THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show is a really solid remake of kdrama One Spring Night. If you’re a fan of One Spring Night, that should tell you all you really need to know. 😉

It’s thoughtful, poignant, realistic, yet hopeful, with some excellent performances from its capable cast. In particular, I enjoyed Zhang Wan Yi as our male lead (which should come as no surprise to you, if you’ve been around the blog for a while. 🤭)

I personally really enjoyed the OST, and thought it added a nice amount of smokey flavor to our story world.

Definitely recommend, if your drama taste is like mine. ❤️

THE LONG VERDICT:

Let me begin by saying that this show had my name all over it.

A remake of One Spring Night (review here!), a show that I really really liked, and starring Zhang Wan Yi, whom I also really, really like? 🤩🤩

There was no way I could pass this one up, even though this show was clearly very low-key and far from buzzy, and therefore not likely to be on most people’s radars.

Now that I’ve emerged on the other side, I can safely say that this was well worth the drama hours.

In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that this one’s an underrated gem. 🥲

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE:

Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

I’ll talk more about the OST in an upcoming section, but for now, I just wanted to say that I really, really enjoyed the OST, and felt that it really amplified my watch experience.

My absolute favorite track, which grabbed me, hard, in the opening scene in episode 1, is Track 2, Don’t You.

I just love its laidback, smokey, atmospheric vibe. Here it is as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it on repeat. Just right-click the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about what I liked and liked less, covering both the more macro aspects of Show, before diving into selected characters and relationships.

Of course, I also spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate episodes, as well as our finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or in all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are a few things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. This one leans measured and thoughtful

..which means that you kinda do need to be in an unhurried and thoughtful sort of mood, in order to potentially enjoy it.

This is not at all the kind of fluffy, rom-com type love stories that Dramaland tends to favor.

Knowing that in advance helps, I think.

2. Be patient with our characters

Sometimes, you might find our characters frustrating, due to their actions and decisions.

I’d like to suggest exercising some empathy, because this is how real people do tend to behave; they’re imperfect, flawed and sometimes making decisions that aren’t the greatest.

Plus, it’s often easier said than done, when it comes to making decisions that would result in big changes to our lives.

Hang in there, though, because our characters do eventually make the decisions that you’re likely hoping for. 😉

3. Sometimes Show isn’t so enjoyable to watch

What I mean is, some episodes in our middle stretch aren’t as enjoyable as the episodes that come before.

Importantly, I do feel that Show is on track, in terms of developing and telling our story, and this is just the not-so-easy part of the journey.

I think knowing to expect that, helps.

4. The subtitles could be better

What I mean is, the subs are fine, mostly, but do lose some nuance from the actual dialogue. A more dedicated subtitling team with more time would have been able to do a better job.

If you understand Mandarin, then this would not be an issue for you.

Because this is not a high-profile drama, I’m just thankful that there are subtitles, and that they are decent.

I just thought I ought to put this out there.

STUFF I LIKED

How Show approaches its source material

Overall, I really like how Show approaches its source material, kdrama One Spring Night.

It clearly honors its source material, by aligning itself very specifically with some very recognizable details and scenes, like the fact that Zhao Jin (Zhang Wan Yi) lives just upstairs from Shi Ran Yu You), and Xu Nuo (Sun Yi) mistakes him for the food delivery guy.

At the same time, I really like how Show tweaks some details, thus making this story its own.

[SOME STRUCTURAL SPOILERS FOR THIS SHOW & ONE SPRING NIGHT]

I suppose your mileage may vary with the tweaking of these details, like I’ve come across some viewers who commented that they didn’t like the fact that instead of a young son, Zhao Jin has a younger sister, whom he’s caring for.

However, I personally have no issue with this, and I actually like what Show does, in giving Zhao Qin (Gu Yu Han) a medical condition that translates into a lot of worries for Zhao Jin.

I also much prefer Show’s decision to have the OTP meet-cute at the vet, because this interaction makes a lot more sense to me than the OTP meet-cute that One Spring Night served up, with our female lead forgetting her wallet at the pharmacy, then blaming our male lead for opening the hangover drink that she’d asked him to open.

This situation, where Xu Nuo finds herself taking Momo to the vet, and encounters Zhao Jin there, makes a lot more sense.

This creates repeated opportunities for Xu Nuo and Zhao Jin to meet each other and interact, since Shi Ran’s busy schedule results in Momo  being in Xu Nuo’s care for a more extended period of time.

Therefore, I find Zhao Jin’s growing attraction to Xu Nuo easier to understand, even though he does indicate that he’d found Xu Nuo attractive from the moment he’d first laid eyes on her.

Another tweak that I personally feel quite gratified by, is that instead of basketball, the guys in this story world are connected by jiu jitsu, which is, to my eyes, much cooler.

I had a grand time watching Zhang Wan Yi as Zhao Jin, do the badass thing, while sparring with Yu’an (Yuan Wen Kang). 🤩 Yes, it’s a shallow fangirl thing. 😍

[END SPOILERS]

Even though I broadly knew the direction that this story was going to take, because it’s based on One Spring Night, I found myself feeling interested and invested, to see how things unfold for these characters.

Very well done, on Show’s part.

The way Show approaches the gray-scaling of our characters

A key thing that I like about this show, is how human and real these characters feel.

They might look beautiful just like the characters in fluffy rom-coms do, but they feel like real people with real and complicated emotions, who happen to be in real and complicated situations.

In One Spring Night, everyone was a shade of gray, and you could say the same, for the characters in this show.

I will say, though, that I think that Show’s makers likely decided to color in some characters a little more heavily, so that the gray is darker, and closer to black, in order to make the story more easily digestible by a wider audience.

[SPOILERS FOR THIS SHOW & ONE SPRING NIGHT]

Specifically, I’m thinking of Yu’an.

If memory serves, in One Spring Night, the equivalent character didn’t actually do anything to in the region of betraying the female lead.

Instead, One Spring Night made it such that the long-time couple broke up because our female lead realized that she didn’t want the same things as he did, in life, and that this marriage wasn’t something that she wanted anymore.

That’s something that’s so very real, and I’m sure it happens to a lot of real couples too.

However, it’s a tricky situation to navigate, particularly in a story where the female lead is also attracted to another man, while feeling disillusioned with her current relationship.

I’m guessing that some folks found this plot point hard to accept, and perhaps that’s why One Spring Night seems to have a more niche sort of fanbase.

My guess is that the makers of I Know I Love You, decided to make Yu’an more obviously a “bad guy” sort of character, so that it’d be easier for us to support the break-up between him and Xu Nuo.

[END SPOILERS]

The way Show treats the central “love triangle”

The situation is rather complicated, where our story begins; Xu Nuo is in a long-term relationship with Yu’an, when she and Zhao Jin find themselves attracted to each other.

I’m calling it Show’s love triangle, for lack of a better term, but it certainly is different from the usual love triangles that we tend to see in Dramaland.

I think Show does a really solid job of making it feel like it’s ok – or the better thing, even – to root for Xu Nuo to break up with Yu’an, in order to be with Zhao Jin.

Your mileage may certainly vary, but I found myself feeling more empathy than frustration at how Xu Nuo and Zhao Jin find themselves feeling drawn to each other, while technically not in a position to pursue that attraction.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. Another tweak that Show makes, that I think is helpful, is how Yu’an is obviously kinda-sorta getting ready to break up with Xu Nuo, for business purposes.

