We were introduced to Duan Yelin (ML) as kind of a red flag, rather pushy and controlling, leading us to feel bad for Xu Hang. But at the end, we kind of wonder, who really has the upperhand in this relationship?

Xu Hang is very compelling with ambiguous intentions. He really only lives for the sake of revenge, of vengeance, nothing else. We are constantly reminded that he is suffering, that he has a troublesome past.

I honestly think that aside from Duan Yelin, no one else would be able to access Xu Hang's heart, as he's a very broken individual under all that calm persona.

one of the side cp ending is very sad, but what hit me harder was actually Xu Hang's backstory. Just imagining witnessing all of that as a child is really damaging. After learning about his past, I literally had to take a break. He went through hell and back. After hearing of his family's fate, I felt the unjustness and unfairness, even after he got revenge, it wouldn't erase the things his family had to go through, All for power and greed, so many died. It felt so unfair that I wanted to do something.

Their relationship appears as if Duan Yelin was the one forcing Xu Hang into their somehow strange and complicated relationship, but in reality, that's not really the case. Xu Hang is a very smart person I have to say, he thoroughly planned everything in order to achieve what he wants. He always appears to despise ml, but I could see it, I could see that he has long been in love with Ml. He has so many chance to kill ML and get away with no problem with his brain but he didn't (though he did plan to kill him at first). What broke me the most was when he remained in Hezhou the whole time waiting for ML to comeback when everyone already left T_T why would he do that if he doesn't like him? I can see his last move was to k*ll the Japanese (along with himself since he thought ML was dead).

There is also the side couple T__T I'm crying my eyes out several times for Duan Zhanzhou and Cong Lin. My boy Cong Lin lived such a short and miserable life. He lives his whole life thinking DZZ hates him, only to know that DZZ was in fact in love with him before he passed. DZZ also only came to realize his feelings and know the truth after CL was already gone. He then saved ML and followed CL.