THE SHORT VERDICT:

At its best, Show delivers a lovely blend of emotional sincerity and thoughtful character work, grounded by an OTP that is sweet, sparky, communicative, and genuinely invested in each other’s growth.

I did find the watch experience a little rushed and uneven in the final stretch, but even so, the emotional beats largely land, which is why this drama ultimately lands as satisfying, in my books.

Not perfect, but quite special in the way it lingers on connection, growth, and the idea of choosing each other again and again – and yet again. 🥲

THE LONG VERDICT:

Sometimes, C-Dramaland serves up the best surprises.

It honestly feels like this show sneaked up on me – outta nowhere, pretty much – and then promptly stole my heart.

For a good stretch, THIS was the show that I looked forward to episodes of the most, among the various dramas that I was covering on Patreon.

Yes, it’s not quite perfect, but I do think that this one deserves a whole bunch of brownie points for making me want to inhale episodes back-to-back. 😁

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.

Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed the music in this show very well. I found all the songs very pleasant and effective in terms of amplifying my watch experience.

In terms of a favorite, I must confess that I’m once again drawn to a song with a 6/8 rhythm. 😅

It’s Track 6, 靠近 (Closer), which I find extra feelsy. 🥰 It just makes me want to lose myself in the music, if that makes sense.

Here it is on its own as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it 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. Think real world rather than VR

Despite Show’s trailers putting the Republican Era VR (virtual reality) world front-and-center, the bulk of our story actually unfolds in the real world.

The VR element does play a role, but it functions more as a narrative device rather than the main setting. Going in with that expectation will likely make for a smoother watch.

2. This isn’t really a workplace drama

While we do get a fair number of scenes involving our characters’ work, I wouldn’t classify this as a workplace-centric show.

The work stuff exists in support of the story — particularly the character dynamics and relationship arcs — rather than driving the narrative on its own.

STUFF I LIKED

The way Show prioritizes our OTP

One of my favorite things about this drama, is that it knows how to keep our OTP front-and-center, even when there are multiple on-going arcs.

Show is very deft at taking our story forward, in a way where even seemingly unrelated arcs actually work to nudge our OTP relationship forward.

[BROAD SPOILERS]

The way their orbits intersect more and more; the way Zhi Yu (Chen Xing Xu) can’t help but be drawn to Xiu Xiu (Lu Yu Xiao) in the process; the way they grow more closely connected to each other – it all feels organic and satisfying. 🥰

[END SPOILERS]

More importantly, I am impressed that Show makes a lot of structural sense, while maintaining that strong focus on our characters’ emotional throughlines.

Really well done, in my opinion.

Show’s handling of the VR world

I’d originally felt a little hesitant about the Republican Era setting of the VR game in our story, because I haven’t really managed to muster much interest in dramas set in that particular time period, and was concerned that if we spent large chunks of time in-game (and therefore in that era), that I would struggle to stay engaged.

Well. I needn’t have worried, for two reasons.

1, We don’t spend too much time in-game, ie, we get to see our characters in their real world a fair bit too, and I found that helpful and grounding, and

2, I realize that we’re not required to follow the logic of the in-game world too closely; just being able to keep up with the broad strokes is sufficient.

My favorite thing in terms of how Show handles the game though, is that eventually, a lot of our OTP’s real-world conversations get mirrored in-game, and I personally found that both clever and thrilling. 🤩

Show’s sense of humor

I don’t often jive with drama humor, so I am very pleased to report that Show’s sense of humor worked for me very well.

I often found myself chuckling along, and sometimes even giggling out loud at the Intended Funny – which often landed as both cute AND funny.

It certainly helps that both our leads have great comic timing, and manage to deliver the comic moments with just the right amount of restraint (or flair – depending on the scene). 😊

[SPOILER ALERT]

For example, I thought that beat in episode 20, when Huai Cong and Lao Zhao walk in on Xiu Xiu and Zhi Yu making out, and Xiu Xiu promptly falls to the floor in surprise.

This beat works out to be really funny partly because of the quick tonal change, from sweet ‘n spicy to suddenly awkward deer-in-headlights, perfectly amplified by Lu Yu Xiao’s comic timing and excellent reaction face.

It makes me chuckle just to remember the scene. 🤭

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

Show’s handling of the secondary loveline [SPOILERS]

I have to confess that I thought Show could have handled the relationship between Lao Zhao and Guang Ming (Li Ting Ting and Ren You Lun) with a bit more care.

Given how emotionally observant Show is in its treatment of our OTP, I’d expected more space and depth for this secondary relationship, rather than the more compressed approach that we get.

This didn’t break my watch, which is why it sits in the neutral zone, but I would have welcomed a version of this arc that lingered more on the characters’ inner worlds.

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

The tonal wobble in the finale stretch

Like I mentioned earlier, I did feel a bit of tonal whiplash in the final stretch, as Show works to wrap up all the threads it’s put into play.

Because the resolution moves so quickly – particularly on the plot side of things – it doesn’t always feel fully in step with the emotional weight that’s been built up, and that did affect my watch somewhat.

That’s why this lands in the “not so upside” zone for me. 😅

SPOTLIGHT ON SELECTED CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Lu Yu Xiao as Hu Xiu

Xiu Xiu is SUCH a great character, and I love the way Lu Yu Xiao brings her to life.

I think it’s fantastic the way Show allows us to get to know Xiu Xiu, while demonstrating her best qualities to us.

She’s strong and resilient, creative and bold, but also loving and kindhearted. Not only that, she’s utterly disarming and winsome.

Lu Yu Xiao injects a great deal of natural charm into her portrayal, and I found myself extremely delighted with Xiu Xiu as a character. 😍

In this spoiler section, I basically fangirl over Xiu Xiu in detail – because she’s just that awesome. 😁

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. I feel bad for the way Xiu Xiu gets publicly dumped by her fiancé on their engagement day.

Oof. I am a firm believer that it’s better to be alone than in a bad relationship, and so I’m glad that Xiu Xiu doesn’t end up marrying this guy (who’s clearly a jerk who won’t even break up with her in person), but it’s still a big emotional blow to her, on top of being humiliating to boot.

And so, when we see that, a month later, Xiu Xiu’s smiling weakly at her friend Lao Zhao when Lao Zhao comes by to check on her, at Xiu Xiu’s parents’ request, and even making little jokes about changing into a few different outfits so that Lao Zhao can take all the evidence photos in one shot and save a few trips, I can’t help but think that Xiu Xiu’s a lot more resilient than most. 🥲

At the same time, given her situation, I can see why Xiu Xiu would be intrigued by the VR game’s tagline on the tickets that Lao Zhao hands her: an escape from reality.

I can absolutely see that striking a chord with Xiu Xiu, because when your world crumbles around you, there’s really nothing more appealing than being able to escape into another world (this is, after all, how I – and many others I’m sure – stumbled into kdramas in the first place 😁).

In-game, Xiu Xiu encounters our male lead Xiao Zhi Yu, who plays General Qin, a warlord character in Rong City – and he ends up betraying her, after she chooses to trust him.

..Which brings me back to Xiu Xiu’s voiceover in episode 1, where she talks (and I paraphrase) about thinking she’s almost at the finish line – only to be betrayed.

Placed right next to the scene of her being blindsided by her fiancé at the engagement party, it’s not hard to see why this in-game betrayal hits extra hard for Xiu Xiu.

Although this is “just business” for General Qin, for Xiu Xiu, it lands as something much more personal.

That, I think, is why she keeps returning to the game – not just to win, but to reclaim a sense of control and emotional closure.

Which is also why, when she does manage to turn the tables on General Qin, but finds that he isn’t there to witness it, it doesn’t feel like a true victory to her.

E1-4. What I like about Xiu Xiu, is that she’s not a pushover.

Even though we learn that she’s worked as Mr. Xu’s assistant for 3 whole years, based on his promise that he would transfer her to the design team later, this doesn’t translate as her being a weakling.

She’d chosen to trust Mr. Xu, and believe in his promise, and that’s why she’d put in the time, to work as his assistant for 3 years.

But now, we see her gently, firmly and calmly asking him about the transfer, and when Mr. Xu basically admits that there’ll be no transfer forthcoming, she makes the decision to quit.

That’s backbone and resilience showing through, and I like that about Xiu Xiu.

Significantly, we see that she thinks back to General Qin’s words – that he hopes she’ll be the one laughing at the end of the game – right before she announces her decision to quit.

I’d hazard a guess, that General Qin’s earlier words – that he always only keeps his eyes on what he really wants – might have had a part to play in her decisiveness as well.

Because, at the heart of Xiu Xiu’s decision to quit, is her dream to be an architect; that’s what she truly wants, and by leaving her job as an executive assistant, she’s setting her sights on her dream in a very concrete way – she’s putting some real skin in the game, so to speak.

That’s ballsy of her, and I can’t help but be rather impressed with her courage.

Honestly, the more I learn about Xiu Xiu, the more I relate to her – and admire her.

For example, I love the way she handles her ex-fiancé’s mother, when the woman comes a-calling, and indicates that she’d like to take back the gift money from their first meeting.

Unlike her father, who’d simply gone ballistic, Xiu Xiu’s calm and controlled, and very clear-thinking, in the way she breaks down exactly how much her own family had put in towards the wedding, and how much they are owed right back – which sends Ex Potential Mother-in-law into retreat.

The fact that Xiu Xiu does all of this without breaking a sweat or even batting an eye, makes her a real star, in my eyes. 🤩

I also get the sense that Xiu Xiu’s not someone to dwell on regrets or mistakes.

First, there’s the way we see her working to start afresh after being dumped so spectacularly; yes, it hurts and yes she stays in bed for a whole month afterward, but she’s not throwing herself a pity party and lingering in her misery, and is actively looking for ways to live a new life.

Second, there’s also how she reacts, when she goes to that gathering because Lao Zhao tells her that the actor who plays General Qin will be there.

She’s disappointed to find it’s the actor from a different team, but she also soon pieces together the fact that if the Team B actor is at the gathering, then the General Qin she’s looking for, would therefore be on duty – so she ups and leaves the party, in order to join the last game of the night.

