Kate

People adjust to each other when they interact and talk things out. < there is a difference between adjusting to each other, and not understanding your partner at all before the marriage. He knows her strength, he does not know her as a person. That means he does need to change how he sees her and how they interact and work together, because who she is in now who he thought she is.

2. That's kind of my issue tbh. That there is no long-term arc for her and she is by all means mostly reacting to her changing environment. And even now... she found her ambition, but the moment she verbalized it - the subject is closed and she is back to reacting to the issues happening around her. That's why I feel like rather than the center of the plot and character we follow on her journey, she is a storytelling tool to showcase different paths women took. Which is not a bad thing, this approach created so many memorable and touching moments. But it does not fit for me with how ML is his own man with his own plans, flaws to overcome and development that needs to happen (obviously).

3. We saw almost 70% of what is to be shown. If by now the intent of how the writer wanted to use their characters for is not clear, it's bad writing. But then for me it is rather clear so. For example, the same way I know Nanke is mostly used as a comedic comedic relief. For me by now it's clear Lan Xiang is here to tell other women's stories, and her reflecting their struggles. She is able to tell these stories as a character (not literally, i mean as a literally tool) because she is written to experiences similar things too. But other female characters have far more clear goals and ideas compared to her. And I think she does not exactly because it would make her focus shift from women around her to trying to achieve her long term goal.

the fact that we never see her express being overwhelmed is her major flaw to me. < but that's the writing and directing flaw, not the character flaw. We as viewers should witness her struggle, while other characters are blind to it. Similarly how through acting the actors can convey pain they try to conceal - this way we as viewers know they are in pain, while also understanding how other characters are unaware. It should not be the case of them never showing she is struggling, but rather them showing she is struggling while trying to hide it.

but Ji'er before her downfall, Xiuwan in her bratty era < aka before they mature. And we also saw Lan Xiang express a lot of sadness and depression when she was younger and before she had to mature. Yes, she had to mature earlier than other characters, but it's for me more of the maturity difference. Now that these ladies matured, they are behaving more and more like Lan Xiang.

but how she pretends everything is fine at all times and only relies on herself. < but she doesn't tho. She asks for help from people around her, but she also understands what other people limits are, so she never asks from more than they can actually do. If she thinks she cam deal with situation herself - she does it. If she thinks she needs help - she gets help. She is usually the brain of t he whole plan, but that's coz she is literally the smartest, that's how she was written.

With her current parents, we never see her be or say anything else but that she's fine nor ever rely on them. It's actually the opposite. < that's kind of also because she knows they cannot really do much to help her. It would hurt her more to hurt them when there is nothing they can do. I don't really see it as a weakness. Emotionally they are as much of a support for them as she is for them. They support each other, assure each other. She is better at verbalizing her thoughts and how she phrases it, but again... that's coz she is a lot smarter and more educated than they are.

All the characters who are in restrictive positions pretend they are fine even though they are not. Some examples: Ji'er smiling telling Lan Xiang it's fine and it's not big deal if she has to take more clients to help Lan Xiang escape. Lin Jinqi's mother pretending to be fine and not carrying that her husband is a useless dumbass who has relationship with younger woman. Zhao Xing Tang pretending she is fine and stronger than she actually is emotionally despite her situation. 2nd sister pretending in front of her mother she is fine and cleaning her face from tears so she does not sees it. That's not something that applies only towards Lan Xiang. They are all emotionally bruised. Lan Xiang just on top of that is strong, capable, smart etc. I wish they actually emphasized how overwhelmed she is about helping everyone and carrying everyone's issues. But I don't think they did that well.

nope, not sure it's there. I only see the Han one..

I am honestly scared for her and how they will conclude her story. Tho so far most of the side plots had happy-ish ending.

Accidents happen 😈
sadly she would still have to live with his family and still would be mistreated.

By following his lead I mean following his agenda and what his desired outcome must be, not necessarily doing exactly what he told her to do and only that. And she did in fact did act in a way to make sure he got the endgame he wanted when she was his maid - because she wanted to get merits to then buy her freedom.

He knows she is a born storyteller, what he likes is exactly that particular ability to express her pov in such an articulated, wise and deep way, often poetic, filled with simbols < this has nothing to do with my comment tho. The point of storytelling I made was not about how characters view each other, but what the characters are intended to convey in th story from writing point of view.

I think you completely misunderstood my comment ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

different preview, the one at the end of the episode, not on youtube 🙂
Angry about completely different part of the story 😅

yeah 🙂

I shouldn't have watched that preview coz now I won't calm down for the next 19 hours and 55 minutes 😠😡🤬

I am not disagreeing and my comment was not really about that.
It was just analysis of what I feel the intent behind the characters existing is, and how for me these intends do not quite match well storytelling wise.

hot take on leads, maybe? 😅

So yesterday someone (sorry don't remember who 🥲) replied to my comment saying it's obvious through the writing that Lin Jinq does not know Lan Xiang at all, and honestly yes. Which made me think, that this whole after marriage arc is as much the story of how Lan Xiang is going to fall in love with him, but also him falling for her as a complete person, understanding her and adjusting to her.