I mean, the pressure from his father to date and marry his business partner is one thing, but I can’t help noticing that Yu’an doesn’t actually do anything to solidify Xu Nuo’s position as his girlfriend and wife-to-be, in the face of it.

He gives Xu Nuo a ring, yes, but that ring isn’t an engagement ring, it’s a “keep you satisfied” security ring, so that Xu Nuo won’t get upset with him when he doesn’t spend time with her.

That’s just a grown-up pacifier, to put it bluntly, and that’s not what Xu Nuo or anyone else wants or needs.

Plus, Yu’an doesn’t exactly say no, when talk turns to his marriage alliance with Cong Shan (Ma Yin Yin), and he even supposedly tells her, when drunk, that he’s getting ready to date her for real.

All of these things make me feel like Xu Nuo should break up with him.

I mean, of course she can break up with him for other reasons, but his behavior around this matter is reason enough, I think.

And, because I believe that she should break up with him, I feel less troubled by the fact that she’s obviously feeling drawn to Zhao Jin.

He’s there to help her when Yu’an isn’t, and on more than one occasion. He helps with the cat, he helps with her grandma and even cooks for Gran. And he’s interested to spend time with her and talk with her, in a way that Yu’an isn’t.

Of course, there’s the thing, where Xu Nuo IS still Yu’an’s girlfriend, and therefore, this level of closeness with Zhao Jin isn’t as acceptable as she’d like it to be.

Which, of course, is very similar to the core discomfort present in One Spring Night as well.

[END SPOILER]

Show’s choice of songs for its OST

A thing that I enjoy viscerally, is the music in this show, which I know isn’t the case for everyone (hi GB 😁).

Personally, I find that I like all of the songs, and my favorite is “Don’t You,” which I find smokey and atmospheric, and just full of feels. I don’t know, I seem to gravitate towards songs with a 6/8 tempo, coz so many times, I’ll pick my favorite track in an OST – and find that it’s the one with the 6/8 tempo. 😁

I also wanted to mention that “Julie” doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, the electric guitar riff which drives GB nuts, really appeals to me; it reminds me of the opening bars of the equivalent song that played in One Spring Night, “No Direction” (here!), which has a very similar vibe overall.

They aren’t the same song, obviously, but “No Direction” served the same function in One Spring Night, signaling all the similar plot developments that “Julie” signals in this show, and I thought that was a really neat way for Show to honor the source material, while still doing its own thing.

Really nicely done, I feel. 🤩

Show’s tone and vibe

I fell for Show’s tone and vibe from the very beginning, literally.

Immediately, I loved the atmospheric vibe, from the very first scene of this show.. the music (which is great), the quiet tones of their conversation, the honest confessions of what each of them had done wrong.

This really set the tone for me, with this show, and it’s a tone that I ended up loving a great deal.

I also really like that Show toes a very fine line, of remaining hopeful, even as it pitches itself as being realistic.

This really is one of Show’s biggest strengths, in my opinion.

The episode / chapter titles

Show doesn’t appear to be very consistent with this, but there are certain episodes that have titles, and I liked these titles very much, when they appeared.

Because of Show’s patchy subtitling story (Viki only stepped in to work on subtitles after Show had started airing on YouTube), some of the episode / chapter titles might not be translated, depending on where you are watching.

In which case, allow me to offer my translations, which I’d included in my notes on Patreon, for the all-tiers group watch that we did for this show.

Episode 1: “When it snows, come out for a walk”

Episode 6: “I’m sorry, I want to be that bad person.”

Episode 7: “I don’t want to lie to myself.”

Episode 8: “Breaking up is the matter of one person.”

Episode 9: “If you’re willing to wait for me.”

Episode 10: “You can come slowly to my side.”

When Show subverts my expectations of a drama trope

Because of my years of drama conditioning, I sometimes (often?) make gut predictions about things, based on what my drama brain cells have come to understand as The Rules of Dramaland.

Show mostly subverts those expectations, by offering up a plot development that is far less tropey, and far more aspirational, than I’d originally expected.

Here’s an example.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E9-12. When Yu’an goes to seek out Zhao Jin at his home, I was honestly pretty concerned that they would come to blows, but then.. Dahao (Li Le) and Xu Yang reminded me, in their conversation, that if the two of them really came to blows, it’s quite likely that Zhao Jin would win, given that he’s the guest coach.

But, the two of them don’t actually come to blows, which.. kind of surprises me, given that we’ve seen Yu’an’s anger bubbling over at least once, with Dahao, this set of episodes.

I’d imagined that his was ready to have it out with Zhao Jin.

Instead of a fight, we have them engaging in terse conversation, with Zhao Jin very calmly telling Yu’an some facts about how he came to know Xu Nuo.

That wasn’t what I was expecting, and I do think that this was a good surprise.

[END SPOILER]

Special shout-out:

The abundance of flowers and cats in our story world

This is an instance where I think some suspension of disbelief is required, because it’s a pretty well-known fact that many varieties of flowers are toxic to cats.

(How do I know this? Because I’m a Junho fangirl and Junho’s a passionate cat dad, of course. 🤭)

BUT. I think the flowers in this show are really pretty, and the cats are very cute, and I thought that together, they made this drama world extra enjoyable to look at. 😍

STUFF THAT WAS OK

Some plot points feel a bit unnatural

This rarely happened, but there were a couple of plot points that felt a little unnatural to me, like they were awkwardly shoehorned in, in order to nudge the story forward.

Would it have been great if Show had managed to nudge the story forward without resorting to these awkward plot points that felt more manufactured than anything? Yes.

But because I appreciated the importance of the plot points that were being nudged forward, this worked out to neutral, for me.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. I thought the spontaneous barbecue party at Xu Nuo’s apartment was rather awkward, but y’know, I find that I actually do want Xu Nuo and Zhao Jin to spend more time in each other’s presence, so I don’t even really care that this is a weird and sudden idea, on Shi Ran’s part. 😅

E13-16. For the record, I wasn’t too hot on the escape room arc; that almost felt like filler to me, and that’s the first time I’ve felt that way about an arc in this show.

[END SPOILER]

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

Certain points are glossed over

Show does this twice, in my estimation, and while I might find this more acceptable in a lesser drama, Show demonstrates such thoughtful, elegant writing elsewhere, that it feels like a real step down, when things are indeed glossed over.

That’s why I’ve got it in this section, because I really do feel rather disappointed about this.

[SPOILER ALERT]

One of the plot points is about what happens to Xiao Bai, which I talk about, in my finale notes later in this review.

The other thing is about Muchu, Zhao Jin’s ex-wife.

From the moment she appears in our story, just after our halfway mark, Show positions her as being uncomfortably interested in reconnecting with Zhao Jin.

She even does the creepy thing of finding out where Xu Nuo works (how did she even know how to find Xu Nuo?), and going there, just to get a glimpse of Xu Nuo.

Even after Zhao Jin brings Xu Nuo to her son’s birthday party, Muchu continues to reach into Zhao Jin’s orbit in a manner that feels uncomfortable to watch.

And so, when Show suddenly has Muchu turn around and be understanding and supportive in the finale, it really feels kind of odd, like it came out of nowhere.

