The First Frost

The story of Sang Yan, the brother from Hidden Love, played by Bai Jing Ting… Of course I need to watch this. Haha…

Story about Wen Yi Fan (YF) & Sang Yan (SY), high school friends that had feelings for each other but part ways because YF decided she wanted a clean slate for whatever reason.

Now 8 years later, YF who works as a reporter, went to a bar called Overtime to meet with her best friend, Zhong Si Qiao (SQ). While she was at the bar, she met SY again. SY now is a department manager and one of the owners of Overtime. As the two bump into each other, they just pretend that they don’t know each other.

Since then, they’re been bumping into each other more often. One day some problems occur, and the two accidentally & forcely become housemates. It’s like the universe starts giving them 2nd chances to get to know each other again & close the deal for their relationship. So, will YF & SY take the chance that the universe has given them to take their relationship to the next step…? What exactly was the reason that made YF want to leave at that time?

That's pretty much the story without giving the spoiler. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ Bai Jing Ting & Zhang Ruo Nan are good matches. I quite like their chemistry
+ Zhang Ruo Nan played YF beautifully. I can feel all her pain
+ I fell more in love with SY. His dedication to YF. Ugh… Love him…
+ SQ is a wonderful friend & I’m happy she got together with her partner.
+ It’s really funny to have an inside joke about SY & Duan Jia Xu relationship at one point. You need to watch to understand what scene I mean.
+ I really love how SY announced his relationship with YF to his group at their friend's wedding….

What I don’t like:
- They changed the actor who played Sang Yan…. I still don’t like this fact. Cause for me, unlike Go Go Squid 2, I really like the actor who played Sang Yan. It just feels perfect for the character. But yeah once again, I quite understand why they changed the actor…. That doesn't mean I don’t like Bai Jing Ting here…
- The story is kinda draggy and boring.

Overall I love watching Sang Yan & Yi Fan story, but nothing really a miss if their story never on the screen....

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I created an account just to rate this drama, and if I could give it a 20, I would.

Last year, after watching Hidden Love, I learned that Sang Yan had his own story, so I frantically searched for the novel and read it. From the very beginning, Wen Yi Fan took my whole heart.

I'm relatively new to cdramas, so I'd only watched Zhang Rounan in two previous dramas and I just thought she was really cute, and Baijingting was completely new to me. Then this dropped, and from the first episode, I just knew I would love it. And I wasn’t wrong. 45 minutes went by so fast, and I take that as the sign of truly enjoying a drama.

BJT brought Sang Yan to life: confident, devoted, handsome, and understanding. And let’s talk about ZRN, this girl showed her caliber. She was born to play WFY. ZRN, aside from being obviously GORGEOUS, was cute, elegant, shy, reserved. She embodied WYF perfectly: resilient, timid, vulnerable, yet strong.

I understand those who didn’t agree with the major deviation from the novel, but I don’t think it made the drama any less. You get to see WFY’s reasoning and it was valid, coming from her trauma. The last 4 episodes are truly a treat.

For me, everything was perfect: acting - both ZRN and BJT went above and beyond, with those eyes, those tears, those smiles, those kisses; chemistry - nothing to add, you can feel it since their first encounter; script - so many lines from the novel were kept and elevated, it's magical seeing something you read brought to life so perfectly; OST - every single song is sooo good, I have added the playlist on Spotify and listened to it while working lol; visuals - actors, camera work, color palette, scenography, just incredible; flow - good story flow, relevant events to their relationship, there is a little bit of scenes from the 2nd leads that you could skip but it didn't become that annoying to me; the slow burn - no too slow, even if some people disagree, no too fast, the perfect pace for them… you name it. I’ll be rewatching this soon.

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A Beautifully Heartbreaking Masterpiece

The First Frost is an emotional masterpiece, weaving love, pain, and healing into a story that lingers long after it ends. With breathtaking cinematography, a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, and some of the most emotionally raw performances, this drama is nothing short of unforgettable.

