Original subtitles

Look.

Is that Yu Changxuan?

That's him.

It sure is.

It's Yu Changxuan.

That's him.

Why is he following Ye Pingjun?

Why would he

be with Ye Pingjun?

What do you want from me?

Isn't it obvious?

Walking you to school.

No, thanks.

When the lady refuses,

the gentleman must try harder.

That's what courting is all about.

Shameless.

I can be even worse.

Do you want to find out?

Isn't that Mr. Yu?

What's he doing with Ye Pingjun?

No wonder he shot that hound for her.

He's got a new taste, huh?

Who he walks to school with

or spends his time with

is none of my business.

Changxuan,

we just got a tip.

Tao Xili just secured

a government loan.

The money was meant

for flood relief,

but the Tao and Mu families

are using it to buy Japanese arms.

It goes deep.

Should we tell the Commander?

This shipment

will land at Xishui.

I'm taking that shipment.

Isn't that a bit risky?

The nation falls

due to incompetent generals.

To save the country,

nothing matters more

than a strong military.

I understand.

You want

to build your army

with its own weapons.

I want

real independence,

not to be a pawn

to be pushed around.

But with just our men,

seizing that shipment

will be difficult.

That's why

I'll work

with Marshal Xu's trusted officer.

You mean

Staff Officer Yang?

Staff Officer Li.

Changxuan.

That was a sly move.

What are you talking about?

The land on Changping Mountain.

It belongs to Tao Ziyi's uncle, right?

You played hot and cold

with her, trying to bait her,

all for that land.

Am I right?

You're getting smarter, huh?

I'm sharp as a whip.

No wonder.

I thought Ye Pingjun

was pretty enough,

but hardly your type.

Turns out you were using her

to make Tao Ziyi jealous.

Oh, Changxuan.

Why hide it from me?

When it comes to romance,

I'm the expert.

Tell you what,

I'll make Tao Ziyi bow to you.

Leave it to me.

I'll pave the way,

nice and smooth.

What do you say?

Miss Ye,

Lanqing showed me

your script the other day.

I read it.

It's quite good.

Your writing

doesn't read like a student's.

More like

a seasoned pro.

Director Liang, you flatter me.

Actually,

I just read a few books

and tried writing a bit.

Pingjun,

Director Liang truly admires your work.

Once your play is staged,

I'm sure it'll be better

than anything out there.

Absolutely.

Lanqing,

Changxuan sent word.

He'll be over soon.

All right.

Oh, right, Lanqing.

I need to get home

to get the medicine for my mother.

I'd better get going.

All right.

Take care.

Goodbye.

Take care.

See you.

Just you here?

Stop looking.

She left a while ago.

Who's looking?

I came here to see you.

It's all over town.

They say you're chasing Pingjun,

making such a scene

at the girls' school.

What?

Jealous?

Stop being ridiculous.

I'm warning you.

Cut it out.

Pingjun is innocent.

I see her as a little sister.

You've only known her for a few days,

and you're defending her?

She's not like your

flings and groupies.

She's a decent girl.

Funny,

I was just looking

for a decent new friend.

See you tomorrow.

Bye.

See you.

Class was hard today.

Pingjun,

the homework you do for us

keeps getting better.

We're very happy.

They opened a new

skating rink at Drum Tower.

We're going to try it.

Come with us.

I can't skate.

I'd only spoil your fun.

I'll pass.

Other students at our school

do homework for money too.

But we always come to you.

It's our first time inviting you.

Don't turn us down.

It's fine if you can't skate.

We'll teach you.

Come on.

The more, the merrier.

Come on. It'll be fun.

Ye Pingjun,

what are you doing?

Get over here.

Holding on like that,

you'll never learn.

To skate,

you can't be afraid to fall.

Exactly.

Let's help her skate.

Come on.

Let's go.

Keep your balance.

Skating is easy.

You'll get it in no time.

Exactly.

Sorry.

I couldn't stop.

Are you okay?

I'm so sorry.

I didn't see you there.

Be more careful.

Watch where you're going.

Yeah. What's wrong with you?

It's roller skating.

Falling is normal.

If you can't skate, I'll teach you.

Busy. I'm leaving.

What are you doing?

How dare you?

My arm.

Ye Pingjun,

how dare you knock me over?

It's roller skating.

Bumping into people is normal.

I'll be more careful next time.

Are you okay?

Get up. Easy now.

You okay?

Do you need to go to the hospital?

I'll take you.

I won't trouble you, Mr. Yu.

No trouble. I'm heading that way.

This way.

Get in.

You are really not going to the hospital?

No.

Next Wednesday is my birthday.

I want you

to be my date

and come with me.

No way.

Don't you want your contract back?

If it goes well,

I'll cut six months

off your one-year contract.

Deal?

Deal.

Changxuan,

ignore their gold and silver.

This is what you need.

Top-grade huangqi.

Great for your health.

And I handpicked

every single piece myself.

How thoughtful.

Ye Pingjun?

Why is she here?

Exactly.

Isn't she the brat

from the Hsiang Hsi Hotel?

She's not afraid you'll get even?

