One...Two...Three...Click

There is a saying that goes like this, “A tiger leaves its fur after death and humans leave photographs as evidence of their life.’

The Midnight Studio is now opened.

We have countless memories in our lives, but there is one we can’t photograph – it is the memory of the last breath.

If there were a studio that took photos of your last memories, the ones that you couldn’t take when you were alive, wouldn’t you want that? Somewhere between life and death. Somewhere on the treacherous and arduous path of death. It only allowed you to want it desperately. You cannot go back once you get lost on the path to death. You have to walk in the skin-cutting snowstorm, across the valley where the ground splits and fills with molten lava and go through endless mazes to finally reach this place. What place is that? A photo studio only for the dead – a photo studio that only opens at night.

The secret of this drama was based on the camera which could not only take photographs of the dead but also the miraculous power to bring them back to life. Many intruders tried to get the camera, but the Grim Reaper was the guardian and its protector.

One soul came to the Netherworld and stole the reaper’s belongings. His Excellency made it back to his child who was ready to die with the camera, but the Grim Reaper followed him. Chastising him for taking the camera and he wanted it back. His Excellency begged the reaper to let him have the camera to save his child and let him live until his age, 35. The reaper agreed telling him that his sons and all his descendants that follow will all end with the same fate. The dead would chase them during their very short lives. His Excellency agreed to the reaper’s demands. But with this agreement, little did he know that he created a curse that lasted thousands of generations.

The ML (Joo Won aka Seo Ki Joo) was the 7th photographer in his family that ran a photo studio that only ghosts frequent. The FL (Kwon Na Ra aka Han Bom) is a lawyer who unbeknownst to her would become involved with Seo Ki Joo due to their past history.

Seo Ki Joo has two ghosts who were earthly bound which were: Assistant Manager Go (Yoo In Soo aka Go Dae Ri) and a former police officer (Eum Moon Suk aka Baek Nam Gu) who were in charge of bringing in ghosts as customers as well as handling closure to cases to help the ghosts move on.

Assistant Manager Baek Num Gu was a violence crime unit detective who married his childhood sweetheart. On the night of their anniversary, he promised her he would be home on time. Chasing and cornering the perp they began to fight and in split second Baek Num Gu was stabbed and died. His partner came too late and found him dead. Staying bound and not leaving he wanted to help his partner find who killed him which eventually he did. Baek Num Gu had the ability to hold objects and move them.

Assistant Manager Go was earthly bound due to dying of a heart attack on the job from overwork. The day of his heart attack he was to go on a blind date. He thought that Han Bom was his blind date until he realized her roommate was the woman he was looking for. His ability was he was able to take possession of another person’s body for approximately 20 minutes. This allowed him to go on dates with Kim Ji Won. She did figure out that he was a ghost.

Han Bom was connected to Seo Ki Joo based off her car accident with her parents and also his uncle being at the scene at the time. He died trying to save Han Bom.

This drama gives us various poignant moments as we learn more about the studio and are given beautifully crafted stories of the "ghost" who will or are facing death.
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- The Virgin Ghost Bride
- The child is Han Bom (she was in a coma)
- The husband who the police believed killed him in the hospital
- The priest
- Han Bom’s grandmother
- The CEO
- The high school senior
- The twin brothers
- The con
- Seo Ki Joo's uncle
- The evil stalker

There is one particularly funny part when all the "ghost priest" are dancing to Aespa. Hilarious. They do get out of character; you will definitely enjoy that.

Of course, everything cannot all be happy and light. We do have an evil spirit that possesses a stalker and finally takes full possession of Lieutenant Lee Seon Ho. His demise comes on the death of our favorite detective...Baek Num Gu.

Each moment with the “soon-to-be-departed” Seo Ki Joo would take a photograph. The camera would only allow him to take two shots. The first one of the living and dead to meet each other. These are such heart wrenching moments that you better have some tissues nearby. The second photo signifies – goodbye or their final departure. This is also so gut wrenching. The lovely part is as they watch them leave and fighting through their tears, the last photo of the desperate souls last moments falls down giving them that inner peace and memory of their final goodbye.

Seo Ki Joo did find out how his brother did die. He did have the opportunity to take the last photograph of his brother.

To lift the curse Seo Ki Joo had to take the camera back to the Netherworld and to the Grim Reaper. He was successful but unfortunately, he could not leave. It took him one year to come back with the help of the twin brother who he had helped cross over.

The ending -- we see them all sitting ready for a photograph together and as we know that Seo Ki Joo and Han Bom will be happily together but unfortunately for Kim Ji Won and Assistant Go, he was just a spirit who one day would have to cross over.

I can only say how much this drama touched me personally. Dealing with the loss of my mother and sister made me wish that I would be able to really afford to have such moments one last time. I believe we all would. You will feel so much during this drama as I said, have tissues ready because it just helps in its own way to help all of us seek closure when dealing with death. We never can get over the loss of a loved one but if watching this drama can help, then I say do so, it did in its own special way for me.

Final thoughts regarding the studio: That it helped people who’d only been chasing tomorrow, cherish the precious moments right now. And I’ll ask you to cherish them today.

One, two, three…click

The Midnight Studio is now permanently closed.

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Lovers and Secrets

Wow!!! This short drama was a pleasant surprise!

The ML (Leo Yang aka A Sen) is a police officer assigned to infiltrate the Kuntai Group. While at a bar he meets FL (Han Le Yao aka Ling Yi) a hostess who is being harassed by one of Tai's boys. Sen intercedes and from that initial meeting the two are never parted.

Ling Yi suffers from abandonment issues by her boyfriend, being imprisoned for accidently causing a death and lastly to face the loss of her only relative – her aunt. Sen finds himself drawn to Ling Yi. Her kind heartedness and genuine nature which he hasn’t felt in so long makes him want to protect her and keep her safe with him. He tries to distance himself from her due to the life he is portraying and doesn’t want her involved. But Ling Yi keeps showing up even with Sen protesting because she needed to find out more about the cause of her aunt’s death, which was not just the only reason, Ling Yi had begun to fall for Sen.

Feelings were beginning to emerge, and lines started to blur with Sen. He could no longer keep Ling Yi in the dark due to these feeling, so he confessed to her that he was an undercover police officer who was in the Kuntai Group to get information on their criminal activities. Ling Yi, while grateful for the confession and confiding in her would not deter her to leave Sen because she told him that she reciprocated his feelings as well and sealed it with the hottest kiss. Yes, these two were so steamy, and his seductiveness, his look, his voice, and the way he continuously came onto her and she to him only intensified and enraptured their feelings for each other as lovers.

What I really like about Ling Yi is that she wasn't the weak female that you would think she was. She held her own with Sen and actually saved him several times. She thought outside the box and wasn’t pathetic like you see how some of the female leads can be. Taking the initiative with him and let him no in no uncertain terms that she wanted him not just as her protector but as her lover. Yep, she definitely showed him several times.

Kuntai's Group leader Kun dies at the hand of a deal that goes wrong leaving his wife Elena in charge. Tai, Kun’s brother knew that Sen was not to be trusted but Sen was always a step ahead and turn the tables on Tai to make him look like the guilty party ever time. In the last exchange, everything went sideways, and Tai went missing. Ling Yi confronted Elena about her aunt telling her she knew that she had killed her aunt. The video she had would incriminate her. Elena tried to appease Ling Yi, but this was all a ruse so that she could stab her. Sen knew when Elena did not show up at the exchange that something was wrong and arrived to see her stabbed Ling Yi. Sen was so enraged that he shot Elena in the arm.

Rushing her to the hospital, Sen faced the reality of losing Ling Yi and this led him to believe even more that he wanted her to be with him for the rest of her life. Of course, she survives. Sen sets up the hospital room with the help of the nurses to propose to Ling Yi who accepts. The police were still on alert because Tai was still missing. As Sen leaves Ling Yi he sees Tai and follows him to an abandon garage. Ling Yi hears an altercation in the hospital room next door and hears that Tai has set up Sen. She takes off to Sen location and begs Tai to let Sen go. But little did they know that Tai had set bombs around the parameter that he exploded. Sen is gone.

Ling Yi barely believes he is gone...3 years go by until he returns. They are reunited.

I feel that we could have another one due to the fact do we know that Tai died. Elena was only shot in the arm and went to jail. Could both of them team up for revenge on both Sen and Ling Yi. That would be an exciting to see another season.

This is really a good watch and who wouldn’t want to be this man's undercover lover. I know I would want too.

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When the Bells of Love Stop

If you are thinking this is going to be a romantic love story -- it is, but tragically sad.

You see this is about a love that spans over 500 years...

Shen Qi (Amber Song) lived in a village where she fell upon the wounded Chi Ye (Li Dai Kun). The two eventually fell in love and married. But on the day of the wedding, Chi Ye picked up his sword (we don't know why he wanted to kill everyone in the clan) to kill Shen Qi's clan. The clan chief foresaw what would unfold and told Shen Qi that her mission was whenever Chi Ye's sword pointed at her clan members, she had to die under his sword to make Chi Ye feel guilty. She assured the clan chief that no matter what she would do exactly that.

She blocked the sword with her body and died in Chi Ye's arms. Chi Ye was filled with so much grief holding the bloody Shen Qi in his arms, he couldn't bear losing her, "How can I live alone" as he held a dagger in his hand to end his life. Just then he hears bells and a woman's voice, "Do you want to save her?" As he turns his head around, he sees an old woman, cane clicking on the hard ground with bells ringing. She says, "I can let her wake up but there's a price to pay. Her bells turn into a nail on your chest. She'll wake up 500 years later because of you and you never get hurt in endless years. You can never be with her, or their will be punishment. Chi Ye asks, "What is the punishment. Will it hurt her?" Amanma response, "Since red rope is tied, disaster lurks within good fortune. Remember what I said. Even if she wakes up you can never love each other. Love stays so long as you are alive. Only the forever-running water knows the melancholy." She repeats the last words until she disappears.

Fast forward 500 years later...

As Chi Ye walks to the tree of bells, he remembers his last parting words with the Amanma.
Chi Ye, "When will she wake up."
Amanma: "500 years later when the bells on the tree stop ringing, Shen Qi will wake up."
Chi Ye: "Okay. I'll wait for that day."

Looking at the bells and hearing them ringing as they blow upon the breeze of the wind, he contemplates when will the bells stop ringing. Just at that moment...they stop. He finally will get to see her. Turning and looking around, one of the bells falls from the tree and lands on the ground in front of him. Bending to pick it up, he hears a voice, "That's my bell." Hesitant to look up, he eventually does. In the tree, is Shen Qi, "I can't get down. Can you help me?"

Thus begins Shen Qi and Chi Ye's love story on Silver Bell Island.

Somehow, six years goes by until the next meeting of the couple. When they do meet, Shen Qi falls in love at first sight with Chi Ye. She will not be deterred in any way and begins to chase him. However, Chi Ye's constant rejection and avoidance of her makes Shen Qi think that it's all just wishful thinking, until she tells him "My wish is to be with you". With those words Chi Ye's heart begins to loosen.