Sang Yan – The Greenest Forest, The Deepest Love

I absolutely loved watching Sang Yan. He isn’t just a male lead—he’s a character who carries an immense depth of emotion. His love for Wen Yifan is quiet but intense, steady yet heartbreaking. He never demands love in return, nor does he push beyond what she is willing to give. Instead, he waits, loving her in the only way he knows how—with patience, quiet devotion, and unwavering loyalty.

Sang Yan doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve, but the way he looks at Yifan says everything. He’s the kind of person who would rather suffer alone than burden the one he loves. Every scene with him felt like a quiet storm—his love was always present, even in silence. This boy deserves pure love, and watching his pain unfold throughout the drama was absolutely gut-wrenching.

Wen Yifan – A Woman Learning to Love Again

Wen Yifan’s journey is one of the most painful yet rewarding parts of the drama. She carries the weight of her past, her trauma shaping the way she views love. Her pain is deeply ingrained, and sometimes, I found it hard to relate to her expressions. However, that only made her struggles feel more real—she isn’t perfect, and her healing isn’t linear.

Her relationship with Sang Yan was as much about love as it was about healing. His patience, his quiet support, and his willingness to wait allowed her to slowly open up. Watching her learn to trust again, to accept love instead of pushing it away, was one of the most beautifully heartbreaking arcs in the drama.

A Love That Speaks Through Silence

The chemistry between Sang Yan and Wen Yifan is pure magic. It’s not about dramatic declarations or grand gestures—it’s in the way they look at each other, the way their presence alone speaks volumes. Their love story is built on years of unresolved emotions, longing, and pain. Every scene between them feels heavy with unspoken words, yet their connection is undeniable.

Their moments together are soft yet intense, painful yet comforting. They don’t need to say much because their emotions are so deeply embedded in their actions. It’s the kind of love that never truly fades, no matter how much time or distance separates them. Watching them find their way back to each other, step by step, was an emotional journey I didn’t want to end.

Shen Zai & Zhao Mingxi – A Love That Feels Like Home

While the main couple carried the emotional weight of the drama, Shen Zai and Zhao Mingxi were a breath of fresh air. Their love story was lighthearted, full of warmth and playfulness, but still deeply meaningful. They balanced each other perfectly—Shen Zai’s unwavering devotion and Zhao Mingxi’s strong-willed nature made their relationship dynamic and exciting.

Their chemistry was natural, effortless, and full of heart. Unlike Sang Yan and Wen Yifan, whose love was tangled in past pain, Shen Zai and Zhao Mingxi’s love felt freeing. Their moments together brought a sense of relief from the intensity of the main story, yet they were never just a side plot. They had their own struggles, their own emotional depth, and their relationship felt just as real and significant.

I absolutely loved watching them, and honestly, they deserve a drama of their own. The way they supported each other, the way their banter felt so natural—it was impossible not to root for them.

Wen Yifan’s Family – A Pain That Should Be Left Behind

Her mother made my blood boil. The emotional neglect, the complete lack of remorse—it was infuriating to watch. Some families don’t deserve redemption, and this was one of them. Seeing Yifan struggle with the weight of her past, carrying wounds inflicted by the very people who should have protected her, made her story even more heartbreaking.

Final Thoughts

The First Frost isn’t just a drama—it’s an experience. It’s beautifully heartbreaking, with a love story that is both painful and healing. Sang Yan and Wen Yifan’s love is the kind that lingers, while Shen Zai and Zhao Mingxi bring warmth and joy. Together, they create a drama that is emotionally rich, deeply moving, and absolutely unforgettable.

