THE SHORT VERDICT:

This show is basically Signal, but instead of walkie-talkies, make it letters, and instead of crime solving, make it love.

It sounds abstract, and there is a lot of ground to cover with two timelines co-existing in just 12 episodes of screen time, but Show’s writing and handling is so deft, so detailed and so confident, that it all works – and really well.

As a whole, our cast does an excellent job, but I have to say, Zhou Yi Ran and Wang Ying Lu truly stand out in their roles as our leads. Their deliveries are so natural and so raw, that I couldn’t help but feel like these characters were real, living, breathing people. 🥲

Highly, deeply, enthusiastically recommend. ❤️

THE LONG VERDICT:

To whomever compared this show to Someday or One Day (SOOD), THANK YOU. 🥹

If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you’d likely know that I loved-loved-lovedddd SOOD, and have written many, many words trying to express that love (drama review is here, open threads are here, and movie review is here!).

Honestly, just thinking about that show, is enough to give me feels. 🥲

Suffice to say, comparing a show to SOOD is a surefire way to get my attention. 😁

And now that I’ve watched this one for myself, I can confirm that the comparison to SOOD is valid.

This show is just as special as SOOD, while managing to very much be its own thing, and I very much recommend it. 💞

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

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

I found the music in this show and how it’s harnessed, quite genius, in that the songs themselves might not sound especially remarkable on their own, but when paired with this story, and in how it’s all applied, it had this raw, haunting quality that really got under my skin. 🥲

In terms of favorites, there are two songs that really stood out to me: See You When Spring Flowers Bloom and Tunnel of Time.

I found the music and lyrics of both songs very poignant and meaningful, and I felt that they really deepened the feels that I felt, during my watch. Honestly, I found myself feeling grateful to be able to understand the lyrics, as these songs scored the scenes on my screen. 🥹

Here are both songs on their own as well, so that you can enjoy the translations of the lyrics, and also, in case you’d prefer to listen to either of them on repeat. Just right-click on 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 stuff I liked or didn’t like, on a more macro level, before I give the spotlight to selected characters and relationships, in a separate section. Finally, I spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate and finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or 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 might be useful to keep in mind, if you want to maximize your chances of enjoying your watch:

1. This is a love story at heart

I do think that it’s important to focus on the fact that Show is, first and foremost, a story about love.

Yes, there’s a time-travel element here, and yes, that element is at the forefront of our narrative, but ultimately, the true focus is on the love story.

2. Show is not an easy watch

I have to admit upfront, that there are portions of this which are particularly hard to watch. Trigger warning for some very realistically portrayed domestic violence.

Importantly, Show doesn’t glorify the violence, and doesn’t use it gratuitously, ie, it’s integral to our story.

3. Be patient

Show takes its time to weave its story, and there may be times when you wonder where any of it is going.

What I can say is, trust Show, and trust the process. It’s worth hanging in there.

4. Go in as blind as possible

As with SOOD, I do think that you’d have the best watch experience, if you go into this one as blind as possible.

So if you haven’t yet seen the show, go watch it, and then come back – I’d love to hear all about your watch.

STUFF THAT I LIKED

Overall writing and handling

Show has to manage a lot of story ground within 12 compact episodes, and I must say, it does it very well.

There are dual timelines, a space-time-bending central mystery, relationships that need to be developed, backstories that need to be fleshed out – and Show uses a fragmented storytelling approach, to juggle it all.

It’s really impressive to me, that Show manages to keep all these various narrative balls in the air without dropping any of them.

Not only that, it manages to tell a robust, coherent story, where every scene feels purposeful, even when I don’t fully understand the significance of the scenes.

I am truly impressed that this show manages to be so compact, so economical, and yet so affecting, all at the same time. 🥲

Excellent performances by our leads

I will talk about specifics later in this review, but I wanted to state for the record, that I am very impressed with the performance of both our leads.

They both really make their characters come alive, both in the big difficult scenes and the everyday.

I really wanted to reach into my screen to help these characters; that’s how real they became, to me. 🥲

STUFF THAT WAS OK

The 2026 timeline

To be fair, both timelines are equally important to our story.

It’s just that the 1991 timeline grabbed my heart early, and also, things take some time to settle, in the 2026 timeline.

This meant that naturally, I perked up every time we spent time in the 1991 timeline. And yes, it’s true that sometimes, I found myself watching the 2026 timeline, while just biding my time for when we’d get to the 1991 timeline again.

However, Show does balance it all out in the end, and my interest in both timelines did eventually converge – which is why this is sitting in the neutral zone.

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

The suffering of our characters

Like I mentioned earlier, our characters go through quite a bit of hardship and suffering.

In particular, Hai Tang experiences a lot of domestic violence, which I found especially difficult to watch.

It’s true that our characters’ suffering is not gratuitous, ie, it’s perfectly relevant to our story – but I still didn’t like it, which is why it’s here in this section.

SPOTLIGHT ON SELECTED CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

1991 Timeline

Zhou Yi Ran as Yi Xun

I have to say, I found it extremely trippy to see Zhou Yi Ran in this show, because I’d only ever seen him in When I Fly Towards You (review here!), and in that show, he plays a very different character; one who’s a typical boy-next-door, very clean cut, a top student, and someone who’s very reserved and reticent, as a general rule.

Yi Xun is nothing like that, basically.

I found it very trippy to see Zhou Yi Ran in this more expressive, more streetwise, more rough sort of space, and I have to admit that in the beginning of my watch, I sometimes couldn’t even recognize that this was Zhou Yi Ran on my screen, even though I knew it was him. 😅

And like I mentioned above, I was really impressed with the way he inhabited the character of Yi Xun.

Even though Yi Xun’s introduced as a pretty rough kind of character, we get a stronger and stronger sense of his goodness, the deeper we get into our story. I liked that a lot. 🥲

In these following spoiler sections, I talk through how Show establishes his core decency early on, and then I talk through a specific stretch where I feel that his character gets to shine.

[EARLY FOUNDATIONAL SPOILERS]

E1-2. Immediately, I don’t see Yi Xun as a bad person, even though he’s working as a debt collector and therefore part of his job is to threaten people and cause damage to their property as part of the process.

First, there’s the way he doesn’t have to be told, to respect the fact that Hai Tang’s in the middle of her prayers, and wait, instead of barging in right away.

Second, there’s the way he tells Hai Tang, that they’re just doing their jobs, and don’t want any trouble, and so she shouldn’t do anything stupid. I actually really like how he seems so matter-of-factly detached from the debt collection.

