[Mainland Chinese Drama 2019] I Will Never Let You Go / Legend of Huo Buo 小女花不弃

[taeunfighting]

@biancardi @themarchioness

I realized after reading your responses that I did not form my question right, but you both answered it...so thank you!!   I meant to ask about (as I know now) VIP episodes, but I referred to them as raws instead. I have seen raws on Viki, but it was just the subs lagged. With this drama, I was shared a source to the VIP episodes and now I understand why some viewers were further ahead than others. I also now know where the source came from (haha).

 

@biancardi My mom watches a lot of C-dramas and she told me about Goodbye My Princess. The title pretty says it all that it will be tragic. It does look beautiful, but for me, I do not think I could handle all the side effects that will come along with it. Sounds its expectations will work out for you though (lol). I willingly gave HBQ a try because I loved Ariel from The Legend of the Condor Heroes. No regrets (haha).

[biancardi]

good point @smoua

Spoiler

with everyone dead, why hide out in the woods?  Unless they just want to live the simple life... sigh.  

 

[sirena82]

On 3/5/2019 at 3:33 PM, biancardi said:

 

 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

@omiki and @vtxy

Thank you for hilighliting that the ending of the novel was in this way. I actully wondered why they did not just fake their death and disappeare as the main couple in The Sound Of The Desert did. It was quit disappointing to watch the last 2 episodes not only because so many of the good characters died and many of the evil ones stayed live. It had also to do with the actions of the main leads themselves. While I understand that many people just wanted and rooted for a happy ending and others felt bad for the ones who died. My main problem was that the actions of both leads made me dislike them so much in the last 2 episodes. 

 BQ for example, after constantly rejecting DFS, she agrees to marry him just to lead him to his death. To me that was beyond cold. I do understand that she did not love him nor wanted to marry him and agree with her. but he was a guy who saved her life multiple times. Is this his reward for saving her so many times - stabbing him in the back in this manner? What she did just made me dispise her honestly. In my culture, if someone saved ur life you own him a life. Her betrayal in this way just is unethical to me. I don’t understand why the director went that direction. Her character is now in my least favorite leads for ever for that.

As for CY, who suppose to be a people’s hero, he was already made into a bland character by not giving him  heroic qaluties after the first several episodes. But in the last 2 episodes he also showed unethical characters that I would not like to associate with a main lead such as claiming to be working with DFS when he was the emperor man; and also by standing still and doing nothing when BQ was marrying  DFS in order for him to be able to take him down. To just not do anything in this situation made me lose respect for his character too. His girl was marrying another guy and he just did nothing just for a political gain. Unfortunately , the last 2 episodes ruined  the 2 main leads to me morally and ethnicity that I could not care for them or for their happy ending. Maybe I’m reading to much into the situation, but these were thought in my mind that were not settled.

I am happy that the ending of the novel was quite different. If its translated into English, I would appreciate a link to read it. I also hope that both actors get better role next time as I really liked them especially Bin Bin who is one of my favorite Chinese actors.

[hlntxn]

DID THE DRAMA SERIOUSLY END LIKE THIS????????????? And wtf... like how many people died in like a few seconds... YL DS HER BRO MRF DFS AND THE GIRL I forgot her name tho... and they don’t fking tell us how CY survived... while watching last episode I kept looking at the minutes and I was like what only 30 20 10 minutes left and we’re still at their fight etc... rip. After done watching this episode, I kept wondering if there’s any episodes left????? Lol

[achng]

4 hours ago, smoua said:

 

What?!!?? They should have stuck to the book. Of all the people to stay alive, LQW. That has got to be the most disappointing thing ever. 

 

I can't tell if BQ & CY are living in seclusion or if being LYK is a hobby, but given the blood bath, there's like literally no reason for them to live in seclusion. 

 

This is a crappy ending to what started as an engaging drama with lots of promises. I guess you win some and you lose some. 

 

It's disappointing for sure.  Not just viewers, but even the novel's author and some of the actors are bashing the production team for completely altering the ending into a pointless mess - it's very disrespectful.  Not sure what the scriptwriter was aiming for, but it seems to have backfired.

[biancardi]

whew

i am glad i am not the only one disappointed by this hot mess.  i wish the script writers would have stayed true to the novel

 

So, I have been reading some theories and I will wait until I watch epi 51 before weighting in on what I think of the ending

 

Spoiler

one theory is that Chen Yu did die.  He didn't come back.  BQ has in the past hallucinated that he was there  (it was early on in the series where she fantasized about LRK touching her face)  and that what she sees in the end is just her fantasy.  

