For the people, who want to clear whether Changge loved Sun enough.

Must be something in their psyche that some can grasp it where others can't.

The GeSun love is so modern and exemplary.   An ideal of what a relationship should be like!

Kaju, great analysis of GeSun's relationship! They are indeed very contemporary in their thinking and how they interact with each other, with mutual respect and supporting each other when needed. Li Changge is very much a modern woman who doesn’t want to be defined by the stereotypical roles of her time. Recall her conversation with her mother after the cuju match.  Her mother chastised her about her participation and I think her response was "So what? Men and women are equal.  I have skills and am not inferior to other men" which was strong indicator of her life’s perspective.  So it’s very fitting she pairs up with a man who is also as broad-minded as she is.  Ah Sun admires and is proud of his woman, how brave and resourceful she is.  He wants to cultivate the same attributes in the young ladies in his tribe (we discussed this in another post).  He trusts her as his representative when she ventures to Mobei for the herbs to cure the plague.  He expresses to her that he never wants to hinder her but just want to support her if she needs him.  I cannot reiterate how refreshing it is to see such love and respect between a couple in a historical piece.  These views are very progressive and out of the norm during those times!!! 

To those who bemoaned that Changge does not reciprocate Ah Sun’s feelings are not looking beneath the surface.  You’re right, it’s ridiculous that those who are critical of the Gesun’s romance expects her to be expressive with her love, ignoring all the tragic events she experienced and the inner turmoil she was still battling.  She was depressed, suicidal and frankly lost.  She questioned her path in life and her purpose.  How can she have the mindset to fall in love and indulge in a love affair?  So the hesitancy she has when Ah Sun hugs her is NORMAL.  Honestly, her logical mind probably screams for her NOT to fall in love because she cannot cope if another loved one leaves her. Her psyche is so damaged at that point but over time, viewers can see her slowly reciprocating.  In the past, when he embraces her, she awkwardly does not know what to do with her hands and ends up not returning the hug.  During the Luoyang arc when she was at the temple, she realizes the importance of Ah Sun to her and then there is no stopping their romance from blooming.  There are flirty exchanges, hugs, loving gazes, hand holding, words of commitment, and all kinds of kisses (even the blurred parrot kiss, the characters did kiss on the lips even though it was not shown to the viewers) from BOTH sides.  I’m not sure why certain people cannot connect the dots.  It’s shown in a very direct way and both Leo and Reba revealed Ah Sun’s romantic devotion and Changge’s shyness and love very well. 

C-drama viewers seem to be more traditional and are more comfortable watching couples that fit the normal mold.  They expect the female to be shorter, younger and reliant on the male counterpart in the drama.  So when it’s not the case, the amount of hate directed at the Gesun couple even before the drama aired was insane.  Reba’s age was repeatedly brought up.  Some commented she looks like his much older sister.  It’s unfortunate for those who cannot see beyond these preconceived notions because it’s their loss they are missing out on a great drama and really excellent acting by our lead couple.

