Notable Actors/Actresses
Ding Yu Xi: Han Shuo
Zhao Lu Si: Chen Qian Qian / Chen Xiao Qian
Director:
Scriptwriter:
传闻中的陈芊芊
The Rumoured Chen Qian Qian (Third Princess)
Network: Tencent Video
Mini Recaps
She's now Chen Qian Qian, the third princess of Hua Yuan City. Women dominate here. They're the ones who are educated and become nobles. They're the ones who rule the city. Men are their servants. Chen Qian Qian although a princess has no princess trait in her. She’s obscene, loves to drink and play with men. She’s unruly and doesn’t pay her debt. On a random day she was riding her horse across the city not caring about what she was running through. She fell off her horse and was saved by a hero, Han Shuo. She had taken an immediate liking to him and declared she will wed him. Her words are laws. The night she forces marriage on him is the night Chen Xiao Qian became Chen Qian Qian. Her death will be the night of their wedding when Han Shuo poisons her.
Han Shuo is the only son of the city lord of Xuan Hu. Xuan Hu City is your typical men dominate society. He needs the Long Gu (a rare medication owned by Hua Yuan City). He's set to marry the second princess, Chen Chu Chu. He had perfectly planned a damsel in distress scenario to save Chen Chu Chu and make her fall in love with him. However, the perfect plan just didn't pan out perfectly. He ended up saving the Third Princess, the rumoured awful and evil Chen Qian Qian. Now that she wants him to be her husband instead, he wants out of it and feigns to have a terminal disease. Chen Qian Qian is disappointed and mumbles they better marry quickly before he dies then, heh. The above is how the original story went. Now that Chen Xiao Qian is Chen Qian Qian, the story starts changing.
Chen Qian Qian believes once she dies she will be able to return to reality. Therefore, she demands Han Shuo to consummate because that’s when he poisons her to death. Screw the ceremony. Weddings in Hua Yuan City are a little different. Everything that women do are now done by men. Han Shuo has to be veiled and waits for her to enter his room. She's expecting to be poisoned via the wine but he messes up and forgets which is which and so he just gives up. However, CQQ needs to die so she's searching for the poison thinking he used it elsewhere. When she tried the food and still felt fine, she realized it must be on his lips. Without a second to waste, she grabs him in for a smooch. She asks him "Am I going to be dead now?" He replies something on the line of, "Oh yes, you are definitely going to be dead." He's angry she kissed him. CQQ hyperventilates and faints over.
[Ep2] CQQ is alive. There was no other poison but Han Shuo is arrested. CQQ realizes she has no courage to commit suicide and thinks of another way to escape: reach the end of the story. To do this, Han Shuo is needed so CQQ needs to save him from prison first. What better way to save him then claim she's pregnant. She's showing symptoms to mom who asks her who the child belongs to. CQQ replies "I don't know, let's say it's Han Shuo's." Han Shuo is released. He admitted the child is his. Mom knows it's not his because there's no way they met yesterday and she can be pregnant today. Hence the presents she bestows him are all things green, including a green hat. LOL. "Wearing a Green Hat" is a Chinese saying that someone's wife had cheated on him. Green is a sensitive color to men. In this alternate city, Hua Yuan, a green hat holds a very special meaning. It's a recognition of how gracious the man is.
Han Shuo isn't done poisoning her though. When there's too many dishes that look alike he has no idea where the poison is. His only resort is to feed her every single plate of food. It all fails when Han Shuo and his servant are too obvious.
Mom realizes CQQ isn't pregnant. She's about to banish Han Shuo had it not been for CQQ claiming she loves him. CQQ realizes keeping him around her is too much work and decides to fulfill her supporting character role. Her plan is to make him shine so that he impresses Chen Chu Chu (y'know his original plan), CQQ’s second sister. She threatens him to win in the contest otherwise she will divorce him and he'll never get to return to Hua Yuan ever again. The contest is about who can impress the girls or more like he's an object for girls to admire. Han Shuo's competitiveness is aroused and he certainly impresses with his sword dance. Ding Yu Xi certainly impresses. Amidst his routine, his chest starts to ache and suddenly he aims his sword at Qian Qian with an intent to kill her. Chen Chu Chu flies in to save her sister. Qian Qian's plans of having them fall in love fall through as the two engage in a battle. Pei Heng comes to save the chaos. He harshly scolds Qian Qian for ridiculing her husband. As a fellow man, he feels bad for him. He was her original fiancé and intends to call off their engagement. Women can have multiple husbands here. Pei Heng never liked her because of her personality but his opinion of her changes when she's actually apologizing.
[Ep3] Pei Heng seems quite happy to know that Qian Qian is willing to apologize to Han Shuo because of him. I'm confused about his character. He doesn't like her (even hates her) but now all of a sudden he likes her. Meanwhile Han Shuo isn't quite willing to accept her apology. She decides to take off her robe because he was stripped of his by Chu Chu. He still isn't happy and so she decides to strip another piece of clothing. He can't handle any more skin exposure so he wraps her up with a blanket. When he learns she's not pregnant and is actually a maiden, he seems to forget he had his men lined up to kill her right outside his room. She promises him that in front of people he has to listen to her, but when they're alone she'll listen to him. Han Shuo seems to be moved by that idea. He agrees to her terms. She's about to leave but he stops her to dress properly. He cares about her skin exposure. Unfortunately, his men are still outside waiting for the perfect moment to take her life. He flies out to save her by waving a blanket around to gather all the arrows aimed at her. He hides the arrows under the blanket but QQ still realizes her life is in danger next to his. She's reminded that his character (that she created) is a bloodthirsty killer for his motive to take over Hua Yuan City.