 

With such a high death count, I could actually like this ending A LOT.  BQ was a schemer and a manipulator of her own  - granted, it was for survival, but I felt she went too far with DFS ( @sirena82 rightly pointed out that he saved her life several times and she owned him her life - this is a major Chinese theme that they deviated in here - just her asking Chen Yu to plead on his behalf is not the same) If she led him to his death by ensnaring him with that marriage (which she knew he would agree to) then she deserves a not so happy ending.

 

So I will be interested in watching the ending and seeing if it is similar to a dream state.  Everyone states it is so brief, but if she has flashbacks and  sees him, it could be that. 

 

 

[taeunfighting]

22 hours ago, vtxy said:

I read the ending of your version too but the version I read in more detail had a different ending!

 

I don't have time to go into as much detail as I would like to but the version I read had

  Reveal hidden contents

DFS making BQ go into his palace but releasing her in the end for her to be with CY, but then BQ secretly tries to go rescue MRF (who was arrested) and gets captured by MM and LQW. 

 

There's some misunderstanding between BQ and CY but CY kills LQW, then they spend some time in the forest with CY being upset at BQ and her trying to get back into his good books (one of my fav chapters!).

 

Plus there's a happy ending and some chapters about DFS as emperor trying to handle his empress.

 

So much details I'm missing out and I probably mixed some stuff up in my head but I can share more when I'm free if anyone is interested!

 

 

@vtxy Thank you! Whenever you have the time, can you please help explain following:

Spoiler

How in the novel did DFS become emperor? Who is his empress? Does she happen to be the general's daughter that his grandfather spoke about in one of episodes?

 

How did the Biluotian matter get resolved?

 

Of course, I am going to be greedy and say that I would love to hear more than just the above.  When you have the time 

 

[ating]

What a disappointing wrap up !

80% of main cast dead by the last episode. 

Last scene of CY and BQ together seems unreal to me. Is it a dream? No explanation on how CY managed to escape from his well fall. If he did, how about MM.

Did BQ meet up with her grandfather?

Personally, I hate loose and rushed endings.

Jus like that - MM got his hands on the orb and map so easily.

Jus like that everyone  dies in death scene of YL,DS, Heifeng, DS brother.

 

I thot Princess Agents ending was bad enough with hyped up story lines that never lived to the end. Disappointed with how his drama ended, i would hv given it a perfect 10. Or a close 9.

 

Hope the production team come up with a director cut or something that help tie up the loose ends.

 

[biancardi]

haha I wonder if 80% of the cast wanted out of this hot mess!! hahaha

 

[shihuangdi]

Did we find out why Bai Jianfei turn evil? At first I thought its because he likes HBQ and did it to CY put of jealosy. So its just because of power? 

[Dramajunkie2020]

8 hours ago, shihuangdi said:

Did we find out why Bai Jianfei turn evil? At first I thought its because he likes HBQ and did it to CY put of jealosy. So its just because of power? 

My take this on this is I don’t know exactly when he turned evil, but in ep45, Bai Jianfei finally told Yuan Chong  how he felt about Chen Yu and their frienship/brotherhood. When Yuan Chong confronted Bai Jianfei about turning against CY and betraying their friendship, BJF said that he has always doubted YC’s and CY’s sincerity. He felt that they came from upper class family and he was a nobody and so the friendship they had was not genuine, and the fact that they never told him CY was the Lotus Robe Knight. The friendship was not on equal terms. I think it’s a case of inferiority complex that led him down the evil path.

[RotaryAngel]

Does anyone know if there will be a season 2? 

[shihuangdi]

7 hours ago, serendipity1974 said:

My take this on this is I don’t know exactly when he turned evil, but in ep45, Bai Jianfei finally told Yuan Chong  how he felt about Chen Yu and their frienship/brotherhood. When Yuan Chong confronted Bai Jianfei about turning against CY and betraying their friendship, BJF said that he has always doubted YC’s and CY’s sincerity. He felt that they came from upper class family and he was a nobody and so the friendship they had was not genuine, and the fact that they never told him CY was the Lotus Robe Knight. The friendship was not on equal terms. I think it’s a case of inferiority complex that led him down the evil path.

Ah ok. To be fair, I feel like since the beginning the friendship between CY and YC is much closer that BJF. So maybe his feeling of being left out is true. I mean CY told everything to YC but never told BJF. I think CY already knows BJF character and couldn’t trust him completely.

 

5 hours ago, RotaryAngel said:

Does anyone know if there will be a season 2? 

