I have just started this drama but 1st episode is way to fast pace like things are happening without any pre development?!…
I loved that the story got moving so quickly and there wasn't a boring, draggy lead-up to the leads meeting and interesting things starting to happen (I nearly dropped Shine on Me for starting like that). But the downside is that it is a lot to follow and keep track of from the get-go, and there are certain things that initially seem off or confusing because the drama doesn't provide the explanation behind them until later in the story.
I'd say that the pace doesn't remain at that level through the whole story. It varies, and also as more information and background is revealed throughout the drama the things that initially seemed off or confusing start to make complete sense (which I found very satisfying). And for anything that doesn't click (some aspects of the plot are complex and it's easy to miss some of the details that help explain certain things), you can always come back to this comment section to ask questions.
Even ml fell for fl too quickly. I mean, heās calling her his lifeline while sheās still unsure whether she…
You're welcome!
The drama doesn't outright specify exactly when the transmigration novel was published, but it must have been published in 2016 or sooner (in order for the ML to receive a notification about it in 2016) and we can infer that it was probably published in 2016 shortly before the ML received a notification about it on his phone in 2016 (since that kind of promotion would probably occur around the time that the novel was published).
The FL didn't read the transmigration novel (or click on any notifications about it on her phone) when it was published. Instead, the FL's company acquired the rights to adapt the transmigration novel into a drama in 2025 (several years after the novel was published), and since the FL was tasked with quickly creating a pitch for her company to adapt the novel into a drama she had to quickly skim the transmigration novel at that time.
Even ml fell for fl too quickly. I mean, heās calling her his lifeline while sheās still unsure whether she…
This reply contains spoilers for things that occur after episode 10, including details about the ending.
Short answer: They were both in their mid-twenties when they reunited in the real world in 2025.
Long answer:
The ML was 14 or 15 when he transmigrated from 2016 into the historical story world. He then spent 16 years and 8 months in the historical story world before he wrote the letter to the FL that she reads in episode 27. So his true / mental age was 30+ before episode 27 (which takes place several months - by historical story world time - after the FL transmigrated into the historical story world in episode 1). The ML also mentioned that he spent more time living in the historical story world before the FL arrived than he had spent living in the real world, which fits with him spending 14 or 15 years in the real world before transmigrating and a little over 16 years in the historical story world before the FL arrived. After episode 27, the ML and the FL continued to live in the historical story world for an unknown amount of time. If we assume that the drama timeline is similar to the web novel that the drama is based on (note: I have not read the web novel, I am basing this off of comments from other viewers who did read the web novel) then the ML and FL both lived full lives in the historical story world, but the ML died first and the FL ruled as regent for years after the ML died / until their son was old / experienced enough to rule on his own.
After dying in the historical story world, the ML returned to 2016 in the real world where his physical body was 14 or 15 but his mental age was much older because he had already lived a full life in the historical story world. His physical body then aged 9 years while he waited to meet the FL in the real world, because he had to wait for her to transmigrate into the historical story world, meet him there, and then return to the real world. That occurred in 2025 in the real world, when the ML was physically 23, 24 or 25 years old (it depends on factors like whether he was 14 or 15 when he transmigrated into the historical story, what month he transmigrated in 2016, what month the FL transmigrated in 2025, etc.).
The FL worked in her industry for a few years after graduating university before her birthday in episode 1 / before she transmigrated into the historical story in episode 1. On average, a student would typically be 22 when they graduate from a bachelor's degree program at a Chinese university. If the FL then went on to work for a few years after graduating and then had a birthday, I think we can safely assume she was 24+ when she transmigrated into the historical story.
So the ML would physically be 23 - 25 and the FL would be physically 24+ when they reunited in the real world in 2025, when the FL returned to the exact time and place that she transmigrated from in the real world (12:01 am on a train in Beijing in 2025 on her birthday). Notably, both of them would mentally be much older than their physical age because they both remembered the full lives that they each lived in the historical story world.
Q: I donāt really understand the original novel setup, regarding who the actual main characters were supposed…
Youāre welcome!
Definitely donāt feel stupid! Getting 90% of the details just from watching the drama once without any input from other viewers is a lot.
I was very lucky with my viewing experience. I watched the drama while it was airing and saw a comment from someone who read the web novel (the web novel that this drama is based on) about the novel-within-a-novel set-up, which helped me pick up on / understand a lot of details as they were presented in the drama. Then I started answering questions about the set-up in this comment section, and the process of writing out explanations also helped really clarify some of the details for me.