That spontaneity about her is quite charming too, I feel.

E1-4. I do think highly of Xiu Xiu for declining the job offer from Forma Group without hesitation, even though the HR person there has made it very clear to Xiu Xiu, that her prospects of getting a job as an architect, are slim to none.

Our girl is determined to hold onto her dreams, and I support that. 🥲

E9-12. I love how quick and firm Xiu Xiu is, in turning Mr. Qian down. Our girl has no hesitation whatsoever, even though she doesn’t actually have anywhere else to go.

E13-16. I’m so proud of Xiu Xiu, because look at the way she conducts herself while in conversation with GM Pei in the car.

She doesn’t try to avoid difficult topics but instead invites it head-on, by talking about how the office folks are gossiping about him choosing her for the liaison work because he’s interested in her.

And then how calmly and smoothly she handles it, by saying that she knows her place, and is clear that GM Pei is more interested in getting to Zhi Yu.

I mean. She’s cool as a cucumber, while GM Pei’s the one choking on his coffee. And SHE’S the one proactively offering GM Pei her hand, so that they can shake on working well together, going forward.

She doesn’t wait for GM Pei to give her space; she takes that space and positions herself as an equal, without fuss; just all matter-of-fact calm confidence. I LOVE HER. 🤩

[END SPOILER]

Chen Xing Xu as Zhi Yu

This was my introduction to Chen Xing Xu, and I must say, he makes a very strong first impression. 🤩

I love the way he plays Zhi Yu with such nuance – especially since Zhi Yu is written as a more reserved personality.

And yet, Chen Xing Xu layers his performance in a way that allows us to sense what Zhi Yu is thinking and feeling, even when he keeps those things close to his chest.

My favorite thing about Chen Xing Xu, though, is his voice. Yes, it’s deep and has gravitas, but what really stands out to me is the gentleness in his tone.

That softness gives Zhi Yu a warmth that makes him feel like a truly gentle soul, and I love that. 😍🫠

This Zhi Yu-specific spoiler section is very short, mostly because a lot of his growth and healing is tied to Xiu Xiu – so I’ll be talking about him more in the OTP section.

[SPOILER ALERT]

For now, I just wanted to say that I really appreciated that even in the early stretch of our story, when we don’t yet know Zhi Yu very well, Show gives us enough clues to sense that he’s a fundamentally decent person.

Like how he makes sure to alert his team, in that very serious manner, to warn players about the horror setting, after Xiu Xiu accidentally wanders into it.

And then by the end of episode 3, we also get a glimpse of the trauma he carries from losing his father as a child.

The fact that he still has nightmares about it makes my heart go out to him, even at this early stage of our story.

[END SPOILER]

Zhi Yu and Hu Xiu

The thing that really stands out to me with this OTP, is that this is a relationship between equals.

Yes, there’s an age difference and a power differential at work, but at their core, Xiu Xiu and Zhi Yu meet each other as partners, with shared intelligence, values, and sensibilities.

Where one might falter, the other steps in — and more importantly, they help each other grow stronger in the process.

With this OTP, there’s sweetness, spiciness, and plenty of teasing and humor, and I just couldn’t get enough of these two together. 🥰

In this (rather monstrous) spoiler section, I map out their growing connection over the course of our story.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. When Xiu Xiu bumps into the horror game setting and ends up in a haunted mansion, how great is it, really, that when General Qin shows up and comes to her assistance, and shoots the ghost with his gun, we get an entire shower of pink petals raining down on them – and this gets Xiu Xiu to stop, stare and smile in wonderment.

This, from the same girl who’d been so scared that her legs were too jelly-like for her to stand up? I’m utterly charmed, my friends. 😍

..And so, I feel like it’s the most natural thing in the world, that our General Qin, who’s mostly maintained a detached, impassive sort of manner, looks like he’s visibly softening towards Xiu Xiu. 🥰

It’s so cute, that he obliges, when she asks him to shoot another ghost, and then another – you can just tell that this is him indulging her. 😁

He is careful to keep his expression neutral, but I fancy that he’s at least a little bit amused by her, like he’s tamping down a bit of a smile.

Later, when he wins the game (after outsmarting Xiu Xiu yet again), it feels like a clear turning point, when Xiu Xiu reluctantly joins the applause, and says in voiceover, “That’s very him indeed,” and even smiles a little.

I love that our girl Xiu Xiu is the kind of person who’s willing to admit defeat when she recognizes a worthy opponent, and this moment, is her ceding to General Qin; he really is better at this game than she is.

E1-4. I’m actually pretty amused at the lengths that Zhi Yu would go to, to hide from Xiu Xiu; his bemused deadpan reaction faces, as things escalate, is quite hilarious. 🤭

The thing that I find most significant, in the whole stretch where Xiu Xiu buys that bed in order to corner Zhi Yu, is that he knows that she knows, even without her having to let on that she knows.

This early spark of unspoken understanding, even in such silly circumstances, does give me a sense of satisfaction – and positive expectation for the future, as they actually get to know each other better.

Another thing that gives me positive expectation for the future, is the way Xiu Xiu leaps to Zhi Yu’s defense, when that neighbor gets all suspicious of Zhi Yu and accuses him of getting up to no good.

This, even when things between them, in terms of Zhi Yu’s deception, haven’t yet been ironed out.

That instinctive loyalty is very appealing to me – and I feel like I can safely say the same, for Zhi Yu, who definitely looks like he’s seeing Xiu Xiu in a whole new light. 🥲

By the time they have their first proper out-of-game conversation, it feels like the walls have come down properly on both sides, even though Zhi Yu still leans a little more businesslike, with his crisp answers to Xiu Xiu’s questions.

Notably, though, he’s the one to initiate further conversation, by asking her what’s wrong, when she looks visibly wistful.

And, he does assure her of the quality of her work, based on the model that he sees her carrying. Plus, he even praises the specifics of the design, so it’s not just some broadly worded generic praise.

At the same time, he says that he never comforts anyone – which does sound a little detached, but thinking about it, doesn’t that add weight to his assessment, that her work is good? He’s basically establishing that he’s not saying that just to make her feel better. Aw. 🥲

And then there’s the way he looks through her box of architectural papers and designs, and looks so thoughtful as he makes that phone call.

Yes, he’s looking through her stuff without her permission – BUT, it looks like he’s going to use that as a basis to very possibly offer her an actual job that would allow her to do architectural design, so I’m happy to roll with it, this time.

E5-8. We can see that Zhi Yu’s not actually keen to be drawn into Xiu Xiu’s orbit; any time he has to be present in it, he’s more reluctant than anything else.

Which I respect, actually, because this means that he’s not easily swayed by pretty girls.

At the same time, I do like the glimpses of his personality that we’re getting to see, like when Zhi Yu finds himself sitting across from Xiu Xiu’s parents, suddenly dragged into a role-play where he’s supposed to be Xiu Xiu’s colleague, there to pick up an important document.

When Xiu Xiu’s parents ask what kind of document it is, I can’t help but chuckle at the way he deadpans, “Housing contract.”

Muahaha. I love how he’s taking the opportunity to rib Xiu Xiu, in return for inconveniencing him by showing up in his apartment and pulling him into a role-play that he never agreed to. 🤭

That said, I do appreciate that even at this stage, he’s already lowering barriers with her, like the way he tells Gong Huai Cong to give Xiu Xiu his contact number, so that she can contact him directly in the future, and therefore stop bothering Huai Cong.

Plus, there’s the way he leaves the office immediately, when he hears from Huai Cong that Xiu Xiu’s called him multiple times, and then can’t reach her, when he tries to call her back.

I love little indications like these, that tell us that Zhi Yu’s lowering his guard around Xiu Xiu. 🥲

What I like about Xiu Xiu, is that she consistently strives to be fair.

So even though she does impose on Zhi Yu, I appreciate that she tries to make it up to him, not just by simply buying him a coffee at the convenience store, but offering to pay for him to stay the night at a hotel.

Honestly, one of my favorite things in these episodes, is the fact that when Xiu Xiu gets the phone call inviting her to an interview with Dynamism, Zhi Yu’s right there to witness her disbelief, wonder and joy, in the moment.

She’s absolutely precious, in how pure her joy is, at being granted this interview, and I love that Zhi Yu gets to witness for himself, just how much validation and happiness he’s given her, by giving her this interview. 🥲

And, I love that we get to see that twinkle in Zhi Yu’s eyes, as he listens to her talk while sipping on his coffee. 🥰

Afterwards, at the interview, I’m so pleased to see Xiu Xiu do well, even though she’s understandably taken aback by the fact that Zhi Yu is not only present, but turns out to be the founder of the company.

Any uncertainty that we see, is mostly due to the fact that she doesn’t quite know what to do with this new information, that the architectural firm that she counts as her favorite, is founded by Zhi Yu – and he’s even the designer whom she admires the most.

Aside from this, Xiu Xiu carries herself with a quiet confidence that I found very appealing, and I especially appreciate the way she’s able to talk about her design’s fatal flaw with such precision and clarity.

At this stage of our story, though, Zhi Yu definitely still carries himself with a sense of professional distance from Xiu Xiu, and can even come across as a little brusque sometimes, like when he tells Xiu Xiu, when she goes to meet him to re-sign their housing lease, that her lack of confidence as a candidate is not helping her.

Little does she know that at this point, Zhi Yu’s already made the decisive call to hire her – while specifically appreciating her blank slate resume as a sign of openness and potential.

Aw. I do love that he is able to see that potential in Xiu Xiu, even though his impassive manner leads her to misunderstand him and thus sink into a bout of angst – until she gets the email confirming the job offer.

I mean, I do think that it would be nice if Zhi Yu were less impassive and distant when talking with Xiu Xiu, but I get that that’s just his personality, and he doesn’t have anything personal against her.

On top of that, like I said, I do like that he’s maintaining a polite sense of decorum with her, and if this is the only way he’s able to do that, because of his personality, then I’m not going to complain about it.

And then, at the end of episode 5, we get that moment when Zhi Yu absolutely allows a crack in his armor, and that’s when he takes a drunk Xiu Xiu home.