Third, there’s the way he doesn’t get upset when that old man’s rattan chair falls off the cart and hits him. Instead, he helps to pick it up and load it back onto the cart, and tells the old man that it’s fine, when the old man apologizes.

Additionally, later, when Yi Xun hears that Hai Tang’s father’s debt will be handled by Bao’s men (who tend to use much more brutal methods in their debt collection), you can see that he’s concerned, even though he barely knows Hai Tang, at this point.

Based on these few things, I feel like Yi Xun’s a decent person, who’s just following orders in order to make a living.

Also, even though he’s not interested in going to school, he is actively saving his money, so I feel like he’s pretty sensible and forward-thinking, for his age.

[DEEPER SPOILERS]

E7-8. We don’t get to see much of Yi Xun at all while he’s in prison, save for a few glimpses at the beginning of his time there, but when he is released, he comes across as a different version of himself; older, sadder, and wistful, even as he flashes his familiar dimpled smile at Hao Zi (Zhao Run Nan). 🥹

That scene is so poignant, as Yi Xun and Hao Zi catch up over that bowl of sweet soup; so much has changed, and what’s left unsaid, is that Yi Xun had missed all of it.

I appreciate Hao Zi’s immediate offer for Yi Xun to join him and Zhen Zhu (Huang Er Chun) in their little business, and I can see that Yi Xun’s decision to decline, comes from a place of love and care, of not wanting to burden them.

This is about the time we get the scene, that, for me, is arguably the most gutting of them all, in these episodes: when Yi Xun goes to his fake grave, realizes that he’s just missed catching a glimpse of Hai Tang, then goes back to the cake and flowers that she’d left him.

Oh. My. Word.

The way he opens the cake box; the way he gazes at the cake and reads (and I believe, rereads) the words that Hai Tang had put on the cake for him – “Ah Xun, Happy Birthday;” the way he tentatively eats some of the cream on his fingers; the way her promise echoes in his heart, that she’ll get him a cake every year; the way he sits in his pain, and sobs painful, heartbroken tears; all of it comes together to speak so profoundly, of his loss and his grief. 😭😭😭

His pain is palpable and so, so raw, and I felt honored to be allowed to sit with him in it, but at the same time, helpless to do anything about it.

I believe that his longing for Hai Tang becomes so acute at this point, that he allows himself – after much wrestling and hesitation – to try calling the number that she’d left with Rat.

I feel that for a split second, he’s briefly allowing himself to hope – but that hope is immediately dashed, the moment he registers, from her son’s voice and the conversation that follows, that she’s married someone else, and has a new family now.

Oof. It’s only now really dawning on me, that in this moment, he feels not just the loss of Hai Tang, the only family he’s ever known; he also feels like he’s been replaced, as her family. And that hurts twice as deeply. 💔

After this, we soon get the backstory of how he’d become Yu Nian’s father, and ended up living as Yu Zhi Yong for so many years, and I’m once again very much affected, by Yi Xun’s generous heart.

Clearly, this had never been his intent; his promise to his late friend, had been to visit his mother. But faced with little Yu Nian’s misplaced (but perhaps not so misplaced after all) hope and happiness, he can’t bear to disappoint her, and, only after a few short minutes of hesitation, makes the quiet decision to fulfill her wishes – as the father that she longs for, daily.

The thing that strikes me most about this decision to live as Yu Nian’s father, beyond how selfless and giving Yi Xun is, in making the decision, is that this is the first time in a long time, that he’s able to show love, not by removing himself, but by being present.

Yes, part of this decision involves self-erasure, in the sense that he has to take on a new identity and live a new life, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is his presence here, that is the gift – and I do believe that this must be fundamentally affirming and life-giving, to Yi Xun.

It’s really poignant and bittersweet, to get to see in the next few highlights that Show gives us, how much Yi Xun grows into these shoes, of being Yu Nian’s father, and how much he dedicates himself to her.

[END SPOILER]

Wang Ying Lu as Hai Tang

This was my introduction to Wang Ying Lu, so I have no prior context for her abilities as an actress. All I can say is, she brought Hai Tang to life in a way that really worked for me.

Most of the time, this was not through big gestures or sweeping emotions, though I have to say that Wang Ying Lu also does extremely well, with raw, difficult scenes.

Rather, by and large, the changes and growth in Hai Tang lie in small changes to her micro-expressions and gaze. I thought this was very nicely done.

[BROAD SPOILERS]

Thinking about Hai Tang as a character, I feel that when we meet her, she’s deeply wounded and extremely suffocated as a person.

With the terrible way her father treats her, beating her so often, and making irrational conclusions about her, while unreasonably demanding money from her to feed his gambling addiction, it’s not hard to see why Hai Tang feels hopelessly backed into a corner, and even pushed to the point of wanting to give up on it all.

I feel that her connection with Yi Xun becomes a slow but sure turning point for her.

Over time, as she starts to feel safe with Yi Xun, we begin to see her true, unguarded, more childlike nature peek through.

I feel that rather than this being a story that tracks Hai Tang’s growth, it is more accurate to say that this is a story that tracks her healing – not in the usual sense of the word, but rather, where even through the darkest, toughest of times, she starts to choose resilience, hope and life.

I thought this was very meaningful and poignant. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Yi Xun and Hai Tang

It’s a little ironic that I started this show thinking, “Hmm. I really wonder how Show’s going to work in a loveline between Yi Xun and Hai Tang,” because of the very tenuous sort of first meeting they have, and also, given the rather stark, gritty tone of our story world.

And how, here I am, after completing the show, and thinking that this love story is one for the ages. 🥹

[BROAD SPOILERS]

At this point, I do think that it’s probably helpful to talk a little bit about the kind of love story this is.

Most of the time, when we think of lovelines in dramas, the focus is a lot more overt, and as part of the development of the loveline, we’d have OTP milestones that include a courtship, a love confession, dates, handholding and other skinship.

That’s not the case in this show, and I do appreciate that this is by design.

Instead, we see love showing up in other ways; through mutual care, respect and protection; through trust, loyalty and steadfastness – through the good times and the bad.

I found it all utterly absorbing and moving, and in this next spoiler section, I’m going to unpack all my thoughts and feelings by revisiting their story. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I’m glad that Yi Xun manages to stop Hai Tang from killing her father, but then, I did feel quite uncomfortable, when, at the police station, Yi Xun agrees with Dad’s (Li Yi Xiang) story, that Hai Tang’s mentally ill.

