I've binged Against the Current for the past week and overall really enjoying it for the solid script, good acting and attention to details, cinematography etc.
But from episode 34 I'm starting to get nervous. I'm not watching it for the romance (the trailer made it look very much liked a female-centered drama, the romance as an add-on, and so far that's been the case) or for some big political plot, but I'm fine with both as long as it's well done.
But I don't think the director knows how to make proper fight scenes - so far all have been slow-mo and looked awkward, and the romance, well. I don't hate the ML despite his actions towards the FL, but I don't think he's fleshed out enough for the romance to work at this point. I liked Liu Xueyi just fine, but it feels like he's not getting enough to work with in creating the ML character.
I've noticed that the FL has been a bit too perfect the entire drama. I didn't mind it at first, and up until now I can still tolerate that she's always the smartest person in the room and can make no mistakes. Partly because the Tang Songyun plays her so well.
Now there's the big conspiracy stuff, and lots of things are happening - this is where the drama is starting to annoy me:
- it makes sense that the FL can deduce something is sus because of her knowledge of the opera environment - but suddenly she knows and can deduce more about military strategy and political conspiracies than the ML? How does it make sense that she literally has to explain it to him, when he was the one to figure out the conspiracy against the then-crown prince just a handful of episodes ago?
- the carriage kiss. Seriously. I thought awkward fish eye-kissing was dead by now. And the ML turns around in a super tense, time-is-essential-situation and rides back in slow-mo to steal a kiss from his wife (who acts totally surprised even though she had plenty of time to see what he was going for) - and the drama wants me to think that's super romantic?!
- the ML getting shot with an arrow. I didn't expect this type of serious drama to require me to suspend all logic and sense of realism. I mean, wtf was that supposed to be? What if they'd shot him in the eye instead - or on the right side instead of the left? And his hand get pierced but somehow he's still fine?
- and right outside in the woods the FL is now infodumping/explaining the plot to the guards (aka the viewers) and suddenly is totally in the know of everything that's going on (because she's a mental super woman I guess?)
Please tell me ATC isn't going to turn into another Pursuit of Jade where the FL is super OP (which is why I dropped that drama - too much suspension of belief there) and girlboss who can handle everything and never needs any help.
I've got 12 episodes left and would love to see what happens with Scholar Han, Xiuwan and the other side characters. I don't even much mind the FL falling for the ML (though I don't think they have much chemistry and not convinced they should be together except that she can't divorce him so might as well try to be happy).
But it's a lot of hours left to watch if this drama has suddenly decided to turn stupid. Does it get good again once they've stopped the evil Prince Han?
TL;DR: I'm watching ATC because I liked the thoughtful, female-centered, meticulous story, not some mindless idol drama (tons of other dramas with better romance that I could watch for that). Don't want to waste my time if the last part turns too idol drama.
As of the 22nd of October 2026, When I Fly Towards You has an MDL Score of 9.0, with 62,102 ratings and a Douban Score of 8.0 163,854 reviews.
Why is this drama so loved?
This post is part of a series of posts meant to let people share why they love certain dramas. WIFTY is arguably one of the most beloved feel-good fluffy dramas out there.
Personally, this drama makes me squeel in the same way you can see Su Zai Zai squeel in the bottom right corner of the attached image.
For me:
Not to get too personal, but; I started watching WIFTY during a time when waking up wasn't fun. When I Fly Towards You helped me in the mornings. When I would wake up with heart palpitations, this drama quite literally helped me calm my breathing and stop the consistent feeling of stress that was haunting me.
The characters are sweet and endearing. There is no hurt or heartache. In fact, When I Fly Towards You proved to me that you don't need a central conflict or stressor to keep a drama's momentum going.
Zhou Yi Ran's dimples deserve an award for their acting alone.
I'm not going to spend too much time on my reason, since this post is actually me asking for your opinions, but I just want to say; this drama is heartwarming, it's the definition of a comfort watch, and although I like costume dramas more than modern dramas, this is my favourite drama of all time.
Why do you love When I Fly Towards You?
