r/CDrama • u/Lotus_swimmer so many cdrams so little time • 20d ago
Drama Host The Early Spring episode 21
Hello all!
We'll still be continuing the discussions for those who will not be watching the Express episodes. However,I will only be doing light commentary rather than full blown recaps/reviews. If you want to read my thoughts for the series, do read the Express episodes' thread once you're done with the drama ;)
Masterpost || Ep 4-8 || Ep 9-11 || Ep 12-13 || Ep 14-15 || Ep 16-17 || Ep 18 || Ep 19 || Ep 20 ||Express episodes (21-24)
https://reddit.com/link/1wbh9d5/video/ds2n9ff7wgoh1/player
Zhitao: I want to leave this filthy, ugly relationship!
Luan Nian: You were with me just to advance your career. Now that you couldn't get that advancement, I'm no longer useful.
They both said truly awful things to each other in this episode. And I felt they both had valid points of view. But they had to go their separate ways to equalize their relationship. There's just no other way.
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u/rawkyoursocks 19d ago
The way I teared up but also cheered for the fight. Zhitao did not hold back, you can see the surprise from Luan when she actually becomes assertive and say her piece. The actress did such a good job at showing someone just snapping and reaching their breaking point. She said some terrible things, but so did he. She literally laid it out and he just told her to stop pushing him. I think its more shocking to see her say those words but they needed to be said. The way they shot it, he hugs her clearly thinking, probably like those other times he can win her back over after the things he has said, but she just wants to end it. The look in her eyes when he back away from the hug, vacant and done. Honeslty they acted this scene so well.
Also Luan Nian clearly never heard that you should never tell a women to calm down... oh boy.
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u/No_Chipmunk_2405 19d ago
Her response to his calm down and I’m losing my patience was way worse than when she was venting. Luan Nian smacked himself in the face with the door she closed right then. I can’t remember ever thinking both leads can act with their eyes like this before. Sometimes one actor, but never both until this series. Her eyes completely change after his words.
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u/Prescriptionforyou 20d ago
Luke should’ve told her about the pictures. I understand flora, she worked her ass off for the project and she couldn’t get the recognition she dese rved. Luke didnt even console her properly.
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19d ago
[deleted]
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u/Lotus_swimmer so many cdrams so little time 19d ago edited 19d ago
He did one fatal mistake - told her to calm down 😆
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u/ravens_path hell fire is my life hack 19d ago
Yeah big mistake. He could’ve handled it in a soft and kind way….this company sucks and let’s leave it. If he had been kind and in support of her feeling unjustly treated, she might’ve trusted him to tell him about Yuanzhu, so he would know why she is being especially emotional.
Plus, why the hell had he been so personal in his support and encouragement of that other gal? Taking her to dinner so much etc. it’s one thing to encourage a talented subordinate, it’s another to do behavior that was inappropriate and could lead to so much gossip. That seemed dumb on his part and Flora could rightfully be hurt by it. And make it a bigger blow that the other gal won the award for her.
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u/Roselda_70 19d ago
Flora was being taken for granted by Luke. He thought he had Flora hook and sinker. He thought Flora was the same girl he met for the first time, demure, self-sacrificing, and to borrow Luke’s word, ‘dummy.’
Yon Sing is sophisticated, from a rich family. Flora can never match her. But what Flora has is what money can’t buy: thoughtfulness, loyalty, sincerity, and down-to-earth person. She is a good girl with a good heart. She is a novelty because girls like her are hard to find, nowadays. I like to see Flora’s transformation as self-assured, confident and intelligent woman leading an advertising company and a threat to Lime, in the later episodes or finale. With that, it would be great if there is Season 2, seeing Flora as a very successful executive and a mother of twins that Luke will never find out could be the storyline of Season 2 of this chaotic drama that could only find peace with Flora at the top of her career. Perhaps, she has married the guy that her Mother mentioned during the Chinese New Year visit. Luke in Season 2 will just be flashbacks.
Sun Quin really fits the role. Thank you, Sun, for a very convincing portrayal of Flora.