I don’t think so. I think this is somewhat how it ends in the novel. Also, everyone except the leads died already. 

 

[Dramajunkie2020]

@shihuangdi I agree with you. Chen Yu had his doubts about Bai Jianfei. In the episode when CY had to go to Yuan Chong’s house to seek medical help,  CY told YC not to let BJF know thay he is Lian Yi Ke. It must be his instincts or his interactions with BJF that tells him not to trust BJF.

[40somethingahjumma]

Was it me or did the last few episodes feel rather draggy? Perhaps it's because I wasn't the least bit interested in DFS' campaign that that whole aspect kind of fell flat. It was almost like watching an entirely different drama and Hua Bu Qi was relegated to the sidelines. And all that carnage towards the end... was absolutely not quite what I was expecting... And then another unexplained return from the dead! What is it with C dramas and happy endings? Can't we have a happily ever after that's not fraught with ambiguity? Did he come back to life? Is it her imagination? Sigh... I already went through all that with a number of C dramas...

 

Thinking it through, I suppose with the current political climate in China, I shouldn't be entirely surprised that the show decided to go a different route about who ends up sitting on the throne. I haven't read the novel but I did steal looks at spoilers about what happened in the source material to brace myself for whatever was to come. 

Look I get it... war's ugly stuff and the show runners are trying to avoid anything that smacks of triumphalism. People die for taking sides. I get that. Plus with the country's current hardline administration, I'm sure they're trying to tread carefully... about giving the slightest impression that they're promoting "rebellion" of any kind. It's the only justification I can think of as to why a rom com turned into a tragedy... or a travesty... so quickly.

 

One of the biggest disappointments for me is that Bi Luo Tian turns out to be mostly a McGuffin. After such a build up... all we got was a glowing well. Good Lord! I wasn't expecting Indiana Jones but that was cheap.

 

I've read comments that DFS had the most significant growth arc but frankly I didn't see it. To me DFS did whatever DFS always did... in the end he did what he wanted his way and that included his relationship with BQ. I was surprised at how naive he was on some level but then I think he was rather on the overconfident side which is true to his character. He always thinks he will get what he wants in the end because he is confident that he has the brains/ability/willpower to pull it off. But there are all manner of elements in war. It's not so simple when there are people around him with different agendas. People don't move like chess pieces as expected. It's actually not that different in how he views his courtship with BQ. While he might have fallen for BQ and treated her better than before, and showed an almost admirable level of devotion, he didn't exactly turn into Don Quixote either.

 

The rebellion in and of itself wasn't very interesting. But it was somewhat interesting to see how quickly people changed alliances. The hold that DFS had over various individuals was tenuous at best. Even if he knew their "weaknesses" and exploited them... most of them were willing participants incidentally... he wasn't able to gain their loyalty. Their heart. It was expedient for all of them to hold hands with him when the situation suited them. That's why it was easy for CY to tap into those so-called "weaknesses" and use it to his advantage.

This parallels his entire courtship with BQ. He thought that by sheer force of his own will/persistence he could make her his but the heart... the seat of emotions...  is something that was outside of his cunning or control.

 

For the most part I enjoyed the drama. I'm glad CY returns as Lian Yi Ke but I'm frustrated that we'll never get an explanation as to how he got out of that well. I don't doubt that secret passages are in order but I insist on explanations. It's not right that I have to do the show runners' job for them.

 

 

[shihuangdi]

3 hours ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

 

One of the biggest disappointments for me is that Bi Luo Tian turns out to be mostly a McGuffin. After such a build up... all we got was a glowing well. Good Lord! I wasn't expecting Indiana Jones but that was cheap.

Agree. I wish they would elaborate more on biluotian because its the main arc of the story. Also, I’m confused with CY coming back from the death. He fell into the well, how the hell did he go back up, alive?? Also I don’t believe HBQ has the ability to be lian yi ke, xiao xia as LYK I can accept but HBQ no! She may be smart but without martial art skills she won’t be able to handle the bandits herself.

 

edit: after rewatching the ending again, I think its possible that the reunion is simply HBQ imagination. It happens after her reminiscing about their past and her encounter with CY. And the reunion also seems lack of emotion unlike their previous reunion. 

 

[gentlelily12]

3 hours ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

Was it me or did the last few episodes feel rather draggy? Perhaps it's because I wasn't the least bit interested in DFS' campaign that that whole aspect kind of fell flat. It was almost like watching an entirely different drama and Hua Bu Qi was relegated to the sidelines. And all that carnage towards the end... was absolutely not quite what I was expecting... And then another unexplained return from the dead! What is it with C dramas and happy endings? Can't we have a happily ever after that's not fraught with ambiguity? Did he come back to life? Is it her imagination? Sigh... I already went through all that with a number of C dramas...