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I am gonna miss this one so badly

Face full of tears, heart aching, soul healed and eyes blessed ( thanks to that fine man). This was the best piece of masterpiece i have watched in a VERYYYYYY LOOOOOONG TIMEEEEEEE. Words can’t describe the feelings im going through rn but the one taking over the most is nostalgia BECAUSE WHY TF DO I ALREADY MISS THEM AMAN. This passed my expectations and sm more and i am so happy i got to watch this. This one definetly got me out of my slump and healed me. Every thing about this was perfection : cast, acting, visuals, plot, ost, LITERALLY EVERYTHING. This couple is now my weakness and i already miss them BRING ME BACK MY BABIES. tbh at first i had a hard time understanding yifan and how “cold” she was but then when you get to know her backround, everything changes. Her calm personnality is so comforting and it actually grows on you, plus as time goes by and when she heals from her past wounds , she became more confident and at peace AND SHE IS SO CUTIE I WANT TO PROTECT HER AT ALL COST. the thing i love about her is the fact that even if she was reserved she always stood up for herself so she made me sooo proud. You can feel shes a genuinely loving person and that her love language is different.

AND WHERE TF DO I NEED TO START ABOUT MY MAN SANG YANG AMAN. melekher : 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚💚 💚 💚 💚 💚 (there was no green flag emoji so im using this). AND MARK MY WORDS BECAUSE THIS TIME I AM NOT PLAYING. usually in these shows when theres conflict or even in general, you get some flaws in the mls, which is human, but this guy wlh wlh wlh has absolutly no damn flaws, not a single one in his bones. He’s so emotionally intelligent, loving, caring and mature. Yes, he may seem cocky, but thats just a facade and thats what i find the most funny about him. words really can’t describe how much i admire him cause now it has reached a whole new level, it’s not just love atp. The way he cares and loves her is truly admirable and touching and i am honestly so overwhelmed writing this that i don’t even know what examples i can use tellement there are too many.

Now for their dynamic you could feel there was sm tension and a deep history between them and i couldn’t wait to find out the reason she left and everything( which was completly understandable) but from the moment they started dating…… omg. PURE CUTESY LOVE, and i am not talking about the classic cute bla bla chemistry otherwise it would be incoherent with their personnalities, especially hers. Their chemistry as a couple was so new and fresh it took me by surprise. Cuz i was a bit scared in case it became weird but not at all, it just made me love them even more. They were so cozy, comforting, simple, mature and caring. It just felt so nice seeing their interactions being natural and simple.

For the rating i was gonna give it a 5 star but the last episode changed everything and made me add the heart. I can officially say this last episode was the most perfect last episode of all the history of last episode. We got to see them with his family, moving in their new appartment, which is his. Even smth as simple as that was well executed, they could have showed them already installed in and living their best lives in it, but we got to see still discovering, getting comfortable with all the boxes around and simply taking in this new change is their life. And finally, where everything changed : the school. I was expecting a classic “yay back to school memories yay” but it was so much deeper. The way they recreated all their high school moments warmed my heart and it really was a nice way for us to recall the old times. BUT THE PROPOSAL HELLO ??????????????????????? i was honestly shocked ( not because they were gonna get married cause we knew) but because the moment was unexpected yet expected. she was taking a nap on the desk and when she woke up they were all wearing their high school uniforms ( currently having tears in my eyes writing this) and when it said marry on the board with the poem, it hit me. even the idea of the videos was so creative AND THE RING BOX PLZZZ basically she loves and she does ballet and back in the day he gifted her a box with a little ballet doll dancing in it and so for the proposal he put the ring inside it AMAAAANNNNNNN. and even that when he tried to turn it on it didnt work cause the battery died and this simple detail just made the moment sm more human and genuine idk how to describe it. AND NOW THE BEST PART, my man’s speech. he was literally SHAKING WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES, his speech wasn’t grandios but those simple words were enough. AND MY BABY YIFAN WAS SO PRETTY CRYING SHE DESERVES THE WORLD. and im so happy it stopped right there because it was absolutly perfect.