When we think about it, him and Lan Xiang barely spend time together before they got married. He truly does not know her at all. He saw bits and pieces of who she is as a person and he fell in love with these tiny moments. But now that they are "forced" to interact together he starts to truly understand who she is as a whole completed person, not just an idealized idea he had.

He liked how smart and witty she was, how she followed his lead. How he could trust her choices - but all that was in the bubble of her working for him, being his servant. Now that on technicality they are on similar levels, and she can have her own ideas, he does not understand her choices. He loved how she used her skills to help him, but now that she is using her skills for other things, he is surprised. He planned their whole live based on his imaginary perfect for him version of her and now he is confronted with reality and honestly he has no idea what to do and how to deal with it.

And that idea kind of makes it easier to watch? Because he truly needs to completely change the way he thinks of her and them together, what she wants, what he wants, what they can have together as a couple and how each of them wants to achieve it. He needs to accept his ideal outcome cannot come true. Which makes him more dynamic and interesting character - even if frustrating to the CORE.

But that makes me thing.. maybe he is not the problem here. Writing wise only, the character for sure is the problem 🤣 Lan Xiang is just... too perfect and I wish she also had at least one major flaw she has to overcome. Because her character has no real arc nor real path for development, because she does not need it. Her whole presence is determined on her reacting to things happening around her and to her. What the character does is always in response, rather than proactive or directed to future plans she has herself.

I wish they dived earlier and deeper into her wanting to write plays and explain in greater details why it will be hard. This could have been the focus of her story - how no matter the circumstances, her status, she has a goal and she will achieve it. But it's been just a few short scenes connected to her dream.

I still love her character, and I love how she is the one that brings the connections and is the catalysts to so many touching moments, BUT I find myself far more emotionally moved by people she interacts with and their stories, than Lan Xiang herself.

edit after I saw first 10 minutes of episode 32 - I think that's a deliberate choice for Lan Xiang to be this "perfect" character that does not really need character development - she is the storyteller, a way to convey the hardship of all the female characters in the drama. I still think it clashes with how ML was written and what is his purpose storytelling wise, but I guess I will just focus on appreciating what both of them bring to the table.

The way she started to cry when Lan Xiang won her freedom, it was just so real and saw raw 😭

Like 2008/2009 🤣 and had mdl since 2013

can we talk about Ji'er? 😭😭😭

Can we talk about Ji'er? What a journey 🔥

I honestly think her arc was the most moving for me, I cried like a baby and I love the development here.

She was never a bad person, but she was someone who was competitive and felt like they always have to find the opportunities and use them. With lack of experience and young age she was not able to correctly assess risks and that brought her trouble. She was naive and childish in how she view the world, and then the world made her mature in a drastic circumstances. But she never lost that spart and drive. She just redirected it into more reliable and honest ways.

Even during her maid era, she was spoiled and made many mistakes, but she was never evil. She did think about herself first in many occasions, but in a really honest way - example how she slept through the night when Lan Xiang was keeping the water hot "If you're too timid to get any sleep, you can't blame me" - not like she wanted to use Lan Xiang to get more sleep, but she would also definitely not fight to have more work herself. Or how she shared sweets with Lan Xiang right before the turning point of her stay in Lan's residence.

And then when they met in the brothel - she could easily turn bitter, and even blame Lan Xiang for not stopping her in the past and being more direct. But she knew it was partially her fault, and instead she was grateful remembering how Lan Xiang actually did try to warn her and cared for her. And now she decided to help her back even if she risks truly awful punishment for it. Honestly, her not fearing being beaten up was just sad, when she said her punishment would be just taking more clients. As if that fate was less harsh than beating up.

So now that she gained freedom, found her goal and honest path while still keeping that spark in her - I am just so happy for her. I also adore how she truly was THE ONLY person who treated Lan Xiang exactly the same whenever she was a maid or now Lin's wife. She was the only one who did not care for the title and saw the person in front of her. That's why her calling her name and hugging her like that was just so heartwarming, because I feel like it was a healing moment for both of them. Ji'er decided to live for her own name, not a title, and by interacting this way with Lan Xiang, she indirectly also acknowledge the fact Lan Xiang is just herself, with or without any titles and that's what she values and loves.

"Not as a maid of the Lin Residence, not as Young Lady Shuang, not as Concubine Lu. I want to truly live as Lu Ji'er once. (...) From this day forward, the person who will treat me best in this world is myself" 😭

And can we talk about Liu Mei Han? What a performance. I think she stole the show for me. I love every second of her performance and how expressive and raw it is. I cry even thinking about that scene in the brothel.

I don't think ALL he cares is his happiness and he does not care for her, but rather he is way too confident he will make her happy and can fix whatever mistake he makes 🤡

yep. Honestly him being this dumb and selfish does not bother me writing wise. I strongly believe good drama is supposed to make me feel all types of emotions. 🤣🤣

He is so obsessed with Scholar Han it's ridiculous. And it's even more frustrating that Lan Xiang told him it's not like that and when he suggest she has any intentions towards Han, it's insulting towards her. Coz he basically accuses her of being ready to cheat at any given moment.