Beloved Enemy series

They don't look like that at any point in the series, but I kept seeing this image and I like it a lot.

Soooo, I watched Beloved Enemy, a 15 episode Chinese series made after a BL web novel. Light novel? Not sure, a novel of some sort. I recently joined a discord channel thinking it's BL novels focused, but instead I got BL series and I thought, why not. So off I go watching BL series. Beloved Enemy is not the first I watched, far from it, but it's the first time I, for some unknown reason, wrote down my impressions for every episode. I don't know why I did it and I had no idea what to do with it, but then I remembered I have a blog, so here I am. This post is going to be a massive spoiler. Like huge, the whole show is going to be spoiled, I am not leaving anything out. Except for the review, once I copy/paste every episode entry, it's going to be spoiler after spoiler after spoiler. Don't say I didn't warn you.  

This post is going to go like this: synopsis, perfectly innocent review, some series/novel spoilers, spoiler fest, and what I think/hope happens next. 

Synopsis 

GuQingPei is a new director allured with a high salary, but his first challenge at his new post is to help his boss raise his son? 

A rich, hot-tempered, and arrogant second generation princeling best at causing trouble, YuanYang is rebellious and domineering, but GuQingPei has the confidence to make him bow down and submit. No one in this life has dared to make him (YuanYang) feel so grievous and troubled! Facing GuQingPei’s treacherous smiles and opossing him at every step, YuanYang decides to give GuQingPei a lesson. Instead, he loses control of the situation and they develop another type of relationship.

novelupdates.com 

Review 

The original story of this series is labelled as ROMANCE, SMUT, DRAMA. The series dropped most of the labels and kept DRAMA. I knew that when I started watching it and I went into it thinking okay, I might not get a BL, but there could be an interesting plot. While that turned out to be true, I also shipped QingPei and YuanYang most of the time. I also recognised some BL tropes and clichés and was delighted at how the production team went around them and made the series pretty darn good. 

I liked the acting a lot, both main characters did a great job at portraying QingPei and YuanYang, in what I would say to be very good acting. I liked everyone else too. Since I didn't have any high expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. 

The plot was enjoyable. While the original genre was cast aside, there was still a lot going on that allowed the director and writer and the whole team to create something interesting. There was intrigue, complications, and anxious situations. Very well done. 

Series vs Novel 

Here is where the spoilers start. 

Initially I wanted to read the novel in parallel with the show and see what they changed. I read some of it, but I didn't make it too far. In the series, QingPei divorced his wife, ZhaoYang, because he wanted to focus on his career and in the original story he divorced her because he realised he was gay. In the series YuanYang hired a female escort to drug and have sex with QingPei while recording it. In the original story, YuanYang hired a male escort to drug and have sex with QingPei while recording it. In both versions the sex is not happening because the escort backs off. So, in the series YuanYang pretty much tries to kill QingPei, and in the original story YuanYang rapes QingPei. This is about as much as I properly read because, ew, gross. I dislike that so much. 

At this point I didn't like YuanYang in the series at all. He is a prick, he's spoiled, he's impulsive and a generally awful person. But when it comes to the original story I couldn't stand him at all. I did go and skimmed the novel a bit later in the series because I was curious about some of the other things that happened, but the random chapters I looked into basically have QingPei and YuanYang being together, mostly fighting. Or having... No, I can't say having sex, because every instance that I skimmed through was YuanYang forcing himself on QingPei. So awful! 

In conclusion, the original story is gross, I don't recommend it and I am so glad the series didn't go the same route. This is one of those rare cases where it's good that they didn't keep to the original story. 

Everything Spoilers 

This is a jumble of things, it won't make a lot of sense if you didn't watch the series.  

Ep 01. I really, really like GuQingPei. At first I thought he was going to be a prick, but he is badass and awesome. YuanYang is the classic spoiled rich brat, but at this point I'm sure he'll come around. The plot is pretty cliché, but I have hopes for this series, it looks like it's going to be really fun. 

Ep 02. For someone who was in the military, YuanYang is very undisciplined. But there is something good in there somewhere. Or at least his training kicks in when needed and he rushes to successfully rescue even his nemesis. I am a bit worried about QingPei, though. Was that car coming at him intentionally or not? I tend to say not, but also I would be surprised for QingPei to not have some enemies. 

