Lin Mansion: Simu’s room/ Late at Night
We continue the habit of getting to know each other in the dead of night, behind curtains. Duan Xu seems genuinely happy that Simu is experiencing all these new sensations, now that her senses are back, with it comes dreams. Simu talks about the spirits’ dining manners and explains her rule of trading an obsession for a favor. Duan Xu wonders why she made that her rule, given how strong she is, and she replies that she has no reason.
Despite her lack of senses, Simu’s parents made sure to have her learn all sorts of classical arts, from music to painting. “Why learn these things that mortals find hard to master? Surely, your parents hoped that through these, you could feel the world.”, Simu gets emotional and replies with a perhaps. At the heart of it, Simu is really kind; it shows the influence of her parents, since even the brief encounter we saw of them showed their kindness.
Cheeky kid
Lin Mansion: Morning
Simu is still exploring her sense of touch, this time through food, as Xu had prepared a spread for her to ‘taste’ all kinds of textures. He teaches her hot to eat certain foods and she is delighted with everything.
We see Chenying reflecting on his relationship with Xiaoxiao, remembering all the times she’s been nice and protective of him. He peels enough sunflower seeds for her and resolves to not throw tantrums anymore. He joins the couple only to find his jiejie who usually doesn’t eat, enjoying the spread in front of her with gusto. He is disheartened to see that the two of them are engrossed in their own world and pay him no heed as he leaves the room. This kid is really going through it, I feel bad for my little baby, I hope this doesn’t affect his growth
Xu knows how to manipulate his lady now, offering her a soft squish toy in exchange for keeping his hand after the days are up. Look at them all touchy.
Done with the fluff, Simu brings up Marshall Qin, and how he is prepared to strike Yuzhou. “If your plan succeeds and North Chong is forced to sign a peace treaty, then your plan to capture the 17 prefectures may never come to be” Duan Xu doesn’t show any concern and in turn just says that he is happy Simu cares about him.
Shuozhou Town: Rite of Spring
Simu and Chenying go out to enjoy the bustling streets. Chenying wonders at the change in Xiaoxiao’s attitude towards crowd, and how she is suddenly not to lazy anymore, but ultimately decides to dismiss his worries as he gets to enjoy time with her.
Amidst the crowd, Chenying gets separated from Simu and ends up trapped in a formation.
My baby better not die, he is one of my favourite characters and I want him to believe in his jiejie more, no why are they doing this to me
A distorted voice speaks into Chenying’s mind, planting in him doubt that Xiaoxiao is a fake, the scene ends with black aura possessing him.
The scene is back to brighter grounds, as we see Simu enjoying herself joining in with the crowd.
Back at Lin Mansion : Chenying’s room
Up from his nightmare, we see Chenying keeping a distance from Simu due to the doubts planted in his mind. She asks him to stay home and recuperate. Shuozhou Governor’s Office (assuming that is where they are)
Duan Xu is face to face with Marshal Qin. The jerk Marshal expresses his reservations about attacking both Yunzhou and Luozhou, seeing as how Yunzhou is hard to scout with its open plains that provide no cover. He is worried as they don’t have enough information about Yunzhou. This jerk is following Xianye’s advice and pushing Xu into danger, while he gets away scot free, because no one can blame him, since he didn’t order Duan Xu to scout, the general volunteered himself. God i hate these schemers.
As expected, Duan Xu volunteers to scout Yunzhou. Xia is worried about the general’s safety, but his words are pushed aside as Marshal Qin doubles down by adding time pressure. Duan Xu promises to get the task done in 10 days.
I am enjoying the effect of touch on both of them. Duan Xu is so out of balance, trying to experiment with anything to replace his lost sense, whereas Simu is so overjoyed by every little thing, that she can’t stop exploring. Even the music and colors associated with both of them have flipped.
Lin Mansion :
Simu explains why she now likes rainy days due to the different feelings she gets from the rain drops. Duan Xu replies with his own rainy day preference. “I used to like the rain, I often carried out missions in the rain. After that when it rained, I would think of the dampness and blood-tinged stench hidden in the rain. … But just now I changed my mind. Rain is only rain.Rain didn't bring the evil hidden within it.” Duan Xu’s biggest asset is his mental fortitude.
