Notable Actors/Actresses
Janice Man (Wen Yong Shan): Li Ning Yu
Xu Lu: Gu Xiao Meng
Tony Yang: Wu Zhi Guo
Zhou Yi Wei: Long Chuan Fei Yuan
The Sound of Wind
Network: Tencent Video
First Impression: 3.7/5
Initial Remarks
[Midway Review (Ep1-23)] The one republican spy drama that I did not attempt to recap is the one I love the most in the year of 2020. Of course.
The majority of the drama feels like a murder mystery night. It’s a slow thrill; not one of those action ones. The main cast will sit around a table and talk and talk and talk trying to outsmart each other. Despite there being A LOT of talking, it’s quite intriguingly delivered. Everyone suspects everyone; one of them trying to fool all of them. There’s layers and layers to their words. There are deep analyses to tiny details. Everyone is trying to avoid being labelled as the Chinese Communist Party spy, codename “Lao Gui” (Old Ghost).
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| Long Chuan Fei Yuan |
Cinematography. The look of this drama is slick. The setting is gorgeously dark. The stills of this drama pretty much look like the drama. Each character’s posture and attitude elevates the enigmatic mood of this drama.
Characters. The girls are rather theatrical in contrasting ways. Gu Xiao Meng is a sly one (a rich one too) and you’ll see her in all sorts of posture, curving in to be in someone’s face, spinning around in a big dress etc.
To contrast Gu Xiao Meng’s extravagance is Li Ning Yu’s composure. Her posture is always perfectly upright, so perfect it’s unreal. The line of her body and styling of her clothes and hair enhance that dignified aura of hers. She’s my favourite character. She’s also Gu Xiao Meng’s favourite friend in the group. She’d kill to keep her safe.
Wu Zhi Guo is the rough guy. His hands are tainted with blood. He’ll slack around but he’s also the impeccable protector of Li Ning Yu. They’re three of the five military officials who are held captive in Long Chuan Fei Yuan's mansion to find the real Lao Gui.
Although Lao Gui is the primary focus of all the characters, it's much much more intriguing deciphering who is helping Lao Gui. There's another spy (or spies) in the lurks; one of them has the codename Lao Qiang (Old Gun). Where I’m at, I still don’t know who this is.
Although Lao Gui is the primary focus of all the characters, it's much much more intriguing deciphering who is helping Lao Gui. There's another spy (or spies) in the lurks; one of them has the codename Lao Qiang (Old Gun). Where I’m at, I still don’t know who this is.
Recaps
* I wasn’t planning to recap this series at all but it got really interesting in Ep23.
[Ep23] More than twenty episodes in and we're still in the thick of trying to figure out who "Lao Gui" is. Technically we know it's Li Ning Yu, but no one in the drama does, or at least it's not shown to us who knows. Li Ning Yu is trying very hard to get her decoded message out but she can't reveal herself or lead the Japanese to her comrade (Lao Qiang) who she technically doesn't know either.
Wu Zhi Guo becomes the primary suspect of being Lao Gui but Long Chuang Fei Yuan isn't sold on it. Thus, he lets the other four leave the mansion for a day, like a day trip, but only one person per day. It's all to continue spying on their actions and what they do once they get a day of freedom. Li Ning Yu is fully aware that she'll be spied on once she leaves so she chooses to stay.
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| Bai Xiao Nian |
Initially, Gu Xiao Meng wanted to leave but her father refuses to pick her up. Angered, she doesn't want to leave anymore and passes the chance to someone else. Bai Xiao Nian quickly nabs the chance. He's the first one to leave and immediately this guy causes a mess. He tries to kill this man, Teacher Song, and then this other man, Peng Han Qing, very openly on the street. While he runs away, Bai Xiao Nian is like spiderman and jumps on vertical walls but then once he gets too high, he faints and falls. Wha? He's captured by Long Chuan Fei Yuan again.