It’s a pleasant event in our story, sure, but it feels unearned, and therefore it comes off as a bit of an overly neat bow, in a story world where everything else feels more natural and realistic.

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Zhang Wan Yi as Zhao Jin

I’ve had a big soft spot for Zhang Wan Yi ever since watching him play Er Qiang in The Bond (review here!), and so I was really stoked to see him headlining this one.

It’s true that I’ve mostly seen him play serious characters (like in Lost You Forever as well), so maybe some of you might feel like he doesn’t have a lot of acting range, but I honestly really enjoy his acting.

I feel like there’s often a restraint in his delivery that translates into a really nice amount of nuance, which I find very enjoyable to watch.

I personally feel like he’s perfectly, perfectly cast as Zhao Jin, and I really enjoyed exploring Zhao Jin as a character, in his hands.

I talk more about Zhao Jin in the section where I discuss the OTP, but for now, here are some Zhao Jin-centric thoughts, from my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. I really like how Zhang Wan Yi’s natural seriousness is coloring Zhao Jin, as a character.

It makes me feel like Zhao Jin’s feelings for Xu Nuo are serious ones, even though they haven’t known each other for very long.

E5-8. I’m coming to the conclusion that one of the reasons Zhao Jin comes across as rather serious and stiff – and almost numb – a lot of the time, is because he’s holding himself back, in just about all areas of his life.

I get the sense that he’s been making decisions about his life, based on his family circumstances, rather than what he actually wants in life.

At the same time, I’ve been getting the sense that Zhao Jin isn’t happy with the way things are.

Sometimes, like when he’s drinking with Dahao, he lets it leak out a little, in the way he remarks that he wishes that he could do as he wishes, just once.

Often, I feel like I can also see it in his gaze, and I do feel that Zhang Wan Yi is doing a nice job of projecting that tamped-down, reined-in internal conflict.

My heart really goes out to him because of this, because it gives me the impression that he’s never been able to live the way he’s wanted, his entire life.

And, perhaps it’s an indication of how strongly he feels about Xu Nuo, that he’s not simply sucking it in and turning away. Instead, we see him seeking her out, because he misses her, like at the bridal gallery.

That must surely be meant to be an indication to us, of just how strongly he’s drawn to Xu Nuo, yes? Otherwise, he’d likely find it easy – a matter of habit, pretty much – to walk away, because this is too complicated.

E5-8. When Yu’an starts to ask Zhao Jin about whether he’d been at Xu Nuo’s apartment that night, Zhao Jin doesn’t even let him finish the question.

He just ‘fesses up, just like that, that he’d been there, and we end on a note with both men locking tipsy gazes with each other.

I’m kind of blown away by how calmly intense Zhao Jin is being about this. That intensity is like a very quiet, still fire that burns steadily regardless of what it’s up against, and that’s kinda heart-wobbly, really.

E13-16. I think the key issue here, which Sister Hong (Mou Zi) brings up at that dinner, is that Zhao Jin’s too nice for his own good.

It’s that niceness that makes it hard for him to say “No” to people, when they ask him for help, whether that’s asking to borrow money, or asking for him to help pick up their son from daycare – which is exactly what happens, this set of episodes.

To be clear, I’m not doubting Zhao Jin’s intentions; he’s quick to draw the line with Muchu, when they first chat over coffee.

When Muchu says that she doesn’t have firm plans for herself and Shitou, and then remarks, “Aren’t you here, though?,” Zhao Jin is quick to say that there’s nothing that he can do for them.

The problem here, I think, is Zhao Jin’s decision to not be upfront with Xu Nuo, about Muchu.

[END SPOILER]

Sun Yi as Xu Nuo

This was my introduction to Sun Yi (checking her profile, she’s acted in a lot of stuff; I just haven’t happened to have seen any of them yet 😅), and I do think that she’s perfectly cast as Xu Nuo.

Even though my soft spot was for Zhang Wan Yi, I did enjoy her take on the character very well, and thought she did an excellent job of imbuing Xu Nuo with nuances and layers, even though Xu Nuo can be rather reticent at times.

Xu Nuo was a character that I found interesting to unravel, particularly at the beginning of our story, because it’s unclear at first, why she would continue to stay in a relationship that’s obviously not working anymore.

Here are some of my thoughts around that, and then I’ll talk more about Xu Nuo in relation to Zhao Jin, in the following section.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. With how distant Yu’an has been, it’s understandable to me, that Xu Nuo would find it hard to ignore the ardent attention of Zhao Jin, who is clearly smitten with her.

And with how many people believe that all’s fair in love and war, I can understand why Zhao Jin would want to show his feelings to Xu Nuo.

After all, she isn’t married to Yu’an at this point in time, and there is the possibility that she might choose to break up with Yu’an, and be with him instead.

Can’t fault a guy for giving it a try, right?

I would say that Xu Nuo is doing what she can to honor Yu’an as her boyfriend, in telling Zhao Jin that she has a boyfriend and can only see him as a friend. At the same time, it’s clear to see that her growing attraction to Zhao Jin is affecting her, more than she’d like to admit.

It’s that push-pull between duty and emotion, and to my eyes, this is very human.

I can understand Xu Nuo feeling torn, and therefore making some inconsistent choices. Sometimes, she seems to push Zhao Jin away, and at other times, she seems to want to draw him closer.

E5-8. As for the reasons that might have been keeping Xu Nuo from breaking up with Yu’an earlier, this set of episodes, we see that the pressure from her parents does have something to do with it.

Mom’s been putting pressure on Xu Nuo to get married; that she’s already behind schedule, and other people her age have already progressed to having kids.

Plus, there’s also the thing where Xu Nuo’s parents – her dad especially – seem to see Yu’an as a financially desirable son-in-law; someone who’d be able to help them out, if necessary.

It feels like Xu Nuo’s found herself gradually pushed into a corner, where marriage with Yu’an seems like the only acceptable way forward.

I’m so glad that she reaches her breaking point, this set of episodes, and asks Yu’an for that break-up.

E5-8. Finally, we hear from Xu Nuo about a key reason she has been pretending that everything’s ok, when it comes to Yu’an and his questionable behavior; she feels that articulating it, would make it real; that she really is pathetic, petty and small.

That’s relatable and understandable, I feel.

E13-16. On Xu Nuo’s side of things, I feel that she’s being more outspoken than Zhao Jin, in general, in the face of her challenges, but.. she’s kinda getting stuck anyway.

Yu’an just won’t give up on the idea of being with Xu Nuo, even though she does tell him pointblank, that she doesn’t love him anymore.

And, Xu Nuo’s mom just can’t accept that Xu Nuo wants to break up with Yu’an, and wants to be with Zhao Jin.

I feel for her. But I’m glad that she isn’t taking it lying down, and is speaking up for herself.

[END SPOILER]

Zhao Jin and Xu Nuo

I really enjoyed the way Show handles the OTP interactions in our story.

Mainly, I like that, through it all, Show pitches the OTP interactions as realistic enough to be believable, yet healthy enough to be aspirational.

This is true from the moment they first meet, when Xu Nuo is still in a long-term relationship with Yu’an, to even when their relationship is established, and they start working through their own relationship issues.

I thought this was really nicely done.

