#ning yi zhou

[ethereal-choi]

~ vamos a la fiesta!

© ethereal-choi 2023–2024.

[simplyaimee]

thinking of using.

🎞 ⏆   ．🪐  ﹢

[movielosophy]

A Journey To Love | You say a word, I'm going to...

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Story of Kunning Palace (2023)

Happily ever after. ❤️

Watch this video on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Ik_RNrt7p/?hl=es

[swiftletinthecloud]

We lost both Sun Lang and Qian Zhao in one episode 😭And Yu Shi San having to fight and lose his brothers and look after the others with the belief that there will be no help from Ning Yuan Zhou since Yu Shi San saw the post about Ren Ru Yi's "death" and knew that NYZ would follow her in death.

No! Yu Shi San sent Yuan Lu away from the frontline to be the messenger so he won't be in danger yet he still died!

Also to think of what is going on at the frontline of them having to hold for Yuan Lu's journey and then the 3 days while Li Tong Guang and Yang Ying were under house arrest and all the freaking romance mess. Like seriously people are dying here!!

Also my mom is just so annoyed and mad that while his brothers of Six Realms Hall are fighting and dying left and right, Ning Yuan Zhou is just focused on romance. And you know what, after the pause for their impromptu wedding, I'd agreed. Yuan Lu did not run with all his strength to death to deliver frontline news and ask for support for no immediate reaction, especially from his precious Ning Da Ge, and the man didn't even know his brothers died until later.

At the same time though, the multi-shipping in this drama for me is crazy! But I definitely like the subtleties of all the side pairings more.

[simplyaimee]

thinking of using.

ㅤㅤ◯ㅤㅤ𓂋ㅤㅤ🐚 ˚ㅤㅤ◌ㅤㅤꕤ

[binging-asian-dramas]

Be My Princess. 8/9

Story: 8

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 10 🔥

Comparable to: Love Script (cdrama) ; Lost Romance (taiwanese drama)

I personally loved this underrated gem of a drama. I thought it was absolutely hilarious and completely bonkers at the same time. There are different parts of this drama. Some work and some don’t. It has its faults, I’m quite aware. It could’ve been either shortened down or extended longer when he fully got his memory back and explored more like they did in the novel when he realized he had the (slight spoiler * old memories) . I thought it ended a little bit to hastily. I also read the novel so I’m more invested into this drama then some, so I would of love more. Now I didn’t care how they focused more on the historical parts in this drama and ventured off in the beginning clips, although they did brilliantly tie everything together nicely at the end. All of the characters are well fleshed out and the acting is beyond phenomenal in this. This is my first Jeremy Tsui dramas and I do have say oof am I impressed. That man is a major oof! My god he’s a quadruple threat. Not only is he handsome, sexy, charming, but his acting is top tier. The chemistry between him and leading lady Zhou Jie Qiong is 🥵 smexy as heck. They both stole scenes from anyone else they were acting in. This cdrama definitely won’t be for everyone. It might be that this is one of my favorite novels and I thought they did a spectacular job bringing it to full screen.

[rd0265667]

Ning Ning x Reader: Solo un'altra storia d'amore

Permanent Taglist: @cwpiqwon @justme-idle

A/N: Trust me, it all makes sense at the end

A/N: As always, thanks to best bro @1luvkarina. and the usual apology, my bad @slowlydifferentbluebird

“I’ll be there soon, sorry babe, there was a hiccup at work, boss needed us there, Lisa and I were needed for some last minute procedures. I should make it soon though.” Yi Zhuo sighed, though nodding.

“I understand, your job’s important. I’ll be waiting at the bench alright? Love you babe.” Yi Zhuo said, hanging up before sighing, “Got stood up?” Yi Zhuo turned to her side. “Nope, just…something cropped up at her work. She works at the hospital nearby, so whenever a new patient comes in, and they need all hands on board, well…yeh.” Yi Zhuo explained. “Perks of the job huh?” Yi Zhuo snickered “Yeah, something like that” “What’s your name? I’m Yi Zhuo.” She said, extending her hand to you. “I’m Y/N.” You shake her hand, shooting her a small smile. “You’re here often right? I pass by this bench pretty often when I visit Aeri at the hospital, and I see you almost every day.”  Yi Zhuo asked. “Yeh, this bench means a lot to me.” You say with a forlorn smile, drenched in nostalgia and loss. “How so?” Yi Zhuo asked, turning to you. “The school I was from believed that this bench was magical. No, I’m not joking.” You say with a small chuckle, seeing Yi Zhuo’s confused face. “This bench had special powers. We believed that this bench was where relationships were made. So all proposals happened here, first dates happened here. I guess the superstition wore off, I barely see any first dates here. Well, it worked for me. This is where I met my girlfriend.” You say with a small smile, though clearly hiding sadness in your eyes. “Oh? What’s her name? What’s your story? Everyone has a special love story.” Yi Zhuo asked, body fully turning to you now, clearly invested. “Oh, well, it’s just another love story. I called her Nini. She was…she was perfect. I met her on this very bench. She was always a loner in class, by choice of course. Half the cohort was obsessed with her, but she always preferred to sit alone. On the way home from school one day, I got tired, and sat here, on this very bench. I was reading one of my books, when she suddenly sat beside me. She insisted that she sat with me because she fell in love with me that day, but I know she sat with me because she was shocked to see someone else reading Journey to the West. Regardless of why she first sat with me, the bench worked. We fell in love that day. She was the sweetest. She’d bring me on the best dates, break the bank to buy me the best gifts, and when I insisted that it was too much, and that a small gifts would be fine, she’d hold my hand, sit me down, and give me a kiss on my forehead, telling me that I deserved the best, the world, the universe, and the stars beyond them.” You explain, causing Yi Zhou to smile. “That’s a nice story. Where is she now?” Yi Zhuo asked. “I’ll get to that…We loved each other, but it felt like the universe was against us sometimes. First off, her parents were against us. The first time we went out on a date, I insisted on sending Nini home. She didn’t outright decline, but I could tell she was uncertain. Turns out, her parents were staunchly against their daughter dating, especially someone like me. That was a hard pill to swallow for me. We went about our relationship like it was a shameful secret, as if we were unworthy of loving each other just because of who we are. Nini was always trying to maintain the peace between us, but as her parents always said, paper cannot wrap a fire, and the truth eventually came out, that Nini’s “friend over for revision” was actually dating Nini. Her parents were livid, and Nini insisted she loved me, but filial piety was important to her, and she couldn’t turn her back on family no matter how much she loved me.” You explain, downtrodden.

