Though I liked that it was not another 'the emperor falls in love with his concubine and they have a good time together' story, I found it realistic that the concubine only endured the emperor's approach but the end still hurts my heart.

I liked the first part of the story until the... s*x scene. I know the MC used that to get closer to the ML, but there are other ways to get closer than doing... that. It was a bit uncomfortable to read.

And the ending was a bit rushed. Like the cat dying so suddenly to add to the MC's misery, sending Xiao Bao far away—when he could've been the MC's personal attendant? —And the empress's involvement felt like a plot device.

It's ridiculous how the ML quickly fell in love with the MC, even abandoning his duties to visit. Everyday. How did the other concubines not hear about this? They could have been other antagonists, but only the empress and the Little Prince interfered.

And the side characters, Jue Yu and Qi Sheng, their romance was like random inserts from nowhere. It's like the author added it because they wanted to. I'm not meaning to offend.

I think MC actually loved ML and doesn't blame him but closed of his heart after ch13 because he was too scared to loose it. He knew already that things don't last so I think he wanted to get it over with and lessen the pain of goodbyes.

Here's what happens after (in my head, cont from last chapter)

It had only been one year and in Wen Mu Yans mind he has reached his final state, no changes no uncertainties anymore, nothing to loose or worry about, all defeated with life. But the emperor still loved him dearly, watching him from a distance, happy that his body is recovering. In his mind the emperor knew he will start to make him happy again, he just needed time for him to heal.

The emperor starts to bring in some cats to keep him company, as they just so happen to enter the villa, more servants who are friendly join the court as they needed employment, and he accepts them. The lonely solitary life Wen Mu Yan lived for a year slowly begins to change again.

During this year the emperor secretly punishes the lady dowager, firing all her staff and placing her under house arrest. He made sure no one can hurt him again, threatening her eyes if she did anything again to Mu Yan or hus brother. The emperor fixes up his government and military, re evaluating his men's loyalty and enstilling better dissipline to the rules.

In the villa

Rui Ze will sometimes come visit him, Wen Mu Yan sometimes hears his voice start to break and he could tell by their parting hugs he is getting taller. Rarely the emperor will accompany the prince on his visits, announcing himself but keeping a distance, although he was actually there every day. Weekend long visits were not uncommon during celebrations, and they will in the summer stay for a week to train.

Later on Wen Mu Yan visits the lotus camp as he misses Xiao Bao. They reunite and he lowly regains his previous joy in life, he no longer thinks about those desperate times as he wants to be happy and live his life.

Wen Mu Yan and the emperor eventually get talking again, sipping tea and sharing whatever delicacies he brought from the market with the emperor. One day just in conversation he says he misses the livelihood of the palace and that this place is too quiet.

At this time the Dowager dies. Older Xiao Bao will move back because he misses Mu Yan (sneaked on carriage) . He gains his confidence to love the emperor again, moved by his patients and dedication (he figured out the emperor was watching him through their chats and his slip ups).

Through the little gestures and visits he finally realises the emperor's feeling are true. And after another year he figures out that he is still in the palace, but again he's not concerned with this anymore as he knows from experience he can leave whenever he wants (ie unrealistic of him to live away, with no job/backing anyways).

He moves back into the servents house in the palace with xiao bao and the now many cats. He wants to be there for the little prince as he grows up. Xiao bao and the Rui Ze are older now and they have sworn to never leave his side. Maybe because they are older and stronger now he believes them, no longer feeling like a burden.

At some point the emperor announces is brother as the next heir, and he is allowed to marry whoever he wants.

They get married, Then they will live happily ever after, just like the beginning 🥹.

not even remebering that a child was wrongfully blinded, and to think it was because the MC caught the ML colluding with the empress dowager. How could he not even recall such an incident when he did someone so wrongly last time?

his wish to send Xiao Bao faraway away from the palace

Tbh the only thing I didn't like was the ending, because even though it was poetic and all that stuff, I feel like it was too unfair for the MC. He went through so much and in the end he still ended up with nothing.

I didn't like the ML ever since the two of them had s*x. He kept telling MC he cared about him and loved him, yet he still hurt him so badly, the MC kept bleeding even the next day. Someone who loves you wouldn't stop regarding your feelings once their pee stick is out.

I didn't feel bad how in the end he still didn't manage to get MC's forgiveness because he didn't deserve it and even the way he apologized didn't sound too sincere to me. He simply wanted things to go his way, no matter what, so the fact that he didn't get MC in the end pleases me.

But I feel like after all that pain and suffering for nothing, the MC should have at least had a happy ending. His attendant was driven away, his cat dead, no one by his side but quiteness and loneliness. It's clear that he is depressed and suicidal and in this kind of environment I doubt he will live long... The least the ML should have done for him was to send him back home to his family or to let him leave with the general and his attendant, not to let him be alone and depressed in a pretty "cell" that he can't even see.

he really deserved the chance to heal and keep the company of the people he loved and also yu li ;_;

"He actually had a name, a very beautiful name at that. However, the people who would call him by that beautiful name, there wasn't a single person anymore." THIS WAS SO HEARTBREAKING UGH

tbh I would have been very happy if MC got to leave the palace and live happily with the general, the dr, and Xiao Bao, , , I'm so disappointed in the emperor's selfishness. Greedy and self concerned— not only is Jue Yu and General Qi more than enough to protect him, Jue Yu is a great dr and Xiao Bao loves him and takes care of him, they would have surely kept him safe and healthy. Look at him still wishing to see Xiao Bao!!!! That's not cute!!! That's catastrophic!

ALSO my heart BREAKS for the beautiful cat, , ,

I felt so hard when yuli saved muyan and rui ze, she and xiao bao were truly the best thing ever, I would have loved if they could be together forever, it's so sad that xiao bao and muyan couldn't even say goodbye to each other

I am happy with the ending bc there's no way muyan could just forget that rui xuan was the cause of his blindness, they weren't meant to be together, and they could be happy at last only bc muyan was blind and couldn't see that rui xuan was watching him from afar every day ;;-;;

eg why was Wen Muyan so insistent on hating the emperor? Isn’t it the empress who wants to kill him? Why didn’t he tell the emperor after knowing him and having such a steamy night that the empress was the one who blinded him etc?

I could understand when he said that he didn’t trust the emperor would love him forever that kinda thing so he doesn’t want? To tell him?

the ending showcases what Wen Muyan wants number 1 and what he wants number 2 and the conflict in this selection because he knows he cannot have both. In the end, he chose the easier, more carefree path. Regrets? I don’t know.

The ML's promise to the MC to let him be free was a lie. The MC asked to leave the palace and the ML finally caved after seeing how shattered the MC was staying in the palace. But instead of actually letting him go far away from the palace, like he wanted, the ML tricked the MC into believing he was on a carriage far away when in reality, he was still on palace grounds. In the end, the MC is lonely with no one, but he believes that he is far away and finally free. In actuality, the ML still watches him from afar as the MC has never actually left the palace.