Links to previous discussions: Masterpost | All Discussions | Episodes 1-4 | Eps 5-6 | Eps 7-8 | Eps 9-10 | Eps 11-12

Discussion schedule:

• Apr 22: Eps 15-16 - u/heartsandclouds
• April 23 (Thurs) - episodes 17-18 - u/lotus_swimmer
• April 24 (Fri) - episodes 19-20 - u/heartsandclouds
• April 25 (Sat) - Episodes 21-22 - u/lotus_swimmer
• April 27 (Mon) - Episodes -23-24 - u/heartsandclouds

FYI Drama discussions are posted a day after the non-VIP schedule

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To be honest, nothing much happens these two episodes - but it sets the stage for exciting developments in future episodes, that's for sure!

We have a new second lead and love competitor: the son of the elderly man Miyu rescued: Tan Jizhou.

I see what you're doing, Show! But I don’t see him as serious competition. He’s just someone who dropped into Miyu’s life without any deep emotional resonance, though he seems like a genuinely good guy who would make a fine husband.

Ji Feng sees their interaction and do I sense a bit of jealousy? Maybe a microscopic bit? (Or maybe my imagination lol)

This was quickly followed by a classic "idol drama" moment where Ji Feng stumbles into Miyu, and they gaze into each other’s eyes.

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Ooooh melty.

This little scene was so well-acted; our two leads knew at that moment that they felt something, even if they were not ready to acknowledge it themselves. (I call it hormone to hormone communication hehe.) Wallace Chung and Zhu Zhu did so well here!

Miyu brings a different leadership style

Speaking of cleaning house, Xiaojia, one of Miyu’s subordinates, has been causing problems by feigning illness to avoid work. She finally gets into trouble for rummaging through a guest’s belongings. Although Miyu warns her that she will eventually get caught, Xiaojia throws a tantrum and ignores the advice. Sure enough, she was immediately snared when a guest catches her in the act.

I hoped she washed her hands after

While I wanted to see her punished severely, we know Miyu wouldn’t let her get fired. Instead, Miyu goes the extra mile, fishing the "stolen" object out of the sewage with her bare hands. Fortunately for Xiaojia, guest turns out to be a scammer and the ring was a fake.

This gesture wins Xiaojia’s heart. Miyu then distributes her own bonus to the team, firmly securing the loyalty of the housekeeping department.

I appreciate that Miyu didn’t resort to being a tough boss lady. In corporate circles, it's common "wisdom" that can't succeed if you're too nice, and women leaders often end up being pressured to put on aggressive, "male" leadership traits just to climb the corporate ladder. I once read a book that claimed the opposite: You can still be excellent leader without sacrificing your nice girl personality.

Miyu portrayed the book's leadership philosophy perfectly. She doesn't become a female version of Ji Feng; instead she brings in a different way to maange. She retains her kindness while enforcing clear boundaries. It’s a refreshing leadership style to watch in a drama like this!

Okay back to the palace-hotel drama

Our Nepo Quartet is getting nervous and a tad annoyed that Ji Feng insists that they do actual work.

For some reason they set their sights on Miyu. Their plan: To land her in trouble so that Ji Feng will "help her". Do they sense his admiration of her? They obviously know that she's on his team at least.

Work = Plotting people's ruination

Meanwhile, a new guest, Marcus Young, arrives. He is a big shot, and everyone is vying for his account. Lu Zhen Zhen is tasked with winning him over, and she ends up indirectly competing with Miyu. The Nepo Quartet is already making things difficult for her. sending her wrong instructions for Marcus which gets her chewed out.

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Ji Feng also "targets" another problematic figure: Chef Jia, the head of the restaurant. Chef Jia has been embezzling funds, but because he's such an untouchable, nobody dares to move against him.

So, Ji Feng decides to "make" Chef Jia resign voluntarily. Finance decides to audit the kitchen and Chef Jia accepts a job offer from another hotel, probably trying to escape any "problems".

He leaves without a word, taking some key kitchen staff with him. So, the plan succeeds, but Ji Feng ends up in a tight spot when Marcus decides to host a business dinner. Luckily, Miyu’s best friend, Li Qiaoqi, comes to the rescue!

Reactions to the show in China

One funny observation from social media: many men are watching this drama. (Yay!) Women on Xiao Hong Shu have been posting photos of their boyfriends or husbands engrossed in the show. One poster mentioned that when she said that the drama was about a "domineering CEO who falls for a Housekeeper", her boyfriend protested, insisting there was no romance in the drama, only hotel business, which amused her to no end.

Personally, I didn’t expect to enjoy the career aspects of the show this much!

Admittedly, things are sometimes convenient for Miyu; she meets the right people who makes her path smoother. But isn’t that how real life works? Success requires strategic networking, authenticity and genuine effort. While Miyu having helpful contacts along the way is convenient, the combination of the right network, opportunity, and personality is what allows her to climb the ranks.

And while Ji Feng's white knight ways is a bit of a concern for me, he doesn’t always rescue Miyu; it's more like he reprimands her and he helps her out of tight spots. I think it's the right thing to do as a manager.

For now, he acts reasonably as a manager, not as a "simp" doing everything for the female lead. (Please Show, don't do that.)

I’m also enjoying the factional takedowns within the hotel—it’s like a palace drama, but in suits! The strategy even feels realistic and not over the top.

Meanwhile, the drama is doing gangbusters in the ratings. I checked this morning, and it’s at 26% at Yunhe, which is exceptionally high. I hope it reaches 41%, like Love’s Ambition, potentially making it the season’s ratings winner. If it’s already at 26% around Episode 16 or 17, surely it will climb even higher once the couple finally gets together?? Don’t you think?

