Bai Ping Ting had never believed in the saying that “ladies without a talent is a virtue.” She is Xiao Jing An Wang’s maid, yet lives with more dignity than the usual ladies, what she relies on is not beauty, but instead is her head that is more wise and intelegent than that of a man’s. She does not need others to sympathize on her average appearance. What she wants is another soul of the same level as her, whom she can compete with. So, even if that man is the general of the the opponent country, even if all between them is deceits and schemes, she is still unable to not be tempted by this man. If between love and loyalty, there is only one choice, she can only hope, Chu Bei Jie’s love, is not as deep as she expects…
[Manhua in Eng] [Manhua in Vietnamese] [Manhua in Chinese – Volume 1 Vol 2 Part 1 & Part 2 ] – Discontinued
[Ebook][Audiobook][Radiodrama] [Eng Translation] [Summary] [Cô phương bất tự thưởng][Drama with Eng Subs]
Chancy’s Summary:
There is a love triangle now, it’s He Xia. I feel so bad for He Xia. Both his father and mother died because Chu Bei Jie agreed to the 5 year no invading Gui Yue agreement for Ping Ting. His cousin, He Su doesn’t have to worry about Dong Lin army for 5 years so he put all his focus into searching for the escaped members of the Jing An Wang Estate. Ping Ting is his last puzzle piece that holds his memories of his days at the Jing An Wang Estate. He’s always liked her, but she only saw him as a friend/older brother type figure. He won’t force marriage on her even though his father already given the permission for Ping Ting to be his wife. He’d wish her happiness with any other man besides Chu Be Jie.
He Xia ends up going to Yun Chang to marry their Princess (who is ruling Yun Chang) in hopes to receive military powers to get revenge on He Su and Chu Bei Jie. He Xia also forces a agreement with Dong Lin’s king (Chu Bei Jie’s brother) for exchange of peace with Ping Ting. Chu Bei Jie is called back to the palace and they tried to keep him there for longer than nessesary hoping that he does make it back to his private estate in time to celebrate his birthday with Ping Ting which takes 4 days travel to get to. Ping Ting was pregnant and wanted to share that news with him on his birthday, but that fact no one knew except her maid and herself. He Xia made a promise with Ping Ting that if Chu Bei Jie doesn’t come back by that day then he would take her away. All the good stuff are in the second half. lol
I totally love the side couples. We have her friend with a husband that would throw everything away just for his wife. We also have a cute love story between a fake Snow White (her maid) with a Huntsmen. omg, I love this one the most.
He Xia is young Jing An Wang (the son of He Su’s uncle). He Su is the king. He wants revenge on He Su because he killed his family. Why He Su killed off everyone from He Xia’s estate was because He Xia was getting too famous, he’s afraid that he would take the throne from him, so when he came back after Chu Bei Jie’s army retreated, He Su planned to have He Xia and his family killed. This was all because Chu Bei Jie retreated, and this was Chu Bei Jie’s plan also. Gui Yue has been fighting Dong Lin for a long time and always lost to Chu Bei Jie’s army, so they had to call He Xia to come back to help the country, and once he came back to the battle field, Chu Bei Jie retreated. Chu Bei Jie planned this, knowing that He Su would fear He Xia’s growing popularity in the country and would get rid of him. He Su tarnishing the Jing An Wang Estate as wolves wanting to take over the throne and executed them all, He Xia, his parents, and Ping Ting escaped. Ping Ting ended up in the hands of Chu Bei Jie and lost her heart and soul for him. Since Chu Bei Jie sworn to not fight Gui Yue for 5 years, He Su turned his attention to finding He Xia and his parents, so his father and mother died because of this. He hates Chu Bei Jie for ruining his life and is envious of him. Chu Bei Jie has equal position, he is the younger brother of the Dong Lin king, while He Xia is the Gui Yue King’s cousin. Both Chu Bei Jie and He Xia have both made name on the battlefield as being strong and smart. So he is envious of Chu Bei Jie.
lol I thought you finally read the book.
Usually when a characters feels so much hate for another character, it usually annoys me. Kind of like how the second female lead in a drama hates the main girl because of jealousy, it’s usually the annoying nerve-grating feeling.