First, I was thoroughly amused by his imagined scenario, that the rest of the staff would take Xiu Xiu home, only to find all his stuff there, and misunderstand that they’re living together. Tee hee hee! I found this extremely amusing. 🤭

Later, I love the way he wakes Xiu Xiu from her drunken stupor, by telling her that her token as city lord is in danger.

The way she snaps to immediately is adorable, and I immediately squeed at the smile that Zhi Yu leaks in response. He  literally looks like he is physically unable to contain his amusement, and I loveeeee that.

I literally replayed the scene three times in quick succession; that’s how much I loved it! 😍

I was amused at the way Zhi Yu decides to lock the door to the loft because he’s quite perplexed by Xiu Xiu’s drunken antics, but what I loved even more, is how this actually turns into a nice moment of quiet conversation, as Xiu Xiu hands him water from the balcony below, via the clothing rod.

I love the cuteness of the clothing rod transfer, but I love even more, the open tone of their conversation, where they mutually apologize and clear the air of misunderstandings.

This feels like a clean reset of their relationship, and I like that very much.

I also love that Zhi Yu tells her that he sees potential in her, and I also enjoy the way Xiu Xiu indirectly affirms him in return, by requesting to see his design drafts, because she just loves his designs that much.

It’s all very wholesome, and I would love more of these types of balcony conversations. 🥰

E5-8. In the wake of that leaked video of Zhi Yu saying that he only joins design competitions to get awards, we get to see how sincerely Xiu Xiu responds to the situation. She gets genuinely perplexed and upset, while trying to rebut hate comments online, and I do think that this is very endearing – so I’d like to think that Zhi Yu finds this endearing too.

We also witness how steady, unruffled and strategic Zhi Yu is, even in the midst of a media crisis like this, and I can’t help but admire that. I love the idea that he’s not someone who’s easily shaken – and is very smart and shrewd, on top of that. 🤩

And then, we get to see Zhi Yu lead the way, in ensuring that Xiu Xiu doesn’t take injustice lying down, when it turns out that her ex-fiancé, Qi Ran, is the groom of the wedding that they’re attending.

I do understand Xiu Xiu’s instinct to keep a low profile at the wedding, because she’s there for work, and understands that this is an important opportunity for Dynamism to potentially get their competition eligibility back.

That’s why she shakes herself out of her emotional funk, and does her best to deliver the design drafts to Zhi Yu, even though Qi Ran’s mom locks her in that empty hall.

It is kind of nuts that Xiu Xiu has to climb out of a window and even clamber down those external structures, in order to free herself, and even loses her shoes in the process, but I appreciate that this reflects just how determined and dedicated she is.

Yes, she’s just received the blow of her life, to find that her ex-fiancé is even more of a jerk than she’d originally thought, but she’s not going to let that prevent her from doing a good job for a project that she cares about, and I do admire that resilience in her.

At the same time, I understand her instinct afterwards, to want to wait for Zhi Yu at the dock instead of accompanying him to the wedding venue as originally planned.

Even though Zhi Yu’s manner is a little harder and tougher than I would personally prefer, I appreciate that the minute he realizes that the groom is the same person who’d broken up with Xiu Xiu on their engagement day, he heads straight to Xiu Xiu, to gird her up into seeing that she’s not the one who should be embarrassed and in hiding.

I love that he basically provides himself as the support and catalyst that Xiu Xiu needs, and then once she’s in a place where she’s able to speak for herself, he just stands by and lets her take over.

I also love that once Zhi Yu provides the opening, Xiu Xiu stands her ground and speaks her truth, even though it’s clearly still emotionally trying for her. The fact that she even addresses the bride, apologizes and then positions it as a chance for the bride to cut her losses, is bonus.

This is “women supporting women” in action, and I really like that this is Xiu Xiu’s instinct, instead of “women accusing women” – which is what a lot of other people might do, in her shoes.

Importantly, this feels like the biggest instance, so far, of Zhi Yu acting in a personal capacity, in terms of helping or protecting Xiu Xiu.

Also very importantly, he pushes for a restoration of Xiu Xiu’s dignity, and not just comfort for her upset emotions.

That feels meaningful, and makes me feel like Zhi Yu would make an excellent partner. 🥲

That beat where he brings her back her lost shoes, and puts them back on her feet for her, feels like an expression of that, where the shoes represent her dignity, and in giving them back to her, he’s enabling her to stand properly.

When Xiu Xiu finds it hard to walk because her feet are too sore, it’s matter-of-factly gallant of him, to kneel down and insist on piggybacking her.

This is part of the reason why I say that it’s around this point in our story, when Zhi Yu’s concern for Xiu Xiu feels a lot more personal. 🥲

ALSO. Doesn’t it feel significant, that when Xiu Xiu asks if this turn of events would affect his dealings with Mr. Xie, Zhi Yu simply answers that it might, then smiles and says that, at most, he’ll just design another award-winning thing for him.

That feels so laidback-confident and cheeky, but more important than that, is the fact that Zhi Yu is prioritizing this personal thing, over the other, very important, professional thing. This feels significant, doesn’t it? 🥲

Afterwards, I do love that he seems more concerned than usual, and even goes to buy medicine for Xiu Xiu and leaves it by the cafe’s door, while also calling Lao Zhao to let her know that Xiu Xiu’s not feeling well.

All these little indications that he cares, and in a personal capacity, really do give me a little thrill.

Another thing that gives me a thrill, is the fact that, when the tables are turned and Zhi Yu’s full audio clip goes viral, Xiu Xiu immediately understands his strategy, even though her senior at work, who ought to be more familiar with Zhi Yu’s style, remains clueless.

This is such a great little clue, that Xiu Xiu and Zhi Yu are well-matched; they are intellectual equals.

E5-8. GM Pei’s effort to provoke Zhi Yu by drawing close to Xiu Xiu succeeds, and that’s why Zhi Yu behaves so out of character, and hunts down GM Pei’s car, in order to remove Xiu Xiu from it.

I do think that Zhi Yu’s upset emotional state is because of GM Pei rather than Xiu Xiu, but in his agitation, I can also see why he might be curt with Xiu Xiu, and imply that she should have conducted herself better (so that he wouldn’t have to go out there to get her).

Through all of this, it says a lot about Xiu Xiu, that the thing that stings the most, is the idea that Zhi Yu believed that she might betray him.

The fact that this affects her so deeply, and causes her to withdraw from Zhi Yu, says a lot about Xiu Xiu’s sense of self, I feel. 🥲

..Which is why it’s then perfect, that Show finds a reason for Xiu Xiu to enter Rong City, and run into Zhi Yu in-game – which is when they get to speak their truths, but in-game.

That lends a delicious layer of meaning to everything, and I love it.

You can clearly see a flinch in Zhi Yu’s gaze, even though he remains mostly unruffled, when that smarmy Mr. Qian blithely states that Xiu Xiu is his wife.

And then, when Xiu Xiu seeks him out at the theater for the interview that her character is supposed to do, he uses that opportunity to say things like he’d asked her for an interview, but she hasn’t acknowledged him for the past few days – a detail that Xiu Xiu confirms quickly, isn’t in line with her brief at all.

Heh. What Zhi Yu’s really referring to, is the fact that Xiu Xiu’s been avoiding him in real life, for the past several days. 🤭

And then, the way Xiu Xiu pointedly asks him if he isn’t afraid that she’s posing as a reporter to do something bad, she’s clearly referring to how he’d insinuated that she might sell out to CEO Pei.

When Zhi Yu smirks in response, that he would never allow someone he distrusted to be near him, he’s basically saying that he trusts her – right? Right?!? 🤗😁

AND THEN. I do love that Zhi Yu smoothly changes the subject, and asks if she’s close to “Mr. Miyazaki,” claiming to warn her about the perils of trusting a fake husband too much.

Heh. He’s clearly jealous – and masking it in in-game speak! 😁

When Xiu Xiu states that she’d rather not see Mr. Miyazaki again, I’m intrigued that Zhi Yu immediately consents – and says that he will not let her have to set eyes on Mr. Miyazaki again.

Ooh! We’re getting in-game promises based on real-life feelings, and I have to say, I am very delighted by this. It’s really quite delicious, and I can’t wait to see how Zhi Yu works to keep his promise, in our next episodes. 😁

E9-12. I love the in-game conversation even more than I’d thought, you guys.

It’s great that Zhi Yu keeps his promise of not letting Xiu Xiu see Mr. Miyazaki again, but what I love even more, is that she opts to go against her assigned mission, so that she can demonstrate to Zhi Yu, that he doesn’t have to worry about her possibly betraying him – because she won’t.

I do love that when Zhi Yu realizes that Xiu Xiu’s helped him in-game, he drops everything and races after her to ask her why she’s helping him – and she uses in-game speak, to assure him that she won’t betray him. It’s so great. 🤩

Ahhh!!! I LOVE THAT.

I love that she prioritizes his real-world discomfort and finds a way to assure him, in-game. 🥲

Also. Doesn’t that feel like a reversal of where we’d started? Where we’d started, Xiu Xiu had been determined to win in-game, because she felt that she couldn’t win in real life.

But now, she’s stepping back from wanting to win in-game – in order to support something that’s important to her in real life.

This feels quite momentous, to me. 🥰

Later, when Mr. Qian proves to be a horrible misogynistic menace, I’m glad that both Lao Zhao and Xiu Xiu refuse to take it lying down and retaliate with vigor.

And then, when that statue starts to fall on Xiu Xiu, I’m glad that Zhi Yu’s there to save her.

Honestly, this gesture of his, feels like a reciprocation of her assurance that she won’t betray him – to my eyes, this feels like a sealing of their decision to be on the same side. 🥲

The way Xiu Xiu gets all anxious about him as she takes him to get his arm checked out at the hospital is very endearing, and even though Zhi Yu acts cool about, I’m pretty darn sure that he feels kinda good, that someone’s making such a big fuss over his health and wellbeing – especially since that someone is Xiu Xiu.

Later, when Xiu Xiu asks Zhi Yu why he had gone to the dance hall instead of straight to the election for city lord, it feels so meaningful, that Zhi Yu takes out the pocket-watch and says that he’d intended to give it to her, as a return token for her trust in him.

