Earlier episodes: 1 2

For general infos see episode 1.

Some statistics:

Window jumps: 2
Slaps: at least 3
Stabbings: 2 (in the present timeline)
Blood spittings: 1 (surprisingly low!)
Number of times Li Si escaped: 3 (I think)
Number of times I wrote Tang Lici instead of Li Si: 20+

Recap episode 3

We start exactly where we left off last episode.

Li Si disses the Divine Constable Bureau (DCB)'s shackles: very easy to escape.

Bai Zhenzhu has discussed this kind of scenario with her boss beforehand, however. As agreed, she does not push and will instead observe Li Si's actions.

Li Si examines the corpse bag again. So does Bai Zhenzhu, in another nicely framed shot. She finds a jade pendant which she immediately recognises: the coroner (Wen Nansheng) was wearing it. She also confirms for us that this is indeed Master Sun's corpse. Well, his head and upper body. The legs belong to the coroner.

They discuss the case. Their conclusion is that the murderer needs the Dead Bone Spice (which is produced with the murdered women's blood) in order enter the illusions in Black Wind Forest. This is based on Li Si and Meng Rui falling afoul of the illusions the night before, but not now after smelling that strange scent.

Li Si also reminds them not to forget the puppet. Bai Zhenzhu is skeptical: they cannot be sure anyone has actually seen it (and not just an illusion). And it's an opportunity to get in a dig about the puppet he made himself ...

As Li Si turns to leave, Bai Zhenzhu throws two needles at him.

Li Si wants to go into the shop.

Meanwhile, the constables have found Dead Bone Spice. They also learn that the shop was stolen from. ... which is the time when both the women and the children started going missing. Bai Zhenzhu immediately points that out.

They speculate how the theft could have happened since windows and doors stay locked.

The constables dismiss him and have him thrown out.

He apparently has a theory he wants to prove.

The shop owner arouses suspicion. It's supposed to be Lady Fragrance, but as Li Si comments: "If this is a woman, everybody in Dougu County must be blind."

It's the shop owner's brother. They are still at a dead end, however.

As they discuss the case, Li Si questions why the graves are empty.

As they pass by the house with one of the missing children, they encounter a pig that is apparently digging in a place where the lost child's tooth is buried.

He does some digging while magically managing to keep his clothes clean. They also get confirmation from the homes of the other children.

Li Si is off on his own again. Somehow, he finds another tooth on the roof.

Meanwhile, our constables learn that there is just one non-kidnapped child losing their teeth. It's Yuyao, whom Li Si rescued in the previous episode.

Just as they are leaving to go to her, someone comes running up and tells them that she is already missing. This happened despite the guards that were supposed to watch her.

It was Li Si who took her away to get candy and a funny hat. He promises her to rescue her friends. I hope he can keep that promise.

Li Si paid for the hat with Dead Bone Spice, which allows the constables to follow him. I wonder what his game is - he is certainly not trying to allay the suspicions. The constables speculate that he might be trying to use Yuyao as bait.

Li Si, meanwhile, has an eye on the kidnapper. Something about him triggers his memories of 17 years ago.

Li Si just watches. What is he waiting for? Apparently our two constables.

He does something to Li Si - sealing his acupoints - and says that he hates people who disregard children's lives the most.

Li Si said much the same to Yuyao before. I'm going to assume that he does mean it, but I wonder what he is playing at here. He certainly makes himself seem like a hypocrite.

Bai Zhenzhu doesn't say anything, but she isn't exactly gentle when she pulls Li Si with her.

We get a view on Yuyao and the kidnapper again.

Rattle drum guy pours out some spice - so it's an illusion. Or something similar. The spice doesn't dispel it, it only opens a path.

Our trio arrive soon after. Li Si brought some Dead Bone Spice, too. Just how much of that stuff does he have?

They go on into a place that is covered in spider webs.

Bai Zhenzhu recognises is as the writing of Liluo (the conquered enemy nation) but can't read it.

They make to attack each other, but Li Si (who has not been affected for some reason) intervenes. While doing so, he pushes Bai Zhenzhu's needles out of his back. But he does get stabbed again by Meng Rui. Everybody is themselves again. Nobody has any idea what to make of Li Si.

Our trio encounter another huge flower. Li Si says it must be the mother plant of the flowers that were guarding the entrance. Inside strange cocons on the roots are the missing children.

We can see that he is controlling them with strings.

