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Honestly, I found myself skipping quite a few scenes of the last two episodes. This is my personal preference, of course, and it'll differ for everyone but the pacing, which is something I really enjoyed about the show, has changed. It's gotten very dramatic and heavy, which even in the beginning, the show handled with a sort of lightness that made things seem less angsty. I found it a lot more enjoyable to watch then and of course I'll continue to watch to see the ending but I can understand the criticisms I see on Weibo. The writing has suffered slightly with the return of Chen Ting and it's taken a very typical melodramatic turn.

I will say this about ep42: it has reinforced my disliking of Chen Ting and reinforced my opinion that she is a horrible mother, and I do not see any sort of redemption arc for her nor do I want to see it. Chen Ting is someone that has used suicide in the past to manipulate and force LX to stay with her and frankly, as much as I recognize that she had her own issues and is suffering from her own psychological problems, there's only so much that someone should be on the receiving end of. The effect of being raised fully by her can be see in LX's sister as well and I'm really glad that ZQ is there to talk with her because LX can't see past his own problems to do so.

Echoing LX's words here: "If my mother wants respect from the younger generation, then she needs to start acting like an elder befitting of respect."

This was hinted at for at least the last 20+ episodes and I was really hoping that the show/writers would address it but I don't really think they will. Considering his father's conversation with his mother, it seems as if they'll contribute LX's better state of mind to JJ. I'm on the fence about this because I don't think it's solely because JJ is his girlfriend now that he's in a better place, it's bc he finally has people who will support him and listen to his issues and lighten his burdens. His family system in China is better than the one he has in Singapore.

However, and I've said this before too, the way that LX is wholly dependent on JJ for any sort of happiness is incredibly unhealthy. It's not romantic, lol. I can see why it would be but it really isn't. The pressure is placed squarely on JJ to always be strong and to endure, and to be patient. Which we've already seen happen. I think what people tend to forget is that if one partner (LX in this case) relies so heavily on the other, it'll start to tax on that other's person's mental/emotional state (JJ). Sure. LX might be fine but what about JJ? It's unhealthy for the both of them.

One person cannot be the sole source of happiness for the other.

I'm glad the show drops hints here and there as to how unhinged LX gets when his mother is around though, down to him trying to rush a marriage with JJ (who is clearly uncomfortable with this) and kissing her when she again, uncomfortable with doing so, in front of his mother and sister. He cannot constantly use her as his crutch. She's not actually medicine that he can take when something bad happens but yes, she can support and love him when he needs the care.

I was hoping they'd show LX getting some therapy or help, but alas, I don't think they will. I'm in the western medical field so I won't speak to the effects of eastern medicine. It's for maintaining his general body health, as his father said so perhaps that's of help.

According to what LX's sister says in the preview, it seems like Chen Ting has been planning and plotting since years ago. I'm not optimistic for anything simply because I have zero expectations of her. I do not think a happy ending for LX is dependent on Chen Ting having an epiphany or "fixing" anything.

Unlike for ZQ, LX's issue was never with Chen Ting leaving him. He spent many years with his mother in never questioned WHY she abandoned him the way ZQ did for his entire life. What LX wants is to be free of her, hence why he left her in Singapore and went back home to who he thinks of as his family. To him, Chen Ting is a responsibility, not a mother.

What I really want to see is LX finally expressing how he feels and what he wants. Similar to the way MY finally, finally stood up for herself, I want LX to stop being passive and bottling things up. Chen Ting is right about one thing and that's that LX always keeps things hidden. I want to see LX decide what it is that he wants (whether that's marriage) and actually make steps towards that goal.

I love her work! She's a fantastic actress and I've seen her in quite a few other dramas. All of the older generation supporting cast for this show is seriously A+++. I applaud the casting director for getting such a strong ensemble.

In LX's mind, Chen Ting is a black hole. Doesn't that just say it all?

There's no end to the amount of things to blame LX and ZQ's parents for and with every episode, I find more and more things to add to the list, but there's probably one good result that came out of it and that's the relationship between our three main leads.

Whether it's watching them gather around a birthday cake to make wishes for prosperity and health, or watching them talk about their respectively crap parents (JJ, you're excused from this narrative) only to fool around moments later, I can't help but smile and think "Ah, it's a good thing that they at least have each other."

So, kudos to the show because the one thing they did extremely right (amongst the many other things I think they've done well) is nail the camaraderie between three very different characters. I hope so very much that all three will have the happiest of endings!