“That’s awful…I’m sorry to hear that.” “We didn’t break up from that, thankfully. When the new term started, I was selected for an exchange program to intern at a company in Singapore, for 2 months. It was a complicated period for us, still cooling off from that fight. We agreed to take a break, and reassess our relationship. So we didn’t contact each other for 2 months. I wanted to, so many times, interning was a pain in the ass, but I couldn’t. I had to give her space, for her to choose if she wanted to reach out to me. So I waited beside the phone for her, for 2 months, and for 2 months, nothing. I thought it was over. It felt like all of it was over, but then, as I stepped out of the airport, there she was, bouquet in hand, as beautiful as the day I met her, rushing at me to throw me into an embrace I’d characterise more like a bear hug. What about your parents? I asked her, and her smile shrunk, before putting a finger on my lips. That doesn’t matter, she said, but do me a favour, kiss me and make the bad thoughts go away.” You recall, a light blush on your face. “That’s sweet. How is she now?” Yi Zhuo asked. “I’m sure she’s doing fine.” You reply with a smile. “You’re not with her anymore?” Yi Zhuo’s eyebrows furrowed, having hoped for a happy ending. “Well, the universe has its ways. After graduation, we both got different jobs. I became a police officer, protecting and serving, while she became a social worker, helping those more unfortunate. Our jobs were fulfilling, sure, Nini and I both loved our jobs, but the job got overwhelming…Especially in my second year of the job, I got training to go Undercover. It was good, and it was exciting, but it only served to drive a wedge between Nini and I. We couldn’t live where I worked for fear that we met any of my shadier contacts. But that was where Nini worked, that’s where the kids and elderly she worked with were. She couldn’t leave. She asked me what was more important, my work, or her. I should have told her the truth. I should have told her that nothing was more important than her. But instead I argued. We fought over it, I wanted to help people, and you enjoyed using undercover work to bust criminals, but Nini hated it. She insisted that there were other ways to help people. Being a cop was dangerous enough already, she said,  but to effectively give yourself to the criminals, for your life to be snuffed out if you make a single wrong move, she couldn’t accept that, she’d insist. Then on and on our fights went. Then one day…a more unsavoury contact of mine saw me at the barber, and attacked us. I took him down, we both were unscathed, but that was it for Nini. She gave me an ultimatum. Her, or the job. And when I hesitated, she knew what she needed to know. She… She was gone the next day. I wanted to find her, hold her and apologise to her, but one of the gangs waged a war on us, so we had to respond. I was sent undercover, deep undercover this time. New identity, new person. Did some things I'm not proud of, but it worked, and I infiltrated their militia. That’s when I found out about it. Nini…she…umm, got in a car accident.” You choke on your words, looking down, trying your best to will your tears in.

“She lived, but she got hit on the head pretty hard. She lost her memories. When I heard that, I wanted to go back, find her, take care of her again, but my handler insisted against it. It would have not only hurt our case, but it’ll put both Nini and I in danger. Gangs don’t take kindly to rats, traitors or cops. Now try all 3 in one. By the time I finished the job, took the gang down, it was far too late. I found the hospital she was at, showed up with a bouquet of flowers, the same way she did at the airport, and also held a resignation letter from the force. I wasn’t sure if she had regained her memory yet, but I would have stayed until she did, then I would have shown her the letter, tell her that nothing was more important to me than she was. She was my sun, my moon and stars. When I walked out, I saw her with someone else. A nurse who worked at the hospital she was treated at. Nini looked so foreign yet familiar to me at that moment. She held the nurse, and looked at her the same way she once looked at me, love, adoration, and everything in between. I hadn’t seen her have that look in a long time. I hadn’t been worthy of her love. And after taking so long to find and go back to her, maybe I would never be worthy of her love. So I walked away, and let her go about her life. A new one, a happier one. One without me.” You explained, looking at Yi Zhuo with tears in your eyes. “That’s…I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.” Yi Zhuo said, patting you on the back. All of a sudden, your phone lit up, the sudden brightness attracting Yi Zhuo’s eye. The girl on your wallpaper looked very similar to her. Almost identical. “Sorry, I need to take this.” You say, standing up and walking a little to the side. “I’m here, are you done?” The voice rang through. “I am, and thank you for this. You don’t know how much this means to me.” You reply “Of course, you deserve as much.”