I’m also really glad that Zhi Yu explains his concern from the other day; that he hadn’t been concerned that she’d betray him, but had been concerned about the fact that GM Pei tends to use extreme tactics to achieve his goals.

I am pleased that Xiu Xiu takes in the information and immediately reframes Zhi Yu’s actions for herself – that rather than believing that she had the potential to betray him, he’d been worried for her. Aw. That’s a very accurate and important reframe, and I’m glad that she says it out loud. 🥲

Even better, is the fact that she comes right out and tells him that she won’t betray him.

This feels like an elevation of their connection, because before this, Xiu Xiu had felt like she could only assure him of her loyalty while in-game, but now, she feels confident to tell him so, even in the real world. 🥰

Honestly, I love how this seems to unlock a free flow of conversation between them, and I also really enjoy the fact that as Xiu Xiu asks questions of Zhi Yu and he answers, she’s able to correctly guess the reasons or circumstances surrounding his answers.

For example, she’s not even surprised that he’s one of the owners of the VR game company, and then she accurately guesses that he had designed the settings for the game too. I just love all the little indications that Xiu Xiu is very much Zhi Yu’s intellectual equal.

And I love that Zhi Yu enjoys this too – and even invites her to ask more questions, when she asks what else there is, that she doesn’t know about him.

The way he says, “What else do you want to know?,” sounds so gentle and quiet – almost tender – that I kind of melt a little. 🫠

It’s during this conversation, that Xiu Xiu accidentally hits on a vein of truth, when Zhi Yu remarks that he plays an NPC because then he doesn’t have to be Xiao Zhi Yu – which is when she retorts, “Then do you want to be Qin Xiao Yi?”

Which is exactly the moment it clicked into place, in my head, that this must be Zhi Yu’s original name, before he’d had to change his name.

We already know that his father’s family name had been Qin, and that Dad had addressed him as Yi Yi. It checks out – and now, I’m suddenly filled with a sense of compassion for Zhi Yu.

Because, how badly must he have wanted to be Qin Xiao Yi, that he would create an entire VR world, where he could be Qin Xiao Yi instead of Xiao Zhi Yu?? 💔🥹

I like how Xiu Xiu fusses over Zhi Yu and ends up being his chauffeur, when she offers to drive him to work, and he agrees.

With every step that Show takes to bring these two people closer to each other, I get a bit of a thrill.

And so, even though I hate Mr. Qian’s guts and am utterly disgusted at the way he tries to coerce Xiu Xiu into being escort-like company for him, in exchange for him keeping quiet about her living above the cafe, I’m quite pleased that this results in the very co-living arrangement I’d hoped for! 😁

I respect that Xiu Xiu doesn’t simply turn to Zhi Yu with a sob story, to ask for help. Instead, she tries to reason with him, to reach a logical conclusion that he doesn’t need to rent her home any longer, since the design for the Lyman competition is almost finalized.

Too bad for her, that Zhi Yu seems to like staying in her house, because he turns her down right away, heh. 🤭

The good thing is, Zhi Yu’s very sharp (I do love a smart male lead 🤩), so when that manager dude mentions that thing about the game company not letting its employees live on-site, that immediately gives Zhi Yu a clue, that something might be up with Xiu Xiu’s living arrangement – and so, the next time she comes to him with a proposal for how she’d be able to help him with drawings since his arm is injured, he simply agrees.

Squee! I love that little twinkle in his eyes, as he agrees. It’s like he’s just so naturally amused by her, as she earnestly makes her attempt to change his mind using pure work logic. 🤭

I really like how upfront and open Zhi Yu and Xiu Xiu are, about their new co-living arrangement. He doesn’t try to hide it from Huai Cong, and she doesn’t try to hide it from Lao Zhao.

(They do keep it discreet so people at work don’t find out, but I can understand them wanting to avoid misunderstandings, since Zhi Yu is the boss, and Xiu Xiu, the new employee. It would look weirdly suspicious to people at work.)

Even though Zhi Yu does rib Xiu Xiu by tricking her into washing his car after he notices mud stains on it, I appreciate that it’s all in good humor. Plus! He leaks smiles! Which adds a layer of affectionate amusement to everything, and that makes a huge difference.

Importantly, when push comes to shove and Xiu Xiu really does need help, Zhi Yu is quick to show concern – this is that new “You’ve got my back, and I’ve got yours” unspoken agreement between them coming into effect, and I really like that.

Like when Xiu Xiu tells him about the run-in with Mr. Qian, with GM Pei suddenly showing up like that, I like that Zhi Yu tells Xiu Xiu that next time anything happens, she should call him first.

Plus, as it later turns out, it’s Zhi Yu who puts pressure on the park management to fire Mr. Qian, which means that, effectively, he’s the one who saves Xiu Xiu (and Lao Zhao) from that awful excuse for a human being. Yay Zhi Yu!

Honestly, I love that as Zhi Yu and Xiu Xiu live in the same space, they become more and more comfortable with each other, and also, come to understand each other better.

When Zhi Yu sees for himself how upset Xiu Xiu’s father is, at learning that she’s gone back to architecture design as a career, I like how he first does what he can to help Xiu Xiu get out of her emotional funk (and he’s right, that putting her focus on drawing, takes her mind off everything) – and then later, when he spots an opportunity, he nudges her to go see her parents, so that she can talk it out with them.

I like the idea that Zhi Yu is a healthy, helpful influence in Xiu Xiu’s life.

AND I also like the idea that Xiu Xiu is also becoming a good influence in his life – like the way he actually listens, when she tells him not to drink alcohol because it’s bad for his recovery.

I’m getting the sense that Zhi Yu doesn’t often take advice so obediently like this, so I consider this Quite Significant Indeed. 🥰

Also, the fact that he lets her take care of him, in driving, drawing and generally taking charge of food, seems pretty significant to me too. I dunno; I get the sense that Zhi Yu’s not the kind of guy who easily accepts this kind of caregiving, and I feel like he wouldn’t accept this from just anyone.

Plus, doesn’t it say something about how Zhi Yu actually likes the idea of Xiu Xiu taking care of him, given that he pretends his arm still hurts, just so that Xiu Xiu will continue to do things for him? 😁

That said, I’m also pleased that Xiu Xiu sees through him soon enough, and promptly confronts him about it, which is when he agrees to drive the next day, though he still tasks her with the drawing – because she’s gotten better at it.

This all feels very undramatic and wholesome, and I like it a lot. 🥰 Plus! More leaked smiles! 🤩

Additionally, I really appreciate that beyond the teasing and ribbing, Zhi Yu takes a very fair and professional stance towards Xiu Xiu’s work, and even gets the rest of the team to agree to have her be credited as one of the designers, on their submission for the Lyman competition.

That’s exactly the kind of professional affirmation that Xiu Xiu desires, and I love that Zhi Yu thinks to meet her there, because he sees the value in her work.

It’s no wonder Xiu Xiu is so happy and grateful, that she wants to do something special for Zhi Yu – which is why she invites him out for a meal, and asks Lao Zhao to make a special cake.

It’s too bad that circumstantial misunderstandings lead Zhi Yu to leave the apartment in a bit of a peevish mood, thinking that Xiu Xiu’s stood him up to go on a blind date.

Importantly, it’s clear that he’s more antsy about the idea of Xiu Xiu going on a blind date, than actually being stood up. 😁

It’s so great that Xiu Xiu, in deciding to have her nice meal with or without Zhi Yu (yay for her sense of self-worth!), stumbles on Zhi Yu also having his nice meal at the restaurant – which is how they end up having that meal together, despite the initial fumbles.

Heh. That’s cute. Also, even though Zhi Yu mumbles his agreement when Xiu Xiu guesses that he must have really wanted to have this meal, to come to the restaurant on his own despite thinking that she’d stood him up, it’s very clear that the real reason is because he just wanted to be near the idea of her, even if she wasn’t there in person.

Happily, Xiu Xiu explains everything and they clear up the misunderstanding, just like that – gosh, I love how wholesome this show is, and how our would-be OTP is strong on the communication front. 🤩

Afterwards, I love that Zhi Yu encourages Xiu Xiu to go visit her parents, like I mentioned earlier, and my favorite bits around this beat, are:

1, how sweet, loving and wholesome Xiu Xiu’s conversation with Dad is, where Dad even admits his own fears, and how he’d never imagined holding her back. Aw. It’s just all very sweetly poignant, and I’m so pleased that this could happen, because Zhi Yu had provided the nudge that Xiu Xiu needed.

2, I love that beat where Xiu Xiu describes Zhi Yu to her parents, and compares him to Da Huang, the neighborhood dog, who’s fierce when she’d first approached him – but who’d rubbed his head against her hand, by the 21st time.

Awww! That is such a piercing insight into the kind of sweet softie that Zhi Yu is, beyond his aloof professional armor, and I LOVE that Xiu Xiu is able to see him this clearly. 🤩

And then in episode 12, when GM Pei throws a serious spanner in the works for Dynamism’s design, by announcing that Forma’s going to launch a design that centers around lane houses, I love that Zhi Yu and Xiu Xiu basically work together to come up with something even better.

I love that even though the final design is something that comes from Zhi Yu’s genius, a lot of the supporting work that enables that genius to flow, comes from Xiu Xiu.

It’s Xiu Xiu who works to get Zhi Yu out of his emotional funk (by using the same sly lie technique he’d used on her, ha), and it’s also Xiu Xiu who gives Zhi Yu new ideas, with her sharing of her experience living in the lane house for so many years.

Importantly, I LOVE that Zhi Yu is fully cognizant of the fact that the final winning design, was made possible by Xiu Xiu’s contributions.

This is a great partnership, and we’re not even at the romance yet. 🤩 This absolutely bodes well for any romance to come, yes?

E13-16. When Xiu Xiu hears that GM Pei is going to play the VR game while Zhi Yu’s on duty, her instinct is to protect him, and I find it touching, really, to see how far she’d go, in order to follow that instinct.

I mean, most people would shrug and back off, if they came up against the policy wall that she does, when she makes that earnest request to be allowed to join the game, even though she’s late – but not Xiu Xiu.