They begin to spend endless days together just enjoying life and begin with each other so much so until they decide to get married. But all good things as they say.

Shen Qi finds out about their past life together and breaks up but they both realize their love is what they both want so they decide to face everything that fate has for them together. Their wedding was held, with all of the islanders looking on. Chi Ye finally got his moment with Shen Qi -- to make her his wife -- to be husband and wife.

But again, he was faced with the memories of what Amanma had told him.

Chi Ye: "What if we still love each other?"
Amanma: "Then punishment shall befall us. To avoid it, there is only one way, that is to forge a small knife with the silver ringing on Shen Qi and remove the nail from your chest. But once this contract is broken, her life will come to an end. And you'll return to your normal self.
Chi Ye: "I will never do that."
Amanma: "Cause and effect are always there, destiny is uncertain."

Cause and effect, haunting words which plagued both Shen Qi and Chi Ye since things were beginning to happen on the island. People were getting sick, crops dying, flowers wilting, etc. They knew they had to do something. As they walked along the trail and Shen Qi shared with Chi Ye the six years when she appeared on the island and how she had no memory, they both heard the ringing of bells and the click of the cane...Amanma.

Amanma: "You came here after all. Ling Yi Gu Shu. Infinity of force method. Once offended. There must be a disaster. Chi Ye, with his obsession with you. Change one's life against heaven. Now you two violated the taboo of ancient art will be punished."
Shen Qi: "What if the contract is terminated? Is there any way to terminate the contract? It can make everything go back to the past."
Amanma: "Once the contract is broken, can only accept punishment. And the real punishment is the fall of the island."

Shen Qi has a recall of a memory while Amanma and Chi Ye look on.

Amanma: Shen Qi, I thought you saw it all.
Shen Qi runs away while Chi Ye confronts Amanma.
Amanma: "Do you know the problem now? "
Chi Ye: "Problem. What's the problem? What's wrong with our love?"
Amanma "Now Shen Qi realizes that Silver Bell cast into a knife if you cut out the silver nail from you with a knife Shen Qi will die. I'll give you one last chance. Come to me when you think it's over. Silver nail removable. The collapse of the island can be solved."
Chi Ye: "What's the price this time?"
Amanma: "The life of you and Shen Qi will all end. There are only seven days left in my life. Ruthless is too bitter. Love is evil."

With that said, Chi Ye went back and told a distraught Shen Qi that there was another way. Amanma gave him two rings that that would let them share each other's pain, when they take the silver nail from his chest, they will only have seven days left. She agrees.

You see them spending those last seven days with laughter, love and so much happiness. The gray begins to show in their hair. Shen Qi rest her head on Chi Ye's shoulder. Chi Ye smiles as he thinks of the memories of their love story. He closes his eyes, smiles and rest his head on Shen Qi's. They quietly pass away on the swing holding hands.

Do you believe this was a true story? You see a couple at the end who is listening to a woman telling them this story. They both are in disbelief whether to believe her or not. The woman assures them it is true. She is selling silver bells which leads them to believe she is duping them only to sell the bells.

We also have a second couple Luo Fei (Yu Yi Lei) and Qi Yang (Miao Wei Lun) who fall in love and have a beautiful love story. Qi Yang was the assistant to Chi Ye and knew his secret. Luo Fei came on the island to get away but ended up leaving but coming back to the island because she had fallen for Qi Yang. Qi Yang ended up being the new island owner with Luo Fei by his side.

I really did enjoy this story. I felt there were definitely some missing pieces which could have explain things a bit better. Both couples are so good together. You find yourself hoping that there will be a change in fate for our main couple, but that wasn't to be. Touching, yet such a sad story.

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Till Death Do Us Part

This drama caught me by surprise. The twist and turns of how everything unfolds is interesting to say the least. It holds your attention and makes you think did Ran Shu need to go as far as she did with escaping her marriage. Was the ending what she expected.

When we first meet Ran Shu (Lu Yan Qi) she is in the bathroom cutting her hair, hiding a facial bruise that she has received once again from her husband. As she is staring at her reflection, she begins to think about the reoccurring dream that she is having more frequently. It is about her and her husband Zhang Zeyi (Chu Peng Xu), a glamorous photographer who she realizes is totally different in the dream than in reality.

In reality he is a violent, gloomy, cruel, horrific and an abusive husband. Ran Shu is feeling that this dream is starting to become real. In the dream, Zhang Zeyi wants them both to die on his 30th birthday by preparing a poisonous rose for her. The purpose for this is he wants to freeze love with death so that it will never wither. To complete this final photo, he grabs the poisonous flower as well and dies along with her, this is his last photograph--Ran Shu and Zhang Zeyi dying together side by side. Death will witness their eternal love.

This dream sets the stage for why Ran Shu decides to fight back against the life she was living.

You see Ran Shu grew up in an orphanage with her sister Gu Ru Ye (Wang Xing Chen). There was no love lost between these two sisters due to what Gu Ru Ye had done to her in the orphanage. Ran Shu was originally going to be adopted by a rich woman. Gu Ru Ye was bitter that her sister was going to leave her after she swore, they would be together forever. She disabled her sister and locked her up the day the rich woman came hence Gu Rue Ye was chosen. Leaving Ran Shu alone in the orphanage until she was of age to leave.

Meanwhile, Gu Ru Ye had become a big celebrity. You would think she was happy, but she still wanted to wreck and disassemble the life of Ran Shu. And that meant, taking her husband Zhang Zeyi whom she eventually seduces.

To escape this premonition of impending death, Ran Shu started a counterattack by enlisting the help of the famous writer Gu Yi Bai (Jin Jia Yu) by having an interview with him to discuss his upcoming book. During their first interview at Gu Yi Bai's house Ran Shu ask him if Gu Ru Ye, the famous movie star was his sister. He says she is. This is Ran Shu's sister unbeknownst to Gu Yi Bai.

She continues her plan by allowing Gu Ru Ye to seduce Zhang Zeyi, using Gu Yi Bai by showing faded bruises, leaving her purse in his car so that he had to return it and see the domestic abuse firsthand by her husband. Yes, her plan went along swimmingly. So, much so until Zhang Zeyi got the divorce he wanted, and Gu Ru Ye married him.

Ran Su was excited and finally happy to live her life. But we still had the impending 30th birthday of Zhang Zeyi at the exhibit. Now, that Ran Su was no longer his wife this was not going to stop him fulfilling his last photo. The stage was set just as Ran Su had envisioned in her dream. She came and confessed everything to Zhang Zeyi as Gu Ru Ye was already dead. She told him that the letter that he had in his pocket was not from Gu Ru Ye but from her. Zhang Zeyi begins to realize that Ran Su set everything up.

We also have Gu Yi Bai who on the eve of the exhibit sees a lady janitor with a box of letters which contained all the letters to Zhang Zeyi from Gu Ru Ye. He begins to investigate what this is all about. Meetings, interviews, domestic violence were these all lies? He begins to question if everything was indeed a lie by Ran Su.

Ran Su would not have done what she did to Gu Ru Ye if she would not have been constantly pressuring her along with the abusive treatment from Zhang Zeyi. She began stalking her sisters, so she already knew that Gu Yi Bai was her brother. She deliberately shook hands with Gu Yi Bai when Zhang Zeyi arrived at their interview to create tension. She placed the love letter written by her in Gu Ru Ye’s style into the coat pocket of Zhang Zeyi. Infidelity, affair. She dragged them all down into the abyss she created.

Just as she thought everything was going her way, Gu Yi Bai was not done. He knew what Ran Su had done and he began his own investigation. He found out that Ran Su was Gu Ru Ye's sister and was actually supposed to be adopted but his mother. But due to being injured she was not adopted. Looking back, each time they met, he was cooperating with her. Whether it was intentionally letting Zhang Zeyi misunderstand them, deliberately leaving her purse in his car, leaving her shoes out so that he could find her or the letter that she deliberately left. He began to contemplate and wonder if he had not met her that day, how would the outcome be. At last, he finally came to the conclusion that she set everything up.

He meets Ran Su and tells her the ending of his new book, “Everyone is a villain. Controlling people in the name of love. Severing the new life with dreams.” Ran Su stares at Gu Yi Bai and knows he knows what she did. But he tells her that is not the ending he is giving her. He tells her to turn herself in to the police.

Gu Yi Bai does meet with Zhang Zeyi who is in prison. He asked Gu Yi Bai what else does he want to know because he does not feel that he has done anything wrong. The reason why is that he felt his marriage with Ran Su was perfect. The domestic violence and abuse he saw it as him being protective. At a young age, Zhang Zeyi saw his father murder his mother. He was having an affair with another woman and told him that he would always take care of him as he left him to go to the other woman. Leaving Zhang Zeyi to call the police and stay with his dead mother. This led to him never knowing if he was really loved by anyone. He thought Ran Su was the woman that truly loved him even though he married Gu Ru Ye. He just wanted eternal love. If only her heart wouldn’t have changed.

Zhang Zeyi got 20 years in prison. Ran Su turned herself in accompanied by Gu Yi Bai.

So much went on in this drama but there is no romance at all and if that what you are expecting, think again. This is totally based off a woman trying to get out of a marriage as well as serve her sister for being cruel to her and giving them both what she felt they deserved.

As Gu Yi Bai said in the end of his book, "Everyone is a villain." The End!

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It is Time to Wake Up from this Beautiful Dream

What a drama! Such a pleasant and refreshing surprise.

The story revolves around Zhang Yi Meng (Wang Ya Jia) who was Princess Yuan Zhi that lived in the state of Xi. The General came to take the princess whom he was in love with away from her upcoming marriage. Princess Yuan Zhi and the general escape the army pursuing them by both jumping off the bridge to the river below. Waking up, Princess Yuan Zhi finds herself in modern times.

Zhang Yi Meng, who lives in the present day, is convinced that she is a princess who has traveled from the ancient state of Xi. Her parents feed into their daughter’s actions of being a princess by allowing her to decorate her room the same as she had back there. Seeing that she is in this unknown world, Princess Yuan Zhi tried, but failed to make several attempts to go back to her time. Finally, her father takes her to see psychiatrist Dr. Han.

As she is by the lake, she faints, waking up back in the state of Xi. Everything seems familiar but oddly strange and why is that, because this is actually a treatment process planned for her by her father and her psychiatrist Song Jing Cheng.

Eventually Zhang Yi Meng figures out that there are cameras everywhere. She continues to play along but she is not the person who has the problem. It is her father. How about that?

Yes, her parents were actors. While filming one day, his wife, Zhang Yi Meng’s mother dies when she hit her head. Her father could not deal with the loss. He began taking medication which just exasperated how he was feeling. But with the help of his loving daughter who worked with everyone on set, Song Jing Cheng and Doctor Han they were able to help her father get the treatment that he needed.