Ep 03. At this point I am not a fan of YuanYang and I'm inclined to say his friend, PengFang, is a really bad influence. Planning to set someone up is bad enough, having him harassed is worse. I don't think Yuan Yang would have come up with it on his own and I can tell he's troubled by it. I really hope two of his neurons connect and he'll go rescue QingPei from sexual assault. That YuanYang planned, yes. I really am not a fan of his. 

Ep 04. YuanYang has a conscience, but not a lot of it. I didn't like the soundtrack in this episode (although I do still want to know the name of the band singing in this series) where after almost killing QingPei, YuanYang was made to be seen as a hero for going back after him, and later as kind when he waited next to QingPei while he was sleeping. And, what you see, he is made into a hero when he goes to retrieve QingPei's ex-wife from her kidnappers. Ugh! Also, I would have dropped the series if Yuan Yang would have sexually assaulted QingPei. Almost killing him is not better, I know, but I can get over it because I don't think that was YuanYang's intention. I also don't want QingPei to lose in front of YuanYang, I don't think he will, though. Hnggg. I'm also not a fan of the fact that PengFang kept the recording. At this point I think he's either going to turn against YuanYang or the recording is going to leak to someone. 

Ep 05. Less excitement this episode, I got a conversation between QingPei and YuanYang. The brat managed to fix things somehow, he also rescued ZhaoYang who is now an employee at the same company. This might become tricky. I think YuanYang is going to be really funny from now on, judging by how the episode ended. The guy has no filter so that will help with it. I still want to know who sings that song. 

It is 99乐团 - 不正常. Oh joy! 

Ep 06. YangYuan sure has a... quality to him. At least now he actually wants to work on the company projects and to learn from QingPei so that's good. I'm starting to like him a little bit. I also find it amusing that he seems to be jealous on ZhaoYang. And I am so glad the recording is now in his possession. That increases the risk of QingPei finding it, but at least it won't leak and that means PengFang is a loyal friend. 

Ep 07. YuanYang sure is a scheming prick. He's good at it, though, I have to give him that. I am glad QingPei found out about the whole kidnapping deal. I knew he will find out at some point and I'm glad to have that out of the way. 

Ep 08. Something is brewing and both QingPei and YuanYang are going to be in so much trouble. I just hope it won't be a public thing, like when they are in the middle of the upcoming party, but that what's probably going to happen. Until then, QingPei is such a cute oversharing drunk. That was unexpected. The 'side story' at the end of the episode was so nice (ignoring the fact it is basically a commercial) and I loved how YuanYang's phone password being QingPei's birthdate only got a casual 'oh' from QingPei. 

P.S.: I keep wanting to mention it, but I forget because there are far more interesting things going on there, but right from the first scenes I disliked the employees fangirling, and I will continue to do so. Although I have to admit some meddling doesn't do any harm sometimes. 

Ep 09. PengFang is an idiot for making a copy of that video. I don't know who found out about it, but I hope it's not the guy on the second video. These people should not be in charge of a video camera of any kind. I kept expecting the video to drop at the party, but luckily it didn't. I really hope it won't be a public thing, that would be disastrous for QingPei. It's already awful enough that YuanYang's dad is casting him away. Oh, and speaking of LiYang, he's slowly finding out about everything that's been happening and that can't be good for anyone. It would have helped if they wouldn't have been idiots, but, well, what can you do about it now. 

Ep 10. I am really glad ZhaoYang is moving on from QingPei, she held on enough. And she was right, she shouldn't have taken a job at the same company. What is that bullshit advice she got from a random book? Spending more time with her unrequited love? Yeah, I can see how that can do good. /s As glad as I am for her, there are more pressing matters going on... The video is now in someone else's possession. Who? My bets are on that white hired guy, HaiLong, but I wouldn't be surprised if WangLi was the one who stole it either. He could use it to get QingPei to work for him. First half of the episode had me quite bored with the drama, but the second half got me pumped. And just to be clear here, both YuanYang and PengFang are idiots. 

