swagata

I loved how in ep1 it was shown that lin zixia despite being incredibly genius girl afterall she is just a child. She took can get scared. That big fish section was potrayed so well. Its like Jiang yu bai is filling what's missing in her that is social life and a feeling of being imperfect. Because since childhood everyone due to her intelligence thought that she is perfect sometimes forgetting that she too is a 4th grade child. And she is allowed to be imperfect in other areas. Now that i think of jiang yu bai he is special to her not only because he is her first desk mate or friend but because he was ready to take time to adjust with her. If she says something he will read that. He is the first to protect and hold her hands. He is also jealous that why she wants another good friend when she has him. Like the school days kids.

Why we are forgetting that he is also a human being? Not all can have high EQ and emotional security. They have to learn. Imagine someone always being ahead of u and then u look at urself u feel I am not good enough. It's a very human nature, it's not about male ego. About hurting i will not say anything as i haven't reached that far to understand. But if it is hurting her, he will understand. If he is not doing it intentionally. Both needs to work in order to understand that they both possess diff skillset and they compliment each other like in ep1. But it's a journey dear. Let the characters take their time.

As u mentioned there do exist people who think like this and that's sad.

Too cute for me to handle. The child actor and actress are adorable.

I understand lin zixia's classmates. Imagine she is very intelligent and read books which people read in their middle or high school. People are little bit scared of her as to how she can do things which they can't or doesn't seem normal for children of that age.

But i understand lin zixia as well. She is incredibly intelligent. But she don't have superiority complex which is rare.

I laughed at the lin zixia's weird way of coaxing jiang yu bai by making him a specimen of her research on how normal people live 😂😂😂

Child actress is so cute and funny. I bet it must be hard for her to read and remember all those lines full of physics and maths terms. Same goes with child actor.

I really need breath of fresh air from this after all lots of serious dramas are going on. Need to laugh and chill. 🥲😹

Luqing is hard to read fr. But he do love xiao fan. Somewhere i also thought that lu qing coldness is his intentional behaviour coming out of ego of not showing his feelings. But idk like u am also clueless about lu qing.

Xiao fan still do love lu qing. There is no doubt in that. But it looks like a phase of letting go. U know the time when emotions u carry is giving u nothing but pain, unbearable pain then people start to distance themselves. Not because they stop loving them but because to them now letting go is the only way to preserve the last bit of love and respect they have for other and also to maintain mental peace for both parties. To me xiao fan's love looks like that.

Another point I felt when congee was mentioned. I know I am fool to over analyse it but that's how I feel here.
When lu qing told xiao fan to make some shrimp or beef congee. Xiao fan ques him that then maybe it will be too gluey. Then lu qing said to add onions. And xiao fan said I will add diced celery.
It's a very minute thing. But to me( my overthinking mind) i feel that xiao fan is talking about their relationship that maybe if we go on like this then it will not end good( gluey) and lu qing said to add onions( i see as improvement effort that if it comes then we can deal it) then xiao fan said ok we can add celery or maybe by adding or putting effort their relationship can still work. But he already had started saying no and ques people which old xiao fan would never.

Then we had the movie cd. He mentioned one line " can u turn back my white hair black again" i do think he is also applying the same logic with their relationship. And one more line " she came without grace but left gracefully" like how he came without any status or anything. But he might be leaving with his self respect.

I do think most of the audience here are expecting loud revolt but i don't think it can be possible. Xiao fan is written in a way to show that not all no need to be loud some no comes silently but they are still powerful.

Like showing resistance in taking keys. It means so much to xiao fan but he has learnt the hurt it comes with. He is politely saying no as to say that i am good.

But this is also a fact that if u are soft people don't take ur no seriously. That's why people are forcing xiao fan till now.

About lu qing i guess his pov will not be shown in series. Sometimes when drama makers tells story they add lot of monologues and story pov to tell what their characters are feeling. Xiao fan being a complex and silent person they must have thought that adding his pov and monologues to tell his feelings are more imp to understand all these as lu qing actions are also loud. So audience could have connected dots. Which looks good on paper but too much one sided storytelling leads to audience not able to understand other person. As not always actions are enough. Words are also necessary.

This was long. But I felt like writing as mostly people are annoyed by story. And only few including u take everything into consideration. So it feels like a Convo which have higher chance to be understood. 😅

Depends on ur definition of growing spine. Please understand one thing. Xiao fan is a timid person who was always told that he is not worth it and he built his whole personality just to accept things. So when a person is himself in doubt wrt self worth it's hard to have a revolt in loud manner.

His resistance is quiet in nature. He changes his feelings towards the people and situation. He will still be soft to people instead of showing aggression because that's his personality. But he will try to learn to say no and ques people. But that no as powerful as he say it will not in a way that u would expect like bashing it out and serving them their karma. His questioning will be subtle but powerful enough for other person to understand that something is changing.