You also will find the connection between Zhang Yi Meng and Song Jing Cheng. They both knew each other about 10 years ago as Zhang Yi Meng saved Song Jing Cheng from a fire. Both of them had been looking for each other for a long time. They were fated to meet each other.

I can only say that I enjoyed watching this drama and highly recommend it. You will find yourself amazed that this quick 11 minutes and 18-episode drama could have so much to offer. Which is quite a lot. It was nice to see how Zhang Yi Meng along with so many others help her father with handling the loss of his wife. We all have suffered losses from family to friends and we all assimilate differently and that is what happened here.

As the father, walks through the set and ends up at the bridge where his wife died, he 'sees' her once again. They smile at each other. He finally knows that the illusion and dream that he has created must be over and it is time to wake up.

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Can I Please Go in the Novel with Ji Chu

How would you like to become a female lead in your own novel? Such is the drama of Different Princess. Hua Qing (Ireine Song) is a novelist who has been writing her novel online. Hua Qing was proud of herself as an author for being innovative and keeping the villain evil up until the very end--killing off the male lead successfully. She had thought this idea would captivate her readers. As the novel uploaded “The Tale of Yun and Xi,” Hua Qing was excited to see all the comments. Only they were not as positive as she had hoped, as a matter of fact, the readers were livid. She had killed of their beloved male lead. The readers began to type, “Curse her, Curse her.”

Being the author, she didn’t care and told them to go ahead and curse her. She was never changing the ending and a bad ending is an ending too. Well, be careful what you wish for. Her keyboard began to move on its own and her screen turned red with the words ‘Curse.” Taken aback she wiped her eyes to make sure this was what she was seeing.

The following words appeared: ‘Dear Author, your reader enmity level has reached its limit. Please change the ending of “The Tale of Yun and Xi.” Revive Ji Yun and make him topple Ji Chu. If not, the plot will backfire on you.”

Of course, Hua Qing thought it was nonsense. Reader enmity? What kind of stupid setting is this, she thought.

Then the next choices came up:
A. Change the ending.
B. No way in hell.

You know she picked “B” – no way in hell. Her computer went black and cut off. As she banged on her keyboard as well as her screen--nothing happened. She thought it just died. Tired from all the nights of getting the novel completed, Hua Qing went to sleep. Falling asleep, her computer cuts back on and takes the pages of the novel back to Chapter 3: To suppress Ji Chu, Hua Qingge marries into Liang. She was murdered by Ji Chu and thrown into the pond.

Waking up, she finds herself in wedding attire as Ji Chu with sword in hand—kills her.

Her computer states: “You’ve been killed by the backfiring plot. As you failed to change the plot, the plot shall be replayed.”

Waking up the next time, she is still in wedding attire, and very much alive.

After avoiding death, she discovers that she had now become a character in “The Tale of Yun and Xi.” Where she is Hua Qingge, Princess of Fuyu to be married to Ji Chu the villain. Her mind goes back and sees the novel in her head and remembers that she is the niece of the current empress. She came all the way from Fuyu to marry Ji Chu. People thought she died because she fell into the pond by accident, but he killed her on their wedding night.

Since the princess died on her wedding night this caused a huge conflict between the two kingdoms. That was also the reason why Ji Chu committed the deed. Under the emperor’s order, everyone acknowledge the fact that Hue Qingge slipped and fell to her death. They buried her in secret.

Thus begins Hua Qing’s journey with rewriting the novel.

The drama gives us everything that you would want – palace intrigue, villains, jealousy,
misunderstandings, poisons, deaths, stabbings, fights and solving crimes. Pretty exciting, huh? You will not be disappointed in the least.

Hua Qingge found herself at every turn trying to dissuade Ji Chu from his villainous ways, but little did she know that he had his reasons. She remembered that his mother had been poisoned, turned into a demon and killed at the emperor's birthday. Ji Chu was out for revenge to prove that the empress was the killer of his mother and plotting a rebellion.

Empress Hua Yunni always lived in the shadow of Ji Chu's mother who the emperor adored. So much so that he kept her picture hidden behind another one just to look at her. You see, he wanted Ji Chu's mother to be the empress, but jealousy prevented that by her being killed by Empress Hua Yunni who wanted her son, Ji Yun (Sun Zu Jun) the crown prince to have the throne, not Ji Chu.

We also have Ji Wan Er who was the sister to both Ji Chu, Ji Yun and Ji Feng. Sadly, Ji Feng dies at the hands of the empress. Ji Wan Er falls in love with Gong Ye Qi, owner of the Mystic Medicine House. The two fall in love. But the empress had other plans and broke them up and decided to marry her off. Then we have the marriage of Ji Yun to Lin Xi Yao. Ji Yun had his heart set on Hua Qingge, but he knew that Ji Chu would never give her up because he truly loved her.

There isn't a story without the other woman and in this case, it was the Princess Wei Nan Yi from Liang that protected Ji Chu as he was an envoy there along with Gong Ye Qi as his friend and doctor. She turned out to be a good person that knew when to give up fighting for Ji Chu but was willing to give advice to Hua Qingge in understanding him.

I found the saddest and most preventable death was that of Ji Wan Er. Ji Chu did help his sister by faking her death as she went to the other kingdom for marriage. He eventually told Gong Ye Qi who was in love with her that she was still alive. They got married and she were expecting a child. After the rebellion started by the empress at the palace, Gong Ye Qi went to settle the score of her killing his family. Getting ready to kill her, one of the panels to the hallway opened. But that time, he had already thrusted the blade towards the empress, but it was Ji Wan Er that he stabbed not the empress. She unfortunately opened the panel just as he was going to stab the empress. To see his anguish, he killed both mother and child. He never recovered from the loss.

So shall we talk about Ji Chu (Ding Ze Ren). This man will send your pulses racing. Yes, they will. His smoldering eyes, those pillow-kissed lips and that voice. You can’t help but swoon when you see him. Your eyes cannot leave him. Especially when he is with Hua Qingge. At first, we know they will not get along but when he finds out he loves her and can't be without her. You will be screaming for her to stay with this man, even though it is a novel.

Sadly, Hua Qingge realizes that the novel is coming to an end as she notices her hand fading. She makes the decision to start pushing Ji Chu away from her.

As Hua Qingge sits on the floor crying and fading, she says, "I still have so much to tell you. I haven't seen you let go of your hatred. I can't leave." Ji Chu is walking away from her until he hears her scream his name. Turning around quickly, "Qing, Qing, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me. Qing." She jumps surprisingly into Ji Chu's arms still crying, "Ji Chu, I've never betrayed you. I just wanted to duplicate a fake fish-shaped token for the empress." Comforting her as he held her in his arms he says lovingly, "I know Qing. As long as you say the word, I'll always believe you no matter what."

But as time goes by, Hua Qingge knows she has to leave him without saying a word. Ji Chu goes to find Hua Qingge but when he doesn't find her, he becomes frantic. He sends his men out to search for her. He eventually finds her fending off a would-be attacker, and of course, he gets rid of him.

JC: "You are wandering around the streets in the middle of the night instead of going home. what are you trying to do?"
Hua Qingge walks away from him only for him to get in her path.
HQ: "What is it that you need, Prince Chu?"
JC: "You are my princess consort. Of course, I'm here to take you home."
HQ: "I already told you very clearly. Why do you want to keep me by your side? The marriage between us is just a conspiracy. If everything went as planned, I would've been dead already."
JC:"I was wrong before this. But now, I can't be without you anymore."
HQ: "I'm a spy sent by Her Majesty. You know that."
JC: "I don't care."
HQ: "I do. Ji Chu we are doomed, to begin with, you are with Wei Nan Yi and are meant to be together. The two of you grew up together. Both of you are childhood friends."

Best moment ever (trust me, there are several with this man)! Ji Chu, he doesn't let her speak another word and he gave her the most passionate "don't say another word kiss". Ever, wow! His hand is locked behind her head, and he is working, I mean working that kiss. He took her breath away and will yours too. The way he looks at her after the kiss...his eyes, the love in them is really overwhelming. If you look at her, I think she even surprised herself, for the passion that she had for him.

JC: "Qing, I've never fallen for any woman other than you. How many times do you want me to tell you that? (Once is good for me) You are the only one in my heart."
She starts to fade again, and she leaves. As Ji Chu goes to grab her his hand goes right through her.
JC: "Your hand."
HQ: "Ji Chu, isn't it better to let me leave quietly?"
JC: "Leave? What's wrong with your hand? Stop keeping it a secret from me."
HQ: "Ji Chu, I'm not from this world. I am an outsider. I come from another world. I'm going to leave soon. And I won't be able to return!"
JC: "You are not from this world. Of course, you are not from here. You came from Fuyu. When everything has settled down, I'll take you home to visit your family."
HQ: "You know that is not what I meant."
JC: "If you think that's not enough, I'll conquer Fuyu after this. If you want to live in Fuyu, I'll make Fuyu the capital city of Liang."
HQ: "I'm not talking about Fuyu, Ji Chu!"
JC: "I know. I'm arrogant and cold-hearted. And I'm emotionally unstable. I'm not proactive enough and not considerate enough. Qing, if I change all of my bad habits, can you stop leaving me? " (Didn't that just break your heart?)
HQ: "Are you just going to ignore the truth?"
JC: "How much time do you have left?"
HQ: "I don't know."
JC: "Hua Qingge, I don't care who you are or where you are from. You are not allowed to leave me."

From that moment on, Ji Chu became very possessive of Hua Qingge, so much so that when he was doing his work, he made her sit on his lap while he read. (Not a bad option in my opinion). But Ji Chu did want to have a more meaningful wedding and night with Hua Qingge, and it was a good one from the looks of it.

But the novel was ending, it was time for the demise of Hua Qingge. As the empress was going all crazy and tried to kill Ji Chu. The empress holds a knife to Hua Qingge's throat. Instead of Ji Chu dying, Hua Qingge takes the knife that the empress has and slits her throat. Ji Chu is devastated. He cradles her in his arm and cries and cries as her body disappears, only to leave her gold bracelet.

Hua Qing wakes up in her bed as if no time has passed. She is crying and calling out for Ji Chu. The clocks begin to tick. She jumps up from the bed and goes to her computer and there is a new ending.

On the day Ji Yun ascended to the throne, he took poison to atone for his mother's sins. Fortunately, Gong Ye Qi saved Ji Yun. From then on, Ji Yun and Lin Xi Yao lived in seclusion at Melodious Serenity Abode, leading a peaceful life. With Gong Ye Qi's treatment, Emperor Xuanqi was saved from the brink of death but still required long-term bed rest. Therefore, Emperor Xuanqi abdicated in favor of the third prince, Ji Chu. After Ji Chu ascended to the throne, he changed the era to Xian De ushering in the flourishing age of Liang. Emperor Xian De mourned the passing of the late Princess Consort, Hua Qingge. He lived the rest of his life without remarrying, passing away peacefully in old age. - The End

The novel was well received and a guaranteed blockbuster. Leaving the office, the assistant told Hua Qing that her boss was interested in seeing her. She said that she really didn't need to see him and for him to just offer a higher copyright fee. She just bought a new laptop. She was broke. Rushing to leave, she turns around and standing in front of her is Ji Chu. She drops her new laptop. If you pay attention closely you will see the slightest uplift of his brow when she drops it. He opens up his suit coat, drops down on his knee and says, "Hua Quingge. Do you actually have no feelings for me? Are you picking me up and tossing me off?"