If you’ve ever felt tired of Dramaland serving up unrealistic OTP interactions, this one is an OTP relationship that I think you’d enjoy.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. Through it all, I remain appreciative of the fact that Zhao Jin and Xu Nuo work to keep themselves from crossing the line, even though they can’t seem to completely stay away from each other.

It’s easy to judge them for reaching out to each other at all, but y’know, when you feel strongly about someone, it’s easy to be led by your heart rather than your head, and I feel that Show brings out that dilemma really well, with Zhao Jin and Xu Nuo.

We finally get to the point in our story where we revisit the opening scene from episode 1, and I still love it.

I love the quiet honesty, as they both admit to how they’ve each not done a good job of keeping the promise of just being friends.

The honest helplessness, on Zhao Jin’s part, where he’s unable to change his feelings for Xu Nuo, but also, unable to do anything for her, and unable to convince himself to stay away from her completely.

This open vulnerability really appeals to me.

And, credit to Xu Nuo, that she meets him halfway and admits that she did unnecessary things too, all to have an excuse to contact him and see him.

It would’ve been easy for her to have let Zhao Jin bear all the blame, since he’s putting the blame on himself anyway, but she doesn’t do that, and I respect her for that.

The quiet sadness and wistfulness, as they part ways after this scene is the kind of hurt that hurts so good, y’know?

I dunno; this scene just really, really works for me. 🥲

There are times, this set of episodes, when Xu Nuo says things that sound rather unreasonable, when she’s talking with Zhao Jin.

But, in the midst of the unreasonable words, is a plaintiveness that comes through for me, and I feel like she’s kind of, underneath it all, asking Zhao Jin to help her, &/or understand her.

Credit to Zhao Jin, though, for not crossing the line, even when Xu Nuo’s standing before him tearfully, and sounding plaintive underneath her prickly words, despite his strong feelings for her.

E5-8. In contrast to Yu’an’s self-centered ways, I really appreciate Zhao Jin’s consistently gentle manner, when he talks to Xu Nuo.

Sure, when she shows up unannounced at his apartment, he does, at one point, remark that she’s willful. But his manner is gentle and caring, even underneath the stoic front that he’s putting up.

And, even though Xu Nuo’s giving off all these signals, about not wanting to take it that they’d never met (with tears in her eyes, at that), and not wanting to help him keep to just being friends, he doesn’t take advantage of it, like I feel many other men might.

Therefore, even though Zhao Jin’s also giving mixed signals at times, I feel like I can see him trying hard, to stick to his principles and not be too swayed by his feelings.

E9-12. I like that Show is consistent in making Zhao Jin and Xu Nuo imperfect, and sometimes even a little unlikable, but still, people whom I’d like to root for.

I had the same feeling towards the OTP in One Spring Night, and I do think that this is one of Show’s key facets; that our OTP need to be human to the extent of not always being likable, but they also still need to be people that I want to root for.

I was very much reminded of this, when we see Xu Nuo saying some unreasonable things to Zhao Jin, this set of episodes.

Like when she tells Zhao Jin that he has to wait for her indefinitely, without liking or dating anyone else.

It’s an unreasonable request, but again, I can sense the plaintiveness underneath the willfulness, and I know that Zhao Jin knows, that this is her way of asking for security and assurance – and it’s sweet, that he willingly gives it, even though it entails him agreeing to what sounds like an unreasonable request.

As for Zhao Jin, he shows his imperfections too, like in the way he tells Xu Nuo that he lacks the courage to flaunt his relationship with Xu Nuo, in front of Yu’an.

See, based on my steady diet of rom-coms where Dramaland’s given us lots of bold male leads who have steely gazes to spare, I would expect myself to find this lack of courage on Zhao Jin’s part, decidedly unappealing.

But, I find myself empathizing with Zhao Jin, because it’s normal for a regular person, to feel uncomfortable in that position.

And, I actually like that he’s so honest with Xu Nuo, about his lack of courage, even though it stands to reason that he would want to impress her, since she’s the girl that he likes.

Right there, we get one of the things that I like best, about this couple. They each see the other person for what they are, and they accept and love the other person, all the same. That’s heartening and touching, in and of itself, I feel like.

Also, it’s just really nice to see that Xu Nuo does have the ability to smile, after all.

I remember some of you guys were saying that Xu Nuo just doesn’t seem to smile at all, and we’ve agreed that that’s definitely due to how she feels about her relationship with Yu’an.

And here, we see her starting to leak smiles, during her interactions with Zhao Jin, and likewise, I feel that that definitely is due to how she feels, with Zhao Jin.

She’s happy when she’s with Zhao Jin, and that’s very nice to see, honestly.

It’s also so telling, that after spending time with Zhao Jin, Xu Nuo keeps smiling, from the spillover feels. 🥰

It’s also realistic, that things aren’t exactly smooth and rosy for our OTP, just because they’ve confirmed their feelings for each other.

Like how Zhao Jin gets angry because Zhao Qin is making flower deliveries on that bike.

It’s easy to see that Zhao Jin is overprotective of his sister because he worries for her health and wellbeing, and it’s also easy to imagine that he just won’t listen to reason, when it comes to Zhao Qin.

However, because he likes Xu Nuo so much, I can believe that he would eventually come around to her reasoning, that keeping Zhao Qin from doing all the things that she wants, doesn’t actually give Zhao Qin any meaningful quality of life.

And there’s also how Zhao Jin gets angry, when Xu Nuo suggests that he and Zhao Qin leave by the side gate, because Yu’an’s on his way to the flower shop to see her.

I’m glad though, that they’re able to make up quite swiftly, not because the disagreement was over nothing, but because their love for each other, is greater than anger and bad feelings caused by the disagreement.

There’s also how Zhao Jin knows instinctively, when Xu Nuo’s moody and upset, that it must have been because of something that her mother had said.

This is one of the indications that our OTP really has come to understand each other quite well, in the time that they’ve been spending together.

Plus, when they run into Yu’an and Cong Shan at that fancy restaurant, I like that their eventual conversation around this, is so honest, where Zhao Jin says that he’s more upset at himself for instinctively avoiding Yu’an, even though he has nothing to hide.

I like this kind of honest, reflective conversation. 🥰

E13-16. I generally like how our OTP relate – except when it comes to the thing with Muchu (so far, anyway).

For example, I really like how stable and solid their trust is, in each other.

Like when Zhao Jin realizes that Yu’an is most likely on his way to see Xu Nuo, he just.. steps back, and does his own thing, and waits for Xu Nuo to call him, instead of calling her, the way they’d agreed.

And then there’s how he tells her, with so much amiable, gentle understanding, that she will very likely need some time, because her relationship with Yu’an had been over a long period of time, and thus, they will likely both sustain some wounds, as they end their relationship.

Gosh, I was sooo impressed by the way Zhao Jin is able to consider all of this so calmly, and be so understanding and supportive of Xu Nuo needing some time, to sort everything out, including her own feelings.

I also love that moment when Xu Nuo tells Zhao Jin that she loves him, and he gets so moved by it all, that he has to quickly excuse himself, because he doesn’t want her to see him cry. 🥲

Aw. It really makes my heart go out to him, because how much must he have felt that no one could ever love him, because of his background.