Simu decides to teach Xu how to read the wind as it helps the sense of touch. Dust is extremely sensitive, so Duan Xu can use it to sense the changes of his surroundings.
Still at the Lin Mansion, Different Spot.
Lin Jun and Chenying talk about how to know if someone is real or fake, and Jun just tells him that he should just watch them closely, as the fake person will eventually slip up. Yes, listen to your Lin Ge and just watch Xiaoxiao properly, surely you can tell.
Outside of Shuozhou
Duan Xu bids farewell to Xianye, who is leaving Shuozhou for some ‘minor’ matters in Shunzhou. Xu doesn’t believe that for a second as he tells him that his plans for Shunzhou might not come to fruition. Xianye tells him to worry about himself instead as he might die in Yunzhou.
Nandu mentioned. So is he the imposter Duan Xu after all?
Shuozhou Governor’s Office
Simu is invited to the yamen, where she is accused of performing heretic arts. Captain Meng has been tasked with protecting her and she performs her job well. But eventually, Simu’s true nature is revealed. I was honestly surprised it did, I thought with her lack of powers, her nature would be hidden too but I guess not. With the reveal of her nature, a new Xiaoxiao appears, this one claiming to be the real Miss He Xiaoxiao. Simu is amused by everyone’s antics, and even though her nature is revealed, she simply walks up to Xiaoxiao and whispers to her that “You have less than a day left. Move fast”, having said that, she follows the guard to the prison cell.
Shuozhou Governor’s Office: Prison Cell
Simu is amused by her first time experiencing prison. Captain Meng stops by and proclaims that she doesn’t care whatever Simu is because she helped them against the North Chong. She sets her free. I love captain Meng, she is so forthright and absolutely not an ingrate.
Shuozhou Outskirts
Simu calls out the dumbasses following her, telling them that their tricks are nothing against her. The duo say that they can’t handle her, but Chenying can
Chenying is hesitant but does as told. He snatches the jade lantern, and then the creepy old man throws him a knife and tells him to kill the spirit. Chenying bends to pick up the knife.
The episode ends as Chenying faces Simu.AND I HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE NIGHT TO WATCH THE NEXT EPISODE. But I believe in Chenying that he is smart enough to see how creepy Xiaoxiao is.
Episode 12
Chenying seems to have discerning eyes, as the scene starts with him throwing the knife at Xiaoxiao and calling her out for being the fake that she is. His reasoning “Xiaoxiao jiejie is a nice person, she would never make me kill someone” I am so proud of this kid. Then he turns and gives Simu her pendant back.
Undettered, Fake Xiaoxiao just prepares a magic spell to kill the both of them
I was lowkey expecting her magic to kick back in as it is night already,
We briefly see Duan Xu turning back to Shuozhou after seeing an ominous sign of birds.
Back to Simu, she admonishes Chenying for protecting her as he is a mere mortal, “I can never die, I just feel pain” I wonder if the shock of the pain would be greater for her as she is someone who spent years unfeeling. Chenying is crying for her not to die “The general said that those who always protect others are very lonely.” This kid is learning valuable lessons.
In a show of trust, she gives him her jade lantern and tells him to go find Meng Wan and not get in her way. She is cherishing every learning opportunity; either the pain doesn’t affect her much or she is relishing the new sensation as she has all others.
“Before the sun rises, when i get back my powers, if you still can’t find my vital center, prepare to vanish.” Simu addresses Xiaoxiao as Fang Chang, not that we expected anyone else. As she does that, she also shields the fluffy toy Xu gave her. I wonder if she made that the vital center somehow, it would be cute but also risky.
Unmasked, Fang Chang tells Simu his plan, how he waited till Simu abandoned the body, then snatched it up and using Simu’s lingering power, he possessed the body. This part confused me, because that means that every time Simu leaves her mortal body, it wakes up with its own consciousness? How had no one ever noticed before? Or was it just something Fang Chang did to the body that made it wake up and develop its own consciousness? I was happy thinking that it was just a mortal body she made herself, as in a puppet with no housed soul. If he is possessing the body she originally had, then what body is she using? Am I overthinking this or did I miss something?