And now that Iāve re-watched the drama a few times Iāve also picked up on some details that I missed the first time (like Xie Yong Er mentioning the title of the historical novel - A Thousand Trees Blossoming at Night in the East - in episode 1).
So Iām happy to continue answering questions about those kinds of details in the comment section because it feels like paying it forward (since reading another personās comment really helped improve my viewing experience) and because I really enjoyed this drama and the way that all the details fit together and sharing that with other viewers is fun.
Just my two cents here. This drama is still my #1 favourite drama from 2026 (loved the acting, loved the chemistry, loved the music, loved the plot details), but the details are complicated (multiple worlds, multiple timelines / versions of events) and the drama doesn't spoon-feed them to the audience. The details required to understand how everything works are scattered throughout the drama (which means patience is required from the viewer for some things that will just not make sense from the beginning when you don't have all the info yet), and you have to pay attention to catch them all and then figure out how it all fits together.
I personally loved that aspect of the drama (and it has made rewatching very fun and satisfying every time), but if you're in the mood for something that you can half-watch or fast forward through any scenes that aren't action-packed then this probably isn't the right drama to get you out of your slump.
I donāt really understand the original novel setup, regarding who the actual main characters were supposed to…
Q: I donāt really understand the original novel setup, regarding who the actual main characters were supposed to be. Were Prince Duan and Wanyin meant to be the leads? But wasnāt Wanyin always destined to become the demon consort?
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A: It's a complicated setup. There are two novels, one inside the other (a historical novel that only exists inside a transmigration novel) and there are three versions of the events that take place inside the historical world depicted in those novels and the drama.
The historical novel is titled "A Thousand Trees Blossoming at Night in the East".
The transmigration novel is titled "Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort."
The first version of events in that historical story world is described in the historical novel. In that version of events: (1) there are NO transmigrators; (2) Xiahou Dan is a tyrant / villain; (3) Yu Wanyin meets Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) by the pond; and (4) Xie Yong Er is only a minor cannon-fodder character who dies very quickly.
In the transmigration novel, the protagonist of the transmigration novel (who initially lives in a fictional version of the modern world in fictional "City A" in a fictional country) reads the historical novel from beginning to end. Then she transmigrates from her fictional modern world into the historical story world, but arrives near the beginning of the historical story, and she takes over the character of Xie Yong Er. Since she knows how events originally unfolded in the historical novel that she read (the first version of events), she is able to use her knowledge to change those events so that Xie Yong Er is no longer just a minor cannon-fodder character and instead becomes the main female character alongside Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan). When the FL described the events of the transmigration novel to the ML in episode 1 of the drama, she describes Xie Yong Er and Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) as the chosen ones.
As an example of a change that the protagonist of the transmigration novel made so that the second version of events (the version in the transmigration novel) differed from the first version of events (the version in the historical novel): she made sure that she (as the character Xie Yong Er) was the one who met Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) at the pond where he met Yu Wanyin in the historical novel, instead of him meeting Yu Wanyin. She makes that same change in the third version of events (the version we see in the drama), which is shown in episode 1 of the drama. Ultimately she helps Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) take the throne, while the villains (Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin, who were not taken over by transmigrators in this version of events) both die and are buried together (even though Yu Wanyin loved Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) not Xiahou Dan (her husband / the tyrant Emperor)). This second version of events is all described in the transmigration novel that the FL skimmed in the first episode. There is only ONE transmigrator in this version of events.
The third version of events in the historical story world is the one we see in the drama. That version of events is created as a result of changes made by THREE transmigrators. The first transmigrator was the ML (Zhang San) who transmigrated from 2016 in the real world to an early part of events in the historical story world where he took over the character of Xiahou Dan when that character was still just a kid / the Crown Prince. He did not read the historical novel or the transmigration novel before he transmigrated. He only read a notification on his phone that mentioned the title of the transmigration novel ("Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort") before he transmigrated into the historical story.
The next two transmigrators were: (1) the FL (Wang Cuihua) - who transmigrated from 2025 in the real world into a part of the historical story that was 16+ years after the point when the ML transmigrated into the story, and she took over the character of Yu Wanyin; and (2) the SFL - who transmigrated from a fictional version of the modern world into the same point of the historical story, and she took over the character of Xie Yong Er.