The ending is open to your interpretation but if you remember his parting words on the palace steps when he was the new emperor, you will understand:

"Xiao Yan, do you know what is my current wish? I'm now impatiently looking forward to finishing this life. Then go to Qing's world and take a look. "

Wouldn't we all like to take an opportunity to go into a novel? I know I would, Ji Chu, I'm coming....

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Starts With a Sizzle and Just Fizzled

This drama starts out sizzling hot. We have the ML (Li Zhuo Yang aka Chu Ze Jia/Chu Ze An) walking into the house as we see the FL (Meng Xi aka Yan Zhen) coming barefoot down the stairs. As Chu Ze Jia walks further Yan Zhen comes up behind him using her hand as a gun, she presses it into his back and says, "Stay still." Chu Ze Jia puts his hands up as Yan Zhen tells him to remove his glasses. Still holding his glasses and arms up, Yan Zhen puts a blindfold over his eyes. Chu Ze Jia tells her that her perfume gives her away and turns around. He starts to remove his blindfold only to have Yan Zhen say, "You want a surprise, don't you? " He smiles as Yan Zhen turns him around again and takes off the blindfold to show him the room decorated for their anniversary.

Chu Ze Jia gives her a diamond necklace which he places around her neck. He then asks her where is his present to which she begins to take off her negligee and seductively let's it fall to the floor. Thus begins the most sexy and sensual make out session every. The chemistry between these two was off the charts. They could just look at each other and you could feel the electricity coming from both of them.

They were leading such a happy life until Yan Zhen's husband dies in a boat explosion after their anniversary. She then takes over the Anshi group as the general manager of her husband's company. But we knew something would happen when she was about to declare her husband legally dead. He comes back or does he.

Thus begins the question is he or isn't he her husband due to the fact we find out he had a twin brother, Chu Ze An.

We are lead on a good "cat and mouse" chase. There were moments when you suspected the SML (Wang Yi Lei aka Gu Cheng) of not being her friend but someone to be leery of. Then you had the SFL (Qiu Jia Qi aka Chu Ze Zin) who was the sister to Chu Ze Jia/Chu Ze An which was an utter waste because she served no purpose. Her voice and nonsense whining just took the drama down.

But the surprise comes in the very last episode. Yan Zhen, after everything has been settled decides to leave Chu Ze Jia. I was so shocked by this move. Her reason was: For the past four years, she was waiting for her loved one to come home. She was exhausted physically and mentally. She needed time for adjustments. She just said she was sorry. He tries calling her and gets the message: The number you have dialed cannot be reached. She further tells him not to try and find her. If they are destined to be together, they will meet. Even without her, she wanted him to believe that there would be someone in the world that would love him unconditionally.

I honestly was shaking my head in disbelieve. What was that. I was thoroughly put out by what she had just stated. They had solved the issues of what happened within the company and when they finally can be happy, she leaves him.

There is hope, if you can call it that, we do not know how much time transpired but we have Chu Ze Jia go back to where they first met still hoping that he will find her. As he looks away, you hear a camera click. Chu Ze Jia turns around and we assume it is Yan Zhen because he is smiling.

I had high hopes for this drama because of the casting of Li Zhuo Yang. I have seen him in all of his short dramas such as: The Princess New Clothes and Mutual Redemption Love. These are both good watches by the way. Each drama so far, he is in, the man is fire.

Unfortunately, for me with all the good intrigue and coming back together, it fizzled at the end because we were left empty handed with just a smile for comfort.

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Yes, I'll Be Your Blood Wife

This drama caught my attention not only by the poster but because it was dealing with a demon which turns out to be a vampire. Who doesn't like to see a sexy man who is a vampire. And there was no failing on that part by Guan Ye aka Xuan Ming and his female lead Tu Zhi Ying aka He Yi Huan who was his perfect match.

With an interactive VR game as the backdrop, He Yi Huan enters the game as an interactive game player to do a movie evaluation. The purpose of the game is that you have to survive numerous levels to leave the game.

The system prompts that players must eliminate devils, destroy the five devil hearts, to save the Celestial Master Grandfather, calm the disaster and then pass the game. (Aging, sickness and death, love parting attachment, hatred meeting, unfulfilled desires). But all players before He Yi Huan have died due to system errors. Xuan Ming, who should have protected the players, turned evil and killed them with his own hands. Players died in the game became vegetables in reality. So, He Yi Huan could only correct this error by going into the game herself.

Upon entering the game, it is a world where humans and devils coexist, devils wreak havoc in the human realm. To solve this problem only a female disciples of the Immortal Sect can save humanity from impending disaster.

He Yi Huan, Immortal Sect, Shrine Maiden was to form a blood marriage with the devil due to her grandfather (Celestial Master). Her grandfather warned her that if he did not return on the night of the full moon, she was to immediately change into the bridal attire and enter the forbidden chamber to awaken the one sleeping in the coffin. She didn't know who was in the coffin. She only knew the ancient saying, "Night Clan's marriage uses blood as sacrifice. The mutual protection lasts for this whole life."

Enter Xuan Ming, Young Master of the Bloodsucking Night Clan. Yeah, he is fine. He immediately snatches her up and says, "So you are my blood wife?" Then he bites her. Whew. That is the opening of the VR game in which He Yi Huan is watching.

After sucking her blood, she thought she was doomed but Xuan Ming told her since the Celestial Master showed him kindness by awakening him, from now on she was his. Members of the Night Clan were born to protect their blood wives. whatever it takes and he was going to handle all of her matters. He Yi Huan was excited because the system gave her a loyal husband.

We do learn that he doesn't have to bite her all the time because the Night Clan has a sleeping acupoint in the lips. Biting it can suppress the desire for blood. So, if he would lose control, she can do that. Which you will find out she does do several times. The kisses for that are intense.

She was aided by her only helper, which was her older brother, He Ziyan. He was a Daoist marital fanatic. He learned about Xuan Ming's origin; he sees him as the benefactor who can save his whole family.

He Yi Huan, Xuan Ming and He Ziyan all go on the various task according to the game all the while as He Yi Huan gradually fell in love with Xuan Ming.

The biggest misunderstanding was when Xuan Ming finds out that He Yi Huan is not from his world but reality. He is upset that she lied to him. He felt she never wanted to be with him, and he will be alone. Using this opportunity, the Celestial Master (who was taken over) turns him to the dark side. He Yi Huan after readdressing her feelings finds Xuan Ming and explains to him that she didn't know how she felt but wants to only be with him now and forever because she truly loves him.

Xuan Ming also has his nemesis which is his brother, Feng Que. He wants Xuan Ming's power for his own so he can be more powerful than him. He has put a heart binding seal on his heart.

In order to go back to her world, Xuan Ming tells her that she has to kill him. But He Yi Huan tells him that there has to be another way because she won't do it. She is so upset that Xuan Ming changes the subject and tells her in her world, the proposal ceremony involves kneeling on one knee.

He gets on one knee and says, "He Yi Huan, my blood wife, and I, Xuan Ming, have wandered for a hundred years. Today, I'm willing to bind our lives with the blood from my heart. With the moon as our witness, this heart is our pledge (a wooden craved ring). If this blood covenant is made, from now on, we'll support and rely on each other until our hair turns gray. Will you marry me? "

He Yi Huan responds, " Yes, I will. Now it's my turn. Mr. Xuan Ming do you genuinely wish to take Miss He Yi Huan as your wife, to be together through life and death, through joy and sorrow, to love, tolerate, and protect her, and never deceive her?

Of course, he says yes. They share one of the many passionate kisses and he not only puts up a barrier but has flowers begin to rain down and they spend a loving night together.

But Xuan Ming did lie to her because he went to handle matters with the Celestial Master. She does get out of the barrier with the help of her brother. Xuan Ming is fighting the corrupt Celestial Master. Knowing that his brother, Feng Que has been sealed inside of the master, he finally gets his brother released from him.

After his brother is out, he asks for his brothers help to take down the Celestial Master, but he will only agree if he gives him his heart. He tells him by the blood oath he will because the heart binding seal he has destroyed his meridians in order to not be controlled by the master and he now only has less than 16 hours to live.

They do handle the corrupt Celestial Master and Feng Que does take Xuan Ming's heart only to find out that he now has his personality and kindness towards others.

Xuan Ming was dying and the only way to save him was to take him back to the coffin and see if he could be saved. But after kissing her he does die. He Yi Huan completes the interactive movie evaluation and, in the story, what she heard and experienced are all warnings and lessons. They hoped that she cherished the emotions and relationships and treasured them when she encountered fate.

But just when you thought it was over...it's not...

As she goes into a cafe the news comes on about a new concept interactive movie called "Vampire Falls in Love with Little Priestess" which now has become explosively popular after its release.

Taking out of her purse is a copy of the game, "Xuan Ming Interactive Movie" and looking at it, she thinks about the promise she made to him to live a good life with his love. She says she has now fulfilled that promise and begins to wonder how he is doing on the other side. Caught up in her thoughts, her cell phone rings. It is about the movie. They are evaluating for a second season. But there is a bit of a problem. She tells them that she is not interested. But just as she is getting ready to hang up, they tell her the computer caught a virus, and the male lead, Xuan Ming, went out of control and started calling her name...He Yi Huan!

Yes, he is alive and is looking for his blood wife. Will he now come into reality to get her? Let's wait and see.

All and all an enjoyable drama to watch. The ML and FL are just such a cute couple. Definitely would have loved to see more time with those two because of the great chemistry. They both look like they were enjoying those kisses. The parts with the Celestial Master didn't add anything. I felt those could have been watered down. I wish Feng Que; the brother of Xuan Ming would have had more screen time and been the initial bad guy. Again, this is one that is quick only 12-minutes and with 25 episodes, it is a good watch with a decent storyline.

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Revenge was Never Sweeter

This is one drama that I had high expectations and it definitely lived up to them. I was not in the least disappointed. You will feel yourself being drawn into the world of “revenge” by two main characters. The first being FL (Jung Yoo Min aka Han Yi Joo) who is a painter and was adopted by Han Jin Woong and Lee Jung Hye and ML (Sung Hoon aka Seo Do Guk) who is the grandson of the Taeja Group’s founder.

Han Yi Joo knew how her family felt about her. She was not loved by her parents, or her younger sister Han Yoo Ran. They made sure to isolate her and make her feel worthless by bullying and poisoning her as well as attempting to kill her several times. Her world and her marriage to Jung Se Hyeok fell apart the day of the “VIP party” that was held at the family’s art gallery.