With this as context, it makes me so, so glad to know that these two people have found each other, and have chosen each other, and have decided to love each other, regardless of the challenges ahead. 🥲

I also love how they’re so happy to see each other; that scene when Zhao Jin goes to meet Xu Nuo, and she’s so happy to see him that she runs into his embrace, makes me feel like these two are taking refuge and comfort in each other’s arms. 🥰

It’s also nice to see them opening up to each other, like the way Xu Nuo takes Zhao Jin to her family’s laundromat, to show him the place where she grew up.

Also very importantly, I appreciate that Xu Nuo is thoughtful enough, to set expectations with Zhao Jin, that in the future, even if they were to quarrel, and she were to say things that are unpleasant to hear, that she absolutely does not look down on him.

That feels so healthy, doesn’t it?

The thing that concerns me, is that moment when Xu Nuo, sounding like she’s starting a healthy conversation, tells Zhao Jin that she may not be able to keep her promise of not hurting him, after all.

When Zhao Jin apparently guesses correctly that she was thinking of using this as an excuse to leave him in the future, it gives a low-grade sense of unease about things.

At the same time, this OTP has demonstrated that they have the tendency and capacity to choose wisely and exercise patience and empathy, so I feel like whatever does come up, they’ll make it through, somehow. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Yuan Wen Kang as Yu’an

One of the biggest things that had my focus, during my watch, was Yu’an as a character, and what was making him tick.

Kudos to Show for not making him a two-dimensional bad guy, because that would’ve been too easy, honestly, given how annoying some of his behavior is.

Instead, I found it really interesting to try to understand what was going on with him psychologically, even as I found his actions incredibly frustrating to watch.

That’s credit to the writing, as well as to Yuan Wen Kang’s delivery of the character.

Here’s a collection of my (often frustrated) thoughts about Yu’an as a character, over the course of my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. It’s official. Yu’an wants to have his cake and eat it too.

One minute, we see him tell Cong Shan that he’s going to give her that ring (which he’d bought for Xu Nuo, no less 🙄), after he breaks up with Xu Nuo.

And then the next minute, we see him lying to Xu Nuo, and missing that wedding event which he’d indicated that he would take the opportunity to propose to Xu Nuo, and spending the evening with Cong Shan instead – albeit with other office staff in attendance.

And when Xu Nuo broaches the break-up, finally, he refuses to accept it, even though he’s clearly swayed by the idea of marrying Cong Shan like his father wants.

He’s such a gaslighter, too.

He’s been actively thinking about marrying someone else, and has been blowing off Xu Nuo in the name of work, and when she says she wants to break up with him, he starts accusing her of acting out and being unreasonable, like she’s the one breaking the promise that they’d made, to give each other time.

Show’s doing a really good job of making Yu’an a believable narcissist, where all he cares about is himself, and what’s good for him.

He doesn’t actually want to keep this relationship with Xu Nuo; he just wants to be the one to orchestrate the ending, and it hurts his pride that she would want to break up with him.

If Show had meant for me to support the break-up more easily, then it’s succeeded, because I find myself very much in favor of this break-up.

E5-8. I hate that Yu’an doesn’t even seem to register that his actions have had an impact on Xu Nuo’s mental and emotional well-being. Like I said before, classic narcissist. 😒

I mean, look at the way he acts all injured and put-upon, when Xu Nuo’s dad goes to see him, and he tells Dad that Xu Nuo’s asked for a break-up. Ugh.

E9-12. Y’know, the thing that had my brain in a lock-hold, this set of episodes, is the question of exactly what is going on, with Yu’an.

There were so many occasions, this set of episodes, where I wanted to reach into my screen and throttle him; he was being so frustratingly bizarre with regards to the lack of sense-making in his behavior.

Certainly, the logical sense-making is completely absent, since basically everything Yu’an says contradicts what he does.

I’m trying to understand the emotional / psychological sense-making behind his behavior, and I’m not 100% sure that I get it.

I said last week that he’s a gaslighting narcissist, and that still holds true.

And now, I’m starting to think that there’s also a sense of desperation in his actions, and that desperation is muddying the sense-making.

It reminds me of how, when playing video games, most people start to make senseless moves, when they realize that they’re doomed to lose the game; they start throwing everything – including the kitchen sink – at the game, hoping that it will somehow make a difference, despite knowing that they’ll lose anyway.

..That’s the impression that I’m getting, from Yu’an’s actions.

On top of this, there’s also this thing that Show’s introducing, where Yu’an’s struggling to deal with the regrets that are surfacing now, within him, about giving up his music dreams.

It’s rather incongruous to the eyes, certainly, because Yu’an exudes oily businessman vibes so strongly, but I can believe that anyone could have had music dreams as a youngster – even Yu’an.

I think Yu’an doesn’t even really know what he wants, at this moment, and that’s why his actions are so perplexing.

The thing that I found most perplexing, is the thing where he orchestrates it such that Xu Nuo and his father stand each other up, at their planned meeting.

I can see how this might deal with his immediate worry, that Xu Nuo will tell his father upfront, that she wants to break up with him, but of course, as any half-thinking observer would realize right away, this actually does nothing, in the longer term.

Not only does this not take away the fact that Xu Nuo wants to break up with him – and has already broken up with him – it actually worsens his father’s impression of Xu Nuo, which doesn’t help at all, if Yu’an has the slightest desire to marry Xu Nuo.

Of course, everything that Yu’an does, this set of episodes, basically adds to the growing mountain of evidence, that he is a gaslighting narcissist.

Someone needs to break it to him, that while it takes both sides to agree, to start a relationship, it really only takes one, to end a relationship.

I just got so tired of him insisting, over and over again, that yes, Xu Nuo’s asked for a breakup, but he hasn’t agreed.

I kept thinking, “C’mon dude. This is getting old. It’s over. You need to wake up and take a good look at the writing on the wall.” 🥱

Now that we’re at a juncture of our story where Yu’an is forced to face the fact that Xu Nuo likes Zhao Jin, I honestly worry about what Yu’an might do, to both Xu Nuo and Zhao Jin.

After all, he does swear to make Xu Nuo regret it, doesn’t he? And if he’s such a narcissist who only cares about himself, he’s going to do whatever it takes, not only to protect his own reputation, but also, punish the ones who’ve dared to put his reputation at risk.

I’m glad that Xu Nuo calls him out on how he’s never put her first, and I’m also glad that Cong Shan calls him out on it too, when he pulls over and tells her that he’ll call her a taxi.

Do I think that this is going to make any difference at all, in Yu’an’s behavior? Actually, no.

But I just like the idea that the other people involved, aren’t just taking it lying down, or turning the other cheek.

I also like the hints that we’re getting, that Cong Shan is getting annoyed with Yu’an, and therefore, might not be so keen to have a partnership with Yu’an, business or otherwise.

And, I’m also glad that she now has the full picture, that Xu Nuo has broken up with Yu’an, so everything he says about needing time to break up with Xu Nuo, is an outright lie.

Mostly, I’m hoping that Yu’an will end up getting nothing, for all of his efforts to have his cake and eat it too.

E9-12. I can’t believe that, after all that’s happened, and how clearly Xu Nuo’s made it, that she wants to end their relationship Yu’an would ask Xu Nuo to start over with him – as long as she forgets about Zhao Jin. 🙄

Ooh boy. Someone’s in deep, deep denial, and I would honestly really like someone to jiu-jitsu him upside the head, to get him to wake up and smell the coffee.