While the FL had skimmed the transmigration novel and had a general understanding of how the protagonist of that novel changed the events of the historical novel (the first version of events) in order to make Xie Yong Er the main female character in the second version of events, the SFL had only read the historical novel and was not aware that she was the fictional protagonist of another novel. The SFL thought her original world was the real world and that she was a real person. The characters (including the SFL) who existed in the first or second version of events as characters (i.e., not as someone on a "higher level" reading those events in a novel) did not retain any memories of those previous versions of events when the lived through subsequent changed versions of the same events.
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Q: And why was Dan so certain that someone would transmigrate for him? In the story, he was introduced as a tyrant, not as the male lead.
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A: The ML (Zhang San, the transmigrator who took over the character of Xiahou Dan in the third version of events in the historical story world) did not read the historical novel or the transmigration novel. He only read a notification on his phone that mentioned the title of the transmigration novel ("Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort") before he transmigrated into the historical story. As he only had that title to work with, he guessed that one of the consorts of the "devil" in that world would also be a transmigrator from the real world, like him. And, as he desperately wanted to find another transmigrator / real person from the real world, he desperately looked for that person who was, or who would become, the consort referenced in the title of the transmigration novel. He didn't think that someone would transmigrate *for* him. He just assumed, because of the title, that there would be a female transmigrator who was, or who would become, a consort. And he was right.
Of course that consort (the one referenced in the title of the transmigration novel) turned out to be Xie Yong Er, who was a transmigrator (the ONLY transmigrator in the transmigration novel / in the second version of events) but who was NOT a real person from the real world. Luckily he met Yu Wanyin first, and in that third version of events (the only version that the ML (Zhang San, who transmigrated and took over the character of Xiahou Dan only in the third version of events) experienced) the character of Yu Wanyin had been taken over by a transmigrator (the FL / Wang Cuihua) who WAS a real person from the real world.
Since the ML (Zhang San) had not read either novel, he did not know any of the specific details of those novels (e.g., who the main characters were in either one) before he transmigrated into the historical story world and he did not know that the original character Xiahou Dan (with no transmigrator taking over that character) was portrayed as an evil tyrant in the novels / the first and second version of events in the historical story world or that Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) and Xie Yong Er were the main characters of the transmigration novel, until the FL (who had skimmed the transmigration novel) explained those details to him in episode 1.
i finished this drama but iām so confused about something is XIE YONG ER a real person or 2d character?? cus…
The transmigrator who took over the character of Xie Yong Er is a fictional / 2D character. She did not transmigrate into the historical story world from the real world like the ML and FL did.
She is the fictional protagonist of the transmigration novel "Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort". In that novel, she first lived in a fictional version of the modern world (where "City A" was the capital of the fictional country where she lived, and Beijing / China did not exist). In that world, she read the historical novel "A Thousand Trees Blossoming at Night in the East" from cover to cover. In the historical novel, Xie Yong Er was just a minor cannon-fodder character who quickly died in the crossfire of the main character's conflicts. After reading the historical novel, the protagonist transmigrated from her original world (a *fictional* version of the modern world) into the world of the historical novel. She arrived near the beginning of the story's events and took over the character of Xie Yong Er. She used her knowledge of how events originally played out in the historical novel to change events so that Xie Yong Er became the main character. These were the events of the transmigration novel that the FL read when she skimmed it in chapter 1. The transmigration novel only had one transmigrator.
When the ML and FL transmigrated from the real world into the historical story world, they (along with the protagonist of the transmigration novel) changed the events of that world again. This time, the events were changed so that Xie Yong Er was not a minor cannon-fodder character and was ALSO not the main character. Instead, she became the secondary female character.
So there were three versions of events in the historical story world. The first version (the events depicted in the historical novel) had no transmigrators and Xie Yong Er was a minor cannon-fodder character. The second version (the events depicted in the transmigration novel) only had one transmigrator, and Xie Yong Er was the main female character. The third version (the events we see in the drama) had three transmigrators (one who was fictional and transmigrated from one fictional world to another and two who were real and transmigrated from the real world to the fictional world of the historical story) and Xie Yong Er was the secondary female character.
Even ml fell for fl too quickly. I mean, heās calling her his lifeline while sheās still unsure whether she…
As for the ML calling the FL his lifeline, it does make sense but only with context.
He isnāt a person from the modern world who transmigrated into the historical story a few hours ago and then fell head over heels in love with the FL almost immediately after meeting her.
Contrary to what the ML told the FL (i.e., that he transmigrated into the story two hours before meeting the FL), the ML transmigrated into the story when he was 14 or 15 years old, and then he had to live inside the story (surrounded only by fictional characters whose character set-up involved hurting him, using him, or fearing him) for 16+ years. He desperately searched for another person who transmigrated into the story from the real world, like he did, but all his efforts (e.g., the SOS flowers) were in vain.