“Was that Nini on your wallpaper?” Yi Zhuo asked as you sat back down. For a moment, you felt panic rising in your chest, before stomping it down, regaining your composure. “Yep. She looks very similar to you, doesn’t she? I guess that’s why I wanted to talk to you about this.” You explain, causing Yi Zhuo to nod “I understand, it’s like I’m giving you another chance to talk to Nini again.” She says, causing you to shoot her a small smile. “Yes, something like that. If you’ll excuse me, I must get going now. I have some matters to attend to.” You say, standing and straightening your shirt “Wait, Y/N. I know it might be a little weird considering I look like her, but would you like to hang out. As friends of course, I’ll even introduce you to my girlfriend, I’m sure she’d love to have a new friend to make into a third wheel.” Yi Zhuo jokes, causing you to slightly chuckle. “Perhaps. I’ll be seeing you around, Yi Zhuo.” You smile, but turning away from her as soon as you could, trying to hide your tears. As you walked away slowly, you felt a strong urge to turn around. Say what you wanted to say. You hadn’t seen her in so long after all. And you missed her more than life itself. Who could live without their sun, moon, and stars. You missed her more than life itself, but this felt like a betrayal. You had made a choice, and she had allowed you to see her, but to go behind her back and possibly ruin everything? You clenched your fist tightly, unable to make a decision. You take one final deep breath. This was it

“I’m really glad you’re doing well Nini.”

[hyun0o]

MASTERLIST

Hey, just starting. You guys can call me hyun or pang (female), I like hyun but call me what makes you comfortable. I want to make girl groups scenarios or one shots and most of them are just gonna be x female!Reader. Sorry for the guys out there (-=-'). But anyways if you ask kindly on what you want me to write then I'll give it time to make it . I hope you'll enjoy what I write. I allow smut and other things except for members that are under age. Please note that I'm not going to write a story if I'm not comfy with the members and please ask nicely so I can be comfortable with you reader. I'm filo as well so if u want a filo fic then don't be scared to ask (°=°).

GIRL GROUPS

AESPA

Yu Jimin (Karina)

The Train Ride To Our Paradise [Fluff]

Competition For You [!smut!]

White Bunny [FF] [!smut!]

Aeri Uchinaga (Giselle)

Bored [!smut!] (Request)

Kim Minjeong (Winter)

Competition For You [!smut!]

Ning Yi Zhou (Ningning)

Picnic [!smut!] (Request)

OT4

Nothing yet

BLACKPINK

Park Jisoo

Nothing yet

Kim Jennie

Her Favorite [!smut!]

Ride me [!smut!] (Request) (Coming soon)

White Bunny [FF] [!smut!]

Park Chaeyoung (Rosé)

Bath Time [!smut!] (Request) (Coming soon)

Lalisa Manobal (Lisa)

Nothing yet

OT4

Cutie [Fluff] (Request)

IVE

Kim gaeul

Nothing yet

An Yujin

Nothing yet

Kim Jiwon (Liz)

Nothing yet

Jang Wonyoung

Midnight Longing [Fluff]

White Bunny [FF] [!Smut!] (Coming soon)

Naoi Rei

Nothing yet

Lee Hyunseo (Leeseo) [!No Smut!]

Nothing yet

OT6

Nothing yet

LE SSERAFIM

Miyawaki Sakura

Nothing yet

Kim Chaewon

Nothing yet

Huh Yunjin

Nothing yet

Nakamura Kazuha

Practice Room [!smut!] (Request)

Jealous Girl [!smut!] (Request)

Kim Garam (?)

Nothing yet

Hong Eunchae [!No Smut!]

Nothing yet

OT5/6

Nothing yet

More groups to come(?)

REQUESTS:

[NOTE! only girl group members are allowed, no under age members, no m!Readers, no illegal things to the point I can go to jail for lol]

LE SSERAFIM

Kazuha

Practice room [Dom!Zuha x Fem!Reader] [SMUT]

Jealous girl [G!PZuha x Fem!Reader] [SMUT]

AESPA

Giselle

Bored [Gamer Giselle x Fem! Reader] [SMUT]

Ningning

Picnic [Ningning x Fem! Reader] [SMUT]

BLACKPINK

Jennie

Ride Me [Dom! JENNIE x fem! Reader] [SMUT] (Coming Soon)

Rosé

Bath Time [Dom!Roseanne x Sub! Female reader] (Coming Soon) [SMUT] [FLUFF]

OT4

Cutie [Blackpink x fem! Reader] [FLUFF]

NMIXX

Lily

Small Touch Up (G!P Tomboyish Lily x Girly F! Reader) [!SMUT!] (Coming Soon)

[douqi7s]

Baihe novels I read in 2023, in order of when I read them:

Miss Forensics by Jiu Nuan Chun Shen. Contemporary thriller featuring a push-pull romance between a forensic pathologist and a police detective. Big action scenes, big emotional set-pieces, big emotions.