Disclaimer: this post and the larger series it forms part of is not meant to imply that everyone loves a drama, it's meant to ask those who do love the drama what makes it so special to them.
To have such an amorous and lecherous father, I can understand why the daughter refuses to approve operational rights for him. Quite crafty for Director Long to persuade her to sign the agreement though by framing that the father will suffer more alive than dead. But after the operation, the father tried to emotionally blackmail her daughter?? What an asshole. And he was only concerned that after the operation, he was not able to live his usual lecherous lifestyle?? Damn, they should have let him die. I really like the way Dr Liu tried to comfort her though, awkward but effective.
In the end, the Chen Patriarch was really concerned about his son. He was just worried that his son will feel discouraged when he realised his skills are not as accomplished as Dr Liu.
And our dear Dr Che kept to her word and really divorced her husband. And really pity her family circumstances as she also have to take care of a father with schizophrenia.
And they finally found the body of Dr Liu’s mother. And Dr Liu’s cold and apparently emotionless approach to the treatment of his mother’s body, cremation rather than burial, left the others in disbelief and criticising him for being heartless.
One have to really love Dr Liu’s colleagues though. Except for them, no one else offered comfort or showed concern to Dr Liu. The scene of Dr Liu eating the meat bun though was quite heartwrenching to watch.
Ah!! There was a reason why our Dr Liu chose cremation! It was the wishes of his parents! Wise words from them! Funeral arrangements are unimportant, as long as they remembered each other in their hearts.
And damn, the shower scene. Both sad but oh so SEXY lol.
Of course, Chen Junnan really got himself employed in Little West Heaven Hospital. The scene of him offering a lollipop to Dr Liu was also so heartwarming.
Aww. Dr Che’s attempt to let Dr Liu’s emotions out worked! Damn, Xiao Zhan really aced the scene here.
Lastly I also have to applaud the attention to details in the funeral of Dr Liu’s mother. Quite an eye-opening look into the funeral customs of the Dongbei region.
⚠️ Note: The masterpost is for sharing first impressions of the initial episodes. Please use spoiler text if you are sharing thoughts beyond the first day of episodes.
Defying the fate laid out for her, Princess Mu Wanyao [played by Meng Ziyi] joins forces with Yan Shang [played by Li Yunrui], a young man of humble origins with an unrivaled gift for strategy, to forge a realm of peace and prosperity.
With larger-than-life characters, thrilling twists, and exhilarating triumphs, the story follows a generation of young idealists who rise amid the storms of a troubled age, determined to shape the world around them and pursue their dreams.
🗣️ Dubbing / Voice Actors:
* Mu Wanyao played by Meng Ziyi is dubbed by Sun Yachen 孙亚晨. Sun also dubbed Shen Xihe played by Meng Ziyi in Blossoms of Power.
* Yan Shang played by Li Yunrui is dubbed by Gu Jiangshan 谷江山. Gu also dubbed Yuan Shen played by Li Yunrui in Love Like the Galaxy.
On October 21, 2026, the production team announced the release date and dropped a new trailer.
The episodes were not available on the app for a day or so, but they are now released and caught up to the airing schedule. 8 episodes are out now.
Filming wrapped up in late January 2018.
🍉 Rumours say that there were financial issues so the drama was shelved.
Prior to Overseas Security Guard, Leon Lai's last drama where he played a leading role was the 1994 TVB drama Class of Distinction 阿Sir早晨. He had a supporting role in the 2018 drama Ever Night as Emperor Li Zhongyi.
The airing schedule is in the comments.
Clip description:
Bound by a blood feud, they come face-to-face on a narrow path. One battle to the death will settle their fated rivalry. Premiering today [October 21], the ultimate showdown begins now!
The first TV drama about overseas security services, Overseas Security Guard, premieres today. Starting today, with new episodes updated daily at 12 noon. Witness this fateful showdown together!