 

Thinking it through, I suppose with the current political climate in China, I shouldn't be entirely surprised that the show decided to go a different route about who ends up sitting on the throne. I haven't read the novel but I did steal looks at spoilers about what happened in the source material to brace myself for whatever was to come. 

Look I get it... war's ugly stuff and the show runners are trying to avoid anything that smacks of triumphalism. People die for taking sides. I get that. Plus with the country's current hardline administration, I'm sure they're trying to tread carefully... about giving the slightest impression that they're promoting "rebellion" of any kind. It's the only justification I can think of as to why a rom com turned into a tragedy... or a travesty... so quickly.

 

One of the biggest disappointments for me is that Bi Luo Tian turns out to be mostly a McGuffin. After such a build up... all we got was a glowing well. Good Lord! I wasn't expecting Indiana Jones but that was cheap.

 

I've read comments that DFS had the most significant growth arc but frankly I didn't see it. To me DFS did whatever DFS always did... in the end he did what he wanted his way and that included his relationship with BQ. I was surprised at how naive he was on some level but then I think he was rather on the overconfident side which is true to his character. He always thinks he will get what he wants in the end because he is confident that he has the brains/ability/willpower to pull it off. But there are all manner of elements in war. It's not so simple when there are people around him with different agendas. People don't move like chess pieces as expected. It's actually not that different in how he views his courtship with BQ. While he might have fallen for BQ and treated her better than before, and showed an almost admirable level of devotion, he didn't exactly turn into Don Quixote either.

 

The rebellion in and of itself wasn't very interesting. But it was somewhat interesting to see how quickly people changed alliances. The hold that DFS had over various individuals was tenuous at best. Even if he knew their "weaknesses" and exploited them... most of them were willing participants incidentally... he wasn't able to gain their loyalty. Their heart. It was expedient for all of them to hold hands with him when the situation suited them. That's why it was easy for CY to tap into those so-called "weaknesses" and use it to his advantage.

This parallels his entire courtship with BQ. He thought that by sheer force of his own will/persistence he could make her his but the heart... the seat of emotions...  is something that was outside of his cunning or control.

 

For the most part I enjoyed the drama. I'm glad CY returns as Lian Yi Ke but I'm frustrated that we'll never get an explanation as to how he got out of that well. I don't doubt that secret passages are in order but I insist on explanations. It's not right that I have to do the show runners' job for them.

 

 

 

@40somethingahjumma,  I wish they had added few more episodes to answer all the questions above too. However, i am somewhat contented as it was a good ending (as i interpret it to be based on the novel ending which the TV series shd follow along too)

 

Here's what @omiki said below abt the ending storyline in the novel (page 50 of this forum).  Then i think in the tv series it would mean CY aka LYK is alive (and not just BQ's imagination) as the ending (to me at least) actually meant CY/LYK and BQ would continue his adventures with BQ by his side like in the novel ending too...

So, @omiki, no offence but the simple happy ending may be sweet for a novel but perhaps for a TV series they needed to include more fighting/bloody scenes etc to give it greater impact (just my opinion tho). 

[biancardi]

13 hours ago, RotaryAngel said:

Does anyone know if there will be a season 2? 

 

The books end at this point so I am not sure there is any material for a season 2.  Besides, they killed everyone off - so, no one is going to want to associate with BQ and CY anymore - haha

 

I don't really see a need for a second season and after that crapastic ending, I doubt it will happen anyway.

4 hours ago, shihuangdi said:

Agree. I wish they would elaborate more on biluotian because its the main arc of the story. Also, I’m confused with CY coming back from the death. He fell into the well, how the hell did he go back up, alive?? Also I don’t believe HBQ has the ability to be lian yi ke, xiao xia as LYK I can accept but HBQ no! She may be smart but without martial art skills she won’t be able to handle the bandits herself.

 

edit: after rewatching the ending again, I think its possible that the reunion is simply HBQ imagination. It happens after her reminiscing about their past and her encounter with CY. And the reunion also seems lack of emotion unlike their previous reunion. 

 

 

yeah, I question how BQ got those martial arts.  I think it was her imagination kicking in.  She was always a good storyteller, so perhaps this is her way of coping. 

 

They messed up the novel's ending badly, so I can imagine that they went this route as well - to keep people guessing, just like in Fu Yao.

