I have to admit, the old man Zhou Tong seems like a classic mentor figure, but his bluntness is refreshing. He doesn’t baby Su Xun. He tells him the cold truth: if you’re weak, you’ll drag your sister down. That’s harsh, but it’s the kind of tough love that actually pushes a character to grow. It’s way better than some gentle teacher who coddles the protagonist.
The mother-in-law’s whole character gives me the creeps. She’s so fake-polite while basically trying to steal her daughter-in-law’s dowry. And the way she manipulates using family harmony as an excuse? Classic toxic matriarch. I hate her, but in the best way. A well-written villain you love to hate. The fact that she’s perfectly willing to sacrifice the third branch including her own grandchild makes her almost monstrous.
Can we talk about how the cat's internal voice is written? It's this perfect blend of cat-like simple desires like food and comfort with this human-like cunning and loyalty to his owner, it makes him feel like a real character rather than just a plot device dressed in fur.