E13-16. I have to say, I’m actually gloating somewhat, at how Yu’an suddenly finds himself with nothing, pretty much, because Cong Shan’s reached the end of her patience with him, and decides that the potential deal is off; she’s no longer interested in making him her partner – in marriage, and therefore, also in business.

I kinda love Cong Shan, in a way, because she’s so calmly controlled and unaffected by all of Yu’an’s whining and excuses.

She just.. observes everything, processes it, decides on how much leeway to give Yu’an, and when he’s used it up, she cuts him off, without ever getting her feathers ruffled.

I mean, yes, she does show some emotion in that whole process, because who wouldn’t feel insulted by the way Yu’an’s been behaving the way he has around her, but all in all, very controlled and badass, and I find that I like her for it. 🤩

Or, maybe I like her for it, because it renders Yu’an’s excuses, tantrums and desperate pleas so impotent. 😁

As for Yu’an, this set of episodes, he says to his father, that if not for Dad and his expectations about whom Yu’an should marry, Yu’an would’ve married Xu Nuo long ago.

I am admittedly quite curious to know if this is actually true.

After all, Yu’an is the king of excuses, and he’s shown that he’s very quick to shift the blame onto others, so that he’ll come out of a situation looking like an innocent, injured daisy.

If Dad really had left him to his own devices, would he really have married Xu Nuo, like he said?

Part of me thinks that he’d probably have come up with other excuses to not marry her, because if he’d felt that strongly about marrying her, he would’ve done something about it, pressure from Dad nothwithstanding.

But part of me also wonders if I’m being too harsh in judging him; that maybe, left to his own devices, he really would have married Xu Nuo.

That said, even if he’d married Xu Nuo, he wouldn’t have made her happy; he would’ve continued to force her to tailor her life around him, and he wouldn’t have actually cared if she was happy, so. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyhoo. Now that Yu’an’s being kicked to the curb by Cong Shan, it really is kinda gratifying to see him trying to worm his way to a solution that he can live with, whether that’s getting his old job back (an immediate fail, ha – which shows that folks aren’t keen to work with him, eh?), or trying to bring business to the company, even if it’s a potential investment in Xu Nuo’s parents’ humble laundromat.

[END SPOILER]

Yu You as Shi Ran

Shi Ran’s a bit of a divisive character, in that I personally liked her, but there were others in our group watch on Patreon, like ABV, who didn’t like her so much.

I do think that it’s helpful to make some lens adjustments to allow for some cultural differences in terms of what is considered normal, acceptable or even positive.

Also, I found it helpful to keep her sincere support of Xu Nuo in mind; that helped to color everything else that she said, and temper how these other things might land, in my mind.

Overall, I really enjoyed Shi Ran, particularly as a friend. I’ll talk more about how she does, as a girlfriend, in the next section. 😉

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. Even though some people might find it questionable that Xu Nuo seems to have feelings for Zhao Jin while still technically seeing Yu’an with a view towards marriage, Shi Ran doesn’t judge her for it at all.

Instead, she tells Xu Nuo that she will support whatever decision Xu Nuo makes.

And, I feel like her manner in telling Xu Nuo that, lands as gentle and sincere, and I like that a lot.

We could all use a friend like Shi Ran, who will withhold judgment, particularly when we’re feeling perplexed and depressed already, and assure us of her friendship and support, no matter what we choose. 🥲

E9-12. I find that I’m liking Shi Ran more and more, as a character.

Like I mentioned before, I like her unconditional support and love for Xu Nuo; that’s what besties should be like, yes?

I was kinda shocked, actually, that Shi Ran even reflexively breaks up with Xu Yang, just because she’s caught up in the break-up emotion of Xu Nuo’s love life.

That’s.. pretty extreme.

At the same time, she does have some kind of a point; that if she and Xu Yang aren’t able to get over this hiccup, then their relationship wasn’t meant to last anyway.

(Of course, for the record, it’s still not advisable to throw about break-up talk with your significant other; just saying.)

Another thing I like about Shi Ran, is that she says for us, what I wish other characters, like Xu Nuo, would say.

Like when Yu’an keeps going on about how, if it was Zhao Jin, then there’s nothing to worry about; that it’s not even worth a discussion.

I love that Shi Ran speaks up, and says that Yu’an’s being rather rude and hurtful, to say that.

YES, exactly right. Thank you, Shi Ran.

[END SPOILER]

Shi Ran and Xu Yang [BROAD SPOILERS]

Overall, I do think that Shi Ran puts more emphasis on being a good friend, than on being a good girlfriend, and I do think that this is part of her growth arc, in our story.

Often, we see Shi Ran caring a lot more about how Xu Nuo feels, than about how Xu Yang feels.

Additionally, Shi Ran does often come across as a petty, picky sort of girlfriend who doesn’t seem to treasure Xu Yang.

I think this is partly a bit of cultural perspective at play, as well as a bit of room for character growth.

I do think that Shi Ran shows signs of softening and growth, by the time we get to the end of our story, and importantly, we do see that she does, in fact, sincerely like and care about Xu Yang.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E13-16. This set of episodes, I found myself feeling rather perplexed at the way Shi Ran is shown to respond to her relationship with Xu Yang; the way she decides that she needs to gain the upper hand in the relationship, is rather unpalatable, contrasted with the genuine and generous give and take of our OTP.

And then I realized that that is the purpose of Shi Ran’s relationship being treated this way; so that we as an audience can have a contrast, to better appreciate our OTP relationship.

Plus, I think it’s quite true that the average nice person in China would have that kind of more calculated mindset, when it comes to relationships – at least, that’s the impression that I’ve gotten, from dramas.

So I don’t think that Show is saying that Shi Ran isn’t a nice person, but that even nice people can have a more strategic, calculated approach to relationships – and therefore, isn’t our OTP extra nice and extra special, for not being that way with each other?

Also, it does look like Shi Ran’s getting more than she bargained for, since she finds herself feeling jealous of other girls being in close proximity with Xu Yang, so I’m guessing that Show will turn this whole thing around yet, and make it about Shi Ran learning what love is and is not.

[END SPOILER]

Tian Miao as Mom

It’s not hard to guess (and therefore not really spoilery to say) that Mom would be against Xu Nuo’s relationship with Zhao Jin, and is one of the obstacles that our OTP need to overcome.

Again, I appreciate that Show doesn’t make Mom a two-dimensional bad person type; instead, we see that Mom has her own struggles too, and is sincerely trying to do what she thinks is best for her daughter.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E13-16. I do think that Mom is coming from a place of concern, even though, I must say, she’s being incredibly overbearing and stubborn about it.

I’d thought that Mom would be jolted out of her blind disapproval, when Xu Nuo tells her that she knows that Dad’s back, and she understands, and could Mom please understand her too?

But I guess Mom’s too obsessed with the idea of preventing Xu Nuo from making a foolish decision for love – the way Mom had once done, and is now choosing to do, all over again.

Sigh. So far, Mom’s just on the “Do what I say; don’t do what I do” train, and even though I get that she is trying to save Xu Nuo from heartache, it’s really gotten to be too much.