However, when Yi Xun explains his point of view, and asks her if it’s worth throwing away her life for the likes of Dad, I begin to see that he has a point, and I better understand his strategy, to just go with the flow at the police station, in order to get Hai Tang out of there, to safety.

At those steps near the mailbox, I feel like Yi Xun and Hai Tang have their first proper conversation, without any misunderstandings in the way, where he asks her about the problem, and she tells him that Dad had taken the class fund money, which she can’t repay, and he tells her that he’ll get the money back for her.

He even goes so far as to say that she can say that he’d taken the money.

Aw. That’s really going above and beyond, I think – just like I think he goes above and beyond, by allowing Hai Tang to stay at his home (and going out to get her the supplies she would need), while he roughs it out at the theater with Hao Zi.

E3-4. I enjoyed watching Yi Xun and Hai Tang slowly grow to trust each other, these episodes.

While their connection does seem to grow pretty fast in these episodes, I rationalize that people can bond very quickly when they go through dangerous or stressful experiences together, and I would categorize both their experiences these episodes, as being dangerous &/or stressful.

That concern that they have for each other, stemming from a basic sense of humanity, does grow each time the other person reciprocates in kind, I think, and that’s how we have Yi Xun and Hai Tang becoming much closer, these episodes.

There’s the way Yi Xun goes out of his way to let Hai Tang stay at his home, while he crashes elsewhere, when he perceives that she wouldn’t be safe at her own home.

In Hai Tang’s shoes, this would definitely go a long way towards me seeing Yi Xun in a new light.

Plus there’s the way Yi Xun keeps standing up for Hai Tang, in the face of those gossipy classmates (whom I would truly like to smack upside the head, for being so catty).

And then, when Awful Dad (who is mindblowingly shameless when it comes to acting all angelic and lying through his teeth about being a good father) shows up and makes all those false claims, Yi Xun doesn’t hesitate to punch him.

Again, in Hai Tang’s shoes, this would definitely go towards building my trust, that Yi Xun’s someone who’s on my side, and who’s trustworthy.

I do think that part of that “negative experiences” bonding includes being misunderstood by the adults around them, including Teacher Tan (Chen Hao Lan).

Originally, I’d imagined that Teacher Tan would be someone that both Yi Xun and Hai Tang would be able to confide in, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, at least in these episodes.

I don’t think that Teacher Tan is a bad person, but she does definitely seem to have a preconceived idea of the kind of person Yi Xun’s turned out to be, while working in the debt collection business, and it seems to me that she is so fixed in those ideas and the kind of influence Yi Xun would therefore have on Hai Tang, that she just won’t listen to either of them.

Not that Hai Tang tries very hard to tell her anything; I feel like Hai Tang’s too ashamed of the abuse, and that disillusioned at what adults would do to help, that she won’t even try to tell Teacher Tan the truth, when Teacher Tan asks.

But Yi Xun does try very hard to convince Teacher Tan that he’s not the one causing trouble, and she won’t have any of it, and I have to confess that I’m rather disappointed about that.

Another part of the “negative experiences” bonding, I think, is the way they keep seeing each other with physical injuries; Yi Xun from being beaten up by his boss and the related brawls, and Hai Tang being beaten up by her father.

In noticing and helping to tend to each other’s wounds, I feel like they do grow closer too.

Additionally, there’s the way the mysterious letter, and the resulting persistent gossip, links the both of them together, so that they are connected, whether they like it or not.

And somewhere along the way, as this common ground becomes more established, Yi Xun decides to be overtly nicer to Hai Tang, like the way he buys that sweet soup for her, and tells her not to worry; that he doesn’t mind being suspended because it’s not like he’d really wanted to go to school anyway.

There’s also the way they decide to pay off their “debts” to each other; Hai Tang returns part of the class fund that Yi Xun had paid for her, and Yi Xun gives her back the amount of money that equates Gran’s money that had been taken as part of the loan collection effort that he, Rat and Li Cha Dong had made.

With this, it effectively feels like they’re starting over on a fresh slate, and Yi Xun even hands her the phone number of the billiards hall, so that she can call him whenever she needs help.

It’s hard to watch, but both Yi Xun and Hai Tang get beaten up pretty badly, after this promise is made, and, layered over that excerpt of the first letter, that we hear in episode 4, that Yi Xun still considers these days the best days of his life, it really hits me hard, in the heart.

This means that he doesn’t care about the terrible beatings and injuries; being able to spend time with Hai Tang, while being in the same orbit, was enough to make this the happiest time of his life.

I find that very touching, honestly. 🥲

I do think that the beats in this loveline are subtle enough, that if you aren’t paying close attention, you might miss it, and come away thinking, “Wait, how did they suddenly get so close?”

However, I personally think that the little beats do add up, and the more I examine the little beats with a more careful eye, the more clearly I feel like I see the evolution of their relationship.

I do think that Yi Xun falls first, for Hai Tang.

The way he looks at her, while she tends to the wound on his leg, is so thoughtful and soft.

I do think that the sense of solidarity that they share plays into the reason that he develops feelings for her, plus she’s the only person in school who talks to him like he’s a regular person, whereas everyone else seems to look upon him as a troublemaker ruffian, including Teacher Tan.

The fact that Yi Xun goes so far as to quietly apologize to Hai Tang, about getting hurt in the midst of those “minor conflicts” definitely lands as him deepening the relationship, because he’s positioning himself as being accountable to her, which is why Hai Tang does that quiet double take and soon excuses herself.

Very likely, she doesn’t feel ready for their connection to evolve this way, or perhaps she feels awkward about it?

I find it very endearing that Yi Xun goes out of his way to do little things for Hai Tang, like buying her steamed buns for breakfast, and then running through the rain to deliver them to her, along with antiseptic solution for her wounds.

Then there’s the way he hesitantly asks her if she’d tried to call him at the billiard house, and probes to find out what had happened.

I do think that the fact that Hai Tang chooses to tell Yi Xun about the disappearing letter, is a strong indication that she’s allowing Yi Xun to draw closer to her.

And I feel that, with the way Yi Xun unquestioningly believes her and trusts her on the whole situation around the disappearing letter, even going out of his way to guard the mailbox, just seals that connection even further.

It literally feels like she could tell him anything, and he’d be a safe place for her, y’know? 🥲

Of course, spending hours on end together, while watching over the mailbox to see if anyone’s tampering with it, draws them closer together still.

I mean, we even have Hai Tang falling asleep on Yi Xun’s shoulder, yes? 🥰

There’s also the way they’re each protective of the other, with Yi Xun urging Hai Tang to go home and get some rest, and Hai Tang refusing to let Yi Xun watch the mailbox overnight, because it might rain and his wounds might get infected. She even insists on walking him home. 🥲

The steps towards each other are subtle and muted, but they are there, yes?

