Fengjiu and Donghua Kind of… Makes Sense

So, with the accelerating hype of the upcoming drama Pillow Book (whose release date has been pushed back for the five-hundredth time), we decide to dedicate a post to discussing this minor couple’s storyline in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and how, despite all the whining and the incomprehensible rock-related problems, they present a fairly believable and somewhat less infuriating relationship than the supposedly phenomenal OTP.

WARNING: this analysis 1) contains spoilers 2) is humor-free

*Our analysis is based strictly on Fengjiu and Donghua’s romance as seen in the drama Eternal Love, not the novel Pillow Book.

First of all, YES, Fengjiu could have moped less and Donghua could have been more clear to her about how he once thought it was a good idea to mess with a magical rock and consequently threw his own chance at a romance down the garbage disposal.

The drama also doesn’t do that much of a satisfying job in weaving Fengjiu and Donghua’s tragedy into the big picture, therefore making viewers who aren’t familiar with The Pillow Book (including us, QuippeQuest) conclude that Fengjiu needs an intervention and Donghua needs more than one punch in the face.

But taking a second look at this romance, we will say that Fengjiu and Donghua have a storyline that comes second in making the most sense in this drama (first place belongs to Yanzhi and Zilan, in our opinion); and it would have been better if they were granted a bit more attention from the writer, at least compared to Yehua and Bai Qian.

Here’s how:

1. MISUNDERSTANDING IS NOT WHAT MAKES THEIR CONFLICT.

Maybe this is due to the fact that they are only a MINOR pairing, Fengjiu and Donghua’s story is free from petty jealousies and absurd misunderstandings most OTPs are subjected to.

They meet, fall in love, learn why they can’t be together, fight for it (at least one of them does), and at one point let go.

Their tragedy doesn’t happen because of unfounded doubts, it happens because both of them completely grasp the gravity of their situation as well as the depth of each other’s affection, but have to make the choice to separate anyway.

(Again, we’re not sure about the NOVEL Pillow Book, which might promote misunderstanding to the fullest considering this writer’s style, our interpretation is only based on the drama Ten Miles.)

2. THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAS DEVELOPMENT.

While Yehua and Bai Qian’s romance is all about “let’s do something for Bai Qian, and let’s also not tell her about it” throughout the ENTIRE THING, Fengjiu and Donghua go through many stages.

They start out with Fengjiu being a star-struck young woman who wants to repay Donghua’s kindness, not knowing that she’s actually attracted to him and is only finding excuses for herself to see him (and wreck his place) as much as possible.

Next, they go through a trial in the mortal realm where Donghua is free to act upon his feelings and we see a few different sides of Fengjiu: her thoughtfulness for Donghua’s trial, her generosity to the mortal concubines despite her being bullied by them, and her  struggle between what she wants and what must be done.

(Because… you know, Fengjiu and the mortal Donghua both want a happily-ever-after, but only by breaking his heart can Fengjiu help him pass his trial. And helping him is what she is in the mortal realm for.)

Not to say that the editing of these episodes isn’t sloppy and the constructing of their conflicts isn’t a mess, because at one point, it felt like there was no editor for the script. But in a whole, this arc demonstrates a new stage of their romance, where Fengjiu and Donghua experience what CAN be; and the conflicts they face are different from before.

Next, returning from the mortal realm, Fengjiu and Donghua can no longer deny they’re both head-over-heels for one another.

Fengjiu does very questionable things during her pursuit of Donghua during this time that annoy viewers to no ends; and honestly, her constantly tailing him and her sulking are the things we can live without. But we will acknowledge that this is the stage where we can see clearly how Donghua is forced to be honest with himself despite his usual indifference.

When the truth about Donghua’s messing with the Magical Rock (🙄) is laid out on the table, Fengjiu makes one last desperate try for it by using one of her nine tails to attempt to magically reverse what Donghua has done – the most tragic point of their relationship, but also where Donghua slips out the truth, half telling Fengjiu that it is pretty much hopeless, but also half letting her know that THINGS CHANGE WITH TIME, and that patience is the only solution to their problem (per his map for her during her coronation).

And… guess what? Fengjiu goes on to become the next Queen of Qingqiu.

Are there any mind-blowing bed scenes or grand seduction schemes in between? Maybe not, but their emotional development is clear. They start at one place, and end at another.

3. THEIR CHOICES REFLECT THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF ONE ANOTHER.

Of course, they first and foremost make choices to benefit themselves, but as their relationship grows, so does their sense of awareness as to what the other person needs.

For example – yes , Yehua does a lot for Bai Qian and would gladly throw himself into any kind of disaster to prove his love for her and show her how sorry he is, so and so. But has Yehua EVER stopped rolling his self-torture snowball to consider WHAT BAI QIAN WANTS? She wants Moyuan back but does she really want Yehua to achieve this at the cost of his own life? She wants to protect innocent people from the (whatever) Bell in the end but does she want to watch Yehua run into battle by himself while she stands tied up in a corner even if that guarantees her safety? If asked, would Susu have chosen blindness or death?

This is what’s different about them and Fengjiu/Donghua. They latter paring care (or they are given the chance to) about each other’s opinion, wishes, and in the end (after a WHOLE LOT OF crying), respect them. Donghua does what he thinks is best for the whole world; Fengjiu, while incurably stubborn and childish, often keeps in mind Donghua’s burden when it matters.

While the drama really doesn’t deliver that well Donghua’s power and responsibility, we  get the general idea. And neither Donghua nor Fengjiu act recklessly believing that they are doing the other person a favor.

Donghua descends to the mortal realm, the one place he can be free to express his rock-like love toward Fengjiu and therefore making her understand that he’s not just some icy purple statue without feelings.

Is it foolish of Donghua to hope that Fengjiu’s crush on him would end there? Absolutely. But at least the choices he makes are strictly because of Fengjiu’s clear need to COMPREHEND the depth of his ROCK HEART.

Lastly, after all that nonstop pursuing and literal sulking in a cave, Fengjiu actually listens to Donghua and moves on with her life. While she doesn’t give up on their relationship, she has now understood that maybe to fight against what fate has in store for them, she needs to become more than a clingy, childish little fox who makes reckless choices.

Is their story without flaws? NO. This drama really pushes the audience’s limits with Fengjiu’s constant crying and refusing to leave Donghua alone and Donghua’s switching between affectionate and not. But in the end, we sympathize with them just fine because of all the reasons above.

Now, let’s hope the upcoming drama doesn’t contradict all of these positive things about Donghua and Fengjiu  in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.