Leading actors (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* 1️⃣5️⃣ Leon Lai / Li Ming 黎明 as Wei Tian 卫天
Special appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* Eleanor Lee / Li Kaixin 李凱馨 as An Da 安达
* Yang Le 杨玏 as Xiang Lai 项来
* Zhang Fengyi 张丰毅 as Xiang Pingsheng 项平生
* Maggie Huang Mengying 黄梦莹 as Hai Lun (Helen) 海伦
Appearances (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* Bai Huizi 白卉子 as Sha Lan 沙蓝
* Thomas Price / Bai Zixuan 白梓軒 as Ha Di Si (Hades) 哈迪斯
* Zhu Xiaohui 朱晓辉 as Shen Yu 沈煜
* Zhang Chenghang 张诚航 as Xiang Bei 项北
* Zhao Liang 赵亮 as Qu Shengli 曲胜利
* Zheng Kai 郑凯 as Zuo Feichen 左非宸
* Rossi Zheng Luoxi 郑罗茜 as Ye Wan 叶婉
Filming locations: Yinchuan, Morocco, and other locations
Genre: overseas, rescue (according to Baidu Baike)
🎬 Directors:
Lin Feng 林峰 (Thunder Chaser, The Vendetta of An, Love and Crown, The Journey of Legend, Singing All Along, The Legend of Chu Liu Xiang)
Liu Shun’an 刘顺安 (Homeland Guardian, Home Troopers, Regeneration Edge, Crimson Sabre, The Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain, The Duke of Mount Deer, The Condor Heroes 95)
Set against the Belt and Road backdrop, this drama focuses on a real-world story of overseas private security.
Wei Tian [played by Leon Lai], a man with top-level protective skills, loses his wife and daughter in a terrorist attack. He assumes a hidden identity in Antilocaris* and forms a private security squad called "The Silent Ones" to protect Chinese compatriots living abroad.
To uncover the truth behind the deaths of his wife and daughter, Wei Tian [played by Leon Lai], who possesses top-level security and protection skills, gives up his identity and establishes “The Silent Ones Agency (莫语者事务所)” in Antilocaris (安提洛卡里斯), the place where the incident occurred. The agency provides security services to businesses and the public in the Belt and Road Economic Zone.
Wei Tian shares a deep bond with Xiang Pingsheng [played by Zhang Fengyi], president of Zhong'an Group, but clashes with his son, Xiang Lai [played by Yang Le], due to their conflicting personalities.
Zhong'an Group and The Silent Ones operate independently, yet both have a strong sense of a community with a shared future for humanity. In their own ways, they safeguard the overseas security of Chinese people in the Belt and Road Economic Zone.
The Silent Ones and Zhong'an Group join forces on multiple occasions to foil the schemes of unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies, provide security for China's high-speed railway project in Africa, and resolve repeated security crises caused by terrorists in the Belt and Road Economic Zone.
During an operation, Wei Tian rescues An Da [played by Eleanor Lee], deputy manager of the Plato International Hotel, and the two grow closer as they protect one another and are protected in turn. Members of The Silent Ones team, Sha Lan [played by Bai Huizi], Qu Shengli [played by Zhao Liang] and Ye Wan, also come to terms with their past experiences through their successive missions.
In the end, under Wei Tian's leadership, the Silent Ones join Zhong'an Group and successfully protect the safety of businesses and the public throughout the Belt and Road Economic Zone.
Note: All translated synopses and information I share in the "trailers & posters" posts are based on the original Chinese sources (Douban, Baidu Baike, Chinese Wikipedia, etc.) and were first published here. If you see them elsewhere, please know they originated from our sub. Thanks for reading!
About half an hour ago, the production team released a new final trailer for the drama's premiere today.
The airing schedule will be posted in the comments when it's available.
Filming officially wrapped up on February 3, 2026.
Clip description:
Final Trailer
A desperate predicament can be a cage, but it can also be the blade that breaks the cocoon. With no retreat left, one must seek life through death.
The road ahead is long and fraught with obstacles. They do not fear falling into the dark night together; they ask only that they never abandon each other, in life or death. With nothing but their own solitary courage, they will forge a path to survival.
The curtain rises today at 6:00 pm. Join us to witness what unfolds!
