Episode 2 recap: Xin Tai Ruan Yao made Gu Chuan's heart move toward Xie Quan Jia.
The officials posted a notice to capture the Seventeenth Princess, but the portrait predicted that the princess would disguise herself as a bearded man. The princess and her maid decided to continue their journey with this appearance. Unfortunately, the officials posted another portrait of a notorious thief, and this portrait resembled the princess. Xie Quan Jia wanted to use the house as collateral, as he had finally found a home after much difficulty.
Meanwhile, Li Fu left home, and Fan Zhong Ju didn't want her to go, while Gu Chuan wished for her to leave. Xie Quan Jia just stepped outside and found the weather was bad. He intended to use it as an excuse not to leave, but Gu Chuan lied, saying it meant "a smooth journey ahead." Fan Zhong Ju saw through Gu Chuan's intentions and said that even if Xie Quan Jia left, he still couldn't sell the house. The authorities were too preoccupied with capturing the notorious thief to pay attention to Gu Chuan's debt collection issue, so the matter of using the house as collateral was temporarily put on hold.
Fan Zhong Ju encouraged Liu Lang to teach Gu Chuan a lesson while advising Gu Chuan not to sell the house. After all, Liu Lang was here to repay a favor, and it wouldn't be good for Gu Chuan if he turned against him. In order to soften Gu Chuan's heart and discourage him from selling the house, Liu Lang decided to use his special medicine called "Xin Tai Ruan" (literally "heart too soft"). However, Fan Zhong Ju accidentally became the test subject and was slapped by Liu Lang. Surprisingly, she didn't get angry and immediately forgave him.
On the other hand, Gu Chuan, in order to seek revenge on Liu Lang, deliberately sought out the notorious thief. By chance, he encountered the Seventeenth Princess, who was disguised, and he mistook her and her maid for the thief. The princess and her maid, on the other hand, mistakenly believed that he had discovered their true identities. Although Gu Chuan realized that the two were actually the thieves, he promised not to expose their real identities. Gu Chuan said that tomorrow, breaking a cup would be the signal to attack Liu Lang. However, the princess was mesmerized by Gu Chuan's appearance and firmly believed that six seconds of eye contact meant true love. Unfortunately, Gu Chuan mistook this behavior as a show of force in the martial world and quickly fled the scene in fear.
The princess believed that Gu Chuan had discovered her true identity, so she told her maid afterward that they didn't need to disguise themselves anymore. After all, the portrait looked exactly like their current appearance, and it would be safer to revert to wearing women's clothes. The Marquis was also in Changle City, and the most dangerous place was the safest place. The princess arrived here based on the compass, and she became suspicious of her maid's former lover, thinking that the maid might have tampered with the compass. In order to make their identities more convenient in the future, they decided to exchange identities and adopt new names from the Central Plains.
Fan Zhong Ju looked at the "Xin Tai Ruan" medicine, and although she wanted to drug Gu Chuan, as an educated person, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
After a night of turmoil, the next day Gu Chuan served tea. He drank it, and after six seconds with no reaction, Fan Zhong Ju began to suspect that the medicine was fake. Just then, Xie Quan Jia came to find Gu Chuan and handed him the house deed. However, Gu Chuan was still reluctant to let go of the house. As they held onto the deed, their eyes met for six seconds. Gu Chuan saw Xie Quan Jia crying and saying that she just wanted a home. Moved and feeling sorry for her, he held her hand and promised that he would not let her be homeless. He voluntarily returned the deed to her.
As he turned to go back into the house, he accidentally broke a cup. Outside, the princess mistakenly believed that breaking a cup was the signal and barged in to attack. However, she quickly realized that she was no match for Gu Chuan. She was repeatedly beaten. Due to the effects of the medicine, Gu Chuan couldn't remember why they were fighting or why he had hired someone to attack. The princess and her maid revealed the truth, which earned them a harsh scolding from Xie Quan Jia.