Distance by Mi Nao Nao. Contemporary romance billed as 'woman who has broken a thousand hearts vs woman who has never lost her heart'. I found it underwritten and lacking in structure, but lots of people seem to like it.

The Collapsing Palace by Ming Ye. Historical palace harem novel. A wilful noblewoman marries her cousin, the crown prince, so she can get close to his mother/her aunt the empress, whom she's been crushing on since forever. And she's not even the most toxic / messed up main character in this novel.

Life is Like a Dream by Qing Xiang. A short novel set in the Yue opera scene during the Republican Era. Small-scale, elegantly understated, makes highly effective of use of the author's detailed knowledge of opera and the opera scene.

Suffocation by Hua Qiong Ran. One of those 'toxic lesbians' contemporary thrillers, featuring the protagonist being repeatedly stalked and imprisoned by her own wife. Amped up the depravity too quickly to be wholly effective.

Zebra Crossing by Yi Bai Shou. Early baihe novel featuring a romance between a CEO and police detective, a mixture of thriller and romance. Strong beginning with appealing characters, somewhat let down by meandering middle and end and odd approach to extras.

She Belongs to Me by Da Ying. An uncomplicated contemporary romance between two femme professional women who are excellent communicators. Does make effective use of several k-drama style romantic set-pieces.

Bo Zhou by Ruo Hua Ci Shu. Time loop contemporary romance in which the protagonist tries to safe her girlfriend's life again and again. Overall competently plotted, well-paced and genuinely suspenseful.

The Tribulation of the Peach Runaway Blossom by Ning Yuan. A solid xianxia/xuanhuan novel with a big cast of complex female characters, competent world-building and assured prose. Somewhat falls down on the main romance (though the secondary romances make up for that a little), which was at once the lynchpin of the plot and not particularly present on the page.

The Abandoned by Mu Feng Qing Nian. Three words: sapphic xianxia shizunfuckery. Horny unhinged lesbians, plot twists on top of plot twists, and much violence.

Her Mountain, Her Sea by Fu Hua. A contemporary high school romance. Very solid, competent slice-of-life for the most part. The leads are well-characterised and their growing relationship is deftly handled, especially in the early stages.

The Creator's Grace by Ning Yuan. A near future sci-fi thriller. 12/10, no notes (though the sci-fi element is subordinate to the romance and thriller elements).

Minister Xie by Ruo Hua Ci Shu. This historical novel is The Goblin Emperor meets Sha Po Lang. Teenage emperor Liu Zao does her best to turn her prime minister Xie Yi (who is 14 years older) into her wife.

Snow on Her Pillow by Liu Yuan Chang Ning. Historical fiction featuring a romance between Princess Jieyou and her devoted attendant Feng Liao (described as the first official female diplomat in Chinese history). Competently and compellingly written; manages the Feat of treating Central Asian characters (of which there are many) as regular, undemonised people.

Spring on the River by Da Ying. This xuanhuan novel features supernatural women behaving very very badly, weird structure and pacing, and a rather hapless main character who frequently reminded me of a protagonist in a shoujo reverse harem novel.

Listen, God by Xian Yu Bu Chi Cai. A contemporary time loop thriller featuring a romance between a scriptwriter and an up-and-coming actress. Mostly carefully and cleverly plotted (though starts to unravel in the last 20%), though the relationship development between the leads left me cold.

A Taste of You by Si Bai Ba Shi Si. A contemporary romance between a talented chef and a CEO. A grounded, realist novel told through a charmingly wry first-person POV (bar a sharp swerve into melodrama in the last 10%), deeply embedded in the local lesbian scene.

Snow in the Spring Courtyard by Liu Yuan Chang Ning. This wuxia novel had good relationship development, a compelling love interest, and excellent pacing, and is likely to appeal to readers for those reasons. For me personally, it was let down by an extraordinarily bleak view of the jianghu which I don't think the author was fully aware of.

I Think About You Day and Night by Yu Shuang. In this contemporary romance, a CEO rescues a penniless girl from an abusive household, and k-drama-style shenanigans ensue. There's terminal illness, birth secrets, an incest scare (dw they're not actually related), and corporate machinations. The author's commitment to these tropes and their emotional stakes makes this an enjoyably dramatic read.

Cover Her Face by Qing Tang Shuan Xiang Cai. A mostly breezy, mostly fluffy, and unexpectedly sexy historical romance plus a dash of wuxia, with likable main characters.

Waiting for You by Min Ran. A contemporary showbiz romance, basically an exes-to-reunited-lovers story courtesy of a handy rebirth and time rewind. Another one for the 'attractive femme couple resolves their relationship problems through Better Communication' folder.

