The supporting character Lu Kui seems like comic relief. The way he talks about getting sick from overeating and laughing loudly is a bit one-dimensional. I hope he gets more depth later. Right now, he feels like he's just there to make the new guy feel welcome and to provide a bit of light humor before the dark stuff happens.
The transition from Shen Shuangyu’s oppressive world to Ye Qing’s modern life is seamless. It feels like you’re watching two separate stories that are mirroring each other. Ye Qing’s initial frustration with The Marchioness’s Second Wife script mirrors our own frustration with the female lead’s suffering. It’s clever storytelling.
The action scene where Su Chen runs "more than ten kilometers" and people think he's a ghost was a cool way to show his new speed. It's a simple but effective payoff. And then stopping in a deep mountain and forest to learn about the True Dragon Sacred Body's dual cultivation nature – that's the exposition dump you expect. It was handled okay, not too info-dumpy. The line "This is forcing him to become a stud!" made me chuckle. The author is self-aware in a way.
Finding a white forest was odd but intriguing. Why is it white? The author never explains, which is a missed chance for worldbuilding. The wild fruit looking fresh and Chen Dian checking for poison by taking a bite is a bit dangerous but common in survival stories. The fruit being sweet and juicy was a standard description. At least they got energy to keep going. The white forest remains a mystery, which bugs me a little.
I love the dynamic between Xi Jun and Wan Yuan. Xi Jun is this lively, mouthy girl who speaks without thinking, and Wan Yuan is the calm, reserved one who has to rein her in. Their banter feels real, like two people who know each other too well. It adds a bit of lightness to the otherwise heavy palace atmosphere.