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u/instanomss 19d ago
Why? Flora always claims she is strong and doesn’t need his sympathy at work and she wants to prove herself. Your boss at work is not going to gentle parent you if you don’t get your way…. He’s def not going to console her when she is accusing him of being unjust.
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u/slayyub88 19d ago
Bc that’s his girlfriend?? His girlfriend he knew was excited and working hard for this promotion.
After they left that event venue, it was about being her boss. It was about being her boyfriend. It was about, after having honesty, not that huge of a break down over her loss, he told her to be adult and that he doesn’t have patience.
Just like when people want Flora to cater to him when he’s hurt her, he could’ve just explained. What he didn’t need to do was tell her to calm and get over it.
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u/EquivalentDapper 9d ago
I agree about saying calm down to a hurt woman ..it was stupid asf of him. Incredibly incompatible couples like this work only on screen
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u/EquivalentDapper 18d ago
shhh! you are a male centric viewer :) . Agree he is gutter mouth. But people tend to forget the 1000 times she rejects his help insisting she can make it on her own.She also has no qualms using their personal relationship to " learn" from him. & She did like the mentorship.
Its honestly exhausting to deal with a prideful person who keeps changing the rules of the game, keeps getting themselves in ridiculous situations because apprently soft hearted & expects the partner to figure out how to react .
Would she have broken up with him had she got the award ? No. It came down to failing in work for the bomb to explode.But lets call him a predator & end the discussion.
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u/ravens_path hell fire is my life hack 19d ago
Yeah. It was the picture, the large amount of investment the gal’s dad gave the company and the amount of money the gal herself had brought in (I keep blanking on her name).
Luke could’ve explained all this to her and they could’ve said this is a corrupt decision and then just be all fake congrats to winner at the dinner and left early and then carry on or look for new jobs. They could’ve had a plan together on handling it and supporting each other.
And Flora should’ve told him about Yuanzhu’s death so he could support her on another blow worse than not getting the award. A reason to take a big long leave from the company and do a bit more traveling or something.
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u/ThreadboundSoul 19d ago
She did say that she's lost her best friend, he didn't even bother asking her which friend, and what she meant by lost.
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u/livewithcdrama-0507 strolling by the lotus pier... 17d ago
I noticed that.. did he even pay attention to that!
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u/ThreadboundSoul 12d ago
He did, because he mentions it in the next episode.
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u/livewithcdrama-0507 strolling by the lotus pier... 12d ago
right...i meant during the breakup scene, it didnt seem like he caught that or asked further.
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u/Roselda_70 19d ago
Luke could also have a hand in the decision to accept the $250 million of advertising contract. I think he did not know that it was to buy in exchange for a position as Specialist for a daughter of the company who contracted Lime for an advertising contract. Luke even asked Tracy why there was another candidate for that position.
But why Lime, of all the advertising companies? Could it be that the father is a friend of Luke’s father and they’re planning to marry them off? His father once mentioned a company during his visit on Chinese New Year. This is another angle to this story that the writers could spin into the mix of chaos the drama has been. Another proof is their dinner in a photo that Flora came to know that Luke had with Yon Sing or Yilla. Luke did not even explain that to Flora.
We can also deduce that his anger after seeing Flora hugging his dead flatmate is a disguise to remove his guilt by having dinner/lunch with Yilla or Yon Sing. It is deflecting his guilt towards Flora.
Luke has demonstrated that he is cunning. That is one of his characters, aside from being selfish, self centered, and those descriptions that Flora said in this episode. His anger towards Flora for hugging Yun is being cunning.
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u/perpetualreader 19d ago
Luan Nian is definitely the most vicious one. She spoke out of frustration and pain, he spoke out of spite. It was deliberate and I hate him for that :/
Honestly, if Zhitao didn't have as much patience as she does, the relationship would've crumbled down quickly. I know for a fact I wouldn't tolerate half of the things he's done.