That beat, where Yi Xun brings Hai Tang a sweet bun because he’d thought she might be hungry, is low-key yet quite delightful, because it’s clear that Yi Xun just wants to treat Hai Tang well, in telling her to eat it all because he doesn’t like it.

But then, Hai Tang tears the bun into two halves and insists that he eat with her, and it’s so endearing, how they eat that sweet bun together so happily, reveling in how tasty it is.

Ahh. The small pleasures. 🥲

And then it’s very poignant, how Yi Xun opens up and tells Hai Tang about how he’d grown up in a welfare home and how he’d met Li Cha Dong, who’d taken him in, without whom he would’ve starved to death.

When Hai Tang starts to tell Yi Xun that they should just drop the issue with the letter, because “that person” is unlikely to show up, it does feel for a minute, like their new connection might be getting cut off, but when she tells Yi Xun to get a haircut before coming back to school, and he smiles and says he’ll listen to her, it feels like they’re making a decision to keep their connection going, even after his suspension is over.

E5-6. In terms of the growing connection between Yi Xun and Hai Tang, I appreciate that the actual sharing of the experience of sending and receiving time-slipped letters would absolutely deepen their bond.

That feeling, of sharing a secret, and the process too, of figuring out what to do next, feels very special, because it’s something that is only between the two of them, and no one else.

Plus, for a while, things seem to be looking up, for our characters.

Yi Xun smooths things over with Teacher Tan and resolves to go back to school; Brother Cha decides to get out of the debt collection business; Teacher Tan loans him money to fix up the billiard hall; Yi Xun and Rat are reconciled with Brother Cha, and the three of them come together to work on the billiard hall, so that they can resume business.

On top of that, Yi Xun and Hai Tang become more aware of their connection, as Yi Xun replicates the first letter, and shows it to Hai Tang, which is when they conclude, together, that this letter could well have been written by Yi Xun’s future self – meaning that Yi Xun is the one behind the love letter, after all.

That is quite a surreal yet tantalizing thought, isn’t it?

I also really enjoyed the little happinesses that we see them experiencing.

Like the way Yi Xun opens up and shares about his childhood, as Hai Tang cuts his hair for him, and the way they both consider their futures.

I find it so poignant, that Yi Xun says that, because he’d starved so much as a child, just having food to eat, is enough of a goal for him.

You can see Yi Xun’s face fall, as he hears Hai Tang say that she dreams of going to university, so that she can leave Meiwan and her father, forever. He agrees that she’ll be able to do it, but his silence on his own future is quite deafening, I feel. 🥹

I’m glad that Hai Tang encourages him, saying that they can go to university together.

Yes, there are no guarantees, and I get the feeling that Yi Xun isn’t even sure that he can believe in this new dream, but at least she’s nudging him towards having a dream, rather than resigning himself to getting by on the streets.

Yi Xun looks like a brand new person with the haircut, and with this, it kind of feels like Hai Tang’s giving Yi Xun a new lease of life too. 🥲

E5-6. I must say that the conversation between Hai Tang and Yi Xun, where they really lay bare their personal history to each other, is the most meaningful scene in these episodes, for me.

I love that moment when Yi Xun explains to Hai Tang why he’d taken her knife from her that day – because he’d wanted her to live – and I love Hai Tang’s reply, “Thank you for keeping me alive.”

Wow. That’s so simple, but so deep, and coming from a pair of teens who’re just doing the best with the hand that they’ve been dealt, it feels extra poignant. 🥲

I love-love-love that moment when Yi Xun hesitantly says to Hai Tang, that if she doesn’t disdain him, he’d like to be her family. That’s such a profound request, isn’t it?? 🥹

And, it feels like Hai Tang understands the magnitude of his request, as she smiles and answers, “Okay. Let’s live well together.”

Augh. I love this, so very much; it feels so simple and yet so life-changing, at the same time. 🥲

Afterwards, in the scenes that we get of Hai Tang tutoring Yi Xun, and Yi Xun teaching Hai Tang how to ride a bicycle, it feels beautiful to me, like we’re watching them give each other wings to fly. 🥹

E7-8. In these episodes, we see Yi Xun and Hai Tang going through some big things together, which naturally brings them even closer together than before.

One thing that really stands out to me, is how deeply Yi Xun and Hai Tang want to protect each other, that they would make personal sacrifices without hesitation, if it meant that the other person could be safe.

One moment that really crystallizes this, is the way Yi Xun puts his own life on the line, to brandish that knife at the men who’re staking claim on Hai Tang’s home, saying that Awful Dad had used the house as collateral on a loan, and now the house is theirs.

At this point, I also can’t help but notice that Hai Tang refuses to take the risk alone, and jumps in there with a knife as well, even though she’s clearly scared.

Another is Hai Tang’s decision to give Awful Dad the house (on condition of severing their ties).

Yes, this exchange buys Hai Tang her freedom from Awful Dad, but the main catalyst wasn’t her own freedom, but Yi Xun’s safety.

The way she tells Yi Xun, so quietly and firmly, “You matter more (than this house),” says everything about his position in her heart, and her life.

These two are incredibly consistent about this posture of sacrificial protection through the rest of the episodes, and it is deeply, piercingly affecting. 🥲

I have to confess that with this show, I’ve mostly found myself bracing for the worst, every time Show gives us a pocket of happiness, for Yi Xun and Hai Tang.

I found myself doing the same thing, in the happiness that Yi Xun and Hai Tang share, as she comes to live with him, and they lean into the promise that they’d made to each other previously, to be family to each other.

But then, partway through this little stretch, something clicked in my head: that if I kept bracing myself even during the good times, then when would I ever savor them?

That’s when I decided to let my guard down, very deliberately, in order to revel in their happiness – even if this happiness turned out to be fleeting.

As you’d know by now, if you’ve watched the episodes, that happiness is, indeed, short-lived, but I have to say, making the choice to relax my heart, did allow me to really taste the sweetness of these times, and they felt extra precious, as a result.

(I feel like there’s a life lesson in there, if one is inclined to look for it. 🥲)

One of my favorite beats in this stretch, is the first night, as Hai Tang lies down to sleep in the only bed in the house, while Yi Xun camps outside.

