phoenixfrost

Thank you for providing us with such vivid and well-written summaries to help new viewers understand the drama better and to help those who have already finished watching remember and relive this lovely rom-com about beautiful and quirky Shu Yi and stoic but sweet Shi Yan.

Yeah, eps 31 to the end are the sweet and happy episodes. The couple might still have some bumpy scenes but I like seeing them work their problems out together. Shi Yan is the most supportive boyfriend.

Yup, there are indeed some comments here that mentioned her stalkerish behavior. For my part, I did find her stalkery and relentless that I attributed to her being spoilt and pampered thus has that "mine, mine, mine" mentality that can't let go of anything denied her. But I find her low-key funny and endearing so I did not hate her. I find her mature and admire her self-confidence. I also like the way the actress carries herself. She looks effortlessly classy, thus fits the character to a T.

Shu Yi being insecure of her looks due to Shi Yan's extreme self-control is a new experience for her and is quite amusing

Amazing. You sure have a gift for storytelling. It's like watching the episode again, complete with details I didn't pick up while I was watching, like the number of seconds they stared at each other (did you actualy measure it or is it a joke? lol), the lyrics of the music and the time. I found myself giggling at the titillating scenes in the hospital again, like Shi Yan's "Oh".

A trivia about the phrase “Yeah, you should have been at my house at this time”. Apparently, based on Shi Yan's lips, the original line was " “Yeah, you should have been in my bed at this time”.

One thing I like about this episode is the way it subtly shows Shu Yi's emotional growth. From a self-centered girl whose heart is hardly touched by romance, she finally laid bare her feelings. When she broke down at her office, not even caring that her fierce rival saw her at her most most vulnerable moment, she showed the depth of her fellings and gave in to the anguish in her heart. Another thing that this episode reveals is Shu Yi's humility and accountability. When she saw Shi Yan with Fiona, she quietly bore her pain. The arrogant Shu Yi would probably have demanded some words with Shi Yan. But she owned up to her fault in driving him away and quietly let him start a new relationship with another girl. This also showed her shedding off her selfishness.

I also admire the way comedy is mixed with the heavy scenes. Shi Yue is so funny in that restaurant scene with Yu You, Shu Yi and Yi Yang. The way she is trying to get Shu Yi and Shi Yan back together is both amusing and endearing.

I chuckle evertytime you mention Buzzard, picturing him as a fly that Shi Yan would like to swat away everytime he gets close to Shu Yi 🤣 For some reason though, I only feel sympathy for him coz Shu Yi treats him as no more than a friend. Regarding the phone block, yup, my understanding is that Shi Yan did block her that time the second part of her apology did not get delivered. I suppose he expected her to try to see him personally? But he also made it almost impossible for her to do so. I guess, he was also in a state of confusion and did not know what to do.

Ahh, I see the reason why they need to separate. Yup, 15 years could be a more realistic duration for her to shed off that nasty habit of hers for good. So perhaps when they see each other again, they will need to work together on a project that will require her utmost honesty to succeed. Can't think of the details yet, but since they separated because of her lies, it seems poetic that they get back together due to her honesty that would probably entail her to sacrifice something precious to her to prove that she has really turned around.

I really love your take on this drama. The summaries help me remember each episode. Your commentaries add to the fun, and considering the tone of drama, are quite appropriate,

I love the poetic ending. It encapsulates the title - freedom from chains. After enduring oppression from many sources like being a tribute lady and imperial widow then being in turns worshipped and bullied by a manic and obsessive emperor in Yin Lou's case as well as having to hide his identity, enduring the obsession of the ex-empress and carrying an obsession to deal with his brother's death in Xiado Duo's case and finally, having to hide their real relationship from the emperor and ex-empress because at that time, the wishes of royal personages overrode relationships between commoners, Xiao Duo and Yin Lou's flight to freedom is exhilarating. But their escape from the palace walls would have been temporary had their chains still have the power to bind them. The very last scene makes it clear that their chains truly were broken. This ending completes the story of Xiao Duo and Yin Lou's chains.