Qian Qian is trying to one up Han Shuo but fails. He becomes suspicious of her motives but with a few words from her (i.e. "I want to make you happy") Han Shuo is convinced she likes him. He's smitten with that idea. I think his happiness stems more from narcissism. Since setting Han Shuo up as a spy wasn't going to work, Qian Qian just has to go back to her original plan of being the cupid to Chu Chu and Han Shuo. She makes him sit in her table at school so he's closer to Chu Chu. However, he lifts CQQ up and carries her back to her original seat once he realizes the seat she's in now is too close to Pei Heng. He also conspicuously blocks her view of Pei Heng when she's admiring Pei Heng with starry eyes.
[Ep4] Lin Qi hosts a prostitute house, a man version of it. Su Mu is one of the "entertainers" but is bullied by Lin Qi. Qian Qian wants to help him. Learning this, Han Shuo realizes Qian Qian has more virtues than he had thought. He helps her save the entertainers by begging the Mom (City Lord) that his weak body simply cannot satisfy Qian Qian's daily needs, lol. He requests for more men to gratify her desires. Mom approves and brings all of Lin Qi's entertainers at Qian Qian disposal. Qian Qian is pleased Han Shuo went to such an extent to help her. However, he's doing it for himself. Su Mu is his informant. He was saving Su Mu. Qian Qian happily places Su Mu under Pei Heng's care. The rest of Han Shuo's spies go to Chen Chu Chu. How does Qian Qian, the scriptwriter not know of Su Mu's identity?
Chen Qian Qian's arm dislocates. Her sister Chen Yuan Yuan is about to pop her arm back in but Qian Qian is afraid of pain. However, her servant recalls how brave the original Qian Qian was. Pain like this is nothing to her. Han Shuo snickers when he sees fear of pain written all over her face. He sends everyone away and personally tends to her. He says the perfect sweet words that he fell in love with her the moment he saw her fight. It's a successful distraction. He pops her arm back in her shoulder like it was never dislocated in the first place.
From his informants, Han Shuo learns that only Chen Qian Qian is a possible heir to Chen Mom. Chen Yuan Yuan (older sister) is crippled and Chen Chu Chu is adopted. If he kills Chen Qian Qian, Mom will be forced to give up the Long Gu to save her only daughter. He's tormented that he has to kill his cute little orange. For whatever reason, CQQ is an orange. Whenever Qian Qian is referring to herself to the storytellers she uses an orange. Han Shuo also sees her as an orange. She grabs an orange and hits it but then calls it cute. Unable to make a decision on whether or not to kill her, that night he finds her but she's with Pei Heng and they have a conversation about Han Shuo. She mulls to herself that Han Shuo only has Long Gu in his heart. Nope. His heart now has Qian Qian. However, he now has to kill her. Saddened, he walks away.
Qian Qian is out shopping to buy a present for Han Shuo after her servant tells him he saw him leave upsettingly last night. The shops all close once she steps foot on the street. All merchants are afraid of her because she never pays. However, Qian Qian is a changed woman.
Qian Qian decides to buy him clothes but she needs his measurement. She wraps a string around his neck and he thinks she's claiming his life, lol. She wraps her arms around him here and there and he thinks she loves him deeply. His facial reaction, lol. Now he really doesn't want to kill her. At night he finds the present. It's his birthday present. Qian Qian organizes a hotpot party for him. Half of the pot is spicy and half normal. She tells him there's a way to know if your partner truly loves you: if they give you the food first once it boils because food is that important. To prove it, she gives him the food but it's spicy. Han Shuo can't eat spicy because he really does have a terminal heart disease that will claim his life at age twenty. It is because of that disease diagnosis his personality has changed. While everyone is enjoying their lives, he's living it like there's a timer. He's musing that wouldn't it be better for her if the entire pot was red (spicy). She disagrees because that way he wouldn't be able to eat anything. This "Yuan Yang" hotpot is supposed to have red and white and without one or the other, it cannot be the same. Her words touch his heart because to him he's the white and she's the red. This reminds me of the fight scene they had in the beginning which I really liked. Without her red, he won't be the same. He gives up poisoning her but that also means he's giving up the only way that can save him: Long Gu is the only medication that can save him.
[Ep5] Han Shuo learns Qian Qian had wanted to sabotage him. He's so overwhelmed by physical and emotional pain, he faints over. Qian Qian saves him by mouth-feeding him his medication. She wants him alive, at the very least to save herself. She steals Long Gu and boils it for him. Its stench is bewitchingly pungent. He had originally planned to poison her that night but regrets once he's validated she indeed stole Long Gu for him. After he returns to her, he finds her poisoned by his wine. He doesn't know she's faking it to win his pity. It's now his turn to mouth-feed her Long Gu, once again choosing her life over his. Qian Qian doesn't actually need it so when she miraculously wakes up, she feeds the rest to Han Shuo.
[Ep6] Mom sees through Han Shuo's ulterior motives (because her daughter is still a maiden which means he hasn't touched her at all). She's wrong. She chains him up and intends to dig out the Long Gu from his body. Qian Qian cries and begs mom to spare his life. Her true feelings touch his heart once more and Han Shuo's powers explode as he protects her. So she likes him? He forgot Mom is just after him and not her own daughter. Someone has to take the punishment for stealing Long Gu. Han Shuo takes a knife ready to sacrifice his life but Qian Qian stops him. She willingly drops her noble title and becomes a peasant to save him.
Her debtors barrage through her doors now that she’s no longer a Princess but no worries, Han Shuo will take care of her. Lin Qi is upset at all her protectors, and pushes her into a pot of water. QQ falls ill and rests on bed. I don't know why...is it from the impact? The cold water? Pei Heng plays her Qin (the present she gave him) to lift her mood and Han Shuo feeds her medication. She's a little out of it and complains about her real life problems to him e.g. actors complaining about her script (she's referring to Han Actor).
