Road Home

Love Wins All

I absolutely adore this drama. It really resonates with me, and it reminds me so much of two IU songs, Love Wins All and Friday, haha. I’ll dive into why I love it so much in a bit, but first, I want to make one thing clear. This is a slice-of-life drama. Everything that happens feels like everyday life—routine, maybe a small hiccup here and there, but nothing overly dramatic. So, if you’re expecting a fast-paced plot with tons of twists, you might want to skip this one. I totally get why some people find it boring; it’s just not their cup of tea. And that’s fine! But let’s respect those who genuinely enjoy it.
I was scrolling through comments and reviews earlier, and one of them claimed the drama’s high ratings on another platform were from bots or bought with money. Lol, seriously? So, part of why I’m writing this is to say: real people do love this drama. I’m not getting paid to rave about it—if anything, I paid to watch it on the platform! Another thing: the view count for Road Home on Yunhe, which tracks organic online views for dramas in the domestic market, is super impressive—over 40 million views. (For context, plenty of trendy dramas with big-name stars don’t even hit that number.) That shows there’s a solid fanbase for this drama. So yeah, let’s respect different tastes. It might seem bland to some, but it’s far from bad—in fact, it’s special for those of us who vibe with this genre.
Alright, enough of that. Let’s get into the good stuff!

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

In a nutshell, this drama is about two people who were each other’s first love but broke up. Years later, fate brings them back together, and they reconnect, working through small past misunderstandings to build a happy, heartwarming life. If you’re into dramas without complicated misunderstandings or messy love triangles—just pure, natural warmth and sweetness in a mature love story—then you have to watch this. For me, watching this drama feels like curling up on the couch with a blanket in winter, sipping a cozy mug of hot chocolate. It’s soothing, safe, and relaxing. Most importantly, the romance between the main characters doesn’t feel cringey or fake. (I’ve dropped so many hyped-up dramas because the romance felt too forced or plastic, so finding this gem made me genuinely happy.) Oh, and one more thing: the drama has plenty of intimate scenes, and the male lead? Let’s just say he’s a great kisser. So yeah, I’m totally satisfied, lol.

I love how the character Lu Chen is written. He’s loyal, talented at work, and can handle household chores like a pro. But he’s not some perfect guy. His family background is messy, he’s got a bit of a blunt personality, and he’s super quiet—Gui Xiao literally has to nudge him to say more sometimes. I think this makes him feel so real and relatable. In real life, nobody’s perfect.
What’s great is that Jing Bo Ran brings Lu Chen to life so vividly. If an actor doesn’t nail a quiet, stoic character like this, they can easily come off as stiff or boring. I’ve seen it happen in other dramas—honestly, I could name a C-drama right now for comparison if you want, haha—so I know how tricky this role is. Jing Bo Ran does it with these subtle, natural touches: his expressive eyes, small body language cues, all so authentic. It makes Lu Chen feel alive and compelling.
Gui Xiao, the female lead, is an independent, smart woman, but she’s also sensitive and deeply in love. She loves Lu Chen so much, to the point where she’s willing to put up with the challenges of his job affecting their family life. She could easily find a partner who’s always around, keeping her company, instead of waiting weeks or even a month to see her husband. But she chooses Lu Chen. In those moments, I just want to cue IU’s Love Wins All or Friday as the background music, lol. Tan Songyun absolutely nails Gui Xiao’s role—no complaints whatsoever. She’s especially incredible in the emotional scenes, hands-down one of the best young actresses in Cbiz.

A few other things I love about the script: there’s only one short misunderstanding from the past, and it’s resolved gently. In the present, there are no misunderstandings like that. When Gui Xiao’s dad objects to Lu Chen, I was worried it’d turn into some cliché where Lu Chen quietly backs off without telling her. That would’ve been so frustrating. But thank goodness, Lu Chen is resolute and stands firm in his choice. Nothing can stop him and Gui Xiao from being together—it’s their decision, period. There’s a third party that pops up briefly, but it’s a non-issue. Like I said, nothing gets in Lu Chen’s way when it comes to the person he loves, unless Gui Xiao herself calls it quits. This kind of script feels so refreshing.
I absolutely love the dialogue between Lu Chen and Gui Xiao! It’s romantic but not over-the-top cheesy, striking that perfect balance of natural and heartfelt. None of that “domineering CEO” nonsense, no grand vows or dramatic promises—just real. From the character development to the plot and the dialogue, everything ties in beautifully with the slice-of-life vibe of the drama.
And the chemistry between the leads is absolutely incredible. I couldn’t stop smiling during their intimate scenes. Like I mentioned before, Jing Bo Ran is so good in the kissing scenes, so the romantic and intimate moments are honestly a gift from this drama.