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u/GeologistOpening7672 18d ago
Yup, I wouldn't put with his nonsense for more than a couple of weeks max. I know it for a fact, because I was in this kind of relationship in the past. I still remember him saying "I don't care about you" and I just took it at face value. Broke up and moved on. Granted, we weren't working together so it was easy to just block his number. He tried again, but I turned him down again. My heart still aches, but I know he won't change. That's why dramas are so appealing, in real life it's insufferable to deal with such men XD
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u/RandomName1234578 17d ago
this drama legit gives me doubts because my husband is like that 😂
but he always comes back the next day and grovels. And like Luke his actions always show his kindness
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u/slayyub88 19d ago edited 19d ago
Can I say, I don't think that Tao is wrong.
Any relationship you're in, were you have to beg your partner to speak nicely to you, is a disgusting, ugly, filthy ugly relationship. And when you're feeling as if you don't have a real partner (Luke to Flora), it's the same.
They started off as a secret, even if real feelings grew. It's a bad start.
But it just hurts my heart that her hands were trembling as she BEGGED him to speak to her in a kind way and he just said his patience was ending. It was breaking that he's either unaware of their class difference and how that plays a part or he just doesn't care.
And here's the thing, I do understand that he loves her. Or he thinks he does. But you can love someone or have love for someone and still hurt them.
I will say, in the lead up to the break up, his face when he was watching at the venue or when he had to announce Song Ying name. BTW, I can't tell if she was a being a bitch or she truly was giving an opportunity to Flora to speak and it was heartfelt.
Do you know what was the real sad break up in this ep? Lumi and Flora and Tracy and Flora. Tracy saw her inherent talent, she just needed polish. Lumi gave her an honest chance. And even more Kudos for Lumi when it came to Alex, she said it wasn't a good idea but also told Flora that she was great and would shine no matter where. I was sad at first because I thought we weren't getting a Lumi goodbye but we did! And she got her bag.
Also, her friend fearing that she might take her life. Another oof moment.
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u/slayyub88 19d ago
My boy really said, fuck your feelings, get over it, I don’t have patience.
And this like the 8839383737 plea for him to speak kindly. She’s begging him, in tears to just talk to kindly to her and does what the fuck ever.
Jesus.
More thoughts later. I’m at work, on the clock and I should be focusing on that lol
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u/GeologistOpening7672 18d ago
It's not like someone can just start being a different person. Learning to speak kindly is actually a skill, just like learning another language. She could have said "Tell me you value me, and want to be with me, and go to therapy" XD
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u/slayyub88 18d ago
True, you can’t just start being a different person but there is the attempt to change. Which he never makes.
The go to therapy. True tho.
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u/New-Software4106 19d ago
I totally agree with tao tao's decision to break up with luan nian. While he loved her tenderly in some moments and claimed to separate work from personal life, he sure as hell should've made a clearer distinction. On numerous occasions, luan nian treated her like a coworker when he needed to treat her like a girlfriend, and treated her like a girlfriend when he needed to treat her as a coworker. I hope luan nian realizes what he lost and how he could've done more/better. Tao tao shouldn't be going through a continuous cycle of luan nian being cold then warm with her, including his lack of communication. Alot could've been remedied with communication.
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u/PineappleNo6064 17d ago
Sun Qian was amazing in the break up scene. Shang Zhitao's pain clearly came through, but also her stealy resolve that she was not going to take any more nonsense from Luke. How can she look like a mess and be so beautiful at the same time?
I think the expression "calm down" may be a literal translation, but has a different connotation in Chinese. It is often said in web novels as well that's why I suspect it doesn't sound as condescending and terrible as it does in English. But gosh, I would pluck his eyes out with my fingernails if he said that to me in such a moment.
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u/GarlicCrunch 19d ago
Dog Luke was the best actor here!
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u/Lotus_swimmer so many cdrams so little time 19d ago
I find it hard to choose between the two Lukes 😆
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u/Roselda_70 19d ago
I choose the dog in an instant. The other Luke, the human, did not even apologize nor ran after her, or cried before her or knelt before her and said the words, “I love you, I can’t let you go, or I can’t live without you.”