But He Xia’s hatred towards Chu Bei Jie and He Su, it makes my heart hurt because it really messed him up. I can’t even begin to defend Chu Bei Jie except that he was cunning and did what was militarily necessary at the right time. He was single-handedly the catalyst to He Xia’s downfall. Without that move, He Xia would’ve just lost the war, end of story. He was such a perfect, carefree person with such a bright future and loved by many but he was rotting away on the inside after his family was killed and Jing An Wang estate burned to the ground. All because of Chu Bei Jie’s smart chess move, his entire chess board got overturned.
I don’t agree with his wanting to get Ping Ting back because he was the one who hurt her by being unable to accept her back after she’s fallen in love with Chu Bei Jie, but everything he does and everything that happens to him after that really tears my heart because he deserved all of it. He’s like a lit trail of gunpowder burning to his tragic ending. I’ve never felt so much sympathy for a villain-ish character. Honestly, I don’t even consider him villain but he caused so much pain to everyone but in the end the one most in pain was himself.
He Xia was the only one I shed tears over but still loved the main couple so much. This story is seriously so good, especially the details that I didn’t expect the author to pay so much attention to. Ping Ting is one of those female leads that are smart and strong (in a feminine way) and haha yes, I think she deserves all those guys wanting a piece of her and those girls in the story who ask what’s so great about her. Sometimes the brains of these characters makes the story feel like a wuxia story lol
Do you always fly? It always seem like you’re download novels to read on flights from somewhere to somewhere. haha
I totally know how you feel, I keep hearing this and that about this and that book that really makes me want to read them, but no time.
Similar to the leading characters in most novels I’ve read, I also like to travel but physical, not time travel, haha….Yah, I like to fly in an aeroplane because I can’t time travel, LOL.
Yah, I’ve so many books i wanna start but I always end up sleeping on them, heehee…At the same time I can’t be too fast or else I’ll run out of audio books to listen:(
Correct me if i’m wrong! take a peek in this book make me remember that somewhere i ever saw the comic version. It’s true or another book???
Thanks guys.
I took a look at it. I think Mystic Iris is scanalating the manga version.
But so slow! Only at the third chapter. But *blubbers* Chu Beijie is SO hot in there. I would so take him over He Xia anyday. 😛
Haha, now I only know there is a manhua version. Oh, look very good & nice, better than how I picture them to look like. There is also English translation. I’ve included all the links. Also found a video.
http://17173.tv.sohu.com/v/1/10268/129/MTI5ODk1MQ==
First of all thx for posting this!:D Second, do you have a link to a better quality of the volume 2 chinese manhua of GuFang Bu ZiShang???
I only found volume 1. The only volume 2 I found is the one posted on the baidu bar, but that was a very bad version. ><
If anyone wants volume 1 it's here: http://www.dm72.com/manhuagufangbuzishang/
Haven't the time to skim through it yet. But Chu Bei Jie with the hair down isn't really how I imagined him. lol Looks like Dong Hua.
Can i ask? Who will be with He Xia at the end? Is she getting married later?
SPOILER !!!!!
I am not sure what you want to ask but unfortunately He Xia is killed in the final battle with Chu Bei Jie. Then he reunites the 4 countries and becomes king. Ping Ting becomes his queen and they’ve an adorable son.
he xia ends up with the princess in a way.
Hi Peanuts,
I wanted to asked if you knew why the manhua version is on hiatus? And do you know if the author is planning to finish it? Thanks.
actually, if anyone can answer those questions, I forever be grateful!!!
I think according to xah, the english translator of this novel, the manhua version is on hiatus bcos the publisher has closed down and she doesn’t think the manhua will be continued or finished.
-Peanuts
thank you so much for the answers!!! completely sadden by the news though since the art is so great!!!
To the many fans who visit this bar, I found a fan who used other drama clips to make 4 continous MVs of the story. I don’t know how good she is but she definitely put in much effort into this. I didn’t read the novel but I think Hu Ge is Chu Bei Jie, Liu Yi Fei is Bai Ping Ting & Wallace Huo is He Xia. Enjoy.
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/-YbeuQz-J0A/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/DnZj3jKPbmU/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/KYllqYUc7r4/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/JzAZlm83QvA/
haha LYF too pretty to be Ping Ting who is suppose to be very simple. Hu Ge actially match He Xia more. Ill have to watch the mv.