Climbing High by Po Po Po. In this historical court intrigue novel, aspiring scholar Fang Jian sells herself into indentured servitude to court official Gao Yunqu in exchange for the latter's promise to help her free her parents from unjust imprisonment. Published on PO18, so allowed to be sexually explicit in ways JJWXC and Changpei novels can't be, and the author makes full use of this (though I found the sex scenes between the tertiary couples stronger than those between the main couple, for the most part). Very strong political writing, a great cast of complex female characters.

[starcrossed591]

CDrama Year in Review 2023

I'm still very much a CDrama beginner--I just started watching them in the summer of 2022--but since this is the first year I got into them in earnest, I figured I might as well do a year in review a la @dangermousie (whose lists I have found incredibly helpful in deciding which CDramas I really, really need to go back and watch as part of my CDrama education--so thank you!). So, without further adieu, here is my ranking of 2023 CDramas, in order of least enjoyed to most enjoyed*.

(See also: KDrama Year in Review 2023)

*Disclaimer: *not* a measure of objective quality

10. Royal Rumours: This drama was not great? Meng Zi Yi and Jeremy Tsui were fun, but the story started out messy and got messier. For some reason I still finished it, I think because I had a lingering cold and it was all my brain could handle at the time *shrug*

9. Gone with the Rain: I actually really enjoyed this one! The pacing was inconsistent, but Zhang Nan was fun as the irreverent Mo Xi, and we love a grizzled general. Special shout to the teacher who was not actually evil, just a sad lesbian whose gf disappeared on her

8. Love You Seven Times: Intriguing concept, not a strong enough FL to carry it through. The reincarnation stuff really worked for me at first, especially in their first mortal tribulation (as people, not CGI animals), but I got tired of it pretty quickly. I admit, the gifs of Ding Yu Xi as a sexy cat demon *did* pull me back in, but not enough for me to actually finish the thing, alas

7. Destined/Chang Feng Du: Started out really strong, and then stalled out on me. I think I only got up to about episode 22 or so, after their epic desert crossing and new start in a new state--they lost all narrative momentum for me there. I stopped watching and then just...didn't start again. I do, however, remain a big Bai Jing Ting fan, and will be keeping on eye out for whatever he does next

6. Hidden Love: (Contemporary) Age gap romances are hit or miss for me, but Zhao Lu Si absolutely stole/carried the show for me in this one. Although more fun imo when the main couple are in the the will-they-won't-they phase than in the family melodrama after they get together, still the only contemporary CDrama to get me to give it a go this year--and I'm glad I did

5. My Journey to You: Featuring my favorite murder girlies Esther Yu as Yun Wei Shan and Lu Yu Xiao as Shanguan Qian! Gorgeous costumes and sets, sweeping cinematography, and plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. Full disclosure, I have not actually watched the last two episodes because I got busy and then saw weird chatter about them, so I have no comment on the allegedly weird ending

4. Till the End of the Moon: Look, I know the ending wasn't ideal, but for the majority of its run, this drama owned my entire soul. It also introduced me to Bai Lu as Li Su Su, who inspired my first actual tumblr post (that wasn't a reblog) because I was so obsessed with her. And everyone knows that Tantai Jin is the CDrama ML of the year. 10/10, no regrets at letting it take over my life (and the OST my Spotify) from April to May of this year

3. The Story of Kunning Palace: More Bai Lu is always a good thing, and she's extra fun here as the transmigrated former evil empress and totally-over-your-nonsense Xiang Xue Ning here. The reverse haremness of it all totally shows why Bai Lu is the chemistry queen, especially with the princess (Liu Xie Ning) and cranky, morally grey, would-fail-gym-class strategist Xie Wie (Zhang Ling He). So glad this drama made it out of the CDrama vault and didn't languish indefinitely in censorship hell

2. A Journey to Love: Finished this one two days ago as of this writing and am still not normal about it. Ren Ruyi (Liu Shi Shi) and Ning Yuan Zhou (Liu Yu Ning) lead an exceptionally strong ensemble cast in this wuxia that explores the complicated relationships between love, duty, loyalty, loneliness, and companionship. Ruyi and Yuan Zhou are far and away one of my fave OTPs of the year, but just as compelling are the relationships between friends/brothers/fellow assassins Yu Shisan, Yuan Lu (ugh my heart), Qian Zhou, and Sun Lang. This drama definitely has one of the strongest ensemble casts of the year. And the character growth of Yang Ying from little princess abandoned in the cold palace to who she becomes by the end will stick with me for a long time. Plus another 10/10 OST!

1. Lost You Forever S1: I'm not normally a reverse harem girl, but the longing, loss, and hard resolve portrayed to perfection by Yang Zi as Xiao Yao really did it for me here. This whole drama struck an emotional chord for me, and where TTEOTM consumed my soul, LYF took over my heart. Xiao Yao's relationships with her power hungry, overprotective cousin Cang Xuan; hot snake demon Xiang Liu/playboy archery shufu Feng Feng Bei; and perfectly devoted Tushan Jing are all equally compelling to me, and while I may know who she ends up with in the end, who I *think* she should be with changes based on who's on screen at any given time. And A'Nian, my favorite bratty princess who really just needs some strong parenting, holds a special place in my heart. I know we may never get S2, and even if we do, censorship means it probably won't be what the drama makers are capable of, but I'm so glad for this little piece of absolute perfection. And, again, a top notch OST!