When u found it let me know the exact timeline in ep. I will watch it to cut down the bitterness i am feeling after their actually bittersweet love era in the apartment when they were in college. That was the last sweetness i felt.

He didn't compare him with an object. Don't go with literal words. When people are angry they often express in a way that are wrong.

What he meant is " don't throw this phone away in trash if u do it next time i will throw u out of my life with that cell phone".

To lu qing phone is not a big deal. He is wealthy enough to buy one again. He gave that phone to xiao fan as gift or an act of service just so that they stay in touch and talk whenever they want without any disruption. To lu qing it carries emotion. Same goes for xiao fan so when lu qing saw that phone is thrown he thought he is throwing away whatever they had along with that phone. It hurted him.

Same like apartment keys is not just a key to xiao fan but acknowledgement that they mean more than just brother in law and sympathy and gratitude and whatever transactional is happening between them. To xiao fan how keys mean as entering into lu qing's life as a lover same for lu qing that phone carries value.

Am watching in viki and subs are good

Because this is a low production drama.

Ep2, and everything is going as per the theory. People of shazou are not allowed travel permits to report to emperor and even more so he was given filtered info. Governor rules like king. His niece showed that how even wealthiest family with silk trade( silk in desert is hard to afford as u need to import silk and only wealthy people can purchase it plus it can't be as available as like in capital) has little say. As thought the arms were never paid attention which makes things worse considering its has strong military base for a reason...if we look into the geography desert areas are easy to attack and hard to defend provided enemies has good camels and desert horses with relatively superior arms...it's an open field with only climate in favour of citizens because they are used to the climate. Transportation and food would be blocked if enemies attack or even maintain the stronghold in the key trade routes. City has to give up. Considering its a desert area land is barren nothing can be grown there. So storing rations and arms should be the most imp thing for the military wgich clearly isn't the case here. That's what make this whole situation worse plus add governor who don't care in times of war or internal conflict he will be the first one to escape. The bandits will and can't defend city even if they want to if some day enemies attack them. This Ning dynasty is just in ruins all institutions have failed.

They mentioned how ministry of war and chancellor xu were demanding money but none were getting invested anywhere. I wonder where all these money going? It can't be just to the governor's pockets. We all saw how governor just waste the precious water for stupid entertainment and lushy green plants that demands more water. Plus the wood with which the residence is made up of.

The emperor was really impressed by meng ting hui of her dareness that she understand the politics but is unaware that how emperor is also binded by the ministers. I wonder when she says using women as blade how exactly she mean by that? Through espionage, or through diplomacy. Need to see in later ep.

We have then revelation of parts of meng ting hui past where her sisterhood bond with xiang was revealed. Her only one who used to protect her from beatings, her only softness in that harsh world but tragedy is that she has to see her xiang getting raped and murdered by monsters when she can't do anything. I felt sharp pain because of that. No wonder why meng ting hui still had nightmares and how she despite seeing so many males with arms scares her but she has learnt to protect her by using words. No wonder why meng ting hui wants to seek justice. But seeing her dossier and whole prison thing tearing that dream and hope, the only way she ever thought is the only way to get into imperial court which sadly she can't now but in desperation she tried to clung into ML whom she thinks is a good offical from capital who maybe sympathise her and help her. But she as her in nature didn't let her guards down. Her pickpoketing nature surely is helping her.

I am moved by the fact that strong sisterhood was shown here between meng ting hui and fu zhi. Last i saw this kind of bond in Flourished Peony. The way fu zhi is ready to be married in the condition of release her to let her have imperial exam when she never wanted this tells a lot. Even im confinement she was all thinking about meng ting hui and not about herself.

I am not understanding just how much power this chancellor xu holds to even enter ancestral hall when royal decree was not published? He is arrogant and seems authorative. The way he ordered to make the emperor himself forcefully come back within five days seems like much more bigger is buried in the sands of deserts and we need to see as to what. And the key is that black market. Waiting for more revelations and how these two resolve their issue and meng ting hui pursue her dream to seek justice.

End of episode diary

Actually if u see her in double she was ok. Here she maybe production team has given her touch like that idk. But it's also the truth that chinese entertainment industry do whitewash people like hell.

Consider it as a makeup of ancient China, when women used to apply toxic lead powder to give ghostly whitish pale look. It's a fact so i see it coherent with that.

Tactic of torture. Or if they have express thing then yes pay money. Because on weekend people are free

Ep2, mirror mirror who is most prettiest meng ting hui or zhang mei er???😂😂

So lu qing pov is there is novel? Yessss. I need to read that. Because what goes in his mind idk.

He did that. But people are not leaving him.

Luqing armor as u mentioned is hard to even understand considering story never gave any insights about it. It's understandable that people think he don't even love xiao fan.