Second couple: Su Mo and Chen Yuan Yuan. He seems to be the caring soul she needs. I think Chen Yuan Yuan will be the future city lord.
[Ep4] Lin Qi hosts a prostitute house, a man version of it. Su Mu is one of the "entertainers" but is bullied by Lin Qi. Qian Qian wants to help him. Learning this, Han Shuo realizes Qian Qian has more virtues than he had thought. He helps her save the entertainers by begging the Mom (City Lord) that his weak body simply cannot satisfy Qian Qian's daily needs, lol. He requests for more men to gratify her desires. Mom approves and brings all of Lin Qi's entertainers at Qian Qian disposal. Qian Qian is pleased Han Shuo went to such an extent to help her. However, he's doing it for himself. Su Mu is his informant. He was saving Su Mu. Qian Qian happily places Su Mu under Pei Heng's care. The rest of Han Shuo's spies go to Chen Chu Chu. How does Qian Qian, the scriptwriter not know of Su Mu's identity?
Chen Qian Qian's arm dislocates. Her sister Chen Yuan Yuan is about to pop her arm back in but Qian Qian is afraid of pain. However, her servant recalls how brave the original Qian Qian was. Pain like this is nothing to her. Han Shuo snickers when he sees fear of pain written all over her face. He sends everyone away and personally tends to her. He says the perfect sweet words that he fell in love with her the moment he saw her fight. It's a successful distraction. He pops her arm back in her shoulder like it was never dislocated in the first place.
From his informants, Han Shuo learns that only Chen Qian Qian is a possible heir to Chen Mom. Chen Yuan Yuan (older sister) is crippled and Chen Chu Chu is adopted. If he kills Chen Qian Qian, Mom will be forced to give up the Long Gu to save her only daughter. He's tormented that he has to kill his cute little orange. For whatever reason, CQQ is an orange. Whenever Qian Qian is referring to herself to the storytellers she uses an orange. Han Shuo also sees her as an orange. She grabs an orange and hits it but then calls it cute. Unable to make a decision on whether or not to kill her, that night he finds her but she's with Pei Heng and they have a conversation about Han Shuo. She mulls to herself that Han Shuo only has Long Gu in his heart. Nope. His heart now has Qian Qian. However, he now has to kill her. Saddened, he walks away.
Qian Qian is out shopping to buy a present for Han Shuo after her servant tells him he saw him leave upsettingly last night. The shops all close once she steps foot on the street. All merchants are afraid of her because she never pays. However, Qian Qian is a changed woman.
Qian Qian decides to buy him clothes but she needs his measurement. She wraps a string around his neck and he thinks she's claiming his life, lol. She wraps her arms around him here and there and he thinks she loves him deeply. His facial reaction, lol. Now he really doesn't want to kill her. At night he finds the present. It's his birthday present. Qian Qian organizes a hotpot party for him. Half of the pot is spicy and half normal. She tells him there's a way to know if your partner truly loves you: if they give you the food first once it boils because food is that important. To prove it, she gives him the food but it's spicy. Han Shuo can't eat spicy because he really does have a terminal heart disease that will claim his life at age twenty. It is because of that disease diagnosis his personality has changed. While everyone is enjoying their lives, he's living it like there's a timer. He's musing that wouldn't it be better for her if the entire pot was red (spicy). She disagrees because that way he wouldn't be able to eat anything. This "Yuan Yang" hotpot is supposed to have red and white and without one or the other, it cannot be the same. Her words touch his heart because to him he's the white and she's the red. This reminds me of the fight scene they had in the beginning which I really liked. Without her red, he won't be the same. He gives up poisoning her but that also means he's giving up the only way that can save him: Long Gu is the only medication that can save him.
[Ep6] Mom sees through Han Shuo's ulterior motives (because her daughter is still a maiden which means he hasn't touched her at all). She's wrong. She chains him up and intends to dig out the Long Gu from his body. Qian Qian cries and begs mom to spare his life. Her true feelings touch his heart once more and Han Shuo's powers explode as he protects her. So she likes him? He forgot Mom is just after him and not her own daughter. Someone has to take the punishment for stealing Long Gu. Han Shuo takes a knife ready to sacrifice his life but Qian Qian stops him. She willingly drops her noble title and becomes a peasant to save him.
Her debtors barrage through her doors now that she’s no longer a Princess but no worries, Han Shuo will take care of her. Lin Qi is upset at all her protectors, and pushes her into a pot of water. QQ falls ill and rests on bed. I don't know why...is it from the impact? The cold water? Pei Heng plays her Qin (the present she gave him) to lift her mood and Han Shuo feeds her medication. She's a little out of it and complains about her real life problems to him e.g. actors complaining about her script (she's referring to Han Actor).
Second couple: Su Mo and Chen Yuan Yuan. He seems to be the caring soul she needs. I think Chen Yuan Yuan will be the future city lord.
[Ep7] CQQ had to resort to scorning herself (for using Long Gu) to be able to return to her own home. Han Shuo is right at the door to pull her in and covers her ears to block out the people cursing at her. He pulls her in for a hug to comfort her.
When Chen Qian Qian needs help to save her citizens (i.e. men), she immediately thinks of Chen Chu Chu because she would definitely save her citizens. She doesn't. Chen Chu Chu values mom's love more because mom never gave her any. She then requests help from Pei Heng. However, he's against the idea. The only person she doesn't ask is the person who's been hovering around her dying for her to ask him. It's Han Shuo. He'd drop hints and follow her but she just won't think of him. She has a deep stereotype against him. To her Han Shuo would never save her citizens but things have changed, he loves her and is willing to do anything for her. Together, they save her citizens. Hua Yuan citizens are hailing for her bravery. Her reputation has changed overnight and Han Shuo seems to love her more.
