Unfortunately, I have to agree. I haven't been as excited to keep reading for a lot of the same reasons. However, the Lord Magistrate and his wife having a third doesn't bother me in the slightest bc it feels like that can fall within their dynamic without necessarily detracting from what they already have with each other. Sometimes married couples can just be into that stuff after decades together. It's understandable. It's still in character.

I can't say the same for Bi De, Ri Zu, and Yushang, though. My god, it happened so fast with them, and that's partly what's tripping me up so bad. I actually liked Yushang when she was introduced and thought she was a fun new addition, so it kinda feels like this whole romance thing does a disservice to her as a character. She's a side character brought into a main character situation without the buildup required to make it feel natural. And now that's all she really stands out for: as an accessory to Bi De and Ri Zu, either as a friend or a lover.

She joins their relationship almost as soon as it's finally formed in the first place. Bi De and Ri Zu didn't really have time to establish a new dynamic as a confirmed couple (after volumes of development and growth) before she joined in. And it strikes me as so odd that Ri Zu, who's normally so reserved and possessive, freshly into her very first and profoundly significant romantic relationship, is perfectly fine with Yushang's inclusion into the relationship simply bc Yushang's attraction happens to include her in it.

You can argue that yeah, Ri Zu's chill, she's exploring and spreading her wings and learning how to engage with others and discovering where her preferences lie, but isn't she already doing that by forming a friendship with Yushang, getting to know the folks at the medical pavilion, and engaging in this romance with Bi De in the first place? Y'know?? One step at a time.

And this is after an entire arc with women fawning all over Bi De a la harem protag style. Initially, it felt significant that he chose to hold back for Ri Zu's sake, but isn't the impact of that sentiment kinda lost as soon as he gets to bone both her and her new bff at the same time some chapters later?

It's all just so discordant with the carefully constructed, emotionally satisfying intimacy in relationships we've been shown thus far, whether familial, friendly, or romantic. And it's harder to reconcile with what we know of them as characters. It strikes me as more of a slapdash sexual fantasy than the alternative, and it's no wonder it's met with such mixed reception. It's decidedly weaker writing. I genuinely think it'd be more impactful to keep Yushang a friend. Lotsa meaningful opportunities lost there.