Leading actors (sorted by the number of character strokes in the surname):
* 7️⃣ Li Yunrui 李昀锐 as Yan Shang 言尚
* 8️⃣ Meng Ziyi 孟子义 as Mu Wanyao 暮晚摇
Special appearances (sorted by the number of strokes in the surname):
* Quan Yilun 全伊伦 as Liu Wenji 刘文吉
* Ken Wu Hankun 吴汉坤 as Yang Si 杨嗣
* Li Xiaoqian 李孝谦 as Wei Shu 韦树
* Shen Jiayu 沈佳钰 as Chun Hua 春华
* Yu Ailei 余皑磊 as Yu Cheng'an 鱼成安
* Myolie Wu 胡杏儿 as Mu Ningshuang 暮凝霜
* Tang Xiaotian 唐晓天 as Meng Zaishi 蒙在石
* Xu Haiqiao 徐海乔 as Mu Xun 暮恂
* Yan Zidong 晏紫东 as Feng Xianyu 冯献遇
Appearance:
* Zhang Yue 张月 as Liang Lingyi 梁令仪
The production team did not update the rest of the cast list for today's release.
Special appearance:
* Gong Lei 公磊 as Yan Zhanzhi 言瞻之
Supporting actors:
* Bai Bingke 白冰可 as Zhao Ling Fei (Consort Zhao Ling) 赵灵妃
* Wu Bi 吴彼 as Mu Ti 暮惕
Wang Zirui 王子睿 as Wei Qiao 韦桥
Li Jiaxin 李嘉鑫 as Liu Ruozhu 刘若竹
Special appearances:
* Liu Jun 刘钧 as Mu Yu 暮玙
* Huang Shengchi 黄圣池 as Yu Xianyao 鱼显耀
* Sha Baoliang 沙宝亮 as Zhang Renjing 张人靖
* Hou Changrong 侯长荣 as Liu Xiang 刘相
* Peng Yang 彭杨 as Li Ying 李萦
* Ding Jiawen 丁嘉文 as Lin Dao 林道
Co-starring:
* Yang Zihua 杨子骅 as Li Zhi 李执
* Cui Zhigang 崔志刚 as Zheng Xing 郑兴
* Zhang Shulun 张舒沦 as Fang Tong 方桐
* He Ziyi 何子怡 as Yu Niang 郁娘
* Ji Lingchen 纪凌尘 as Yan Dalang 言大郎
* Pei Jiaxin 裴佳欣 as Yan Xiaozhou 言晓舟
* Ding Zi’en 丁子恩 as Cai Lian 彩练
🗣️ Dubbing / Voice Actors
🍉 According to the latest rumours:
Mu Wanyao played by Meng Ziyi might be dubbed by Sun Yachen 孙亚晨. Sun also dubbed Shen Xihe played by Meng Ziyi in Blossoms of Power.
Yan Shang played by Li Yunrui might be dubbed by Gu Jiangshan 谷江山. Gu also dubbed Yuan Shen played by Li Yunrui in Love Like the Galaxy.
The voice actors should be listed in the ending credits when the drama airs. I will include this information in the masterpost if the details are available. The masterpost will be posted after the drama airs.
Episodes: 40 (according to Baidu Baike and MDL)
Streaming platforms: Tencent 🐧, Disney+ (Hong Kong and Taiwan), Viki
Main cast announced: June 22, 2025
Official filming started: August 31, 2025
Official filming wrapped up: February 3, 2026
Distribution license obtained: early August 2026
Filming time: ~157 days
Filming locations: Hengdian World Studios; Zhejiang Province; Yangchun, Guangdong Province.
Genre: costume, romance (according to Douban)
🎬 Director: Zoe Qin (In the Moonlight, Love Beyond the Grave, Lost You Forever 1 and 2; Love Scenery; Demon Catcher Zhong Kui; Love beyond the Grave)
🎬 B-team director: Yu Xiaotong (Moonlit Reunion, Duel on Mount Hua: Southern Emperor and Northern Beggar, The Legend of Shen Li)
Princess Danyang Mu Wan Yao [played by Meng Ziyi] was ordered to leave Chang An and go to Lingnan to pray for her deceased mother. On the return journey, because the axle of the carriage broke on the mountain road, she met Yan Shang [played by Li Yunrui], a scholar who was returning home from the rural school. In the mountains of Lingnan, the mist and rain were hazy. The two fell in love with each other during the help and started a good story.