Until finally the FL arrived and intentionally revealed herself to the ML the very first time they met. Her brave decision to risk revealing her status as a transmigrator to the ML so quickly meant that the ML was able to confirm, at the earliest possible moment, that he wasn't crazy and he hadn't been imagining his past in the real world (including his family there) for the last 16+ years. And she arrived with knowledge about the story (which she willingly and freely shared with him), a positive attitude and kindness / innocence that had not yet been tarnished by the harsh dynamic of the historical story, and a willingness to team-up with the ML. She could bond with the ML over their shared memories of the real world and shared experience of transmigrating into the historical story (a very bizarre experience that could not really be understood by someone who did not experience it) and she was REAL.
IMO, those are the things that caused the ML to have such an intense immediate reaction to the FL in episode 1 and to want to spend time with her and protect her (in the way that he wished his younger self had been protected when he arrived in the historical story world).
Then, as he got to know her better, he quickly developed deeper feelings for her based on how wonderful she is as a person to him and in general. Which I think is totally understandable. She's pretty great.
For example: -Apart from trying to survive in the historical story world, the FL's main goal was to use her power and influence in that kingdom to make it a better place for the citizens of that kingdom to live. She didn't want to run away to ensure her own safety and she didn't want to selfishly build up wealth and power for her own enjoyment and benefit. She wanted to stay by the ML's side as his ally and she wanted to use their positions for the good of other people. -When the ML and FL put on an act together in the first few episodes to try and find other transmigrators, among other things, that was the first time in 16+ years that the ML had the opportunity to be in cahoots with another person in a fun, playful way instead of feeling alone or scheming with 2D characters about very serious, life-or-death matters. -The FL helped the ML find several characters with good / kind character set-ups who were not only good allies for the ML but also characters who could become trusted friends to the ML (to the extent possible, given that they were still 2D characters).
So, right before Xiahou Dan was about to embark on his suicide plan to take down the Empress Dowager and Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) at the same time, along with himself (since the odds were that he would also die), the FL arrived and gave him assurance that he wasn't crazy (he really did come from another world where he had family who loved him) and made him feel that he wanted to give this person the protection that he did not receive when he arrived in that world when he was a kid. He felt that he had already been ruined by the story world (turned into an irredeemable monster who was dying anyway), but protecting her was like protecting his inner child self. And pretending to be normal with her (a real person) made him feel more normal and free than he had ever felt in the previous 16 years. And then, when he gave her the chance to escape the palace (something he had longed for, especially after he first arrived in the historical story world), she chose to stay with him in the palace, to be his teammate, and to try and make that dark world a better place. Her arrival was like the sun finally coming out after 16 years of darkness.
So he paused his kamikaze plan just before launching it and chose to help her achieve her goals instead.
And then, IMO, the fact that the FL immediately wanted to answer the SOS call when she thought that the SOS flowers were a message from another transmigrator just made the ML love her more, because that was the kind of selfless, kind, and compassionate response and person he had been longing for for so many years. How different his nightmare life in the historical world would have been if someone like her had answered his SOS flower message back when he originally planted them.
Some of this is revealed when / shortly after the FL finds out the truth about when the ML transmigrated into the story and about some other secrets that the ML was keeping (e.g., about his health and the plans that he was going to implement but ended up pausing when the FL arrived) pretty late in the drama. But some of it is revealed in the Zhang San Diary scenes that are shown at the end of several episodes. Make sure to watch those, including the one that comes up after the credits at the end of the very last episode!
Even ml fell for fl too quickly. I mean, heās calling her his lifeline while sheās still unsure whether she…
Xie Yong Er *IS* a fictional / 2D character. She did not transmigrate from the real world like the ML and FL.
The fictional protagonist of the transmigration novel "Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort" lived in a *fictional* version of the modern world (where "City A" was the capital of the fictional country where the protagonist lived and both Beijing and China did not exist), and in that world she read a historical novel titled "A Thousand Trees Blossoming at Night in the East".
After reading the historical novel (where Xie Yong Er was just a minor cannon-fodder character who quickly died in the crossfire between the main characters), the protagonist of the transmigration novel transmigrated from her original world (a fictional version of the modern world) into the historical story world where she took over the character of Xie Yong Er. There, she changed the original events of the story in such a way that Xie Yong Er became the main female character. That was the plot of the transmigration novel.