The way she distracts the receptionist so that she can sneak in via the fire escape is really smart, honestly, and I can’t help but feel impressed by her quick thinking and her chutzpah, for being bold to enter the game area even though she’s not a participant – where she’d be quickly and easily singled out for not being in costume.

And of course, layered on top of that, I can’t help but feel touched, that she’s willing to go this far, in order to protect Zhi Yu. 🥲

Even after Zhi Yu and GM Pei come face to face and she’s in the surveillance room with GM Pei, Xiu Xiu doesn’t stop trying to protect Zhi Yu, and informs him that Zhi Yu’s a top player who won’t be done with the game so quickly, and so GM Pei should leave.

I truly love that her instinct to protect Zhi Yu is so firm, strong and enduring; she really is not easily deterred, and I love that.

However, this is also the point in our story where Zhi Yu’s familial relationship with GM Pei is revealed, and looking back, it does feel like this is the point from which everything starts to slowly unravel, for Zhi Yu.

To my eyes, it seems that it’s because his hidden truth, which burdens him heavily, starts to leak into the bubble of safety that he’d created for himself, in which he’d been able to connect with Xiu Xiu without.. contamination, shall we say.

Immediately, we see that Zhi Yu is uncomfortable with the overlap; when Xiu Xiu asks him about his relationship with GM Pei, Zhi Yu does answer, but he’s also quick to shut the conversation down, saying that this was from a long time ago.

This is extremely unlike the Zhi Yu whom we’d seen asking Xiu Xiu, ever so gently, what else she wanted to know about him, not that long ago.

Importantly, I find it assuring that Xiu Xiu doesn’t lose trust in Zhi Yu, even though GM Pei asserts that Zhi Yu is nothing but a thief who’d tried to break into GM Pei’s father’s safe when he was 12 years old.

Instead, she responds with curiosity, which we see in the way she leans in, eager to hear more, when she has the chance to talk with Huai Cong at the cafe.

And then later, when Zhi Yu returns to the lane house while she’s washing blankets for that elderly neighbor, Xiu Xiu welcomes him warmly with a smile and gets him involved in the washing like nothing’s out of the ordinary.

The disconnect, as we see, is all in Zhi Yu’s mind.

On the one hand, he is reminded very acutely, how he’s so distant from his mother, even though she’s now back in Shanghai, which makes him feel isolated in its own way.

On the other hand, he has Xiu Xiu welcoming him – and you can see that sense of “home” register in his eyes, as he looks at her – but, crucially, this makes him feel isolated too, because he feels that this warmth and happiness is not his to enjoy.

Even as Zhi Yu smiles in response to Xiu Xiu, there’s a sense of wistfulness that runs undercurrent, and my heart can’t help but go out to him. 🥲

I do feel that the key point of friction here, is that while Zhi Yu gets closer to Xiu Xiu, his burdensome truth starts leaking more and more into his bubble.

This makes it hard for him to ignore it, and as things continue to develop on both sides, it forces a reckoning, where Zhi Yu feels that he has to stop living in denial.

I have to confess, this did not stop me from silent-squeeing a bit, at the various crackly moments between Zhi Yu and Xiu Xiu – mainly because I know that even though Zhi Yu’s wrestling with himself, he’s fully affected by Xiu Xiu, through each of these moments.

Their fingers touching as they work to wring out the blanket; Zhi Yu putting on hand cream for Xiu Xiu; Xiu Xiu grabbing his hand in return, to also ask him to put on some cream; Zhi Yu rescuing Xiu Xiu from that conversation with Mr. Wu, and letting on that he knows that she fidgets when she’s upset; the leaked smiles.

I perked up and squeed at them all. Especially the leaked smiles! 😍

The best bit though, has to be the one when Xiu Xiu’s drunk on poisonous mushrooms.

First of all, she’s super adorable with how she starts hallucinating snow, then flower petals, and tries to catch them all in her hands.

And then, how about the way she hallucinates Zhi Yu in his General Qin uniform – and then goes right up to him to tell him that he’s handsome, before pulling him in for a kiss??

Ahhh!!! I love how proactive our Xiu Xiu is, when she’s “drunk” – tee hee hee! 😁

Later, I couldn’t help but be amused, when in-game, Zhi Yu deadpans that he’s not irresponsible – unlike some people.

For context, in the Chinese dialogue, the wording implies that someone did something and then didn’t take responsibility for it – so it’s definitely a dig at her kissing him, and then not taking responsibility for it. 🤭

And then, later, when Xiu Xiu finally remembers kissing him and vehemently tells him that she hadn’t meant anything by it, and that she’d been hallucinating because of the mushrooms, you can totally see a flash of disappointed peevishness cross his face, even as he responds with an impassive, “Of course.”

I am supremely tickled by how perplexed Zhi Yu is, not gonna lie. 😁

And! He does still leak a smile, as he walks away from her. Eee! 😍

After this, we also get that moment of hyper-proximity, when Xiu Xiu remarks that the strap of that blood sugar monitor watch is old-fashioned, and Zhi Yu reaches to take it away from her – which is when they both see that Xiu Xiu’s heart is racing, in response.

I’m appropriately conflicted with a mixture of secondhand embarrassment and amused delight, heh. 😁

And how about that beat at the office where Xiu Xiu’s accidentally bumped his nose, and he looks so plaintively at her, as she applies that ice pack to his face. ADORABLE.

But also – I can sense the wistfulness in that plaintive gaze, especially when he tells Xiu Xiu that they should go home as it’s late, and Xiu Xiu absentmindedly answers, “Mm. Let’s go home.”

Particularly with the context that Show’s given us, that Zhi Yu’s had an unpleasant run-in with GM Pei at his father’s grave, where GM Pei had taunted him about hiding his real identity behind a false name, I can already sense Zhi Yu bracing to detach himself from Xiu Xiu – not because he doesn’t like her, but because he feels that he doesn’t deserve to be happy. 😭

The way I see it, Zhi Yu does try to delay the (from his point of view) inevitable as long as possible.

Even though he doesn’t tell Xiu Xiu ahead of time of his decision to collaborate with Forma, he does buy her that dress, and he also does get all prickly with jealousy when he sees Xiu Xiu dancing with GM Pei at that event, so much so that he’d interrupt the entire proceedings, by inviting GM Pei to make a speech – just to get him away from Xiu Xiu.

I have to confess that I like the thought that he thinks nothing of disrupting the entire event, on Xiu Xiu’s account. 🫠

I really like how steady Xiu Xiu remains in her trust and belief in Zhi Yu, even when he starts to blow a little hot and cold like this. She is disappointed that he hadn’t told her about his decision to work with Forma, but calls it even because he’d taken the trouble to buy her the dress.

Importantly, Zhi Yu apologizes for not having told her about his decision earlier, and he does look genuinely attentive, when he asks her what she thinks.

And I really love how quietly resolute she is, as she says that she believes that he wouldn’t have made the decision as a last resort, but as a matter of inevitability.

How could Zhi Yu’s heart not waver in the face of such steadfast belief, yes? 🥲

The way Xiu Xiu’s family invites Zhi Yu to join them for the Lunar New Year celebrations is so warm and natural, and the way he’s included in everything feels so cozy and lovely, that I’d hoped that this might sway Zhi Yu’s resolve, but instead, it ends up convincing him, more than ever, that he doesn’t deserve this kind of familial warmth and happiness. 💔

And the breaking point comes when he’s faced with a moment that requires him to choose a stand – when Xiu Xiu leans in to kiss him, on the rooftop.

First, though, I must say that I love how proactive and self-possessed Xiu Xiu is, in making the first move to kiss Zhi Yu.

Without having to say anything, she’s owning her feelings for him, and also, taking steps to rewrite what she’d said about the drunken kiss – that she hadn’t meant any of it.

I’m very proud of her – and therefore, I’m vicariously taken aback for her, when Zhi Yu pulls away, and avoids the kiss. 💔 Not only that, he immediately moves out, instead of waiting for his lease to expire like he’d originally intended.

I have to say, our Xiu Xiu remains very dignified in the aftermath of this rejection.

Yes, she is hurt and yes, she can’t sleep because of it, but I can’t help but notice how resilient she remains, all things considered. She doesn’t make a scene or cry; she processes it silently and remains.. watchful.

When GM Pei shows up at Dynamism bearing gifts of chocolate for her, she does observe Zhi Yu’s face, while deciding whether or not to accept the gift.

To my eyes, she’s not looking at Zhi Yu to see if he’s jealous; rather, she’s looking at him to see if he’s neutral enough about this situation, for her to accept the gift. The sense that I get, is that Xiu Xiu is still being protective and considerate towards Zhi Yu, despite his sudden withdrawal from her.

And even though I frowned when GM Pei makes that request for Xiu Xiu to be the representative from Dynamism to work with him, I do appreciate Zhi Yu’s decision to trust her.

Yes, he’s pulled back emotionally from Xiu Xiu, but he remains careful to respect her professionalism, and even reminds GM Zhou that Xiu Xiu’s contributed a great deal to the project. On top of that, I sense that his trust in her to be able to navigate things with GM Pei, is not just professional, but personal as well. 🥲

I can’t help but pick up on the fact that, as much as Zhi Yu works to keep his distance from Xiu Xiu, he can’t help but be affected by her.

Just look at the way he can’t bear to hear the office folks tease Xiu Xiu about receiving chocolates from GM Pei and how compatible she is with him, that he leaves the coffee machine running and walks away.

Aw. Poor Zhi Yu.

E17-20. Where we’d left off in our last set of episodes, Zhi Yu had withdrawn from Xiu Xiu in a fit of guilt, determined that he wouldn’t pursue happiness until after he’d succeeded at clearing his father’s name – and in these episodes, he realizes that that’s far, farrr easier said than done. 😁

Not that he doesn’t try, of course.

I’d say that Zhi Yu makes a valiant effort to stand by the decision that he’s made – it’s just that he can’t stop his heart from leaping all over the place, where Xiu Xiu is concerned. 🤭

I mean, just look at what happens when Xiu Xiu doesn’t return to the office after the construction site inspection, and he hears that she’s returned to Forma with GM Pei.