 

[luna2nd]

19 hours ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

Was it me or did the last few episodes feel rather draggy? Perhaps it's because I wasn't the least bit interested in DFS' campaign that that whole aspect kind of fell flat. It was almost like watching an entirely different drama and Hua Bu Qi was relegated to the sidelines. And all that carnage towards the end... was absolutely not quite what I was expecting... And then another unexplained return from the dead! What is it with C dramas and happy endings? Can't we have a happily ever after that's not fraught with ambiguity? Did he come back to life? Is it her imagination? Sigh... I already went through all that with a number of C dramas...

 

Thinking it through, I suppose with the current political climate in China, I shouldn't be entirely surprised that the show decided to go a different route about who ends up sitting on the throne. I haven't read the novel but I did steal looks at spoilers about what happened in the source material to brace myself for whatever was to come. 

Look I get it... war's ugly stuff and the show runners are trying to avoid anything that smacks of triumphalism. People die for taking sides. I get that. Plus with the country's current hardline administration, I'm sure they're trying to tread carefully... about giving the slightest impression that they're promoting "rebellion" of any kind. It's the only justification I can think of as to why a rom com turned into a tragedy... or a travesty... so quickly.

 

One of the biggest disappointments for me is that Bi Luo Tian turns out to be mostly a McGuffin. After such a build up... all we got was a glowing well. Good Lord! I wasn't expecting Indiana Jones but that was cheap.

 

I've read comments that DFS had the most significant growth arc but frankly I didn't see it. To me DFS did whatever DFS always did... in the end he did what he wanted his way and that included his relationship with BQ. I was surprised at how naive he was on some level but then I think he was rather on the overconfident side which is true to his character. He always thinks he will get what he wants in the end because he is confident that he has the brains/ability/willpower to pull it off. But there are all manner of elements in war. It's not so simple when there are people around him with different agendas. People don't move like chess pieces as expected. It's actually not that different in how he views his courtship with BQ. While he might have fallen for BQ and treated her better than before, and showed an almost admirable level of devotion, he didn't exactly turn into Don Quixote either.

 

The rebellion in and of itself wasn't very interesting. But it was somewhat interesting to see how quickly people changed alliances. The hold that DFS had over various individuals was tenuous at best. Even if he knew their "weaknesses" and exploited them... most of them were willing participants incidentally... he wasn't able to gain their loyalty. Their heart. It was expedient for all of them to hold hands with him when the situation suited them. That's why it was easy for CY to tap into those so-called "weaknesses" and use it to his advantage.

This parallels his entire courtship with BQ. He thought that by sheer force of his own will/persistence he could make her his but the heart... the seat of emotions...  is something that was outside of his cunning or control.

 

For the most part I enjoyed the drama. I'm glad CY returns as Lian Yi Ke but I'm frustrated that we'll never get an explanation as to how he got out of that well. I don't doubt that secret passages are in order but I insist on explanations. It's not right that I have to do the show runners' job for them.

 

 

Agree! I couldn't make head/ tail of the ending.  Reminds me of the scene where BQ was imagining LYK while holding the rabbit lantern. (Sigh) based on that and not knowing how he could have gotten out of the well! Makes me think that she was imagining him.  

[luna2nd]

On 3/5/2019 at 6:56 PM, themarchioness said:

Episode 51 - the quick & dirty recap

 

  Hide contents

 

The episode picks back up with MRF watching DFS leading BQ away.  He's angry and annoyed because he wants to get on with the whole taking down the emperor thing, and thinks that every second wasted in this city over what he considers useless romance business is an affront to his sensibilities.  DFS, if he had known what MRF was thinking, would have disagreed.  As he locks BQ away in a deserted house, he tells her that the only way for her to stay protected is for her to marry him.  BQ doesn't find his argument to be a convincing one, but DFS disagrees.  To his credit, I do think he really believes that if he marries BQ, his grandfather will finally give up on her.  But, with no offense to the many DFS supporters who I know are among us, I find him incredibly naive.  There is nothing that would stop the Mysterious Man at this point, certainly not his grandson's marriage, and especially considering how long he has been lusting after Biluotian and his treasures. 

 

While DFS and BQ are discussing whether they should get married, MRF listens in.  Since he's over the romance at this point and just wants the battle for the throne to begin, he sends word to MM.  Yun Lang and Dan Sha, in turn, learn of this and they also begin their journey to send word to CY.