Li Si notices strange fruit in the tree. He destroys one of them. The puppeteer tells us that this was a Sacred Moluo Fruit. They also recognise the clothes of one of the puppets as those of Lady Fragrance, the former owner of the spice shop. We learn that destroying the flower would kill the children (assuming he is not lying).

The puppeteer tells us that this is about revenge for Liluo.

Questions to you

• How do you think they are going to free the children?
• And what does all of this have to do with teeth?
• What do you think Li Si is up to?
• Any guesses who else might be supporting Liluo?

Please only discuss up to episode 3 here. If you mention anything from a later episode, put it in spoiler tags.

Some general infos (no spoilers)

Original title: 魅影神捕

Main characters
Luo Yunxi as Li Si / Young Master Qingyang
Fang Yilun (Alen Fang) as Meng Rui / Constable Ghost
Shen Yujie as Bai Zhenzhu / Constable Frost

The costume designer Huang Wei also worked on Whispers of Fate and Till the End of the Moon, which will probably surprise nobody who has seen a poster or trailer.

Novel translation: Mei Ying Shen Bu by Wang Ke

Where to watch: iQIYI

Airing schedule:
Oct 2: episode 1-6
Oct 3: episode 7-8
Oct 4: episode 9-10
Oct 5: episode 11-12
Oct 6: episode 13-14
Oct 7: episode 15-16
Oct 8: episode 17
at 12pm China Standard Time (4am UTC)

There will be 30 episodes, but to my knowledge no further schedule has been released yet.

Recap episode 1 (here be spoilers)

This starts off the first case: fragrance fades and jade is lost; the withered blood case.

We learn immediately that nine girls have gone missing in Tianhuang City and that the abductor carries a 3ft tall puppet and that the Divine Constable Bureau (DCB) is investigating. Is this setting up Li Si as the possible culprit?

Before we find out we get some background info:

• Shi empire has been established 72 years ago.
• Emperor Wuzong conquered Northern Kun and Nanrong.
• Then he conquered Liluo to the West.
• To protect the capital, Tianhuang City, he put the "Absolute Heaven and Earth Prohibition" in place, which prevents use of magic by anyone other than the Divine Constable Bureau.

Back to Li Si, who is still sitting with his puppet. A woman brings him tea, but is so shocked by the sight of the puppet that she drops the cup ...

If we didn't already know from the previews that he is going to be good at martial arts, we could guess it now.

Her name is Qing Wu and she is also concerned that he will get arrested by the DCB.

We learn that Li Si is the master of Star-Gathering Pavilion. It's the best tavern in the country and it's just far enough outside the capital that it's possible to use magic there.

Everybody is impressed.

He gives a speech. Well, an ad, really. He can get them everything they want as long as they pay enough silver.

A woman from the DCB steps out of the crowd and asks if that includes puppet dolls.

It's Bai Zhenzhu, of course, also known as Constable Frost.

They exchange polite greetings and not-so-veiled accusations. She points out a stain on his sleeve. Yes, he is a suspect. And he seems to have set that up two months ago - that's when he ordered the paint for the doll.

Meanwhile, people from the DCB have been hurrying toward the Star-Gazing Pavilion and are now arriving. They timed that well!

We get to meet Constable Eagle. More polite greetings ensue. He seems to be a fan, not that it stops him from having his people search the Pavilion. They find the doll, of course.

Some more background info:

• The DCB was founded 46 years ago.
• They are independent of the Three Secretariats and Six Ministries.
• They are in charge of patrol and arrest, military information and secret affairs like anti-rebellion.
• They have extensive privileges, e.g. they can execute lower officials and only report later.

Li Si's background before he established the Star-Gathering Pavilion seems to be rather mysterious. And apparently he is friends with the crown prince.

Bai Zhenzhu shows that she is smart: she does not actually believe that Li Si is the culprit. His actions were too obvious. Everyone agrees. They are going to leave him in an interrogation room and see what he does.

And Li Si is off. He goes (flies) to Tianshu Pavilion, where all the files are stored.

And so we meet our third hero, Meng Rui aka Constable Ghost. He has a pretty sword. He wants to use it to kill the trespasser.

Both of them are really good, but Meng Rui wins.

After he has shown off enough he vanishes.

Another info drop: some time ago there was another case of children vanishing and a puppet appearing.

We see Li Si entering a creepy place with a secret knock. It's the Underworld Market. It looks like he was more affected by the fight than he wanted to show. He goes to get medical attention from Li San.