Even though he’s made formal decisions to detach himself from her, and to trust her professionalism with GM Pei, the man just can’t help himself, when it comes to Xiu Xiu.

I was thoroughly amused by the way he can’t stop texting Xiu Xiu, even as she remains a bit curt with him and holds him at arm’s length, just like he’d (thought he’d) wanted.

On that note, I have to say that I find myself loving Xiu Xiu more and more, these episodes.

Our girl might be smarting from the rejection (and gosh was that rejection humiliating, with him turning away from her kiss, yes? 🙈), but she continues to be completely self-possessed and confident. I love how she consistently refuses to wilt, through this difficult emotional season. 🤩

I’m thrilled by the way she is so matter-of-fact responding to Zhi Yu’s texts, and then purposefully puts her phone in her bag, so that he won’t be able to keep disrupting her dinner. (Have I mentioned that I love her? 😍)

And of course, Zhi Yu’s heart isn’t about to be deterred – which is how he ends up waiting outside Forma for Xiu Xiu, ready to snatch her away from GM Pei.

I had to giggle though, at how obviously petty he’s acting, what with bringing the sketch books back to Xiu Xiu, then refusing to give them back until after she’s gotten in the car.

Hahaha! Zhi Yu’s very clear on the outcome he’s after, and he’s not above looking small-minded, just as long as he gets Xiu Xiu back in his orbit. I am amused at how deep he’s in for Xiu Xiu, even if he’s not quite admitting it just yet. 😁

When Xiu Xiu tries to test him, by asking if there’s anything else that he wants to ask her, aside from work questions, he does back off and goes back to his professional lane.

I understand that this is a difficult process for Zhi Yu, to overcome his deep-seated fear that he’d be doing his father a disservice if he were to pursue happiness before clearing Dad’s name.

However, he’s absolutely sending Xiu Xiu very mixed signals, and when she is courageous to press in on the personal front, he doesn’t take the opportunity to be honest with her. I can totally see why Xiu Xiu would feel increasingly frustrated with him.

And yet, she can’t quite cut him off either, because it’s clear to see that he cares, even though he’s refusing to admit it.

Just look at the way he hovers outside the cafe and waits, while Xiu Xiu goes inside to check on Lao Zhao.

He says that he waited, just in case Xiu Xiu needed any help, but it’s clear to see from the plaintive wistful look in his eyes, that the more accurate layer of truth here, is that he’d missed her and had wanted to be near her – and had hoped to be able to see her. 🥲

At the same time, you can see that he’s fighting himself, when it comes to being near Xiu Xiu.

When she breaks down in tears over how much Lao Zhao is suffering, Zhi Yu’s first instinct is to reach out to comfort her – but then he stops himself, once the fountain starts and shakes him out of his reverie.

This back-and-forth dance goes on for quite a while, and I have to say, the thing that sticks in my mind, is Zhi Yu’s reaction faces, every time he thinks that he might be losing Xiu Xiu to another man – or something in that vicinity.

The face he makes when GM Pei leans in close to Xiu Xiu in the elevator to press the button was so great. And then what about the face he makes when he’s at the cafe and flowers get delivered, addressed to “Babe” – the way he snaps his head around to look at Xiu Xiu, is GOLD. 😂

I do appreciate that he has a desire to explain himself to Xiu Xiu though – as far as he will allow himself, that is – and that’s why he engineers that trip to the park, just so that he can find a chance to tell Xiu Xiu that his request for a full list of Forma’s suppliers doesn’t mean that he’d thought the suppliers she’d found were lacking.

I think part of it is for his own sake, yes, but I also believe that the other part of it, is that he understands how much pride Xiu Xiu takes in her work, and he doesn’t want her to feel undermined in terms of her professionalism.

And I just have to admire Xiu Xiu for being so matter-of-fact and gracious about it, saying that she wouldn’t hold a grudge just because her boss pointed out her mistakes.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again (and mark my words, I will say this again later): I love Xiu Xiu. 🤩

I did think that the scene involving the dark tunnel leaned rather heavy-handed, but I appreciate the idea, that Xiu Xiu is the light at the end of Zhi Yu’s tunnel – and that it’s the sound of her voice calling out his name, that brings him back from his state of paralyzed fear.

Later on, when Huai Cong reveals that Xiu Xiu’s been playing the VR game very frequently and has been on a “killing spree” that targets only Qin Xiao Yi, I thought that she had perhaps been struggling with a deeper sense of grievance than I’d thought, but I think that the more accurate version of events, is that she took the chance to play, since Lao Zhao had all these free passes from her collaboration with the game company – and since she was there, why not take some petty revenge on General Qin, y’know? 😁

And so, even though Xiu Xiu’s frustration with Zhi Yu is real, I don’t think that her anger at him was great to the point of her needing to actively seek out an outlet via the game. I thought that detail calibrated quite nicely, my understanding of her frustration towards Zhi Yu.

I’m suitably amused that Zhi Yu volunteers for the session just because Xiu Xiu’s going to be playing, because it’s clear to me, that even though he tells himself that he’s there to prove that he isn’t at all like the other actor playing General Qin, he’s really there to see Xiu Xiu – in a safe bubble that’s far away from reality.

Just that beat where he refuses to sell her the ring, but then later looks all pleased with himself as he starts to offer her a deal, that he’ll give it to her if she’ll buy him a tanghulu, tells me everything that I need to know; he just wants to spend time with her in this alterna-reality, while eluding the context of his decision to distance himself from her.

But.. reality comes a-knocking anyway, with Xiu Xiu’s wedding certificate scheme.

Her words, though in-game, hit hard:

“If the shoes are uncomfortable, I change them. If the road is a dead end, I take another. If a person doesn’t work out, I find someone similar. No big deal.”

Oof. This is really about her previously burgeoning relationship with Zhi Yu, and he knows it. He tries to evade it by talking at the in-game level, telling her that she shouldn’t choose someone else, but she should choose to win alongside him.

And this is when Xiu Xiu tearfully blurts out her real-world truth:

“I’m sick of how you toy with me and help me, push me away and then seek me out. My mood swings with your whims. Why should it? The game is over. I don’t care about winning or losing. And I don’t care about you anymore either.”

There’s no evading the truth of what Xiu Xiu is saying now, and this is the point of reckoning that forces Zhi Yu’s hand. Basically, if he doesn’t act now, he risks losing Xiu Xiu for real – and forever.

That’s a reality that he’s just not prepared to face, which is why he finally makes his move.

And what a move it is – that casual toss of his hat, to land it over the CCTV camera, so that he can home in and kiss Xiu Xiu the way he’s been wanting to all this time, is pretty darn charismatic, I have to say.

Importantly, because I’ve already seen Xiu Xiu proactively initiate a kiss with him (only to be rejected), this doesn’t land as a forced kiss, to my eyes. Rather, it reads as him finally reciprocating the kiss that she’d started. 🥲

The tears that leak out of Xiu Xiu’s eyes, feel to me like they’re equally an expression of her pain, as much as they are an expression of relief, to finally be connecting with Zhi Yu beyond the wall that he’d put up.

Most importantly, she leans in and kisses him back – and I’m flailing and squeeing in gratified approval. Eee!! 🫠🫠🫠

Afterwards, I love the warm vibe that feels instantly palpable, when she goes outside and he’s there waiting for her, just like he’d said.

There’s just so much gentle affection in his gaze and his smile, as he teases her – gently! – about stealing glances at him. 😍

And I love-love-love how Xiu Xiu is still self-possessed and even cutely cheeky, as she “corrects” him that she’s looking at him openly.

Then, it’s also pretty darn cute, how they both silently squee in the car, while Huai Cong’s sitting right there.

Squee!! So much cuteness!! And I love how they’re basking in the feels – as they should be. 🥰

Later, when Xiu Xiu feels uncertain of the status of their relationship, after Zhi Yu invites her up to his apartment and then makes it about work, I have so much respect for her, that she sends him that voice message to ask if they are now together.

Of course, the fangirl in me loves that Zhi Yu’s right behind her and answers, “What else?” – and then goes on to rib her that he’s not like someone else, who doesn’t take responsibility for their actions.

Tee hee hee! 🤭 I’m very amused by this running joke between them.

Can I just say, I love the tone and dynamic of the confession and minting of the relationship that we get?

I am so pleased that Zhi Yu not only tells Xiu Xiu plainly that he likes her, but (so importantly!) also apologizes for how he’d acted during New Year’s, and also, in moving out.

I also love that Xiu Xiu presses in to gain clarity, confirming that he won’t push her away any longer. And when he tells her that he’s known for a long time that he would always find his way back to her, I love that she is emphatic in telling him that no matter what happens, he has to face it with her – and then asks for a stamp to seal it.

It might look playful on the surface, but this is such important foundation-setting for their relationship, and I am quite giddy from how healthy this all is, being agreed upon right from the outset like this. 🥰

Xiu Xiu’s way of kissing her palm and then stamping it on Zhi Yu’s forehead is adorable 😍, and then, it’s very melty, the way Zhi Yu reciprocates with a gentle direct kiss on the lips instead. 🫠

Honestly, I love the way Show is able to mix cuteness and spice – while very capably bringing the toe-curling feeeelss.

That scene where Xiu Xiu loses her balance and falls on top of Zhi Yu? Masterfully done.

I love how Show slows down the moment and allows us to savor each beat: Xiu Xiu looking at Zhi Yu with a cheeky gaze; her hesitating for a moment and smiling her cute little cheeky smile, before moving in for the kiss; her hands meeting behind his neck; her fingers intertwining (in a direct mirror of my toes curling); the two of them just smiling in the happiness of the moment, as they soak in the kiss.

Sooo lovely. 🫠😍🫠😍🫠

And then, what a way for Show to throw everything on its head – by having Huai Cong and Lao Zhao barge into the living room, and Xiu Xiu promptly falling off Zhi Yu.

Pwahahaha! What an emotional rollercoaster this beat turns out to be! 😂 (And such great comic timing by Lu Yu Xiao, might I add! 🤩)

I do love that this spills their relationship into the open, at least with their friends, and my favorite bit of the interrogation that follows, is when Huai Cong asks Zhi Yu how Xiu Xiu had managed to win him over, and Zhi Yu frowns, then says in the most gently smug way, “Who said she chased me?”