 

CY's already heard though.  While BQ waits in the deserted house (as DFS had given her time to think things over), a black-robed person suddenly appears before her.  It's YC.  BQ is surprised to see him, but he then steps aside and behind him is CY.  BQ turns away from him and tells him that since he's already given up on her, he should stop trying to rescue her.  And that's when CY explains what he didn't have time to explain to her the previous time, it's all an act.  Her grandfather is alive and he didn't really run away from the palace/emperor.  They're working together to defeat DFS and MM.  BQ bats at him for lying once more to him and the men exchange a cute glance over her ire.  She eventually calms down and CY tells her they need to go, but she refuses to leave with him.  She doesn't want him risking all his plans over her and points out that since they've come this far, they might as well keep at it as it's now or never anyway.  CY doesn't want her going through the marriage though, and BQ just tells him that in the past, she's always been the one to take risks for her and this time, she wants to be the one who takes a risk for him.  He tells her that he's already lost his father and his master, and doesn't want to lose her.  In a hug, she promises he won't.  And that's how BQ ends up agreeing to marry DFS. 

 

Before CY and BQ part ways, however, it is worth observing that BQ does ask CY to refrain from killing DFS once he and MM are captured.  She reminds him that in the desert, if it hadn't been for DFS, she wouldn't have survived.  CY agrees and says he'll do his best to plead to the emperor on DFS's behalf, but he can't make any promises given that he betrayed the country already and is also a descendant of Cheng Wang's. 

 

When DFS returns to BQ, she asks him if he really thinks he'll win the throne and when he says yes, she agrees to marry him.  She explains the turnaround in her response by saying that she wants to live and restore her familiy's honor, so it really doesn't matter who's in power, just so long as that person can give her the mechanism with which to do that.  It is admittedly kind of painful watching DFS's excitement over BQ's agreement, because he is just that happy, but on the other hand, he's totally forced her into this so I don't know.  I don't think BQ feels any better either.  She is obviously uncomfortable when he refers to her as his "furen," and I think that discomfort stems from more than just the fact that he is not the person she loves. 

 

Somehow MRF and Dan Sha's brother are able to find wedding clothes/make-up in this abandoned city and soon the wedding ceremony gets underway.  I actually found it kind of hilarious how MRF stood by the door and didn't even try to hide the fact that he was looking out the door clearly waiting for MM and wondering why he hadn't yet arrived.  Fortunately for MRF, and unfortunately for everyone else, MM does arrive shortly thereafter and puts a stop to everything.  When DFS tries to reason that he can still win the throne without Biluotian and that taking BQ would be useless since his grandfather still lacks the other two items, MM corrects him.  He has the map and the sphere.  A battle breaks out. 

 

Inside the cabin, it's MRF versus DFS.  DFS reminds MRF that BQ is his little sister and wonders how he can betray her like this, but as previously mentioned, MRF is too far gone at this point.  His only concern is to defeat the emperor and avenge his family.  I, honestly, can't be too sorry when DFS drives that final blow through MRF.  Even before MM arrived on scene, as I watched MRF observing DFS and BQ being their wedding ceremony with so much hate/disdain in his eyes, the thought had occurred to me then, that if we really thought about it, from start to end, much of the tragedy in this drama began with his family.  I mean, were it not for his father's drunk and lustful actions, BQ wouldn't even exist.  Knowing that and knowing what would come soon after, I'd long reconciled myself to MRF's death.  He had to go. 

 

Outside the cabin, CY steps in to try and prevent MM from taking away BQ.  Unfortunately, MM has always been stronger than everyone else in this drama (HOW?) and so he is quickly injured and kicked aside.  YC, bless his heart, then steps up to the plate.  But with him having the weakest martial arts skills in this drama, you can guess how that goes.  As MM kicks him over to CY's side, CY yells in agony over his friend.  MM takes advantage of his distraction to fly away with BQ.  With his dying breath, YC pushes CY away and tells him to hurry and run after MM.  My only comfort over YC is that now and XX will now be reunited in death.  RIP CY, you were the best of friends.  Be happy with XX in the after life.

 

Elsewhere in the city, Yun Lang and Dan Sha arrive on scene where they're intercepted by Hei Feng.  Yun Lang quickly moves to protect Dan Sha, but Hei Feng still gets in a cut anyway.  When Hei Feng goes in for the jugular, Dan Sha's brother runs in and takes the stab in the back for his sister.  It's nice to see, in the end, he remained loyal to his sister.  I'd feel sadder about his death except he kind of lost my interest a while back over his self-protective ways.  Yun Lang and Hei Feng end up killing each other at the same time, and Dan Sha gets in her own hits at Hei Feng (just to make sure she really dies) before dying herself.  Dan Sha tries to crawl across the ground to be with Yun Lang, but she never quite makes it there and he dies before she can reach him anyway.  It's a good thing the opening credits prepared me for this moment a long time ago, otherwise I'd probably be a mess.