Didn't you know?

Changxuan's courting her.

For real?

Miss Ye is my guest.

Any past misunderstandings aside,

from now on,

we're all friends.

Miss Ye,

I was out of line earlier.

Please forgive me.

I went too far.

Sorry.

This German pistol

was custom-made for you.

Even a British duke uses one.

It's a tiger statue,

symbolizing wealth and peace.

Please accept it.

I had this riding crop

brought from England.

Rhino horn handle.

Fine calfskin lash.

See if it suits you.

Thanks, Yayi.

I love it.

Miss Tao really knows

what Changxuan likes.

Absolutely.

Miss Ye,

what gift did you

prepare for him?

I know

you have expensive tastes.

I couldn't afford a birthday cake,

so I made one myself.

I hope you won't mind.

What's that supposed to be?

Is that Changxuan?

Pretty abstract.

It's him.

Well, to be fair,

this thing

is abstract, sure,

but it really

captures the spirit.

Yes, the spirit.

It may not look perfect,

but you can tell

she put a lot of thought into it.

It's the thought

that makes me love it.

I'm glad you like it.

Well then,

let's light the candles and make a wish.

Great. Congrats.

Miss Ye.

The knife you asked for.

Here.

Give it to me.

Changxuan.

It looks like she's about

to cut him to pieces.

Let me help.

Don't push your luck.

Ye Pingjun is clearly

messing with him.

In the past,

she'd be in big trouble.

Changxuan isn't even mad.

Keep it down.

Get on the horse.

What are you doing? Hyah.

Way to go, Changxuan!

At school, Ye Pingjun

acts proper.

But she's such a flirt.

I'd say Yu Changxuan

is the real sly fox.

Stop the horse.

When you used the gift

to insult me,

I thought you were fearless.

If you don't want to fall,

behave yourself.

Let go.

Let go of me.

Put me down right now.

Help me down, now.

If you need a favor,

you should change your tone.

Please help me down.

I thought we had a deal.

But apparently,

you're not cooperating.

I agreed to be your date,

but not

to be this intimate.

What's the difference?

When this is over,

you can walk away clean.

But what about me?

How am I supposed to face

all the gossip?

Are you lecturing me?

You know

I'm no gentleman.

I'll ask you again.

Who am I to you?

My boss.

Miss Tao.

What do you need from me?

I wouldn't dare

approach a man

who flirts with every girl he sees.

A lady of your standing

should really

watch her manners.

At least I have some.

Hobnobbing

with that low-class girl,

aren't you afraid

of tarnishing your reputation?

Just say what's on your mind.

Why beat around the bush?

Don't play dumb.

I'm talking about Ye Pingjun.

Pingjun is sweet and gentle.

How did she offend you?

She has no place here.

Make her leave.

Since when do you get

to decide

who I spend time with?

You don't care about your name.

But don't you fear

shaming your family?

My reputation and my family's

are none of your business.

Look at that.

A nice outfit

really does wonders for you.

She's gone.

You can drop the act now.

What's on your mind?

I've been wondering

why you insisted

I come as your date.

Now I see.

It's all about Tao Ziyi.

Go on.

I just realized

that every time you

pretended to be close to me,

Tao Ziyi was watching.

Tell me.

Why would you enjoy

upsetting a girl you love?

Doesn't that seem strange?

Either

you're after something else,

or

you're a fool.

You're very clever.

But

being too clever can be dangerous.

The more you know,

the sooner you die.

I don't know

what you want

with Tao Ziyi,

but I'm sure you don't want her to know

about your

hard-to-get act.

Threatening me?

No.

I just want

to renegotiate.

What do you want?

I'll play along.

But cutting six months

off my contract isn't enough.

Once it's over,

you give me back my contract.

Fine.

But you must fully cooperate.

No problem.

As long as I'm free afterward.

See you in a bit.

I look forward to it.

Everyone,

a few words, please.

Today,

we celebrate Changxuan's birthday.

A man so young and accomplished,

with such talent and character,

is truly one of a kind.

Wherever you go,

everyone looks up to you.

So,

my friend,

let me toast you three times.

Cheers.

What a drinker.

Nice going, Boren.

Changxuan,

eat something

before you drink.

Everyone,

ask yourselves this.

Who here hasn't

benefited from Changxuan?

Who hasn't

been helped by him?

I, for one,

am loyal to the core.

I'm with Changxuan for life.

Enough talk.

I'm downing this one.

Here.

Good. Good.

You...

Wait, Changxuan.

Don't be so moved

by what I just said.

I...

I totally meant it

from the heart.

You're making me

feel embarrassed now.

Please don't. Don't do that.

Changxuan.

Is it good?

Delicious.

Anything you feed me

tastes wonderful.

Everyone,

my sister and I

have arranged

a special treat for Mr. Yu tonight.

Here's how it works.

The ladies and gentlemen

will each draw a name.

That decides which boat you board.

Totally random.

Under the moonlight,

the fated ones tour the lake.

What do you think?

Wonderful.

As the saying goes,

wine stirs the heart with desire,

and lovers share a night of passion.

How interesting.

