LanLan

For many people here as well as in China, this role made CYQ more likable for those who didn't watch her before or wasn't a fan. If you like Dylan, I think you should give it a try, otherwise you're missing out on another memorable character. I dare say Xiao Duo is even better than DFQC. An extra highlight is that the fight scenes are some of the best I've seen. Dylan really got to put his athleticism to good use! Finally, their relationship is another one worth adding to the list of beautiful, mature, and non-toxic romances.

There is definitely nothing platonic going on here. One of the main messages this drama tries to convey is that you can still fall in love and be in a relationship with someone regardless if they’re “complete” or not. Besides, there are many other ways to be physically intimate with someone, not just the traditional idea of physical intimacy. Just watch it. You won’t regret the romance.

Yeah I definitely think someone’s drugging him. Remember how the Empress used incense to make him hallucinate? Maybe they brought that back and it’s not actually the tonic.

Yeah I think he would’ve gone there eventually. He wanted to keep XD alive longer for the ultimate torture of dismemberment from five directions.

The experience of watching it while sharing frustrations of cut scenes together with everyone here made it a lot more fun for sure. I think the individual parts like acting, the leads' chemistry, and majority of the direction, especially the romantic scenes, & cinematography are very well done. But as a whole, honestly speaking, I feel like it's lacking somehow. It's most likely due to choppy edits and writing. Everything just progressed from one plot to the next too quickly, and it felt like we were being told instead of shown things. For example, how XD escaped from prison. However, at the end of the day, I'm still glad I made it to the end and don't regret watching it. It's still one of the better historical Cdramas out there.

I feel like since they glossed over XD's torture scenes it wasn't gripping enough for me. With how mentally unstable Murong is and his inferiority complex, the realistic progression of that situation would've been him trying to cut off XD's jewels as torture. I was nervous they would go there. I hope his hallucinations are because someone is drugging his tonic and not because he was drinking too much.

I think predisposed bias may cloud their judgment.

You'll get a lot of use out of this then! https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:4859405896974436?from=old_pc_videoshow

I like looking at his face so I will watch anything he's in from now on 😄

Lol glad it gave you a good laugh. Hope you enjoy it when you do watch even with knowing all the spoilers!

That is how I rationalize to myself lazy writing lol

Yeah, it will be interesting to see how they incorporate this into the drama, if they choose to follow it.

Yeah, I've learned to ignore my criticisms on some issues I have with the scriptwriting since the actors and everything else outweigh those for me. I even like watching the pathetic emperor because Peter Ho is doing a great job.

Emperor should've enjoyed the show instead as we suffer from cut scenes. He doesn't realize what a privilege that is 🤣

He could've thought it was from his guards outside his residence. I imagine he would have people stationed around. Or Eunuch Ba playing outside lol.

Not gonna lie, I was thinking about it too🙊 Couldn't help it after YL said she was going to try and make him suffer 🤣

I just pretended that XD is too consumed by YL whenever he's around her to notice anything else 😂

Yes, it was really cute when XD found out. He didn't think he would ever have children.
Unfortunately, due to a cryptic hashtag used by the drama's official Weibo, everyone is nervous that they will go this story within a story route.

Good thing we have his new movie premiering on Sunday to relieve the UL hangover after it ends

Yes, I did spoil myself to the novel's ending by reading the last chapter. A lot of the plot lines have been reworked in the drama so it's not completely the same. But the ending for our couple is that YL faked her death and left the palace. Sometimes later, XD convinced Fu Wang to let him go off on a battle mission at sea with intentions of never coming back. He reunited with YL on the ship and they both left the imperial city together. In the bonus Epilogue, we see they have settled down in a new land, opened a shop and lived a happily married life. YL also ended up having twins 😊