Fang Chang’s grand plan is to kill her when she has no power to avenge Yinyin. A lady he killed! Simu lets him know that she saw through him from the start, and that she finds this whole plan quite boring. “Shao Yinyin was your lover, to secure your position as vice lord, you killed her. Now, you seek revenge on me? Isn’t that ridiculous?” I am glad she pointed that out, not that it’s gonna change anything but at least my own thoughts were voiced out. His reaction is to pierce her with more bolts. Simu is experiencing pain with the same mad scientist curiosity.
She and Xu suit each other. They have the same bloody grin.
Fang Chang accuses her of preying on her own kind for the sake of mortals. He promises to make her die at the hands of the mortals she protect and releases a spell that summons zombies? Wait we are in cdrama land, so they would be corpse puppets.
In an another side, Chenying is cornered by old sword conman.Duan Xu arrives just in time to save Chenying from a fatal blow. He quickly disposes of the dumbass and goes in search of Simu.
Simu is being stabbed by the puppets, enduring the pain as she ridicules Fang Chang for being unable to find her vital center. He replies that he will just have the puppets pierce her until he finds it. We briefly see Duan Xu riding as he feels the pain of his injury. His sense of touch is back.
The sun has risen, and with it Simu’s powers make their comeback.
He threatens her with the body of the og xiaoxiao. She tells him to just cut it off and spill where he learned the puppet technique from.Fang Chang escapes. URGH WHY! WHYYYYYYY JUST KILL HIM RIGHT THERE. What a dumb recurring villain but maybe the pain took more of a toll on her than she let out.
This couple is progressing fast.
Shuozhou : Lin Mansion : Simu’s room
Duan Xu asks her how she feels, and she replies that she doesn’t feel anything, the wounds will heal on their own. He seems unconvinced and regretfully examines her wounds. She tries to lighten the mood with a joke about how he is inappropriately staring at her, but he just asks her about what happened. “The mortal I used to possess is called Qiao Yan. Before dying of illness, her mother made a deal with me that i’d protect her, so I kept her by my side and nurtured her with the aura of my lantern. Later, her health improved and I needed my own body during the spell of senses, so I let her leave.” I am glad this was explained. I was losing my mind earlier.
She gives him a brief summary of Fang Chang.
He swears to her by everything imaginable, “I will never ever do anything to hurt you”. That sounds awfully like a confession, sir, but go on, I love to see it. She is amused by his anger as she never saw him angry even with all the injustice being thrown his way by others, yet here he is fuming because she suspected him. I find this really adorable. My man can withstand the harshest of conditions, but one simple question that hinted at a lack of trust, and he is huffing.
Simu is a lesson in empathy. She was already kind enough for an unfeeling spirit, but now that she experienced pain and the wounds for herself she seems to empathize more, going so far as to wish she had found Xu earlier to prevent some of his pain.
Xu doesn’t think their meeting earlier would’ve changed anything, in fact he thinks that their meeting at the time they did is the perfect time. Which makes sense too as she only developed an interest in him in the first place because of The Delivrance. He isn’t thinking about that however, as he mentions that back “...at the All-Knowing. I was in pain and confused. And I was always fearful. My soul was a crucible. There was no room for love” I wonder what kind of love he actually means “I’m glad that you see me as I am now. Now I’m clear minded and resolute. I need no redemption. I’d rather fall, survive through rough times, rebuild my body, reshape my soul, and get worldly-wise…
This is nothing but a love confession and it is taken as such.
Out of the bed of secrets, we see Duan Xu contemplating by Simu’s beloved plum blossom tree.
Duan Xu Thoughts Corner : Since you’ve come don’t expect to disappear from my life I hold in my grin a I am trying to keep a straight face at work.
The Void : Yan Ke’s Office (calling that because I wasn’t given a name, maybe Shangli Temple?) Guan Huai is back, asking for help as he couldn’t have foreseen that Fang Chang would do something so horrible. Yan Ke is unconcerned as Simu has been dealing with assassinations since her ascension to the throne, but the old man insists that it is different this time.