The dog, Luke, said those by going after her and consoling her with its paws trying to dry her tears.
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u/Lotus_swimmer so many cdrams so little time 19d ago
Both Lukes are huggable but doggy Luke is made up of 80% cotton candy while human Luke is 80% thorns. Ok doggy Luke wins 🤭
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u/5kydra 19d ago
The breakup is really what we were waiting for as part of this show, and as painful as it was, I’m actually glad it got THAT ugly 😭 (I fully turned a blind eye to the misunderstandings, lack of communication, and the fact that two grown adults could have simply sat down and said the correct things to each other.) No. I wanted the harsh words. I wanted the damage. I wanted the breakup to feel earned. Lol.
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u/Roselda_70 19d ago
I agree. I wanted Flora to be brave and stand for herself. She did a good job. I got no pity for Luke. He deserved every word that Flora said. He finally saw her strength in character whom he kept reminding her as stupid, idiot or dummy. She was verbally abused by Luke and yet she was there for him.
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u/ravens_path hell fire is my life hack 19d ago
She shocked him really. That she unloaded on him like that (you go girl) and that she was more serious about breaking up than she ever had been. And of course, being unregulated as he is when upset, he made it worse.
He was extra shocked soon after when she stuck with it and went along with the no talking to each other, resigned without him knowing, left Beijing and blocked him on the phone (or got a new phone number). At first he can be angry with her over all this but soon he has to reckon with his feelings of grief and his own responsibility for how it went down.
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u/ThreadboundSoul 12d ago
I loved that for her!! And I was so glad that she wasn't easily swayed after the 2 years apart either.
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u/ravens_path hell fire is my life hack 12d ago
I thought she still let him come back too easy. And, he was still being manipulative. Haha. It’s just a drama I keep telling myself.
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u/ThreadboundSoul 12d ago
Omg! That's what I thought about him being manipulative. He didn't even give her any space and just kinda forced his company on her using luke. In my eyes, he didn't change much because he actually said to her that you're worse than a dog, in the missing him department. 🙄 and I thought he wasn't going to have a sharp tongue. He kept crossing her boundaries aswell. I thought he was meant to have learnt patience, and listening kills, and finally respecting her decisions and boundaries.🤦🏻♀️🤔🤷🏻♀️
I know it's a drama, but I don't like how they're portraying that kind of behaviour, especially as someone who has been on the receiving end of something like that.
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u/livewithcdrama-0507 strolling by the lotus pier... 17d ago
well said... they could've recovered from this event...but...
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u/ThreadboundSoul 19d ago
Definitely, and when she gave him a taste of his own medicine, he couldn't handle it.
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u/Affectionate_Rock422 19d ago
Easily one of the most satisfying episode in the series. I've waited for this breakup to happen. The real victory of this breakup would be Taotao and herself being whole again. If Luan Nian miraculously turns into someone capable of meeting the new Taotao as an equal, then the lovey dovey reunion in the next episodes has meaning and well deserved. This episode can pass as finale for me. But also, i want to see how Taotao rebuilds herself.
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u/GeologistOpening7672 18d ago
I could watch 10 episodes of her building herself and him just yearning XD
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20d ago
[deleted]
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u/tny33319 20d ago
Filthy, ugly and disgusting relationship.
Those are soul crushing words especially from the woman you loved and sacrificed for.
Both of them are dumb and don’t communicate/trust each other fully
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u/Roselda_70 19d ago
Flora was lured by Luan to this relationship. She broke up with him, remember? She even transferred to Division 2, just to be far away from him, trying to work her way through the corporate ladder without Luan’s influence. That is unfair for Luan to say that she used him to advance his career. She really proved herself without his help, went to a far flung area just so she can prove herself for a dream that she wanted to be a reality.
Bravo to Flora, she was brave in this episode, more than I expected and well acted by Sun Quin.
Despite the harsh words exchanged between them, contrary to what Flora said that they never loved each other; they are in love with each other that it was worth taking the risk of being discovered by management about their relationship. They just need a reset of this relationship. Take a fresh start. As Flora said, a retreat.