It's interesting because it's precisely what you're saying, that a lot of parents go through the same issues ie depression/divorce/poverty, and yet they're not as bad a mother as Chen Ting is. I don't think there's any denying that she is indeed and bad mother. She's not a good mother to LX's sister either and I'm not entirely sure what excuse there is this time for that.

LX said it himself, some parents have kids just to have them. Some have them so they have company later on and some have them as a backup plan to be taken care of in the future. LX clearly sees himself as the latter option for his mother.

I also think, just because it may be common that there are parents that lie and emotionally manipulate their children, that should not mean it's NORMAL. Nor should it be seen as okay. My father is a mix of Chen Ting and MY's mother and my mother is very similar to Ling Ba. They've provided for me, certainly and yes, I still love them but that doesn't mean I can't also see that they're problematic and that it's not okay for them to use me as an emotional punching bag the way Chen Ting does to LX and her daughter.

Exactly. I can understand Chen Ting's emotional reaction to her daughter's death and it's a terrible, terrible thing to have to go through but LX is the most innocent in the entire ordeal and at that age, he already had the blame placed entirely on him and the added pressure of always having to be a good, quiet boy so as to not trigger his mother's "episodes". He Mei, to me, is more a bad mother bc of her circumstances. She was poor. She married a deadbeat husband who was equally poor and useless to boot. She tried her best and while she essentially gave ZQ up, at least she knew to leave him with Li Ba, I guess, lol. What luck!

No two parents are the same and I think it's pleasantly surprising too that while the show contrasts He Mei/Chen Ting. This has been such an eye-opener about families esp in the context that this is a Chinese series!

Like the others above me have said, in a more traditional Chinese family, then for sure a parent's approval is key in marriage. If you remember, both Li Ba and JJ herself were concerned about Chen Ting's disapproval. That's why arranged marriages are still such a huge thing. In big cities like Beijing/Shanghai, where there's a more modern lifestyle, then it doesn't matter as much but in the smaller towns/cities, parents and family approval is still huge. But lol, I'm 100% LX wouldn't listen to his mother either way, tbh. He said himself during the argument with ZQ that he doesn't seek anyone's approval but JJ's. If I remember correctly, he said something about how as long as the two people in the relationship approve, then he's fine with it.

After watching this episode with Chen Ting and last episode with He Mei, I want to stay that being a bad parent =/= being a bad person. Indisputably, both LX and ZQ's mothers are not good mothers. There's a lot that can be said as to whether there were extenuating circumstances (which yes, there were in both cases) but like ZQ said, that doesn't excuse or change what happened. Both of them were abandoned as kids and no matter for what reason, the damage has been done to both their psyches.

In particular with Chen Ting, I want to also point out that while I agree 100% that she should've been cut a lot of slack after the death of her daughter, it's important to remember how her daughter died in the first place. Yes, it was an accident but it was a preventable one. She left her two underaged children without any supervision whatsoever, locked them in the apartment and went to play mahjong for a full day. It wasn't for work or any other emergency, it was to gamble. What happened after was terrible and Ling Ba should've been there for her full stop, no excuses but at the end of the day, she was the one that left and abandoned her son. There's a lot to this, and as someone who has struggled, I know it's 100% easier said than done, and that sometimes, just waking up and making it through the day is already a feat. So I don't blame her for the aftermath whatsoever. I empathize and understand that both ladies went through a lot, He Mei especially, and life is tough for any single parent but more so for a single mother due to the stigma involved. Unfortunately, it doesn't change the end result, but amends can be made and I think He Mei has shown she truly regrets the way she handled the situation back then (keep in mind she never returned for ZQ even after her life was bettered though) but I'm not sold on Chen Ting. Hopefully she'll make amends but with the whole "don't call your brother, it's a surprise~" move, I'm reaaaaally not feeling that she's there to support them.

Also, Chen Ting has an abusive vibe to her. She's incredibly emotionally manipulative and if anything, with her pattern of behavior, I would say she's a gaslighter. The fact that she strolled into LX's place of work and chatted up everyone (LX's co-worker especially) and when LX asked her about it, she displayed a meek manner as if he was scolding her for simply wanting to visit her child. Then there's the fact that she was the one that told LX's sister to not call but when questioned by LX, she blames the sister and adopts the act, once again, of a meek and caring mother. I don't think there necessarily has to be closure in the sense that Chen Ting will suddenly turn into a good mother, perhaps closure for LX is finally being able to free himself of the mental burden that his mother is to him.