The story in Chinese is finished a long time ago. It is the manhua that is on hiatus. I got the ending from baidu (similar to google in China). If you can read Chinese, you can read the ebook or if you can understand Mandarin you can listen to the audiobook. If you don’t know Chinese at all, go to mangafox forum & there are plenty of spoilers & summary posted.
Hi Peanut,
Do you have a link to read the novel? where can i get to read it? Is there any english version of the novel?
The Chinese book link is posted below the picture of the 7 novels under [Ebook] & the English link is also posted below that picture under [English Translation].
Thank you Peanuts,
I will go through the link yay…
I have just open the manhwa today and just can’t stop, really want to know how the story goes…
Hi Peanuts,
Since the story only halfway, i am getting more curious 🙂 you seem to know the ending of the story ( e Xia is killed in the final battle with Chu Bei Jie. Then he reunites the 4 countries and becomes king. Ping Ting becomes his queen and they’ve an adorable son).
where do you read this? 🙂
Hi Peanuts,
I don’t understand chinese at all, I taught if I have all the story in chinese, i can google translate to have at least a bit story.
unfortunately mangafox forum isn’t available with the internet provider here. couldn’t read their comment at all..
aggghhhh it ends with disappointment.. should have learned chinese
I wish I could see the spoilers hicks hicks
Go & google translate each page to get the gist of the story http://www.8novel.com/books/novelbook_107548.html
Mangafox forum is currently down so check again later.
The book has happy ending unless you are He Xia’s fan:)
Hi Peanuts,
I am certainly not He Xia’s fan. I root for Bei Jie.
Don’t you think that the english pdf left you hanging… I am very curious to know how the made up again after she left He Xia…
I am going to check the link you gave me…
Thanks a lot
I just wanted everyone to know how much I appreciate your work, because I know that i am useless when it comes to languages but you have also provided a translation a verry good one too.
So THANK YOU for the translation and I will definitely read the ones following.
(dont mind the smutty part)
& is it possible to get the actual mangapic. just the pic I don’t care if the translation is not on it… Dont worry about it.
THX
Huh, I am not sure what you want? The translation is not done by us but by xah so do visit her blog. All the mangapic (manhua) links whether in English, Chinese or Vietnamese are below the pictures, so just click on them.
hey, i’m sorry to ask you this but i don’t understand a word of chinese and google traductions are really bad so I wanted to ask if someone could summarize the novel with as much details as possible in each chapters, I can’t wait to know what happen next…
I’m sorry to bother you and if you don’t want to do it I understand but at least I tried 🙂
ps: I’m sorry for my language, I’m french and I’m not bilingual yet: I’m working on it 🙂
hi maloudg,
Its been a long time since i finished the book so i dont really remember the details. You just want rough summary right?
I’ll write up some summaries for u tomorrow night. What chap u left off?
well in fact, there were some spoilers on manga fox and on the site, they stopped at the moment when chu beijie nearly killed pingting after he larned she “killed” her nephew but he changes his mind when he see her all dressed up and beautiful, i don’t know in which chapter it is exactly. I hope you see where I am with this…
thank you very much for posting spoiler 🙂
euuuuh?
Hehe sorry, was very busy lately.
I’m not sure if this is where you’re at. If not, let me know and I’ll post up the chapter before this.
Chapter 24
Chu Bei Jie returns to Dong Lin
The citizens are very happy to see him and awaits his arrival at the capital, yet they did not know the real reason why he had left the capital.
Chu Bei Jie hears from the old Prime Minister that his brother, the emperor is ill.
Prime Minister says that the emperor’s hasn’t been well since Chu Bei Jie was forced to leave the capital and lately the cold weather has taken it’s toll on him. He would have called Chu Bei Jie to come back regardless of if there was the Bei Mo and Yun Chang kingdom pressuring.
At this moment, the news that Chu Bei Jie has left his mansion at the outskirt of Dong Lin has already reached the border mountains of Bei Mo (where Yan Feng resides).
Yan Feng shares her shock with her husband Zhe Yin about the fact that Chu Bei Jie would leave Ping Ting at the estate for the Dong Lin capital while He Xia is drawing close with his army. She suspects that Ping Ting had not cleared the misunderstanding with Chu Bei Jie. If she had told him, he would not have left her at the estate in order to avoid complications and suspicions. He must still believe that Ping Ting is still loyal subject to He Xia, and unaware of what He Xia has done to her.
