There are countless great scenes in Bu Bu Jing Xin, and I’m not planning to run down a list and recap them all. I’m recapping depending on my mood and whim, and really as a way to wean myself off the BBJX exhilaration. I love how this drama refuses to tell you how to feel, when choosing between 8th Prince or 4th Prince, and casting either man into the corner of right or wrong, better or worse for Ruo Xi. Despite not wanting to end up with 8th Prince’s fate, one can easily argue that what happened to Ruo Xi was far worse. Or argue that it was far better, because It’s not every day, or even any lifetime, that two people can love as deeply as Ruo Xi and 4th Prince. Let’s revisit a snowy breakup with 8th Prince leading into a nap in the middle of the lake with 4th Prince.
It’s dark already by the time Ruo Xi walks outside. The snow is falling and she looks up into the sky. This scene mirrors the moment in episode 3 when a young Ruo Xi walks outside during the daytime and looks up at the snow flurries. But this time the darkness mirrors her mood. She’s made up her mind that she cannot be with 8th Prince should he decide that he cannot give up the pursuit for the throne.
Ruo Xi walks down a small lakeside jetty. She stands at the edge waiting for 8th Prince, who walks up to join her. They stand at the two ends of the jetty, the physical distance mirroring their current impasse.
Ruo Xi cuts straight to the chase and asks 8th Prince whether his answer is yes or no. 8th Prince remains baffled, unable to understand why Ruo Xi would ask him to choose between two things he ought to be able to have, the throne and Ruo Xi.
Ruo Xi takes that as a no answer. Ruo Xi tells 8th Prince to beware of 4th Prince. 8th Prince is like “what the what?”, completely confused with this sudden change in subject. Ruo Xi doesn’t elaborate, but continues listing names of high officials that 8th Prince needs also beware of. It is at this moment Ruo Xi tampers with history, despite all her attempts to tread lightly and be careful with every step she takes.
She tells 8th Prince that from this moment on, they are over and will have no further relationship to each other. Ruo Xi brushes past 8th Prince as she walks away. He calls out her name and she stops in her step.
Without turning around to look at him, Ruo Xi tells 8th Prince that she is a coward, a woman who loves life and is afraid of death. She does not deserve for him to cherish her. Ruo Xi steels her heart and takes off running, leaving 8th Prince there staring at her rapidly fading figure in the snow.
Ruo Xi runs and runs until she finally slips in the slippery snow. Instead of getting up, she starts to cry as she remembers all her moments with 8th Prince.
As she is crying, 4th Prince and 13th Prince happen to pass by. 13th Prince wonders who this person is laying in the snow? He walks over, and when he sees it’s Ruo Xi, he quickly helps her up.
Ruo Xi has unfortunately sprained her ankle in the fall. 13th Prince offers to piggyback her but 4th Prince stops him, reminding him that it’s against etiquette for a prince to be piggybacking a servant girl. What if someone sees? 13th Prince is chastened and rushes off to find help, leaving Ruo Xi alone with 4th Prince.
Ruo Xi has a death grip on 4th Prince’s arm so that she doesn’t fall down. They stare at each other intensely, but Ruo Xi still has tears coming down her face.
Finally 4th Prince tells her to stop. If she intends to thus debase herself, she ought to do it in the privacy of her own room. In her room, she’s less likely to be disturbed.
Ruo Xi is so pissed she pushes herself away from 4th Prince, causing herself to tumble back on the snowy ground. 4th Prince tells her that it’s because she’s got such an attitude, how can she ever expect a guy to treasure her and take care of her? He extends his hand to help her up.
Ruo Xi glares at 4th Prince, and then grabs a handful of snow and chucks it at him. He uses his cloak to block her snowball attack, but she keeps grabbing more and just heaving it at him.
13th Prince returns with servants bearing a stretcher of sorts. 13th Prince adorably wonders how the heck Ruo Xi ended up back in the snow again?
Ruo Xi is helped onto the stretcher and carried away. She turns and sends one final death glare at 4th Prince, before throwing one more snowball at him. 13th Prince is shocked to see it and wonders what the heck happened? 4th Prince doesn’t say anything.
After 8th Prince and Ruo Xi break up, her life gradually returns to normal in the palace. One day she takes a walk to a pavilion by a lake filled with lotus flowers and fronds. She runs into 4th Prince there, and they discuss how they both like coming here for the peace and quiet.
4th Prince offers to take her somewhere that is truly quiet and secluded. He walks down to a small boat he keeps by the side of the lake and tells Ruo Xi to get in.
4th Prince rows the boat with Ruo Xi into the middle of the lake. Please excuse the horrific CGI and just enjoy the piercing stares 4th Prince is sending towards Ruo Xi.
In the middle of the lake, 4th Prince sets down the oars and declares that he’s taking a nap now. Ruo Xi can do whatever she feels like. Ruo Xi looks around and confirms she’s stuck in the middle of a lake with 4th Prince.