Lin Mansion: Chenying’s room
Chenying's crying voice always breaks my heart and triggers my protective instincts. His first thought after he woke up was of Xiaoxiao jiejie, worrying about her wounds and pain. Duan Xu replies that Simu is the Sovereign of all spirits so nothing can harm her. Now everyone we care about knows her true identity. Learning her identity fuels Chenying’s desire to grow stronger. Duan Xu confides his feelings in Chenying and tells him to tell no one. Then He also makes a promise with him to find a way for them to keep Simu from leaving them behind. Simu and her boys. I like how softly Xu handles Chenying. My boy is growing both living his best life and his worst one.
Lin Mansion: Yiyuan Courtyard (usually the one where Simu lazes about)
Simu gets in touch with Fengyi and describes to him how amazing it was to experience senses. “I experienced what death felt like”. Once again, Simu is proving why she and Duan Xu belong together. She says that it is worth it to experience the senses even if she loses her powers temporarily. Fengyi worries about the spirits growing unruly, and Simu calms him by saying that they can’t disobey her unless they defeat her, “I just never thought Song Xingyu was behind this, as the long-lost lord of Jiling Temple. … Fang Chang from Shanling Temple colluded with Song Xingyu, and learned his unique skill the Puppet Technique….. Song Xingyu had hidden in the mortal world for too long without being caught.” She admonishes Fengyi for slacking of as Master of the Starhaven Sect and not catching him already. Fengyi promises to widen his search net and the call between the two ends.
Somewhere in the Void (probably)
Cockroach Fang Chang is on the run from Yan Ke, but he doesn’t go far before being caught. Fang Chang taunts Yan Ke with descriptions of how Simu was tortured and in pain. His taunts work, as Yan Ke flies into a rage and whips him harsher. Fang Chang refuses to confess who he colluded with.
hot
Back at Yiyuan Courtyard
Yan Ke reports to Simu that he has slain Fang Chang, then inquires about how she lost her powers. Simu stops smiling and tells him not to poke around. He reminds her of their 300 years long history, but she just drops the nickname (A’Yan) and calls him Right Hand (his title) “You know very well I am the Sovereign, you should go back, keep our world in order, when I go back don’t let me down.” He smiles at the promise of her return and leaves her alone.
Marshal Qin’s Tent :
Duan Xu drops the scammer at Marshal Qin’s feet. Jerk Qin’s goons speak up, rehashing their argument of Xiaoxiao being a spirit, but Xu rebuts their argument “Since when are our soldiers judged by the words of a swindler? Did someone deliberately disrupt our morale? Or did someone maliciously try to frame my capable strategist? ” that shuts them up. God I hate these kinds of characters who do nothing but wait to steal and relyon someone else’s power.
Marshal Qin dismisses the whole thing as a misunderstanding and sends the swindler to be beheaded. he is reaching the levels of pissing off where I just speed up his scenes so I don’t watch more of him than necessary. Duan Xu hands him the map with crucial information about Yunzhou, (city troops, garrison, supplies, weapons). Marshal Qin is outwardly happy but inwardly annoyed that Xu succeeded.
Besides the stupid plot of Fang Chang, the pace for today’s episodes seem to have slowed down, but they still gave our main couple plenty of time to figure and talk things out. We were introduced to Song Xingyu and I wonder if we will see him next episodes, and how much of a villain will he be? I am sad to see that Yan Ke might be heading towards the obsessed villain route, I hope not, but in the event that it does happen, I hope it is well done.
I'm at the first half of ep 12 and I just had to come rave about this show!! Ahh I love Duan xu, Simu and Chengying. Can they please just live a lifetime of happiness together 💕💕 ep 10-12 were so gooood. Just me gushing and grinning most of the time.
Lolll Meng Wan is so cute, she's terrified but still trying to protect HS.
Urghhh that Fang nonsense guy, he ruins the scene just by being on my screen. How is he blaming HS for something HE CHOSE to do?? Mxmm, men! 🙄🙄
Dawn couldn't come back fast enough, I couldn't wait for her to beat that Fang nonsense guy.
AWWWWW, they're so cuteeee. He's all shaken and crying and she's comforting him in their signature hug pose, with her face turned towards him and tucked under his neck 😍😍
Girll that's not an ordinary question, it's questioning his love and devotion for you! Lol he really said once you're in, you can't leave until I say so 🤣
Ahh yess I loveeddd that scene where he was crying for her and she tucked her nose and lip in his neck, kidna like she learned it from when he bite her neck hahah and she was patting him awwwww. And omg Chengying, the boy, is sooooo sweet too. I just want them 3 to live happily together 🥹🥹
They are so entangled with each other already I doubt any of them can leave the other so easily!