Kim Jae Woo, assistant to Lee Jung Hye had ask Han Yi Joo to retrieve a document and bring it to the gallery. As she made her way into the gallery carrying the family portrait, she noticed her husband’s car which only a few minutes ago she had called the office to find out that he had taken leave for the day. Why was his car there? Walking over to his car, she spotted a piece of paper on the ground. She opens it up and finds it's his resignation letter.

Meanwhile, inside the gallery, Han Yi Joo’s husband Jung Se Hyeok is living streaming for her sister Han Yoo Ran.

Entering the gallery with her portrait and the document for Kim Jae Woo, Lee Jung Hye and her daughter Han Yoo Ran never missed an opportunity to ridicule her, so they began discussing the portrait that Han Yi Joo had painted but several prominent women interceded. They liked the portrait so much until Lee Jung Hye was forced to display it. Han Yi Joo noticed there is paint on the edge and begins to clean it, enter Seo Do Guk. As they exchange pleasantries, Han Yoo Ran and Jung Se Hyeok join them.

Realization finally rears its ugly head for Han Yi Joo when her mother is accused of forging paintings by one of the women that Lee Jung Hye had previously sold to. In full denial, she pleads with Han Yi Joo to take the blame promising her that she will find the best attorney for her. Lee Jung Hye’s assistant, Kim Jae Woo, produces documents to the police showing it was Han Yi Joo who was forging the painters not her mother. She is the one going down in flames. But her reality is not yet done being crushed. She overhears Jung Se Hyeok and her sister, Han Yoo Ran talking. Her husband confesses his love to her sister. He tells her that he only married Han Yi Joo only to be close to her. He thought being near her would be enough until he saw her with another man. He could not live without her and said he would leave his wife.

Han Yoo Ran tells him that she knew that he liked her and that only someone as clueless as her sister would not be able to tell that. She told him that she thought he would stop. She only tolerated him because he was cute. Then she told him that he should know his place. He was too greedy for something he couldn’t have, which was her.

As they both turned around, they were confronted by Han Yi Joo who stared horrified by what she just heard. But Han Yoo Ran just walked away, leaving Jung Seo Hyeok to clean up the pieces of his marriage with her sister. He told her: “I felt sorry for you. Trying so hard to impress your parents and somehow smiling all through all of it. You reminded me of myself. I felt sorry for you, like I felt about myself. You’re right. I’m wrong.”

But after all this high drama she couldn't take it and runs to her car. Driving through tears, she makes a U-turn and another car hits her but then a truck comes and hits that car which the driver was Seo Do Guk.

Still scheming to get out of the forgery implications, Lee Jung Hye looks at Han Yi Joo as she is laying in her hospital bed fighting for life and decides this was the perfect opportunity for her to kill her daughter at last. Pulling the ventilator pull from the wall, she sits beside her daughter's bed. Smiling she leans down to her daughter, she whispered:

“It’s finally quiet, isn’t it? Just the two of us, finally. Can I be honest with you now? Yi Joo. From the beginning, I never liked you. Do you remember when we first met? You tried so hard to make me like you. And it worked. But, at home you cried because you felt sorry for the others at the orphanage. Living in a good house, eating nice food, I couldn’t believe it. More and more I became curious. How long can you hide your greed? How long will she act pathetic? I felt it in my bones while looking at you. A life where you can’t even say what you want out loud, a life where you don’t even know people scorn and insult you behind your back. How awful that is. Considering our relationship, let mom give you advice for the last time. Yi Joo. In your next life, don’t be too kind. That just makes your life harder.”

As Han Yi Joo could feel the anger, rage and tears filling her eyes, she closes her eyes only to wake up back in her room at home. Wondering what just occurred, she looks at the date and find she is back to one year earlier when she was engaged to Jung Seo Hyeok. She realizes this is her opportunity to make the wrongs that had befallen her.

She then goes to the hotel to meet the man that her sister wants to marry--Seo Du Guk. She tells him that she wants to cut to the chase and instead of marrying Yoo Ran to marry her. Before he agreed, he ask her if it was for revenge towards Han Yoo Ran and Lee Jung Hye. She told him yes it was and that is why she chose him. As you know he agreed. They married.

In the words of Seo Du Guk and Han Yi Joo:

Seo Du Guk: "Did you see your painting?"

Han Yi Joo: "But why do you have it, Du Guk."

Seo Du Guk: "How I first knew about you, was through that painting. I fell in love with this painting by an unnamed artist. I ended up buying it. As I was looking for the artist, I found out it was you. At the time, you had just married Mr. Yoo. I watched you in secret. But when I saw you at the party celebrating the Savings Bank acquisition, I got angry. At your family for treating, you that way and at you for taking it. But really, I was angry at myself for not being able to do anything about it. I regretted speaking that way to you. On my way back, the accident happened."

Han Yi Joo: "Then you came back in time."

Seo Du Guk: "Yes. I was back in 2022, a year ago. You were a completely different person. When you said that you needed me to get revenge against your evil family, I was glad. Really glad.

Han Yi Joo: "So why? Why did you accept my offer?"

San Du Guk: "I realized that I was already in love with you. Yi Joo. I love you. I am so in love with you."

Their marriage was one filled with much love and happiness. But what Han Yi Joo never realized is that Seo Du Guk also prayed to go back to give her something as well...that was his love and to be loved. She had never known that in her life. He wanted to be the one to give it to her now and forever.

In the final words of Han Yi Joo:
"I once thought happiness was something that I couldn't have. I thought it was something to special for me. Something I couldn't dare dream of. That's why a happy family only existed on canvas for me. But not anymore. After meeting you, I learned that happiness is in the every day. That it's in the moments we pass by daily. So, this is our perfect marriage."

This drama to me was perfect in every way. It will definitely leave you smiling and wishing for more, hmmm, maybe that is the sweet revenge for all of us...wanting more!

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Good Start, but it Just Shattered

The Furthest Distance is a drama which tries to convey that in the world between life and death, neither is separated from each other but love is still a constant.

Qin Yun Sheng (ML – Leon Zhang) is an emergency doctor, who has a glass house that needs to be renovated and Su Ying was the initial interior designer. They meet again because of their participation in a house renovation reality tv show. Feelings gradually begin, especially for Su Ying and her once closed heart opens up to Qin Yun Sheng. But was he still missing his girlfriend, Mi Su that had passed away? How could Su Ying bridge the seemingly furthest distance between them.

Yes, an exciting love story which I felt was giving us a second chance of love. Such high hopes especially after Qin Yun Sheng's love confession to Su Ying in episode 10, my heart just melted.

The confession:
Qin Yun Sheng: “Su Ying. Maybe I’m not good with words. I don’t know how to confess to you. I’ve thought of many ways. But when I am looking at your eyes, my mind is blank. I couldn’t say any love words. I just know. I want to see you. I want to see you every day. In these days with you, I always say thank you. But what I want to say the most now is--I like you. I like you more day by day. It’s not love words. It’s from the heart. Even though the world has given me a lot of pain, I’m not afraid. If it’s you, I will muster the courage. I want to make our future days a bit more romantic. Will you join me?”

To see the romance between them after Qin Yun Sheng's confession was magical. They were so in love. You enjoyed watching the shy doctor come out of his shell and openly show his affection of Su Ying. He showed her so much love that he felt he wasn't able to express in words but deeds. He did everything to captivate her. Letting her know she was his beginning and end. He wanted nothing more. They felt it was time to tell their friends and colleagues who were elated to finally see this "perfectly match couple" post a picture of themselves in their Moments page with the caption – “Love is a happy thing.” One person who was not happy about this love--Yang Zheng Wen. After seeing this post, he began his all-out campaign to win Su Ying back.

Yang Zheng Wen was Su Ying’s ex-boyfriend who now was the GM of Tiandi Building Materials Corporation. Seeing the interaction of Yang Zheng Wen gave Qin Yun Sheng the courage to finally put his feelings in the forefront with Su Ying hence his confession. But happiness was short-lived because we had to add another piece to this love story so enters the identical twin sister of Mi Su—Mi Bai. Yes, Qin Yun Sheng’s ex-girlfriend who died had an identical twin sister. Not only that, but she also studied cardiology and out of all the hospitals she ended up in the same one as Qin Yun Sheng as a medical director.

Of course, we had to have the infiltrator, to help both the ex-boyfriend and twin sister so we have Tian Mei who quit her previous design firm and began working at Su Ying’s firm. Su Ying thought she was sincere in working for her and made her feel like family just like her other employees. But ambition got the better of her and Yang Zheng Wen “whispering in her ear” that he would give her, her own design firm didn't help but made her become Su Ying's enemy.

We began to see the cracks of the relationship with the endlessly onslaught of tricks played by the trio of Yang Zheng Wen, Mi Bai and Tian Mei. They went from trying to destroy the glass house, changing dates of events, posting malicious email about the firm, changing materials for client's jobs and finally learning that Mi Su's confession under the rainbow was actually Mi Bai.

Everything finally shattered when Su Ying's mother was put in the hospital due to an aneurysm and Qin Yun Sheng knew and didn't tell her. That led to her breaking up with him. Which then open the door for both Yang Zheng Wen and Mi Bai to step in and get the partner they had sought for so long. But what they didn't understand, even if they did break up, they were not going back to either of them.

Su Ying's mother did recover and told her that she misunderstood Qin Yun Sheng, but it was too late, he had made the decision to go abroad for three years. This caught Su Ying off guard, and she never relented to tell him that she wanted him to stay. He left...or did he?

Qin Yun Sheng felt in order to solidify their relationship he had to make Su Ying admit her feelings to not only to him but to herself that she wanted, needed and loved him. Everyone was in on the deception of Qin Yun Sheng not leaving. It all came out when Su Ying went to the glass house. Qin Yun Sheng went to the glass house as well because he could no longer deceive her at this point, he felt he was hurting her. Love was restored between the couple. The glass house was donated for rehabilitation patients.

Qin Yun Sheng went to other countries to volunteer but Su Ying never left his side and traveled with him.

Xu Ming Shi who was the right-hand of Su Ying at the design firm and Du Hui Xuan who was Su Ying's best friend finally got together as a couple.

Mi Bai finally gave up on Qin Yun Sheng and went abroad to work.

Tian Mei did eventually get her design firm and gave kudos to Su Ying for keeping her truthfully to the craft of design.

In all hindsight, I felt we should have been seeing more of how Qin Yun Sheng and Su Ying did come the farthest distance to get to the love that we all seek, not led down a rabbit hole of cliches especially using an ex-boyfriend and an identical twin. Such a great opportunity that I believe was missed. They shattered a beautiful love story of a second chance of love.

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This Drama is…Mmm! Mmm! Good

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started watching this drama. But boy, was I happy that I started watching it. You will not be disappointed because this drama grips you from the very beginning because of the two main leads. Which I can only say, they are hot!

