whoissilmoy

imo, Zhang Hai had higher expectations

There are no ratings you should trust. The only thing to trust is yourself. When I was following Feud on Douban, it was wild, it started off with massive amount of 1 ratings the first week follow by massive amount of 5 ratings the last 2 weeks and even after that, and the 5 ratings were anywhere from 50% to 90% AI generated comments. Eventually, weeks later, it became more normal. So, it took Douban like almost 2 weeks after the drama finished to come out with a score. So, who knows how well they did figure which 1's are real and which 5's are real.

So Taoist is not bald but Wu Zhen's father in the novel is Buddist, and he's bald

I like it very much too. The character is so real to me.

This is so cool
https://x.com/i/status/1956213554958491875

If that is your last Xu Kai drama, you've really missed out.

These dramas have to air.

Zhang Zhixi was in Royal Feast.

This must be the best drama of 2025 so far this year.

people who nitpick aren't interested in the story

Xu Kai's very good friend Gao Han, who watches his cats, is 2ML in WDBTD

same director she's worked with for Dating in the Kitchen

Linmon Pictures, founded in 2014, typically produces 3 to 4 drama series per year, focusing on high-quality storytelling. In 2025, their lineup includes A Dream Within A Dream, Moonlit Reunion, and In the Moonlight (date TBA). A sequel to A Journey to Love is planned for 2026. Past productions include Ancient Love Poetry, A Journey to Love, The King's Avatar, Legend of Fuyao, Nothing but you, and Under the Skin.

I thought Mei Zhuyu in the novel said that he knew her before but she doesn't remember him, and that he actually proposed the marriage through her relative the consort I think.

She was never opposed to him nor did she ever thought about scaring him off. She scared off every arrangement in the past, and now she's like in her late 20's, her father met someone who said she needs to marry a certain guy and he thought it was Mei Zhuyu, but it's not your typical "arrangement' like there's more to it. But she turn herself into a cat, checked him out, and felt he was suitable and afterall, she wanted to just get her father off her back. After she checked him out, she discovered he will do. Then she slowly fell for him, like she started to discover things about him that she like, and became very protective of him, not knowing his real identity. In the novel, Mei Zhuyu knew her before but she doesn't remember him, and he has always like her. In fact, in the novel, he said that he proposed the marriage. So it's not true arranged marriage, at least not in the novel.

arranged marriage is standard stuff

Arthur Chen's father is the director. Both seasons did very well. Both dramas he received nominations. However, these are movies so I cannot watch them.

Arthur Chen's father is the director. He even got nominated for an award. This drama won an award too.

Arthur Chen's father is the director too. I wonder why it has not been released. On Douban, it shows Chinese Release Date: 2026 (TBA).

It makes sense he lost more weight—he’s playing a Taoist monk, so he probably adapted his diet and workouts to avoid bulking up. Also, they were filming at nighttime, and his schedule was so off. That probably cause him to slow down on workouts. Also, like someone said, they wear so many layers, they have to keep lean and not bulk, otherwise he will look too fat on screen. Taoists have muscles, but they’re not defined or sculpted for appearance. To me, that means Xu Kai had to give up some of the muscle he worked so hard, then he probably had to bulk back up for Fire Investigator role. Xu Kai has a very nice figure, tall, lean, proportionate, graceful, he looks good in these types of costumes, which directors look for that aesthetics, it's all part of being cast for the role and being an actor, you have to develop your body for each role.

"Taoist practices like Qigong and Tai Chi focus on cultivating internal energy (Qi) rather than building muscle mass. The goal is fluidity, not force."
Despite their slim appearance, many Taoist monks are surprisingly strong,
"That contrast between outward slimness and inward strength is one of the most fascinating aspects of Taoist cultivation. It reflects the Taoist principle of wu wei—effortless action—where power comes not from force, but from alignment with natural flow."