Fave Drama: Lost You Forever, by just a hair over A Journey to Love. See above.

Least Fave Drama: Royal Rumours--truly why did I finish this, what was past me thinking

Biggest Disappointment: 2023 is also the year I read Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir, my very first CNovel! But then I didn't even bother checking out its adaptation, Romance of a Twin Flower, because it got rid of everything that made the novel such an addicting read, including a brilliant, strategic, ice cold FL and an ML who actually kind of sucked at the beginning, only to grow on you very, very slowly over time. I'm grateful that the chatter around the drama is what brought the novel to my attention, but other than that, hard pass.

Favorite Male Character: Lots of good ones this year, but I'm gonna go with Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi) from Lost You Forever. The conflict he faces between getting enough power to protect the people he loves the most and that power making him incompatible with those loved ones is so compelling, and his yearning for Xiao Yao even when she's right in front of him is wrenching. Full disclosure, I also just really love the sound of his voice

Favorite Female Character: This could easily have gone to Li Susu (TTEOTM), Xiao Yao (LYF), or Ren Ruyi (AJTL), but I'm gonna go with Bai Lu's Xiang Xue Ning in The Story of Kunning Palace. Something I really loved about this character was just how jaded Xue Ning really was, even in her second go round at life. Yeah, she wants to make amends for the harm done in her previous rise to power, but that has hardly turned her into a good--or even pleasant--person. Instead, she's incredibly skeptical and still plays most things ice cold, especially with her family. As a bonus, we got plenty of Bai Lu's fantastic side eye as she basically had to do high school all over again when she gets called into the palace despite her very best efforts not to be.

Favorite Ship: Ren Ruyi and Yuan Zhao from A Journey to Love have got to be it. They balance each other out so well, and over the course of the drama, learn to communicate effectively with each other whenever they have a problem. They also recognize that not all problems can be solved by ~love~, which makes their relationship even more compelling when they decide to prioritize each other in a way that respects what the other wants from life.

Favorite Secondary Ship: Little princess Yang Ying and Yuan Lu absolutely broke stole my heart in A Journey to Love. Doomed love even more than the main OTP, these two's youthful romance was such much fun to watch, especially as they egged their respective mentors on in their own romance. Yang Ying's recognition that her first love did not have to be her only love is also something I always love to see, even as it broke my heart that (spoiler) she and Yuan Lu never really had a chance at an HEA. Their relationship really exemplified a key theme of this drama: that you should love the people you love while they're still with you because tomorrow is never promised.

Non-2023 Dramas that I Watched: Two non-2023 dramas I watched that deserve a special shout out are Love and Redemption and The Sword and the Brocade. Love and Redemption prepared me to really appreciate the big swings that Till the End of the Moon took, and The Sword and the Brocade went a little way to filling the Story of Ming Lan shaped hole in my heart. The Sword and the Brocade also had absolutely searing critique of the concubine system, even as it featured one of the most genuinely good-hearted FLs I've seen. Would recommend both!

Most Looking Forward To: Yes, I'm a sucker and the censors (not to mention the characters) will probably break my heart, but I'm still crossing my fingers that Lost You Forever S2 will live up to the promise of part one. See above: still a CDrama beginner, have not yet had all the optimism knocked out of me. Sue me.

[perfectsunlight]

𝐜𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬 [𝟐]

𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲, mentions of racism, 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲

𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 1,971

𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲

the shutters and camera flashes were both the bane of ning’s existence and the object of her desire. it was a constant reminder of her status, as well as the biggest downside that came with being a star.

because that’s what ningning was: a child star turned idol.

in all honesty, ningning didn’t care about anything other than being on the stage. even when she was a trainee, the only reason she stuck with it was because she knew that she had the talent. the idol life never was her dream.

truth be told, ning would have rather been a solo artist in america, that way she wouldn’t face so much hate from the koreans.

it used to mess with her a lot when she was younger. being a foreigner in a new country was already hard enough, but to come from a country that was hated by the entire republic of korea? it made everything much worse.

she felt aeri’s arm tug her forward, leading the way for the both of them as they made their way through the crowd of people surrounding them as they made their way towards the company car.

they had a busy day scheduled ahead of them, and the young idol was starting to regret her outing from the night prior.

actually she wasn’t regretting it. she was just upset that she had to deal with so many people shoving cameras in her face.

her younger self would’ve been bowing in every direction, making sure to wave at the cameras even though they were blinding her. she would’ve tried to look as nice and good as possible, because maybe then they would accept her.

but now? after realizing that no matter how hard she tried, she would only be seen as “bad?” ning couldn’t care less.

“ningning is it true you got into a fight last night?”

the idol rolled her eyes behind her designer shades. she may or may not have gotten into a bit of an argument, but the other girl definitely deserved the bottle of beer dumped on her head.

once they got into the car and the doors shut behind them, karina’s head whipped around from the front seat to look at the youngest member.

“ning, you got into a fight?” the leader hissed, disappointment lacing her voice.

the chinese woman turned her head away to face the window. she didn’t want to deal with jimin’s scolding right now.

minjeong turned to look at the younger girl and titled her head to the side. “ningie, is that why you asked for an ice pack last night?” she asked softly, countering karina's rough approach.

aeri’s head also turned her attention to get a look at their younger member. she didn’t say anything, only frowning at the sight of ning’s cold shoulder.