Xie Yong Er's view of Xiahou Bo is heavily influenced by the things she read in the historical novel, where every other character (including Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin - in a different version of events where those characters were not taken over by transmigrators) is a clearly terrible villain and Xiahou Bo is, in comparison, the most virtuous and talented character of the bunch who was victimized as a child and forced to struggle against constraints as a an adult because of the humble origins of his mother and the cruelty of the Dowager Empress and Xiahou Dan. Plus, as a 2D character, she is pre-disposed to follow her character set-up.
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I'd say that the pace doesn't remain at that level through the whole story. It varies, and also as more information and background is revealed throughout the drama the things that initially seemed off or confusing start to make complete sense (which I found very satisfying). And for anything that doesn't click (some aspects of the plot are complex and it's easy to miss some of the details that help explain certain things), you can always come back to this comment section to ask questions.
The drama doesn't outright specify exactly when the transmigration novel was published, but it must have been published in 2016 or sooner (in order for the ML to receive a notification about it in 2016) and we can infer that it was probably published in 2016 shortly before the ML received a notification about it on his phone in 2016 (since that kind of promotion would probably occur around the time that the novel was published).
The FL didn't read the transmigration novel (or click on any notifications about it on her phone) when it was published. Instead, the FL's company acquired the rights to adapt the transmigration novel into a drama in 2025 (several years after the novel was published), and since the FL was tasked with quickly creating a pitch for her company to adapt the novel into a drama she had to quickly skim the transmigration novel at that time.
Short answer: They were both in their mid-twenties when they reunited in the real world in 2025.
Long answer:
The ML was 14 or 15 when he transmigrated from 2016 into the historical story world. He then spent 16 years and 8 months in the historical story world before he wrote the letter to the FL that she reads in episode 27. So his true / mental age was 30+ before episode 27 (which takes place several months - by historical story world time - after the FL transmigrated into the historical story world in episode 1). The ML also mentioned that he spent more time living in the historical story world before the FL arrived than he had spent living in the real world, which fits with him spending 14 or 15 years in the real world before transmigrating and a little over 16 years in the historical story world before the FL arrived. After episode 27, the ML and the FL continued to live in the historical story world for an unknown amount of time. If we assume that the drama timeline is similar to the web novel that the drama is based on (note: I have not read the web novel, I am basing this off of comments from other viewers who did read the web novel) then the ML and FL both lived full lives in the historical story world, but the ML died first and the FL ruled as regent for years after the ML died / until their son was old / experienced enough to rule on his own.
After dying in the historical story world, the ML returned to 2016 in the real world where his physical body was 14 or 15 but his mental age was much older because he had already lived a full life in the historical story world. His physical body then aged 9 years while he waited to meet the FL in the real world, because he had to wait for her to transmigrate into the historical story world, meet him there, and then return to the real world. That occurred in 2025 in the real world, when the ML was physically 23, 24 or 25 years old (it depends on factors like whether he was 14 or 15 when he transmigrated into the historical story, what month he transmigrated in 2016, what month the FL transmigrated in 2025, etc.).
The FL worked in her industry for a few years after graduating university before her birthday in episode 1 / before she transmigrated into the historical story in episode 1. On average, a student would typically be 22 when they graduate from a bachelor's degree program at a Chinese university. If the FL then went on to work for a few years after graduating and then had a birthday, I think we can safely assume she was 24+ when she transmigrated into the historical story.
So the ML would physically be 23 - 25 and the FL would be physically 24+ when they reunited in the real world in 2025, when the FL returned to the exact time and place that she transmigrated from in the real world (12:01 am on a train in Beijing in 2025 on her birthday). Notably, both of them would mentally be much older than their physical age because they both remembered the full lives that they each lived in the historical story world.
That character is just a fictional / 2D character in all three versions of the events in the historical story world. I created a discussion topic for this with a detailed explanation here: https://mydramalist.com/778182-this-is-ridiculous/discussions/148208-higher-level-lower-level-explained
Definitely donāt feel stupid! Getting 90% of the details just from watching the drama once without any input from other viewers is a lot.
I was very lucky with my viewing experience. I watched the drama while it was airing and saw a comment from someone who read the web novel (the web novel that this drama is based on) about the novel-within-a-novel set-up, which helped me pick up on / understand a lot of details as they were presented in the drama. Then I started answering questions about the set-up in this comment section, and the process of writing out explanations also helped really clarify some of the details for me.
