My goodness. You guys have dissected her character so eloquently! I'm pleasantly surprised! I agree with most of the points you all have mentioned. I think she's been holding on to her fire for revenge because it's so personal and, without it, she suddenly doesn't have a greater purpose to life now that she's entered the real world(from her former cossetted and luxurious life).
Side note: Wu Lei's performance in episode 25 knocked me senseless. I didn't know he had it in him to bring out such intense emotions, it was so intense I got anxious for him, seeing how visibly broken and fuming he looked(did you see just how red his ears became??). Heartbreaker looks aside(did you see his jewelry promotion? guy is dashing to the T), this guy's got real acting potential. Reba also has space to grow as an actress, I thought she had better acting in Love Designer. She had these small expressions that surprised me in that drama, her drunk scene was one of the more convincing ones I've seen on TV. Idk what it was that brought out that improvement, I didn't see enough of tat in The Long Ballad(there was one small part where she was kneeling, tears spilling down, over Alier's body that was well done). Maybe the stoic trait of Changge contributes to it.
We're getting more of the 2nd CP in the next few eps(26 to 30, I think) and I'm getting a bit bored by their storyline. It doesnt feel as well written as the main plotline. I'm a bit surprised and disappointed cuz I really liked LS & HD's first scene together, when I didnt know HAO DU was gonna be LS' love interest. But now it's just...meh. I'm anticipating the main CP's story, so looking forward to that! Hopefully the 2nd CP will pick up, too.