The gentle wonder that we see in Hai Tang, as she drinks in her new surroundings – and therefore, her new reality; the way she practices calling out Yi Xun’s name while lying there in bed; the way they both revel at their individual realizations that they’re no longer alone; it’s beautifully low-key, but such a real, lived-in sort of way to express the huge milestone that they’ve just crossed, together.

And then, the way Yi Xun goes shopping with Rat, for a whole new wardrobe for Hai Tang, because she didn’t bring any clothes with her, and even does the romantic thing that Rat tells him to do – to put everything on display as a surprise – is so down-to-earth and sweet, at the same time.

I loved getting to see the wonder and delight dawn on Hai Tang’s face, as she sees the new dresses and shoes that Yi Xun’s bought for her, and I loved, just as much, getting to witness Yi Xun’s bashful, awkward joy at her delight. 🥰

E7-8. I find it interesting that Show kind of skips over the billiards hall takeover and keeps the details of the tragedy vague, as we open episode 8.

As in, we have no idea who had tried to kill them, or whom Yi Xun had ended up killing; all those details are kept in the shadows, so that we can focus on what really matters, and that is, the effect that these events have on Yi Xun and Hai Tang, in changing both their lives forever.

Their instinct to protect each other comes instantly to the fore, and this time, it’s so much sharper, deeper and so much more affecting, because this time, their actual lives are on the line.

Yi Xun makes the split-second, irreversible decision to take the fall by himself, in order to protect Hai Tang, while Hai Tang insists on reclaiming her part in the tragic events, because she would rather be accused next to Yi Xun, than free, without him. 💔

This echoes episode 8’s opening flashback strongly, to my eyes, in the way that, when Hai Tang decides to give him a birthday and buys him a cake to celebrate it with him, he makes his wishes all about Hai Tang’s future and her happiness, while Hai Tang follows his wishes for her, with wishes for him.

(This birthday scene had me heart; it’s so tender and quiet, and the gentle tears in their eyes say so much about how moved they both are, and how important and momentous this milestone is, for both of them. 🥲)

The thing that hits me right in the gut, is Yi Xun’s words to Hai Tang, which translates more closely as, “My portion of life – live it well, for me.” 😭😭

Yi Xun clearly doesn’t actually want to cut Hai Tang off, but we can see in his final letter to her, that he’s doing this for her sake.

He knows that as long as he allows her near, she’d be stalled – completely stagnated, because she wouldn’t leave him in order to pursue her own dreams.

Which is why he sets her free, even if he has to break her heart in order to do so. 💔

In many drama instances, similar-looking actions would be termed noble idiocy, but in this case, I don’t think of it that way, because it’s true that Yi Xun would become Hai Tang’s stumbling block, if she were to stay in his orbit.

In this case, Yi Xun sincerely believes that this is the better, more freeing option for Hai Tang, and.. I can see where he’s coming from.

The way Hai Tang then pours herself into preparing and passing the university entrance exam, it’s clear to see that this is her way of doing something for Yi Xun.

And so, the scenes of her working hard, land with extra poignancy, because we know that underneath all of this, lies her heartbreak. ❤️‍🩹

One big thing that stands out to me about Hai Tang, is that her steadfastness to Yi Xun remains strong, even in the midst of everything else moving forward in her life.

Even after she loses her last connection to Yi Xun when the prison is demolished and all the prisoners re-allocated, she continues to honor him, in her decisions.

Like the way she chooses to volunteer at that welfare house and commits to doing so weekly, because Yi Xun had grown up in a similar place.

It tugs at my heart that she’s actively looking for ways to feel connected to Yi Xun, even when she’s lost her last means to contact him. 🥲

As for why Yi Xun gets Rat to help him fake his death, Show remains vague on the details, but we can assume that Yi Xun knew Hai Tang so well, that he knew, without having to be told, that she’s been unable to fully move on from him.

Oof. What a blow this is to Hai Tang.

The implications of this news devastate her so deeply, that her instinct is to end her life, because there is no meaning left for her, with him gone.

I find it meaningful and poignant, that in the end, it’s Yi Xun’s own words – his wishes for her, and his earlier expressed wish that she would live, echoing in her mind – that eventually save her.

I know it’s not true that he’s dead, but in this case, it still feels like his love for her is saving her, even from beyond the grave.

Augh. My heart. 🥹

Where before, she’d lived well for him while he was in prison, now, she is deepening her commitment, to live well for him, to honor his memory.

E7-8. The only allowance Yi Xun gives himself, is to be at his grave every year, on the birthday that Hai Tang had christened him with, so that he can get a glimpse of her, from a distance.

And it is an echo of this exact scene, that shows us that both Yi Xun and Hai Tang, unfailingly maintain this unspoken ritual, for literal decades.

That final scene, where an aged Yi Xun hides his face as Hai Tang walks by him, and then crumples his face into his cap, to hide his tears, just hit me right in the heart.

Augh. This quiet love that has continued to endure in the shadows, for so long, showing itself only in the tiniest ways, is just so, so affecting and my heart is overwhelmed by the depth and endurance of their love. 😭

[END SPOILER]

Li Yi Xiang as Ye Yi Bo

Well, credit to our writers for their creativity around making Ye Yi Bo quite possibly the Worst Drama Dad in the history of drama dads – and to Li Yi Xiang for his portrayal of Awful Dad, because Ye Yi Bo was a character I truly loved to hate.

The thing is, even though Ye Yi Bo’s actions often landed on the extreme end of things, I found his behavior believable because it was rooted in consistent characterization.

[BROAD SPOILER]

With his gambling addiction and his related debts piling one on top of another, and his deep insecurities at play as a whole other factor feeding into the way he viewed the world, it was not difficult to believe that he would do all the terrible things that we witnessed.

[END SPOILER]

I disliked him greatly – and that about sums it up.

Hao Zi and Zhen Zhu [SPOILERS]

I just wanted to say, quite quickly, that I found the relationship between Hao Zi and Zhen Zhu very sweet.

I love that she’s so lovely and precious in his eyes, despite her limp. He sees her not just as perfectly whole, but beautiful, and I loved that. 🥹

2026 Timeline

Yu Nian and Shen Cheng

Like I mentioned earlier, I didn’t start out enjoying the 2026 timeline very much.

[BROAD SPOILERS]

It’s mostly because, in the beginning, Shen Cheng (Ren You Lun) spends so much time being suspicious of Yu Nian (Zheng He Hui Zi), and they keep arguing and bickering, and quite loudly at that, that I eventually found it quite exhausting.

However, I do concede that it’s realistic, because who’s going to jump to the conclusion that, “Sure, letters can travel through time and space, why not?”😅 – especially in this show, where emotions feel extra realistic and poignant.