[Ep8] Han Shuo feeds Chen Qian Qian mooncake because her hands are all bandaged up from the bomb last episode. She just wants him to put it on her cast so she can feed herself. She bites into it deliciously making Han Shuo wants one too, the one she bit into. Chen Qian Qian teasingly feeds him but eats it herself, which is perfect for him. He gets to take the cake directly from her mouth. It's a mooncake kiss.
Pei Heng and Han Shuo force Chen Qian Qian to study for the test to become Huan Yuan City's heiress (i.e. Crown Prince-ss). For practice, Han Shuo engages her in a debate. If she loses, she'll have to kiss him. If he loses, he'll have to kiss her. She takes the challenge... It's a debate about the relationship between mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws. She took the side of being considerate to the mother-in-law and he's smitten with her. He tells her he wouldn't make her be in that difficult situation anyways because if he likes her, his mom will like her too. Is this foreshadowing?
She wins the debate (it wasn't much of one to begin with) and since he lost he goes in for the kiss. It's not accepted.
Chen Qian Qian has zero intention on being the heiress (she just wants to get out of the story). She rambles on how she's lost all her fighting capabilities anyways. She's useless now and doesn't deserve to be the heiress. Chen Yuan Yuan hears all this and each word pierces her heart. She's the one who's crippled and truly useless. Feeling guilty, Chen Qian Qian pours her all into the martial arts test to prove to her sister that with effort one can overcome anything.
Han Shuo trains Chen Qi Qi in martial arts. This allows Han Shuo to have various skinship moments without her pushing him away.
[Ep9] Chen Qian Qian is worried about the competition the next day (for the heiress position). He flies her to the moon – as close to the moon as possible – so that her wish can reach the moon the quickest. As she's wishing upon the moon for some luck, clouds cast over. Han Shuo tells her to wish to him instead. He'll make her wish come true. She asks him if he'll watch her at the competition because he gives her courage. Of course he will.
Chen Qian Qian's competitor is Lin Qi. CQQ is no match for her but Han Shuo had advised her to wear out Lin Qi for a tie. A tie will still allow CQQ to win because she had won all the previous matches (with Han Shuo's guidance). However, it's more difficult than she had anticipated. Pei Heng cannot witness anymore of her sufferings and stops the match. He has no rights though because he's not her anyone. If Han Shuo, her husband, doesn't not stop the match, no one can. The fight continues. CQQ is knocked to the ground again, blood is seeping through her clothes. This is when Chen Yuan Yuan finally joins the audience. With her sister's motivation, CQQ grabs Lin Qi to fall off the stage together. It's a tie.
Han Shuo had watched silently but gritted his teeth as he counted each whip Lin Qi had sliced her body with. He vows to kill her with exactly 27 knife wounds to avenge for Chen Qian Qian (CQQ doesn't let that happen though and finds revenge her own way).
Previously to save Hua Yuan citizens, both Chen Qian Qian's hands were bandaged. Now to save her sister from her depression, her entire body is in a cast. She also wins over both men's (Han Shuo and Pei Heng) hearts. What else can she win?
[Ep10] Chen Qian Qian wins the heiress title. Everyone is happy for her, especially Han Shuo, except Chen Qian Qian herself. Han Shuo wants her to take power for his personal agenda. Chen Qian Qian still thinks she needs Chen Chu Chu to be the heiress thus finds herself in a dilemma. Her and Han Shuo argue over this in the public. He accidentally steps onto her dress seams and unravels her dress which publicly embarrasses her. To apologize, he wears a dress so she can unravel his. She squeals in joy as she runs around holding his seam and his legs start showing. I feel embarrassed for him too.
When her two pursuers engage in a battle of words of who suits Chen Qian Qian more, the girl finds herself enamored with another man, Su Zi Ying. She remembers him as the cupid between Han Shuo and Chen Chu Chu thus her interest in him sky rockets. Now Han Shuo has another target of jealously.
[Ep11] Su Zi Ying is a snake. He looks innocent but he's deceitful and underhanded. He always has an advantage over Han Shuo, it's funny. Su Zi Ying and Chen Qian Qian work together but their first plan fails when Han Shuo misunderstands a love letter for a battle invitation against Chen Chu Chu. Su Zi Ying has another plan and it works better. CCC and HS spend a night together but they just talk about Chen Qian Qian. He even starves himself to save CQQ's favourite fruit for her.
Mountain bandits raid their cabin. Chen Qian Qian was almost killed (especially when Su Zi Ying kept revealing her hiding spots every time, lol). Luckily, Han Shuo saves her.
[Ep12] Han Shuo was originally touched when CQQ wanted to block an attack for him but when he learns that she had tried to set him up with CCC he gives her the cold shoulder. We finally see an ounce of jealousy in Chen Qian Qian.
Unexpectedly, Chen Qian Qian becomes sworn brothers with a barbarian. She also becomes the leader of the barbarian's men. She's winning hearts in the most unexpected places. Fearing for Chen Qian Qian's safety, Han Shuo shows up ready to fight for her but she's safe and sound, and drunk. He tells everyone to turn around so that he can cutely tug her sleeve to beg her to come back home with him. She whines to him that he looks like someone who purposely left her behind to die. She wails at the size of the knives the barbarians are holding. She's too cute for Han Shuo to leave behind so he snatches her up and takes her back.
As expected, Su Zi Ying is suspicious. Han Shuo was investigating the reason why Pei Heng would plant him near Chen Qian Qian. However, Su Zi Ying's loyalty is not with Pei Heng, but Chen Chu Chu. She doesn't recognize him though. Still, he will do whatever it takes to make all of her wishes come true. If she wants to be the new heir to Hua Yuan, he'll make that happen. If she wants Han Shuo, he'll make that happen too. Unfortunately, the plan to make Han Shuo hers goes awry and it's Chen Qian Qian who ends up locked in a room with a sexually aroused Han Shuo.