I’m hoping that Mom will soon reach the point where she realizes that her good intentions and advice can only go so far, and that Xu Nuo needs to make her own decisions, in the end, and then live with the consequences of those decisions.

I do appreciate that Show demonstrates that it’s all not so straightforward.

That moment when Mom tells Xu Nuo that she can’t bring herself to abandon Dad, just because he’s not good, and Xu Nuo hugs her and tells her that she doesn’t agree, but understands, is poignant and bittersweet.

I liked this scene a lot. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Zhao Qin and Xiao Bai [BROAD SPOILERS]

Just after Show’s midway point, Show introduces a potential loveline for Zhao Qin, with Xiao Bai (Liu Pu Yuan), the young man she meets at the escape room activity.

Watching it, I found that while I was in-principle in support of Zhao Qin’s loveline with Xiao Bai, I wasn’t very taken with it, in execution.

I mean, I liked the idea of these two people finding meaning and hope in a connection with each other, but there was just something that felt lacking for me, in the delivery of it, like it’s kinda flat.

I think it’s partly the fault of the writing, as well as the relative green-ness of the two young actors portraying these characters.

I know some folks liked this loveline (hi Sean!), so I could be in the minority here.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E17-20. The road to a happy ending sure isn’t smooth, and so, this set of episodes is still not the most enjoyable ones we’ve had in our story.

However, what I like about it, is, our OTP demonstrates the healthier way to tackle all the rather extreme situations that come their way – thanks in no small part to Delusional Yu’an – even while they’re still imperfect people themselves.

This makes them feel real, but their mature, healthy choices – as often as they can make them – makes it feel that healthy, happy relationships can be had in real life too, and not just in a drama world where characters exist in a bubble.

I like the way Xu Nuo carries herself with grace and respect, while remaining forthright and honest, in her meeting with Yu’an’s father.

I’d honestly expected Dad to be more upset with Yu’an for lying to him, but the way Dad covers for Yu’an, when Xu Nuo mentions that he’d been the one who hadn’t been able to make their last appointment, feels quite protective.

Also, the way Dad behaves towards Yu’an after this, is also gentler and less confrontational than I’d expected.

I’d actually expected Dad to be angrier, and ask Yu’an point-blank, why he’d lied about needing time to break up with Xu Nuo, when Xu Nuo had already broken up with him.

Honestly, this whole thing made me feel more kindly towards Dad, because he gave me the sense that he does genuinely care about Yu’an, underneath all the business strategy stuff.

Dad also seems wise, when he says that Xu Nuo is a lot more confident and capable than he’d originally thought, but still thinks that she and Yu’an are not a good fit. He’s got my full agreement there. 😏

And then when the thing with Muchu comes to light, I’m overall pretty pleased, and quite impressed, at how our OTP handles it.

In a typical drama, this would’ve been cause for a rather dramatic scene, but not in this one.

Instead, we have Zhao Jin telling Xu Nuo about it, quietly and matter-of-factly, and then we have Xu Nuo responding to him, also pretty quietly and thoughtfully.

What impresses me is that Xu Nuo doesn’t actually know how to feel about it all, but that doesn’t prevent her from responding in a reasonable, honest and even-keeled sort of way, asking Zhao Jin for confirmation on some things, and then backing away to figure out how she feels, on her own.

And yes, later we do see that Xu Nuo does feel rather upset, but it’s a lot more toned down than I might expect from another person in the same situation – say, Shi Ran, for example – and Xu Nuo is very reasonable about what exactly she’s not happy about.

She’s not focused on the fact that Muchu is trying to gain a foothold by re-appearing all over Zhao Jin’s life; she’s more focused on the fact that Zhao Jin hadn’t told her about it.

And, I like that the sword cuts both ways.

Later on, when Xu Nuo herself doesn’t tell Zhao Jin about meeting up with Yu’an, she uses that same standard to judge her own behavior, and again, Zhao Jin is calm and thoughtful, as they talk it out.

The foundation of it all, I feel, is that these two people trust each other, and that is why, even when they hear things from other people, or see things that might give them pause, they manage to navigate it without damaging their relationship.

I like that a lot.

And, I thought it was a pretty great move on Xu Nuo’s part, to tell Zhao Jin to go ahead and attend Shitou’s birthday party – and that she would go along too.

This enables Zhao Jin to fulfill the promise that he’d made, while also establishing clearly to Muchu, that Xu Nuo and Zhao Jin are very much Together.

This set of episodes, we even get the consummation of our OTP relationship, and I kinda love how low-key it all is.

The kisses are heartfelt and full of feeling, and there is tenderness, and at the same time, it also feels kind of.. matter-of-fact? Which somehow gives it all this very earthy, low-key sort of vibe, which I feel is perfect for this OTP.

The morning-after cuteness is also something I enjoyed very much.

In a story world where our OTP has to deal with so much outside pressure on their relationship, all the little pockets of Cute that we get these episodes, were very welcome in my books. 🥰

AND, we even get a proposal!

I was honestly pretty surprised, that the proposal would come from Xu Nuo, rather than Zhao Jin, but on hindsight, this does feel quite perfect, because Xu Nuo’s always been the more outspoken one between them.

And, she’s made it clear that she’s gotten to the point where she doesn’t want to be without him, so it makes perfect sense that she would think to do something about it.

To which I say, “You go, girl!” 🤩

As for Yu’an, it becomes abundantly clear, by the end of these episodes, that he isn’t actually in love with Xu Nuo, and that’s why he’s badgering her to marry him.

He just can’t stand the thought of losing, and to someone like Zhao Jin, at that, and everything he’s doing, is in an effort to take that victory back.

Which means that yes, he does look upon Xu Nuo as an object to be lost and won, after all.

I didn’t like so much, that Zhao Jin and Yu’an keep going to each other, this set of episodes, and in effect, speaking for Xu Nuo, instead of allowing Xu Nuo to speak for herself.

But, I do appreciate that Zhao Jin is facing Yu’an head-on without flinching or backing down, and I can also appreciate that Zhao Jin had given Xu Nuo a lot of space to deal with Yu’an, up to this point, and it’s just that Yu’an hasn’t been listening to anything Xu Nuo has said.

I can buy the idea that he felt the need to step up and protect Xu Nuo from being harassed by Yu’an.

I still didn’t like it so much, though. 😅

As for Shi Ran and how she gets Xu Yang to propose to her, this set of episodes, I have to agree that she can be unreasonable and manipulative, and therefore, I can see why people might not like her, as a character.

I do think it helps me to know that she really does like Xu Yang, and that a lot of the stuff she says, is more tough bluster than anything else.

Like, I don’t believe for a minute that she’s still thinking about whether she wants to marry Xu Yang; why would she have wanted a proposal from him, otherwise?

And yes, she could’ve totally shown more appreciation for Xu Yang’s efforts to surprise her with the ring in the cake, but I do believe that she’s secretly pleased.

For Xu Yang’s sake, I do hope that Shi Ran’s behavior in her relationship with him will evolve into something more appreciative.

Honestly, Xu Yang’s such a simple guy; Shi Ran being the epitome of that saying, “women are complicated,” just makes it even harder for him to live. 😅

As for our would-be young couple, I’d actually thought that it would be Xiao Bai who’d be more likely to end up in the hospital first, but instead, it’s Zhao Qin who gets rushed to emergency room, after she passes out after her outing with Zhao Jin and Xu Nuo.