The drama’s weak spots mostly come down to the supporting characters. The dialogue in the SWAT team scenes feels like it was lifted straight from a textbook—kind of preachy and not very authentic. But this is a Chinese drama, and I get that they have to tread carefully with anything involving military or political stuff, so I can let it slide. Also, the romantic subplot for the secondary couple isn’t well-developed, but thankfully, it doesn’t take up much screen time. You could skip those parts, and it wouldn’t affect the main storyline at all. Another thing: the family conflict for the male lead is set up nicely but resolved in a rushed, half-hearted way that doesn’t feel real.

All that said, for me, the drama’s strengths far outweigh its flaws. The main romance and the acting—plus the incredible chemistry between the leads—completely steal the show. I was ready to rewatch it the second I finished my first viewing, and I’ll probably watch it again multiple times. This drama has actually made it hard for me to pick another modern C-drama to watch next. I’ve tried a few over the past couple of days, but none of them have the same captivating chemistry or leave the same impression as this one.
Lu Chen, played by Jing Bo Ran, and Gui Xiao, played by Tan Songyun, are hands-down one of my favorite C-drama couples ever.

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He is the Perfect Husband

Road Home is a slow burn, healing drama.


What I like:
1) Lu Chen characterisation - Road Home should be titled 'He is the Perfect Husband' because Lu Chen is caring, good cook & only speaks when necessary.
2) Jing Bo Ran - Jing Bo Ran was magnetic on screen. His character is quiet but somehow he managed to convey expressions & mannerisms through his face and body. It also doesn't hurt than Jing Bo Ran looked very hot in uniform and in black t-shirt and black wide leg trousers.
3) Xiao Nan characterisation - I also like Xiao Nan, a very well-written child character. He is smart & rational kid, mature beyond his years.
4) Cinematography - I read that Qining is a fictitious location but the actual locations (Altay, Xinjiang, Hemu Village, Burqin County) were so picturesque (refer to link below). My favourite scenes were 1) scene shot in the big tent like Mongolions live, and 2) scene shot when four characters went camping.
https://kisskh.at/discussions/gui-lu/91923-where-was-this-filmed-infos-about-places-where-the-action-is-supposed-to-take-place
5) Meng Xiao Shan characterisation - This my second time watching Baby Zhang's work (the first was She and Her Perfect Husband) and I must say I am impressed by her acting . Xiao Shan is mature, smart & confidant woman who is also a girlboss. She is driven at work and in personal life. I understand why she married Qin Feng instead of Hai Dong.

What I disliked:
1) Gui Xiao characterisation - Not a fan of Gui Xiao as I find her character did not grow much. Gui Xiao at 30 remained same as Gui Xiao in high school - childlike, giggly & sheltered. She's lucky to get someone who loves and devotes to her. Also lucky that she's been sheltered from hard ships by her father and Lu Chen.
2) Flashbacks - There are too many flashbacks used in this drama, in particular high school scenes. Some of these high school / puppy love scenes were repetitive that it's hard for me to believe their love story. At times I felt that they both sought each other after a decade because of convenience (we know Lu Chen never dated after breaking up with Gui Xiao).

Favourite scene:
When Gui Xiao gave Lu Chen a ring by kissing. Wow, I've never expected such scene to happen in a Cdrama!

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Easy to watch, not melodramatic

None of the real high suspense cliffhangers between episodes. Just entertaining.

Too many flashbacks. I only want to see them once, but the same ones were repeated. The continuity between episodes and the time lapses were not done well. Too much time elapsed and you could not tell. They missed opportunities to tie together events.

I know they wanted to stay true to the book but the drama should have spent more time developing the relationship between the shy Qin Ming Yu and the pretty Duan Rou and his son. There is enough to make 3 or 4 episodes with them courting that could make funny and embarrassing situations turn to a sweet love story. Really disappointed that the drama didn’t bring their relationship to an obvious closure. But I am not the scriptwriter.

The scenery is worth looking at.

I’m looking at the English subtitles and I’m not sure they use some of they correct words. I think they could be better. They also overlap the captions of the songs which is really annoying.

Anything more said would be spoilers.

Get past the first 6 episodes and you will watch the rest.