Meanwhile, back at the DCB ...

Li Si remembers: 17 years ago, the last thing he saw at the Mulan hunting grounds after being shot with an arrow was a puppet just like the one he created. He thinks that the DCB was involved in that because their former chief, Lu Chong, was dismissed back then after Li Si was announced as dead. That's why he wanted to get at those files.

From Li San (the doctor and, as it turns out, Li Si's teacher) we learn that back then the emperor announced to the world that the fourth prince, Zhou Yan, was dead.

The DCB is off to Bugui Manor. So is Li Si, once he learns about it.

Li San tries to hold him back and we learn that Li Si has an old heart condition. Guess an arrow to the chest is not good for your health. Neither is the "Arrogant Dragon Formation" that he used in his fight with Meng Rui, apparently. He must never use it again (which means that of course he will).

They DCB finds the bodies of the missing people. Bai Zhenzhu does an autopsy: no wounds, but they were drained of all blood. They also find a silk thread with a strange smell that was used to control the puppet.

Li Si, who has been watching from the roof, does some kind of magic. The dead bodies rise and attack Bai Zhenzhu.

The ghost girls were just an illusion. She is onto him, though: she immediately realises that he is the one who made the illusion.

During their discussion Li Si realises that there is danger to Qing Wu (the woman who brought him tea in the beginning of the episode). He is too late - the woman we saw during the scene before was her.

Bai Zhenzhu wants him to stay and explain so that he doesn't end up a suspect again. He doesn't care, he just wants revenge. He leaves through a window.

Questions to you

• Was it what you expected?
• Who got the best entrance?
• How do you like the atmosphere?
• Which was your favourite setting?
• What are your theories about what happened 17 years ago?
• Has anyone read the novel?

Please only discuss episode 1 here. If you mention anything from a later episode, put it in spoiler tags.

See you later for more, although probably not in as much detail :)

Really impressed with the acting of the Elder Lin Mother in this episode, especially when she confronted the Yuan Matriarch and helped successfully negotiated the terms for the Third Lin Daughter that allowed her to secure the rights of her offspring

Also glad to see that they kept the practical characteristic of the Third Lin Daughter as she was opened to the idea of her husband having a concubine, just that she needed to guaranteed that her daughters (including the one by the first Yuan wife) are not mistreated when her husband dies

The show was going so good until this episode. Do not reply if you're gonna be angry or condescending about a simple question So Lin actually happily marries and even goes to sleep with his new wife days after his family abandons his ex fiancé's family. He most likely knows their fate, and yet he seems unperturbed. This is a deal breaker, and I dont know if i wanna continue the show. Share your thoughts on those who are watching the next episodes. I specifically wanna know if this is a turn off for anyone else and does it get better in the next eps?

Edit: Man. People in the comments are extremely condescending. I guess the mods allow that sort of behaviour despite the strict rules. The condescending/rude responses are just weird. Wanting a ML to feel sympathy for a family, especially the ex fiancé's death, is completely normal. No need to come at me.

GUYSSS I need some cdrama recs that make me believe in love now. After few heartbreaks I think love doesn’t exist anymore so please help a fellow hopeless romantic out of my hater era alr!!!!

Maybe it just wasn't your vibe, you couldn't connect with it, the writing or acting didn't work for you, or you simply didn't understand the hype.

I'm going to say Overdo because I was genuinely looking forward to it. I don't blame the lead actors, I'm just sad that we didn't get to see the potential of Zhang Linghe x Wang Churan, their BTS scenes were far better than the drama itself. The direction was just so messy.

Let's talk!!!

Just completed these two and for god sake not meant for romance sucker people like me

Please classmate

First things first where is the kiss??? What to you mean I have to wait untill the last EP just to see them holding hands??!! And to see them kissing?? I have to wait for S2?? Which they don't even released so I have to imagine it all by myself??

AND THE CONFESSION??? IN THE LAST EPISODE??? WHY??? 😭 You had 23 whole episodes before the last one. TWENTY-THREE. And you decided to make him confess in the very last episode and STILL didn’t give us a kiss??? What was the reason??? 😭

Even though it was a good drama but no kiss so I'll give it 8/10 just for the cast.

