IrenaK

A plague indeed

The best thing about Na Hwajin is that he doesn't bend to power and money. He has his goal and he aims for it. 👏 I am pretty sure the teacher who was killed all those years ago was the founder's child, and this is him delivering justice for that. ✊The first few minutes were particularly hard to watch with everything those kids had to go through. 😣💔 The payback on the bullies, and even better, the main bully's father's downfall, was very satisfying to see. The saddest part of this is probably that the story is actually based on a real one. Bullying at schools nowadays is indeed like a plague... a perfect description on Na Hwajin's part. 😟🧐The show looks really good and worth checking out, even if the topic can be difficult for some. 🫣

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Flames of heart and desperation

I absolutely adored Mo Xiuyao in this episode. 🥹❤️ The way he stayed with A'Li every moment just to make sure she didn't feel lonely was pure joy to my heart. I think I smiled the entire time, to be fair. 😊Guard Qin Cang falling in love with Lin Tinglan at first sight? Something I didn't expect to happen! 😲 A barely-seen supporting character and a completely fresh face... this just proves there's more to guard Qin, because they usually don't give a romance arc to unimportant characters. 👀🤔And I am 100% sure Prince Li faked his death. 🧐 I can't bear to watch how Ye Ying keeps holding on to him... however, I get it from the perspective of a wife's filial piety to her husband, no matter how good or bad he is. 😔💔 Well, I wish her better days from now on... and maybe, finally, some of the things I am wishing for her character? 🤞🏼😏

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Alliances formed and broken

A'Zhao having a temporary alliance with Deng Yi to fight Yanfang was something I didn't know I needed! 🤝😮‍💨 At least, not in the form they provided. It was pretty brilliant because I believed it, and most importantly, Yanfang did too! 👏😏 I am still looking at Deng Yi as a possibly redeemable character, so every one of these steps counts in my book. How it will turn out later, these last four remaining episodes will show. And hmm, did I get the calendar right that we get all four of them tomorrow? 🧐I particularly loved Yanlai keeping A'Zhao's baked pastries just to look at them and play with them, but never eat... nor share! 🥹 It is such a wonderful keepsake to remember and think of her. 💖The court is getting tenser, and more parties are objecting to each other.😬🫣 And what was the deal with that guy whom A'Zhao assigned to Xiaoman as her deputy? The guy who helped with the scholar case? Are they bringing them closer so they can create a romance for them in the end? 🤔💞 The finale is coming, everyone needs an ending, and what can be better than finding one's love! 🤗

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Clues, traumas and a lack of time

I miss seeing Haixia so much! 😔 My little treat every episode is the memories of them working or practising together, and how Haixia is woven into everything Hailou does. But it's still too little. I think the quote "What would Shrimpie do?" is becoming one of my favourites and might stick in my brain forever. 🥹However, I did love seeing how well Hailou actually knows Haixia and how much he has picked up from him and his intelligence. I am 100% sure Hailou is the only one who could ever decrypt the codes and puzzles Haixia left. 😏👆 And I still wonder what the man disguised as Cousin was after? He actually didn't get anything before his death, only helped Hailou with manoeuvring through the labyrinth of Southern Archives caves. 🤔 And thank God, Cousin is alright... only where is he?Lu Junxiang has a huge trauma left by Haiqi. No wonder he so persistently fixates on her... 😬 And seeing how he continues to sniff her hairpin, I think he's obsessed with her and might have sexually assaulted her, so she castrated him for that. I wonder if the punishment in the dungeon with the beasts is related to that or for some other reasons? 🤔One last ingredient left... Run, Salty, run! The Archives are flooding! 🏃P.S. I think this would be an amazing video game to play, lol. 😂🤩

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Mending

Their relationship is building up so beautifully! 🥰We got their first date where A'Li finally opened up and revealed some truth, like the real story of her mother's death. We got him standing up and making his first steps—oh, what a joy that was for him. He couldn't thank A'Li enough for pushing him then and being the persistent person she is. AND we got our first kiss... so sweet, tender and best of all—sudden! 🤗❤️I loved A'Li giving advice to her stepmom to take care of her children, because they need it. Ying heard that and I think it somehow stayed in her heart. Maybe she won't go against A'Li anymore? 😌And Ying has seen Jingli's suspicious behaviour—sneaking out when he was supposed to be dead drunk, or wincing when she accidentally touched his arm (which we all know was injured) and then seeing him and his servant with medicine and bandages.... yeah, not suspicious at all. I wonder what Mo Jingli will do with his wife since he suspects she suspects, and she suspects he is being suspicious.... if anyone gets what I mean here! 😂🤔