Zhe Yin comforts his wife that Chu Bei Jie is a true hero and will be able to protect the woman he loves.
Yan Feng is also baffled as to why Bei Mo king would alliance himself with He Xia and give pressure to Dong Lin, with no care for angering Chu Bei Jie. She questions her husband’s experience on the battlefield for many years, can’t he see anything wrong?
————————–
sorry. I’m probably going too into detail for a summary, so it’ll take some time. Will finish up this chapter tomorrow for you.
it’s perfect, thank you 🙂
Hi Peanut,
Thank you for the Link, you know what, i went through google to translate the Chinese. Man, you don’t know how dizzy i was reading all the chapters because i was so curious, i got mixed up the names and all. But you know what, among all the words that i didn’t understand i can still get the main idea and understand the storyline. I got eyesore the day after.
I just wish that the romantic part when they get together was longer. They were apart for so long (so many chapters) and I almost missed the part when they met because I taught that chu beiji was imagining when he met ping ting.
Happy ending after all – if they really make a manga of this, it would be a long-long-long-long chapters with long-long-long curiosity.
I am glad i read the novel first rather than the manga,
Thank you
Hi chancy426
Sorry to bother you. Can you maybe translate the volume 2 Chapter 22……pleaseeeeee…. I tried the links and google translate it but Its really mess up.
ANY ONE /////PLEASE ………….I AM DYING TO FINISHED THIS LIGHT NOVEL.
THANKS 🙂
Hi Peanut
Do you maybe know any links that English translate?
Very bad with summaries. Since its do lengthy i will consider translating it instead. From chap 22 would b easier A task than from beginning. I’ll see if i can make time to do this. With past experience, i might b able to finish two chapter a month at most. ==
Sorry, I only use google translate as I think it is one of the best one. You can give bing or Babylon a try or google for other alternative.
Haven’t read this book yet but I like Feng Nong’s works so I’m thinking of giving it a go… Anyone read the whole thing? Thoughts?
Feng Yu 9 Tian is great – is this anything like it?
Thanks 🙂
Thanks… Ive tried google but some wods are really messed up. by the way thanks for help.
thanks chancy426…..
Hi,
Sorry i havent forgotten. ^_^
I’ve been busy with memorizing citizenship questions to help interprete for my parents upcoming citizenship interview so havent time to start yet.
I’ll be free next weekend to start. Thanks for the patiences!
this book is a very good read, with really good characters and side characters. the war stuff and interesting and not too dry for a girl to read, and isnt all fluff and romance.
Actually, i noticed the first post leads to a english translation already. This is updated right? Haha i guess i can slack again.
Thanks chancy426…… 🙂
Loving this short story..:)
I just started reading this and I am in love~~~~ I just love Ping Ting! Finally a girl that has her head screwed on properly (or at least somewhat properly). I’ve gotten to the part where she finally escapes from Jing An Wang Fu, and I’m so excited for her to be reunited with He Xia and the gang. I feel like Ping Ting because I’ve stayed up for two nights just two read this! Ah, I wish I had read this sooner! So many good feelings….
Hi there, does anyone know where I can buy the english version of this manga?
Don’t think anything in English has been published for this book. Anything you found online are from the hardwork of fans.
Can anyone please tell me what happened to Ping Ting and CBJ after CBJ avoided Ping Ting because he thought she killed his nephew? How did they finally reconcile afterwards?
Okay, I make a quick appearance to ask once again for the rest of the story. I would like a quick summary but in one publication please, no details but could you please tell us the rest of the story without having to wait a year between each summary of the chapters?
thanks in advance
Hi everyone, literally powered through most of the audiobook chapters for this story. Lots of beautiful language (some of which completely went over my head) and great music paired with the storyline. Finally found the opening theme, a version of 董贞’s – 相思引 but there’s this other ending song that I absolutely can’t make out the lyrics for. It’s played at the end of chapter 74 and 83 and is slurred. Any ideas?
Hello Chancy
Ive tried reading the ebook again but cant seems to open the link from tge actual page.
Please help
http://www.dzxsw.net/novel/18186/chapter.htm
Hi guys,
I just want to say that im completely confused here. I just finished reading the novel and the ending is different from what you guys say.
