in a way they couldn't be in life 🦋🦋

(Spoilers for episode 11)

I found Changxuan comparing himself to Ma Wencai particularly interesting, especially given what he says about fighting for the things he wants. He insists that if you don't fight for something, how can you know it isn't yours? And if you don't claw your way towards it, how can you know you can't win? When Pingjun counters that love requires mutual willingness and can't be forced, he essentially doubles down, declaring that he *will* force it and fight for her. He even says that if he could walk the eighteen li with her like Shanbo did with Yingtai, he would follow her every step of the way and never give her the chance to be promised to another.

I think the contrast between their views of love is particularly telling. Changxuan seems to see love (or perhaps anything, really) as something he can fight for and win through sheer determination, while Pingjun reminds him that wanting someone doesn't mean you have the right to claim them as your own. You can fight for someone's love, but you can't force them to love you in return. Given their own dynamic,I find Pingjun's response especially significant, and it seems to be what stops Changxuan from kissing her without her consent while she's asleep. I also find it ironic that Changxuan sees himself as fighting for the woman he loves, when his determination to have her for himself overlooks the fact that she should be free to choose whom she loves.

Episode 11 gets into the story of the Butterfly Lovers~ (covering for spoilers)

From a lot of the convos I've seen, I think some people focus so much on the leads' chemistry and dynamic that they end up projecting their feelings onto the FL and overlooking her perspective T.T You can enjoy the ML and their chemistry while still acknowledging why the FL feels the way she does. Calling everything a misunderstanding oversimplifies what happened, especially when the ML has given her very little reason to trust him or see him in a different light. We get to see his background, his thoughts, and his inner turmoil, but she doesn't. The instances where he's shown to have morals or behave decently aren't enough to outweigh her largely unfavorable view of him. As viewers, we have the benefit of seeing sides of him that she doesn't, but that doesn't mean she should somehow be expected to see him the same way we do (not implying anyone necessarily thinks she should, just making a general point).

She does. Pingjun stabs Xueting with a short sword, and he lets her leave. And yes, she is left severely traumatized by the torment he put her through 💔

💯 Agreed! I think the show-don’t-tell issue is a big part of it. We’re told that Pingjun is intelligent, capable, and has a strong sense of morality, but I wish we got to see more of how those qualities actually developed and how they shaped the way she navigates the world. I want to understand her not just through what other characters tell us about her or what the plot requires her to do, but through her own experiences, choices, and relationships. Other than her clearly established moral compass and how it influences her actions, we don’t really know what drives her or what her own dreams and aspirations are. I feel like that would go a long way towards making her feel like a more fully realized character in her own right.

Yes. When he found out, it says that his chest heaved violently, and his eyes filled with despair and desolation.

More specifically, Changxuan orders his execution despite knowing that the charges against him are false. He only discovers that he is his son when it is too late.

Yes. This happens in the epilogue

In the novel, Changxuan more or less forces Pingjun into becoming his mistress to save Xueting, who has been falsely accused of a crime and imprisoned because of Li Boren. Xueting misunderstands the situation, and believes otherwise. Much later in the story, Changxuan believes Pingjun is dead and marries someone else, while Ziyi marries Xueting, iirc.

Agreed xD I’m glad the drama is giving her more agency and making her more proactive and assertive, rather than just having things happen to her, if that makes sense. At least compared to the novel, she actually feels more like an active participant in the story, kind of.

eta

That said, I think my point still stands that she feels largely like a plot device for Changxuan’s character development. Most of the flashbacks and background we’ve gotten about her so far have been tied to him. I’m hoping the drama explores more of her own history soon, especially the mystery surrounding the jade pendant she saw Tao Ziyi’s father wearing.

Lol agreed. Or take a page out of Lanxiang’s book (Against the Current) and simply refuse to react. Don’t give him the satisfaction of getting a response out of her xD Though I’m not sure how long that would work or if it would even deter him 🙃

One of my criticisms of Pingjun’s character is that she sometimes feels like a plot device for Changxuan’s character development. She’s framed as intelligent, competent, and self-reliant, and she certainly has those qualities, but when she clashes with powerful people like Changxuan, Tao Ziyi, or Ziyi’s father, she rarely seems able to navigate those conflicts on her own. Given who they are and the power that comes with their positions, that makes complete sense. But more often than not, she escapes relatively unscathed because Changxuan or someone else intervenes.

There’s nothing wrong with a capable FL needing help, especially given the power imbalance, but I wish the writing would allow her to demonstrate more strategic judgment and adaptability without compromising her principles. She has a strong moral compass, which I genuinely appreciate, but she can also come across as somewhat naive and overly idealistic in how she approaches conflicts with people who have far more power than she does, especially when she already seems to understand how they “operate.” Perhaps she hasn’t had much direct experience navigating the upper class and its power dynamics, but given how deeply those dynamics are woven into the society she lives in, it still makes me wonder how she managed to get by before. Restraint is a form of strength, too, and I wish she had more opportunities to exercise her own judgment and resourcefulness, rather than repeatedly having the story rely on others to get her out of difficult situations. I feel like she actually showed a bit more restraint and situational awareness earlier in the story, adjusting her approach accordingly.

But I’m fully team Pingjun xD Rooting for her happiness and freedom~