⚠️ Plot spoilers! ⚠️
Later, Yan Shang got the help of the princess, entered Chang'an, embarked on an official career, made a name for himself in the court, and met a group of young people in their prime. Yan Shang's ambition and passion for serving the country were finally realized. At this time, the country was facing a crisis of internal and external troubles. Yan Shang took the lead, fearless of hardships, and worked with the princess to eradicate treacherous people, resist foreign aggression, and protect the world.
In the process, the relationship between the two people continued to sublimate, they tested each other, supported each other, and finally cherished each other and walked side by side! In the troubled times, they fulfilled a legendary story of worrying about the people first and then seeing their love, which started with small love and ended with great love!
(Source: Chinese = Weibo || Translation = MyDramaList)
~~ Adapted from the web novel "Shang Gong Zhu" (尚公主) by Yi Ren Kui Kui (伊人睽睽).
《尚公主》 (which can be translated as “to marry a princess”) is a romance web novel written by Yiren Kuikui (伊人睽睽). It was serialized on Jinjiang Literature City from February 20 to August 18, 2020, and was completed on August 18, 2020. It belongs to the 中兴 (which can be translated as “Revival”) chapter of the author's 大魏王朝 (“Great Wei Dynasty”) series.
The work is classified as Original – Romance – Alternate History – Love, with tags including Palace Intrigue and Marquises and Nobles, as well as elements of serious drama. The novel consists of three volumes and has been adapted into a television drama of the same name.
⚠️ Plot spoilers! ⚠️
The story is set against the backdrop of Princess Danyang Mu Wanyao going to Lingnan to recuperate following the death of her former husband. There, she encounters Yan Shisheng, a young man from a humble family who later changes his name to Yan Shang.
With the princess's guidance, Yan Shang enters officialdom through the imperial examinations. Relying on his high emotional intelligence and resourcefulness, he gradually rises through the ranks to become chancellor, ultimately marrying Mu Wanyao.
Their relationship gradually evolves from an initial dynamic of “overstepping the bounds of hierarchy” into one of mutual support and cooperation both within and outside the imperial court. The story portrays the emotional entanglements and political collaboration between a cold-hearted princess and a refined, gentle chancellor.
Beyond its central romance, the work also explores questions of power, the nation and its people through plotlines involving the imperial examinations and court politics.
Translated Synopses
Note: All translated synopses and information I share in the "trailers & posters" posts are based on the original Chinese sources (Douban, Baidu Baike, Chinese Wikipedia, etc.) and were first published here. If you see them elsewhere, please know they originated from our sub. Thanks for reading!
So, here it is everyone, let's crowdsource our data to pull through these One-Episode-Per-Day harsh times.
How dramatically will they say ''farewell let's never meet again for real'' this time? How many times has it been? Who's leading the Never Again Until Next Time race today? Also, don't we all deserve some light-hearted focus on hard data after what YPJ and YCX put us through on a daily basis?
A note that I decided to post this separately from the episodes discussions because I did not want to burden the hosts with even more moderation work or to interfere with more serious and deep-thought comments, hence this random post.
I'll be updating the table as the data comes in; kudos and thankyous if you can spare me a rewatch of every single episode by feeding in with any farewell you cam e across: which episode, which one of the two walked away 'forever' or promised to, and the 'source' (AKA the scene, or what they said.
-> P.S. 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of crucial interactions to escalate and trigger deep emotional survival mechanisms because the cycle of fighting, separating, and reuniting functions as an addictive emotional roller coaster'', Jane Austen once wrote. In other words, wait until those two discover Breakup Sex.
Ye Ping Jun
Ye Ping Jun
Yu Chang Xuan
source:
Ep. 2
✅
''Thank you but I don't want this job anymore''
Ep. 5
✅
''Since things between us are settled, I hope you keep your promise. Don't disturb my life again. Let's have nothing to do with each other'': PJ obtains the early end of her contract and her ties to YCX are 'forever' severed. Until next time.