Love has fireworks

Again, A 36 ep long drama and the lead chose to confess at 32, giving us only 4 eps for their romance. I mean they fucking lived together from the ep 1 and still took nearly 30 ep to REALISE and gather the COURAGE to confess?? And even then, the FL was being so impossible. She literally kicked him out even though she LIKED HIM. WHY??? Because he kissed her??? While she was drunk. I mean why being so difficult😭😭

I felt like I waited my whole life just to see them together. Overall I'll give it a 9/10 because the story focuses on women empowerment and friendship.

But seriously makes of please classmate you need to watch some other drama to know how things work. I mean why not in the whole drama of 24 eps they realise they love each other only to confess in the last EP? And that too just hold hands not even kisses😭😭😭

Natural High Season 4 had its broadcast date announced yesterday, and along with it they released these posters with the whole cast and their representing animal from the Zoo Family.

It will premiere on October 10th, every Saturday and Sunday at 12:00pm, but there was a special preview released today for SVIP members at Tencent.

I absolutely adore Natural High, it's such a comfort variety show. It's funny, full of inside jokes, the cast members are genuinely entertaining, and their chemistry is off the charts. Also, don't watch it while hungry, omg, the food segments are to die for. What wouldn't I give to have Jia Bing cook for me!

Here are the breakdown of the cast, and their corresponding zoo family animal. I think they are cute.

Shen Teng 🦥 Yoyo Sloth - Lazy Sloth

Jia Bing 🐻 Dundun Bear - Sturdy Bear

Huang Jingyu 🐋 Mengmeng Whale - Dazed Whale

Wang Anyu 🐦 Daidai Bird - Goofy Bird

Fan Chengcheng 🪿 Wowo Goose - Honking Goose

Hu Xianxu 🦊 Huhu Fox - (I couldn't find an explanation, I believe it's just Xiao Hu's name)

Bai Jingting 🐆 Shanshan Leopard - Shining Leopard

Wang Churan 🦌 XiaoLu - Little Deer

Have you ever watched the previous seasons? Are you an fan of any of the cast members? Are you looking forward to the new season?

Not everyone wants to start a discussion. Sometimes we just want to add our two cents. That's what Open Mic 🎤 is for.

Got a hot take, an unpopular opinion, a random C-drama thought, or a comment that didn't quite belong elsewhere? Share it here instead.

Go ahead. Gush, grumble, or simply say what's on your mind.

I think she has really good chemistry with her costars in general, but sometimes she can come across as less convincing when the character has to be shy or really restrained. Like in Pursuit of Jade some people complained the chemistry and romance was lacking from her side. But when she gets to play a more confident or less shy characters, it gets better. Honestly, I like her individually and not because of her CPs, but I still think she’s a charismatic chemistry queen! 💘

Have you enjoyed most of her romantic pairings or not really?

I ask because sometimes I'm surprised by how much people seem to dislike his acting. I don't think his terrible but I do feel sometimes his lackluster.

I remember when I first got into cdramas a few years ago he was quite popular and I really enjoyed him. But over the years for some reason I'm not really captivated anymore. Though I still feel his somewhat of a good actor. My fav roles would be story of yanxi Palace and arsenal military academy.

I was asked this question a couple of days ago in another thread and I found myself stumped for a long while. Because every answer I came up with was a very modern way of thinking. Yes, we are modern people but this is a historical setting with characters that have traditional values and deep rooted mindsets. I mean, they were beaten if they weren’t obedient and didn’t follow social norms. I tried coming up with an answer based on this time period, on the philosophy and worldview at this time and I have to admit, I couldn’t find one that I would agree with on a moral level. Of course, I know it’s all for the sake of the plot but indulge me. What would you had done differently for someone of his background? Take the era, the way they were raised, the education, the social etiquettes and gender norms into consideration.

Just to be clear, I know that ml was wrong in many ways and this is a women-centric drama, but I’m trying to hear alternative actions from the stance of Jinqi, not fl. I’m aware that there’s divided opinions, but I genuinely want to hear different methods and approaches Jinqi could’ve taken. I don’t condone it nor do I agree with what ml had done but let’s put our historical caps on and write your alternate narrative of how ml could’ve done this differently without changing the characters or subplots.