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I didn't see that coming

Is there really some paranormal stuff happening here as well? I could believe they got the maid playing and singing to act along, but the father's wife? Don't think so. Also, the weather acting up and lightning striking the tree to protect Ye Li from her Grandmother... none of that seemed natural. 🤔🫣😳Also, the Grandma? OMG, that was a huge plot twist for me! Didn't see that coming one bit! 🫣😲 Ye Li seemed to be in a kind of trance when she went for her, and only A'Yao's voice shouting that his legs were hurting could snap her out of it... and the next day she's completely normal, running, and doing stuff like a completely normal person. Anyone would get confused by her behaviour. 🤭🤨Weird things happening for sure, and I am all confused about many of them, but I think this was the best episode so far! 🤩

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Offers, revelations and a little sweetness

What a delightful look Yanfang had on his face when A'Jiu rejected his offer to make him accepted by the Xie family! 😏 I actually loved that the first part of the episode was quite dedicated to A'Jiu—giving us glimpses into his relationship with his mother, and him realising his identity among all those names he could wear, as well as his role for the people he cares about. 🤗👏Another delightful twist was Xiao Xun's anger over A'Zhao's conditions for trade goods (fire oil)—a hidden message he cannot overlook anymore. And his last card with Deng Yi is that decree for his enthronement, right? I wonder what Deng Yi will do with that in the end, because I am not sure Xiao Xun is as beneficial to his plans as he used to be. 🤨Chu Tang realising what she wants to do with her life felt a lot like a complete arc for her... which raises a question for me: why did the writers tease us with the idea of her and Deng Yi having something between them? Because since those few encounters they had about ten-ish episodes ago, that relationship has never developed any further... 🤔🤷‍♀️P.S. That little rivalry between Xiaoman and A'Zhao's maid for her favour was so cute... 🤭 AND we got another kiss.... woohoo! 🥰

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Reality or dream?

Quite heartbreaking to watch how Hailou carried Haixia's body all over the city from one place to another, only to learn that everything he knew might never have even been real. 😢 And then to learn it actually was, but his recklessness forced the Southern Archives to disappear entirely, and Haixia once again took the responsibility for his actions... even leading to his death now. 🥺💔I hope Miss Dong reveals she is Haiqi, but I'm not sure if she can trust Hailou enough yet, since he might expose their secrets once again. 🤨 And for goodness' sake, how long has Haixia been dead? Has it been a week already? It was definitely multiple days on the ship... Shouldn't the body have a noticeable smell by now? 🫣

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Secrets well hidden

The story of the imperial decree and Ye Li's mother is way more twisted than I imagined. And who is the body in the pond? The maid who was accidentally killed during the struggle for the decree, or Ye Li's mother? 🫣🤔Prince Li looked like Zorro there, all in black and masked, lol. 😂 I don't think Prince Ding's men will catch him just yet. We'll have to wait a while for that to happen. 😔Loved how A'Li said all the right things to her sister. 👏 I really hope she'll start to reconsider her choices regarding her husband very soon. I am still anticipating the start of her self-growth arc. 🥺P.S. Why do I get the feeling Prince Li will use A'Li's handkerchief to stir up some trouble later? 🤨😔

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Chaos and destruction

Hailou's ability to create chaos from scratch is unparalleled. 😂 And I quite enjoy his duo with the "Cousin".But what was that final scene? Another hallucination caused by the poison, or actual Haixia's body? I can't trust what the Zhang brothers see anymore when they're poisoned, especially when one of the dead bodies for the third time is Ruipu's. 😯🫣I want to think that Haiqi has an actual plan for why she's not revealing herself to Hailou, and that it's not because she doesn't trust him. 🤨 Also, I wonder if the jade-stealing incident was something we witnessed from their childhood memory—the "Apple Theory", where the goal was to steal something from right under someone's nose without raising any suspicion. That's pretty much what happened with that jade, however, I am not sure if Hailou stole it or Haiqi herself. ☝️🧐🤔P.S. I could wish "rest in peace" to Steven, but I am not sure if he won't suddenly appear in upcoming episodes, alive and walking. It seems like death is just for visuals in this drama. 😏

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I am shocked beyond reason

We started off so well with Hailou and the "Cousin" returning to Nan'an... Their dynamic on the investigation cases was quite funny, and "Cousin's" sharp nose could fill the missing bit of Shrimpie's sense of smell. 😏😂When their investigation led to the third class, and we had seen Haixia in there just a few minutes prior, I was so looking forward to a reunion... 😍 Encountering that scene made me so excited! But then the last 10-ish minutes started and OMG, I can't even explain how I feel now... 😭💔Haixia never actually met Hailou, yet he sensed his presence there and put two and two together to realise the guy marching through the level with a dead body was actually Hailou's friend. ☝️ Haixia tried to reach Hailou, fought, and then hid, but his fresh injury exposed his hiding place and he was... what... KILLED?! 😱🤯 He cannot be dead... right? There will be something that saved him and Haixia will be alive and well... He must be! 😭🙏

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