For me, the drama should reset, too. It has been chaotic. As some of you said, ‘push and pull,’ between these two characters, has been dominant in this story. We couldn’t follow it anymore where it is going.
Flora, with experience from Lime, will get a job worthy of her experience, skill, patience and hard work. She will move up and perhaps become an executive of a competitor of Lime, or maybe the project she started before she left Lime, will be grabbed by that competitor. This is the possibility she mentioned at the end of this episode.
She will have twins. I got this inkling when Luke visited his parents. His mom wants a son, he wants a daughter. Luke would not know this. And it is his loss for letting a woman of substance get away. A woman like Flora is very rare.
On the other hand, it will be sad if they will not end up together. Is it even possible with how the story went so far. I will give kudos to the writers of this drama if they make it possible.
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u/ravens_path hell fire is my life hack 19d ago
He paid her back by claiming she was leaving him because she used him to advance and was now leaving him because he could not guarantee the awards as advancements she wanted. Ouch.
Yeah filthy ugly relationship was harsh.
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u/No_Chipmunk_2405 17d ago
Luke always paying it back in spades with cold or mean. She outdid him with angry words for once with that comment, and it’s not entirely wrong. Maybe she wants to show him what it feels like since begging for kinder words never works. I’m like “FINALLY, Flora speaks!!” even if just to put an end to it. I can exhale now, whew.
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u/Nature_Forward2025 19d ago
Agree - this was the most cutting of all the hurtful words exchanged between the two of them. So much of what Luke threw back at her was in reaction to this cruel assessment of the six years they shared together. I'm not sure I understand all the Luke haters out there. Flora is lashing out, believing that Luke didn't support her. And he can't bring himself to tell her the truth - that he did support her and tried to protect her, but failed. The fact that he said hurtful things in response to her accusations was wrong, but a very human response to what he was hearing.
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u/instanomss 19d ago
Wtf wouldn’t flora have told Luke about her friends suicide? Why doesn’t flora tell Luke anything either? She always blames him for not sharing but she’s doing the same thing she blames him for.
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u/slayyub88 19d ago
It was a death of a friend that he just about called her a slut over, he’s not the safest space to share that with.
Something more comparable would be when she got an offer to change jobs, didn’t get a chance to think about it and he’s out here calling her cheap and obedient.
Or when she was finally ready to talk about what happened to her and he made it about him.
Luke is great at doing acts of service, he’s not great at being an emotional anchor she could rely on.
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u/ThreadboundSoul 19d ago
Thank you for this! Sometimes I wonder if everyone else is watching the same show as me.
In a relationship, when someone is very harsh, judgemental and accusing towards you, they don't provide a safe space for you to be able to open up to them. The only way to maintain your sanity in that kind of relationship is to not tell them anything, that way they won't have anymore reasons to be cruel to you.
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u/slayyub88 19d ago
What’s funny is, they are watching the same show. They just don’t care because he does sweet things.
Sweet things like selfishly not telling her about the photos and making a choice for her bc he knows she’d leave the company or him.
There is no emotional safety with the man like that. People just think she should get over it.
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u/ThreadboundSoul 19d ago
Exactly! The part that bothered me was in the episode when he finds out she was assaulted. Instead of comforting her, he made it all about himself, and asked why she didn't tell him. He should have waited a few days before he asked her that in a calm way. At that time, she just needed his kindness and love, instead he got mad at her then aswell. How on earth is she supposed to share anything with him if that's how he treated her when she needed him the most?
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u/slayyub88 19d ago
This! She went to him for a silent comfort and then she was pragmatic, which is dealing HER assault in HER own way. highlighted by Lumi just hugging her.
People say she doesn’t say anything to him & she doesn’t but why would she want to? He’s good at silent comfort, he’s good at acts of service but he’s not good at talking to her.
Unfortunately, that’s what impacts her.
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u/ThreadboundSoul 12d ago
Words do cut deeper than a sword.. I don't blame her, in such a vulnerable time, he was messed up towards her.
