Reviews

Timing is everything

Episode 21 genuinely surprised me — for the first time, I found myself feeling a little sorry for the SML. My usual reaction of pure annoyance gave way to something closer to sadness. That said, it’s hard not to see him as his own worst enemy. He had more than enough time to make his feelings clear to the FL, and yet he never found the courage to speak when it mattered.It also feels like there’s still something unresolved around his lack of response to her message and what he knew about the SFL at the time. There’s clearly more to that situation, but regardless, this outcome is rooted in his inability to be honest. Timing really is everything.Meanwhile, a new layer of intrigue is added with the ML’s grandfather and the question of who will become his successor. The plotting and scheming have begun, raising the stakes beyond just romance. What makes this episode especially heartbreaking is seeing the ML’s insecurity resurface — his uncertainty about how the FL feels triggers echoes of the vulnerability he experienced after the car crash.Thankfully, we also see him start to question what really happened back then, and I can’t wait to see where that leads.It feels like the questions surrounding the car accident and the grandfather’s succession plans are about to collide, forcing the ML to confront both his past and his place in the family.

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Inner demons and Utilitarian society

This was a heartbreaking episode for me. Dear, Huang Yin, may you rest in peace... ૮◞ ‸ ◟ ა It's becoming more intense as Xiao Yao and the girls overcame the first stage of the 2nd trial. The second stage is where they must suppress their inner demons: Greed, Jealousy, Vanity, Sloth and Schadenfreude. It's yet another cruel game of survival, in which one must be sacrificed for the mass; utilitarianism (i.e. the justification of sacrificing a life for the greatest good for the greatest number of people, emphasizing on the outcomes (consequences).) This situation is something we always see in everyday life. This is a lesson. The episode tells us that every life matters, whatever the circumstance, and that we mustn't "tag a price" on anybody's lives. There's no one in this world who's worthless, and one's wealth & status doesn't always mean they're of higher significance.

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Love has fireworks

This episode follows Lin’s reaction to the traumatic events that occurred with the accident. What I hope he eventually gains from this experience is to see just how valuable the information and assistance from the ‘replaceable’ people in the hospital is and how invaluable to saving lives. He is so gifted in this area and it’s where his heart really is. It was a revelation that he almost did not text XiGuang at all. He wanted her to know how he felt with no contact while in hospital. So he let himself be careless in whether or not it went through. He is still aching over the lack of contact recieved and doesn’t know what to do with it. Many commenters were furious with her reaction to him. But she doesn’t even know of the circumstances of his accident. She has only seen the handsome boss that had a grudge towards her and the possible bf that has treated her with meticulous care. She had every reason to think he would contact her if something happened to him. Especially since he gave her every reason to think things were cleared up between them. His hug to his mom was so poignant. I wish he would have told her the cause of it. But I am happy that he is finally going to investigate the circumstances of the date invite with his friend. The one thing he did learn from this experience is that communication can be lost in translation. This will hopefully happen soon. They have been dragging this out over 20 episodes now,😝This did show how hard it cut him. It is not matching up with the girl running to him in the hospital hellbent on finding out what happened to him and why she wasn’t in the loop. It revealed the deep fear he had that when the chips were down she wouldn’t be there for him. If she knew that, I think she would be upset he would think that of her. She stated as much when she said she would check up on a stranger much less him. This broke through his final wall and this drama will hopefully get a move on showing the fake daughter to be the inconsiderate person he thought XiGuang was.😝 There was a cute family outing while Lin and family heading on to airport. Xu has stepped up to look after his friend and send everyone else home to make what they could of holiday and get back to work. Chris thinks Xu is bf material because of this. While he is concerned for his friend, it is clear he sees this as a chance to contact XiGuang. It is interesting how he and Lin keep having these encounters while heading opposite directions. I could not believe Xu almost sent that nosy text to XiGuang. As if he had any right to know her feelings about anything. They showed a homey scene when he was Jiang Rui’s tutor. This is why she fell for him. He was the handsome and super intelligent chef that was making meals for them. In spite of the hate his character is getting, he is not satan. 😝 But he is very linear and tunnel visioned in his opinions of others. He also arrogantly thinks he is approaching others from the only correct view. He never once bothered to have a conversation that wasn’t academic or work related. We really don’t need to see any more of his interference with XiGuang. I would much rather see him grow up, grow a pair and consider Chris a very good option. She makes him his better self. They give us a glimpse of the Sheng family machinations and it seems the wife is the instigator and the husband lets her run the show. Nie is chatting with him and it is just one of those scenes that make you wanna throw up a little and move on. These two losers have caused a lot of grief and the worst of the lot hasn’t even shown himself yet. I have not decided which side of the fence the gpa is on, but I think I am liking the butler.