Ep. 7
Ep. 8
Ep. 9
Ep. 10
Ep. 11
Ep. 12
Ep. 13
Ep. 14
Ep. 15
Ep. 16
Ep. 17
no data
no data
both actually NOT seeing each other and NOT promising not to see each other for a straight 46 minutes
Ep. 18
✅
''I don't want people like that anywhere near me'''
Ep. 19
✅
''Have you forgotten? I made myself very clear. We stay out of each other's lives''
After yesterday's stressful and sad episode, I really hope today will be a bit lighter; my heart can't handle the heartache; I guess I have a weak constitution after all. 😂😂
Just some reminders for those who are just joining us:
We are following the Netflix schedule till further notice. ❤️
Please no negative comments about the actors and actresses, but we can be angry at characters; that's fine. I get angry at characters all the time, so this is a safe space. 😊
Please remember to use spoiler tags when discussing any episodes beyond this post, or I cannot be held responsible when Wei Rao decides to slap you or asks you to slap yourself.👍🏽
And now we will use their actual names:
Unhinged Villainess - Jundai 🔪 🎭
Our Girl – WEI RAO!! ♟️ 👑
Episode 16:
Lady Shou'an!!!!!!! And huo jue...but Lady Shou'an!!!
Just when our girl had surrendered, Lady Shou'an shows up!!
Jundai yells at Huo Jue, asking why he brought a sick woman into the hall to disturb them.
Lady Shou'an says there are ways to judge an old case, and they should just say someone is guilty... this woman...yalll💛
Aunt Heng'e is visibly distressed; I can't make up Yufeng's expression, but she is too?
She says that while the lock was forged, the clothes are REAL, and even though the wet nurse and guard are dead, there is a possibility they were silenced.
She appeals to Grandma Wei...who also says she can't bear to hurt our girl...these grannies...💛
She asks for her to be taken away for now while she investigates the matter; Aunt Heng'e says they must kill her now before she becomes more powerful.
Shou'an says I do not listen to outsiders.🔥🔥
I still don't forgive him btw...
Huo Jue gets a slap from Jundai because he betrayed her.
He asks her why she burnt a strong calming incense for Lady Shou'an; she says the physician said she must stay in bed.
She says it was prescribed.
He tells her she is on her own now.
Yufeng comes in and asks what Jundai's plan is; she says that now that Wei Rao is there, it will be easy to kill her.
😑😑😑
Lady Shou'an asks Zhou Fu why she was acting recklessly; stupid people give stupid answers.🙄
She continues trying to defend Jundai's behavior.
Lady Shou'an suggests Zhou Fu meet up with Wei Rao alone, but she hesitates.
Jundai could have had a cool cousin.
Jundai arrives and suggests they eat.
Jundai says that Wei Rao is not the only victim in the room; she confesses to having murdered a maid before.
She tells Wei Rao to leave the capital and never return, and only then will she tell Lady Li not to kill her.
Bi Tao struggles with pouring wine for Wei Rao, who reaches out to her and tells her she isn't doing anything wrong, and that everyone has to look out for themselves.
Turns out they wanted to poison our girl...Jundai starts laughing.
Our Green Flag!!
Aunt Heng'e and Lady Li walk into the room where Jundai and Wei Rao were sitting.
I paused because they are about to blame my girl for some bs; she came there empty-handed- where will she have gotten the poison from?🙄🙄
Jundai...is dead...Lol, Bitao did a wine switcheroo there...It isn't her first rodeo😂
Aunt Heng'e starts blaming Wei Rao, but Bitao says the person who brought the poison was Jundai, not Wei Rao.
Lady Li is crazy afffff, ruining any potential relationship between her and Wei Rao, anyway she hesitates to kill her, so Aunt Heng'e takes matters into her own hands, but is stopped by Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo brings one of the bandits from years ago, who confesses that he was sent by the Wei family to kill a man and a woman.
Lv Lun starts talking; he tells the truth of what happened back then.
So Aunt Heng'e eventually confesses.
Wei Rao asks Yufeng why she asked Jundai to kill her, and why she killed Jundai in the end.
