ep 18 was seriously so rage-bait, from the plot, to the editing & also to some of the comments i'm seeing…
I don’t think the issue is that Tao literally cheated or personally chatted with 45 men. Most people defending Lu Nian are reacting to the pattern, not just the technical details of each incident.
The dating app, meeting the ex, the roommate situation, etc. can all individually be explained. But the recurring problem is that Lu Nian is always the last person to know anything. He keeps finding out from other people, screenshots, or situations happening in front of him, and only then does Tao explain. That would make almost anyone feel excluded and insecure in a relationship.
And I don’t think the Zang Yao comparison is quite the same. Lu Nian never dated her, never hid meetings with her, and Tao already knew who she was and what the situation was. With Tao’s ex, Lu Nian literally had to find out after the fact. Context matters.
Same with the flatmate. Walking a dog or laughing together is obviously not cheating. The issue is that Lu Nian already feels like Tao keeps a huge part of her life separate from him, while he has gradually started bringing her into his world, introducing her as his girlfriend, supporting her work, and changing how he treats the relationship.
And nobody should blame Tao for being assaulted or say she “should know better” because she drank. That part is completely separate. But being drunk also doesn’t automatically erase why Lu Nian might feel hurt seeing her ex carrying and taking care of her while he is standing there.
The marriage conversation is probably the biggest example of the disconnect. Tao is imagining a future with him, but from Lu Nian’s perspective he has just been hit with multiple things he didn’t know about and is questioning whether he is actually part of her life in the same way she is part of his. So his reaction doesn’t come out of nowhere.
Lu Nian absolutely has flaws and the earlier episodes made that very clear, but I feel like the drama constantly examines his mistakes while Tao’s behaviour gets explained away. A relationship can have no cheating and still have serious problems with trust, communication, and making your partner feel like a priority.
K-Drama 
The dating app, meeting the ex, the roommate situation, etc. can all individually be explained. But the recurring problem is that Lu Nian is always the last person to know anything. He keeps finding out from other people, screenshots, or situations happening in front of him, and only then does Tao explain. That would make almost anyone feel excluded and insecure in a relationship.
And I don’t think the Zang Yao comparison is quite the same. Lu Nian never dated her, never hid meetings with her, and Tao already knew who she was and what the situation was. With Tao’s ex, Lu Nian literally had to find out after the fact. Context matters.
Same with the flatmate. Walking a dog or laughing together is obviously not cheating. The issue is that Lu Nian already feels like Tao keeps a huge part of her life separate from him, while he has gradually started bringing her into his world, introducing her as his girlfriend, supporting her work, and changing how he treats the relationship.
And nobody should blame Tao for being assaulted or say she “should know better” because she drank. That part is completely separate. But being drunk also doesn’t automatically erase why Lu Nian might feel hurt seeing her ex carrying and taking care of her while he is standing there.
The marriage conversation is probably the biggest example of the disconnect. Tao is imagining a future with him, but from Lu Nian’s perspective he has just been hit with multiple things he didn’t know about and is questioning whether he is actually part of her life in the same way she is part of his. So his reaction doesn’t come out of nowhere.
Lu Nian absolutely has flaws and the earlier episodes made that very clear, but I feel like the drama constantly examines his mistakes while Tao’s behaviour gets explained away. A relationship can have no cheating and still have serious problems with trust, communication, and making your partner feel like a priority.