In the novel i read Pingting didnt get pregnant and both she and Chu Bei Jie died at the end. Can someone please explain?
This is the novel that i read:
http://ckmscans.halofight.com/t147-read-this-first#388
Chancy426 thanks so much for posting summaries. Please can you continue to post more summaries.
The English translation you’ve read is incomplete so you’ve to wait for the translation. What was posted as the ending here is accurate as per the Chinese novel version.
Thank you chancy
This seems like it’ll be an interesting read 😀 Who does the audiobook?
thanks a lot for the spoiler
I have been waiting for chapter 21 from ckmscans for almost 10 months but they haven’t updated until now, which makes me very sad 🙁
I also tried to translate the page into English but I couldn’t understand it 🙁
@AcrossTime: Ah Shou read this solo so a bit dry for me 🙁 I’ll recommend another book by her with your bai li jun hua lol. It was written by Dian Xian:
https://www.shushengbar.net/?p=202
@ainh: The translator maybe busy so you’ve to be patient 🙂 Hope the summary there will help you: http://forums.mangafox.me/threads/441362-Raws/page4
THanks @Peanuts I will definitely check that out! Uhh I’ve never been a huge fan of AhShou. I guess I’ll skip out on the audio for this then and read the manga 🙁 I think the one who did BFX’s voice is the best I’ve heard, 2nd place goes to Cherry probably.
Hi Peanuts,
I have a few questions for you please reply…I cannot understand other than English so please guide me here.
1- Did Ping Ting get pregnant after getting married?
2-What happened after ping ting and chu bei fell in a dark pitch area in chapter 20?
3-Is there any site other than google that can translate this novel in english?
Awaiting your reply..
Anxioulsy..
I didn’t read the novel but I can ask someone who has read it for u. She is currently away on holidays and I can’t guarantee she’ll remember anything so if you don’t hear from me later, it means sorry can’t help you. You try reading mangafox forum summary or ask the people there.
You can try bing as an alternative to google translate but there is no perfect translation online unless by humans.
Hi Peanut,
Thanks for your response. I will await for your news.
And thanks in advance,,
for helping..
Do you have an audio book link in Cantonese?
🙂
Hi Izumiko, I just finished reading the books today so while it’s all still fresh in my mind.
1) Pingting finds out she is pregnant right before Beijie leaves the residence for the royal palace upon hearing of his older brother’s (the king) failing health…and the looming “war” (this occurs around chapter five of volume 3 when going by the 7 volume edition). At this point Pingting and Beijie are not married yet. In fact as far as I can remember they never really get married with an official ceremony or anything so to speak but rather sort of make vows to always love one another and be together.
2) When they fall off, they land on an extremely thick pile of I guess you could call it mulch on the forest floor which absorbs the impact and saves their lives. However, Beijie becomes angry at Pingting because he misunderstands and thinks that she wanted to kill him.They reconcile pretty quickly when Pingting starts coughing and Beijie learns vaguely about the “poison” strategy but Pingting swears that she could never harm someone close to Beijie and for him to trust her love.
3) Not that I know of unfortunately, I read it in Chinese. I heard the vietnamese translations of the story are complete though so perhaps you could try google translating from both and sort of crosschecking through that. (As for vietnamese links…I have no idea)
Hello Ruilin
Can plz tell me who found pinting in the forest while chu bie is in royal resident and pinting is pregrant already?
Also how did chu bie and pinting got back together afterthat?
Did chu bie find out the thrut avout his nephew? And how?
I really want to know, really excited and trilling.
thanks in advance
Tried ebook link.but it doesn’t work.someone plz help me!!。゚(゚´Д`゚)゚。
Hai.
I already finished proofreading chapter 12 until 27. xah already announce about it on facebook. She did a mass translation on the light novel. Erm, I guess you just have to wait until she officially posted the pdf.
and I’ve been reading comments on how you guys directly translating the novel using google translater. I just wabt to say that I FEEL YOU GUYS !!!
/awesomeojou/
the internal conflict…. holy crap…. im so hooked…. cant stop reading until they finally get their happy ending!!!!!!
恩儿
Dear Peanuts,
Thank you for every information, links and the story summary. Very helpful, while I am curious about the story.
Is there any continue from this one? The pic graphic quiet interesting, though not complete, prefer the manhua.