I did appreciate that, as they unwillingly embark on this adventure together, they do come to a place of mutual care and respect.

[END SPOILER]

Suffice to say that this timeline and these characters eventually grew on me, and I appreciated very much, the additional facets that they brought to our story.

Quick shout-outs:

I just had to give Zhang Quan (Zhang Bai Qiao), our superstitious security guard, a shout-out.

Over time, I found his entire manner to be more like a naggy-friendly neighbor rather than stern security guard, and I find it really quite amusing, that he’s out there, urging our curious cast of characters to be really respectful and careful around the magic mailbox. 🤭

So endearing, and such an effective source of gentle levity, especially during more trying stretches in our story. 😅

Also, shout-out to the cat, which I loved. 😍

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E9-10. It’s true that these episodes were hard to watch, my friends – but I was completely absorbed anyway, despite the difficult stage of the narrative that these episodes deal with.

Looking back on these episodes, I feel like there’s an inverse mirror in the dual timelines.

In 2026, Yi Xun’s name is steadily getting cleared, as people speak on his behalf, but in 1994, his name is steadily being pulled into muddy waters, despite his best efforts.

This makes for a very poignant watch, because it is very sad, that it’s only 30 years later, that things have changed sufficiently, that people now feel safe enough to speak up and vouch for Yi Xun’s character. 💔

It is.. rather heavy, not gonna lie – which is why I appreciate that Zhang Quan, our resident security guard, continues to bring some levity, with the way he vibes like a kind, nosy neighbor, who provides gently naggy guidance about the mailbox, along with a bit of sassy “I told you so” energy. 😁

That scene where he catches Yu Nian’s pregnant friend when she goes into a dead faint after seeing the magic letter arrive, definitely got a chuckle from me. 😁

There’s something really meaningful about the fact that it’s Hai Tang’s secret code with her mom, “Let’s have fishcakes in Shiqiao” – the phrase that represents hope for a better life – that ends up being the key to unlocking Shen Cheng’s heart properly.

It’s because of this phrase, that he has no choice but to believe that the person on the other end of those magic letters, is his own mother, and in turn, that positions his heart to accept other truths that are unlocked these episodes.

Like the fact that Yi Xun had been good friends with Yu Zhi Yong in prison, and had gone on to care for Yu Nian and her grandmother, in response to Yu Zhi Yong’s dying wish.

And here, in this case, Yu Nian herself becomes the evidence that speaks of Yi Xun’s character; he’d cared for her like his own, all for the sake of a promise.

That speaks volumes, and I have to say, I felt vindicated on Yi Xun’s behalf, as I watched Shen Cheng lower his guard and come around to embrace Yi Xun’s innocence.

You can practically see the gears in Shen Cheng’s mind turning, as he recalibrates his beliefs about Yi Xun, as a result of listening to Teacher Tan, and later, Hao Zi, testify on Yi Xun’s behalf, while bringing forth important context that Shen Cheng had never had, up to this point. 🥲

At this point, I also wanted to say that I really like the way Show builds on our context by weaving between timelines.

As we get the various pieces of context, it all goes towards enriching our understanding of the story.

Like the way we open episode 10 with a scene of a slightly older Hai Tang making arrangements to buy a burial plot for herself – so that she will be buried next to Yi Xun, when her time comes.

It’s such a subdued, matter-of-fact little scene, but therein lies the poignance and poetry, of just how enduring Hai Tang’s love and commitment is, to Yi Xun. 🥹

It really creates this multi-layered effect, where I come away thinking, that in every situation, and in every timeline, the bond between Yi Xun and Hai Tang, simply cannot be broken.

..Even when the attempt to break that bond comes from Yi Xun himself, like when he asks Hao Zi to fake his death, in order to set Hai Tang free. 🥹

In our 1991 timeline, I can feel the unease start to seep in, little by little, into the life that Yi Xun and Hai Tang have started to live together.

At first, it’s smaller things, like the way the flat suffers from major leaks every time it rains.

Up to this point, Yi Xun hadn’t really cared about it, but now that he realizes that the rain actually destroys Hai Tang’s work, you can see him feeling a deep sense of frustration and helplessness, because this is not the kind of life he wants to give Hai Tang, but he doesn’t have the means to do anything to change their situation.

I feel that this is a small but important seed that strengthens Yi Xun’s dawning fear that Shen Cheng may be right — that Hai Tang could one day be in danger because of him.

I do think that it’s at this point, that Yi Xun starts to realize that there will be times when he would be unable to protect Hai Tang the way he wants to – like in this case with the rain – and this is likely why Shen Cheng’s words may prove true.

And I do find it to be very touching, that Yi Xun’s desire for Hai Tang to be safe, is greater than his pride; he has absolutely no intention of bringing harm to Hai Tang, but tells her firmly anyway, to run away as far as she can, if he were to ever put her in danger. 🥲

The sudden disappearance of the mailbox definitely strips away any hope that Yi Xun and Hai Tang have, of clarifying what Shen Cheng had been referring to, so that they might take steps to avoid this as-yet-unnamed catastrophe.

This definitely adds to the growing sense of foreboding.

And then, of course, the targeted attacks from Bao’s side start happening, which just deepens the despair a hundredfold.

The attacks are cruel and calculated to create maximum impact on Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi, and the thing that stands out to me, is just how relentless those attacks are.

From the way Bao’s men intimidate Zhen Zhu, to how they make trouble at the bookstore where Hai Tang works, it’s clear that Bao’s intent on communicating the message to Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi, that there is No Way Out.

On this point, I thought it would be useful to pause on Bao’s stance for a bit.

To the casual observer, it might look like Bao’s got some kind of personal vendetta against Cha, with the way he’s making Cha’s life so miserable.

However, I don’t think it’s actually personal against Cha; more like, this is personal to Bao – if that makes sense.

I believe that Cha’s transgression is simple but deeply threatening to Bao: Cha wants to walk away.

To Bao, this translates as a direct threat to his authority; ie, if he allows Cha to leave, that would set a precedent – and Bao might be left in a situation where more and more of his men want to leave, and where would that leave him, in terms of power and influence?

To that end, it definitely lands as Bao looking to set an example with Cha, so that everyone working for him would understand deeply, that it is much better to stay, than to leave.

Meaning, if it had been someone else who’d expressed a desire to leave, Bao would have likely reacted the same way.

Like I said earlier, Bao’s not operating under a personal vendetta – although I’m sure there is a layer at work here, where he is personally insulted that Cha would dare to imply that Bao’s way of life is undesirable, to the point that he would fight to leave.