Gu Xiao Meng's father saves Peng Han Qing and gets his secretary to tend to his wounds. Peng Han Qing is Li Ning Yu's husband. In previous episodes it was revealed he is actually her biological brother and they're married to keep his identity a secret. He used to be a Chinese spy but because of an incident he had to disappear – vanish into thin air – hence he became her sister's husband. Complicated, I know. Gu Xiao Meng's father (Gu Min Zhang) figures out his identity. Peng Han Qing's real name is Li Ning Cheng. Li Ning Cheng also knows this Gu Min Zhang isn't just a wealthy dude. I'm assuming they're both part of the Communist Party. Gu Min Zhang respectfully tells him to step out. His daughter is kept hostage too, he will make sure everyone gets out safe including Li Ning Yu. Li Ning Cheng wants to know about Long Chuan Fei Yuan because he can't dig up his past at all. Interesting. Gu Min Zhang knows but he won't reveal what he knows. Could Long Chuan Fei Yuan actually work for the Chinese??
So what is up with Bai Xiao Nian? He's not who he is. At this point, no one is. His real identity is the young master of Qiu Family. He vows that he is not Lao Gui. He just wants to avenge his family who was killed by Peng Han Qing therefore his target was only Peng Han Qing. (The death of Qiu family is related to the incident that made "Li Ning Cheng" disappear from this world) For the past however many years, Bai Xiao Nian was looking for the killer of his family. He could only identify the killer from the top angle of his head because his father had hid him in the ceiling. After that incident, he developed a photographic memory. Long Chuan Fei Yuan asks him why he didn't consider killing Li Ning Yu, his only sister. Bai Xiao Nian isn't someone cowardly like that. He will kill only those who deserve to die.
Long Chuan Fei Yuan believes in Bai Xiao Nian and orders Wang Tian Xiang (his underling) to halt all investigations on him. His wife is Bai Xiao Nian's sister. Complicated? Yes I know! But no one knows that his wife is actually Chinese and is the eldest daughter of Qiu Family. He loves his wife but she died. Qiu Dad was always against their relationship and even tried to kill him. I believe the real killer of Qiu Parents is Long Chuan Fei Yuan from the way the flashbacks are. Does Bai Xiao Nian know this and is hiding that he knows this?
It's the second day and Jin Sheng Huo is the next to have the day trip. He meets up with his daughter at a dress boutique. However, Long Chuan Fei Yuan receives a note from a Chinese double agent (Teacher Song!) that Lao Gui is Jin Sheng Huo. Immediately, Jin Sheng Huo is detained. Before that, he “inconspicuously" hands something to his daughter.
There's so many things that are suspicious in Bai Xiao Nian's testimony. Ultimately, I think he's a good guy trying to help. I swear he was aiming the gun at Teacher Song and not Peng Han Qing. If he truly wanted to avenge his father, he probably should have attacked Li Ning Yu as well but there's no hostility against her. What I also find really weird is that he took the initiative to leave when Gu Xiao Meng received a message that her father won't pick her up. It's as if it's Gu Min Zhang's message to Bai Xiao Nian to leave and take on the mission to kill Teacher Song or to warn Pan Han Qing who was about to expose himself to the double agent. The most telling hint that Bai Xiao Nian is a good guy is that we're told he’s supposed to be a sharp shooter. There's no way he would have missed Peng Han Qing if he really wanted to kill him.
My predictions on who's good and who's bad:
- Definitely Good: Li Ning Yu, Bai Xiao Nian and Wang Tian Xiang. Wang Tian Xian looks dumb but he's pretty smart trying to look dumb under the clever Long Chuan Fei Yuan. It’s my gut feeling that Wang Tian Xian is good.
- Probably Good: Gu Xiao Meng and Wu Zhi Guo (they "look" like they're good but I need something concrete)
- Bad: Long Chuan Fei Yuan (???) and Jin Sheng Huo
Or what if everyone's good??