 

MM and BQ arrive at Biluotian and I give mad kudos to the girl for not straight up dying from fright (which is probably what I would do) and instead giving MM some classic BQ attitude.  She warns MM that it's probably all hogwash and CY will be arriving soon to save her anyway, but MM is a firm believer in this prophecy.  There's just no way it could turn out false after how long he'd worked to find it, and he's not worried about CY since he doesn't have the map to follow. 

 

CY might not have the map, but he doesn't have his master's dying words.  He and DFS arrive at the stack of rocks, near where his master died, and he tells DFS to look for a knot hole in a tree trunk as that will be their entrance to Biluotian.  After running around and examining many different trees and rocks, DFS starts to grow impatient wondering how they're ever going to find this needle in a haystack.  He complains that they're running out of time and CY just keeps searching while telling DFS to shut-up.  I'm inclined to agree with CY in this moment.  Whining and complaining aren't going to help find BQ any faster, but getting to work will.  Eventually CY finds the rock with his master's bloody hand print on it.  From there, he follows the hand print's direction to find the knot hole.

 

They find it just in time and arrive in Biluotian right at the moment where MM has tossed BQ towards the Biluotian well.  (I guess no formal ceremony for the sacrifice is needed.    Also, does treasure shoot up from the sky if she reaches it's bottom?  I admit there's a part of me that is very curious as to how the mechanics of this prophecy works, although obviously, as I want BQ to live, I don't want to test it out either!)  If you've all seen the previews that were shared weeks ago, you know what happens next.  CY leans over the well to grab BQ's hand and DFS, in turn, lunges after CY.  MM, who'd been kicked aside earlier, grabs up his sword to lunge after them, and DFS manages to throw both CY and BQ out of the well, just as his grandfather's sword goes running into him.  Congratulations, MM.  Because of your greed and endless ambitions, you have killed your grandson. 

 

Somebody mentioned above that they didn't think BQ or CY would feel any guilt over DFS's death or appreciate his sacrifice, and I disagree.  BQ's anguish as she yells out his name is palpable, and CY also looks bereft and in disbelief when he watches this scene unfold from where he'd been thrown.  I would remind that BQ never wanted DFS to die.  She may not have wanted him for a husband, but she did seek to ensure his safety and CY obviously appreciated his contributions enough to agree to that condition (even if he couldn't guarantee it).  Truly, if anyone is to blame for DFS's death, I think we can only lay that at his grandfather's door.  MM raised him in such a way that he only had two possible fates -- be the king or be dead.  Since he couldn't win the throne, that left only death.  I'm sorry, DFS.  You deserved better.

 

After DFS dies, the battle continues.  Even with the blows that CY is able to get in, MM is still stronger than the both of them combined.  It's sweet how BQ tries to save CY by clutching MM's leg and refusing to let go.  She yells at him to leave and save himself, but of course CY would never do that.  When he observes MM about to take one more lunge at BQ, he finally musters up all his remaining energy and, along with the force of his anger, hurls himself towards MM.  The forward motion propels MM backwards into the well, but physics... oh physics... even in high school you weren't my friend.  CY is unable to stop himself from following MM into the well.  BQ just manages to catch CY's hand and refuses to let go, but CY also knows that with the both of them injured, she hasn't the strength to drag him up.  It's either let go or be dragged down with him, so he pulls her hand away from his and tells her that in the next life, he'll still be her Lian Yi Ke.  He then falls backwards down the well.  Nooooooo, not you too, CY!!!!!  (Well, okay, to be honest, it probably would've been more impactful if we hadn't all been spoiled and know that he somehow magically survives.  So, yeah, can't say I was all that sad watching him fall into that well.)

