themarchioness

Haha, yes, what a face-slapping wake-up call that would be for XQ's mother! I can see it playing out exactly as you suggest because I'm also resigned to probability of XQ's mother having a redemption arc - sigh. I would rather she not because really, can anyone be forgiven for what she put SY through? I rather appreciated how, in the book, SY neither forgave nor wanted an apology from them. Instead, he shoved it aside and decided to live without resentment. It's like in the drama when XQ told that burn victim patient, the things that happen to us, we don't have to forget about them or accept them. We just have to keep walking forward and then one day, we'll find that those things in our past are in a corner already, and they don't bother us so much anymore. That's how I see SY's attitude towards XQ's parents/mother. And really, that's a realistic outcome. Trying to redeem the mom, on the other hand, which is probably what the drama will do (as that's what dramas tend to do)... that's often a harder pill to swallow. ;-)

That's right. Not only was he raised by the main wife, but he also he doesn't know about SY's mother (being his own mother). But we (the reader) are also learning of this in terms of what SY was told as a child. I wonder if those kind of family secrets would remain hidden forever. We'll have to see what kind of a spin the drama takes with this.

If he knew the identity of the other man that his mom was with and then knew who Jiang Yu's father was, it wouldn't be hard for Song Yan to put two-and-two together in that regard, but there's really no reaction shown when the two men meet in the present (at least, not in that regard).

I assumed Song Yan's terseness/rudeness in the drama was related to his inability to let Suo Jun go and accept someone knew in his place - basically the explanation Jiang Yi gave to Jiang Yu. But this certainly does put a different twist on things! We'll see, indeed.

SY knew about the "other kid" before he went looking for his mother. It's said that when he was little he heard that his mother had another kid, that the kid was taken from her and sent to the main wife (since SY's mother was the mistress) and that the other kid doesn't know about her (SY's mother). At least in the translated version I read, no gender is ever provided for the "other kid" although we assume it is a male since the child was taken from SY's mother. It's also said that when SY was 10 years old, he went looking for his mother. She was with a rich guy, obviously recognized him, but didn't say anything to him, and so he gave up on her then and spit on the other man's car.

The author really doesn't do anything with this half-sibling relationship in the book. Honestly but for the name of Jiang Yu's dad (that apparently contained a typo in the translation that I read) one would never know of the relationship. In the book, the two men don't even meet until near the end. And when they do, Jiang Yu introduces himself by saying to SY that they may meet more in the future (and SY returns the handshake) -- that's really all the interaction they have! And it must also be recalled that right before that, their paths had crossed when SY was visiting that other police department and told the chief there that in 2-3 years, he'd transition to that office to do different type of firefighting work. So all this time, I've assumed that when Jiang Yu said they may meet more often in the future, it was related to that -- that eventually their work would bring them together in the future, and not necessarily that it would be because all their family relationships would be exposed and that would bring the into the same circle.

Oh, interesting. I just went back and looked.

Chapter 24: the elders in the Meng family are talking and someone mentions a Secretary Jiang Ke Cun. The mother then comments that FL and his son, Jiang Yu, had a blind date together.

Chapter 59: the FL’s parents are fighting over the fact that the dad once had a thing with ML’s mother and the mother says (of ML’s mother) that she ran away to be with Jiang Ke Qun and was willing to be his lover.

Jiang Ke Cun… Jiang Ke Qun… that’s in the translated version I’m reading and have never seen the original text to compare. Was there a typo in there and that’s why I never made the connection?!

Also, if Jiang Yu really is half brothers with Song Yan, then I’m assuming FL’s mother is unaware of his true parentage. There’s no way she’d set FL up with him on a blind date otherwise, I wouldn’t think.

If that’s true of the drama, the reason you don’t remember it from the novel is because it wasn’t in the novel and they’ve made it up for the drama.

In the book, SY does tell XQ that his mom went on to have another child but it was taken from her to be raised by the main wife (SY’s mom was a mistress). But that child would’ve been younger and it wasn’t Jiang Yu.

Really, Jiang Yu in the book did not have a large footprint and he and the ML didn’t even meet until the very end.

No, just like yesterday, only 1 episode today. Tomorrow, they will resume with 2 eps per day. It's generally 2 eps on the weekdays and 1 ep on the weekend. Although I think this coming weekend, one day (maybe Sunday?) there will be no new eps. Always best to consult the airing schedule (which you can find in the Photos section of this page) b/c it's not the same day-to-day or even week-to-week.

Yep - the two who appear to be right under him in rank, Yang Chi & Jiang Yi.

Admittedly I’ve read the book so I know she has ulterior motives, but even from what we’ve seen of her in the drama we should be able to figure out she’s not a good person. Remember she’s the reason ML’s cousin ended up at the police station. Not only that but when the cousin spoke with her afterwards she played innocent like she was also scammed. But in fact we can tell from that scene she is a part of that scam and not a true friend to the cousin.