There are two extensions provided. The extension below completes the story of the couple's romance:
https://twitter.com/XuKai_Soso0305/status/1616569549985546244?t=IgiOHnhJYa9O9L39GuAcRQ&s=19

This extension shows a time when the chains of monarchy have long been gone:
https://twitter.com/XuKai_Soso0305/status/1616654383642710017?t=akdpp_b19xBbBphpfmC93Q&s=19

Definitely. I've watched it more than 3 times already and I still laugh, swoon and feel the heartaches accordingly. It's not for everyone, though. If you like your leads to be perfect, this is not for you. The leads are 3-dimensional and more realistic than perfect cookie-cutter characters. The key to enjoying this drama is to get the campy humor. If you can't get the humor by ep 3, I suggest you drop it.

Love this title 🥰

Wow, this can also work! No wonder you write so well; you've done fan fiction before.

I'm okay with the current story, though. One of the things I like about Shi Yan is that he loves Shu Yi even though he is aware of her flaws. I like the idea of imperfect people growing together, not to achieve perfection, but to be less imperfect and, more important, to be tolerant of each other's flaws. It's more realistic and what makes for happy marriages, on top of love, honesty, trust and communication.

Not if one is following the story closely and putting oneself in her shoes. At the start of ep 32, if not for Xiao Duo’s interference, all the imperial physicians and the whole Yuwen clan would have been executed. And the two servers would have had their eyes dug out. This mad king can have anybody killed with one command. If I were BYL and I know that I am one of a few people who can keep the emperor calm, I would serve him hand and foot to avoid him hurting anyone else until a solution is established. It's the least I can do for the empire, not for the emperor.

it’s precisely because the emperor has gotten deranged that BYL prefers to serve him herself. The emperor ordered the execution of the imperial physicians as well as the removal of the eyes of the attendants coz he doesn’t want anybody else aside from Xiao duo, BYL and his eunuch to know about his condition. Only XD and BYL can control his temper.

what's to stop him from executing the servants when she left?

LOL This drama would be cursed to oblivion had it ended in ep 28 😄 Chinese dramas are heavy on the "No pain no glory " theme. And the heartbreak the couple experiences due to trust and communication issues is clearly the "pain" part. Viewers are dying to see the “glory” at this point 😊

Another goosebumps-inducing review. I so love reading reviews of other lovers of this drama. How would you like to create a new discussion point with your episode summaries?

I've been waiting for this break-up to happen. Shu Yi needed a wake-up call to her cowardice, self-centeredness and lies.

I think the reason Shi Yan watched her from his car was to see how she would respond. If she shows remorse, he probably would relent. He still loves her but suspects her to still love her ex. Unfortunately, Shi Yan doesn't see her tears - she was facing away from him. So, her "coldness" affirms his suspicion.

One noble trait of Shu Yi that surfaced during this heartbreaking period is her sense of accountability. She knows she messed up and only blames herself. She did not blame Shi Yan, Shanshan, her ex or her ex's gf. If she suspects Shi Yue of being Shi Yan's spy, she probably would not make a big deal of it. She has a kind and forgiving heart. And this is why, for all her faults, she is worth rooting for.

Do you have a choice but take care of the emperor when you're expected to? None, if you wish to survive. And Yinlou's main goal is survival. As young as she is, she does know how to survive, pretending to be silly and lazy to avoid being sucked in palace intrigues. But being young. it's also understandable that she can't be this all-knowing superwoman. This is one of the things I like about this drama. It stars lowly characters, a eunuch and an illegitimate noble-teenager, born with no wealth or power, just struggling to survive in murderous and treacherous waters. It has no bombastic elements like Xiao Duo turning out to be a prince or the like, or Bu Yinlou turning out to be a martial arts expert.

She has probably gone to Xiao Duo's residence many times. After doing the same thing many times, she became careless. A normal and realistic mistake by a teenager. It will be noted this is probably one of a few things she does herself. She is used to having a maid do the banal stuff like close doors for her. But she can't be dragging her maid to such clandestine meetings. I'm not at all surprised she made that mistake as I would have done so, too, if I were in her shoes. And I bet she has done that mistake several times already before finally getting caught.

The emperor embodied the chains tying both Xiao Duo and Yinlou down. His collapse and the burning of the Futu tower, another symbol of bondage, completed the process of breaking the chains of oppression. XD and BYL's freedom from the walls of the city would not mean anything if the emperor was still powerful enough to order their return to bondage or death.