embleciel

Oh, I don't think that's actually Rulan! They just share the same name as a reference to her character.

They're references to Faithful, which is another justice-driven drama written by Cao Xiaotian! Lan is a reference to the character Lin Ru"lan" and Shen is a reference to "Shen" Mu in Faithful, cameo appearances by the same actors :)

In Episode 23, Zhuang Hanyan made a reference to Lin Rulan's story when the other ladies asked her about what she taught the princesses in the palace.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend Faithful! (Warnings: grooming, SA)

Here's a guide up to episode 16. I'll try to update this or make a post if it's helpful.

Ep. 1 - 真理的味道 / The Taste of Truth (starring Jin Dong, Liu Yijun)
Ep. 2 - 守护 / Guardian (starring Lin Yongjian, Dai Xu)
Ep. 3 - 磊磊的勋章 / Leilei's Medals (starring Liu Leilei, Liu Tianzuo)
Ep. 4 - 纽扣 / Buttons (starring Zhang Jingyi, Niu Junfeng)
Ep. 5 - 歌唱祖国 / Ode to the Motherland (starring Guo Xiaodong, Wang Ou)
Ep. 6 - 173米 / 173 Metters (starring Zhang Yunlong, Liu Shuailiang)
Ep. 7 - 你的眼神 / The Look in Your Eyes (starring Zu Feng, Yuan Shangshan)
Ep. 8 - 雪国的篝火 (starring Wang Jinsong, Sun Jian)
Ep. 9 - 劳工万岁 (starring Feng Shaofeng, Zhang Huiwen)
Ep. 10 - 天河 (starring Deng Lun, Liu Youchang)
Ep. 11 - 第五十五封信 / The 55th Letter (starring Qin Junjie, Jiang Mengjie)
Ep. 12 - 一家人 / Family (starring Li Yitong, Chen Ruoxuan)
Ep. 13 - 叛逆者 (starring Chen Xiao, Wang Xun)
Ep. 14 - 秀才遇到兵 (starring Jing Boran, Li Naiwen)
Ep. 15 - 希望的方舟 (starring Lu Yi, Yuan Bingyan)
Ep. 16 - 希望的田野 (starring Zhao Liying, Liu Wei)

I watch it on YouTube/MGTV unsubbed, but Productive Procrastination is doing fansubs here (4 episodes so far): https://productiveprocrastination.site/category/the-confidence/

That's true~ We got crumbs hahah

I just reread your comment and noticed you like crime thriller romance. There is no romance here. Feng Xiao Sheng harms Ke Ying in a lot of unforgivable ways, and she's forced to get close to him in order to protect her loved ones.

I think it's worth watching! My understanding is that fans of the source material are unhappy with the adaptation because the drama had to change/cut so much in order to pass censorship. (There's a lot more nuanced conversations around the material that was cut related to Peng Guanying's character and how it affected the plot.)

I never read the novel or manhua (both are much, much darker), but I'm generally enjoying the drama! It's a shame that some of the scenes between Peng Guanying and Cai Wenjing were cut, because their dynamic is the highlight of the show! Great acting, especially from PGY. This is a breath of fresh air from the warm friendship dramas I've been watching lately haha. Maybe you can check out the first 10 episodes and see how you like it?

Omg I'm dying, the show talks about how Feng Xiao Sheng is supposed to be a genius who studied abroad but the degree in his office is from University of Phoenix!! (They are an online school in the US that's basically a scam.) Is the production team trolling us T___T

Chris isn't Shi Guang from Hikaru no Go. Shi Guang hasn't shown up yet, probably not until the very end at this point. cc: @casted-luck

Agreed, the drama does a really great job tricking us by casting Peng Guan Ying (who keeps getting more attractive??), but the character is so, so terrifying to me. He might look charming in those business suits, but we know what his true self is. I could never ship KY and FXS. I only ship KY and safety and happiness and justice :')

Thank you! This was really helpful. Looks like I need to rewatch the events leading up to the cave chase.

Can someone help me understand the timeline for how Shen Shijie became Feng Xiaosheng? When Team Leader Chen saw FXS speak at the launch, not much time had passed after Ke Ying's assault? How could he have gotten surgery? Or do I have the timeline wrong >_<

Also, just what is Feng Xiaosheng's DEAL? This guy is terrifying.

Signed,
Confused lamb who isn't familiar with the novel/manhua