I am still at ep 5 of Part 1, and I am drawn toward Lin Hao Qing. I feel that he loves Ji Yunhee, but is trying…
You will see how everything he does (good and bad) is him trying protect Yun-hee. It makes you hate and love him but mostly your heart will break for him!
Because it was her last ditch effort to prevent him from being captured by the evil Shunde to become a slave. She knew there was water below and that even if he fell off the cliff he would survive.
It is the Love and Destiny ending with role reversal. Chang Yi seals her in with the evil Shunde and takes it…
I wish we had at least 30 minutes more for the ending as well but your version which may have been the vision of the director also is like you said, simple, hopeful and beautiful too!