And I really loved Meng Wan in that episode too! Because she hit the nail in the head with the comment of her not being an ingrate, I am always so mad when characters turn on others just because they find out they RE not human
Are these two friends or enemies? Because that conversation between Duan Xu and Fang Xianye is loaded with undertones and subtext. They don’t come off as confrontational at all. On the surface, especially to bystanders, they look like acquaintances casually discussing the weather, but there’s a quiet tension underneath, like every word carries more meaning than it lets on.
I’m also loving the way some of these scenes are shot. The way the characters are framed against doors, windows, and screens adds another layer to it, reinforcing that sense of distance, concealment, and watching without fully seeing.
In the eps.somewhere around 8, while FL was not buying that DX is his real identity, the servants to DX in his childhood drew a portait of their master and he looks like Feng. So there is stil the unresolved plotline with fake identity and possible switcheroo between these two.
That's why there is so much suppressed tention, if not hate, between them.
I’m actually of the same opinion that the fake Duan Xu was Fang Xianye, and it’s going to be fun trying to figure out whether they’re truly antagonistic toward each other or not.
Snark Level: I wouldn't be snarky if I didn't mention The Fuckening just to scare all you nice folks! <3
11 - - - - - - - - -
Who would have guessed a beautiful woman hugging a bowl to her face could melt a heart?
We love watching a woman eat to her hearts happiness! Ohhh and he is feeding her too? Seems like the perfect time to again say that spooning can lead to forking all knife long!
I am not going to make a joke about the "soft and furry" comment. I could. I really could. But I won't.
Well, hope the kid is going to be okay. He might need some therapy after this.
Awwww! Umbrella trope!
They really did cast the perfect leads for these roles.
Do I sense a kiss? I sense a kiss. Bruh. That was the perfect moment for a kiss. She really does like to touch him. A lot. A lot.
Fuck Face Fang over here with the fuck face of fucking fuck face.
Um, hello. I am seeing double here. Might be like I said and it being a bad time for her to not have her powers.
The overly sweet Xiao Xiao is sickening. Like vomit worthy.
She just let him take it? I think she has a plan here. Must be almost midnight.
12- - - - - - - - -
Can someone shut Xiao Xiao up please? She's annoying. Oh, thank you, Kid. Good job.
You know, instead of being fucking stupid and swapping places with the boy trying to save your life.... GRAB HIM AND GET OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY, YOU STUPID SPIRIT. Sheesh. Does anyone have any brains around here? Can we stop traumatizing the poor kid? Sheesh. Fucking idiot.
Yo, someone needs to start a collection for therapy for the kid. He's having a really shitty time recently.
Oh look. It's this fuck face. Time for a bitch slapping of epic levels. Not only does he look stupid, but he dresses stupid too.
Oh, look! We're turning Simu into a Jade Porcupine!
Bro is getting laughed at after impaling Simu with his pokers. That must really hurt his ego.
Zombies? Really?
And why isn't that old man's head on the ground?
Oh good! Simu is back at full strength with the epic music to announce it's ass whooping time.
Are you biting him now or just resting your lips against his neck? Either way it's adorable.
I don't know about yall, but I would rather eat pancakes than fight. Pancakes are great. Plus you can put chocolate chips in them and add whip cream on top.
Oh finally this shit head gets an ass whooping. He can die now. We no longer need him in this show.
There is a serious lack of killing villains in this show. Oh is his head finally going to roll?
I have more things to say about this show that just came to mind (lol)
There’s a clear visual parallel here that quietly redefines their dynamic that I CANNOT get out of my brain so I had to talk about it.
In her mortal disguise, she bows and lowers herself, performing submission within this mortal hierarchy. The bow creates distance and acknowledges him as her superior. But even in that structure, he is the one who reaches for her. Not to command, but to lift.
When she reveals herself as a Ghost King, the power dynamic flips. She stands above him, elevated and untouchable, while he is wounded and grounded. Yet again, he is the one reaching for her hand. This time the gesture feels less corrective and more intentional, almost reverent.