And now that Iāve re-watched the drama a few times Iāve also picked up on some details that I missed the first time (like Xie Yong Er mentioning the title of the historical novel - A Thousand Trees Blossoming at Night in the East - in episode 1).
So Iām happy to continue answering questions about those kinds of details in the comment section because it feels like paying it forward (since reading another personās comment really helped improve my viewing experience) and because I really enjoyed this drama and the way that all the details fit together and sharing that with other viewers is fun.
Just my two cents here. This drama is still my #1 favourite drama from 2026 (loved the acting, loved the chemistry, loved the music, loved the plot details), but the details are complicated (multiple worlds, multiple timelines / versions of events) and the drama doesn't spoon-feed them to the audience. The details required to understand how everything works are scattered throughout the drama (which means patience is required from the viewer for some things that will just not make sense from the beginning when you don't have all the info yet), and you have to pay attention to catch them all and then figure out how it all fits together.
I personally loved that aspect of the drama (and it has made rewatching very fun and satisfying every time), but if you're in the mood for something that you can half-watch or fast forward through any scenes that aren't action-packed then this probably isn't the right drama to get you out of your slump.
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A: It's a complicated setup. There are two novels, one inside the other (a historical novel that only exists inside a transmigration novel) and there are three versions of the events that take place inside the historical world depicted in those novels and the drama.
The historical novel is titled "A Thousand Trees Blossoming at Night in the East".
The transmigration novel is titled "Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort."
The first version of events in that historical story world is described in the historical novel. In that version of events: (1) there are NO transmigrators; (2) Xiahou Dan is a tyrant / villain; (3) Yu Wanyin meets Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) by the pond; and (4) Xie Yong Er is only a minor cannon-fodder character who dies very quickly.
In the transmigration novel, the protagonist of the transmigration novel (who initially lives in a fictional version of the modern world in fictional "City A" in a fictional country) reads the historical novel from beginning to end. Then she transmigrates from her fictional modern world into the historical story world, but arrives near the beginning of the historical story, and she takes over the character of Xie Yong Er. Since she knows how events originally unfolded in the historical novel that she read (the first version of events), she is able to use her knowledge to change those events so that Xie Yong Er is no longer just a minor cannon-fodder character and instead becomes the main female character alongside Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan). When the FL described the events of the transmigration novel to the ML in episode 1 of the drama, she describes Xie Yong Er and Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) as the chosen ones.
As an example of a change that the protagonist of the transmigration novel made so that the second version of events (the version in the transmigration novel) differed from the first version of events (the version in the historical novel): she made sure that she (as the character Xie Yong Er) was the one who met Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) at the pond where he met Yu Wanyin in the historical novel, instead of him meeting Yu Wanyin. She makes that same change in the third version of events (the version we see in the drama), which is shown in episode 1 of the drama. Ultimately she helps Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) take the throne, while the villains (Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin, who were not taken over by transmigrators in this version of events) both die and are buried together (even though Yu Wanyin loved Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) not Xiahou Dan (her husband / the tyrant Emperor)). This second version of events is all described in the transmigration novel that the FL skimmed in the first episode. There is only ONE transmigrator in this version of events.
The third version of events in the historical story world is the one we see in the drama. That version of events is created as a result of changes made by THREE transmigrators. The first transmigrator was the ML (Zhang San) who transmigrated from 2016 in the real world to an early part of events in the historical story world where he took over the character of Xiahou Dan when that character was still just a kid / the Crown Prince. He did not read the historical novel or the transmigration novel before he transmigrated. He only read a notification on his phone that mentioned the title of the transmigration novel ("Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort") before he transmigrated into the historical story.
The next two transmigrators were: (1) the FL (Wang Cuihua) - who transmigrated from 2025 in the real world into a part of the historical story that was 16+ years after the point when the ML transmigrated into the story, and she took over the character of Yu Wanyin; and (2) the SFL - who transmigrated from a fictional version of the modern world into the same point of the historical story, and she took over the character of Xie Yong Er.
While the FL had skimmed the transmigration novel and had a general understanding of how the protagonist of that novel changed the events of the historical novel (the first version of events) in order to make Xie Yong Er the main female character in the second version of events, the SFL had only read the historical novel and was not aware that she was the fictional protagonist of another novel. The SFL thought her original world was the real world and that she was a real person. The characters (including the SFL) who existed in the first or second version of events as characters (i.e., not as someone on a "higher level" reading those events in a novel) did not retain any memories of those previous versions of events when the lived through subsequent changed versions of the same events.