Again, I don't think being a bad mother automatically makes one a bad person. We're seeing it from the POV of an audience member and we're obviously going to take the children' side. If you ask ZQ at age 10 whether he hated his mother for leaving, he'd probably say yes but that he wants her back regardless. Ask him again at age 17 and he would probably tell her to F off. Now, he's more understanding but the bitterness is more deeply rooted. To their respective children, they're probably bad people because they've been directly affected by the decisions that their parents made. To us, they made bad choices but perhaps they're not necessarily bad people.

I applaud the show for that difference, however slight it is.

Oh, oh ZQ, my poor child. Honestly heartbreaking and what fantastic acting from Steven, as per usual. He's really nailed the character of ZQ, whether it's the lighthearted comedic moments or the painfully sad moments. There's nothing quite like a grown kid, who has for his entire childhood and teenage years been abandoned by his birth family, standing there, tears in his eyes as he says he doesn't hate them at all for leaving him behind. Rather, he just thinks it's shameful bc no matter what he does or how hard he tries to be good in his life, it's still always him that's left behind and not chosen. To this day, after having lived well enough up to this point in his life, he still thinks there's something wrong with HIM that makes him undeserving of their love.

To ZQ, all I want to say is: you're living well, you're doing so good and you've worked hard.

Oh my god, I cannot with the smug little grin on LX's face as he's like "Well, wtf can I do? My gf is concerned about you, I've got no choice but to install a TRACKER on your phone while you shower and pay off your loan as well."

THESE IDIOTS.

Hehe, her "You really just need to let me pity you, boy. Please continue to be as pitiful as humanely possible because don't you know that my favorite thing to do is pity people?" LOOOOOL

I freaking love the relationship between ZQ and LJJ, lol. I'm glad they didn't end up together bc they really are perfect as it is now. They've got a really good rapport and despite the awkward tension that ZQ had towards JJ in the bathroom scene, their fondness of each other still shone through. (LMAO @ ZQ saying even a pig doesn't eat as much as JJ does for lunch when JJ tried to say she couldn't eat or relax knowing ZQ was struggling) I couldn't help smiling at them teasing each other. As JJ says, blood relation does not a family make. They care for one another, they love one another and they genuinely want the best for each other. That's why they're family even though they don't share the same blood. JJ's really grown up a lot from that super spoiled teen.

It's definitely pity, haha. But it's more of an inside joke thing at this point. It's mainly bc everyone in the drama was pitying ZQ or LX, depending on who LJJ would've picked in the earlier episodes, and bc during their argument, LX was saying that "oh, now that ZQ is more pitiful (due to being left by his father & having to make his own living/bakery issues), you pity him and want to date him, huh?" kind of thing. So it's more pity along the lines of "you're dating me bc you pity me, not bc you really like me romantically speaking".

And so in that setting, JJ is more teasing LX and saying "yeah, I pity you! I'll pity you until we die!! I'll pity you forever" as in "I'll stay with you forever" etc.

No need for sorry! For sure, not everyone who gaslights does it on purpose. Although I guess that's why there are people who sometimes gaslight accidentally vs serial gaslighting. I don't think LX is meant to be someone who gaslights in the context of the series but it's interesting because this drama has placed more focus on mental illnesses/psychological trauma, than many other dramas have considering this is more of a "family drama".

Certainly, for psychopaths as well, they have the innate urge to control people and it manifests itself in gaslighting whomever they come across in their life, and they often move from one victim to the next. A lot of people don't realize they've been manipulated to the extent of gaslighting (and in the specific case of relationships, it's much harder to tell it apart from emotional/romantic attachment since it can be seen as a romantic declaration when LX says that LJJ is his entire world but in the context that he clearly struggled in Singapore and still struggles to voice out his anxiety/issues, that's not really a romantic declaration but more a declaration for help, imo).

I agree that LX definitely needs to see a doctor and it seems like he's aware of the issue himself, but we can't be sure as to whether he's unwilling to seek professional help (there's a stigma after all, and the fact that he would then be a burden on others when he's always been the strong one looking after others) or if he truly thinks LJJ is the answer to his problems. I do think that he'll end up seeking professional help, there's no way that they brought it up like this only to cover it up especially with the lengthy speech that his dad had with the other doctor. I don't know if I would say he comes across as creepy per se, but his actions could be viewed as such. There's definitely some questionable actions/things that he says, lol.

