Brennnndda

I was watching and thinking..."Did Wu Lei just spoil the entire revenge plot/twist lol"

Yuan Shen actually does a good job at explaining why it has to be Lou Yao. (But it also literally has to be Lou Yao because the first branch doesn't want her)

I hope Yuan Shen and CSS become friends..because boy makes me want to smack him across the face. He seems like he'd be a great companion for her because they have a semi-bantering relationship but since he's interested in her now and knows she completely disregards him, he's an ass.
The way he talks to her is so derogatory and he essentially mansplains things -__-

Not wanting CSS to marry first is probably a cultural thing (my culture also practices this) where the siblings are supposed to marry in the order of birth. Since Yang Yang is older, technically she should be married before Shao Shang. The same is said about the boys. The eldest married first so next should be Cheng Song then Cheng Shao Gong.

It's understandable that the mom would worry about the Ge family as well considering the Ge's are entrusting Yang Yang to the Cheng's, as such, the Cheng's are responsible for finding her a suitable match considering both the Cheng's and the Ge's are reputable families, Yang Yang's future husband should be as high ranking as Lou Yao's family.

As for LBY, if the mom really cared for Yang Yang more, I think she'd take issue with the fact that LBY is interested in CSS and not Yang Yang. But it seems she would actually prefer LBY to Lou Yao.

Reasons for this (in my opinion) are:
1. LBY comes from a military family like them, therefore they already have that in common and, when push came to shove, LBY would be able to protect CSS and give her the freedom she desires
2. Lou Yao is meek..and he's from the second branch. Therefore his future is already cut off since his branch of the Lou family holds no power or influence.
3. CSS is very free spirited and headstrong so her mom probably thinks Lou Yao wouldn't be able to handle her nor give her guidance

Thanks!

I don't think she is having second thoughts of her worth..she loves her daughter even though she's rough with her. It's one of the reasons she was against Lou Yao; she knew Shao Shang could do better than him

I think they're like magnets. She probably feels a pull towards him. ..but she dosen't understand what it means

She should just start her own harem lol

Kudos to Zhaojun for saving herself and her little brother.

Anyone else notice how the pace slows down when the OTP is onscreen together? Cue the slo-mo music and the longing gazes..as if they only existed in each other's orbits and the rest of the world fades away.

That's exactly what was happening when she was telling Lou Yao that he should meet her father. He took it to mean she looks at him romantically ... she literally just meant they are similar so they'd get along.

It doesn't feel like that's why though. She genuinely does like Lou Yao (just not in a romantic sense). Plus, she understands that he's quite a catch and to refuse would be foolish. He adores her, admires her, and his dreams line up with hers...that's pretty much a win-win situation.

I think it's very noble of him to essentially bow out. He's respecting what he thinks are her wishes..it's a very admirable thing to do when he thinks the person he likes has feelings for someone else.

Episode 14 made me respect the mother a little more.

She is against the marriage because she knows her daughter doesn't love him. She's very hard on CSS, but she still wants CSS to have a marriage filled with an abundance of love..like what she has with her husband.

I think the drama is doing a very good job at portraying the mother-daughter relationship. I think the tension would still be there regardless of whether her mother raised her. Seeing them reminds me of the fights I had with my mother when I was a teenager.

I beg to differ. I didn't think there was any romantic chemistry in The Long Ballad at all between Wu Lei and Dilraba.

I think ZLS is just one of those actresses who have chemistry with all her costars.

I respect that he wants to respect her decision. It's not noble idiocy..it's just noble. He probably knows that he can't give her a stable life since he is always on the battlefield. Plus, there's his whole backstory that we don't know yet..which makes me wonder if that is also holding him back.

The grandma's dislike for the mom is so annoying. She hates her because she was previously divorced...it's been over 20+ years since CSS's mom married into the Cheng family..get over it already, sheesh

Literally don't need any of the men to keep the women down in this patriarchal society since the women are doing such a good job keeping each other down -__-

In the trailers for the next couple episodes, Ling Buyi narrates that SS has found the right man and will be happy and safe now..while SS says in later episodes that it doesn't matter how Ling Buyi feels because she never got any proposals from him, but she did get one from Lou Yao so she's not going to let a good match escape her grasp.
This tells me that if she had the choice between the two, while she doesn't particularly love either right now, she would've considered her options. But because Ling Buyi wants to respect her decision (after overhearing what she looks for in her marriage in episode 9-ish), he's willing to step aside if Lou Yao is her ideal marriage match.