Gu Chuan expelled the princess and her maid from the Li family's residence, accusing them of betraying their employer and violating the rules. He wondered why he had been so soft-hearted. After being beaten, the princess decided to leave Changle City. However, the compass unexpectedly pointed towards the Li residence, so she decided to stay there in search of true love. They pleaded with Xie Quan Jia to let them stay and offered to pay rent.
Xie Quan Jia unexpectedly saw a business opportunity and readily allowed them to stay. That night, the princess realized that the name Shang Guan Gu Chuan had four characters, just like her lover's name, Qingyi Langjun. She decided to pursue Gu Chuan. Fan Zhong Ju once again came with the "Xin Tai Ruan" medicine to deal with Shang Guan Gu Chuan. He said that Gu Chuan was inherently kind, and he took the opportunity to use the medicine on women who cried a lot. He smelled it a few times, intending to deal with Xie Quan Jia and retrieve the house deed. However, to his surprise, he found himself becoming soft-hearted towards Xie Quan Jia again.
The princess dressed up and came to find Gu Chuan, but to her surprise, after six seconds of eye contact, Gu Chuan became soft-hearted towards her. Liu Lang, seeing Gu Chuan's interest in the princess, took the opportunity to bring him back to reality and confessed his own actions. However, Gu Chuan, eager to take the antidote, ended up fainting. The next day, the princess discovered that the compass had been tampered with by her maid. The maid gave her a note to meet Gu Chuan as punishment. As a result of a twist of fate, Xie Quan Jia and Gu Chuan met at night, and they looked at each other with deep affection, mistakenly believing that they had been drugged.
Summary in one sentence: A period ensemble comedy that combines humor and warmth, with both laughter and touching moments. It revolves around the Lin family, depicting the struggles and growth of its resilient and humorous members, creating a heartwarming and healing experience.
Chang Piao Qi Xi and his companions are often faced with setbacks and bad luck, and they all have their flaws, but this also makes them more relatable, like long-lost friends in real life. They are imperfect ordinary people.
What surprised me is that despite being a comedy, it doesn't neglect the details and storytelling. For example, the imitation letter written by Fan Zhong Ju plays a significant role in the plot development.
At the same time, the plot avoids the common pitfall of comedies being too whimsical and arbitrary. It has cause and effect, and is clear and reasonable. It has a touch of absurdity, but it also lays the groundwork and foreshadows future events.
The essential attribute of a comedy is to be "funny," and the most important aspect is the presence of comedic moments and the delivery of punchlines.
In my opinion, this drama achieves that.
The jokes are abundant, and even the characters' names contribute to the humor. Tang Men Liu Lang, Fan Zhong Ju, Xie's family... I consider myself to have a high sense of humor, and I found many moments to laugh at.
The comedy aspect of Xi Juan Chang Le City is undeniably strong. The actors' performances are impressive, which pleasantly surprised me. At first, I was worried that they might overact in this type of comedic genre, but after watching it, I realized I was overthinking.
Their performances are not exaggerated but rather naturally fitting to the characters and the development of the plot.
The characters' personalities are also distinct. There's the enterprising "Ming Deng" Shang Guan Gu Chuan, the adorable Xie family, the eloquent Fan Zhong Ju, the flower protector Tang Men Liu Lang, the mischievous spirit Jia Yu Huan, the superstitious flower lover Seventeen Princess...
Moreover, for those who enjoy shipping couples, you're in luck. This drama features several couples. Personally, I particularly love the bickering yet affectionate relationship between Xie's wife and Shang Guan husband.
Their sweetness is so overwhelming, from misunderstandings to firm resolve, both of them have hearts as soft as cotton candy. Even if their love starts as a pretense, their stubbornness adds an extra layer of depth.
Now let me talk about some small details that I personally adore. First, the visual art design is exquisite. The use of small animations is cute and playful, adding a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere that complements the story.
The opening and ending songs are also worth mentioning. I really enjoy the rap and theatrical elements in the ending song. It's joyous, lively, and catchy.
Lastly, I'll share a short poem that embodies the theme of Xi Juan's comedy: Life has its ups and downs, let it win or lose.
There's always a way out, and we can smile in the face of difficulties along the way.