PeachBlossomGoddess

Couldn't agree more. I love and hate her. She is going to let her revenge destroy everything... its so enraging and pitiful at the same time.

Yes I forgot about that but Cui Feng is still not a blood relative. The only explanation that makes sense is that he took his mother’s family name and that is Zhou or Zhousheng but his mother is never mentioned at all.

Omg that terrible Tang Dynasty wig! I was waiting for it to drop off at any moment...

Its an atrocity the bangs basically downplay his x-ray eyes and makes him look like a mushroom.

Well the entire idea that the Zhousheng family somehow survives is ridiculous. If I remember correctly his surname should be Liu, he is from the direct line of the ruling family. He gave up his name and called himself Zhousheng to remove himself from being inline for the throne. Since he did not marry or have kids, there should be no Zhousheng today.

Unless, of course during the ten years they were together they did have an affair and they did have children of their own. And so recorded history is not inaccurate after all... But that my friends, has to be the subject of fan fiction...

Yeah that made me angry. I think it was deliberately written that way to give a melodramatic ending to the story but it made their sacrifice so worthless bc the little ingrate got on the throne anyway and none of them, not even that darned Yang Shao bothered to clear his name???

I think your description of the difference between ZSC between the book and drama are spot on, a much more alpha kind of guy. I didn't like him very much at all. I liked ZSC in O&O a lot better and I think modern dopey professor ZSC is also very likeable but the only thing the two seem to have in common is they are both called ZSC. The beautiful bones connection does not speak to me as it does to you - so far anyway...

I definitely didn't envision him as has been portrayed in F&E. But in the book the lines between past and present are not well delineated although I have a very strong impression of a Type A personality rather than this Type B. Definitely inexperienced in relationships but much more authoritative and involved in his family business.Definitely not a guy who gets married to get his hands on his inheritance only to pretty much turn over the keys to the kingdom to Mei Ying. I didn't like Shiyi or ZSC of the book and I like the adapted characters both past and present a lot more. I got bored with the lack of plot advancement and the very strong focus on their growing intimacy and stopped reading about 2/3rds of the way through. Before I got off the bus though, I have a strong impression after his initial awkwardness, ZSC was pretty enthusiastic. My main issue with F&E is that Shiyi and especially ZSC seem like entirely different people who just happen to have the same names. To the extent that I don't think it is necessary or in fact it may be better to not watch O&O.

Bai Lu mentions in her latest interview he completes the Shanglin Fu love poem. I hope its coming soon bc otherwise I must have missed it...

Yups those kissing parrots that dared to stand in for the non kissing leads in TLB had a narrow escape... 😂

Sigh! Idk if there will be much of c-ent left to fight after the CCP is done with them...

Let me remind you of a comparable situation in another recent hit drama where the audience were demanding barbecued parrots.,,,

That could have just been a tasteful edit... I mean who seriously wants to watch those two rejects from the Munsters cast lock lips??? Trust me, it'd probably inflame not pacify the kiss mob.

I didn't like her initially but she has grown on me although I am still in camp Kang Ning. Agree completely her chemistry with the other dude is way better.

There are actually many small clues scattered all over but they are small - her fear of heights, they separated when she was 26 so she meets him again at 26, how he looks back all the time, he collects wu ge embroidery (yeah very girlie, I tried to ignore that one), the lotus paintings and of course the nose touch, I was looking for something in their characters and at least 1 or 2 big things but there are still 8 more episodes so there is hope...

Shiyi learned how to paint lotus paintings from her shifu ZSC in O&O. She leaves one behind when she leaves Huan Yu's residence. In F&E she paints one for the calligraphy master as a gift. ZSC is able to replicate Shiyi's painting subsequently during tea with his step-mom because he was the one who taught her how to do it to begin with, albeit 5000+ years ago.

Finally, the past and the present are linked:

Yeah I am disappointed that much of the erotic poems didn't seem to make it into the script so far. There is more of it in O&O than F&E. It also makes me wonder if MBFB was just not involved or they felt it was too out of place in a modern context.

I have tried to watch four of her historical dramas and dropped all of them. I don't watch modern romances I dislike the genre. But all that matters is you like her and enjoy what you are watching.

I agree completely that whatever is missing in F&E should definitely not be blamed entirely on RJL and his personal boundaries. The truth is we will never know for sure how and why they decided to modify book ZSC like this - it could also be the capital behind the production for all we know. But all good directors allow and encourage the actors to have input in how they wish to interpret their roles and Bailu's Shiyi is also written to be more aligned with her own personality and comfort zone. Book Shiyi is very docile, almost to the point of doormat which is so not Bailu there were doubts about her casting in the beginning. So there is definitely some level of modification to the character to account for RJL's preferences, personality and comfort zone. I will also observe that I don't think the writer was that happy about the change - some of RJL's lines are noticeably sloppily and lackadaisically written without MBFB's usual flair and finesse - notable the infamous and cringeworthy "I am ready" line that I am still trying to un-hear....

As for kissing scenes, like you my friend I pretty much kiss them goodbye when it comes to RJL... A good body double or an amateur effort is already huge fan service.