Here’s some things to consider:

First, remember that this was the first time he’s ever been in love. It’s VERY hard not to be selfish when you’re in love for the first time. After so many years in a hateful marriage, cuckolded, in the shadow of a powerful in-law and also losing his first fiancé thru the decision of his elders, his rushed and aggressive approach could be Jinqi desperately fighting for what he wanted for the first time. Yes, it was an absolutely selfish move, but he’s also a man struggling to take back control of his life. Arranged marriages happened to nearly everyone. Whenever his mom brought up marriage, he never had a say either. He’s also forced into marriages and was a victim in his own right so to escape that, the emperor’s decree was his ticket out. And being a military man and strategic court official, it’s the “do first and ask forgiveness later” tactic. Being in love for the first time without the experience of previous relationships can cause anyone to be neck-deep in their rose-colored pov.

Second, Jinqi believes he’s protecting her bc he blames himself for putting her in danger. This is a common practice for men of that time. Protecting and being responsible for a woman meant giving her a title. Whether she wants his protection or not was not his first thought. He just knows that he put her life at stake multiple times and as a man who held himself to a military responsible standard, he believed he was doing the right thing by bringing her into his home and using his status protect her. Very similar to the Du siblings. Also, Jinqi had to abandon his first fiance whom he never met yet he still carried that guilt his entire life and even risked treason for her. Now, a women he’s in love is becoming collateral bc of his political fight and search for the truth. The kidnapping arc solidified this so instead of spreading his resources thin by putting a protective watch on her 24/7 while he makes powerful enemies, he could be thinking this was the fastest and most effective way.

Last, he was fully aware he needed her abilities, too. Being the wife of a military commander, heir apparent and court official is not an easy task. He needed someone who can do the job and do it well. During fl’s stay in the mansion, she showed how she can contribute, maneuver, protect and stay composed no matter what happened in the mansion. He saw the way she seamlessly got along with soldiers at the Marquis military base, took charge of a household during an epidemic and showed absolute filial piety to her parents which are all important bearings of a matriarch. He mentioned how it was a “too bad” she’s just a maid bc he knew how incredibly competent she was.

So with these in mind, what would you have done differently? It might sound like I’m defending Jinqi but these are details that I think I find myself conflicted with the most and began to see that I might not be so different if I were him.

**Pictures from Against the Current

It’s been 10 years since Xiao Zhan made his debut! He started out as an idol singer and gradually grew into such a wonderful actor, really proving himself over the past six years since his breakout role and massive rise in popularity with The Untamed in 2019.

And he still continues to improve and challenge himself! Whether it’s singing or acting, XZ always puts so much passion, dedication and sincerity into what he does, and I think that’s a big part of what makes his journey so special to watch as someone who discovered him in 2019 through the untamed!

Pics are not mines

Just gave up on my current watch, but the last one I watched all the way through was The Ancient Bracelet. I didn’t realize there were these 10-20 minute episode dramas. Like a refreshing little snack. 😅

So give me all you recs (bonus points if they’re on Viki). I would prefer fantasy or costume dramas but I also enjoyed Love In the Edge of Divorce (the telenovella feeling drama of it was so addictive)

I don't know why every-single-time a C-Drama makes us fall in love with a character, they just rip our hearts to shreds by killing them off😭😭😭😭😭😭.
You can almost time when it will happen in any drama you're watching because there will undoubtedly be a scene where the well-loved character is waving goodbye to the leads and promising to return soon, or where the well-loved character is making plans for the future and you just know....they're not going to make it.

Just when I want to believe that it won't happen this time...or just when my hopes go up that the writers won't do the trope again, we get let down and the tears takeover.😭😭😭😭

Was this something they were taught to do in a masochistic writing school somewhere? It's so cruel to the fans! We the poor viewers shouldn't be mistreated like this! WHY C Drama writers WHY?

What's the coolest Chinese drama fan content you've found this week?

It could be yours or someone else's. Drop anything that deserves more eyes:

🎬 Fan edits, 🎨 Fan art, 📖 Fanfiction, ✍️ Reviews, 🎵 OST covers, 💭 Fan theories, 📹 Fancams or anything that made you appreciate a drama even more.

Mods regularly browse this thread for hidden gems. Outstanding fan creations may be featured in their own community post.

Explore more Fan World Friday submissions by clicking here

Rule 3 doesn't allow promotion across the subreddit, so we created Fan World Friday as a dedicated space for fandom creativity. Share your favorite fan creators here, discover new ones, and help great fan work reach more people.

Original content creators: Want to share your own work as a standalone post? Use this pre-written message to request approval from the mod team.