“ning yi zhou,” jimin called out to the vocalist once more. as a leader, it was her job to keep the group’s image from being tainted. however, ning didn’t exactly make that job the easiest. “what happened?”

their manager made their way to the front seat and started driving off. jimin’s eyes never left ningning’s figure. the ambience of the drive, as well as the soft music coming from the radio filled the otherwise empty silence that lingered between the aespa members.

maybe it was 10 minutes, maybe it was 20, or maybe it was 30. but after what felt like quite a while, ninging finally broke her silence.

“she told me to go back to my country.”

karina’s gaze softened, aeri’s heart broke, and minjeong’s body deflated at the revelation revealed unto them. they all knew how brutal the korean fans were when it came to chinese idols. either they were well loved, or extremely hated. ninging was one of the very few who experienced both.

giselle bit her bottom lip, recalling how the koreans had their opinions about her since debut as well, but she witnessed the waves of hate the youngest member received from even before debuting. even as a trainee, the chinese girl was bullied. aeri could not help but think that all those years of training in a country that hated her were catalysts into shaping the person her fellow member became today.

minjeong actually walked in on ning a few times when the youngest member was looking through all the hate comments. ning wasn’t one to care about anything anymore nowadays. except, winter couldn’t feel as if her friend was acting out this way because of her past.

in reality, no one knew what to say. because they all knew that ningning didn't want to get into a fight, but rather the fight was picked on her.

jimin felt guilty for immediately assuming that ning had done something ridiculous again, but as the leader stared at her youngest member, she could not help but feel bad for her.

it was in that moment that karina realized that no matter how much trouble ningning got herself into, it didn't always mean that she deserved it.

the remainder of the drive to the airport was silent, only the road ambience filling the void of space. however, ningning decided to focus on the only good part of this upcoming fansign in LA: the fact that she could party after.

the flight from seoul to los angeles was long, and quite boring. usually ning could sleep for hours on these types of flights, but this time she wasn’t tired at all. in fact, she wasn’t tired even when they landed and got to their hotel rooms.

thankfully each of the members had their own rooms, which mean the chinese woman could relax by smoking. she knew weed wasn’t illegal in california, but she also was not exactly in the mood for marijuana.

the gray smoke flowed from her lips as she exhaled before bringing the cigarette to her mouth once more. the youngest aespa member leaned over the balcony railing and stared at the bustling streets of LA. her room was on the 13th floor, making everything look so small.

thirteen. an unlucky number. was she an unlucky idol?

she had done everything, beat the odds and then some. so why did it feel like she wasn’t happy with the dream she once would’ve given everything for?

the chinese woman sighed as she breathed out the smoke from her cigarette before staring across at the streets. there was a bar directly across from the hotel. she could either stand up here and think about her feelings about her life….or she could grab a drink.

it was obvious which choice she went with.

ningning swirled the liquor in her glass, eyeing the whiskey as it danced in circles. this was her fourth shot of the night. except, she seemed rather tame at the moment. her head leaned against her palm as she held the glass in her other hand.

“rough day?”

her head slowly turned in the direction of whoever was speaking to her, only to be met with bright eyes and a gentle smile.

you took a seat next to her, motioning for the bartender to give you a shot of something.

the idol raised an eyebrow at you. did you not know who she was? aespa was known in the states too, but did you have any idea who you just sat next to?

“i’m sorry?” ning said slowly, confusion laced on her features.

“you looked really down, so i figured i’d come and see if you’re alright.” you smiled softly as the bartender slid a glass in your direction.

ningning stared at you for a few moments, blinking slowly before forming a sentence again. “do you know me?”

a soft chuckle escaped your lips as you downed the glass in your hand. grimacing at the taste of the burning liquid as it shot down your throat.

“i do.” you said, small smile ghosting your lips. “you’re ning yizhuo.”

so you did know who she was. interesting. except why were you acting so calm and casual with her? usually when she met fans, they’d either harass her like the paparazzi or try and flirt with her.

but you seemed to do none of those.

“why are you talking to me?” she asked slowly. “i mean, if you want a photo or something i’m not up for it right now. so what do you want?”

your gaze softened at the sight of her like this. you were a huge fan of aespa, and you knew everything regarding ning’s infamous reputation. but you somehow felt bad for her.

“i don’t want any of those things.” you reasoned quietly, eyes staying locked on hers. ning was your bias actually. you knew everything about her from pre debut all the way until now.

every single moment, every single scandal, you knew about it all. but right now, you wanted to know why your favorite person looked so upset.

“you just don’t look happy, that’s all.”

the idol’s eyebrows raised in response to your statement. “so what if i’m unhappy? what’s it to you?”

you smiled softly at her, already knowing this was part of her personality. maybe you could get her to open up? even just a little.

“you may just think i’m just a fan of your music, but i admire you as a person as well. i want you to be happy.” you explained, hoping she would understand.

admire. that was a word no one ever associated or used in the same sentence with ningning. to hear it from you for the first time in her life?

it felt good. really really good. maybe tonight she would make a friend.

a friend who admired her.