 

Some indeterminate amount of time later, the Emperor walks among his people with QW by his side.  They sit down out an outside cafe and as they share a drink, they listen to the conversations going on around them.  The citizens gossip about how BJF was revealed to be traitor and was justly punished.  They're also happy about the rebellion being put down and peace being restored to the land.  They comment on how the emperor seems to have changed his ways after going through this latest ordeal, and now they praise him for all the positive changes he's made for the people.  The emperor listens on, pleased to know that his people are happy.  QW asks him if he isn't worried that someone else might try to find Biluotian, but he's not.  The temple's been destroyed already and he predicts rumors of the prophecy will naturally fade away.  He then thanks for her for all the assistance she provided in helping him get through the ordeal... and I guess that's how QW's story ends.  I don't know how satisfied I can feel about that given everything she did along the way, but I guess we're supposed to adopt the same attitude that CY had towards her, which is that she was someone to be pitied for the way she was raised and try to understand that everything she did wasn't because of her, but because of the way LMY had forced her hand.  We'll just somehow ignore all the other evil doings that she did on her own, I guess... *rolls eyes*  In any event, I'm glad (and relieved) His Traitorness, Mr. Traitor Traitor Pants got his in the end and that the Emperor became a better ruler -- not all was in vain if there's that, at least.

 

As the Emperor and QW continue their walk around and inspection of the city, they happen upon a storyteller who is sharing another story about Lian Yi Ke.  The storyteller says that Lian Yi Ke is back and even better than he was before.  Hearing his name has both the Emperor and QW pausing in their steps, but they eventually continue on.

 

Outside the city, in the forest, we see a band of robbers intercept some travelers.  They demand money and around this time, Lian Yi Ke appears.  It's BQ.  She tells the robbers to give it up, but they respond with a scoff after discovering this man they'd always heard so much about was actually a woman.  As they rush towards her, they're caught up in a giant net trap.  She then flicks a Lian Yi Ke coin towards the travelers and instructs them about where to take the robbers once they reach the city.  After they leave, she has a conversation with CY in her head.  She explains that she hasn't the martial arts skills that he did, so she's using her own methods to capture the ill-doers.  She also promises to keep on living so that she can keep on carrying out good deeds in his name, so that he'll be remembered far and wide.  It's at this moment that CY flies in, wearing his black robes.  He comments on what a coincidence it is to find her, since he is also Lian Yi Ke.  As BQ stares at him in shock and surprise, she unmasks him to confirm that it is indeed CY.  Of course it is.  The drama offers no explanation for how he ends up making it out of the well, but I suppose we're not supposed to care and they're just going to trust that we'll be happy about the fact that he survives and the OTP is at last reunited in the end.

 

 

THE END

 

In conclusion... how satisfied am I by that ending?  It's hard to say.  I feel like I was spoiled so much as to how things would turn out, that by the time the end credits started to roll, my only thought was, "Yup.  That's about what I expected would happen."  Quite frankly, that made it difficult for me to experience any emotions while watching the last episode.  But what did stand out to me was the infinite amounts of love between BQ and CY, and as that is what has always been my hook for this drama, it was nice to see that played out through to the end. 

 

I think it's no secret that I have loved this drama dearly.  There's no other reason for why I would dedicate so many of my hours translating/recapping episodes for this forum thread, if that wasn't the case.  But even with my all-consuming love for this drama, I can be objective enough to admit that the last two episodes of this drama, especially, were hastily put together to give us an ending.  Now that the drama is over, I can look back on it as a whole and think things like, "I wish they'd taken out scenes from when BQ was at Zhu Manor to give us more at the end."  I never begrudged the drama for the amount of time BQ and CY spent apart -- it was integral for what was going on in both their lives at that time, and it gave us time to get to know DFS as well -- but if we think about it... All that stuff with her grand-aunts, for example, since that never really went anywhere, what was the point of having them?  Also, why bother giving us a reunion scene with QW and QY if that wasn't really going to go anywhere either.  I guess that was the drama's way of explaining to us the end of QY's storyline?  But it certainly didn't feel like it even in episode 50. 

 

And then there's the death count . . . this topic probably deserves a post on its own, but I'll just say for now that I've tried to put myself in the writer's shoes and think I've reached that point where I can understand the choices made.  But as a viewer, it still seems like a lazy way to reach an ending since with each death, the writer then doesn't have to take the time to explain what happens to them. 

 

Despite all that, I still loved and do love this drama.  The ending can't take away everything that came before.  Every interaction that CY and BQ had remains a precious memory, and I feel that way about their interactions with other character too (minus the baddies).  Now that it's over... there's definitely a hole in my heart.  So I guess I'll now have to go back and watch the episodes subbed. 

 

Thank you all for indulging me in my recaps and rambling thoughts... Knowing myself, I'm sure I'll still have more to say - haha - but for now, I'm going to take a break and think a little bit more about this drama and its ending.

Thank you again and again for the funny comments, thought, time  on these recaps. I'll follow you to the next drama - only if it's funny and romantic and the ending is solid.