[Ep13] Han Shuo is doing everything he can to withhold his sexual instincts. He even promises he'll never betray her. He just took a simulator but it sounds like they're in a life and death situation right now. She did say if he constrained himself too much, he'd die. That can be true, I guess. Seeing how much he cares about her, she lifts her head to kiss him. Her rare romantic initiation is interrupted with a cold splash of water from their servants to wake up Han Shuo. The water also woke up her feelings though. She's interested in the character she created. No matter how much she denies it, she can't stop herself from looking at his beautiful face. However, her mouth just keeps running itself refusing to admit her feelings for him. But the body cannot lie. The thumping in her heart is so loud, it's audible to his ears. He leans in to the source of the sound but she plugs his ear with her finger, lol. He confesses to her that if they were at Xuan Hu city, he would have made a grand proposal for her because that's what men do for the women they love. However, when CQQ confesses to Chen Qian Qian that she likes Han Shuo, CQQ ignores her own feelings and does all she can to stop Han Shuo from loving herself.
[Ep14] In the previous episode, CQQ and HS were individually discussing their needs for
Su Zi Ying and his underhanded ways. I liked that scene. CQQ wants him to to help CCC take the heir title. Han Shuo wants to weave a grander web to catch him in the act. This episode Han Shuo is successful. Su Zi Ying is locked up. Chen Chu Chu is still not the heir. Now Chen Qian Qian finds herself another problem. Pei Heng professes his love and requests her to divorce Han Shuo. That's not the only confession this episode, CCC confesses to Han Shuo. Neither Chen Qian Qian nor Han Shuo accept their respective confession. However, the biggest obstacle is that Mom demands the two to divorce.
[Ep15] Chen Qian Qian ignores mom's request for a divorce with Han Shuo. She's busy trying to be Chen Yuan Yuan's cupid with Su Mo. Chen Chu Chu is busy too. She has an intent to kill Chen Qian Qian. She shot an arrow at CQQ but luckily Han Shuo intercepted with his arrow.The sisters aren't the only ones busy this episode. Actually, everyone is. Han Shuo is planning to take down the entire Hua Yuan City because his ministers are urging him to. Chen Chu Chu receives tips on this and has a backup plan for this. She pulls Pei Heng into this by tempting him that once Han Shuo is down, Chen Qian Qian is all his. When Chen Qian Qian learns of everyone's motives, she runs to Han Shuo to stop him. She ends up confessing her love to him and promising she'll stay in this world for him. Han Shuo hugs her but he still lights up the match. All his men do the same too.
[Ep17] Mom fell into a coma after an argument with Chen Chu Chu. CCC is too blinded by hate and grudge to care about mom. She's your typical dark and evil character now. We also get a glimpse of what the ending was supposed to be in Chen Xiao Qian's original script: Han Shuo is supposed to die. Chen Xiao Qian tries to change his fate by first preventing Lin Qi's death. Her logic is as follows: if she can change Ling Qi's destiny, then she can change Han Shuo's. However, Chen Chu Chu kills Lin Qi's because she's a threat to her throne.
Every time Han Shuo and Chen Xiao Qian kiss their servants interrupt. It's funny to me because they do manage to kiss each time (unlike other dramas) but just never to their hearts content except the last time. The sweetness is on pause when Chen Xiao Qian learns of Lin Qi's death because that means Han Shuo's is imminent. Her solution is to send Han Shuo away from the setting of the story that way she can keep his life safe. The first step to her plan is to retrieve an item that is easily identifiable as his. Han Shuo easily gives her his medallion that can control his army. He practically gave her his everything.
[Ep18] Su Mo is "murdered" and the blame is on Han Shuo. There's his footprint mark, medallion and witnesses as proof. Han Shuo feels betrayed knowing it was Chen Qian Qian who framed him. Chen Qian Qian gives him the last blow by telling him her love was all a lie; she only wanted him for his title as Xuan Hu Lord. She vows to lock him out of the city and have guards monitoring his every single move. Han Shuo's expression stiffens. He takes off the gold band that was scorched onto his wrist. There's zero emotion on his face as he tears his skin to take off the bloodied gold band. Ding Yu Xi, you're good. Chen Qian Qian can't bear to look. After he leaves, she drowns herself with alcohol and men but this girl is Chen Xiao Qian. Men and alcohol doesn't fill her void of Han Shuo.
Han Shuo is banished from Hua Yuan City for the murder of Su Mo but Su Mo is alive. Su Mo bids his farewell to Chen Yuan Yuan telling her he never loved her. He's leaving her because he doesn't think he is worthy of her. The heartbreak makes her stand. Chen Yuan Yuan is no longer crippled but she doesn't care about that. She only cares about him.
Another person who's alive who was presumed to be dead is Lin Qi. She realizes who's after her. It's Chen Chu Chu. Chen Qian Qian also has suspicions of her sister for not only Lin Qi's presumed death as well as Lu Peng who overheard the argument between CCC and Mom. Chen Qian Qian visits CCC at night to confront her. CCC doesn't admit it but it's obvious it's her behind both murders. Chen Chu Chu also teams up with Han Shuo to take back control of Hua Yuan City. Han Shuo has other plans though. After being betrayed by Chen Qian Qian, Han Shuo isn't satisfied with just taking down Chen Qian Qian, he wants the entire Hua Yuan City. I like dark Han Shuo.
[Ep19] Han Shuo has surrounded Hua Yuan City with his men and Chen Chu Chu is guarding her city like the saviour as she had planned. Oblivious to Chen Qian Qian, she's still in her room reading a letter that Han Shuo had disappeared under her guards. She turns around and finds him right behind her. She blinks in disbelief and asks him to hold onto her so that she can balance herself. She then pretends to sleep. Calmly, Han Shuo tells her she can sleep all she wants, he'll just patiently wait for her. That's when she learns he's taken over the city.