SO SHOUTOUT TO MY LOVELY LIAR, THIS IS HOW YOU DO A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL, SO TAKE NOTESSSSSSSSSS

This is the first time i say something like this but ya rabi : may this kind of love find me and may a man like sang yang find me. this is truly the kind of love i aspire to find and i can’t wait for it

IM GONNA MISS U MY BABIES I DONT WANT TO LEAVE LET ME STAY HERE A LITTE LONGER

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Best modern idol drama since lighter & Princess

Update: finally competed the drama and I am ok with how it ended. Dark vibes romance done right.

I am currently @ep25 and have have my initial/current rating on 9.5/10, i am trending towards a 10/10 upon completion barring any decrease in my enjoyment of the drama but I will say this, if this Drama goes the C-Drama “parents can torture, manipulate, also emotionally, mentally & physically abuse their children” but all is forgiven @ the end & its all kumbaya one big happy family because apparently no child has the right to decide to remove themselves from a toxic/harmful relationship because they will be seen as unfilial, no matter what the parents might have put them through all in the name of they are still your parents, it will not only take my review down but will put it @ 1/10 since 0/10 isn’t an option
That uncle is a creep, her aunt and aunt’s husband are evil, useless and complicit but the worst offender amongst them all is her mother, I have seen my fair share of bad parents in CDramaLand but this has to be the worst one yet, even if you don’t believe she was almost raped, she has bruises from her fall and this useless pathetic excuse of not just a mother but a human being, wasn’t even concerned about her injuries but more concerned about inconveniencing her new husband. The more I type the more furious I am about how such a wicked, nasty, useless and evil mother can actually exist. I don’t want kids because I feel like I have zero maternal bone in my body but even I am appalled @ such kind of woman/mother, even animals protect their own and she had the audacity to shed crocodile tears.
The fact that the FL is even having any sort of conversation with that woman calling herself a mother and human being is already pissing me the hell off but If this drama does any sort of reconciliation whatsoever between the FL and her, my final rating would most definitely reflect my great displeasure and anger which as I said earlier would be a 1/10 because there is no 0/10 option, there is no ifs and buts about that

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A beautiful, healing love story

I honestly don't even know where to begin in my review of this, since I honestly don't have much to complain about. I was coming into this as a huge Hidden Love fan, so the chances of me disliking it were pretty slim, but even though I had huge expectations for this drama it still managed to surpass them.

The casting was absolutely perfect, to start. Bai Jingting did such an amazing job as Sang Yan, and made me fall absolutely head over heels in love with his character pretty much immediately. I'd never seen him in anything before so I didn't necessarily know what to expect, but I'd seen a lot of people hyping him up prior to the drama being released and he absolutely managed to reach the expectations that were set for me.

Zhang Ruonan especially was absolutely perfect as Wen Yifan. She played her role so convincingly, and managed to hit every single emotional beat perfectly. She completely shattered my heart with her performance, and I will absolutely be watching more dramas that she has starred in.

Together, both actors had amazing chemistry and I loved watching their story unfold. I also especially appreciated how gentle and patient Sang Yan was with Wen Yifan, and how unwaveringly dedicated he was to her throughout everything she went through.

As for the second leads, I also loved the casting of both Zhong Siqiao and Su Haoan. The actors both did a great job with their roles, and as a couple they also had great chemistry. My only small criticism for the drama overall was their storyline. A lot of their arc revolved around the SML's grandpa, and it felt like far too much of the focus was on that part of the story and it completely overshadowed their relationship for me. I didn't really feel like I got to see them really connect and fall in love with each other, since every time they were in a scene together the main focus was on what was happening with the grandfather, and his story really wasn't that engaging at all. I was quite disappointed with this part of the drama since it left the second lead couple falling quite flat and it just kind of felt like wasted potential.

I also think this drama was shot absolutely beautifully - so many of the scenes looked so visually stunning and it really added to the atmosphere. I also really enjoyed the way each episode was structured, with the opening scene(s) showing more of Sang Yan and Wen Yifan's relationship and background from school through to university, and the closing scene(s) showing a little tidbit of Sang Yan's POV of other things that we saw in the episodes. The OST was also absolutely perfect, and I've had the songs stuck in my head ever since it finished.