Ahhhh!!! He’d happily be a fool for Xiu Xiu! I LOVE!! 🤗

Honestly, I’m thoroughly charmed by the way Zhi Yu is basically a happy dork of a boyfriend, and just smiles and lets Xiu Xiu take the lead in just about everything. And I do love how they’re able to not just be all sweet together, but also work together – and laugh together. 🥰

That whole thing where Zhi Yu trips over the fox plushie and falls on the bed while carrying Xiu Xiu, and Xiu Xiu pretends to be dead asleep even though she’s clearly not, is mortifying – and I love that at the end of it, they’re laughing about it, despite the embarrassment. 😁

And then there’s that moment at the end of episode 20, where Zhi Yu pretends to be asleep, and when Xiu Xiu says that a certain someone had lacked the strength and that’s why they’d dropped her – and Zhi Yu swings her onto the table, then leans in and asks, with a bit of amused smolder, if he really lacks strength.

Amusement, affection AND smolder?? What a heady combination. Flail. 🫠🫠🫠

I also VERY much love how Xiu Xiu responds with an equal amount of gentle cheeky confidence, when he deadpans that he doesn’t have people delivering food to him and therefore his arms are weak.

It’s adorable AND sexy, the way she pulls him toward her by the tie, saying that she might not be a good cook, but she’s a great food critic, and can taste the difference between foods.

The cheeky-sexy banter between these two is top tier, and I’m loving it. 🤩

I will say, though, that Zhi Yu’s still in the process of fully letting Xiu Xiu into his inner world.

I do think that it’s a matter of readiness, and not a matter of willingness, since we hear Zhi Yu tell her that he will tell her about that architect, Q, some other time, and also, that he will introduce her to his mother at another time.

My read is that he wants to let her in, and is just.. gathering his courage. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Dai Xu as Pei Zhen

I must confess that I found Pei Zhen to be a pretty fascinating character, even within a narrative where he’s very much secondary.

He comes across as complex and sympathetic despite his cocky posture and morally gray positioning.

Credit to Dai Xu for imbuing Pei Zhen with layers of angst and inner conflict, often conveyed through his gaze.

[SPOILER ALERT]

The thing that really tugs at my heartstrings, when it comes to Pei Zhen, is the way he always ends up coming in second to Zhi Yu — even when he doesn’t see it as a competition.

We learn that even as kids, Pei Zhen never felt able to measure up to Zhi Yu, and we see that pattern repeat professionally, where CEO Pei openly disdains his own son in favor of Zhi Yu’s perceived superiority.

On this point, I can really see the difficult position he’s in — his conscience pulls him one way, while his father expects him to follow in his shady footsteps.

When Pei Zhen develops an interest in Xiu Xiu without knowing her connection to Zhi Yu, it feels like a cruel twist of fate when he eventually realizes that Zhi Yu has feelings for her too.

And even more so when he later learns the inevitable truth — that Xiu Xiu has chosen Zhi Yu.

To Pei Zhen, it must feel like losing to Zhi Yu all over again, even in something as personal as love.

Altogether, Pei Zhen paints a rather tragic picture, and Dai Xu’s portrayal of these nuances makes it all the more poignant. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Li Ting Ting as Zhao Xiao Rou

Overall, I found Lao Zhao to be a really good friend to Xiu Xiu.

Their close friendship, where each would drop everything for the other person, if needed, was something that I liked very much.

At the same time, I have to confess that I wish Show would have handled Lao Zhao’s personal arc differently.

[SPOILER ALERT]

In our early episodes, I found Lao Zhao’s relationship with her husband, Guang Ming, surprisingly wholesome and sweet.

When she was going through that stretch of not being able to contact him, I was convinced he was having an affair or something similar — so the reveal that he’d actually been working hard to start his own company, in hopes of building a better life for them, came as a very nice surprise.

Just as heartening was how understanding and supportive Lao Zhao was of his dreams.

Because of that, I was quite taken aback by the abrupt way Show brings their marriage to an end.

It’s true that Guang Ming’s habit of shouldering everything on his own — out of a desire to protect Lao Zhao — gradually erodes her trust in him.

By the time she witnesses that moment with Chi Xin, it’s less about believing he’s having an affair, and more about that accumulated loss of trust finally tipping her over the edge. 💔

I can see how this functions as a kind of cautionary parallel for our OTP — a path that Zhi Yu could easily have taken, had he continued to keep everything to himself.

Even so, given how warm and supportive their marriage initially felt, it did strike me as rather abrupt for Lao Zhao to move straight to divorce, without us seeing more of an attempt to work through things.

Personally, I don’t mind the outcome itself — whether that means separation or reconciliation — but I would have appreciated more time spent on the process, so that we could better understand and empathize with how they arrived there.

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E21-24. I thought these penultimate episodes were really solid, my friends.

The penultimate stretch is where many dramas tend to fumble as they work to amp up the narrative tension, but this show remains steady, in my opinion.

Honestly, I’d even go so far as to say that these penultimate episodes were elegantly handled – and you know that’s not something I throw about lightly. 😉

Show puts our OTP relationship to the test in this stretch of our story, by applying steadily increasing pressure, and I think it works really well.

First, we start with simple little jealousies, like the way Zhi Yu gets all antsy when he learns that GM Pei had also been at the cafe, and had even had an opportunity to talk with Xiu Xiu during the collaboration event with the game company.

The way he assumes that the scarf in Xiu Xiu’s hair is a gift from GM Pei and moves to take it off, while Xiu Xiu grins and kisses him on the cheek, is really cute.

This all comes off as a very small, harmless little blip in their relationship, and I find it very endearing, the way Xiu Xiu manages Zhi Yu’s jealous sensitivities with so much understanding and cheeky humor.

Like the way she kind of teases him about returning the lunchbox to GM Pei herself – when what she really means is that she’ll have it couriered to GM Pei, if he won’t help her return it.

She’s adorable, and I can completely see why Zhi Yu would give in, and agree to return the box to GM Pei himself.

And then we have that moment during the trip when Zhi Yu can’t find Xiu Xiu and almost has a panic attack, thinking that something bad has happened to her.

I appreciate that Zhi Yu chooses to be vulnerable with Xiu Xiu and tells her that he was scared, and how this was related to how he’d suddenly lost his dad, as a child.

In hindsight, this would have been a great opportunity for Zhi Yu to simply tell Xiu Xiu the whole truth about his dad, but I can understand that perhaps this was all that Zhi Yu felt ready for, at this moment.

Importantly, we see that Zhi Yu’s choice to be more open and vulnerable with Xiu Xiu draws them closer together, and the resulting OTP consummation feels sweet and like a natural extension of their growing bond.

Afterwards, even though Zhi Yu’s decision to get Xiu Xiu to live with him in his apartment is triggered by safety concerns because of the fact that someone is obviously tailing her, it’s also clear to see that having Xiu Xiu enter his living space really gives Zhi Yu a lot of warmth and comfort.

The thing that does niggle at me during this stretch, is that Zhi Yu now slips into a more active mode of withholding information from Xiu Xiu.

Before this, it was easier to look past the fact that he’s not telling Xiu Xiu about his father, because there’s no real situation that forces him to decide whether or not to tell her; it’s easy to assume that he’s on the way to getting to that point and just needs more time.

However when she’s in his space and he’s actively hiding stuff in his secret room and clearly nervous about her being in the study on her own, it becomes more stark to see that he’s actively hiding things from her, if that makes sense.

And then there’s how Zhi Yu handles the situation when his mom attempts to set him up with Luna, their neighbor from before.

Instead of telling Xiu Xiu about it and reassuring her that he’ll take care of it in a way that protects their relationship, he goes ahead to take care of things – while instructing Huai Cong not to breathe a word to Xiu Xiu, about the supposed blind date.

Sure, it results in a pretty amusing situation where Xiu Xiu “stalks” him at the hotel lobby where he’s talking to Luna, and runs into GM Pei, who eventually presses in to ask her plainly about the nature of her relationship with Zhi Yu.

And Zhi Yu does manage to appease a peevish Xiu Xiu with an admission of the truth – that Luna’s engaged to someone else – and a pair of tickets to a concert that she really wants to attend.

However, I can’t help but clock that Zhi Yu’s approach to things, is to sort stuff out first, and then think about telling Xiu Xiu after the fact.

He does this with the blind date, the supplier list, and his entire strategy to draw Forma into the Lyman project, in order to expose their shady financial workings.

I’m guessing that that’s the exact same thinking that’s driving his approach to clearing his father’s name.

He’s clearly amping things up and getting ready to reclaim his original name – but he hasn’t told Xiu Xiu about any of it, and that does come back to bite him, as we see.

To be clear, I don’t see this as him being malicious. Rather, this is how his protective instinct works – he feels that taking care of things on his own protects Xiu Xiu.

The uncomfortable fact is, though, that there is a cost to this type of pattern, and that cost catches up to Zhi Yu when GM Pei leaks the truth about Zhi Yu’s identity to the media, and Xiu Xiu hears about it from her parents.

Because the scale of Zhi Yu’s truth is so large and far-reaching, it feels extra devastating for Xiu Xiu, to learn of it from anyone other than Zhi Yu himself. 💔

To be sure, even if Zhi Yu had proactive sat down to tell Xiu Xiu the truth before it all came out like this, the break-up would have likely still happened, because Xiu Xiu’s reason for breaking up with him is not about him withholding the truth from her, but about how his his truth is so deeply connected to the same truth that has haunted her father all these years.

She’s breaking up with him not because she can’t trust him anymore, but because she cannot ignore the pain that her father has suffered on account of his father.

However, it is also true that because Zhi Yu had kept the truth from her, and she finds out in the worst possible way, the rupture to their relationship is greater. 😔

The thing that I find very touching, is that the love that they have for each other remains strong in spite of the break-up.

It’s so touching to me that, even in the midst of all of this world-tilting drama, Xiu Xiu thinks to tell Sun to have everyone at the office act normal around Zhi Yu, because she knows that this is the thing that would bring him comfort.