Fold them

just as I said.

Yes.

Yayi,

will this ensure

I get paired with him?

Don't worry.

No need to help me.

I can get down myself.

Have fun.

Why is it you?

What's wrong?

Why is it you?

You rigged the draw?

I swear I didn't.

And you're playing the victim?

I...

What rotten luck.

It's my birthday party.

Of course things

should go my way.

Look for yourself.

The boats have left.

Everyone's watching from the shore.

Even if you go out now,

you can't get on Changxuan's boat.

I think

we might as well pair up.

Why slap me?

Why are we going so far out?

Tonight,

we might have

to stay on this boat.

I'd rather swim back.

Finish the job

before you swim.

Come on.

Why are there so many soldiers?

If you want to live,

do exactly as I say.

Mr. Yu.

You must come alone.

She's with me.

She'd better not get hurt.

Rest assured.

If anyone tries to hurt you,

shoot them.

I'll take

full responsibility.

Because of some spoiled rich boy,

we've been

kept up this late.

And now we're out here

freezing in the wilderness.

Meanwhile, look at him.

Wine in one hand,

a beauty in the other.

He's having a blast.

What are you looking at?

A playboy like you

should just stay

with your girl.

You know?

You want to work with Staff Officer Yang?

Dream on.

Stop.

When I got the news,

I didn't believe it.

Yu Changxuan,

you really came alone.

What we're planning

benefits us both.

Why bring troops?

Benefits us both?

That's a bit premature.

You want to team up

to seize the Tao and Mu

smuggled arms.

But you can only mobilize

a dozen men.

With just your silver tongue,

we have to do all the work

and risk

offending both families?

Doing the math,

I believe that's a losing deal.

I have

the exact landing time and location.

Without my intel,

taking them all for yourself

would be impossible.

Besides,

Marshal Xu has three divisions,

but

his men

still use outdated weapons.

They're struggling

to find new weapons.

Am I right?

Also,

I suggest Marshal Xu

join Mr. Cheng's camp.

Because once war starts,

Premier Rui has no chance.

Premier Rui is at his peak.

Why would he lose?

All right.

Yours is done.

What would you like to say?

Miss, please tell my mother

I got the cotton shoes

she sent me last time.

Sure.

Anything else?

That's it for now.

All right.

My turn.

Miss,

please tell my father

not to overwork

during the harvest.

He can

ask my uncles for help.

Okay.

When I get home,

I'll thank them in person.

Got it.

Oh, right.

I want to write to my father too.

And I need to write to my mother.

Easy. One at a time.

Yours first.

Good.

Okay.

I just can't read.

The harvest...

Pu.

Look.

This is mine.

What time is it?

Why aren't they back yet?

Don't worry.

Director Gu sent men to look.

Maybe they stopped for the view

and lost track of time.

I think

perhaps they're lost in the moment,

spending the night together.

Why slap me again?

Because you're shameless.

Shameless?

Ziyi.

I...

Wait...

Was I shameless just now?

Mr. Yu,

I won't see you off.

Until next time.

Until next time.

Staff Officer Yang.

I don't get it.

Why agree to work

with that playboy?

Premier Rui is at his peak.

Why would he lose?

First,

when we lost Shandong,

Premier Rui didn't defend our interests.

Instead, he crushed the protests,

losing public support.

Second,

he has never had

an army truly loyal to him.

His divisions

are a patchwork of rival forces.

That's why I'm betting on Mr. Cheng.

If Marshal Xu

can modernize his weapons

and prove himself

among Mr. Cheng's allies,

he'll have a real shot

at entering central power.

Outdated weapons

and being shut out of power

have always been

the Marshal's biggest concerns.

As for Yu Changxuan,

we've never worked with him before,

but everything he said

was exactly what the Marshal wanted.

You've been sneaking around for days.

What are you up to?

You're smart

and quick-witted.

But your memory is poor.

The more you know,

the sooner you die.

Can we go back now?

We stay through the night.

If anyone asks,

tell them

you were with me all night.

No.

If I agree to that,

my reputation will be ruined.

You're already

known as my girl.

Even if you deny it,

everyone will think

something happened.

I've never seen anyone like you.

You'll do anything to get your way

and feel no shame about it.

Keep talking back,

and you'll never

get that contract back.

What are you reading?

Mu Guiying Takes Command?

Pingjun,

you are a true heroine.

What are you reading?

You are a true playboy.

I grabbed it from the drawer.

I didn't even look.

Typical of Li Boren.

The boat's so tiny, and you think

you can get away from me?

From now on, when I speak to you,

you look me in the eye.

You like people who obey?

No.

I like the defiant ones.

What I really enjoy

is watching someone defiant

finally give in.

♪Beautiful flowers♪

Listen.

Isn't it lovely?

A little true affection,

a shallow grave,

and the fading evening sun.

A little bit of true feeling

is like a ray of sunlight.

Someday, it'll come.

Love needn't last forever.

A fleeting moment is enough.

Do you think

any girl in the world

would fall

for such heartless sweet talk?

Only playboys

like you

would take such nonsense

as truth

and feel proud of it.