Apart from xiaofan's development. He did in today's ep took his stand to not move in but the moment lu qing threaten him that u walk out and we are done. He stopped so he still have some feelings for him. It's just that xiao fan's feelings is too mixed it's hard to understand why sometimes he is taking the decision or maybe it's the mix of both just like in real life. He love him but he is so grateful to him for giving his brother job. Otherwise it doesn't make sense emotionally also as to why xiao fan still care about making porridge if not gratitude. It speaks less of love action to me more like habit. Because if I see xiao fan after making out with lu qing....while lu qing was peacefully cuddling with him. Asking for congee and embracing him, xiao fan was hard to read that time. He looked lost in thoughts. And tbh it's very hard to even understand what he is feeling atp. Their make out was also because of exchanging job with body to show gratitude and past old flame resurfacing but it's suffocating.

Yes no one is telling their grievances to each other. But that is why this is soo toxic. I now nowhere find it as sweet. How long can this last? They have to talk it out. Lu qing even if didn't want to show to the world his feelings to protect himself and xiaofan but now it's doing more harm here. Till ep5 i understood but even now if he don't talk and show his feelings properly and with clarity this will bound to break. No one can last this longer.

And that's sad. They both understand each other but not fully. Atleast xiao fan he never understood lu qing. It's as if he is showing his limited and controlled side to xiao fan when in reality lu qing is doing to protect him. But protect from whom? Society? His mom? Parents? Shame?

This story has just focused too much on character's pain and less pov of lu qing and less dealing of issues. With 3 ep remaining i think they will not get happy ending. And that's fine. But tbh this looks like they are so close to each other physically but their emotional distance just widened.

Even lu qing's maintaining his new house like old one doesn't bring me happiness. It saddens me . It hurts me. Idk why. It looks so suffocating. Their journey which was started as care, gratitude then evolved to love with bittersweet feelings to miscommunication and misunderstanding and finally broken to the point where only love and transactional care remains along with the feeling of suffocation like you can't move ahead nor go backwards.

Where this story headed towards? What is the destiny for them? All i know this drama has core of tragedy just it's storytelling is soft. So tragedy doesn't hit like crying sessions but more like sadness. Sadness that u can't understand what for? Hurt u don't know why?

Personal note- I have to watch each ep twice just to read and re read the expression and feelings of lu qing. That man is too bad in expressing. At this point I am ok if he msg xiaofan 520 and i can reply back as 521 from xiao fan's behalf because tbh given xiao fan wittiness i don't think he can decode it ever. 😅😂

Sigh. I am not going to waste my energy.

But if i think deeper than if bandits are not backed by chancellor then my theory is correct. These ministers doesn't cares if common folks die. Also it also add another layer that if bandits will cause ruckus someone will report it in capital and emperor has to take action on it. So money extortion will not happen. It will not serve the purpose of them and they will loose the power and network. Unless bandits scare people by taking the name of chancellor as backing so people will know they have no one to help and maybe that's why people gave in and didn't protested as even emperor is under control of chancellor. So they can't even directly convey this to the king. Means living condition is so poor that people has accepted terror as their fate.

And this iron part do make sense. It's infact in consistent with the ep1. ML went to the desert( i always forget the name) in order to investigate and capture that arm dealing issue person. He also saw that military quality weapons are even with common folks or actually with governor and bandits...which is concerning. Because if u look the scale it would be hard to carry and supply the weapon itself. Its risky. And if u weild weapon that also requires skilled labour and both means more exposure. Why would one directly import weapon that has higher chance to get caught and have capital punishment. Instead import high quality iron and tell it's for trade purpose. Then weild or melt weapon. But having that level of wide n/w means the extreme of corruption and military power that is planning to overthrow the king. They are even prepared for war. They can supply weapons and chancellor in capital can insert moles or make the situation so as to instable the thrown. And yes if external supply is coming from enemy then it also makes sense as seeing this much corruption they are just waiting for an opportunity. They don't even need to strike and they will see the whole empire crumbled without any effort.
I am missing context here on who is supplying whom. But it is indeed logic as per me and it's not a threat added just to add.but it does serve the plot and strengthen military plot. More of the reason why Emperor has to act fool. Because if he dare to be open without any strong plan he will loose his life and empire will go to people who don't care about common folks. He can't take down this powerful backing alone. He need his people to act like an espionage snf sometimes with martial arts to protect the king and bring some change in whole web. It's too big.

Another thing what to expect from a FL drama? When in thousands of other drama ML was clever and fierce and FL was supporting them from behind no one complained about oh this was done to convincingly show romance? Suddenly gender change and yes too FL ??? Anyways people have their own preferences no comments.

I am here to see FL centric drama and this drama is serving me.ML is not just a potrait here. He too has story. He to has gone just this time he is playing safe and smart to tackle the situation. Not everything has to be war or diplomatic or powerful. It's ok to show the reality that in history emperor were also being controlled and their authority was just reduced to nominal power.

Rest leave it to them. Not all can enjoy and not all can hate a drama. If they don't have anything to keep going better na. They can drop and we have more people who can appreciate this drama. It's their time.