I learned this from other sites: A lot of it was metaphorical and uses Chinese symbolism. The crickets are symbolism…
You bring up a good point. But they could've consummated before the brother died. Why didn't they and what was happening in the drama? Lanxiang was talking about how their ways weren't different. Then, the way that the drama sets up the episode is showing Jinqi realizing Lanxiang's point about being a subject of the emperor (being a pawn, all the deaths and such), then showing how he left the capital and went back home and consummated the marriage then. That tells me that the writers are trying to make a point that links those together.
YALL 👏 THIS 👏 IS 👏 NOT 👏 A 👏 TYPICAL 👏 IDOL 👏 DRAMA 👏. This is a very BUDDHIST story; that's how the original webnovel was written. Understanding Buddhism and its teachings helps a lot with understanding this drama, why Lanxiang acts the way she does, and why there isn't romance like a typical idol drama. Without understanding Buddhism, a lot of nuance and underlying themes and motivations can be overlooked or misunderstood.
In the case of ep .39: In certain sects of Buddhism (including Lanxiang's it seems), teachings on marriage heavily emphasize shared spiritual values and direction over mere romantic feeling. It's important that one's partner (and other significant people, like good friends) is "facing the same direction" or "walking the same way/path" as you. Hence, why we have Lanxiang reiterating over and over again that their "ways/paths" were different. Even if she might've had feelings for him, it almost doesn't matter in the context of Buddhism or it's secondary - the CENTRAL thing is whether or not they are two people walking the same way/path.
Therefore, once he does realize what she meant (with the play, crickets symbolism, walking through a battle, child's song, etc.) and he takes action to align his way with hers by quitting, THAT'S when they consummate. Again, this is a very Buddhist story. A typical idol drama romance plot focusing on the romantic feelings of the leads is NOT very Buddhist, lol. Instead, this story focuses very much on the Buddhist way of marriage/partnership, e.g. It's important for husband and wife to be aligned in way/path/worldview.
Having said that, the pacing of ep. 39 was still wonky to me.
Totally. I appreciate that this drama doesn't treat the audience as dumb (which other dramas can do), but even if I consider myself pretty observant and analytical, many times I have to rewind scenes and look at other comments to figure it out!
Shen Jia Lan has been living under a fake identity for so long, she has completely forgotten her old self and…
While I agree with you that the pacing/storytelling could've been better, I feel like you're off base with everything else. You're projecting a lot of what Lanxiang might've felt. As I've said in other places/comments, this is a very Buddhist story; that's how the original webnovel was written. Without understanding Buddhism, a lot of nuance and underlying themes and motivations for actions can be overlooked or misunderstood. In certain sects of Buddhism (including Lanxiang's it seems), it's taught that one's partner (and other significant people, like good friends) needs to be "facing the same direction" or "walking the same way/path" as you. Hence, why we have Lanxiang reiterating over and over again that their "ways/paths" were different. Even if she might've had feelings for him, it almost doesn't matter in the context of Buddhism - the most important thing is if they are two people walking the same way/path. Therefore, once he does realize what she meant (with the play, crickets symbolism, child's song, etc.) and he takes action to align his way with hers by quitting, THAT'S when they consummate. Again, this is a very Buddhist story. A typical idol drama romance plot focusing on the romantic feelings of the leads is NOT very Buddhist, lol. Instead, this story focuses very much on the Buddhist way of marriage/partnership, e.g. I shall only be husband and wife with someone whose way/path aligns with mine.
What happened in episode 39? is like the skipped all the parts that i wished to see: LX returning to home Lu,…
I learned this from other sites: A lot of it was metaphorical and uses Chinese symbolism. The crickets are symbolism for the decay of an empire - lazy eunuchs/court members playing with crickets and having them fight against each other, which is also another symbolism for how court subjects like Jinqi are just crickets/pawns for the emperor and end up getting hurt in the process, which is exactly Lanxiang's point when they watched her play. So, after the crickets, with him walking away from the palace and how he's walking through a battle scene, it's him realizing that, how many lives are lost when serving an emperor. So it's implied that he quit and returned home. And, now that his heart/worldview/way is aligned with Lanxiang's, that's why we have the consummation scene. Because they are now aligned, particularly from the Buddhist POV because Buddhism teaches that husband and wife need to be walking the same way/path.
I noticed this when I watched Episode 39. In Episode 21, there was a woman selling chrysanthemum greens and cherries…
Another detail I love in this ep is that, after Jinqi and Lanxiang were talking playfully and Jinqi is playfully conceding to Lanxiang, we see Mister Lu smiling at them in the midst of his "nap." One simple one-second frame to show how things have changed, how much Jinqi has changed to garner Mister Lu's approval.
I think some logic needs to considered here. Why would she tell him? Why should she tell him? Does she feel close…
You’re wanting her to share a (multiple) life-threatening secret just for her to prove that she trusts him? That she has feelings for him? That’s drama-logic not real-life-logic and this drama is (not entirely but mostly) aligned with real life logic. Also, why does a woman or anyone need to perform their love? That’s not real love. The more real love, which she has shown over and over again, is to protect and help him and his family. Sharing her secret is literally the most dangerous thing AGAINST that.