No. There may be others interested in the main characters, but the mains only have eyes for each other and never waver from that so no threats (beyond family disapproval) and no love triangle.

There will be an earthquake and both FL and ML will participate in the rescue missions that follow. During that time, there will be a soldier, Lu Jie. He recognizes the FL though he cannot place her. He asks her about it but she doesn't know him and doesn't think much of it. Later, the ML will be seriously injured. Lu Jie will happen upon the ML at this time; he is surprised to find the ML alive. Seeing the ML also reminds him of how he knows the FL; it's from the pictures the ML used to stare at when they were both serving in the military together. When Lu Jie comments on the ML being alive, the FL will overhear this - it strikes a chord in her, but she doesn't understand it and doesn't think too much of it.

After the earthquake, and after all that they experienced during the rescue missions, the ML and FL will decide to reunite and be together. Some time after that, and after she had already returned her apartment/car and moved in with the ML at his aunt/uncle's house, there is an award ceremony for the earthquake rescue mission. That day, she bumps into Lu Jie. He doesn't know that the FL and ML are back together again, so he asks her if there's no chance for them to be together and tells her about how the ML made it into the military school and worked hard for her to be a special forces soldier. FL is surprised to hear this and asks about the military school and special forces soldier.

It is only then that the FL will learn how the ML was framed as a traitor who sold military secrets and tortured. Lu Jie tells her that he really thought that the ML had died after that and didn't know the ML had survived until their paths crossed after the earthquake. As a result of the revelation, the FL leaves in the middle of the award ceremony and goes back to her parents' house to confront them.

Just the one earthquake.

Correct. She actually won’t find out the full extent of what her mom did until after she and the ML decide to get back together, though. So that won’t be the reason for their reunification. Rather she will decide it’s right to follow her heart. But certainly after she learns the truth she will also take a stand and ream out the parents.

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/waiting-for-you-in-a-city/

Personally, I think watching them work through their hurdles and overcome their challenges leads to a better appreciation of what they have when they reunite and start dating. As the saying goes -- no pain, no gain! ;-)

For those wondering why Xu Qin hasn't thrown her adoptive family to the side already, many of us have written essays on this point already. There's the fact that they took her into their home when she was an orphan, that they provided for her and gave her an education, that her mother groomed her and continues to control her. In Episode 11, Xu Qin even describes herself as a beast raised by a trainer.

But there is another factor that I don't think has been underscored enough and that's the concept of filial piety -- it may be difficult for those outside the culture to understand but this attitude of needing to give respect for parents/elders regardless of what they say/do and never going against what they say, is a deeply rooted sentiment in many Asian cultures and especially the Chinese one (since it stems from Confucianism) and it can have resonating consequences.

Namely, filial piety makes it r-e-a-l-l-y hard to go against one's parents. It leads to a lot of guilt even over the simplest thing. For example, if an Asian mother asks their child to do a simple task and they don't do it even though they know she really wants them to do it, and that alone results in them feeling guilty for at least a week, imagine the kind of rock and hard place Xu Qin must be finding herself in right now.

The good news is Xu Qin will take a stand for herself eventually, but we must allow her this time to process her emotions and work through these very real hurdles in her heart.

Exactly this! It’s also ironic given that the drama gave us a scene with this very lesson. Specifically, after ZBB saved the girl who’d been egged on towards suicide by the bystanders’ criticisms, he said: “That is a life! A life! Who among you has never felt lost? Who among you has never faced difficulties? If the person standing up there was your family member, loved one, or child, would you still be able to look at it as a joke? Could you?”

I really feel like these people who are unwilling to place themselves in the FL’s shoes, to see things from her experience and perspective, are no better than those bystanders.

On iQiyi, it’s only available in TH, MY, and TW.

It’s ironic that you “love the firefighters cases” when you so obviously learned nothing from the one where ZBB saved the girl from suicide. As he said, “That is a life! A life! Who among you has never felt lost? Who among you has never faced difficulties? If the person standing up there was your family member, loved on, or child, would you still be able to look at it as a joke? Could you?”

How are any of the viewers who dismiss the FL’s issues and criticize her better than those bystanders in that scene?

I don’t understand viewers who are unable to put themselves in the FL’s shoes, to feel the loss she experienced as a child, or the oppression she was raised under and continues to live under. It’s not realistic to expect someone like that to start out a story all happy and bubbly. She has real issues and we will see her work through them, but the constant hatred towards her and the blaming is disappointing to read.

If you’re looking for something similar in tone to those two, you won’t find that here - there was more humor in those dramas. This is drama, romance, and angst. But oh what a beautiful story that makes!

I like all three dramas (and YAMH is also a fave of mine) but they’re really quite different. I’m loving this one a lot so far but it’s subjective tastes - you can see whether you like it, just don’t expect it to be like the other two.