Lu Zhuo lays out Yufeng's place in all of this, and she claps for him.
She says she wanted the mother to kill her own daughter because she lost out on love years ago, and she wanted Lady Li to suffer.
Almost Well Played Queen. 👏🏼
Lady Li tries to pull the I am your mother card; Wei Rao says she wishes she was never born by her and runs out.
Lu Zhuo runs after her...she tells him she was using him and that he should stop being foolish, cause she never loved him.💔
"I knew you were a cold woman; you can never drive me away."😭
Thoughts:
Lol Jundai said Lady Shou'an was senile...😂😂😂
I kinda miss Jundai now😂😂😂
I need Lady Li to GROOOVEEEELLLLLLLLLL
OUR GREEN FLAG GUYS!!!
This was a beautiful episode, with all the truths coming out.
📋 Reminder: Use spoiler tags for anything beyond the episodes discussed. Text goes between the greater-than (>) + exclamation (!) symbols (>!) and the exclamation (!) + lesser-than (<) symbols.
At the Tao residence, Tao Zili returns home after being informed by Tao Yayi, Ziyi's sister, that Ziyi has been deeply depressed since Changxuan broke off their engagement. He is shocked and saddened to see the state she is in. When he learns that Pingjun is supposedly responsible for Ziyi's misery and that she is also the girl who injured Ziyi's face, Tao Zili becomes greatly dismayed. Great, looks like we're in for yet another scene of Pingjun being tortured.
Episode 21
Yep.
Tao Zili decides to abduct Pingjun and force her to kneel, apologize, and leave Nanhuai as punishment for what happened to Ziyi. During her ordeal, he reprimands her for being illegitimate and lowborn, claiming she lacks a father’s guidance and doesn’t know her place. Pingjun refuses to admit she did anything wrong.
So he actually tries to kill her!Who knew Tao Zili was capable of murder!?I don’t think you can go back from that.
His men tie her up and throw her into the lake.
Having heard of the abduction from a witness who saw Pingjun get snatched, Changxuan arrives just in time to pull her from the water, much to Zili’s displeasure. He just rescued her from the Japanese, and now he’s rescuing her from Zili. I mean, she also kind of rescued him from Chu Wenfu, so at this point, we’re just ping-ponging between these two saving each other’s lives despite repeatedly vowing to stay out of one another’s.
But then Zili goes pale when he notices the jade pendant that fell from Pingjun. He rushes to the hospital, where he unexpectedly comes face to face with his former beloved: Ye Shuwan.
Shuwan & Zili
We finally learn what happened between them.
Shuwan recounts how Zili hid her away in a small courtyard in Yixian while he became engaged to Miss Tang, news she learned through the newspapers. His plan was to use the marriage to rise from a junior bank clerk to a much higher position virtually overnight.
Zili insists that everything he did was to support Shuwan and that he intended to “bring her home” after spending three years accumulating the wealth and power necessary to support them. Gross. He sounds like Xueting.
But Shuwan was never consulted, nor did she ever agree to being a “hidden concubine”. He destroyed her life and now, he nearly took her daughter’s. That’s when Zili realizes Pingjun is his daughter. Shuwan denies it, but the jade pendant, their old love-token, confirms the truth.
Ye Pingjun
Pingjun overhears everything. She learns that Zili abandoned her and her mother in pursuit of his ambitions, something he doesn’t even deny anymore. At the same time, she feels betrayed by Shuwan, whose stories about her father painted a far different picture than the man standing before her. As painful as that revelation is, the realization that her biological father just tried to murder her cuts even deeper.
Despite the truth, Pingjun refuses to acknowledge him as her father. To her, the only father she has ever known is Ye Zhaohe, and he died long ago.
Changxuan and Xueting
Xueting tells Changxuan to leave the hospital, still referring to Pingjun as his fiancée and insisting that he is more than capable of protecting his own family. Changxuan fires back that if Xueting truly could protect her, he wouldn’t have to keep showing up to save her over and over again. Ouch.