Links to previous discussions:Masterpost | All Discussions | Episodes 1-4 | Eps 5-6 | Eps 7-8

Discussion schedule:

• April 18: Eps 9-10 -u/lotus_swimmer
• April 20: Eps 11-12 - u/heartsandclouds
• April 21: Eps 13-14 - u/lotus_swimmer

FYI We are following the non-VIP schedule.

Just a normal day at Purong Hotel, I see

Episodes 9 and 10 highlight the start of a political fight over Purong Hotel, and Miyu and Ji Feng will be at the heart of it!

We now know why Ji Feng is at the hotel: he is "undercover", investigating the "rot" attacking the establishment. This adds an interesting layer to the story, even if real-life hotel professionals on Chinese social media complained that the scenarios that enfolded in the hotel in these episodes were unrealistic.

Hey, we are in makjang soap opera-land where a hot domineering CEO-type falls for a Housekeeper, so we're not here for realism, amirite?

Anyhoo, the rot is clearly highlighted in these episodes.

The more mundane one being that the hotel's soap is being replaced with fakes and sold on the black market. (I didn’t realize hotel toiletries were that valuable enough to sell—is it Chanel or something?)

But the most dangerous one is that due to the negligence and incompetence of Manager Feng and forewoman Zhang, staff would be put in danger.

We see Zhang failing to protect Miyu when she told her that a hotel guest was harassing her. Instead, the new Mrs. Nie kicks up such a scene that Zhang forced Miyu to serve him. Miyu ends up trapped in a room with him. Fortunately, Ji Feng breaks down the door just in time to save her from whatever horror he intended.

Yet despite all this drama, or maybe because of it, Ji Feng and Miyu ends up in an all-out screaming match when, in the midst of a tense contract dispute with his old hotel, Duan Jr barges into his room, tries to have a party and ends up burning important documents.

Miyu, probably being set up by Zhang to annoy Ji Feng enough for him to leave her a bad review (it kinda worked) was there with flowers and everything, so Ji Feng flies into a rage, accusing her of bringing the 'party' to his room.

But Miyu wasn't having it with his Dominant CEO act.

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Meanwhile, as our couple is screaming and stressing out each other, I'm like

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Maybe I'm a sadist but I love this scene because it shows that Miyu is no wilting shy flower with Ji Feng and could give it back to him hard. Oh, you're a cold, domineering CEO type? Miyu ain't impressed nor intimidated by your wrath!

What would've reduced most to tears, Miyu met his rage with words just as cutting and sharp.

Honest, painful, communication. That's what healthy couples need!

They both spilled truths though. Ji Feng said that she had to stop being such a people pleaser and needed to learn how to put up better boundaries (though saying it's her fault that she ended up being in that dangerous situation, while kinda truthful, is Level-A Jerkdom).

Miyu brings up the whole desert affair cover-up and retorts that he was hypocritical, harping about why he did what he did because of "good service" when he actually only cared about his KPI. (Truth!)

They tear each other apart, and it was glorious to watch.

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Maybe it was that surge of adrenaline or something, but it sent a jolt of clarity that enabled Ji Feng to save the prickly situation at the last minute.

Later, despite their, er, explosive night, he ends up rescuing Miyu from loan sharks harassing her.

Well then, that's two times our hero saves our heroine from aggressive men! I mean we do love our knights in shining armour but I hope this doesn’t become a habit; it could get boring fast if Ji Feng repeatedly saves Miyu from tight spots.

Hark, there's something rotten in Purong!

The plot thickens as we learn more about the hotel’s politics. The Chairwoman's nephew is also an incompetent manager, has a history with Ji Feng, whom he mistreated when Ji Feng was housekeeping staff back in the day.

The nephew is furious that "Black Card" Ji Feng is causing trouble, fearing Ji Feng is the professional manager rumored to replace him. Given the nephew’s involvement in the soap scheme (he reported the fake soap to the Chairwoman), his anxiety seems justified.

Meanwhile, when the forewoman fires Miyu, the Chairwoman finds out and screams at nephew.

Aaaaand, to silence Miyu and perhaps appease Ji Feng, the Chairwoman fires Zhang and promotes Miyu instead.

(By the way, what in heaven's name makes this so urgent that you need to drag everyone out of bed? Couldn't it be an email? Anyhoo...)

Should've been an email

Naturally, the other housekeepers resent Miyu’s promotion due to her lack of experience, but most of all, they suspected that "Black Card Ji" pulled strings to get her promoted.

Ji Feng, ever the warm, snugly bear, explicitly tells Miyu he had no part in her promotion.

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In fact, he seems highly unimpressed, telling his Purong manager friend who believes she could be a good member of his future team, that he doubts she has what it takes to be a forewoman, let alone executive material.

And he's right. Miyu's former colleagues are walking all over her, exploiting her kindness, defying her orders. She has obviously retreated to her people pleasing, submissive ways, and I hope future episodes show her overcoming these traits.

I appreciate Ji Feng’s harshness and the fact that he didn't pull strings to get her promoted (though he obviously had a hand in ensuring that she got some kind of justice by tattling to the chairwoman).

I want Miyu to grow into a competent manager, not rely on Ji Feng to save her from every tight spot. (Please Show, don't dissappoint me!)

Overall, this were compelling episodes as usual! I was worried the hotelier politics may end up boring me, but interpersonal dynamics make it engaging.

PS: Our show appears to be a sleeper hit, a dark horse with a marketshare of up to 21% on Yunhe. Yay!

Seriously, this view is to die for. Gimme!