Sol1056

No, I meant as in progressing to the point of actually discussing marriage. Although now that you mention it, she's acted the same way with 3rd brother. Could be she grew up affection-starved and/or touch-starved? What I can't tell is whether she's ignorant of the ramifications, or just chooses to ignore them. Food for thought.

No, the flashback makes it pretty clear: SZ had forced FL to the cliff, FL had fallen but was holding on to the edge. LJX arrives, and his dismissive "it doesn't matter, it's just a girl" was clearly audible to FL, from the way it's framed. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the reason she let go was *because* she'd heard him say that, and concluded he wouldn't be bothered to save her, anyway. So she might as well let go (of the cliff physically, and of him emotionally).

Okay, the irony runs deep, here. In ep24's flashback, when LJX tells the Song girl "You forced me to marry you [by using your family's power]. When I wasn't willing to do so, you joined hands with [insert enemy name here] to harm me. You think I'd submit and join [your family] willingly, when you back me into a corner?"

I mean, seems to me you could take this exact quote, change a few names, and it'd be entirely believable that if things go the way they're going, FL will end up spitting these same words in LJX's face.

Sorry, I hear "lovers" and can't help but think of the modern meaning (as a romantic way to say "they had sex"). I get the impression they were first friends, but with the potential for romance. However, she had to know anything more required family permission... so I expect she still kept him a little at arm's length, not sure if her father would disagree just to be a jerk.

I mean, the guy never even knew her real name, which seems like a minimum for any real intimacy. (Did she even know his?) Then again, if he had known her identity, he would've gone straight to her family with some story and sealed a marriage agreement that'd kick in the moment she resurfaced. Until he showed up and pissed off the entire family, he might've had a good chance the family would be delighted with his rank, even if she wanted him thrown out the nearest high window.

"Clarifying the past doesn't change the present." Excellently put.

Because he's absolutely obsessed with the thought of her. I mean, he's carving dolls for her in a very movie-serial-killer way. That's not normal, especially when to all evidence, she died falling from that cliff. (Or the "she can cut paper -- a rather common hobby -- so of course she's Meimei back from the grave!" wierdness.)

In the specifics, the 'protect Daoyan' plot movement in ep 24. So when it turns out LJX arranged for his own men to 'attack and kidnap' Daoyan, LSY's men send up a flare. (With the smart move of alerting Duke Ying.) But then LSY and his men don't just shoot down the 'attackers' and pull back... Instead they leap down, attack the attackers... and then turn around and also attack LZX's parade? All they needed to do is stymie any of LJX's attempts to create a cover for murdering Daoyan. The stupidity lies in turning around and walking right into the trap.

I'm sure the story will eventually give us a good reason (something other than 'but it made for great drama!'), but man. I really do get irked when plot requires characters forget something, won't say something, don't mention other relevant details, or suddenly throw out good plans. Bad things can happen to smart characters, but it's a fail to turn a character stupid for that to happen. Instead, let them remain smart... but outwitted thanks to their opponents being smarter.

So much I like, I guess it's no surprise that we must have a character -- for the sake of a More Dramatic Plot -- suddenly turn stupid. Or just a random moment of being short-sighted that contradicts the previous characterization of being long-sighted. Durnitall.

This is positively light-speed compared to Snowy Night's molasses-in-january plot the show's viewers are suffering through!

They were never lovers, that seems a far stretch. More like she was a neighbor that he fell for, but no sign yet that she fell for him in return.

Regardless, his behaviors since then are more than reason enough to want nothing to do with him. He threatens to take her hostage, threatens to not let her go home, repeatedly moves into her space and looms over her, basically barges into her home with no regard and no intention of any courtesy and every intention of abusing his power as he likes, and follows that by showing up at any event uninvited and making an ass of himself, he grabs her and hurts her, ignores every request she ever makes, has zero respect for her space, her privacy, her position, or for her as a person. In every way, he's acted like the kind of man that -- if not already imprisoned for assault, battery, abuse of power, etc -- you don't want to be within 10 miles of.

And meanwhile he continues to obsess to a truly pathological degree over some girl he knows full well was thrown off a cliff several years before. Yes, he thinks of 'Mei-mei' and gets all soft, but when he treats everyone else with such disrespect, it'd take someone of his own stripes to enjoy being his one exception.

Short version: if she changed her mind about him thanks to being thrown off a cliff, he's done and said nothing since to make any sane woman want to change her mind back.

If you mean anything where the average person would recognize it, zero chance. If you mean something with bromance tones but anything more requires you tilt your head and squint really hard, then possibly. It all depends on whether the censorship board knows about the tilting-and-squinting part.

Way I see it: these two have had years of separation, and meeting as young adults changes the relationship. In either of their places, I'd probably be thrilled to have a sibling, after so long as an 'only' (unwanted) child -- but I'd also probably be clueless as to how 'real' siblings are together (especially the 'don't touch me with your gross cooties' part). Also, they've both waited nearly their entire lives to have someone who'd shower affection on them, and who they could do the same in return. So even if they *were* related, the physical intimacy is because they do adore each other, and lacking those formative years of hair-pulling and door-slamming, they see no reason not to express that openly. (Of course, his knowledge complicates things!)

Is the general verdict that this will air in Q4, but only after KMLM finishes airing?

I think I must've missed the part where it was explicitly stated what FL served was not the actual/original tea, but a newer batch of the same kind. And since I missed that, I was baffled as to why she'd serve it to her grandmother! That felt like a massive gamble.

mark that as a spoiler, please?

So, FL's father gave poisoned tea to FL's mother, and the tea itself is super-super hard to come by. FL either gives all the tea or some of it to the doctor, so he can figure out the poison. Then she uses that same tea to make it for her grandmother and father. I get she wanted to test her father (he'd spit out the tea if he knew it was poisoned), but when did this super-super hard to get tea suddenly become non-poisonous? And when did she figure out it was fine, such that she'd serve it to her own grandmother?

Okay, I am really confused about some of the events in ep16. Actual question is under spoiler.

For some reason, I've developed a critical eye for robes, headdresses, and water. In this drama, it's ML's long flowing robe, which is a style none of the other male characters wear. I'm wondering if it's the male version of a fancy headdress on the FL. I mean, obviously it's done on purpose (getting some serious Byronic vibes from the guy), but I keep waiting for someone to tell him to get some clothes that aren't so large on him they drag behind him.

But definite thumbs up to the FL's headdresses. They reflect her position at the time, ranging from fancy to simple to nonexistent -- and unlike so many shows (TTEOM, looking at you), if she's in a group of other women, she wears the same as them, including her various hair decorations.

I'm drawing a blank on the water. Did we have a fall-in-the-water scene already? Either way, the test there is whether they're suddenly completely dry (fail), their clothes are dry but their hair/face is wet (squeaker), they're soaked to the bone (win).

Am I the only one who notices these things? Yes? That's fine, carry on!

Extra points for being one of the VERY rare shows to actually have someone stop, turn in a tired horse, and get on a fresh one. It's like the rest of the cdramas think you could do the horse version of a long-distance road trip where you never need to stop for gas.

Oh, man, Baron Chen is another one with such a young face. Halfway through his forties and only now starting to look like he's just hit 30! Also, kind of strange to see him in such a strait-laced role. (My guess/hope is he'll have some serious fight scenes, b/c you don't hire Baron Chen only for his sly humor.)