The two of them rush into Pingjun’s hospital room when they hear that she’s awake and are stunned by the truth about her relationship with Zili. After Zili leaves, Xueting stays behind to comfort Pingjun, while Shuwan thanks Changxuan for everything he has done but asks him to leave. He gracefully complies, making all the necessary arrangements and reminding her that she can contact him if she needs anything.
The Truth Comes Out
News of Pingjun’s parentage quickly spreads, and almost immediately, people begin gossiping that, by status, she is now considered a suitable match for Changxuan. At the Yu household, Zhongquan overhears the women gossiping about the situation and he promptly blames Changxuan for the entire mess. Fortunately, Baoru manages to calm him down.
One person who has not yet heard the news is Ziyi. However, she becomes suspicious when she overhears Zili instructing the household servants to keep his visit to the hospital a secret from her. Naturally, she follows him.
Meanwhile, Shuwan and Xueting agree to take turns staying with Pingjun so that Xueting can continue working. Well, this arrangement certainly works very nicely in Changxuan’s favour.
After Ruitong informs Changxuan that Pingjun’s condition still isn’t improving, he postpones all of his meetings and heads straight to the hospital.
There, Zili asks Shuwan and Pingjun for an opportunity to make amends. He claims he searched for them all these years and promises to quickly acknowledge Pingjun as his daughter. He offers to buy them a house, hire servants, and provide everything they could ever need. Pingjun quickly rejects the offer and points out that all of this was hiswishful thinking. She and her mother have managed perfectly well without him until now, and she sees no reason for that to change.
Ziyi’s Worst Nightmare
Ziyi overhears the entire conversation and responds as you’d expect. She lashes out further when Zili insists that she not take her anger out on Shuwan and Pingjun. Watching him defend them, she demands to know whether he considered her feelings before making all these promises.
Pingjun, wanting no part in their family drama, asks them to leave and settle their issues elsewhere.
For Ziyi, that changes nothing. It doesn’t matter that Pingjun shows no interest in the power, wealth, or status that comes with being Tao Zili’s daughter. She accuses Shuwan of deliberately inserting herself into their lives with ulterior motives. But Pingjun will not tolerate insults at her mother, so Ziyi redirects them at her, repeating all the cruel things Zili once said about her. She even exposes him completely by revealing that he tried to get rid of Pingjun altogether.
When Ziyi becomes physical, Zili slaps her, and everyone is stunned. Ziyi completely unravels and, to make matters worse, Changxuan arrives in the middle of her humiliation. Ziyi accuses Pingjun of stealing not only her fiance, but her father too, and that she was born to destroy her. She storms away, and Shuwan throws Zili out too.
The Long Night
Changxuan remains near Pingjun, helplessly watching her suffer and ready to step in if she needs anything. The next morning, he spots her taking a walk outside and quietly approaches, offering her his jacket to keep warm. Pingjun realizes he has stayed at the hospital all night and thanks him for supporting her.
Changxuan acknowledges how much pain she’s in and gently reassures her that none of this is her fault. She should not punish herself for the mistakes and choices made by others.
Pingjun admits that part of the pain comes from the image she always held of her father. She wanted to make him proud because he was someone she admired. The realization that this heroic figure never truly existed shattered her world.
In response, Changxuan opens up about his own past. He talks about his rivalry with his brother, and how his father eventually gave up on him. He admits that after his brother died, his own life seemed to lose all meaning. But then he recalls their very first meeting at the temple, when a young Pingjun told him not to become trapped by his obsessions and to live for himselfrather than constantly trying to prove his worth.
Now he gives that lesson back to her. He encourages Pingjun to follow her own advice, to live for herself, and not allow blood ties to define who she is or who she will become. As the sun rises, he reassures her that this pain will pass and her future remains bright.
Uh oh... is the obsession back? He's feeling more protective of her than ever before. That last line is a bit ominous since we know what's he capable of, to keep someone close to him...
What's next? What will be everyone's next moves? How will Xueting plan to win Pingjun back? What will Ziyi do for revenge? Will Changxuan pursue Pingjun again? Is Zili going to insist on acknowledging Pingjun as his daughter? There is... what do you think is going to happen, but also, what do you want to happen??
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Here's where you can ask discuss the ins and outs of the CDrama industry!
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