all-in-mdl

That's so dumb and short-sighted. Isn't QY supposed to be a smart FL? What is this script? C-dramas can't ever stick the landings.

The transitions between scenes are really abrupt in latest episodes. This production definitely suffered from editing. I think an additional 2 episodes to smooth it out would've resolved these issues. It seems like they ran out of money...

Chen Yunya fell for Yan Rui, but child Xie Qingyang made a promise with Shen Run (before adopted by Chen granny). She still doesn't know that Yan Rui is Shen Run, so this will cause some future angst before it's revealed to her. ML is still playing his cards hidden. The same people that massacre his family is still around and he can't recklessly endanger her yet.

Qingrong was already born when Madam Xia, her mother, supposedly died from poisoning. This resulted in Qingyuan's mother driven out and Qingrong being adopted into First Madam's branch. The Xie family didn't know Madam Jin, Qingyuan's mother, was pregnant at the time. This means that it was likely first trimester (weeks 1-13) where a pregnancy doesn't show. We can estimate that their age difference is around 6 months or so.

Everyone should take a break and watch something else. Use it like ginger as a palette cleanser between sushi bites.

You need to re-watch episode. Young Master Pei literally told her that anyone holding this token [jade pendant] will have all doors opened for them, passing without hindrance.

No guard is going to stop her.

It was okay. Too many cuts/edits.

If you really want to be amazed by a combat sequence, check out A Splendid Match's scenes at the end. The choreography director deserves all the praise. It's on par with a movie production.

He wrote a letter to Xie Shu that forced him to come back earlier. Xie Shu was vacillating and taking a long ass route to come back to avoid Yan Rui. There's no game to play if the player is missing.

So, the most important thing he's done for the FL was advancing and creating a situation where Xie Shu has to come back. She can't get her revenge if the man is not there.

Do you know what changed?

Exactly. SML's love and loyalty is very shallow. In the novel, after the engagement, SML fails two tests immediately (instigated by Shen Run, but still).

It feels like that because that's his characterization. He is the only son of the Marquis of Danyang. So, imagine only child syndrome but magnify by like 100 due to the historical setting. He's used to getting anything and everything but then comes along FL who gives him the cold shoulder. You always want things that you don't have or can't get.

Ep10, around 30:10 - I heard that your mother had died for harboring rebels.

In the earlier ep, we know that Shen Run's father was investigating a corruption case. With a little induction, the conclusion is that he got trapped/scapegoated and family was condemned hence family exterminated.

So far, it looks like her mom was just collateral damage by association but the drama might take a different turn. Her mom might be knowingly helping the Shen's.

She should've also picked up the fact that her mom was killed for harboring the Shen "criminals". I felt like the director/script should've made this plot point bigger as one of the reasons why she didn't outright kill him. She has ties and needs to investigate further.

Death before dishonor. For this time period, chastity or the public appearance of chastity is the most important thing for an unmarried woman. Prostitutes were lower than the lowest commoner. I understand why the author included this plot point but I feel the same as you.

Guys, the FL is cold to ML because she's pining for her childhood sweetheart and ML's current identity is that of a corrupt official, a frivolous person in her own words. You can drop the series if you want, but I'm enjoying these changes from the novel. The novel was somewhat boring and we never actually see the ML's story, the actions he take, etc. We were just told of his successes.

On another occasion, Second Sister walked in on them. They just can't catch a break.

I am convinced the author has a fetish for exhibitionism/voyeurism. They're always on edge of being caught. There's the intimacy in the bamboo grove with maids walking close and much later at the military camp with the patrols passing by...

I like the courtesy name that he chose later on. Both their names fit really well with their characters.

A Yu, Yu as in embrace virtue and hold jade - noble virtue.
Huai Jin, Jin as in embrace jade and hold gem - beautiful jade.

She embodies noblesse oblige and he's a beautiful soul who went through so much but still chooses righteousness.

If the drama follows even a portion of the novel, there should be quite a few spicy scenes. You can look forward to that.

If you want to read the novel, it's a bit frustrating. The flow of the narrative is often non-linear. There's a lot of POV switching, flashbacks, callbacks, you name it.

My one sentence summary: Traumatized autists hurt each other, hurt others, and eventually heal with lots and lots of spicy moments in between.

And chronologically, there's a period of over a year that the leads don't even meet. They're like 1000 miles apart.

Same here. I think this will be a case of drama overshadowing source novel. It's very frustrating to read. I swear I read the same information/sentence like 10 times in a row.