What this does mean for Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi, though, is an increasing sense of dread and inevitability.

Bao is essentially backing them into a corner, where they have to make the choice to either stay with Bao (ie, change their minds about leaving, or be destroyed by him).

Our good guys are valiant, however, in their efforts to resist Bao’s efforts to intimidate them, and in particular, I’m glad that we get to see Hai Tang standing strong and even dissuading Yi Xun from taking things into his own hands, when he almost snaps because he’s worried for her safety.

As Bao’s men step up their efforts to intimidate Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi, I can’t help but be moved that the prevailing instinct among our guys, is to protect at all costs.

The contrast is very stark; Bao’s side has power, and chooses to use it for coercion, while Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi have no power, but fight with all they have and even lay down their lives, in order to protect.

The fact that they have to face this terrible situation is really tragic, but their deep desire to safeguard, is truly beautiful. 🥹

Watching Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi spend their “last night” moments with their loved ones, after deciding to take a gamble on Bao’s promise that they’ll be allowed to leave after one last job, is so poignant.

Yi Xun leaking tears while admitting to Hai Tang that he’s scared that something bad will happen to her; Hai Tang assuring him that she’s never suffered because of him; Yi Xun saying, through valiant tears, that if he were to ever bring her misfortune, she must leave him; Hai Tang assuring him that he is her greatest fortune.

It’s just so poignant and so deeply affecting, to see them both choose to smile, amid the tears. 🥹

It’s not a surprise – but still gutting – to see that Bao’s effectively set a trap for Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi.

I think that if things had gone “right” with the kidnapping, Bao would have still implicated Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi.

It’s just that with things going wrong, Bao sets the worst consequence in motion – that Yi Xun (being the most vocal, most obviously morally upright of the three) would have to die, and Cha would have to be morally implicated in Yi Xun’s death.

This gains Bao the outcome that he wants, where Cha would not be able to stand on morally superior ground.

The thing that stands out to me, in the midst of this terrible situation, is how Cha, Yi Xun and Hao Zi don’t blame one another for anything, as things twist and turn.

When Cha is forced to leave Yi Xun to die, Yi Xun doesn’t blame him, and then when Bao’s men spy Yi Xun running away, Cha and Hao Zi immediately throw themselves into holding Bao’s men back, in order to help Yi Xun get away.

The brotherhood there is palpable, and I feel so sorry for them, that their dreams of buying a boat together, have been dashed. 💔

It feels apt, that Bao would get stabbed by the same blade that he’d meant for Cha and Hao Zi; I feel that he brought this on himself, in more ways than one.

If he’d made a different choice at any step of the way, he wouldn’t have ended up like this.

Of course, Hai Tang not even hesitating for a moment, to put her own safety on the line in order to save Yi Xun, is a great example of the kind of protective, selfless love that she and Yi Xun share. 🥲

The way she refuses to get treatment for her own burns, as long as Yi Xun’s safety isn’t guaranteed, and the way she throws herself into yelling at Shen Xiao Jun, to jolt him out of his shock in order to bear witness to the fact that Yi Xun had tried to save him, say so much about how much Yi Xun means to her.

As we gear up for the finale, I have no real idea how Show is going to wrap up our story, and I don’t even know whether to dare to wish for a hopeful ending, but I do know that I am utterly affected by the way this story’s shown us how humans can be so deeply resilient, despite their fragility.

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E11-12. AUGH. THIS SHOW.

Show had me hanging on by my last heartstring, down to the very last second, and even when I was thisclose to the end, I still didn’t know how our story was going to end, and was on tenterhooks, barely able to stop myself from jumping out of my skin from the suspense.

I don’t think I have ever been in a situation where I was literally in a drama’s last few minutes, and still didn’t know what the story’s final outcome would be – but that’s exactly what Show did here, and it did it WELL.

That is some deft writing indeed. *slow applause*

Across both finale episodes, Show continues its gradual building of the context of our story, and I can’t help but marvel at just how sure the writing is, to be doing this so late in our story.

In episode 11, I was so relieved to see Yi Xun being finally released, and I was also deeply touched by Hai Tang’s singular sense of loyalty and dedication.

The way she waits for him outside the detention center day after day, even when the police officers tell her to go home, and even when it starts to look like Yi Xun’s been swallowed whole by the system, says so much about how much he means to her, and how determined she is, to not lose him. 🥲

On revisiting these episodes for these notes, I can’t help but be struck by how, after all their suffering, the key thing they want to do, is to simply go home.

This hits me like a ton of bricks right now, because of the echo that we get at the end of episode 11 – which I’ll talk about in a bit. For now, just know that my heart is squeezing with emotion, from this echo. 🥹

I want to say, I found it very poignant to watch Yi Xun and Hai Tang start to build a new life together after his release, because finally, we have the assurance that Bao and his men face life sentences for their crimes, and therefore will no longer be a threat to them.

I was glad to see the happiness on their faces, and found it sweet and touching, the way Yi Xun decides to give up on school (because the school won’t take him back), and focus on making as much money as possible instead – so that he can support Hai Tang’s dream to go to university.

That’s so self-sacrificial, and it moves me all the more, because he makes that sacrifice so easily and generously, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. 🥲

And how sweet is it, that he uses such a huge chunk of his daily wages to get those two boxes of imported butter cookies, because he feels that Hai Tang will need to snack on something sweet to keep her energy up, as she studies.

The scene of them tasting the cookies for the first time together, and Hai Tang remarking that the tins are so pretty that they should keep them, is so warm yet bittersweet, at the same time.

I knew that we’d eventually get the backstory on those cookie tins, but it still feels so poignant to think that, in the end, when they’d gotten separated, they’d held onto one tin each – which is what we’ve seen in the 2026 timeline.

After this, it feels like such a lifeline, when Yi Xun finds the magic mailbox again, thanks to the magic cat – and his own kindness, in offering to take the scrap metal to the dump. 🥲

The little scenes of Yi Xun obsessing over the fact that Hai Tang’s son’s surname is Shen land as cute and petty at first, but then, Yi Xun goes and writes that secret question to Shen Cheng in the letter, asking if Shen Cheng’s father treats Hai Tang well.

Oof. That really hit me in the gut, because, as hopeful as Yi Xun appears to be about his future with Hai Tang, it’s clear that a part of him is resigned to the fact that Hai Tang marries someone else. And instead of focusing on his own disappointment at this, he chooses to prioritize Hai Tang’s wellbeing – even if she ends up spending her life with someone else, and not him.