And the absolute most possibly amazing that she could've done (and probably will ever do) that will make him feel for her? She already did when she burnt the evidence of his treason. And she did all this (a) as a woman who doesn't really have romantic feelings for him, (b) who had all the reason in the world to retain that evidence as protection/leverage, (c) without knowing that he was awake (a secret honorable act on her part, made even more incredible because she wasn't proving her trustworthiness or making a point/show of it to him), and (d) let his secret die with her by acting like she doesn't know anything (she could've burnt it but still held it over his head verbally). THIS kind of quiet, honorable act was probably one of the most romantic scenes I've ever watched in dramaland and LXY acted it so, so perfectly. Because her actions truly mean THAT much in that context, to him, in that day and age.
Having said that, I think the issue with a lot of drama watchers is that they constantly center the male lead and his experience. They prioritize what the man is feeling. This drama is literally the opposite of that. Also, in life, in 2026: Don't.
so is she never going to tell him who she was??? aaaaaaahhhhhhhh.....so frustrating...
I think some logic needs to considered here. Why would she tell him? Why should she tell him? Does she feel close enough with him to tell him at this point, after literally reiterating that their “ways” are different? And, even then, at what cost? Wouldn’t the truth put pressure on him or stir up lots of emotions or put his family in danger? If the truth got out, wouldn’t it endanger her parents’ lives because they’ve saved/raised someone who isn’t supposed to alive?
I think it’s only frustrating for viewers who don’t get that this drama isn’t your typical idol drama with gratuitous skinship and without a proper buildup of respect and intimacy.
Thanks for saying this. LanXiang's inner struggle is dramatic in buddhist terms. I think that many who criticize…
This is such a good way to put it. In Buddhist terms, she’s struggling. It takes IMMENSE mercy, compassion, and letting go to be a fraction of how she’s handled herself so far. From typical drama terms though, to most people it looks like she’s underreacting or seemingly just okay with it all, but that’s definitely not the case. The resentment does seep through, although much of the time she is so composed and graceful and strategic about it (she really chooses when and how it comes through) that I think most people don’t clock it.
The character and scene- her death- made me nearly drip a tear for the first time in this drama, Afterall I'm…
Agreed and well said! Don't forget that she also essentially was forced to have an abortion or somehow lost the kid she was going to have with her lover. It's just triple trauma - torn away from lover, lost/forced to lose baby, forced into marriage by cruel family members for family's benefit. It's dehumanizing on many levels, in a short period of time. So she entered the marriage with Jinqi with this really fresh, intense trauma and a boatload of resentment as a result.
It is indeed sad, tragic. I think her OG maid loved her - but she was taken away (or killed? I forget).
Celebrity 
In the case of ep .39: In certain sects of Buddhism (including Lanxiang's it seems), teachings on marriage heavily emphasize shared spiritual values and direction over mere romantic feeling. It's important that one's partner (and other significant people, like good friends) is "facing the same direction" or "walking the same way/path" as you. Hence, why we have Lanxiang reiterating over and over again that their "ways/paths" were different. Even if she might've had feelings for him, it almost doesn't matter in the context of Buddhism or it's secondary - the CENTRAL thing is whether or not they are two people walking the same way/path.
Therefore, once he does realize what she meant (with the play, crickets symbolism, walking through a battle, child's song, etc.) and he takes action to align his way with hers by quitting, THAT'S when they consummate. Again, this is a very Buddhist story. A typical idol drama romance plot focusing on the romantic feelings of the leads is NOT very Buddhist, lol. Instead, this story focuses very much on the Buddhist way of marriage/partnership, e.g. It's important for husband and wife to be aligned in way/path/worldview.
Having said that, the pacing of ep. 39 was still wonky to me.
And the absolute most possibly amazing that she could've done (and probably will ever do) that will make him feel for her? She already did when she burnt the evidence of his treason. And she did all this (a) as a woman who doesn't really have romantic feelings for him, (b) who had all the reason in the world to retain that evidence as protection/leverage, (c) without knowing that he was awake (a secret honorable act on her part, made even more incredible because she wasn't proving her trustworthiness or making a point/show of it to him), and (d) let his secret die with her by acting like she doesn't know anything (she could've burnt it but still held it over his head verbally). THIS kind of quiet, honorable act was probably one of the most romantic scenes I've ever watched in dramaland and LXY acted it so, so perfectly. Because her actions truly mean THAT much in that context, to him, in that day and age.
Having said that, I think the issue with a lot of drama watchers is that they constantly center the male lead and his experience. They prioritize what the man is feeling. This drama is literally the opposite of that. Also, in life, in 2026: Don't.
I think it’s only frustrating for viewers who don’t get that this drama isn’t your typical idol drama with gratuitous skinship and without a proper buildup of respect and intimacy.
It is indeed sad, tragic. I think her OG maid loved her - but she was taken away (or killed? I forget).