Ep 11. Well, well, well. The video is now out in the open. (Not actually, it's not public... yet.) I am glad YuanYang got slapped and yelled at for it, but he deserves a more severe punishment. I think he's going to fix it somehow, because, d'uh, he's YuanYang, but as long as QingPei gets out of this unscathed I declare myself happy. The guy worked way too hard for getting where he is, and to see it all crumble because YuanYang is a spoiled brat in whom not even the army could knock some common sense, would be too cruel. 

Ep 12. Can I really trust LiYang to have taken care of the recording? I don't know... He could have used it to make QingPei back off if he kept a copy so let's be optimistic about it and say that he did get rid of every copy. But before that, YuanYang, after misunderstanding what was going on between QingPei and WangLi, left to America. I think the two-year long trip will do him good and I am awaiting for when he gets back and everything is explained to him. I'm glad ZhaoYang found someone, she's completely over QingPei and that's great. As for QingPei, I'm still a bit worried about him. If this project he works on falls through it will be a blow to him, and he's doing so well, working for himself and seeming in a happier place than before. 

Ep 13. Yay for figuring out a way to save the project, QingPei sure is a very good at what he's doing. The new and improved YuanYang scares me. He was a prick before, but now he's a prick who learned restraint and has an agenda. This would be completely fine by me, but not at QingPei's expense. I really like him and now he's sad again. I'm not surprised that HaiLong has a copy of the recording, but I'm worried if whether YuanYang needs the copy to blackmail QingPei or to keep him away from harm. Of course, I hope it's to keep him safe, but YuanYang is really scary now. Also, lmao, he bought QingPei's former house and if that's not proof he cares about QingPei and he's not over him, I don't know what is. Also, that girlfriend of his... I'm not convinced there's not some kind of understanding going on between them rather than an actual relationship in order for YuanYang to evade his LiYang. 

Ep 14. Super glad that YuanYang found out what actually happened, but I'm not surprised about the manner in which he found out. I was also partially right about his girlfriend, we knew about the agreement, but she didn't. The series is coming to an end, with only one episode left so a lot is happening, all ends are getting tied, and people are being hit by karma left and right. I already can guess how it will all end, but let's just wait for the last episode. I must say I am not surprised nor upset that RanWang kissed YuanYang, but I'm still not thinking about them as an item (although they are likely going to be an item). QingPei is doing so great with all the shit that's going down all around him, and, seriously, someone should give him a hug, preferably YuanYang while apologising profusely for everything he did. QingPei is right, YuanYang is just a kid who tries to get his parent's attention. 

Ep 15. And I finally reached the last episode. Releasing the recording himself, and writing the actual article, was a great move on QingPei's part. He took matters in his hands and dealt with it, then took a well deserved vacation. I was worried I won't see him at all in this episode, but of course it wouldn't have been right without him around. I must say I am pretty happy with how this series ended. I seem to have been wrong about RanWang and YuanYang, they are definitely not an item, but all the better. I thought they really went on to 'straighten' this series, but maybe not. For me, YuanYang and QingPei's story only now starts. How they are now, I can totally see them getting closer and closer and developing feelings. Going back to the episode itself, everything worked out in the end, everyone atoned for their mistakes, everyone reached a happy conclusion, in a, ya know, completely unrealistic way, but hey, this is a series and I liked it. My watching of Beloved Enemy was a success! 

My Version

Thinking only about the series and ignoring the original story completely (the only thing I would keep is QingPei divorcing ZhaoYang because he is gay), here's what I imagine is going to happen next: now QingPei and YuanYang work together on this new project. They spend a lot of time bouncing off ideas and creating something together. Naturally, they spend more and more time in each other's company and they obviously get closer and closer. At some point they have a chat after a tiring day, being all casual and comfortable, and YuanYang tells QingPei he's sorry (this not being the first time he apologised) for everything he put him through and that he admires and appreciates him a lot. QingPei responds by saying all's forgiven, he wouldn't have helped him otherwise. 

They look at each other, YuanYang shifts closer to QingPei who isn't sure what to do, scoot away or lean in. YuanYang tells him he really wants to kiss him and has been wanting to for a while now. QingPei is taken aback, but whispers that he would like that. So they kiss and a new kind of story starts. 

Dunno about you, but I like my version of events way more. Just two enemies turned lovers, really, really slowly, but 100% consensual.