Isn’t that so very pure? 🥹

And then, at the end of episode 11, when we move into the 2026 timeline, and as we see that Yi Xun breathes his last while sitting in the cemetery, thinking about Hai Tang, my heart is overwhelmed.

It’s gloriously bittersweet, that we get to see how young Hai Tang shows up to a now-young Yi Xun, and, reaching out her hand to him, tells him that it’s time to go home.

I’m overwhelmed, first by the echo of that idea, that all Yi Xun and Hai Tang had ever wanted in life, was to go home together, and also, by the belated realization, that Yi Xun’s been waiting for Hai Tang in this spot, his entire life, much like the way she’d once waited for him, day after day, outside the detention center. 🥲

And then how beautiful, that we get to see them running hand in hand, finally free and happy – and finally able to see the snow together, just like they’d once promised each other. 🥹

This scene gave me literal chills, even as my heart blubbered at it all. 😭

Afterwards, it feels so perfect, in the most bittersweet way, that Hai Tang and Yi Xun are buried next to each other, and that each gravestone bears the same photo of them together, smiling.

And the perfect poignant touch, is the way Shen Cheng assures Hai Tang that he’s taken care of the cake – Yi Xun’s birthday cake, which Hai Tang had brought unfailingly to Yi Xun’s fake grave, every year. 😭

Honestly, if Show had just ended here, I would’ve probably been content. Haunted, but content.

But Show remembers – even if I do not, in the midst of my overwhelmed emotions – that there are still loose ends that need to be tied up.

In both timelines, we get context and information around Hai Tang’s mom’s disappearance, and how it’s all tied to Ye Yi Bo.

Essentially, Hai Tang finally comes to learn the truth from Ye Yi Bo, that he’d actually killed Mom after catching her with the two boat tickets, believing that she’d been getting ready to run away with another man.

What makes this revelation so devastating isn’t just the violence itself, but the confirmation that Hai Tang’s entire childhood — her fear, her guilt, her waiting — was built on a lie enforced through brutality.

Which is why, Hai Tang, in her grief, fury and sorrow, decides to kill him and then end her own life – which explains Hai Tang’s disappearance and death in 2026.

The thing that really had me nearly jumping out of my skin while watching, is the way Show manages both timelines, as they revolve around this plotline, at the same time.

In 1991, we see the events start to unfurl, that lead to Hai Tang coming upon Ye Yi Bo at the beach, where he’s trying to get rid of Mom’s body – and Yi Xun rushing to save her, as Ye Yi Bo tries to silence her.

That in itself is stressful enough, but then, in 2026, we also have Shen Cheng, deep in thought over everything that he’s learned about his mother and Yi Xun, and coming to the conclusion that he needs to do something to try to save them – even if it means erasing his own existence.

Oof. What a turnaround, since we’d started this story with Shen Cheng being persistently suspicious about Yi Xun and everything around the magic mailbox.

I’m utterly floored by that beat, where Shen Cheng levels his gaze at Yu Nian, who’s trying desperately to talk him out of it, and, tears leaking out of his eyes, says, with such peaceful, warm conviction, that no one will lose him, nor will anyone remember him – including her. 😭

It’s such a selfless sacrifice, that he would put his own existence on the line, in a bid to save his mom, along with the man whom she’d loved for a lifetime. 😭😭

I was hanging onto the edge of my seat for dear life, as things happened in both timelines, to get in the way of Shen Cheng’s bid to save Hai Tang and Yi Xun.

From the letter getting soaked and torn, to the security officers trying to prevent Zhang Quan and Miao Miao from getting near enough to the mailbox to mail the letter in 2026, to Yi Xun riding away from the mailbox before the letter arrived in 1991, it felt like so many things were dangerously close to snuffing out the flicker of hope that Shen Cheng’s sacrificial decision offered.

I’m so glad that Yi Xun thinks to tell Shen Xiao Jun to call the police, to alert them of the situation at the foothills (even though he himself doesn’t yet know the details as he does so), and I’m so, SO relieved, that in the heat of the moment, just as Yi Xun raises the knife to eliminate his attacker, he remembers the key sentence from the letter scrap: don’t kill anyone – and makes a different, life-altering choice.

OHMYGOODNESS. What a close call, seriously. 😱

And yet, even as I start to sink into a sense of relief, that Yi Xun’s managed to alter his future, I can’t help feeling slowly overwhelmed by the pathos of Shen Cheng’s situation, as he contemplates his very existence, while waiting to see if anything would change as a result of their actions.

The way he introduces himself properly to Yu Nian, telling her something specific about himself, feels like his attempt to leave behind a trace of himself in the world, and that’s just so.. plaintive and poignant, isn’t it? 😭

As a new day dawns, and Yu Nian wakes up in her own bed, and realizes that she can’t find Shen Cheng’s name among her contacts, I feel such a complicated mix of emotions.

On the one hand, I feel sorry for Shen Cheng, but am also utterly moved by his sacrifice. And it feels like a silver lining, that Yu Nian does remember him, against all odds.

And on the other hand, I feel relief, that Shen Cheng’s plan has worked, and the future has been irrevocably changed. 🥲

In that epilogue, we don’t get to see the identity of the man who receives that final letter from Yi Xun and Hai Tang, but to my eyes, his profile looks a lot like Shen Cheng, and I’d like to believe that somehow, it really is Shen Cheng, magically placed in a position to see the fruit of his sacrifice.

If this is, indeed, Shen Cheng, then him being shown with the mailbox, and Yu Nian being shown with the cat, does give us hope, that they will somehow be able to fulfill Yu Nian’s wish, of eventually meeting again. 🥲

And then, it’s sweet, tender relief, as we get to hear Yi Xun and Hai Tang describe, in the letter, how they’re doing well and getting ready to leave Meiwan, to seek a new and better future for themselves.

Augh. This gives me chills and tears, and I’m so overwhelmed and grateful, that Show’s managed to find a way to save Yi Xun and Hai Tang, against all odds.

And what a gift, that in the ending credits, we get to see glimpses of that happier future, with a snapshot of Yi Xun and Hai Tang on their last day before leaving Meiwan, shots of snowy landscapes that they manage to visit, various photos of Yi Xun’s birthday cakes over the years – including the cake for his 54th birthday, in 2026.

This ending.. honestly leaves me a little breathless, with how deeply beautiful and poignant it is.

What a love, and what a journey. My heart; it is full. 😭❤️ Thank you, Show. 🥹

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Sharp, raw, poignant and profoundly affecting.

FINAL GRADE: A+

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