[Ep24] Jin Sheng Huo is the first to die. He takes on Lao Guo’s identity to die with him. He know it’s Li Ning Yu. Before his death, he meets up with her. She promises to protect his daughter and to avenge for him (kill Long Chuan Fei Yuan). Jin Sheng Huo leaves a hint for her: the ghost is within Long Chuan Fei Yuan. Although Jin Sheng Huo isn't a CCP spy that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a good man. However, before Li Ning Yu can act on the promise, the daughter is killed in front of her eyes (the promise she made to Jin Sheng Huo had a premise: she needed to leave the mansion first). Long Chuan Fei Yuan realizes he caught the wrong Lao Gui and he doesn’t care anymore how many innocent lives he has to take just to find Lao Gui. He can even kill all of them now. Immediately after Jin Sheng Huo’s daughter is killed as a spectacle, Li Ning Yu admits she's Lao Gui. Everyone immediately follows and claim they’re Lao Gui too. Gu Xiao Man was first to follow. Overwhelmed, Long Chuan Fei Yuan shoots another woman. This time it’s He Jian Zhu (a CCP spy). Intense.
[Ep25] There’s so much love in Wu Zhi Guo's eyes as he stares at Li Ning Yu when she fed him. Wu Zhi Guo and Li Ning Yu hold hands to comfort each other after they learn from Wang Tian Xiang that they kept He Jian Zhu alive just to torture her more.
Wu Zhi Guo isn't a Chinese spy. He's just a man in love with Li Ning Yu and will do anything for her even if she's Lao Gui.
[Ep26] Bai Xiao Nian and He Jian Zhu were lovers that never got to be together and can never be together. They’re currently both imprisoned. Their cells are next to each other. I guess that’s the closest way they can ever be with each other. Sad, so sad.
This feels like the last episode. Everyone is dying. Gu Xiao Meng took poison. Wu Zhi Guo is singlehandedly fighting all the soldiers to escape the mansion. It’s a death trip... He Jian Zhu has died in the cell next to Bai Xiao Nian. He had dug a hole to see her but it’s her corpse he sees...
Wu Zhi Guo survives but his punishment is worse than death.
Bai Xiao Nian dies! In death he reunites with He Jian Zhu reunite. Wang Tian Xiang failed his assignment of keeping He Jian Zhu alive. Or did he? Her dying is better than living.
Wu Zhi Guo once again (almost) sacrifices his life for Li Ning Yu. There’s three of them left in the mansion: Wu Zhi Guo, Li Ning Yu and Gu Xiao Man. 2.5 lives because Wu Zhi Guo is pretty much half dead with all the injuries he sustained.
Wu Zhi Guo once again (almost) sacrifices his life for Li Ning Yu. There’s three of them left in the mansion: Wu Zhi Guo, Li Ning Yu and Gu Xiao Man. 2.5 lives because Wu Zhi Guo is pretty much half dead with all the injuries he sustained.
[Ep27]
[Ep28] The fireworks are signs from Gu Min Zhang to Li Ning Yu that he will use his lovely daughter to sacrifice for her as Lao Gui, for their country. Oh man. Sniffle.
[Ep29]
[Ep30]
[Ep31] Li Ning Yu dies! Gu Xiao Meng isn’t really an ally. She is a spy for another Chinese party (KMT). These parties are enemies.
Li Ning Yu only had one husband, a real husband. It was her second one. She also lost her child at the same time that’s why she’s particularly fond of Gu Xiao Meng. She makes her emotional. That means she was never emotional for Wu Zhi Guo. I thought she was moved by him. I swear she liked him at least just a bit.
[Ep32] Wu Zhi Guo dies too! Long Chuan Fei Yuan shoots him. He dies next to Li Ning Yu’s corpse. Omg. Where’s the undo button??? Only Gu Xiao Meng is alive. Long Chuan Fei Yuan suspects her now. Dude, Long Chuan Fei Yuan might as well just have killed all five of them from the start.