Leo Yang (Zhu Guan Wen - ML) and Chen Shujun (Lin Bao ER/Xin Tong - FL) have the most amazing chemistry. Sparks fly as soon as they look at each other or are on screen together. You never know what you will get or who is going to make the first move.

Leo Yang just oozes sexiness with his subtle gazes and that husky voice. Chen Shujun holds her own with him quite well. I loved seeing that she remains the "smart woman" throughout this drama. She was able to show her true self in every scene which was leading and teasing him making her a woman who was not only in control of her emotions but his as well. The way they banter between each other and their flirting at every opportunity keeps you totally immersed in the world that they have us fall into as we watch this mysterious love story unfold.

Miss Mystery revolves around Xue Tong who witnessed her family being brutally murdered. For 18 years she waited to take revenge against those who killed her family. She returns back to her hometown under the guise as Miss Lin Bao Er, the daughter of a weather Nanyang businessman.

This girl is no shrinking violet, she is clever, smart, cunning, good with a gun, skilled with strategizing and understanding her opponents. As she is being chased by men, she knocks on the door of the charming young master of the Zhu family - Zhu Guan Wen. As he opens the door (only in a towel mind you), Lin Bao Er burst in and pushes him up against the door, telling him to be quiet. The men come to Zhu Guan Wen’s room (he is now dressed) and are met with him pointing a gun at them telling them they are messing up his good time, as we see Lin Bao Er hidden under covers.

Once the men leave, the two being to have a fight with a gun. Getting the upper hand on Lin Bao Er he takes the gun from her and tells her she owes him a favor for saving her. Not to be outdone, she then gets the gun from him. Toying with him, she runs the gun down his open shirt which shows his naked chest. Putting the gun down from him, she runs her hand down his chest as he says to her, “Ms. Lin, are you satisfied with my charm.” Which her response was taking his tie, wrapping it around his neck and pulling him towards her, as he leans in to kiss her, she places her finger on his lips, “Too bad, I already have plans, or I would spend some more time with you.” Thus, begins this very sexy “cat and mouse” game.

The sexual tension between these two is off the charts. Their game gets more intriguing when she shows up at his engagement banquet which she did not have an invitation. But upon his arrival, she latches on to him to use him as her entry to get into the banquet. But he turns the tables on her, because this is his engagement banquet to which he announces the love of his life and his fiancée…Ms. Lin Bao Er. As she stands there in shock amazement along with the other guests, oh and the girl who thought was going to be his fiancée, he leans in and says, “Now, this time, are you satisfied?”

They both need each other so they entered into this contract:
- Zhu Guanwen and Lin Bao Er are engaged in name only, with no interference in each other’s personal lives.
- During the contract period, Lin Bao Er can engage in business in the capacity of Mrs. Zhu, with profits split fifty-fifty.
- Lin Bao Er will reside in the Zhu Manor during the contract period but with separate beds and not disturbance to each other (you see how long that last).

You can’t help yourself cheering for Zhu Guanwen who has fallen hopelessly in love with Lin Bao Er by episode 5.

He finally confesses to her after another close moment of being injured: “It’s in Zhu’s manor, or more precisely, in Xue’s manor. At that time, you were hiding in the closet, and bore scars on your shoulder. I didn’t know why you were there, but all I knew was I had to hide you, protect you, and keep you out of sight from others. I never thought I’d ever meet you again. At first, I was just curious about you. But slowly, I was captivated by your every move. I couldn’t help but want to know more about your past. I even imagined every day how I wished I could be with you and protect you all the time in the 18 years since we first met. So now, I’m really grateful to fate for bringing you back to me and letting me fall into your trap. I don’t care if you’re using me. I don’t care if you’re Xue Tong or Lin Bao Er. All I know is…I love you.” She finally accepts his ring…and the kiss…whew, what a kiss…. which leads to, well, you know…

Lin Bao Er wants to get revenge at those who murdered her family, the Zue family which are: Zhu Mao, Yang Jian, Qian Tong, and Dou Huaizhong. Every opponent she takes down with precise precision except for one and he turns out to be Zhu Guanwen’s father - Zhu Mao.

But there is a mystery behind Zhu Mao which both Zhu Guanwen and Lin Bao Er discover which tells her why her parents were murdered. Zhu Mao was originally a gang member active in the underworld of Guangzhou. He transformed himself, or so everyone thought but was secretly trafficking humans. He even secretly murdered Zhou Jishu, a rich businessman in Guangzhou and took his wife, Chen Peiqin. This was Zhu Guanwen’s mother. He was forced to accept him as his father.

Further revelations ensue, Zhu Mao tells Zhu Guanwen that his father and him were best friends in childhood. He tells him he passed away at a young age. He saw how pitiful his mother was, so he took them in. Lin Bao Er’s family was murdered because they knew too much about Zhu Mao.

The final showdown does come, with Lin Bao Er and Zhu Guanwen facing off with Zhu Mao who gets his demise at the hand of Lin Bao Er. Justice has been served.

Now with all of the drama behind them, they now have a beautiful wedding with plenty of fireworks, oh and not those just in the sky, but those many kisses too!

I have to say each episode to me kept getting better and better. I could not wait to watch the next episodes because their love seemed to be deepening along with their sexual desire for each other. You will see that it is not only Zhu Guanwen who is the aggressor in initiating these sexy encounters but Lin Bao Er as well because she tried to but could not help but fall in love with him. This couple will just make you smile because they are so good together.

Oh, and the sexiest scenes are two, and trust there are plenty because these two just sizzle – but a piece of candy and a lollipop will have a whole new meaning for you after you see how he kisses her, and she kisses him. It is Mmm..Mmm..good!

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Never Stop Beating Your Drum for Justice

"A brave girl sought justice for her friend. With the help of righteous men, she forged a revenge plan."

This drama was well-written, and it resonated so poignantly as to what happens within our society today.

Faithful sets the stage of telling a story about a young woman by the name of Lin Ru Lan who enters the Yanyu Tower to learn the art/skills of embroidery and how her life takes a turn for the worse at the hands of Wu Lian who is the master there.

During the unfolding of this drama, we are told through flashbacks of each of the nine individuals who touched Lin Ru Lan's life prior to her committing suicide to prove her innocence at the hands of Wu Lian who sexually assaulted her. Seven years later, Meng Wan, who was a good friend of Lin Ru Lan's plotted and planned the most intricate revenge plan to clear the name of her friend by assembling those nine people to aid in her quest to seek justice on behalf of her.

We see what happens when you do try to get justice.

Disregarding Meng Wan's objections, Lin Ru Lan decided to risk her own reputation to sue Wu Lian. She went and beat the drum calling the court in session to hear her story. She tells the court how Wu Lian violated her. He basically makes it seem like she was in love with him, and he rejected her, and this was her way at getting back at him. She does have Liu San Niang, who is a courtesan as a witness. But you know she was disregarded because of her profession. All and all she lost the case.

But Lin Ru Lan was not to be deterred. Meng Wan had a cousin, Zhao Yucheng who she found would litigate the case for her. We see excitement from both of these women that they are finally getting somewhere. Not so fast, Wu Lian had found out there was a handkerchief that Ding Ru, who he also had assaulted and committed suicide had been found by her mother. Ding Ru's mother went to Lin Ru Lan and gave it to her for evidence. Thinking this would finally seal the deal with getting Wu Lian, she gives the evidence to Zhao Yucheng. Little did she know that Zhao Yucheng was bribed by Wu Lian to fake the evidence in return to giving him a high position and to let him meet Mrs. Ning who was influential within society. (Note: Wu Lian never helped him. He used Zhao Yucheng for his purpose.)

The downside of this, was Meng Wan was going to support her friend only to find out that her mother (who you will not like) knew of her pregnancy (which was by Wu Lian), gave her an abortion cocktail the same day as the trial to get rid of the baby. Being in so much pain, and bleeding profusely, she did make it finally to the court only to find out it was over. Meng Wan made her way to Lin Ru Lan only to meet Gao Cheng Cheng who she had convinced to testify, which she didn't do because Meng Wan did not show up. Gao Cheng Cheng did not allow Meng Wan to defend herself as to why she could not make the trial due to what her mother did. She stood silently as she was berated over and over again by her. Lin Ru Lan had enough and defended her friend once more even though she lost her case, and it would never be heard again.

To show support of Lin Ru Lan, Meng Wan tells her they will leave the city the next day and just travel together. As Meng Wan is getting ready to leave, her mother once again intercedes and stops this from happening. She has a coughing spell and tells Meng Wan that she needs her medicine. Meng Wan goes to get it while her mother goes to the city gates to meet Lin Ru Lan. She asks her where they will go and how will they survive on ruined reputations. She gets on her knees and begs Lin Ru Lan to let Meng Wan go. She wants her to get married and have a stable life. Lin Ru Lan decides to say that she never showed up and leaves. Meng Wan stays at the city gates all day and late into the evening.

Everyone is coming at Lin Ru Lan--her brother, her mother, her father, everyone until she tells them that she will marry Wu Lian. Her mother not trusting her locks her in her room. Meng Wan comes to see Lin Ru Lan. She asks her why they have locked her up. What happened? Did they find out she was leaving? Lin Ru Lan tells her no, that she never had decided to leave as she embroiders her wedding dress. Meng Wan is just flabbergasted as Lin Ru Lan says how can they survive on doing embroidery alone. She said marrying Wu Lian was her best choice. Meng Wan does not believe her but she tells Meng Wan that she can marry and live a peaceful life with him.

At last Lin Ru Lan's brother tries to help her and even Meng Wan breaks her fingers never to do embroidery again to pay the debt to Wu Lian to let Lin Ru Lan go. But in the end, it was for nothing. Lin Ru Lan had her own plan to let people hear her and give her justice. Before her wedding Meng Wan and Lin Ru Lan spent time together. She asks Meng Wan to give a letter to Shen Mu at 7 p.m. the day of her wedding.

As I said, Lin Ru Lan was exhausted by everything and had to figure her own way out. She decided the day of her wedding to take Wu Lian up to the top of Yanyu Tower because she always thought this would be a perfect view once they were married. Meanwhile, Meng Wan delivers the letter to Shen Mu that tells him that she is in danger at Yanyu Tower and to come quickly.

Going up to the top of Yanyu Tower, Lin Ru Lan has already set the stage for what was to happen. She had already relented to the decision she had made and settle it within herself that this was the only way to be heard. Wu Lian grabs her by the throat, and she ask him if he has the guts to kill her. He asks her does she think he doesn't. She then removes her hairpin from her hair and grabs his hand and puts the hairpin deep into her throat. Pulls it out and her blood goes everywhere on him. She places the hairpin in his hand as her body falls from the tower. Shen Mu and the other guard watch as her body falls to the ground. They look up and see Wu Lian staring down at her. This was the end and the drive that pushed Meng Wan to seek justice for Lin Ru Lan.

