In the process of being elevated as a genre， Ci-poetry developed multiple aesthetic paradigms—such as lyricism， allegorical expression， stylistic elegance， and human nature—which together constitute the overt dimension of its historical development. At the same time， playfulness， as one of the inherent attributes of Ci-poetry， has remained present， either implicitly or explicitly， throughout the paradigms shifts， thereby forming the latent dimension of the genre’s evolution. Previous studies have typically focused on the overt dimension， exploring the movement to elevate the genre—namely， the establishment， transformation， and elimination of aesthetic paradigms. However， shifting the focus to the latent dimension by examining the ebb and flow of playfulness offers a new lens to reflect on shifting concepts of Ci-poetry. This approach breaks away from rigid aesthetic paradigm and reopens the aesthetic interpretation for Ci-poetry within the dynamic interplay between the overt and the latent.