Wang Tian Xiang was true to his words. He kept Gu Xiao Meng alive. She is free to leave but her father is under suspicion. She leaves a suspicious hint for Wang Tian Xiang. She asks him how does he think Wu Zhi Guo broke free from his chains and almost killed him and Long Chuan Fei Yuan. Gu Xiao Meng wasn’t even supposed to know any of this so how did she know?
Li Ning Yu will live on in Gu Xiao Meng. As she leaves the wretched mansion, she remembers how Li Ning Yu had planned everything to let her leave this mansion alive. It’s not just Li Ning Yu who lives in her. It’s all four of them: Jin Sheng Huo, Bai Xiao Nian, Wu Zhi Guo and Li Ning Yu. Wang Tian Xiang sends her off.
Gu Xiao Meng turns around once more to see Long Chuan Fei Yuan. In his eyes though, he sees Li Ning Yu. Gu Xiao Meng gives him a small smile. This entire segment will probably be my favourite in the entire drama. Absolutely amazing. Plus the music.
Once home, Gu Xiao Meng finally breaks down. She weeps in her room unable to contain her cries.
Once home, Gu Xiao Meng finally breaks down. She weeps in her room unable to contain her cries.
[Ep33] Gu Xiao Meng was wearing Li Ning Yu’s outfit as she left the mansion. Ah, is that one of the reasons why Long Chuan Fei Yuan saw Li Ning Yu in Gu Xiao Meng? Inside her uniform, Li Ning Yu had sewn the secret to decoding the message. Gu Xiao Meng cries that she can never be Li Ning Yu; she’ll always be better than her. Her father disagrees. Gu Xiao Meng is different. She will put emotion before logic. Li Ning Yu would never.
Gu Xiao Meng collaborates with Li Ning Cheng right under the nose of Long Chuan Fei Yuan.
Li Ning Cheng was actually sifting through the ashes of Li Ning Yu. Eek. From the ashes, he knows it doesn’t belong to a woman. These are ashes of a man. How come this knowledge isn’t passed down to commoners? We spent years on technology and I still don't think we can decipher sex from ashes. Please enlighten me if I am wrong. He had a single hope that Li Ning Yu was still alive. She isn't.
Long Chuan Fei Yuan is leaving the mansion too. He asks Wang Tian Xiang who is Lao Gui. Isn’t he already dead? Long Chuan Fei Yuan doesn’t think so. Lao Gui is this entire place. The ghost still lives. Ah, love this nickname.
Gu Xiao Meng collaborates with Li Ning Cheng right under the nose of Long Chuan Fei Yuan.
Li Ning Cheng was actually sifting through the ashes of Li Ning Yu. Eek. From the ashes, he knows it doesn’t belong to a woman. These are ashes of a man. How come this knowledge isn’t passed down to commoners? We spent years on technology and I still don't think we can decipher sex from ashes. Please enlighten me if I am wrong. He had a single hope that Li Ning Yu was still alive. She isn't.
Long Chuan Fei Yuan is leaving the mansion too. He asks Wang Tian Xiang who is Lao Gui. Isn’t he already dead? Long Chuan Fei Yuan doesn’t think so. Lao Gui is this entire place. The ghost still lives. Ah, love this nickname.
[Ep34] Commander Zhang accuses Long Chuan Fei Yuan of killing all his department’s top agents. Finding Lao Gui was only a guise. Gu Xiao Meng sifts the true meaning of his words. He wants the hidden Qiu Family Treasure.
Gu Min Zhang got her daughter back but she feels farther than ever.
Gu Xiao Meng reveals to Wang Tian Xiang that she wants to find Lao Qiang to protect herself. Her reasoning to him is that Lao Qiang wouldn’t let her live in peace hence she has to find him before he finds her. Wang Tian Xiang looks startled.
[Ep35] Li Ning Cheng wants Gu Xiao Meng to escape from all the espionage. She’s the life her sister saved. Gu Xiao Meng reminds him it’s Li Ning Yu who saved her, not him. She will accomplish what Li Ning Yu wanted.