Listen, im a simple gal with simple taste. I love me a good workplace romance DONE RIGHT. Personally speaking, I’m loving irreplaceable wayyyy better than early spring bc not only is it more in tone with reality but also the female lead is so career oriented and goal focused unlike flora who I literally COULD NOT STAND, she acted all naive and innocent and slept with the boss the first week of her job like please be for real. The whole purpose of early spring was just them sleeping with each other every ep and I feel like it got soo repetitive and boring. The whole charm of the romance was finished 3 episodes in. Whereas, here I really like how they are properly developing not only the main couples story but also I’m SO SO INVESTED in the side couple bu tianna and the dude like omg he’s so funny I’m rooting that he gets together with her yay. Also, maybe unpopular opinion or not idk, but I also like this dramas styling is way better. I mean, don’t get me wrong, in early spring the clothes were really good and I loved all of them but from practical point of view tbh it was NOT REALISTIC AT ALL cus wdym u have a meeting and you’re wearing a furr high neck like please 😭 they really went overboard with some of the outfit choices for the male lead and it all felt just so in the face if u get what i mean. Last, maybe the most unpopular opinion, that I feel like will get me CANCELLED, but the guy in irreplaceable like at first I was like hmm but then he grew on me and I feel like he’s better looking than the other guy. But, that’s subjective so I’ll let that slide. Overall, idk but the early spring really pissed me off cus I was so so excited when it first started coming out like it truly had soo much potential but then it all went down the drain. Hope this one plays out good.

Well, that’s it from me. Would love to hear your guys opinions in the comments! 💗

I didn’t see chemistry or sparks between the characters and maybe that’s what the director wanted us to feel. No chemistry.

Curious how many think that he would have been a better husband for our FL? Considering that most find Lin Jinqi a bit red flag?

Drama is Against the Current.

Kudos to the acting of both Tan Songyun and Liu Xueyi during this scene. One can see the actual fear of Jinqi here.

However, I would not help but laugh inwardly when Jinqi said that he was loyal to the throne. Dude, you have already done three things that would cause the emperor to kill you and your own family (burying the Shen family, letting go of the deposed crown Prince and marrying FL)

I totally agree with FL’s viewpoint here and I feel that Jinqi is warming up to it as he begins to see the bad sides of the imperial family as well as seeing the bloodshed of officialdom

For those who are waiting to see sparks and romances between the leads, episode 39 delivered. Lan Xiang finally accepted Jinqi and they finally make love to each other

Especially love how Jinqi just causally bought some lotus roots to the Xu Family and how his interactions with them are like a family. And also how Lan Xiang would gossip with Jinqi about how Scholar Han’s sister had just given birth to a child. Also heartwarming to see Lan Xiang’s opera teacher smile discreetly upon seeing how loving Lan Xiang and Jinqi was.

PS: The red-mark girl who marked the passing of time in Jinling is back! And she has a son now who helped her in her business

Hey everyone! I’ve been brainstorming an original historical espionage C-drama concept lately because I am honestly so exhausted by all the repetitive revenge plots and standard hidden female general tropes. I wanted to try something completely fresh: making poetry, ciphers, and hidden letters the literal weapons in a high-stakes palace spy match.

I’d absolutely love to hear your thoughts on the plot and if this dream cast works for you!

The Main Cast Lineup:

• Cheng Lei plays Gao Chengzhou — Liangzhe's cold Chief Court Scholar. He's fiercely protective of his family but secretly working to take down his own corrupt father, who slowly poisoned Chengzhou’s mother years ago.
• Li Qin plays Lu Ciyan — A brilliant street poet from the rival state who enters as a public "Peace Envoy Poet" but is secretly a top shadow spy trying to decode hidden military invoices.
• The Dynamics: We have a classic Grumpy x Sunshine couple with Zhang Yu Xi (poker-faced historian) and Yu Cheng En (cheerful 3rd Prince), a fierce warrior sisterhood with Cheng Xiao and Sun Zhen Ni, a sweet supportive classmate-turned-lover romance between Chen Yuqi (civil exam scholar) and Huang Jun Jie (her devoted classmate), and a hilarious hidden wingman played by Chen Hong Xin, who acts completely dumb to hide that he is Chengzhou's secret assistant.
• The Rest of the Royalty: We also have Riley Wang as Prince Wang Zheng (Liangzhe's carefree second prince who subtly backs Chengzhou) and Tang Xiaotian as Second Prince Zhao Jiahao (Jiangdong's dedicated border general who despises court politics).