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Haunted house escape

Episode 14 definitely caught my interest. Although the cooking contest was kinda cute, I wondered if that was all there is to their trials... (that would be disappointing X'3) Xiao Yao is slowly becoming mature as she faces the true nature of those blinded by greed, arrogance . . . , and one's insecurities. All these young women come from noble families, who only know how to order around other people while staying poised and ladylike. Their arrogant personalities know no bounds, which became apparent when their beautiful masks are torn down when faced with a dog-eat-dog situation; except for a few who still have sincerity. On the other hand, Da Li's insecurities got the better of her..., to the point of betraying her former best friend, Xiao Yao. Where did things went wrong? How could this happen? It hurts... Da Li's betrayal towards Xiao Yao and their friendship was so deep, as if I were the friend who got backstabbed.. The Flower demon felt overshadowed by the person she always looked up to, and cared for. Da Li's desperation for survival borne feelings of self-doubts, which sprouted into jealously towards Xiao Yao who could overcome any obstacle that comes her way... Will their friendship end right here? Or will Da Li come back to her senses?

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Chun Ge’s resolution, festival and next item recovery

ChunGe’s dream state allows him to work out his issues and understand the motivation behind the actions of friends and family that he’d been resenting. BiZhi even offered him a replay, which he realized he did not need. This let the three friends find each other and find out the original plans was for his benefit. They leave happily and he sees the cucumber porridge his mother put in thermos for him. He ate the porridge with gratitude and left a nite if sincere thanks to his parents. The next item revolves around a version of chess that is also used for fortune telling. They head to the time rift market and find Market Lord out of sorts. She is reminiscing about earlier times and miss g the happiness and fun of festivals. BeiLu suggests having a festival there and is very animated.🤣 The chess game made it a cold food celebration and I am kinda with market Lord that something else would be better. They persuade her into it so she gives them a clue about when would be most auspicious time to look for chess board. There is a queen of the stage and BiZhi has sent the biggest amount of flowers to her. There is an awkward moment when the singer gives thanks to husband for flowers and then realizes he wasn’t the one to send them.😳 He does manage to smooth things over and get an invite to the person her really wants to see. They all arrive at almost same time to the home of the elder celebrating birthday. The door is opened by a couple eerie children and they make their way inside. Upstairs, the elder Wu is talking to a memorial and promising revenge. So this is looking like a knives out party.

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Only human — fame, longing, and unseen hands

Episode 4 is another gut punch, leaning hard into the reminder that idols are, first and foremost, human — with very real feelings and very real consequences. It explores both sides of the idol–fan dynamic, including its darker edges, and it doesn’t shy away from how damaging that closeness can become.Maeng Se-na’s quiet longing stood out to me here. Her wish to return to a time when she could admire Ra-ik from afar — instead of being so close yet completely untouchable — was heartbreaking. We also get more insight into her relationship with Park Chung Jae. It’s still unclear whether his feelings are romantic, but there’s no denying the depth of their connection.The suspect board shifts again. We might be one suspect down… or maybe not. The ex-girlfriend points the finger at Choi Jae Hui, who was present at the dorm yet claims he was at the hospital. At the same time, the shady dealings involving the CEO and the ex-girlfriend’s father are becoming harder to ignore. Someone powerful is clearly pulling strings — it’s just not yet clear who.There’s also a lighter moment with Ra-ik’s jealousy over what he believes is happening between Maeng Se-na and Kwak Byeong Gyun, which adds a touch of humanity amidst the tension. But any sense of relief is short-lived, as the episode closes with a tampered car — a chilling reminder that someone wants one, or possibly both of them, dead.At this point, it feels less like a crime of passion and more like a calculated move by someone with enough power to make people disappear quietly.

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