SSKF

But thee real people whom this drama is based on didn't divorce. Honestly, celebrity marriages re to take with a grain of salt.

Why?

The SML is more disgusting than the SFL.
I really hate SMLs that linger around the FL like 'friends' but keep causing her trouble. When she lands in hot water, they don't go away, but stay and cause even more trouble, SMLs like that are selfish and don't actually love the female lead. Queue the SML of this drama.

At least the SFL is clear about her purpose.

In the novel, she saves him, and also saves herself at times. She never waits for the ML.

The novel is like an 8.5 (at least. I’m leaving room for error.) This drama is like a 3 in comparison. I wanted to like it. My least fav character is the ML. Hmmm.

Budget issues aside, you're looking at a republican drama setting through the a modern lens. If you want context, look at it through the eyes of history. I agree with the shooting sequence which is understandable.
However, republican era people didn't have access to so much goods as we do for obvious shipping, transport, and industrial reasons. Fast fashion is a recent development in the past 20-30 years. In this drama's time setting, people had to buy cloth and have someone design and sew their clothing. Or they walk into a shop and get fitted for the clothing. That was expensive for nice clothing. In that time period, people did't wear just anything for any occasion. You had to wear a certain type of clothing for each occasion. That's why they have clothing for different occasions and you had to take care of your clothing.
FL also was a penniless girl living under her evil stepmother's roof for a while. She only got clothes when Wan Qing got clothes. Besides, the clothing took time to make. If I understand the timeline correctly, it was 2 months between episode 1-20. Not a lot of time to make clothing.

People are commenting a lot of negative things about FL's character. I confess: I like sweet female leads. Is FL that bad? Is the romance worth it? Should I give this a go?

FL is so pretty! Her cheeks are so cute too.

Yes. He’s a fine one to talk when he ruined his own family. I’m glad FL is smart enough to never really trust his judgement. She and ML just do as they please haha. I love it! I really dislike the dad. I loved when ML dropped that line about the dad when he was reading her diary.

It’s only me... I’m sorry to drop this really nice story, but the FL’s acting just doesn’t do it for me. Sad*

I agree. He’s not ML material here. I wish he had a more turbulent character and more of a character development in terms of his father. The ML’s character shines above him lol.

She wears other dresses, it’s just the pink one is the most frequent. Also, as an actress, she won’t have so much money either. It’s not like being a famous actress now. Actresses back then would have depended on rich patrons. Gu Yue Shaung doesn’t seem to be that kind. She also may have worked to give money to the Tan army previously. We don’t know. But she must not be so rich.

Wether or not he pulled the trigger or financed others who did it, ML shouldn't blame FL. Her father barely cared about her. I question if he ever did. The ML knows this. During the 10 year separation, not even her memory existed to her father.

No, I read that novel. It's nowhere near as good.

I don't know about the actress Gu Yue, but our FL isn't so much of a rich girl. Her father is rich, but all the money is controlled by the stepmother. She lives off of them, and I'm pretty sure the stepmother does't give her much money if any. The stepmother also stole her mother's dowry, and the father doesn't care about Wan Qing. Our 'rich' heroine is actually penniless. The clothes she has would be whatever she brought with her from Japan, and she admitted that her life in Japan wasn't very good. Her sister has way more clothes.

Also, back in 1900s there weren't fast fashion stores. Clothes were expensive to buy and make. What you had, you had to take care of it.

Too bad. I would have loved to read this as a book. The drama and characters are so so lovely!

Does this drama have a novel?

The husband who cheats openly is worse than the husband who hides his cheating. The one who is open has entitlement and no respect for his wife’s mental health and public image. The one who hides at least acknowledges he’s doing something wrong and attempted to worry about his wife’s feelings for a while. In both cases heating is bad and both men are scum.

Thankfully both the ML and SML haven’t cheated. I fee like TXL would be afraid to cheat on his wife anyway.

So happy for her. Congratulations.

They're both at fault, but he's the one carrying the pot of blame.