Apologies for the word vomit x.x

Hm, I think that if anything, it's more likely to be emotional manipulation vs straight up gaslighting. There's a fine line of difference between the two but the biggest factor for me is that I don't see LX attempting to gain control of LJJ as a person in any way. It's more so that he's giving her a push in the direction that he wants, ie when he tells LJJ to hold onto him or else he'll go away or when he says that he doesn't have any friends or hobbies, and that she's his entire world (again, this is incredibly unhealthy and I think the show is doing this on purpose to signal that yes, LX suffers from depression or at least some form of psychological trauma.) Gaslighting is about intent after all, and LX's words/actions are definitely geared more towards getting what he wants.

Another important thing is that LX constantly supports JJ, whether it's when she's fighting with MY (he goes out of his way to apologize properly to MY- which he should've done anyway but he does it so they can still be close friends) or with TC, and he never, ever degrades or makes her feel worthless. He never tries to control her behavior with friends or her lifestyle choices etc and I don't see a pattern of LX gaslighting others so I'm way more inclined to believe it's the scriptwriters way of pointing out his struggle with depression and using LJJ as his only crutch for happiness.

This is my two cents and ofc, there's different views!

My absolutely favorite scene of this episode and one of my favorite scenes of this drama so far is definitely the conversation between LJJ and her dad. It's absolute perfection.

CEO Li Hai Chao calling for a refuel of LJJ's gas station, cheering her up and in return, being reassured by his daughter of her love and care for him. For Li Ba, he's always had children running around the house, three to be exact, and while the boys left fairly early on and LJJ moved out, it's clear how lonely he still gets sometimes without a partner or someone to talk to (considering Ling Ba is always at work.) The juxtaposition of him, as the parent, pasting pain relief patches on and using a massager as he talks to his now grown daughter through the phone, it's just chef's kiss!! He raised her from a baby to an adult, and now even though he's growing older and wearier, he's still he one to provide support and reaffirmation for her. Li Ba is the true gas station of this drama!!!!!

Also, that last "I love you pops, good night!" from LJJ is A++.

Can't claim to be a real expert but from what I can tell, the main cast has either filmed using their own voices or at the very least, the dubbed their own characters later on post-filming. Song Wei Long, Steven and Seven are all their own voices for sure. I'm fairly certain the rest of the cast is also using their own voices/haven't been dubbed. It's usually easier with modern dramas to use their own voices anyway but unless I'm wrong, Seven tends to use her own voice. She's not been dubbed from any of the past 4 dramas I've seen of her.

"How could no one have noticed you got sick?" LJJ to LX aka the most heartbreaking thing I heard in the preview for the next episode. LX hides everything so well that even those closest to him, like her, did not notice he had been suffering from a serious illness for so long.

A point that I think the scriptwriters make that sort of addresses the comments both here and in the series itself is that no one really needs to "deserve" anyone in a relationship. Similar to how MY didn't need to be good enough for LX, the scriptwriters seem to make a point that neither LX nor ZQ need to be anything at all to deserve LJJ's love/affections.

Once the Weibo post was out, everyone in LJJ's life started to compare ZQ and LX, debating who they should pick often discussing wealth (ZQ's constant fuerdai status gave him so many bonus points and for what? He's so much more than that and the show makes it very clear that they want people to realize how ridiculous it is for that to be a main quality to consider) and also, who would be more pitiful once the picking was done. During their fight, when LX told LJJ that if she picked him out of pity, then she should continue to pity him and not go to the other side (aka ZQ) just because ZQ is suddenly more pitiful than him. LJJ was the one that snapped at him and said, if she didn't have feelings for him, she would not be able to be with him. So at the end, it's not who is more pitiful or who deserves LJJ more or who needs LJJ more, it's just that LJJ herself likes LX in a romantic way and ZQ in a brotherly way. Both ZQ and LX clearly suffered in their own ways and no one person's suffering is worth comparing in that sense. It's only natural that one would sympathize with ZQ/LX more. In my case, having suffered from depression in the past, LX's issues resonate with me but that I certainly won't dismiss what ZQ has gone through. ( I think Steven does a phenomenal job acting out his suffering, if that makes sense lol.)

I'm really glad the show is addressing some more serious issues too!