Han Shuo is out for revenge. He makes her take "honey" each day but one of those bottles of honey is poison or so he tells her. He also almost forces himself on her because he was jealous of Pei Heng. Despite being determined to take her, he stops himself when she cries.
Chen Qian Qian is fed up and decides to take action. She drinks all the "honey" and cries wolf (i.e. cries that she's about to be poisoned to death). Han Shuo enters her room and takes the exact same potions as her without muttering a word. With that, CQQ realizes she didn't take any poison. Her cry for wolf is exposed. She then decides to tell him the truth that she missed him each and every single day he was away. Then comes in CQQ's servant who conveniently reports to them that her male entertainers who had spent the past days with her are bored and are visiting her. Han Shuo, who had slightly wavered, turns cold again. Within these male entertainers, Pei Heng camouflages among them to take Qian Qian out of Han Shuo's "tight" surveillance. (It's not tight at all with that nearsighted servant of Han Shuo's as guard).
[Ep20] When Qian Qian learns that she can change her script (because Lin Qi didn't die) she realizes how useless her previous actions were of sending Han Shuo away. She decides to return to Han Shuo and hide the fact that she ever escaped. Too late. Han Shuo knows. Qian Qian's attitude towards him takes a 180 degree turn as she tries to win him back. She rips the divorce letter and sprinkles herself in it's shred. She seductively lies down on the bed waiting for him to join her. Han Shuo thinks she's doing this for Pei Heng. Qian Qian is so confused why Pei Heng is included. Han Shuo then think she's doing this to save her mother. Qian Qian is still so confused. Han Shuo rejects her advances. He does take her as his maid though. When he's alone he sighs and applauds himself for managing to get out. His servant is like, omg, you're out so soon again! Pft.
Han Shuo makes Qian Qian jealous by using Chen Chu Chu. It works. He also takes advantage of his master role by demanding her do maid stuff for him like dress him. She dresses him alright, but also suffocates his organs by tightening the waistband too much. Despite appearing mean, he loves every moment with her. He just doesn't show it to her.
When Han Shuo learns Qian Qian burned her hand while ironing his shirt, his heart is in pain. He rushes over to her at night and removes her blanket to see her wrapped hand. He asks her if it hurts and she whimpers that it does. Feeling his heart will waver, he leaves but Qian Qian begs him to stay the night. He stays but he takes the bed and she the floor. The next morning when he wakes up, he finds her on the bed with him using his chest as her pillow. He tries to leave quietly without waking her up but he ends up in her sleepy embrace.
Pei Heng is devastated that he cannot protect Qian Qian from Han Shuo. Therefore he steals the army medallion from Chu Chu to take control and save Qian Qian from Han Shuo's watch.
[Ep21] Chen Chu Chu realizes Han Shuo has betrayed her as his army surrounds her. Pei Heng and Qian Qian arrives with their army. Everyone is at a standstill until Chen Chu Chu aims her sword at Chen Qian Qian. Han Shuo saves Qian Qian and tries to leave with her but Mom stops everyone and arrests him as well as Chen Chu Chu.
Pei Heng convinces Mom to spare Chen Chu Chu. It turns out they're siblings. Mom had adopted Chen Chu Chu because her birth mother is a heroic warrior of Hua Yuan City. Pei Heng knows she's unwilling to punish Chen Chu Chu so he convinces Mom to put all the blame on Han Shuo.
Chen Qian Qian visits Han Shuo in his jail cell. She wants to save him but Han Shuo doesn't believe her anymore. She admits to him that she thinks she's really smart (um) but she always falls to his plans. He doesn't know what she means. She replies with "Cooking Rice." Qian Qian has been saying this Chinese idiom a lot and it translates roughly to "The raw rice is now cooked". The meaning of it is that you cannot undo cooked rice back to raw rice. What's done is done and cannot be changed. She uses it whenever she thinks they're about to have sex because once you do it you can't undo it. Therefore her "cooking rice" statement here basically means that. She unties his robe and moves in to kiss him. The rice is now cooked.
At the day of Han Shuo's death punishment, Chen Qian Qian tells her Mom she is Han Shuo's woman now. She plunges a sword to her chest and dies to save Han Shuo. Qian Qian is put to her coffin. Han Shuo and Pei Heng have this emotional conversation that left me wondering why it needed to be that long. Turns out Qian Qian didn't die and Han Shuo knew all along. She had used a prop knife that retracts before it can pierce. Show, I'll give it to you for this one. This explains why Han Shuo is no where near as sad as Pei Heng. Pei Heng is also the only one was scammed by this trick. Chu Chu and Mom knows Qian Qian is alive. Mom lets Qian Qian "die" in peace (before almost suffocating her to death in the coffin) as her way of approving Han Shuo and her daughter. Chu Chu, though, has no plans of letting Qian Qian live. It's Lin Qi who saves her. The unexpected friendship is cute.
Han Shuo takes her home to Xuan Hu City. The women there love him, lol. It's funny how Qian Qian now gets the same lowly treatment Han Shuo did in her city. Qian Qian motivates herself that she can handle the new rules but at night she packs her bag ready to leave. Han Shuo shows up in time to make her heart melt. He writes her punishment for her and washes her feet when she was supposed to wash his. The whole day he was lectured by his father for giving in to a woman but Han Shuo doesn't show an ounce of unhappiness to her.
Dad hears of his son washing Qian Qian's feet and stomps on his basin of water which splashes on Han Shuo's mom's face. Mom ain't having it so she slaps her towel to the basin. Dad cowers in fear. Hahahaha. Like father like son. Although this is a patriarchal society, within closed doors, it's actually Mom in charge.
