CdramaMaven4762

He doesn't even realise that the house he has now used to be the Shen house, because he'd never been there.

You forget she was his maid for months.... even serving in his main maid's place when her friend was sick. She's seen more of him than the drama would show ... So I am not surprised she didn't overreact.

This was my very thought .... This writer intended to wring all of us right out ...

Exactly. Which was why she didn't tell him, oh, I wanted to go anyway. She was going to work that leverage!

I think the point of leaving him like this is to set him on a better path. He's never really even thought about this; his whole family is so totally invested in the concept of rank, prestige, and might makes right.
He still has a long way to go.

He eventually caught on ... kml ... hopefully this will preserve him for Xianlian ...

reminds me of some empress crowns

Nah, he fully deserved that slap.

The apology was not about him. Nothing about him changed. He KNEW he was wrong from the get go. The apology was what he OWED her. He needed to admit that he was wrong, not because he expected forgiveness, but because admitting a mistake is what a man does. He fully expects her to punish him, but he's hoping that if he endures, she'll eventually forgive him. This is about the long haul for him. Remember how his grandfather punished him? In his mind this is similar. You do the crime, you do the time.
The acting cute is just the way he feels about her. This guy is a doofus. He's running around trying to be a sweet lovey-dovey hubby because in his own mind that's what he is. He fully recognises she is justified in not seeing him that way, but he can't help being that way around her.
This is the reality of his personality. He's a totally different person towards the people he genuinely loves and cares for. Contrast his attitude towards his father and grandfather with the way he interacts with his mother and siblings. It doesn't feel jarring to me, because I realize that people can be more than one way.

This way is more true to her character as it's been portrayed up to this point, tho...

I don't think the mother even meant Lanxiang specifically. What she means is that the power of choice has been taken out of her hands, so now she has no idea what to expect. Lanxiang is capable, but from Madam's perspective she doesn't know anyone in their set or how to conduct herself as an equal among her betters. From Madam's perspective, it's not that she doesn't like and appreciate Lanxiang on a personal level; she doesn't trust her as a wife.

Did you see the clip of him trying to get her to laugh???

At least our guy has some idea ... kml

Hence the whole decree thing. One LJQ got tired of what other ppl thought was good for him .

What's wrong with his looks? He's a goodlooking guy! And I really like him, except as a husband for Lanxiang. He looks like a genuinely standup guy who wants to treat women well. Not sure why people would be making fun of him.

Jeez ... he was literally just trying to provoke her, hoping she would reveal any feelings she has for the Scholar. He certainly doesn't expect for her to be a cheater, but if Scholar Han can get her to move to the capital with him, he'll take it. After all, he's handled Scholar Han once and feels sure he can do so again.

I love that he doesn't regret it. He is a man who has the courage of his convictions, and he knows what he went through to get them to that point. I agree that even after the decree was read, he had lots of time to go to his in-laws and explain why he did what he did. But by that time, he'd not only reflected, but also heard the story of the Xu family's reaction. He wasn't giving anybody a chance to prevent him from having that wedding day.
Later... I think we'll see more self-anger and regret later, once he comes to understand her more intimately and realizes just how much he hurt her. Right now he just believes she's angry. Regretting at this stage just doesn't make sense.

I really don't think he should be ashamed of that decree. He worked hard to get that, and he understands better than just about everyone around him, his wife especially, just how vital it is for Lin Jia and for his own sanity. That decree is a thing of beauty and a joy forever ...
Just as soon as he can win his justifiably outraged wife over ... kml

BUT also very realistic for the time. In fact, sometimes it's not as harsh as reality.

I think it's also that she'd "put that all behind her", only to have the ML force her to face that whole horrifying sequence of events again. She must have felt, viscerally, that Lin Jia doesn't stay true to its word. She was supposed to be shut of them forever - their own choice. How did she end up in their household again? The resentment and horror was very strong at this time.