Ep 1 to Ep 10:
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This is doing amazingly well! I expected it to be good because of Zhang Wan Yi but I didn't expect much from Wang Chu Ran. I have only seen her in 1 drama so far and didn't think much of her acting in that one. But she is doing a great job in this role. I like listening to Zhang Wan Yi's voice, there's this desperation to it. (I'm weird) At least I hope that it is his voice and not being dubbed by someone else. It sounds exactly the same as his character in Cang Xuan in Lost You Forever. Okay enough drooling over the guy, back to the drama at hand.

Cui Xing Zhou is cunning and ruthless, I kinda want to be mad at him but I cannot, because I think the Liu Mian Tang who has her memory is just as bad. (The creators made is so obvious that she is the Liu Wen they are looking for) She is gonna come at him hard once she figures out he has been lying to her. (At least, I hope that happens. I hope that she isn't one of the characters, that falls in love and is like, Oh okay, I understand. He is in a tough position and couldn't' have done anything else. ) I want to feel the betrayal from her.

When I started the episode from the first scene I was thinking this is what I was talking about, they had my attention. (I was comparing it to another drama I was looking forward to but missed a lot of marks: Love’s Rebellion) I like the visuals, but a lot of the places remind me of few other dramas. For example, the corner of their shop is very similar to the shop in Lost You Forever 2 where Xiao Yao drops some herbs or something and then Tushan Jing helps her out. There's one another one that reminds me of stage where Xu Fang Fie played the Guqin that made everyone cry in The Double. (I don't know if they are same or similar, even if they are the same it is even better in my books)

My current issue with Liu Mian Tang and how easily she seems to swallow his lies. His explanations are so weird, I wonder why she doesn't question them more. (Had it not been for that, I would have rated it higher)

Cui Xing Zhou is so hilarious, the efforts he has to put in to play house with Mian Tang make it fun to watch. At the same time, you want to call him an ass because poor Mian Tang is hooked. You have got to give it to her, she has been so damn understanding of everything he does.

I do wonder what he is going to do about his betrothed or fiancée! Dammit, it doesn't seem like he is going to cancel the engagement. I'm really not into the whole suffering that the wife and concubine dynamics bring. The only people who benefit in that one is the poor excuse for a husband and manipulative wives. (Not into it, sure hope the guy wizens up)

Ep 11 to Ep 20:
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I paused the drama at episode 10 and then went to find the book. I didn't much care for CXZ in the books in the beginning and only started liking him after they got married. CXZ complex character made it a much interesting read and it wouldn't have been the same otherwise. By the end of the book, you are glad that they end up together because they are good for each other.

Fortunately for all of us, the drama has a bit more of humorous tone and has found the perfect way to balance CXZ's ruthlessness and his love for LMT. I have liked the drama CXZ since the beginning, there's one or two instances where he was ruthless as well, one of them is very clear, the scene in the first few episodes where CXZ schemed to have her carriage broken up and she fell out of it, that was bad no matter how you look at it. Later on, when he continues to hide his real identity when there are so many chances to fess up.

I feel sad for LMT who has lost her memory and is harmless puppy who only cares about her husband's wellbeing. In contrast, CXZ life is bigger & doesn't simply involve her. He has too much to think about & LMT adds to that burden. And while I understand where he is coming from, he doesn't even know LMT is Lu Wen at this point. To him she is someone who has fallen on hard times and had to become Lu Wen's concubine. If not for his growing feelings, he would have let her go. And he did with that divorce letter, but he didn't dare fess up. The only reason he doesn't is that he isn't ready to handle the repercussions.

He is warmer in the drama, his visit to LMT before he left for Jinjia pass was a welcoming change. He even apologized to her sleeping form, he never did that in the books.

I have liked and admired Shi Xue Ji since I first saw her. I wish to meet more women like her and LMT in real life, people who aren't driven by jealousy. They have bigger things to worry about. They make a decision and stick to it.

I like the development between Zhao Quan and He Zhen. Although jealousy and envy gets to her from time to time, He Zhen still comes to her senses and makes wise decisions. Her entire 1 sided thing for CXZ was pitiful to watch. I'm also glad that Zhao Quan doesn't seem to covet LMT anymore. These two are more suited for each other. I'm a bit surprised with Zhao Quan's character transformation here.

Coming to Sun Yun Er, had she only loved Zi Yu and not been so envious of LMT, it would have been fine. She kept going out of her way to ensure that LMT died even when she had forgotten everything. One of the most satisfying things in the books was when LMT catches Sun Yun Er red-handed at the time Sun Yun Er hires a guy to pretend to be Cui Jui. They let her off easy in the drama, she got beaten by LMT's maids, one of the things that she would never forget about.

Ep 21 to Ep 30:
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Things are going to tough between them for a while now. I want to see them face off, knowing each other's identities. So, he finally figured out that she is Lu Wen. He did it quite early in their relationship and he seemed rational about it. Ep 22 was more focused on Zi Yu's part of it and his play for the throne. He is more like Cang Xuan in Lost You Forever. Zi Yu has been on his own journey since the get go, which is one of the reason he decided to push away LMT. He thought that he could win her back, but that's not going to work in his favour. I'm not even worried about the preview episode 24, LMT might need some time to organize her thoughts and CXZ will win her back soon enough.

Having binged the first half of the drama, the one episodes day go painfully slow. All I know is that drama CXZ is gold! I don't know why people expect LMT to just forgive and forget easily. It doesn't happen overnight, they need time apart to sort things out. It will be better for both of them.

Yes, the drama did change quite a few things and some were for the better. I have completed the novel and I liked it. So far, I have liked the drama regardless of the changes they have made. One thing they got right was what CXZ felt for LMT. Although their relationship began as a lie, once he fell for her he was all in. Just as it is shown in the drama. The only difference is that he is a more considerate of her in drama. We might see him being more domineering in the future but he isn't a guy who would treat his partner poorly. Right now (ep 26 to 28), the drama has slowed down a bit and it seems like a waiting game for something drastic. It gives me the same vibes as the beginning of the drama. Looking forward to the last leg of the drama things are gonna be rollercoaster from now onwards.

Ep 31 to Ep 40:
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Ep 31 and 32 went as expected. There's one part in the book that absolutely love (it involves some morons getting slapped), I hope that we get to see in the coming episodes. I liked how CXZ and LMT handle his mother. I love her mind. That ending looked promising for Shi Xue Ji but I would have liked to see more of good moments between the two. One of the scenes that I liked the best was CXZ's prison break where he and LMT fought together that was the most interesting scene in this last arc.

Comparison with the novel (If you haven't read the book, feel free to ignore the following):
They have cast the right people for all the roles, especially Zhang Wan Yi & Wang Chu Ran. I'll be seeking out all of Wang Chu Ran's dramas from now on.
I feel that they left out a lot of scenes and pivotal moments from the book that could have made this drama a lot more interesting and less linear. (By lot, I do mean lot!) I'll just go re-read the book again someday.
I was looking forward to Cui Xing Di's role but he turned out to be just a very underutilized supporting character.
It would have been fun to see Li Guang Cai & Cui Fu get together, but she is sticking with her fickle husband.
Although I liked the CXZ in drama a lot better, there were times when it became too comical for me and I wanted to see more of a composed CXZ.