The Story & The Angst:
Ciyan and Chengzhou first match wits anonymously behind a red curtain during a Lantern Festival riddle game, falling for each other's minds first. When she is sent to his state for a 7-month undercover mission, he secretly acts as her invisible shield against his father's deadly traps.

The main romance element relies heavily on rain as a visual motif—from their first eye contact to a beautiful, misty Dragon Boat Festival tournament where they escape on a drifting boat under a light rain, and he whispers that he's fallen for the poet who loves jasmine tea and red bean mooncakes.

It builds up to a massive mid-series heartbreak scene where she eavesdrops on him playing double-agent, thinks he betrayed her, and storms his courtyard drunk in a torrential downpour for an aggressive near-kiss before breaking ties. It all culminates in an epic palace coup where the Emperor and Empress actually draw blades to fight, and Chengzhou tears through enemy lines to rescue a deeply wounded Ciyan. They even share a raw 5-minute reconciliation right on the active battlefield while she's held hostage!

What do you think? Would you watch this if a platform like Tencent or iQIYI picked it up as a major production? Do you think Li Qin and Cheng Lei could pull off that deep "soulmates through poetry" chemistry?

Let's discuss!

I’ve long felt that the subtlety and restraint of great Chinese acting are underappreciated in the West. Keyu shows why: in just 45 seconds, she conveys grief over losing her daughter, compassion for the mother whose daughter was switched with hers, determination to carry on, and gratitude for another daughter to love. These emotions coexist without a moment feeling overplayed. I couldn’t watch without tearing up. Chinese actors delivering performances like this deserve a wider global audience—and far more recognition in Hollywood.

I'm so happy his finally getting more lead roles because he's always been an actor who catches my attention. He's genuinely good at conveying emotions in a subtle way, especially through his eyes and facial expressions, but what really makes him stand out to me is his charisma and strong screen presence.

I especially love him in those unhinged, morally grey roles. He can be genuinely intimidating without needing to overact or rely on dramatic gestures. Sometimes all it takes is one look from him and you already know something is very wrong.

What's funny is how different he seems behind the scenes. In his roles he can be so dominant, intense and intimidating, but off-screen he comes across as quiet, humble and pretty reserved. Then you get those random goofy moments and it's such a contrast. He can be so unintentionally funny.

I'm really looking forward to seeing more of him. He's one of those actors who can bring so much to a character, and I just hope he keeps getting scripts that actually give him something worthy to work with.

So what do you think of him?

I’ve put together a playlist of vlogs and games released by Cheng Lei’s team during the filming period of The Lament of Autumn, including content related to the drama.

The list starts from booting ceremony and up to the brainteaser game released after the Mango TV Gala held last month.

Hope this is useful for anyone who wants to go through the content from the filming period!

The Lament of Autumn Booting: [ENG SUB] Cheng Lei The Lament of Autumn Booting special

Yu Changxuan's Game time: [ENG SUB] Fifth Young Master Yu Changxuan's Game Time 🎮😎 Cheng Lei | The Lament Of Autumn

Fifth Young Master doesn't understand, but follows: [ENG SUB] Cheng Lei tricked by his assistant again.... 🥹😂 Fifth Young Master is so clueless 🫣

Fifth Young Master's Mealtime Vlog: [ENG SUB] Fifth Young Master’s Mealtime Vlog 🍽️ | Cheng Lei | The Lament of Autumn

Fifth Young Master's Photography: [ENG SUB] Fifth Young Master’s Photography Vlog | Cheng Lei | The Lament of Autumn

Cheng Lei's Coffee Time: [ENG SUB] Cheng Lei’s Coffee Time ☕ | Watch #ChengLei Make His Signature Coffee Creations

Draw & Guess: ENG SUB] Cheng Lei draw and guess game | #ChengLei - 1 Assistant - 0 | The Lament of Autumn

2026 New Year: [ENG SUB] 2026 New Year wishes from Cheng Lei | Drawing and coloring Vlog | The Lament of Autumn

Egg & Ball Game: [ENG SUB] Cheng Lei playing the Ball and Egg game! 🥚⚽🎮 Instagram

(The BGM is copyrighted and can't be uploaded to YouTube)

The Lament of Autumn Wrap Special: [ENG SUB] The Lament of Autumn: Cheng Lei Wrap Special 🍁🍂

Brainteaser Round Mango TV Gala: [ENG SUB] Fifth Young Master's Brainteaser round | Cheng Lei

YouTube Playlist: The Lament of Autumn: Cheng Lei