And it’s so heart-tugging to me, that when he encounters this at the office, Zhi Yu instinctively knows that this is due to Xiu Xiu’s doing – that’s why we see that little smile that he reserves only for Xiu Xiu tug at his lips. 🥲

Plus, look at the way Xiu Xiu reacts when GM Pei shows up at the hospital and proceeds to blame everything on Zhi Yu.

I love Xiu Xiu’s clarity of mind, as she reminds him that Zhi Yu had only been a child at the time, and thus, his name change and everything else along with it, had not been his choice. She’s such a star. 🤩

And then on Zhi Yu’s side of things, I love that final scene where he moves to introduce Xiu Xiu to his mother, just like he’d promised.

He doesn’t attempt to change the reality between them by over-stating that she’s his girlfriend.

Instead, he states his truth in a way that respects Xiu Xiu’s decision, by telling Mom that Xiu Xiu is the woman he loves.

Augh. I love how that’s in the present tense, and is something that remains true for him regardless of the status of their relationship: she IS the woman he loves.

That’s just very beautiful to me. 🥹

As we move into the finale episodes, my hope is that Zhi Yu will, in this same vein of honesty, tell Xiu Xiu the truth about his father and his quest to clear Dad’s name – and that Xiu Xiu will then have the opportunity to work beside him, to help him achieve that dream.

That would be a truly meaningful way to break the pattern and establish a new norm: of them working through challenges side by side – just like they’d promised and stamped on, before. 🥲

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E25-28. All’s well that ends well in our story world – and I did not expect anything less, from this show.

Show does a very efficient job wrapping up our various arcs, from Zhi Yu’s quest to clear his father’s name, to how our OTP navigates these tricky waters and beyond, to where various supporting characters land, as the dust settles.

That’s a lot, and I do think that Show deserves credit for not leaving any loose threads.

That said, I have to confess that in the watch experience, I did find that my emotional response to everything that Show served up, was a little uneven.

Specifically, I felt some tonal whiplash during the part where Xiu Xiu gets kidnapped and nearly gets trapped in a fire. That.. felt like a different drama, almost, if you know what I mean. 😅

Additionally, because everything is dealt with so quickly and efficiently, I also felt like there was a slight performative quality to everything? Like we were just going through the paces as fast as possible, so that we could check it off a list. 😅

Basically, after all the emotional groundwork that Show had done leading up to the resolution, it feels like the resolution moves too fast to match the emotional weight, if you know what I mean.

However, I suppose I would rather wrap up the “justice mission” side of things sooner rather than later, so that’s my silver lining.

Happily, things on the emotional front land a lot more authentically, and the thing that brought satisfaction to my watch of the finale, despite the tonal whiplash I just mentioned.

Coming into these finale episodes, one of my big asks of Show, was that Xiu Xiu and Zhi Yu would work together to clear his father’s name – and we do get that.

Originally, I’d hoped that Zhi Yu would volunteer the information instead of having it forced out of him by Xiu Xiu, but with the additional context that we later get, that there is very real and present danger involved in the mission, I can understand why Zhi Yu would hold back from telling Xiu Xiu everything.

I can also understand our writers not wanting Xiu Xiu to endanger her life because of a choice that Zhi Yu makes – which is why we have her actively opting in, instead.

Of course, I do also like the fact that this preserves Xiu Xiu’s personal agency, which is always a plus in my books.

Plus, how great is it, that the defining piece of evidence that turns the tables for Zhi Yu, is found by Xiu Xiu. Our girl’s a star! 🤩

Speaking of Xiu Xiu’s agency, I found it believable and organic, the way Show handles the whole thing where her parents expect her to cut ties with Zhi Yu (before Zhi Yu’s dad’s name is cleared).

I would believe that Xiu Xiu would do her best to abide by her parents’ wishes, because she knows and understands how much her father has suffered over the years – but ultimately fail, because her love for Zhi Yu is too great.

That scene, where she breaks down in tears, apologizing to her father because she can’t help how she feels for Zhi Yu, effectively turns things around for Xiu Xiu, while demonstrating the deep love between her and her parents.

She loves them enough to try her best, and they love her enough to recognize that she’s tried her best, and not want her to suffer any longer.

Isn’t that really touching? 🥹

On a related tangent, I’m also quite pleased with the way Show mends Zhi Yu’s relationship with his mother.

Mom finally visits Dad’s grave after all these years, and expresses her regret and thanks to Zhi Yu, and Zhi Yu, in his own way, alleviates her guilt by assuring her that she had indeed been with him through the years.

This beat really brings to mind what Xiu Xiu had assured Zhi Yu of before: that as long as both parties are willing, the relationship can be healed.

To my eyes, it really feels like Xiu Xiu’s words have now come to pass, in Zhi Yu’s relationship with Mom.

It feels fitting that Mom would want to return to the US to sort out the legalities after getting divorced from CEO Pei, and that Zhi Yu would offer to go with her.

This is a very organic reason for Zhi Yu and Xiu Xiu to be apart for a while in the finale stretch, and I am quite impressed by this, to be honest.

Most other dramas manufacture flimsy reasons to split up the OTP in the final stages just to create an emotional rush for their eventual reunion, but here, it makes story and character sense. Nicely done.

Before I talk more about our OTP, I wanted to also highlight how Show wraps up GM Pei’s arc.

Honestly, I found his wrap-up empathetic, in character, and altogether quite perfect.

I found it extremely poignant to see that Pei Zhen and Zhi Yu can once gotten along well, as children. Not only that, Pei Zhen had been a good big brother, even letting Zhi Yu go first, when they played games together.

Just as poignant, is the how sad Pei Zhen looks when he remarks that he’d essentially lost his entire life to Zhi Yu, because of how everyone always compared them – and how he could never seem to measure up.

With all the angst and backstabbing that’s gone on, a neat forgiveness arc would have been too much of a stretch, I feel, and so, Show’s choice to have Pei Zhen give as much closure as possible, and then leaving, is the most practical, sympathetic choice.

This allows Pei Zhen to make things right, as much as possible, and it also gives him space to start over and find himself – away from Zhi Yu, to whom he’d always been compared.

It’s true that he says that he and Zhi Yu may never meet again, but I’d like to imagine that someday, when both of them have had enough time to heal, that they’d be able to possibly become friends. 🥲

As for our OTP, I have to say, the thing I find myself clocking most sharply, is how kissy they are, in these finale episodes.

I very much approve, because this feels realistic; this is how a couple that’s very much in love would behave – particularly if one of them’s just had a near-death experience, yes?

So all the little snuggles and kisses at every opportunity feels extremely organic to me. 🥰

I also appreciate that when Zhi Yu gets all peevish about Xiu Xiu declaring so emphatically that she has no plans to get married any time soon, all Xiu Xiu has to do is explain her point of view, and he understands and relents immediately.

Yes, he sulks for a while, but the moment she tells him that it’s not because she doesn’t want to be with him, but because she wants to focus on the career that she’s come back to with great difficulty, he gets it right away and pledges to support her in any way that he can.

And then, how warm and affirming, that when he says that he hopes that he’s in Xiu Xiu’s plans, she smiles and assures him that he’s not part of her plans, but already part of her reality.

Isn’t that so lovely?? 🥹🥰

Afterwards, when Zhi Yu goes away to the US, I really like that this actually does something concrete for our OTP relationship.

Many times, I feel like OTP relationships are put to the test unnecessarily in the finale episodes, just to create a reconciliation high as we get to the finish line – but that’s not the case here.

Here, Xiu Xiu learns just how much she misses Zhi Yu when he’s not there, which is something she’d been a bit complacent about before his departure.

With this separation making her keenly aware of just how important he is to her, and how much he is a part of her consciousness, it feels functional to our narrative, and valuable to our OTP relationship.

Again, very nicely done. 🥰

It’s just like Zhi Yu to sneak back without first telling Xiu Xiu, so that he can surprise her, and the thing I love most about this scene, is how Xiu Xiu’s face lights up like a thousand suns – because that’s how delighted she is to see him. Aw.

The thing that really stays in my mind about Zhi Yu’s return, though, is how he responds when GM Zhou remarks that it’s a pity he didn’t get to see Xiu Xiu pitch her proposal.

He agrees that it’s a pity, but then emphasizes that Xiu Xiu doesn’t need him to bear witness; that she doesn’t need anyone’s approval to prove her worth, and is becoming the person she wants to be, all on her own.

Augh. Now, that’s just beautiful. 🥹 I love that Zhi Yu recognizes and values Xiu Xiu like this. 🥰

And then finally, with their new kitten safely at home (yay for choosing to love despite knowing that love brings with it eventual loss), it feels pitch perfect that our OTP would watch the sunset together from the top of the 258-meter skyscraper Zhi Yu’s designed, and make promises to do so every year henceforth, as a new tradition in their relationship.

It feels like they’re on top of the world, just the two of them, and it’s really quite perfect.

Even more perfect though, is the little epilogue that we get, where Zhi Yu joins Huai Cong and Lao Zhao to try out the upgraded VR game – only to be welcomed by the new Rong City ambassador, Xiu Xiu.

Ahhh. This is SUCH a great demonstration of the dynamic Show’s been circling – that as Xiu Xiu grows independently into an even more amazing version of herself, Zhi Yu is not just content, but delighted, to be her witness.

Very nicely played Show – because with this epilogue, I now find myself wishing that we’d get a sequel, where we get to see Xiu Xiu be city lord of Rong City, with Zhi Yu by her side. 😍

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Sweetness with substance. Quite special.

FINAL GRADE: B++

TRAILER:

MV:

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• “First Take” voice notes (my candid thoughts as I audition new dramas)

• All Ultra Access perks

🏆 VIP — US$60

• All episode notes for all dramas

• Weekly voice notes: “First Take” and topical

• Personal drama shortlist ranking

👑 VIP Gold — US$100

• Everything in VIP

• Quarterly bespoke Drama Concierge voice note

• Q&A priority

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If you’d like to join me on the journey, you can find my Patreon page here.

You can also read more about the what, why, and how of supporting the blog here.

KFG ❤️