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The Entire Premise & Plot are about GUI (Xiao) and LU (Chen)

The Entire Premise & Plot are about GUI (Xiao) and LU (Chen) -- Thus, the very apt name of this drama: Gui Lu.

I wanted to watch this drama because of Jing Bo Ran. He is very tall, manly, charming and handsome. Drama truly presented him in the best light possible which adds greatly to his devastating charm. In this drama, he cooked so well, he loved deeply, he behaved responsibly, he acted with loyalty as well as with integrity. I would definitely like a Lu Chen for myself.

What I loved a lot about this drama:
- Jing Bo Ran. He stole the show. I want a Lu Chen too. Charming, responsible, loving, courageous, sensible, faithful... WOW!
- Relationship between FL and ML was believable. I liked that they only had eyes for each other and truly loved each other madly and deeply. The fact that they re-united and got together after they broke up when they were young made their 'new' relationship a mature one. I liked it.
- FL's and ML's besties were also GOAT. I liked Duan Rou, Meng Xiao Shan, Qing Feng, Hai Dong and Qin Ming Yu.
- I enjoyed the breath-taking scenery. I liked seeing ML and FL in such beautiful surroundings.
- This was also a 'happily-ever-after' drama. I am a sucker for happy endings.

What could have been better:
- Editing was abrupt. Some scenes were fragmented and jumped from one part to another. At times, I went 'huh?' and wondered if I missed something.
- I was looking forward to Jing Bo Ran's shower scene which I spied on YouTube... but, I did not see it while watching the drama.

What I didn't like:
- ML's father was all kinds of f-ed up. Luckily, ML managed to deal with his father forcefully enough too and was not a wimp and he did not allow his loved ones to be hurt by an unreasonable and atrocious maniac.

Overall, I love this drama because I love Jing Bo Ran. I also love his character, Lu Chen. I highly recommend this drama because JBR! <3

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Such a good story

I loved this drama the first time I watched it, it held my attention the entire time. Sure there weren't many if any angsty moments. Things go relatively smoothly for the couple once together. They have great chemistry together and a ton of sweet moments. If you like shows with lots of angst and drama you probably wont like this one.

Pros:
The leads both actually like each other. In the beginning they have misunderstandings but throughout the drama they actually communicate with each other and demonstrate a healthy relationship.
The second couple isn't forced or given an inordinate amount of screen time. The story focuses mainly on our main couple and their life.
Lack of love triangles. Not that there aren't any, it is just that our leads shut them down and don't entertain them.
The series sticks pretty closely with the novel it is based on which is nice.
The young boy wanting to stand up for the FL and 2FL all the time. I think the young actor did a great job in his role.
I feel like this drama fits well within the found family type of drama. The couple both have family issues, and depend on each other as well as their core group of friends more than actual family.

Cons:
While the drama held my interest on the first watch through I do find myself fast forwarding certain portions on subsequent viewings.
I wish they explained more about boy staying in Beijing, They gloss over some details that explain his situation.
Some moments from their past were shown to much, we got glimpses of past events from each of the leads pov which was nice but sometimes felt repetative.
I wasn't a huge fan of the final episode. I hoped for more even if it was a conclusion for out 2nd couple, or more of the main couple together as family.

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A potential Masterpiece (story, great actors) but spoiled by a clumsy production

Series with two Great leads (Jing Bo Ran in ML & Seven in FL), but slow and rather painful narration for the 1st half of the drama.

Plot: Reunion of 2 ex lovers 10 years after they broke up due to family issues & long distance relationship. They still love each other but have to recreate a relationship despite multiple difficulties: annoying love rival, ML's father drunken and abusive behavior, etc.
The drama's tone is happier after the make-up of the couple.

PROS:
+ Quite realistic story with everyday details + a big part to the glory of SWAT & the nation.
+ 2 great leads and an excellent cast with endearing characters
+ Good OST, beautiful images, beautiful landscapes

CONS:
- slow pace, and I mean slow, slow, slow...
- The drama's chronology, including many flashbacks, slows the pace. Let's not talk about the final episode where we discover their very first exchanges in high school. Quite questionable chronology, therefore.
- obvious errors, particulary the child actor supposed to be the one-year-old daughter, is at least 3 years old.

=> Good drama, which had the potential to make a Masterpiece (story, great actors) but spoiled by a clumsy production
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Super leads (Jing Bo Ran en ML & Seven en FL), mais narration lente et plutôt painful pour la 1e moitié du drama.