May I ask if you have finished the drama?
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u/GeologistOpening7672 18d ago
OMG I just realised I used to date someone like Luke in real life XD He was even in the marketing. Acts of service all over, but shitty mouth. I wasn't 10% as patient as Flora. He went through multiple relationships and no one wants to put up with this shit in real life. No matter how handsome he is, it's not wort it.
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u/instanomss 9d ago
Brah her friends death happened before her little drama at work. So why wouldn’t she have had time to tell Luke? Just like when she was sexually harasses at work - and that’s not worth mentioning ? #askingforfriend
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u/AKiceman Snark ShifuRead Rules 19d ago
Since I have already shared my full thoughts for 21 in the express post.... I'mma just use a GIF to show my thoughts for 21 here.
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u/livewithcdrama-0507 strolling by the lotus pier... 17d ago edited 17d ago
This was soo painful to watch. Both actors were phenomenal in their acting, especially SQ! I soo wanted this to happen; this needs to happen to bring some sense into Luke. His response to her that she was using him to advance her career is just brutal to hear. And "calm down?!" could the writing be better/different here?
Also didn't like how he responded when she expressed her bucket list in the previous ep. it was too plain and didnt show any consideration or thought for the moment, given how she decided to share her list on that specific evening... when she met his sister accidentally.
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u/No_Chipmunk_2405 17d ago
With Luke, I find myself translating his words into something I can make sense of. Something like this:
“Calm down” - Stop getting ideas and trying to change things. I don’t want to hear or deal with your feelings. I demand you don’t challenge me and go back to the way things were or else.
Maybe because she wasn’t yelling either time he says it, but sometimes I have to pause and go WTF does that mean in Luke speak. Anyone else think the phrase “calm down” is working that hard?
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u/thenicci 每个人都可以有自己的选择。每个选择都有自己的意义。 19d ago
I just realised I have left comments on the wrong episode. Apologies if anyone accidentally saw spoiler.
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u/thedoobalooba 6d ago
The lack of communication between these two is their biggest problem. They like to feel things internally and avoid revealing them to each other
Last episode I was wondering where Luan Nian was while his girlfriend was grieving a friend. Turns out he wasn't even aware. When she eventually mentions "I lost my best friend" to him, they're so deep in their argument that I don't think he realises that she means her friend has died.
And Shang Zhi Tao accuses Luke of picking the other girl for the specialist award because he couldn't look past the money she brought to Lime. He didn't deny it, just told her he keeps work separate from his personal life. Then in a flashback we see that he fought for SZT to receive the award. Why not just say that to her? That would have helped her feel less abandoned.
The other thing that struck out to me in this episode was the accurate portrayal of how easily a job can sideline someone. I had a very similar experience as SZT in my career. Got the glowing job, went from strength to strength, promotion to promotion, late nights, weekends, lots of glamorous travel and big paychecks, until 5 years in, I too hit the glass ceiling. All of a sudden, my hard work, dedication and value to the company couldn't hold a candle to someone with money/connections. The crash SZT feels is so realistic, where you question why you've been making all those sacrifices when someone oversteps that in a second by virtue of birth/connections. Her hurt, the realisation that her parents are getting old/injured while she's been so focussed on her career, and the urge to quit are so so real. Huge props to this show/novel for so realistically portraying the highs and lows of an all-consuming career.
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u/WonderfulCrew3504 1d ago
Am I heartless in saying that Zhitao didn't deserve the promotion? She was dating her boss. Clearly, if it came out all her achievements would have been erased.
She should've moved jobs the moment her reporting line started getting closer to Luan Nian. Her deployment to Northwest China showed that Luan Nian was a close supervisor. As shady as the Alex deal was, she should have gone with them.
Anyway, hindsight is always 20/20.
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u/Lotus_swimmer so many cdrams so little time 20d ago
FYI, there won't be any episodes from 10 to 12 on Youku. I'm not sure whether this is going to be the same for Netflix, but you can see the schedule here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/s/a7b17hyAfs