American Perspectives: I Love the 4th Prince! "Scarlet Heart" (C-Drama) Ep. 14-19 Response

Nicky Wu/Wu Qinlong isn't my usual type when it comes to having crushes on actors in these Sinosphere shows, but the way he is playing that role as the 4th Prince is really making my heart flutter.  Even the hairstyle he is wearing as the 4th Prince isn't my usual preference, but he is totally rocking it.  Dare I say he looks better with that hair than he does with his modern hair?

I like that he doesn't micromanage Ruoxi, he isn't jealous of her friendships with the other princes, and he doesn't pressure her into doing things she isn't ready to do.  He may have crossed the line in Episode 7 when he kissed her, but he has gone above and beyond in distancing himself from repeating that kind of behavior.

I like that he listens to Ruoxi without judgement. He doesn't try to control her.

I feel that the 8th Prince seemed like a "nice guy," but he was really shady and insidious.  I felt he was a bit controlling of Ruoxi in a very covert way.  He didn't respect her decision to end their relationship, and I'm proud of her for doing so, instead of being like 해수 in the Korean version, and having it end with her 8th Prince in one of the worst possible ways.  I'm glad Ruoxi stayed firm in her decision to break off, and she went to great lengths to make sure she didn't come across as jerking him around.  (Though the dude just wouldn't go away!  Every time he talks to her, I think "Go away 8th Prince!").  I'm glad that in spite of the guilt trips and triangulation from the 14th Prince, she still held her boundaries.  She is the epitome of an assertive woman.  Ever since 14th Prince made threats against Ruoxi for breaking off her relationship with the 8th Prince, I definitely lost any and all respect for him.  It is really difficult to stick to your boundaries when someone is that intensely interested in you, and triangulation strategies are used to get you to change your mind.

But enough about the Shady 8th Prince.  Back to why I love the 4th Prince: He supports Ruoxi in a strong, silent way, no strings attached.  Every time 8th Prince helps her, both 8th and 14th expect her to express her utmost appreciation by marrying him.  Yuck! And the 4th Prince has some really adorable moments, such as in the picture above.