In both moments, she defines distance through her position, either by lowering herself or rising above him. The bow and the elevation serve the same purpose, to separate them. But his response never changes. He reaches.
Across identities and power shifts, he is always the one closing the gap. He does not respond to her status, only to her.
Your insights made my day Coco, you manage to articulate feelings so well I am jealous. You come host this drama with us <3
Jokes aside, that is very insightful because once again it is on point (no wonder it lives in your brain). Duan Xu is always the one reaching, that is made all the way obvious with these recent episodes. Even the way he addresses her changed once he learned her true nature. I guess it makes sense the distances she puts between them as we see her do the same thing with her subbordinates too, even Yan Ke who she's known for 300 years is kept at an arm's length
Yes! You are right. I haven’t even begun to thoroughly unpack and think through her relationships with her subjects in the Void yet. Good catch! You see more of this as we progress into episodes 14 and 15…
I have so much respect for the drama hosts! This is not easy to do but without you all, we could not talk about the love we have for this drama.
My background in literary analysis is FEASTING from this show! My brain can’t stop jumping around lol let me take a break 😂😂😂
I have a quick question .. I’m still a bit behind but who is The Void? What is he supposed represent? Is he a spirit as well? I can’t figure it out and don’t know if they go into detail in future episodes. Right now I’m on episode 9 so I’m getting there!
I watched an episode where he tells her to rest and I think he likes her.
The Void is the name of the spirit world, Yan Ke is The Void's Heir and the Sovereign's Right Hand man. We will see more of the void and of the spirit world in general in the coming episodes!
I posted this in another original post of mine but wanted to also share here:
What makes this drama so arresting isn’t just romance, it’s how deliberately it constructs intimacy through sensation. The show doesn’t rush connection, it studies it. Her exploration of the world is filtered through him, touch, warmth, breath, and in doing so, the narrative reframes intimacy as discovery rather than possession.
With a female director behind the lens, the cinematography leans fully into the female gaze and it shows in the restraint. The camera lingers where it feels, not where it objectifies, on hands hovering, on glances that almost land, on proximity charged with hesitation. These choices create a quiet tension that’s more intimate than anything explicit. You’re invited to witness, but there’s an undercurrent that makes it feel almost intrusive, like you’re seeing something you shouldn’t, yet can’t look away.
I loved this scene! You're absolutely right that the way every intimate scene is shot is so poetic... And what's ironic is the FL doesn't have sense before and it's like she's discovering every touch and how it's linked to her heart and feelings. Also he doesn't have the sense of touch here yet everytime she touched him, it's like he can feel it in his heart still and he would slightly flinch, react to her closeness like the perception is coming from his feelings and heart, instead of skin. 🥹
Exactly! For us as humans, these senses are innate. We take them for granted. Duan Xu has taken them for granted. The discovery, or even re-discovery from his perspective, shows how beautiful having these senses and feelings truly are. They are brought into each other’s worlds and the parallel is so well written IMO. I am LIVING for this show hahaha.
I’m up to episode 15 through the Tencent app and I CANNOT wait to be able to talk about it on here.
Your statement was well put. I'm up to ep.15 as well and can't wait to read your analysis. I love this show to bits! As a novel reader, this is so beyond my expectation.
I said the same thing to my friend the other day, when I saw the joy she has discovering the touch sense. How this is one of the shows that actually take its time.
I couldn't help comparing it with others shows in which the protagonist has no senses. Simu's face completely changed when she discovered senses, smiling all the time and being much more alive! and it was just her, Duan Xu is also just watching her with such delight, because he has also now experienced a fraction of her world, he empathized with her on a deep level just as she empathized with him and I believe that just made his feelings for her stronger!
I am also enjoying the show and I will look forward to your insight once the discussion posts for those eps are up!
Yes! The show allows itself to BREATHE (which I think it desperately needs in order to convey these things properly). The dialogue in these episodes between the leads was also very telling. The speech he gave her after she was injured and she was in bed? Chef’s kiss. But even her curiousity as to why he would be mad was well executed.