Overnight Qian Qian's popularity sky rockets. News of Han Shuo washing her feet spread across the city and all the women idolize her. She's now a coach on how to control men. She's sending a tumultuous wave across Xuan Hu city and ruining it's balance. She even lectures the men on their problems and solves the city's low marriage rate problem. She brings in her Hua Yuan men to demonstrate how much more popular her men are compared to Xuan Hu's men (with the exception of our cute Han Shuo). Seems like Han Shuo's mom is quite pleased with this daughter-in-law.
[Ep23] Chen Xiao Qian realizes her script has a problem. She started off the script to right the inequality between men and women but now realizes the unfairness she subject her male characters to. I wasn't expecting the show to bring this up but it merely just brings it up. It's still a problem in the actual script.
Chen Chu Chu drowns herself in evilness. Even though she learned of her birth origins and that Qian Qian had practically given her the throne to Hua Yuan City, she doesn't want to take anyone's pity especially Qian Qian's. Chu Chu takes back control and demands Xuan Hu City to return their Hua Yuan City's criminal: Chen Qian Qian. Han Shuo's Dad is willing to give up his daughter-in-law but Mom opposes. She protects CQQ and hands her husband a divorce letter. In mere days Chen Qian Qian has forced Han Shuo's parents to the brink of divorce.
After Chen Chu Chu creates chaos in Hua Yuan city, Chen Qian Qian can't just sit and watch. Her people (Han Shuo and his mom plus Su Zhi Ying) return to Hua Yuan City to bring back peace. While the sisters have knives at each other's throats, the parent-in-laws are having a civil chat in a different room. They discuss various topics that includes where they're children (Han Shuo and Chen Qian Qian) should live and whose surname their grandchildren should take after. They settle on having their grandsons being "Han" and granddaughters being "Chen". However, they can't decide on where they should live.
[Ep24] Everyone betrays Chen Chu Chu as they swear loyalty to Chen Qian Qian. Unfortunately, Su Zhi Ying's momentary lapse of weakness for Chen Chu Chu gives her a chance to kill Chen Qian Qian but Han Shuo takes the sword for her. What is the point of his armour again? Chen Yuan Yuan examines Han Shuo and tells everyone he only has a few days left because of lung damage. Someone tell me why Chen Yuan Yuan is still in a wheelchair when she's obviously walking around. Chen Qian Qian cries and Han Shuo comforts her that once she wakes from her dream and reads through her script, she'll realize that he'll always be with her.
Mom organizes an event to determine the new lord of Hua Yuan. It's the flower path. Those who walk on the red carpet (flower path??) will have a chance to succeed the throne. Chen Yuan Yuan and Chen Chu Chu both have walked on it. It's Chen Qian Qian's turn but she refuses to. This is also the path that Chen Xiao Qian had told Han Shuo is her path to return home. Chen Qian Qian doesn't want to leave Han Shuo nor be the queen of Hua Yuan City. However, Han Shuo is standing at the end of the path, beckoning her to come to him. His body is weak and it's not long until he's spitting out blood. Chen Qian Qian runs on the path to meet him. The sky suddenly turns pink and a light bursts through. Han Shuo is purposely sending her home before he dies. Moments later, her vision blurs and Han Shuo is disappearing. When she wakes up she finds herself back in her room with her finished script of the scene she just went through. Everything in the real world is telling her that everything was a dream but when she sees the actor who looks exactly like her Han Shuo she cries. She calls her boss and informs him she'll have to delay the script because she's too heartbroken to finish it. She mulls that the actor for Han Shuo was right, she had never fallen in love which is why she could have written such a terrible script. The boss assures her that she's got an extra three months to write the script because the male actor was in a car accident resulting in lung damage. Worried for him, Chen Xiao Qian runs to him to see if he's okay.
Han Actor is hospitalized. He's staring at his left wrist (the wrist that Han Shuo had burned the gold band on). When he sees Chen Xiao Qian, he jumps in his bed. He recalls in the accident there was a bright light that consumed his vision. He also mutters stuff like Chen Qian Qian and calls her an orange before he tells her to leave. Chen Xiao Qian walks away disappointingly but it suddenly dons on her she never wrote "orange"in her script. She quickly runs back into his room which surprises him once again. He uses his peeled banana to shoot at her. He literally shoots her. Reminder: he's the banana and she's the orange. He admits that he's findings all these fruits very confusing because he had a very odd dream. He can barely discern his dream from reality. Ah so they had the dream together. But why was she conscious of her real self the entire time while Han Shuo wasn't? Alright, let's not think too deep about this.
He's blabbing nonstop and it only confirms her suspicions that he is Han Shuo. She sniffles, shakes her head and tells him, "Too 'tiger'." In a previous episode she mentioned how "Tigers" are looked down upon in Hua Yuan City to be weak and silly. When Han Shuo took offence to that comment, she quickly added that she now thinks they're cute. Han Shuo smiled brightly at that. Hence her current comment saying he's "too tiger" could mean that he's cute. Immediately hearing the compliment she gave, he smiles the cute smile again and asks her back "Is it really 'tiger'?" She smiles and nods. With that he finally realizes this is reality and she is his orange. Too happy, she throws herself at him and these two enjoy a sweet embrace. They're caught by reporters. Han Shuo quickly takes the blanket and covers themselves. They're still glued to each other.
The last scene is Chen Xiao Qian typing away at her new script. She just completed it giving Han Shuo and Chen Qian Qian a happy ending. It's safe to say Chen Xiao Qian also has her happy ending in real life.