The assembly of these nine individuals took Meng Wan seven years but there were two deaths along the way before the retrial--Liu San Niang and Li Chun Feng. Here is what happened at the retrial:
- Wu Lian said Lin Ru Lan retracted her petition and admitted to false accusations.
- Lin Ru Lan's brother is the one who admits a letter to reopen the case to vindicate his sister.
- Meng Wan and Tian Xiao Ling testify.
- Liu Xin goes to the jail to get Wu An to testify against Wu Lian.
- Zhao Yucheng who represented Lin Ru Lan is called to admit that Wu Lian got him to fabricate the handkerchief with a different one and to lose the case. The maid to Zhao Yucheng testified to the change as well.
- Huang Jiao Jiao says that she saw Zhao Yucheng leaving Wu Lian's study the day before the trial.
- Wu An comes to testify but turns the tables on Meng Wan and tells them that she was holding the maidservant that he liked and threaten her.

But what will get you the most is the testimony of Tian Xiao Ling and what Wu Lian did to her. It is truly unbelievable:
"Seven years ago, the night I met him. I wanted to leave quickly. But he seemed to have had a drink and was in a good mood, so he started talking about embroidery with me. When I said a falling plum blossom seemed desolated, and a plum blossom on the tree showed more dignity, it provoked his anger. In his fury, he pinned me to the embroidery table. But that wasn't enough for him. At that time, I was out of my senses, filled with despair, like the living dead. He took a needle and embroidered this plum blossom on my shoulder stitch by stitch, trying to leave this plum blossom on me for a lifetime."

Can you imagine the pain she felt?

But when you see Episode 19 "The boy gave up his studies for embroidery" we are told the story of Wu Lian. We see how he is left to his own devices without the love of either his mother or father but by Lady Wu the concubine of his father. She is the only one that shows interest in him. He goes out of his way to be around her, even to learn to embroider.

Lady Wu tells him to hide this from his father that he is doing embroidery because this was not a profession that men did. He didn't care. He found out that Lady Wu like plum blossoms and he perfected them. Even being bullied by his friends he didn't care.

But his father did find out about him doing embroidery. He tells Lady Wu that she can no longer stay there, and he was sending her away. Wu Lian raced home because he wanted to see her before she left but he was to let, he found her--dead. She had hung herself. Was this what lead Wu Lian to go down the path he did? The plum blossoms that he felt so drawn to? Were they based on Lady Wu and what happened to her?

We really do not get a definitive reason why Wu Lian assaulted all of these women at Yanyu Tower or why he was the way he was. This was something that was lacking for me. I felt the writers should have given us more when they told his backstory.

There was finally vindication after all, and justice did prevail in prosecuting Wu Lian. Mr. Lou by order of the emperor handled the case as he saw fit and was told to bring closure. And with that, Wu Lian's sentence was: According to the law, he was sentenced to the punishment of flogging and exiled to the northwest for three thousand miles, never to be pardoned in his lifetime. Fitting do you think?

The final encounter of Meng Wan and Wu Lian was when he had already been flogged and was in jail. Meng Wan sees Wu Lian as he is lying face down and doing embroidery. He still doing plum blossoms with fingers that really can no longer hold a needle. Meng Wan asks him if he ever regretted in the slightest what he had done, he never said a word.

As he was lying there, he heard Lady Wu call him (he was hallucinating) and tells him not to do plum blossoms anymore and to put the needle down. He starts calling Lady Wu. Wu Lian swallowed the needle. Meng Wan hears the jailers yelling that Wu Lian had swallowed the needle but she just kept walking out of the prison. All the while smiling. So ended the life of Wu Lian.

In Episode 25 which is called "A Mere Dream" we are given the opportunity to see what life would have been like if none of this had happened. Want to see?

Wu Lian's life changed because his family was loving towards him. He had his mother and Lady Wu together as well as his father with him at dinners. He became a pastry chef. He headed to the capital to open up a shop. He meets Wu An along the way whom he helps.

Then we were given to see what if they didn’t have witnesses.

We are shown the different side of Meng Wan's mother. How her mother was a lot stronger and fended off her husband, not as she did before when he was in a drunken state. Their relationship was much better.

Meng Wan goes off with Xu who she married and was his only wife.
Liu Xin was married and had two children by the girl he first like at the booth selling buns.
Liu San Niang this time saves her master and pays his ransom so he could leave the troupe.
Shen Mu was a fugitive. He robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.
Feng Da was an owner of his own embroidery shop and he was an embroider.
Tian Xiao Ling and Li Chun Feng married.

As for Rulan she gets married, and she sees Meng Wan as she is in her wedding chariot and they both feel they somehow seemed familiar to each other.

Lin Ru Lan is in the market as are all of the nine individuals who played such an important role in her previous life. As the ending comes, everything is just like a dream. Hope it wouldn't come true even if we could never meet again.

I loved all of the lantern sayings:
Meng Wan – To accompany her to see the splendid views in the world.
Lin Ru Lan – An adult girl is fearless.
Liu San Niang – Wait in the boudoir for seven years, but nothing is forgotten.
Lin Xiu – Give a treasure hairpin to the hero. Ignite a candlelight.
Feng Da – The wilderness also has emotions.
Tian Xiao Ling – Troubled by worldly affairs, seeking tranquility in the mountains.
Huang Jiao Jiao – Pray to Silkworm Mother at the door. Worship the God of Wealth inside.
Shen Mu – The young man goes with the wind and returns in time.

When I watched this drama, I was filled with such anger. Why? Because it is still the same today in some ways. We beat our drum and call the injustice that we see to ourselves as women every day, but it can fall on deaf ears. We saw in this drama, the physical and mental abuse, the bullying, the assault of these women over and over again, family and friends turning a blind eye, stereotyping of how women should act and behave, reputations put on the forefront, citizens who tried these women every day. Can you imagine how exhausting it is? And yes, you do give up. You want to keep beating that drum, but how long can you beat it to be heard. I hope, we as women never lose the drive and desire to beat our own drum when we see injustice not only for ourselves but for others that may be so scared to do so. We are in this fight together. It took nine of them. How many will it take for you?

If one only thinks for one person, it's not kindness. A single lantern creates limited light, but so what? As long as this lantern remains luminous, it can light more lanterns, leading to a million lights. As bright as the rising sun, it can illuminate the long night.

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Following the Red Thread to You

When I first saw the title of this drama, I was all ready for the most beautiful love story, and I was not disappointed. We all wait for that exceptional love and to be swept up into an emotional storm of unbridled love; such is the case with this drama.

The backdrop is set in the 1600s during the Qing invasion where you have the young, bright and beautiful Yu Gil Chae (Auh Jin Lin) who has a propensity to attract every man in town, but her eyes are only set on one man--Nam Yeon Jun. She does everything to always garner his attention as well as make the other women in town not like her. They think her actions are inappropriate to say the least. But Nam Yeon Jun while knowing her feelings always makes her feel that he has a slight interest, but he finally put those feelings to rest at last when he marries Kyung Eun Ae.

Lee Jang Hyun (Namkoong Min) arrives in Neunggun-ri, and sees the attractive Yu Gil Chae for the first time as she is on a swing in the woods along with other suitors who are watching her as well. Lee Jang Hyun is instantly captivated as he watches her swing back and forth, smiling and laughing as she goes higher and higher. They both recollect this moment later: One day, I asked you my darling, "Do you recall the day you first saw me?" You answered, "Of course, I do. I heard a very rare sound that day." I asked you what sound you heard. "Do you hear it? This sound, the sound of flowers." Just at that moment the swing broke and he caught her in his arms. As he looked at her up close for the first time, he said thinkingly, "Have you ever heard the sound of spring flowers bloom? I heard that rare sound today." So, began the amazing love story of Yu Gil Chae and Lee Jang Hyun.

Each time this couple met it was always a lively banter of words between which was a growing love, more so for Lee Jang Hyun, but Yu Gil Chae for so long had her sights on Nam Yeon Jun she never allowed herself to even think another man could enter her heart. Lee Jang Hyun played many mind games and their "tug of war" where both their feelings were concerned fascinated him. He did not want her to lose interest in him, so this is how he kept and captured her to him.

But just as things began to heat up for them, war starts and so they are separated before they could even make sense of their feelings.

Many things happen once the war started. Lee Jang Hyun finds himself working for the Khan as well as the Crown Prince. He does save Yu Gil Chae, gets ill and then the worse of it all is that she believes he died. Those who would die, they would put their possession in a box. Yu Gil Chae went looking to see if there was something of that manner for Lee Jang Hyun. Well, she did find a box which contained her red ribbon most importantly--his fan that he was never without. Even though she had these items, a tiny part of her still held on that he was alive. She held onto his coat and even screamed and cried for him to come back but he didn't. Hence, she had to fend for her and the others due to Kyng Eun Ae's husband, Nam Yoon Jun being imprisoned, and they lost everything.

Picking herself up she found a way to make money and get everyone back from the brink of disaster. Enter Gu Won Moo who led her to believe that he was the one that saved her and the others when they were on the island, but we all know it was Lee Jang Hyun. She decides to marry him.

Meanwhile Lee Jang Hyun is finally able to come back to Yu Gil Chae because the Crown Prince has been allowed by the Khan to see his father. Well, Lee Jang Hyun ask Ryang Eum to tell her that he is coming. But because of the beliefs that Ryang Eum has, once he does see Yu Gil Chae not only does he tell her that he is dead, but also that he had another woman during that time. I believe that he had a love for him that exceeded friendship. He used the guise of saying he felt that she was bad for him and was going to hurt him, so he drove her away. I think he didn't want him to have anyone in his life but him. So, misunderstanding ensued.

Coming into town, Lee Jang Hyun is happy because he has all the flowered printed slippers that he promised her. As he is walking down the street, he hears a man calling out about the bride's chest and out comes Yu Gil Chae. To say he wasn't blown away and her too, because she sees him at the same time is an understatement.

They finally meet and he tries to explain things to her but again, she basically doesn't listen to him and believes he is playing games with her, and she is not hearing anything that he is saying. He does find out that Ryang Eum was the cause of him not telling her that he was alive and leading her to continue to believe he was dead. Ryang Eum said that she was already getting married so why should he have told her anything different in his mind. I believe at this point; their relationship was severed.

The final parting of Yu Gil Chae and Lee Jang Hyun was in this letter that she wrote him as he sailed down the river without her. She said, "It is true that I wavered for a moment, but I do not trust you nor love you enough to leave everything behind me. If any small affection for me remains in you, please forget everything about me."

After reading the letter he picks up her flowered printed slippers and remembers what he had told her when he left: "I will come back with the prettiest flower slippers in the world." He then just drops them in the water as they float away...so ends their story for now.

Ryang Eum who Lee Jang Hyun left is on the riverbank watching him leave without him, turning to leave, he looks up only to see Yu Gil Chae and cannot contain in his look his disgust and anger for her.