I have read the novel translate in english, but only few chapters. You can check the link below:
http://ckmscans.halofight.com/t147-read-this-first#388
Do you know any manga draw by other person than in the scan manga, because you said before it is already stop. Love how the details is going.
If you are talking abt this novel, I don’t think there is anything drawn by others. If you are asking abt other novels, you can check my post on it.
https://hui3r.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/novels-adaptation-manhua-comic-%E6%BC%AB%E7%94%BB/
do you have another links of spoiler or raw of this novel? i can not open mangafox’s website in my country 🙁 i want to know about this novel because i’m more curious now. i had read volume one with english translation,there’s no english translation volume 2? i can’t open mangafox so i don’t know what the summary,spoiler or raw. thank you very much for read this comment and thanks for the answers. 🙂
Read this novel and manhwa because the author is feng nong, but I just read it till halfway and left it unfinished. Most people think it is interesting so maybe it is just my problem as I have short attention span 😛
Stella: I don’t have other english link except mangafox. The raw is here
http://www.dzxsw.net/novel/18186/chapter.htm
Good news to the novel fans as it’ll be filmed into a drama soon. The drama will cast new faces.
Zomg! So good! I think I prefer the first half (so.. first 3 volumes?) of the novel because all of the Beijie and Ping Ting goodness is there but the side story with healer/maid is plenty gushy as well. :D:D
I felt really bad for He Xia during certain parts of the novel and his love was sooo complicated.
But I still love Bei Jie so, so much.
If someone have a link for the volume 2 and 3 perharps… I’m eager to finaly read the following and I can’t stop thinking about that serie.
Manga fox have a great manhua of the book : Gu Fang Bu Zi Shang that you should read!
HELP ME!
If you’re from Singapore you can find both series in the library. They hv abt 15+ of vol 1 and 2 each. Doesn’t the link above have the full version though? Try this link: 91baby.mama.cn/thread-418288-1-1.html
If you’re talking about the english translation then it’s based on the translators.
Gu Fang Bu Zi Shang Volume 02 (contains books 03-05, chapters 28-54 (that’s 27 chapters in total)) will be out on New Year’s Day. There’s a high possibility that if you are living in the Northern Hemisphere, it’ll come out a “few hours earlier”, so in the last few hours of the 31st! Time zone differences haha. – CKM FB Page
so yeah, basically just helped a bit on book 5. anyway, she will released it on New Year. So many conflicts happen in the three books but worth the read tho.
Happy New Year and happy holiday everyone.
Breaking news but unconfirmed 🙁
Wallace Chung may be Chu Bei Jie & Angelababy may be Bai Ping Ting. Urgh, I m not sure I like this pairing but as long as there is WC then I’ll support the drama lol. I hope they’ll find a more mature actress with better acting skill to match WC. Anyway nothing is confirmed so dun get too excited too early 😛
Awww man…I don’t like Angelababy….
Woo! Yay for WC <3 But Angelababy… -sigh- Isn't Ping Ting supposed to be pretty average? Regardless, I'm still pretty excited!
Hello, may i ask is that the original comics? complete in 7 volumes? I wonder why the cover art of those 7 comics different with ongoing scanslation?
No, the 7 volumes are the cover for the published novels in Taiwan, not comic cover.
Does the author Feng Nong have any other books that are not BL? I am halfway on this novel & I do like her writing style. Checked the internet & I only come up with mostly BL books.
Peanuts your summary was amazing what makes me mad in the drama bec I never read the books is how he xia started the first between the other kingdoms. And that princess loves him but I think he loves power more while chu bei jie would do anything for his lady.
I just want to read the part wherein they are supposed to meet again. I think it’s episode 53 in the drama. There is no translation so I’m eager to know what’s transpiring. So, can anyone tell me which chapter it is in the novel? Thanks!
Hi everyone, i love this book so much and read it months ago. But now im end up craving for more novel with pretty much similar to this book (smart character, strategy, complex etc) can someone please recommend more c novel to me? I already tried the recommendation on novelupdates but it didn’t come close. Thankyou so muchh!
My heart aches for He Xia. if only their love had a bit more time, a little more trust and honesty, less ambitions and responsibility…
This novel is obviously ended happily, but it is one of those that leaves a bittersweet aftertaste and a bit of heartache.