“want to go outside for a smoke?”

you two eventually made your way outside the back, and leaned against the wall smoking cigarettes with each other.

truth be told, this kind of domestic interaction felt nice. you were so easy to talk to, and for a moment ningning felt better than she had when she first landed in LA.

“are you from LA?” she asked genuinely.

you shook your head, smiling over at her. “i’m from seoul, but i’m just visiting for the week.”

the chinese woman raised her eyebrows. “what are you doing all the way over here?” she inquired as she brought the cigarette to her lips.

the smoke escaped through your mouth before you answered her, that bright smile still on your face. “i’m here for your fansign, duh.”

“oh,” the idol chuckled and nodded. “i forgot about that.” she sighed as she tapped her cigarette against her thumb.

“can’t believe i have to get up at 5 in the morning for that shit." she muttered under her breath.

you hummed in agreement. “yeah, hopefully you’re not too tired.”

“i’m always tired.” she scoffed lightly before turning her head to look at you. “what’s your name, stranger?”

“y/n.” you answered casually. “y/n park.”

ning hummed in acknowledgement, giving you the ghost of a smile. “it takes dedication to come halfway across the world for a group you like, you know.”

your smile widened as you took another deep breath from your cigarette. the smoke danced in the air as you replied.

“what can i say? i’m just a big fan.”

the chinese woman narrowed her eyes playfully. “what are you? a groupie or something?”

your eyes narrowed back at her, the tiniest smirk on your lips. “and what if i am?”

“touché.” she chuckled as she threw the rest of her cigarette on the ground before stomping it out with her shoe.

a few beats of silence passed. your eyes remained on hers as she turned and looked at you, pulling her cap tighter over her head.

“i’m going to head back. i’ve got to be up early.”

you nodded in understanding, fully knowing that waking up at 5 in the morning was a rough time for anyone, celebrity or not.

she quickly bowed her head slightly, indicating she was heading out now. the gravel beneath her footsteps gave you auditory confirmation of her walking away from you.

you turned your attention to the alley wall in front of you, putting the cigarette to your lips once more. your head leaned back against the wall behind you, as you closed your eyes.

then that’s when you heard it. the familiar raspy voice from a chinese idol that you adored, and oh you just couldn’t help but smile.

“i’ll see you tomorrow.”

-

𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧: @jiihu @silantryoo @rosiehrs @craftymasterlistcomicsprune @skisk1 @jisooftme @babycubchae @yunjinhart @pandamiswifey @jenoteamo

[danmeigirl]

Listing Upcoming C-Drama's to watch in 2024 & beyond :-

Fox Spirit Matchmaker : Love in Pavilion (Lead- Liu Shishi & Leon Zhang)

Fox Spirit Matchmaker : Red-Moon Pact (Lead- Yang Mi & Gong Jun) Released

Fox Spirit Matchmaker : Sword and Beloved (Lead- Li Yi Tong & Cheng Yi)

Legend of the Female General (Lead- Zhou Ye & Ryan Cheng)

The Princess Royal (Lead- Zhao Jin Mai & Zhang Ling He) Released

Love of the Divine Tree ( Lead- Deng Wei & Julia Xiang)

Guardians of the Dafeng (Lead- Dylan Wang & Tian Xi Wei)

Fangs of Fortune (Lead- Neo Hou & Chen Duling) Released

Love in the Desert (Lead- Fang Yulin & Hanikezi) Released

Snowy Night : Timeless Love (Lead- Joseph Zeng & Li Qin) Released

Reborn for Love (Lead- Jing Tian & Zhang Lingh He) Released

Shui Long Yin (Lead- Fang Yilun/Xiao Shunyao/Luo Yunxi)

Lady Revenger Returns from the Fire (Lead- Xu Lu & Wei Zheming)

A Dream Within A Dream (Lead- Li Yi Tong & Liu Yu Ning)

Thousand Fragrances (Lead- Song Wei Long & Ju Jing Yi)

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (Lead- Esther Yu & Ding Yuxi) Released

Legend of Dark River (Lead- Gong Jun & Chang Hua Sen)

Dashing Youth (Lead- Neo Hou & Hu Lian Xin) Released

The Story of Pearl Girl (Lead- Liu Yuning & Zhao Lusi) Released

Lin Jiang Xian (Lead- Joseph Zeng & Bai Lu)

Fall in Love with a Fox (Lead- Wanyan Luo Rong & Xu Hao)

Echo of her Voice (Lead- Wei Zheming & Xu Jia Qi) Released

Snowfall (Lead- Gao Wei Guang & Nana Ouyang) Released

Go East (Lead- Tan Jian Ci & Zhou Yiran) Released

[movielosophy]

A Journey To Love | Only you

[simplyaimee]

currently using

cr - @kelories

（✿◞◟） 　﹒ 　　✿　　﹒ 　'cause i am

（✿◞◟）　 ﹒ 　　✿　　﹒ 　salty and sweet!

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: A Journey to Love (2023)

#一念关山 再喊一次你们的名字，再听一遍你们的故事 #刘宇宁

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5R2JMwebk7w