*Warning: Contains Ending Spoilers*
This is a post dedicated to Steven Ma’s Lip Dor Bo & Selena Li’s Cheuk Ji- Yeng/Duan Man-Gak Gak from The Life and times of a Sentinel.
For most of this series I liked watching Steven and Selena together and watching their relationship grow. Although not much was happening between them, the two were kinda cute- always bickering; then later becoming really good friends. Steven’s family owned a restaurant; while Selena’s family opened up a medicine shop so they were quite compatible in terms of status wise as well.
Steven cheering Selena up by deliberately letting Selena make fun of him
Things started to get a bit complicated between them when Steven became an imperial guard and he later finds out his true identity; carrying the burden of the tradgey his family had faced. On the other hand, Selena’s adopted foster father revealed her tragic past and they were part of the anti-Qing rebels. As Steven was an imperial guard; Selena’s father asked her to use their relationship to their advantage. Upon knowing Steven’s mission of finding the missing Princess Duan Man; Selena’s father plotted to have Selena assume that identity to become the princess to get close to the emperor to kill him.
Selena takes the doll he gave her and wanted to remind him of their friendship; Steevn chooses to distance himself.
During their mission, Selena was in dilemma as she was worried about Steven’s safety since he was beside the emperor at that time. Conflicted betwen mission and love; Selena helplessly prayed that he would be ok. Steven ended up putting his life in danger to protect Emperor Hong Hei and becomes seriously injured.
Selena’s foster father later reveals the truth that she is indeed the actual Princess Duan Man and he had used her to go against her own family
Episode 25-26 Finale
The finale episode showed the most of their relationship! The palace was becoming a very dangerous place and Selena wanted to leave the palace with Steven and live a life where no one knew them. Steven promised he’ll take her away. However, the Grand Empress found out he was the First-Class Imperial Guard’s grandson who came to seek revenge and sent men to go after him. During their escape, Steven’s friends all die for him, and he later gets poisoned. Forced to the edge of a cliff, Steven eventually jumps off and luckily survives. Selena went to find him and helped suck out the poison from him. Luckily the two both get saved by the monk and they both survive! 🙂
 
Just when they thought they could escape from the palace, Steven found the baby shoe contained the real secret/truth! He told Selena he had to return to the palace and asked her to leave first. He promised he will go find her once the thing he needed to do was done.
Steven was not the grandson of the imperial guard, but actually the 4th prince (Kenneth and Power’s 4th brother) making him and Selena brother and sister.. :< !! When I rewatched the scene above, I realised why Steven looked like he was in so much pain.
Ending
As everything was coming to a closure, Steven went to find Selena. Before he had the chance to tell her who he really was, Selena gets killed and she dies in his arms 🙁
While it’s pretty sad and tragic, I rather Selena die than to find out the one she loves was her blood-related brother and that they could never be together..
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what a sad ending…..i hope they can be together but….,:( however this is a great series and i really much recommend this series for who that doesn’t watch it yet 😀 really LOVE STEVEN MA XD
TVB could have made them be together if Selena was not actually the real princess which would have given the series a happy ending.
I guess TVB was going for the tragic feel. (which has worked quite well)
Selena is real princess ?or just her father wanted to protect her
I thought she was the real princess!
Ahhh reading this just reminds me of what an AWESOME finale and show it was! Other than Selena dying, which was frustrating, but as you said, better than her finding out Steven was her brother :/
I enjoyed the understated tone of the relationship, because the show is suppose to be first and foremost about the Steven/Kenneth relationship. Having said tht, Steven and Selena’s relationship still shone 🙂 Such a good show! One of the few really enjoyable ones this yr – i hope it picks up a few awards this yr. Considering there’s no one huge hit yet (like No Regrets or CBML), I’m guessing it’ll be a a mixture of award winners this yr..
🙂 Yea..i thought I’d put this up before the anniversary awards and all ^^ I actualyl started writing this one up (and making the screencaptures) after finishing the series; but didn’t get the chance to complete it –
This years awards is a bit harder to predict; slightly strange but I’m not even sure who I tinink deserves to win… XD
Wow, I love your post!
In just one post you were able to describe their whole story! The screencaps are really matching to your summary!
Funny how the Zhao Zilong doll appeared and re-appeared a few times. The first time when Steven gave it to her, because he had to leave and he thought he would never see her again. The second time was when Selena became the princess and Steven was very indifferent to her, as he felt he’s just a lowly guard, while she’s the princess. Then she shows him the doll to tell him that she hasn’t changed her feelings towards him. The third time was when Steven was injured by the explosion caused by Selena and her maid and she wanted him to wake up from the coma and she showed the unconscious Steven the doll again and even brought a female doll as friend haha
The scene where Selena sucked the poison away from Steven was sadly cut until it’s just a 3-seconds flashback. The themesong MV showed a 1-second part of this scene, which is from another angle. So I suppose the scene was originally longer, which probably show how Selena found the unconscious Steven and how she decided to help him suck away the poison. http://weibo.com/1862086401/xhHq8zqkA
As for the last scene, Selena’s death scene, I thought it wasn’t very well done. They should have shown some flashback scenes! And the ‘blood spit’ was done quite bad. Anyways, did you ever happen to see the fanmade MV I made for this drama? http://selena-li.com/2011/selena-li-official-website-5-years-anniversary-gift-1/
Hope you can give some feedback for the MV 🙂
Thanks! Glad you liked it 🙂
And you forgot to mention the final time when there was no more Zhao Zilong doll for sale 🙁
Yea I saw the snippet from the ending credit (shot which was not used)
Yea the blood thing at the end looked a bit fake- I never quite knew how blood would come out of the mouth if you get stabbed elsewhere
Ah yes I did- you did a good job! It’s an interesting how you took snippets/scenes for the characters- I think they were nicely put together, although the ‘black, shaking effect” makes it a bit depressing! (As you were probably trying to convey) I would prefer a lovely dovey one just for Steven and Selena thoughXD
Ohww yes, the Zhao Zilong was no longer for sale and then Selena thought Steven likes Mulan more.
Yes. The blood thing ruined the whole scene!!
Actually, the MV I made focuses more on Selena’s character, and that’s why snippets of scenes with the related characters (her father, her maid and her lover) are put together. Yeps the shaking effect is to make it more dramatic, the idea is to create a more tragic feel. But I may consider making a MV with a more ‘sweet and cute’ feeling in the future. Thanks for your suggestion!
I wanna ask, which is your favorite Selena & Steven scene? Mine is the parting scene at the bridge. When Steven already knew the truth, while Selena doesn’t.
I used this scene the most in the fanmade MV too, the snippets of my three favorite parts. 1) When Selena pulled Steven, but he doesn’t go with her. 2) The hug (and Steven crying). 3) When the two were holding hands and had to let go.