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] Chen Qian Qian was such an interesting character but then they swapped her out with Chen Xiao Qian, a conventional girl who couldn’t be more ordinary. CXQ is just living under the shadows of CQQ and fixing her unruly reputation, changing an extraordinary character in your standard female lead, brainless. Can’t we have gone with the original story before the scriptwriter got herself involved? Anyways, the story itself is still creative as is but I’m not a fan of the way it’s told. It values humour over content and that’s okay sometimes but the amount of silliness here is too much and all over the place. I can't handle the scenes where she talks to three old men about how to solve her writer problem. It makes our heroine look even dumber. She wrote the story, it doesn't make sense how she wouldn't know how to solve everything. I had high hopes for this drama maybe that's why I'm disappointed. I wasn't expecting an outright comedy drama. I did start enjoying this drama a bit more when Han Shuo started showing interest in her and those are the only scenes I truly revel in.
By Episode 6 I'm honestly a little confused why and how she likes him or at least why she would care that much about him to cry like that. He’s already gotten his Long Gu and that’s half his life’s mission completed. There’s 18 episodes left and I honestly can’t predict what’s going to happen next. I wonder how the drama will end. Will it all be a dream? Will she end up with Han Shuo or Han Actor? Is Han Actor going to be a reincarnation of Han Shuo? Is that why in the beginning he’s complaining about his character liking Chen Chu Chu instead of Chen Qian Qian? Hm. That might be an interesting ending.
By Episode 6 I'm honestly a little confused why and how she likes him or at least why she would care that much about him to cry like that. He’s already gotten his Long Gu and that’s half his life’s mission completed. There’s 18 episodes left and I honestly can’t predict what’s going to happen next. I wonder how the drama will end. Will it all be a dream? Will she end up with Han Shuo or Han Actor? Is Han Actor going to be a reincarnation of Han Shuo? Is that why in the beginning he’s complaining about his character liking Chen Chu Chu instead of Chen Qian Qian? Hm. That might be an interesting ending.
[Actors/Actresses] Ding Yu Xi, Ding Yu Xi, Ding Yu Xi. I like him, what can I say. He won me over with one role and I'm watching everything else he's in. I can't say I'm impressed with his two new roles so far but I still like him. Zhao Lu Si is still the same.
[Title] If y'all are wondering where "Tiger" and "Rose" came from in the English title, it's to do with the city names. Han Shuo is from the city of Xuan "Hu" (Tiger); Qian Qian is from "Hua" Yuan (Flower -> Rose). Therefore, this drama is the romance between the man of the Tiger city and the woman of the Rose garden.
[Gossip/News] Ding Yu Xi got hate from his "The Romance of Tiger and Rose" fans for promoting his MV for Intense Love while TRoTT was airing. As a Ding Yu Xi fan, this is so hard to grapple. The boy almost cried on a live video from the hate comments. How do people love him as Han Shuo and hate him as Zhou Shi Yun? Are these Zhao Lu Si fans that hate him? I honestly don't know and don't care. Just don't make the boy cry. The video of him trying to smile with teary eyes breaks my heart.
Ding Yu Xi also clarifies this (non)issue on Happy Camp
[Ending] If anything, the ending made me like the drama more. It was cute, especially how "orange" and "tiger" were used. I can't say that I loved it because the whole drama ended up being a dream that they both shared.
[Review] I wanted to like this drama more than I actually liked the drama. Given my track record, this should perfectly suit my palette. But it doesn't. First and foremost this is a comedy before it is a romance. I don't think I would have had a problem rating his high if I had actually laughed out loud most of the time. That's not to say I never laughed it was more like a snicker here and there.
Final Review
[Review] I wanted to like this drama more than I actually liked the drama. Given my track record, this should perfectly suit my palette. But it doesn't. First and foremost this is a comedy before it is a romance. I don't think I would have had a problem rating his high if I had actually laughed out loud most of the time. That's not to say I never laughed it was more like a snicker here and there.
I learned it the hard way that this drama will not be serious. Whenever I'm expecting a sincere scene, it immediately turns to comedy. For example in Episode 19 when Han Shuo (Ding Yu Xi) returns to Chen Qian Qian after being banished by her I was expecting a heartfelt moment but then Chen Qian Qian (Zhao Lu Si) immediately turns it to a lighthearted scene. Here I am admiring Ding Yu Xi for his sincerity, anticipating the reunion after that heartbreaking scene where he removed the gold band but then Zhao Lu Si slaps it away without an ounce of heartfelt emotion. I was so disappointed. I don't know if my problem is with the script or with Zhao Lu Si. I like to think I don't hate her but I am getting very tired of seeing her in my dramas. Her acting never changes no matter what drama she's in. I get that she's following the script but I'm at my limits with her. I just don't think she pulled her weight in the drama or perhaps I just love Ding Yu Xi too much that I don’t see her as his equal.
What bugs me about this drama the most isn't actually the drama content but what I see in the comments that praise it for its feminism and gender equality. There is no equality in this drama. This is female superiority whether it's in Hua Yuan City or Xuan Hu City. Both cities strip men of their power and dignity. I am not criticizing the drama of this because it's supposed to be a comedy that exaggerates female domination. That's the funny part. I did appreciate the drama for giving Chen Qian Qian a line that acknowledges her poor script-writing for men in this drama. I'm grateful the drama revealed that it knew its identity.
The Romance of Tiger and Rose created an impermeable shield allowing itself to do whatever it wanted however it wanted. It talked about gender equality when it didn't show gender equality but because it's comedy, it's okay! It gave all its characters, except Chen Qian Qian, a one track mind but because these are 2D characters and it's just a script, it's okay! It talked about plot holes, inserted plot holes but because the scriptwriter (Chen Qian Qian) is supposed to be bad, it's okay! I think this drama deserves a praise just for that. I am not being sarcastic.
[Verdict] It is a comedy before it is a romance. Enjoy the plot holes that aren't plot holes. By the way, Ding Yu Xi is lovely and versatile.
[Verdict] It is a comedy before it is a romance. Enjoy the plot holes that aren't plot holes. By the way, Ding Yu Xi is lovely and versatile.
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