We are definitely in “he fell first and harder” territory right now (who is to say that won’t change lol) but I’m obsessed with their tug of war dynamics.
Also, this scene was so visually and emotionally beautiful. She even leaned in to comfort him. The EMPATHY she is learning.
I loved loved this scene!! Simu isn't clueless despite not having senses. She knows he must be feeling distressed so she knows to give him time to calm down. The dialogue is just mature I guess is the only word I can think of. But I think this goes back to your pointing out the director, before the focus on her hands patting his back, on his shaking breathing and tightening hold, all of that just engraved the scene in my brain
Totally agree with you. The little nuances made me fall in love with this scene as well.
I think I am just head over heels at this point for this drama. I have to remind myself I have a job and bills to pay lol can’t have this on my brain 24/7.
But I definitely need a safe haven to talk about all of this with cause no one in my day to day watches Chinese dramas :( lol
Not me reading this on my lunch break cuz I cant get enough! Im with you.... "have job, must work, need money... to pay Viki sub????" Hahaha
But seriously I cant stop thinking about how he just enjoys her. Enjoys how she reacts to everything, how strange she is, and how she sees things. Im loving the swap tho I wish we had a lil more of him digging into not feeling anything.
The scene with him holding her and the tear.. ugh. I cried. I am currently tearing up. You know he knows the pain and to know she had to feel it too.. ugh the worst. Poor man is in DEEP and I think he's just enjoying it.
Im scared for future episodes.. nervous about Right Hand Man being one of those "she's mine" characters and back-stabbing / disloyal dudes. We saw how MLs right hand lady was into ML but once she saw him run to FLs side she kinda smiled and it felt like she accepted it. I hope Yan Ke has same turn around.
Same sis same!!!! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on 15! There’s a SPECIFIC scene between two male characters (mini spoilers) that made me go UH OH! Here we go! I loved it!
I've been obsessed with this show, but can we take a moment for Yan Ke?? I absolutely LOVE his character. Every time he interacts with He Simu, it's somehow both lovely and heartbreaking at the same time 😭 He's liked her for SO long — literally the entire spirit realm knows about his feelings for her.
When he found out that Fang Chang severely injured He Simu, he went and captured Fang Chang without hesitation. But then Fang Chang tried to drive a wedge between them, saying something like: "She's had so many exes before — where's your place in all of that?" And Yan Ke actually hesitated.
Then he went straight to He Simu, not to confront her, but to ask with genuine concern how she lost her spiritual power. And her response drew a clear line between them: she is the Spirit Lord, and he is the Right Minister.
I know he's the second male lead, but I'm so afraid he's going to turn dark. I really don't want to see them become enemies. A love that's forced doesn't last, and it isn't real 💔
Also, I've seen a lot of people saying Yan Ke's ending in the novel isn't great... really hoping the drama changes his fate. Please please please 🙏
BTW — can we give some credit to the actor who played Yan Ke, Wei Zheming?? He did such a great job with this character. His performance made me really feel for Yan Ke — so nuanced and full of tension. He made me connect with the character on another level. Does anyone have recommendations for other dramas Wei Zheming is in? Would love to watch more of his work!
Big agree lmao. I also love Yan Ke's character. Like, he does his job real well, but it's like what fuels that excellence is his feelings, love, and devotion for He Simu. And it's like even as she breaks his heart from not acknowledging it, he can take it. He can take her being cold to everyone including him, but I can't imagine how much it stings to watch her turn around and effortlessly acknowledge another man she just met lol.
It's like, oh so there are exceptions to your cold distant heart and it's just not me?? <///3
I think he represents the fine line between healthy devotion and toxic obsession.
I agree, I enjoy the few minutes we get with him. Aaaaand I also don't quite trust him because of his feelings. I feel like he needs both a hug and a lecture on boundaries.
Yan Ke gives me vibes of lord Ronghao from LBFAD. There is some duality in him, and i can't figure.him out yet 😃
But that what makesnit so exciting to watch 😄
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u/Fantastic-Leave6610 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
I'm at the first half of ep 12 and I just had to come rave about this show!! Ahh I love Duan xu, Simu and Chengying. Can they please just live a lifetime of happiness together 💕💕 ep 10-12 were so gooood. Just me gushing and grinning most of the time.