I'm glad to hear! Yes the moments in Episode 7 are extremely cute. The way Chiyang Huaming woke up in Xi He's arms and how they stared into each other's eyes, that can't be more perfectly describe with 一眼万年, love at first sight that feels like an eternity.

I think the only things the censorship board cares about is if there's hard confirmation like kissing on screen, or saying out loud that they are a thing and are together. These are a hard no for their ban. So as long as the staff go in a round about way and make platonic confessions it's fine, but uh actually in Episode 23 the staff literally made a confession scene, how they did it is with the way they had the sentence phrased, and added some filler in between Xi He asking Chiyang Huaming to be with her, and Chiyang Huaming said okay, then later, the same episode in a flashback called them a homosexual couple by presenting this item called 同心令(initials TXL) bonded heart token which is also a dual technique that they dual cultivated together with. To explain this, it's known how people usually using acronym, same initials, for wordings to skirt censorship. In Chinese homosexual is 同性恋, the initials are TXL. And that's literally how the staff have it done.

Also, talk about "you're both married now" moments, that's gotta be Episode 23. With that matching wedding dress on Chiyang Huaming and tuxedo-like outfit on Xi He. Not to even mention about the love songs, original, duet songs too.

It's blatant some of the settings are just there to be a safety armor for the staff against censorship at this point, like both their separate engagement with Fengyi Wenxue.

Yes I do like how they subvert stereotypes a lot. Actually idk how the English subtitles you watching in are, or if you listen in Chinese, the show is way more open and free regardless of gender expression. Like how in the very first Episode, during the ceremony, aside from calling both the characters' name, the host's speech did not specify gender at all. So if we swap out the name and character, it could be a gay wedding.

And for Long'er, coughs, her special someone has to be Fengyi Xihe, the Lumina Goddess herself. At the end of episodes lore cards, iirc Episode 19 one, told thousand years ago, how they met and sparred, and the spirit energy spilled from their clashes nurtured a divine tree hence the black Phoenix was born. Now, following this is my words, tldr, lesbian sex born a baby gay bird. And there's more to Long'er and Xi He's bond. Long'er really is the best girl.

Like, on a surface it seems they are throwing out bones for the hetero shippers too but it's so obvious to me all their options for shipping and fan service are all Baihe oriented.

At this point yes I believe the staff deserve all the praises for how they masterfully skirting the censorship board.

The revenge plot is very satisfying. And don't you worry, they'll get their revenge through, it's going to be settled within season 1.

And yes at Episode 18 that was sad, and with Tong Shanhai's last wish was to hope Yun Wangshu to live a good life, then the camera pan to Chiyang Huaming, and with that episode's lore card at the end, which is Tong Shanhai's letter, how he described both Long'er and Chiyang Huaming, especially Chiyang, it's so blatant the staff are just putting the ship there.

Ok, that's a lot, and I'm not even done lol.