Plot : Retrouvailles de 2 ex lovers 10 ans après leur rupture due à des problèmes familiaux & à la relation à distance. ils s'aiment toujours mais doivent renouer une relation malgré de multiples difficultés : peste rivale amoureuse, père du ML ivrogne et maltraitant, etc. Dieu merci, la 2nde partie du drama est moins sombre.

PROS :
+ Story assez réaliste avec les détails du quotidien + hymne à la gloire du SWAT & de la nation.
+ 2 super leads et un casting global excellent avec des personnages attachants
+ Bonnes OST, belles images, beaux paysages

CONS :
- rythme lent mais lent, lent, lent...
- La chronologie du drama, incluant de très nombreux flashbacks, ralentit le rythme. Ne parlons pas de l'épisode final où on découvre leurs tous 1eers échanges au lycée. Chronologie tout à fait discutable, donc.
- des erreurs évidentes notamment l'enfant acteur censé incarner la fille de un an, a au moins 3 ans.

=> Bon drama, qui avait le potentiel pour faire un Masterpiece (story, great actors) mais gâché par une réalisation maladroite

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Messy writing but beautiful couple

Leads are great together. They have good chemistry, love all of their skinship and cute scenes. I just think it felt a little rushed how they got together too fast. Maybe they could've take a little more time to reconcile and we could get more angst and the drama could focus on why they broke up before they make amends. But regardless of that, they were good. But still I think the actors deserved better than this drama for reasons I will explain below.

I'm an advocate for cdramas not having 30 eps or more. It's always a little slow on pace, and this drama was no different. After they get together it's like they went around in circles between his father being an a**hole, their flashbacks together in the past, and chinese police propaganda. Then she gets pregnant and it's all them and their long-distance relationship which felt a little repetitive. It felt like there was no story for real and nothing really happened. I'm usually a fan of these kinda shows where it's more focused on the characters rather than plot, but here it was neither one nor the other. They could've talked other things like why he got into the police (we know it's bc of his deceased stepfather but that is never really portrayed), or her parents' divorce which was done superficially. They could work on this and we would know more abt their characters. The dialogue is the worst. Things are poorly explained, if they happen to be at all. The timeline is a little confusing too. Flashbacks felt sudden and out of nowhere.

ML is annoying. He's too serious, never laughs or softens (sometimes not even with FL) and all characters like to praise him for smth. I mean, it's like he's perfect but not in a good way, more like a robot. And I simply can't forget the time he called FL too innocent and silly (I think those were the words) just cause she's always smiling and in a good mood. It was just patronising. The whole time he acted all macho like he had no weakness at all. FL tried to take some feeling from him but he doesn't loosen.

I also felt there were too many characters and none of them had screen time and space for their stories. It bothered me that:
- We didn't know if Mingyu and Duan Rou got married;
- ML had siblings who never showed up, why say they exist in the first place if they have no part in anything at all;
- That FL's friend who is a doctor had more screen time than he should, there was no need to know his story;
- Mingyu's son was left aside during the drama and it's like his father doesn't care abt him. He just goes from one person to another and must understand everything. He's a kid, he needs security and to be taken care of!!
- We didn't get to see the face of ML's cousin who introduced the leads until the last ep, she was like a ghost, we could only hear her voice, I don't know why;
- Why did ML's parents not divorce?! His father was an abusive father and husband. Even if his father was trying to be better in the end, she still should've divorced. FL's dad cheated on her mother and they got divorced but ML's dad beated on his children (especially ML's sister cuz she's a woman) but that can be forgiven. Ugh!!

Although side stories are usually not that important, they shoud at least be told right. It's like they opened some paths but never took time to finish it. That's just disrespect with the viewers.

All the chinese propaganda was one of the worst things of everything. Cause the couple is really good, I can handle some drama as long as it's abt them. But the show spend some time just showing how SWAT works and it was just boring yn. And sometimes it's played to show how awesome and badass ML is, but I don't really like him, he's too forced.

All in all, it wasn't bad. It was a little boring and the narrative is lost, but the leads form a beautiful couple. If you focus on that maybe it was better than I made it seem. But for me a drama is not just a couple, but also narrative and writing, which here could be way better. Overall rating goes for the couple.

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Beautiful & Comforting Love Story

First Love.
Forever Love.
**happy sigh**

This is such an easy drama to watch. The atmosphere & slow pacing make it so calming; a show to enjoy while snuggled under a blanket with a warm drink. It’s mostly angst/drama free so I wasn’t left feeling emotionally drained. It’s just a beautiful & believable portrayal of two lovers who know the pain of losing one another &, now reunited, refuse to ever let go again.