Does Chang Ge love A’Sun as much as he loves her? Or is their relationship simply “bromance”?
I have seen a lot of comments filled with doubts and uncertainty about my beloved couple lately, and in all honesty, I am quite hurt and offended. I keep trying to tell myself that everyone has their own personal and unique perspectives, and to see where they are coming from is where a healthy discussion is created. But I cannot help but feel the way I feel when my most favorite couple is attacked and compared to another love story that we have in this drama. Seeing some of the comments push down GeSun and praise HaoYan really, truly shatter my small heart.
Many people claim that they cannot feel the love between CG and AS, and that their love feels like “bromance” instead of “romance”. Some prefer HaoYan’s cute and lovely dynamic and chemistry over GeSun’s strong, healthy, mature, and complex relationship (which I totally understand, because I personally find HaoYan’s love story very sweet and delightful). Lately, I come across many comments question if Chang Ge even really loves A’Sun enough, as much as he loves her, and this is where I feel like I really need to speak up and be my precious Chang Ge’s spokesperson. To say that she doesn’t love him enough is like a cut to the throat, because there are many instances in the drama when I was moved to tears because of how much she loves AS in her own unique and reserved way.
Here are the moments that show Chang Ge loves just as deeply as A’Sun loves her, that their romance is not simply just romance (AND NEVER BROMANCE), that they are soulmate and each other’s shoulders to lean on, that their healthy, mature, wonderful, and extraordinary love story should never be looked down upon on or compared to HaoYan’s love story:
1. The Cuju game signifies that they are equal in every aspects, creating a foundation for their relationship later on in the drama.
2. Their many encounters in Chang An are like a symbol that their lives are intertwined no matter what.
3. When AS finds out that CG is a girl (and a “capable woman” at that), marking the first change in their relationship, even if it’s one-sided at this point.
4. The drinking scene, the one where we all fall in a big hole for this wonderful couple, illustrates that they are indeed soulmates and are spiritually compatible.
5. The swoon worthy falling-from-the-rooftop-and-A’Sun-catching-and-holding-ChangGe really shows that CG has started to have some kind of feelings for AS, even if it’s not exactly love at this point since she has too much on her shoulder.
6. Their mature conversations while watching the moon (the chatting between “two men”).
7. A’Sun and his charming ways to protect Chang Ge.
8. The arrow scene. This signifies the tension that is to come between their relationship.
9. The legendary snow walk scene, shifting their relationship from friends to enemies.
10. AS and his harsh but meaningful actions in the grasslands to will CG to keep living, even if it means “to kill me someday”.
11. When CG reveals her real name to AS for the first time, this illustrates that she does not blame him for what happened in ShouZhou anymore.
12. The Firefly Scene. “If you want to see them next year, just tell me. Wherever I am, I’ll keep my promise.”
13. Starting from ep 17 to ep 23, Chang Ge has started to realized the feeling that A’Sun has for her, but she is too deep in her thoughts and personal agenda to think upon and reciprocate it.
14. Ep 24 and 25. We all feel frustrated because of CG and her actions at this point, but this is where I can see that CG cares deeply for AS, and that his mother’s death hurt her just as much as it hurts him. She thinks that he blames her and wouldn’t want to see her anymore, and in results, she risks her life to save him.
15. The very much needed separation between them (ep 26 - 31). The time for two broken individuals to find their own purposes, for Chang Ge to reflects on her wrongdoings, for Sun to realize that his calling is to protect his people and the woman that he loves, and lastly, for her to realize that she misses AS, the person she trusts with her whole heart. The feeling that CG has for AS is not simply just hatred, gratitude and respect anymore; it has evolved to love without her knowing.
16. Their awaited reunion. The look she gives him while they are running from Hao Du. The realization that he doesn’t blame her for his mother’s death. The pinky promises (with her affectionately touching his hair, shows how much her love has started to blossom). Them fighting together. The way he holds her hands while she recovers from the injury. The way she recoils and feel shy afterwards. And the way she agrees to go back with him to Eagles Division. She is deeply in love.
17. CG is willing to risk her life for Eagle Division, as she admits that Eagle Division has become her home. For me, this just further proves that AS and his division have been a part of her plans a long time ago.
18. Ahem, Ahem. Their first date. Their second hug. She is feeling shy like a teenager. His knowing smile. Her SMILE.
19. Their reunited hug after the faked-death-plan for Eagle Division. This time, she hugs him tightly. She would have lost him if everything hasn’t gone according to the plan.
20. CG being upset because she thinks that AS means she is not girly enough when he is telling his first wish out of the three. AS is shot in the chest with an arrow, and CG screams in pain and horror.
21. Her confession. She is willing to stay by his side forever.
22. Ep 39 - 43 are my favorite because they consist a lot of scenes that melt my heart: Third-wheel Wei Shu Yu, Chang Ge being more vocal about her feelings for A’Sun, him being there for her after she hears the truth about her mother and Li Shi Min, their first kiss, them fighting over Leyan’s situation like a married couple, CG smiles every time she looks at AS - the man she loves, and most importantly, A’Sun proposal to CG’s mother to marry her daughter.                                                           Before I dwell into the next points, I have to say that the last few episodes really show how much Chang Ge loves A’Sun. She loves him wholeheartedly and she shows it in her own way. Their relationship is the best proof that actions ALWAYS speak louder than words.
23. Their forehead kiss after he saves her from that calculated and evil kid. She let him tend her wounds, feed her medicine (which she has never let anyone does that to her before), and then touches his hands affectionately and gently. She is not the girl who recoils from his love anymore; she is now the one who initiates it.
24. “Before I met him, I have never thought I’d go through thick and think with someone. After I met him, I never thought I’d spend the rest of my life with anyone else.”
25. When Li Shi Min convinces Chang Ge to stay in Chang An since this is her home, she immediately refuses and says wherever A’Sun is, she’ll be there. AS is her home.
26. She declares that AS is her husband after reading his proposal to her mother. She wishes for the man she loves to be safe. (Y’all she loves him too much T.T)
27. “Release my man.”
28. She falls into his arms after the death of Mimi, her trusted friend. She now has someone to cry her heart out to, to lend her a shoulder and a sense of security, someone who is her home, someone who she trusts and love with all of her being.
29. “To have you in this life is enough.”
30. CG chooses to go back to the grasslands even when she has the option not to. Because to her, he is the only one she would want to be with for the rest of her life. He is her home, her protector, and her beloved husband.                                             In conclusion of my long essay, Chang Ge loves A’Sun deeply and wholeheartedly, though she is not really good at expressing it. This is my opinion, but I have to say that, although I like HaoYan, their relationship lacks the depth and complexity that GeSun’s has. These two couples both promote healthy and respectful relationships, and for that I’m very thankful for the writers for the way they portray GeSun and HaoYan. I hope we would stop comparing these two couples together and start engaging in healthy discussion.                                          Also, please noted that this long analysis focuses mainly on Chang Ge’s love for A’Sun and not the other way around is because we all know how whipped AS is for CG? That man just raises the standards so high by being the most respectful and responsible male lead ever.    On the last note, I’m very sorry for writing this long. I just want to get things out of my chest and defend my OTP.

emiemily   you present absolutely clear point by point evidence.  Thank you.

technically love is a sham, romance is nothing but a glorified way of spending money but you know we humans always need something to explain everything hence why romance and love was created.

i haven't watched the show yet so I will get back to you when I find out whether the show adapted the whole manhua. i cant watch it without know this main fact