Yu Gil Chae feels tears running down her cheeks as she watches Lee Jang Hyun leave and thinks: "When I asked you if you ever hated me, you said this--the day you left me forever. I stared at you for a long time because I hated you so much. But no matter how long I stared at you, I did not feel hatred for you. So, I just hated myself. And you asked me, how cruel you are. Did you even fathom how I felt? I can tell you now. I could not even fathom, it is just that my heart shattered into a thousand pieces, and I wished that you would not feel like me. I prayed desperately so."

Two years later we find Lee Jang Hyun in Shenyang and he is once again chasing down escapees from the war.

This is where the drama ends for now. Such a beautifully crafted piece of work. Everyone in the cast gives superb performances. The lavish and breathtaking scenery is just amazing. I am thoroughly in awe of this drama. You will as well.

I did take a bit of my own spin when she had her dream, but this was the most poignant moment to me in this drama,

One day Yu Gil Chae was sewing an embroidery, as she got to the sun, she needed more red thread as she went to reach for the spool of red thread, it fell out of her hand and began to roll. As she watched it roll down the hill she began to run after it. The red spool of thread led her down a path of trees which were in full summertime bloom, through a field of lush yellow flowers, skipping on stones along a babbling brook, a grove of autumn trees with an array of vibrant colors in red and gold, a snow covered path with her feet crunching on newly fallen snow all the while feeling the breath of winter's wind on her face, and a dense forest of trees, where the red spool led her to the sandy beach and the sound of the ocean.

As she watched the blazing colors of the evening sunset against his silhouette, she saw laying at his feet the red spool of thread. Thinking she said, "Was all that I saw as I ran to you, the highs and lows of what was to be expected in our journey?" But as he stepped from the glow of the setting sun, she watched as he slowly reached down to pick up the spool. She asked him..."Who are you, Young Master?" He said, "I have been waiting for you. At this place...for a long time." As she watched his head lean down for a kiss, she thought, "I have waited for you a long time too...my dearest."

Such as the ending I would have liked to have but alas we have to wait for the red thread to continue its journey in October for the second part.

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Kisses, Kisses and More Kisses

I liked everything about this drama. The ML (Li Ge Yang aka Shen Shi Yi) and the FL (Ke Ying aka Sheng Xia), what a great couple! You will thoroughly enjoy watching these two together.

The story revolves around Sheng Xia who is a "kiss instructor" on dramas. She makes sure that when it comes to the kissing scenes that they are done right. It is the closest that she will get to her dream of becoming a star. As she is walking home a man stops her by just holding out a comic book to her. She takes it home and begins to leaf through it and is transferred into a "Mary Sue System" or virtual world of the comic book.

She does have an AI which is in the system called "Xiao Bai" that explains to her she entered the comic "She Runs, He Chases: The Fourth Prince's Beautiful, Young and Weak Wife" in which Sheng Xia was the female lead and Gu Yichen (First Prince) is her male lead. Being the female lead she is naturally immune to poison. She can cure all poisons in the world with a kiss. Xiao Bai tells her that her first kiss would have a binding effect. Her main task is to end up together with Gu Yichen, the male lead. After completing the task, she will then get a customized celebrity system which she will then enter the prime of her life. He then hands her a cell phone which has the "Mary Sue Store." This store she has to acquire her value coins which show up on her arm to be able to purchase items to do her task.

The system is based on dramatic and cliche plots, with love above all. To summon the system administrator, she has to snap her fingers and call Xiao Bai. To get out of the comic book she has to claim the male lead which in this case is the First Prince. But like the best laid plans there is always something that happens. As she was told by Xiao Bai her first kiss would have a binding effect, and she ends up kissing the villain, who is so fine, Shen Shi Yi. By her kissing him she changed the direction of the comic and inadvertently made the villain the male lead. Because these two were now bound together due to her kissing him and not the First Prince. Whenever Shen Shi Yi was poisoned, she would kiss him and take the poison out of him. In return, when Sheng Xia was in danger he would show up and save her.

Trust me, he had no problem kissing her all time. The first episode I swear he kissed her 4 times or more. But you could tell each time they were getting more intense with the kisses. You will be swooning for sure.

Xiao Bai does show up at various points to tell Sheng Xia that she has to keep the comic on track in order for her to return. She tries too but it is apparent that Shen Shi Yi is meant to be the male lead of the comic which does happen after the reboot. In order to do that, they both ended up dying but because it was a sacrifice of true love, they were allowed to do a reboot.

Prior to the reboot, Sheng Xia explained to Shen Shi Yi many things which made him understand that he was in a comic book world. But because of the reboot, Shen Shi Yi was now the male lead, and he was getting weaker from this reboot, she had to save him. As Xiao Bai told her in the beginning, she was to get together with the male lead and since Shen Shi Yi now was, she knew what she needed to do. She asks Shen Shi Yi to marry her, which he does. The next morning, she wakes up only to find Shen Shi Yi gone. She runs outside calling him and is sent back to the real world by the system. She completed her task.

Sheng Xia is totally devastated because she had found her one and true love and he was gone. She went back to the street where she encountered the man that had handed her the comic book and tried snapping her fingers to call Xiao Bai back, nothing. Crying endlessly on the street, you hear the footsteps of a man approaching and he says, "Respected user, the system has received the contents of your complaint. How can I be of service to you?" She turns around and yes, you know it is our man Shen Shi Yi. He says to her, "From now on you do not have to call Xiao Bai, anymore." They both are crying and yes, kissing like crazy! He told her he remembers what she said about him coming to her world and he said it took a lot of effort, but he was there for her.

In the very end, you see her waking up on a couch with a director and crew saying how good she was in her scene. Hence what Xiao Bai told her...she was now a female lead, celebrity in the prime of her life.

Again, good ending and it was just one of those rare gems that you just can sit back and binge watch in no time. Plus, the ML who I have seen in "Trick in Love" is definitely one man that is truly meant for historical dramas. With that flowing hair and looks you will thoroughly be caught up watching him. The FL, she is just cute as can be and she complimented the ML so well. I would like to see them in another drama together.

Truly one that you don't want to miss, get ready to swoon.

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A Sweetly Delicious and Heartwarming Drama

This drama held my attention from the very first episode; so many deliciously sweet moments that you just could not stop yourself from smiling while watching.

The ML (WinWin aka Yan Yue) was perfectly cast. This is the first drama that I have seen him in. I am now looking forward to seeing him in "The Shadow" his next drama. That smile and dimples, everyone will be crushing over him because he is just so handsome. The FL (He Hong Shan aka An Ran) complimented him so well. She was funny, bright, pretty and she did not overly act like she knew everything being that she was older.

The drama was about An Ran who became an entrepreneur for a start-up company she started called "Sweet Games." She was always looking for investors. And you know the saying, "robbing Peter to pay Paul and robbing Paul to pay Peter back?" Well, that was An Ran. She was always short of money, but she somehow would make it work. Enter Yan Yue who was a successful voice actor that had known her when they both went to the same university. He had a secret crush on her, but he never would step to her.

Fast forward and we have An Ran renting the apartment next door to him. Yan Yue knew who she was, but she didn't remember him. So, the day that she rents the apartment she heads to a reunion at the university (as does Yan Yue) and while there she tries to get investors. It does not work out and to make matters even worse, she trips, and everyone sees the tags still on her clothes. Yan Yue was making his way to help An Ran, but her best friend Bei Meng Yao interceded before he could get to her. She helps An Ran to go the restroom where she basically tells her she is fine and that she can go. But you know she wasn't. She gets drunk at none other than a convenience store. Yan Yue comes and helps her home. She shares a kiss with him when she falls and wakes up the next morning in his bed. Yan Yue leads her to believe that something happened because he comes out in his robe.

We also have the ex-boyfriend from her university days that left her but now he tries to come back to get her. You know his situation with the girl he left her for didn't work out, so he is coming back to An Ran. An Ran is smart enough to know and doesn't want to have anything to do with him. At this point, I was a little ticked off by her bestie because she was trying to get them back together and dissing Yan Yue saying he was too young, and she didn't feel that he was the right person for her. He basically told her that it was none of her business what their relationship was and left her sitting at the table by herself. (I was high fiving him for that!)

Both parents of An Ran and Yan Yue did have similar thoughts regarding their relationship. But I was happy to see that the parents were not that forceful in trying to break them up due to the age difference. They both spoke to their parents in a way that they understood that it was no longer up to them to interfere, and they won them over.

Her game does become a success but you she did have those that tried to take it from her by planting a spy in her office and they did a cyber-attack before it was release because people were only using the beta version. Then Yan Yue was taken out of doing voice acting due to doing an audio for a book that the company was not given permission to do. There was a lot of drama here and he basically made a statement that put not only the company but An Ran's company and their relationship out for everyone to bash on the internet. Yan Yue leaves and retires from voice acting. This crushes An Ran but she waited patiently for him to return, which he did. Everything did work out with her company's game, and he got back to doing voice acting again.

The most beautiful part I felt, and my heart was just filled with such love is when I saw him doing the voice over for a book for the children who were blind. It was wonderful to see this incorporated into the drama. To see the smiles and when the one boy asks him if he could touch his face...oh, it just melted your heart. That whole part of the drama is performed so well. Kudos to the writers for these exceptional moments.

The wedding was one which was exactly how you would envision, with their closest friends and colleagues. But the wedding vows of Yan Yue were too much.

Here are the vows of Yan Yue to An Ran:
An Ran, before I met you, my life couldn't be without music. When disputes occurred, I could only choose to escape, I was used to being shackled in my own world by a pair of headphones. I thought I was living happily, free, and fulfilled. Until one day I realized that after falling in love with someone, all those noisy sounds will disappear. And the most beautiful sounds will form melodies. The perfection you gave me is a shore I can't reach by myself. Meeting you and knowing you again, I found I still have the butterflies in my stomach when I first met you. You seem to be the goddess of my campus days. So sunny, so beautiful. Thank you. Thank you for constantly blocking those unpleasant things for me. Thank you for dragging the boy hidden in the headphone cave into the sunlight. In the future, I want to grow old with you, I want to embrace your body, your heart, your dreams, your past, present, and future. An Ran, would you let me stand by your side?

Here are An Ran's vows to Yan Yue:
Yes, I would. Of course, I do. I never thought that I could become someone's strength, I always thought that life is a battle one fights alone. Yan Yue, thank you for resolutely walking towards me. There is a kind of heroism in this world knowing that marriage is hard, yet still longing for it. Now I finally understand this heroism because of you. Because of your love and tolerance, I finally have this courage. Whether our future is dark or bright, I am willing to forge ahead with you. Mr. Yan, would you exchange our missed youth for a lifetime of championship?

Of course, he said I do.

I highly, highly recommend this drama because it is just the stuff that we are all looking for so get yourself a nice piece of sweet chocolate that leaves a lasting taste in your mouth just like this drama will. It is so good!

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