4th Prince lays down for his nap, leaving Ruo Xi no choice but to follow suit. She lays down and then puts her hankerchief over her face. She lifts the hankerchief slightly to peek at 4th Prince but then drops it back over her face.
After some time, 4th Prince suddenly sits up and comes really chose to the still prone Ruo Xi. She pulls the hankerchief off her face and sits up, which literally puts her face-to-face with 4th Prince.
They stare at each other, until she holds her hankerchief up between them. She tells him that he’s not allowed to look at her like that.
He grabs her hand and tells her to put that hankerchief down. She says he started it first by looking at her like that. She agrees to put it down if he stops looking at her like that. He agrees, so Ruo Xi drops the hankerchief. She then reminds him to let go of her hand.
Ruo Xi asks 4th Prince if he comes here a lot? He says that he’s come a few times, but he doesn’t come often because wallowing in comfort and leisure can dull a person’s mind.
4th Prince tells Ruo Xi that they should return now. He grabs the oars and rows her back to shore. They continue to just look at each other. It’s like a invisible wall has fallen between them, the moment 4th Prince took her into his private sanctuary in the lake, akin to allowing her into his fiercely guarded heart.
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I LOVED the snowball scene. It speaks volumes about their relationship. In some ways, it mirrors the scene with 13th prince, 14th prince, and Ruoxi where they go to explain and thank 13th prince for the help on the grasslands, after all is said and done, she shows her true personality and doesn't hold back while ordering 13th prince around.
The snowball scene was the same. With 4th prince, that's really the first time she didn't tread lightly with him, and showed him her true fierce personality since entering the palace. It's a rare glimpse into their relationship - one where the two of them can fully be themselves around each other without having to tread lightly.
I need MOAR! So addicting, up until 3 every morning watching this drama now. Koala, you are a bad influence. The book, then the drama, I'm going to have to rewatch this at least 3 times before I can ween myself off.
Knew you'd be here! (;
Thanks for the scene recaps, ockoala.
Whatever, dork. I miss you - you should call me sometime.
Omg. =( I'm feeling sad again seeing 4RX pictures.. I feel like I can't recover from the sadness. No wonder Shishi had trouble dealing with it.
I LOVED the snowball scene as well. And despite the CGI, I also loved the lake scene. Argh.. I just love every single 4RX scene.
I'm BBJX-ing the whole day already.. I feel sad to know that everything is over now.. I enjoyed these two weeks stalking their Weibo's and seeing their interactions.. I just love the fact that Nicky's Weibo is exploded with literally 10.000+ replies every post he makes. I'm so happy for them.
BBJX has totally taken over my life these two weeks. I followed the Hunan TV version (yea.. loyal BBJX fan here)..
2 episodes a day.. the last couple days were a torture.. emotionally. It was so depressing. It was like slowly ripping my heart. Each and every day. It was killing. I thought I was breaking down yesterday during the finale. In fact.. I really felt depressed by the episodes during this whole week, I even had some little problems with sleeping. I'm too attached to the story and its characters.
Bu Bu Jing Xin - THANKYOU!
The problem is.. Bu Bu Jing Xin isn't the "normal" sadness as for the sake of drama and entertainment. I can't describe it.. You just feel completely down and depressed by the story. And it might be the first time that I really felt that my heart was aching while watching a drama. Especially 4th and Ruoxi's story.. wonderfully executed.
We see how 4th and Ruoxi met each other. We see how they developed feelings. We see how they opened their hearts to each other. We see how they fell deeply in love. We see how they are hurt and how they are unwilling to let each other go. We see how the dying Ruoxi is waiting for the love of her life to come see her for the last time. We see how 4th is frutratedly looking for the letter of his love. We see how his heart is completely killed. We just feel their undying love.
You just get completely immersed into the story.. I'm tearing up while thinking back of all the scenes. The story.. script.. acting.. just wonderful.
I so agree with you on your views. :)
I also love love this scene of 4 & RX. To me, it a clean slate for both of them to start up and fall hard for one another. They have officially let go and will be in each other's heart.
I like to think that 10th was like a puppy/friend love, 8th was her first love as he's the only male she's around with most and she is aware historically that he's virtuous, 13th is her very best best friend, 14th is like her savior out of the all pain inside the forbidden city and 4th is her soulmate, her last lover.
I am also addict to this drama! thanks for introducing us to this magnificent piece of drama! I am so deperate for english sub, that I just start to watch it raw and have rewatched the subbed ep a couple of times... especially my favorite scenes, googling for any blogs or forums related to this drama!
One question, I prolly have asked alrdy. If during that scene, RX have changed history, that what really actually happened is history? Even if RX did tell 8th about those he have to be aware if, 8th will eventually fall and 4th will be King anyways right? Just because RX said smthg now, that made it seems like it was her who changed history ?
