The porridge cooking and cooling compresses scene was so wholesome. It’s a small moment, but it immediately marks how different this Lin Xiaojiu is from the previous one. That domestic caregiving energy is something I’m here for.
Azami is a likeable protagonist. He’s competent but not arrogant. He gets the job done but is aware of consequences. His frustration with politics and his wish to avoid attention is relatable. He’s not the typical hero who wants to change the world; he’s a guy who wants to live quietly but gets dragged into messes. That groundedness makes me root for him. The fact that he still gave parting gifts despite wanting to leave says a lot.
Fifth Brother trying to stand up for Banyue while everyone else just watches? That character is the only one with a spine in that entire team. The way he physically blocks Si Yuchuan's gun and refuses to leave her is genuinely touching. But what I can't get over is that even he ended up abandoning her in the end. That moment where he shouts "you live for me" and then leaves anyway? That broke something in me.
I'm a bit on the fence about the pace. The first part is incredibly tight and gripping, but I worry that the drama might become repetitive if it's just Gu Yanzhi doing one belated thing and Shen Weiyang shutting him down. The arrival of Prince Zhenbei and 'Sister Luo Xue' feels like a natural way to inject a new plotline and create a different kind of conflict. I'm hoping the story uses this to explore the wider web that trapped Shen Weiyang. 30.
I’m digging the androgynous presentation of Lin Du. The author is careful to use neutral terms and clarify that she’s a girl, but also that in this world, gender isn’t as rigid. The way she’s described as looking like a beautiful but sickly youth, and how she uses that ambiguity to her advantage, feels intentional. It’s refreshing to see a female protagonist who isn’t immediately coded as soft and feminine.
The dynamic between Ye Qing and Ye Zhiruo is painfully realistic. The stepsister who plays the victim while the family blindly supports her is such a common troupe in real life. Ye Qing's line “I liked them in my mother’s womb” was savage and so satisfying. I could feel the pent-up frustration finally exploding.