ShortCircuit

LOL, you made me remember the BTS of them comparing their speaking parts - XZ had this long-ass whole highlighted script (all the pages were highlighted with his part) and WYB was smirking there he got off easy (all he had to say was "hmm" or not even that.) That was one of the best BTS LOL. Their real personalities were exactly the opposite to their characters - XZ the quiet and serious one and WYB being an imp at all times hahaha~

You should see ME trying to get out of that loop. Yeah, we're going on a gazillion rounds LOL

...But the power of Chinese novel adaptations to drama could not be undone... LOL

There need to be that many characters because this is NOT just a love story (and what there is of that, is censored).

This drama appeals not just through being danmei, but through it's plot and themes. There are many characters, the relationships are complex, it's not all gray and white and easy to understand, it needs a bit of attention. It might not be for everybody. Or you might try it, you might end up liking it in the end.

They return to the present in ep33, BUT the whole flashback is what sets the scene for that return to the present timeline. You'll know WHY it happened like it happened, WHO did what they did, WHY they did it for, HOW it all ended up before they come back to the present to solve it.

And IMHO, the flashback is still the best from the two halves, though the other part has some of the best scenes in the drama, too.

PS This is NOT BL. Don't look at it through a BL lense - danmei has a lot of stories that are mainly love stories, but this is definitely NOT one of them. This is plot and character-development-dense, not fluff. (For a comparison of uncensored danmei adaptation - Meet You At the Blossom - that's mostly fluff and has all the tropes. But nowhere near the depth of TU. For a censored "bromance" that yells BL all the way, LOL, then Returned Master - also a lot of pretty, not a lot of substance. But it's cute).

LOL, I know he's just trying to protect everybody, her included, from any political fallout. It's just funnier to think of it like that :D

So you're telling me they do end up married? *thumbs up*

I mean, he needs to be let win once in a while, and a wife could do that easier hahaha~

His father died in that battle 16 years ago and he was shown with his mother at around 8-9 maximum 10 (or even less) right after. So they might be some 5-7 years apart in age.

It's because it snows in every fight scene and then the drafts keep moving his hair so mesmerisingly, and then he's just keeping quiet watch from behind the windows - it's like Beauty and the Beast, only the Beast is the most handsome character in the drama LOL.

And there's plot too never fear.

He's just such a gentleman who wants to let women do whatever they want in his academy. Except when they're born in privilege. Then they can't have this particular privilege LOL.

Also, ChangYu: You should go.
Him, outraged but keeping it together because of the surprise: YOU're telling ME when to come and go?!
She, totally oblivious: Well, yes. I want you to be safe.
Him, deflated. Oh.

LOL. She's ordering him about, and he, a Marquis in disguise, realising he's a dumbass hahaha~

Well, SOMEBODY in that family put the assassins on the trail of the Fan sisters (and it's Mr. Wei.) I would say if he's doing it for the sake of revenge (since he raised Xie Zheng) then he's going about it in a very suspicious manner (Xie Zheng is thinking he set up the ambush where he almost died). And then he sent his own son - the infamous Xie Xuan - to farm some praises on the battlefield.

I think we could 80% confirm he's a villain. Or at least most of the time.

Going by novel readers' comments, he's a villain. Though hot. But a villain.

I know she meant Song but I choose to take it as a warning to the viewers that we should know Li HuaiAn is going to turn a villan LOL.

I don't for a minute believe it was just powerplay in Gongsun's case though. He liked her. The fact her mother immediately removed her and set up a blind date thus getting Mr Li out of Lin'an is just coincidence. But he looks pretty smart now doesn't he LOL.

I'm sorry Mr Li, the little sister has put a badge on you - "I'm not getting inside the house of a villain". I guess you're a villain now. Sorry eh. Better luck next time.

I LOL-ed for real when Li's adjunct went "Huh, so that's the Marquis of Wu'an? He's not impressive at all" and then immediately the table broke completely under his light touch. Yeah right, he's not at all impressive hahaha~

And THEN!!! The two Xie soldiers going "you should go back m'lord, before the Marchioness finds out" was amazing :D Yeah Yan Zheng, run back before wifey finds out you're gone :D The LOOK on his face :D (ETA and if that guy can't keep his mouth shut in front of his lord, I guess by now the whole army is aware they got a new lady-in-chief coming hahaha~)

As for Qi Min... if a villain, why so pretty?! Dammit. The poor kid though, hiding away all his life because his dad might be a vicious bastard. I hope they at least don't get a make-over relationship and HEA.

But I'm voting for a Gongsun-Princess Royal wedding sometime soon, who's with me?

When it isn't secret assassins interrupting, it's the cute little sister LOL. When these lovers will finally get to properly kiss or something, they might cause a great earthquake or some meteor will strike China LOL.

We're getting development!! Good! And it's clear spring is coming, everybody's in love.

PS I want one of those rocking chairs Yan Zheng was basking in the sun in!!! They look SOOOOO nice!! I want one, please China production team where in Temu is that merch LOL

Sad news, she fails up successfully. He (not her love interest) gives her the empire to run so she could heal from her broken heart that she got by being stupid.

They're playing XiangQi LOL. Take one piece, round up others, remove them, hunt up the General... Your turn :D

He's poisoned, not weak. And yeah, the poison flares up from time to time. And then he's acting stupid for love from time to time.

If you like morally grey MLs, this is for you. If you'd rather have pure crystal-clear powerful bland MLs, I'd say maybe YangYang filmed something lately LOL.

It's about her family's standing in the Jianghu, not her own choices. She's independent, but not THAT independent. Neither was her aunt, come to think about it.

Well, girls raised to follow norms, what can one do...

Most of the story is clear. Who did what - it's just that there are a few more names to pin to the actions already known.

And they're in love, confessions and all. It's just that she's still a little girl and thinking in absolutes, like a Sith, while he's a poisonous little snake who hasn't grown up human so it's hard to explain himself clearly.

There's plenty of time to solve everything. Actually I wonder what there still is to do to fill up 7 more eps. They're pretty short though, so maybe there's enough for a longer HEA too. (No I don't know if it's going to be a HEA).

I understood the reference long ago, LOL, but my favourite is MAMA. And then basically the whole first mini EXO-K album.

So yeah, EXO fans unite.

ETA And now I'm listening to What Is Love on repeat. This is all your fault.