Thanks Ms. Koala! Looking more for these recaps to help the BBJX withdraws!
That's the brilliance of Tong Hua's writing with respect to RX telling 8 to beware of 4.
RX thinks she set into motion the events of history, 8 setting up 4, 13 getting house arrest, 4 gaining the throne to avenge 13, etc.
But towards the end of the drama, 4 has a conversation with his wife (already the Queen by that time) about why on earth RX would have warned 8 back then. Yes, back then RX wasn't in love with 4 yet. But 4 can't figure out what he could have done to make RX single him out as a threat to 8's pursuit of the throne. Yes, 4 wanted the throne, most of the princes did, but he shouldn't have stood out for RX to specifically warn 8 about him.
The Queen tells 4 not to overthink it. 4 was the most brilliant prince of all, and it's only logical 8 and his gang would have wanted to take out their most dangerous competition.
This conversation really goes to explain that RX may or may not have affected history. If she didn't tell 8 to beware of 4, chances are 8 would have still rationally picked 4 as his biggest competition and targeted him anyways. But RX was so devastated by then she is no longer able to think things through calmly anymore, wanting only to accept responsibility for everyone's tragedy so 4 would stop punishing 8 and the other princes.
Ahhh.... of course 4th and 8th were most intelligent, and on par to be competitors, worth it to compete. Thanks for the enlightment as I saw the discussion but there were no translations what so ever.
I hope you will also recap the dancing fantasy that 4 have about RX. :P
That reminds me of when 14 (or was it 10?) that mentioned that when 8 and 4 joined forces, the target was doomed and they would succeed. They would have logically gone after each other, but at the same time - I'd like to think that 4 wouldn't have been so cruel if RX wasn't involved and hurt in the process. I think part of him understood that the battle for the throne was common among princes (like 14 said) and had RX not gotten involved/hurt in the process, he wouldn't have wanted revenge to that extent.
Remember, 14 once asked 8 that if he won the throne, if he could allow 4 to retire to a quiet life, and 8 responded with "would he allow the same of me?" I honestly think 4 would have, he was a quiet and hard person - but he seemed to reasonably care for his family, as best as a family at war could.
That would be 14 because I just rewatched the episodes again. :P
It was when 13 threw the general ledger book (?) into 8th's carriage regarding 9th embezzeling (?) and 8 and 14 discuss why 4 had given it to them. and 8 explained why and 14 was impressed and amazed and said (per the eng sub) that if they were not born into the royal family, they would work well togther.
I was surprised and touched when 14th plead to 8 regarding letting 4th retire to the country side. I agreed with you that 4 will not do anything because like 13 said he looks cold outside but inside he is warm and caring for those he loves.
Shishi once said something that I wholeheartedly agree with..
若曦和八爺是相戀，但和四爺卻是相愛。
I'm a VERY bad translator, but you can interpret it as "Ruoxi likes 8th, but she loves 4th". Ok.. the translation doesn't do the statement justice. But you get it.
The CG in this drama is truly horrendous but I still totally squeed when 4th prince was leaning over Ruoxi and looking at her with those smexy eyes!
I'm working my way back from the ending because it's so hard watching two people who love each other so much keep on hurting each other because of their positions. It was so heartbreaking when Ruoxi realizes that she has to be careful about what she says to him because it might endanger other people's lives.
ahh, watching a drama backwards has been a coping strategy of mine for years now ;) It does help to alleviate some of the heartache.
sigh i love these scenes! despite the horrific CG srsly what is up with that. i also love 13's interactions with 4RX. sooo cute, especially in a later scene where he realizes ruoxi knows things about 4 that he doesn't (i.e. the lake)
After reading OCKoala's raves about BBJX, I just found Eng subs on mysoju.com and am already loving it! Recaps and such make watching this beautifully filmed drama all the more enjoyable. Thanks!
I have to say that I was quite disappointed by the disappointing CG effects because the scene potrayed in the book referred to a very beautiful setting. But that aside, the wonderful interaction and sizzling chemistry between 4th and ruoxi more than made up for the lack.4th's piercing stares to ruoxi hit me straight in the gut...
The snowball fight was so cute too. 4th prince just calmly raised his robe to deflect the snow but ruoxi finally got him in the end. It is quite funny and coincidental though that everytime ruoxi is sad/angry after a conversation with members of 8th gang, 13th and 4th prince always bump into her. Like in this case after her final breakup with 8th and the time when 14th shouted at her for messing with 8th's feelings.
THanks ockoala for your wonderful recaps, you always manage to point out the underlying symbolic message of a scene that i miss, which makes me appreciate the scene more when i re-watch it.
I'm so going to miss BBJX! Yes, I especially love the snowball scene, and I love that 4th Prince treats RX the girl that he likes. Imagine, if a commoner threw a snowball at the prince..? See ya then...