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Q: And why was Dan so certain that someone would transmigrate for him? In the story, he was introduced as a tyrant, not as the male lead.
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A: The ML (Zhang San, the transmigrator who took over the character of Xiahou Dan in the third version of events in the historical story world) did not read the historical novel or the transmigration novel. He only read a notification on his phone that mentioned the title of the transmigration novel ("Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort") before he transmigrated into the historical story. As he only had that title to work with, he guessed that one of the consorts of the "devil" in that world would also be a transmigrator from the real world, like him. And, as he desperately wanted to find another transmigrator / real person from the real world, he desperately looked for that person who was, or who would become, the consort referenced in the title of the transmigration novel. He didn't think that someone would transmigrate *for* him. He just assumed, because of the title, that there would be a female transmigrator who was, or who would become, a consort. And he was right.
Of course that consort (the one referenced in the title of the transmigration novel) turned out to be Xie Yong Er, who was a transmigrator (the ONLY transmigrator in the transmigration novel / in the second version of events) but who was NOT a real person from the real world. Luckily he met Yu Wanyin first, and in that third version of events (the only version that the ML (Zhang San, who transmigrated and took over the character of Xiahou Dan only in the third version of events) experienced) the character of Yu Wanyin had been taken over by a transmigrator (the FL / Wang Cuihua) who WAS a real person from the real world.
Since the ML (Zhang San) had not read either novel, he did not know any of the specific details of those novels (e.g., who the main characters were in either one) before he transmigrated into the historical story world and he did not know that the original character Xiahou Dan (with no transmigrator taking over that character) was portrayed as an evil tyrant in the novels / the first and second version of events in the historical story world or that Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) and Xie Yong Er were the main characters of the transmigration novel, until the FL (who had skimmed the transmigration novel) explained those details to him in episode 1.
She is the fictional protagonist of the transmigration novel "Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort". In that novel, she first lived in a fictional version of the modern world (where "City A" was the capital of the fictional country where she lived, and Beijing / China did not exist). In that world, she read the historical novel "A Thousand Trees Blossoming at Night in the East" from cover to cover. In the historical novel, Xie Yong Er was just a minor cannon-fodder character who quickly died in the crossfire of the main character's conflicts. After reading the historical novel, the protagonist transmigrated from her original world (a *fictional* version of the modern world) into the world of the historical novel. She arrived near the beginning of the story's events and took over the character of Xie Yong Er. She used her knowledge of how events originally played out in the historical novel to change events so that Xie Yong Er became the main character. These were the events of the transmigration novel that the FL read when she skimmed it in chapter 1. The transmigration novel only had one transmigrator.
When the ML and FL transmigrated from the real world into the historical story world, they (along with the protagonist of the transmigration novel) changed the events of that world again. This time, the events were changed so that Xie Yong Er was not a minor cannon-fodder character and was ALSO not the main character. Instead, she became the secondary female character.
So there were three versions of events in the historical story world. The first version (the events depicted in the historical novel) had no transmigrators and Xie Yong Er was a minor cannon-fodder character. The second version (the events depicted in the transmigration novel) only had one transmigrator, and Xie Yong Er was the main female character. The third version (the events we see in the drama) had three transmigrators (one who was fictional and transmigrated from one fictional world to another and two who were real and transmigrated from the real world to the fictional world of the historical story) and Xie Yong Er was the secondary female character.
A more detailed explanation is available here: https://mydramalist.com/778182-this-is-ridiculous/discussions/148208-higher-level-lower-level-explained
He isnāt a person from the modern world who transmigrated into the historical story a few hours ago and then fell head over heels in love with the FL almost immediately after meeting her.
Contrary to what the ML told the FL (i.e., that he transmigrated into the story two hours before meeting the FL), the ML transmigrated into the story when he was 14 or 15 years old, and then he had to live inside the story (surrounded only by fictional characters whose character set-up involved hurting him, using him, or fearing him) for 16+ years. He desperately searched for another person who transmigrated into the story from the real world, like he did, but all his efforts (e.g., the SOS flowers) were in vain.
Until finally the FL arrived and intentionally revealed herself to the ML the very first time they met. Her brave decision to risk revealing her status as a transmigrator to the ML so quickly meant that the ML was able to confirm, at the earliest possible moment, that he wasn't crazy and he hadn't been imagining his past in the real world (including his family there) for the last 16+ years. And she arrived with knowledge about the story (which she willingly and freely shared with him), a positive attitude and kindness / innocence that had not yet been tarnished by the harsh dynamic of the historical story, and a willingness to team-up with the ML. She could bond with the ML over their shared memories of the real world and shared experience of transmigrating into the historical story (a very bizarre experience that could not really be understood by someone who did not experience it) and she was REAL.