I enjoyed the layout of this story, the way we were experiencing their history in their memories, meaning the breakup has already happened. That format just flowed really well for me watching this story. Sometimes I don’t like that set up, but I enjoyed it for this particular couple.

So our Leads met while in high school, intentionally on his part. She’d caught his eye so he worked things to his favor & made it possible for them to meet. She quickly came to return his feelings of infatuation & the two began dating. They were separated when he left for the necessary training for his future career, but both vowed to never break up. Unfortunately, they were forced to endure some painful stuff while apart & that coupled with the FL’s immaturity eventually lead to them breaking that vow. It was a split that neither actually wanted, but they let their stubborn pride keep them from reconciling.

When we meet them, it’s 10yrs later & their worlds are once again colliding. Their reunion isn’t a happy occasion as they’re both unsure of how the other feels about them now, but us viewers can plainly see the love & longing in each of their eyes. After a decade apart, the chemistry flares anew between this bomb tech/SWAT Team Leader & the woman he’s never stopped loving. And I was so there for it!

I’ll tell you right now that one of my favorite things about this drama is the lack of push and pull (I, for one, am NOT a fan of that sort of angst & drama between a couple.) **‼️🚨MILD SPOILER ALERT🚨‼️** Their intentions are stated within the first 10eps. Once the ML deals with a messed up family situation ((uhhh - hello!? You can’t accept an engagement for your son to someone he doesn’t even like without his knowledge or permission just to cover your debts!! What the heck is wrong with people??!!??)) that his ridiculous father gets him involved in, the ML wastes no time in claiming back the woman who’s always been his. They’re both all in to be together again, which means we get them as a beautifully devoted couple for a full 20eps! {PSA to all drama writers - more of this, please!! 🙏}

They don’t breakup, have childish misunderstandings, or pull a dumb “for your own good” disappearing act. They’re a solid unit & absolutely nothing will tear them apart again. *happy sigh* Their drama is all in the flashback scenes - them in the present have both matured & learned from their mistakes. Mistakes they both acknowledge & openly discuss, which is very well-done, imo. They don’t pretend as if it never happened, nor do they hold a grudge or any resentment towards one another for their part in their past relationship failing. They both know they messed up, they choose to forgive each other’s mistakes, & now they’re fully moving on without making each other carry any weight of blame or regrets. I really liked the depth of character growth & maturity shown by this part of the story & how they are together.

Speaking of how they are together - this couple is absolutely precious. They have great chemistry, both as friends & as lovers. 🔥🫠 Their affection seemed so natural that I easily got absorbed by & lost in their scenes. They had a whole conversation with just a single glance or a simple touch. They said so much without ever saying a single word. They were head-over-heels in love & they made sure to express how much they cherished their bond. Neither one ever had reason to question or doubt the other’s feelings since they were both very intentional in demonstrating the depths of their love & affection. I was happily invested in this duo & I don’t regret a single moment I spent with them.

I highly recommend this drama to lovers of romance without any big plot twists, angsty tension, or delulu characters. It’s a cast of [mostly] genuinely good people just living their lives & doing their part to make the world better. The close bonds of friendships add to the story, heightening the pleasure of witnessing the Leads’ love for one another. 🩵💜

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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.4(past), ep.11(present) 💋
- Together : ep.11(present) 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp : Nope(present) 💍

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Yet another drama where Tan Song Yun shines like the bright light she is!

Before going into this drama, I read a few reviews and saw many praising Jing Bo Ran for his looks and performance, for me thought Tan Song Yun was the star of this show. I did like Jing Bo Ran but his character Lu Yan Chen/ Lu Chen was a bit hard to pin down for me, I liked Lu Chen sometimes, but others he just didn't seem like a person who pursued things other than his work. Gui Xiao, on the other hand, was a treat to watch.

I especially loved the flashbacks, which gave us complete look into how each of them felt for each other. Lu Chen was far too reserved so the flashbacks helped reveal a bit more about his feelings for Gui Xiao. Their breakup had me reminiscing about the decisions made when I was that young, how easy it is to be swept away with emotions. It also showed us how two different people dealt with their problems in different ways.

But you still have to give it to Lu Chen, even though Gui Xiao broke up with him, he didn't hold on to the resentment for long. He was more understanding than most MLs.

The romance part was good, the leads have good chemistry. However, there made up very suddenly. It was a bit underwhelming but I was happy for them both.

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