[Ep36] Long Chuan Fei Yuan wants to marry Gu Xiao Meng (obviously not for romantic reasons). Long Chuan Fei Yuan says he's not looking for Lao Gui but he definitely is.
[Ep37] Gu Zhang Mang, Gu Xiao Meng, Wang Tian Xiang team up to accuse Long Chuang Fei Yuan as a spy in front of the Japanese commanders. Li Ning Yu's will is the evidence. Gu Xian Meng and Li Ning Yu had planned this from the beginning of her (Li's) death. Li Ning Yu might be dead but her "Ghost" continues to kill him. What a cool way to use her codename. As the analysis continues, Long Chuan Fei Yuan is finally accused of being Lao Gui. Oh, is that why Jin Sheng Huo said the ghost lives in Long Chuan Fei Yuan.
Gu Xiao Meng thinks her father is Lao Qiang. She's right. It's been seventeen years since he was working for CCP. He's a double agent for the two Chinese parties but loyal to CCP. Gu Xiao Meng faces the dilemma of what her own identity is. She also learns her father had chose to save Li Ning Yu over her. It's just that Li Ning Yu had chose to save her.
[Ep38] Omg that Teacher Song (the CCP spy who betrayed) is actually Bai Xiao Nian’s brother!! That’s the only reason Teacher Song betrayed, so that Long Chuan Fei Yuan can find his brother for him. This also means Teacher Song is Long Chuan Fei Yuan's brother-in-law. Long Chuan Fei Yuan is also a son of a prostitute and killed his own mother. He then killed his wife. I thought he at least truly loved his wife. Killing his wife was for his son but also for himself. He and his wife stole her father’s treasure, the Qiu Family Treasure. If the Japanese military found out, he’d be dead and the only way to keep this a secret forever is to kill his wife. Everyone who died was related to Qiu Family Treasure. Jin Sheng Huo knew of the treasure, Wu Zhi Guo was an assassin for Qiu Family who was supposed to die but lived, Li Ning Yu was the one who saved Wu Zhi Guo, Bai Xiao Nian is the youngest son of Qiu Family, and Teacher Song is the eldest son of Qiu Family. With all his past lies revealed, Long Chuan Fei Yuan can’t refute that he isn’t Lao Gui. He admits to his lies and takes on Lao Gui’s identity.
Long Chuan Fei Yuan commits suicide. He had asked his superior to protect his son but Gu Min Zhang receives news that his son had died. Gu Xiao Meng pities Long Chuan Fei Yuan because at least his son didn’t deserve that. Gu Xiao Meng mulls that Long Chuan Fei Yuan didn’t know his teacher well enough. Gu Min Zhang contradicts. It’s not that he didn’t know him well, he had hope for his son.
Gu Min Zhang’s belief of CCP to bring a better world rubs off on Gu Xiao Meng. She's reminded of Li Ning Yu’s sacrifice for CCP. She asks her father to not leave her behind. She joins CCP too.
Gu Xiao Meng received wind (ahem, title) of a new spy: Gu Zhou. Gu Xiao Man is the inspector in charge. Wang Tian Xiang, this bratty lady, and Commander Zhang are among the new five suspects. Is my gut feeling of Wang Tian Xiang really wrong??
The end!
Final Review
[OST] So good. It brings out the suspense. I love the ending song that plays for the first twenty episodes (一捧春风 by 马上又).
[Actors/Actresses] Every actor had a stellar performance. My stand outs are the actors for Li Ning Yu, Long Chuan Fei Yuan, and Wang Tian Xiang.
[Review] Clever. Intricate dialogue. I don't think I ever paid so much attention to a drama with people just sitting around and talking. Pretty much everything I liked I already mentioned in my midway review. This part of the review is just to confirm that the plot stays high. The ending does not disappoint! It does get a little sad where, um, stuff happens. I'm trying to not spoil but I think it's fair to expect death in a spy drama but everything was worth it. Every single event happens for a purpose. It’s brilliant.
The ghost lives on –whistles–
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