IMO, those are the things that caused the ML to have such an intense immediate reaction to the FL in episode 1 and to want to spend time with her and protect her (in the way that he wished his younger self had been protected when he arrived in the historical story world).
Then, as he got to know her better, he quickly developed deeper feelings for her based on how wonderful she is as a person to him and in general. Which I think is totally understandable. She's pretty great.
For example:
-Apart from trying to survive in the historical story world, the FL's main goal was to use her power and influence in that kingdom to make it a better place for the citizens of that kingdom to live. She didn't want to run away to ensure her own safety and she didn't want to selfishly build up wealth and power for her own enjoyment and benefit. She wanted to stay by the ML's side as his ally and she wanted to use their positions for the good of other people.
-When the ML and FL put on an act together in the first few episodes to try and find other transmigrators, among other things, that was the first time in 16+ years that the ML had the opportunity to be in cahoots with another person in a fun, playful way instead of feeling alone or scheming with 2D characters about very serious, life-or-death matters.
-The FL helped the ML find several characters with good / kind character set-ups who were not only good allies for the ML but also characters who could become trusted friends to the ML (to the extent possible, given that they were still 2D characters).
So, right before Xiahou Dan was about to embark on his suicide plan to take down the Empress Dowager and Xiahou Bo (Prince Duan) at the same time, along with himself (since the odds were that he would also die), the FL arrived and gave him assurance that he wasn't crazy (he really did come from another world where he had family who loved him) and made him feel that he wanted to give this person the protection that he did not receive when he arrived in that world when he was a kid. He felt that he had already been ruined by the story world (turned into an irredeemable monster who was dying anyway), but protecting her was like protecting his inner child self. And pretending to be normal with her (a real person) made him feel more normal and free than he had ever felt in the previous 16 years. And then, when he gave her the chance to escape the palace (something he had longed for, especially after he first arrived in the historical story world), she chose to stay with him in the palace, to be his teammate, and to try and make that dark world a better place. Her arrival was like the sun finally coming out after 16 years of darkness.
So he paused his kamikaze plan just before launching it and chose to help her achieve her goals instead.
And then, IMO, the fact that the FL immediately wanted to answer the SOS call when she thought that the SOS flowers were a message from another transmigrator just made the ML love her more, because that was the kind of selfless, kind, and compassionate response and person he had been longing for for so many years. How different his nightmare life in the historical world would have been if someone like her had answered his SOS flower message back when he originally planted them.
Some of this is revealed when / shortly after the FL finds out the truth about when the ML transmigrated into the story and about some other secrets that the ML was keeping (e.g., about his health and the plans that he was going to implement but ended up pausing when the FL arrived) pretty late in the drama. But some of it is revealed in the Zhang San Diary scenes that are shown at the end of several episodes. Make sure to watch those, including the one that comes up after the credits at the end of the very last episode!
The fictional protagonist of the transmigration novel "Transmigrated: The Devil's Beloved Consort" lived in a *fictional* version of the modern world (where "City A" was the capital of the fictional country where the protagonist lived and both Beijing and China did not exist), and in that world she read a historical novel titled "A Thousand Trees Blossoming at Night in the East".
After reading the historical novel (where Xie Yong Er was just a minor cannon-fodder character who quickly died in the crossfire between the main characters), the protagonist of the transmigration novel transmigrated from her original world (a fictional version of the modern world) into the historical story world where she took over the character of Xie Yong Er. There, she changed the original events of the story in such a way that Xie Yong Er became the main female character. That was the plot of the transmigration novel.
More details about the different worlds here: https://mydramalist.com/778182-this-is-ridiculous/discussions/148208-higher-level-lower-level-explained
Xie Yong Er's view of Xiahou Bo is heavily influenced by the things she read in the historical novel, where every other character (including Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin - in a different version of events where those characters were not taken over by transmigrators) is a clearly terrible villain and Xiahou Bo is, in comparison, the most virtuous and talented character of the bunch who was victimized as a child and forced to struggle against constraints as a an adult because of the humble origins of his mother and the cruelty of the Dowager Empress and Xiahou Dan. Plus, as a 2D character, she is pre-disposed to follow her character set-up.