Although I don’t want either of them to be sick, the fact that Zhao Qin is hospitalized, seems to broaden their scope of communication.

Previously, it had seemed like Xiao Bai had been reluctant to talk much about his illness, and these episodes, we do see him trying to act like he’s fine, in front of Zhao Qin, when he’d actually been in a great deal of discomfort.

However, by the end of the episodes, it feels like he’s willing to be more open now, even as he assures Zhao Qin that it’s ok for her to be weak in front of him.

This feels like a step in the right direction, as far as their communication habits go, but of course, I would like their physical health to improve.

As we close out these episodes, Xu Nuo’s mom seems determined to put the brakes on their relationship by any means necessary, and I’m just SO ready, for Mom to finally get to know Zhao Jin for herself, and realize that he really is the one whom Xu Nuo needs.

Also – I need Mom to realize that Dad’s been lying to her about not gambling anymore, and that she’s most likely making a mistake, deciding to remarry him.

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

What I can say is, Show stays true to itself all the way to the very end, and I found these finale episodes as enjoyable as the rest of the show.

What I mean is, Show doesn’t slap neat bows on everyone and everything, just because it’s getting to its finish line.

Instead, it remains realistic and hopeful, in bringing certain key conclusions to pass, while leaving other things fairly open, so that I can believe that these sorts of happenings could be things that we’d see in real life, while still enjoying the hope and positivity that Show offers our characters.

Very nicely done, I thought.

In the penultimate episodes, when Show had brought the memory of Zhao Jin’s and Zhao Qin’s mother to the fore, I’d guessed that Show would bring Mom back into the picture, which would allow for the possibility of her being a bone marrow donor for Zhao Qin, and would also allow Dad to apologize for his past behavior, when he’d abused her.

But Show doesn’t do that. As it turns out, that is too Dramaland, for Show.

Instead, Show leans the other way, and has Mom change her phone number, thus cutting off any remaining chance of contact.

This is much more realistic, for sure, and Show has our characters work through their feelings about this, much like how real people would have to grapple with their feelings, if and when such happen, in real life.

It makes perfect sense that this would trigger Zhao Jin’s abandonment issues, since he’s been abandoned by two key women in his life – his mom, and then later on, his ex-wife.

And it makes perfect sense too, that this would become an important issue for Zhao Jin and Xu Nuo to work out, in their relationship.

I do appreciate that when it comes to working this out, Xu Nuo doesn’t look at this as Zhao Jin’s problem, but actually does a good amount of self-examination, with regards to this issue.

I like that she thinks about whether she has it in her to be true to Zhao Jin regardless of what the future holds for their relationship, rather than about how Zhao Jin can overcome his emotional baggage.

Again, healthy relationship dynamics for the win, even though there are some necessary bumps that our OTP need to deal with.

I also feel like Xu Nuo’s mom coming to realize that Dad would never change his ways, feels realistic.

Yes, I’m sad for Mom, that her hopes to rekindle their relationship are completely dashed, but it feels true to life, that Dad is unable to kick his gambling ways and his tendency to make unrealistic promises, while citing it as being all for her.

It hurts her now, but getting out now will hurt less than going in for a second go, only to come to the same crushing realization later.

Speaking of Mom, I was glad for the meeting between her and Yu’an’s dad, even though it was a result of Yu’an being obsessive and delusional.

Honestly, the degree of Yu’an’s delusion is quite mindblowing to me; after all that’s been said and done, he still tried to pull a fast one, by having marriage talks between the parents, without Xu Nuo’s knowledge?? 🤦🏻‍♀️

It’s really embarrassing (for Yu’an), the way both parents try to play along and be polite, even though everyone in the room is fully aware that Yu’an’s relationship with Xu Nuo is well and truly over.

When the polite facade cracks, finally, it feels like sweet release, to have Mom speak her mind to Yu’an’s dad, and lay the truth bare, so that none of this polite pretense can continue; Dad has never approved of Xu Nuo and never would have, and there is nothing more to talk about, between their two families.

It’s an upsetting situation for Mom, but it does feel like an important part of her coming to realize that she had actually been pushing Xu Nuo towards a situation that would only result in unhappiness.

I’m glad that Mom doesn’t waste time in channeling her learning towards being more welcoming of Zhao Jin.

That family dinner, where she and Gran dote on Zhao Jin and Zhao Qin, was very heartening to witness, and I can already imagine them being one big happy family, in the not-so-distant future. 🥰

On another note, I’ve mentioned that I’ve been feeling a sense of dread, with regards to how the connection between Zhao Qin and Xiao Bai would pan out, and in these finale episodes, the other shoe finally drops.

I’d been concerned that it would be Zhao Qin who might pass away, or both of them, since they both had serious medical conditions, but in the end, it’s Xiao Bai who left Zhao Qin behind.

I did feel like Show glossed over this plot point, because Xiao Bai’s death is a big thing, but Show only gives us a glimpse of Zhao Qin crying while sleeping over at Xu Nuo’s house.

In other scenes, she seems to be getting on quite normally, and while I can rationalize that this is most likely her hiding her sadness, so as not to upset Zhao Jin, it does still land as something that is mostly glossed over.

I’m glad for Shi Ran and Xu Yang, that they get engaged, and are excited about their future together.

It’s true that their relationship dynamic, with Shi Ran appearing to “bully” Xu Yang a lot of the time, might not work for some folks, but I think that Show’s done a good enough job of showing us that Shi Ran doesn’t actually mean any harm, and does really sincerely like Xu Yang, that I find it quite easy to just roll with it.

I thought it was really sweet of Xu Yang to pull off that picnic proposal, after his cake proposal was rejected for being not romantic enough.

I also like that we are getting glimpses of Xu Yang starting to speak up for himself more, in the relationship.

It’s work in progress, but I am satisfied that we’re seeing happiness, contentment and a move towards growth, in this relationship.

As for Yu’an, it seems like he finally realizes it’s time to give up on Xu Nuo, when he hears the news that Zhao Jin is likely getting married soon.

We don’t see if his blind date with the woman that Dad recommends actually goes anywhere, but it does feel like a step in the right direction, that Yu’an take her to see his band perform – and he even performs with them.

This means that he’s putting his authentic self forward, and not trying to hide his passion for music, which is what he’d done for a really long time, so good for him.

It feels completely in Show’s nature, to end its story in as low-key a fashion as it began.

We see Zhao Jin and Xu Nuo dealing with boundaries and promises in their relationship, and what happens when some of these promises are broken.

It’s actually nicely heartening and hopeful, to me, to see them work through it all without any truly big fights, even though Xu Nuo expresses a good degree of upset-ness at Zhao Jin lying to her, when he’d been drinking with his friends.

The key here, I feel, is the way they get through this, with a hashing-out session that’s sprinkled with good humor and affection.

It makes me feel like this is how they will deal with other challenges that come up in the future, and this gives me a sense of assuredness, that they will be just fine, regardless of what challenges and disagreements come their way.

It’s a low-key, realistic yet hopeful happy ending for our main couple, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 🥰

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Realistic, thoughtful and hopeful. Very enjoyable.

FINAL GRADE: B++

TRAILER:

MV:

WHERE TO WATCH:

Show is available to stream on YouTube and Viki.

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