Overall, despite my tiny issue with the second lead couple and their storyline falling quite flat, I absolutely adored this show and I can see myself rewatching this several times in the future.

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To everyone who is here for a hidden love 2.0 I’m sorry to tell you this is not it.

First Frost is a complex story that deals with several darker themes like, SA hurt/comfort, verbal and physical assault and a feeling of abandonment from family.

Hidden Love was told from the eyes of Sang Zhi, who was a literal child when the drama started and was still a well protected child even as she grew up, hence the themes in the drama are lighter, more softened and overall a brighter landscape.

Here however, Wen Yifan grew up in a completely different household. Her family is a mess and she had to suffer being SA’d by her uncle, and even after that he came back to harass her, asking for money and other things from both Wen Yifan and Sang Yan was really a light at the end of the tunnel for yifan. A safe space for her to let her guard down in.

I’ll tell you exactly why Sang Yan I green-forest coded:

The reason I love Sang Yan is because his love language is literally acts of service. He knows she doesn’t eat much and that’s why she’s so baka-piece (thin) and so he always buys or makes extra food so he can *act nonchalant* and give it to her. When he finds out about her sleepwalking, instead of being frightened he’s more concerned about her hurting herself in his absence so he babyproofs the entire room and puts lights around just so that she would be safer.

[ NOVEL SPOILERS AHEAD ]

One of my favourite thing from the novel was in the last chapter where Sang Yan and Yifan were at the police station and Sang Yan goes “Remember, I am your pillar of support” like he is always there for her to lean on when she needs him.

[ SAFE ]

another thing I really like about the Zhu yi-verse (we might as well call it that now) is that now we can think of it as points of view, ykwim? Like in Hidden Love with CZY playing DJX we can imagine that is what DJX looks like from SZ point of view and Victor Ma is what Sang Yan looks like from SZ’s point of view, and in First Frost, in Wen Yifan’s view, BJT is what Sang Yan looks like and that cutie who played DJX is what DJX looks like to Sang Yan. It’s a funny little thing.

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Damn, This Is the First Time I’ve Written Such a Long Review!

I first heard about The First Frost a year ago because of Bai Jing Ting, but at that time, I had no idea it was about Sang Yan. Then, about six months ago, I found out through the comments section that this drama is actually his story—and that got me so excited! I loved Hidden Love so much that I rewatched it 3 to 4 times within just 10 days of its airing. But one thing always bugged me—I wanted to know more about her brother. I never imagined he had his own novel, let alone a drama adaptation!

Now, let me be clear—this drama is not for everyone. If you're expecting the same vibes as Hidden Love, you might be disappointed. But if you watch it with a fresh perspective, I’m 100% sure you'll love it. Yes, some episodes felt a bit slow—not because of the main leads, but the second leads’ parts didn’t interest me as much. Who knows, though? Maybe after my second or third rewatch, I’ll end up liking them too.

For me, the best episodes were from 1 to 15. Then, between episodes 15 to 26, they gave more screen time to the second leads and their grandpa, which I personally found a bit boring. But hey, you might like those parts—it really depends! What I can say for sure is that the editing, music, and cinematography are top-notch. The flashbacks of their high school days and Sang Yan’s POV clips? Damn, they added so much depth to the story. That’s what made me fall for this drama even more than Hidden Love. Don’t get me wrong—I still love Hidden Love. Its story is great, but it only really stabilizes after she enters college. The First Frost, on the other hand, is solid from start to finish.

So my advice? Give it a try. Watch until at least episode 15-20 before deciding whether to drop it. Honestly, this is the best C-drama I’ve watched so far—yes, even more than Hidden Love (No hate to Hidden Love! This is just my opinion—no one or drama was harmed in the process of writing this review. Just chill 😆).

Oh, and one last thing—please listen to the OST and read the lyrics. They are absolutely amazing. I’ve never liked C-drama music as much as this before, and now I’m actually thinking about learning Chinese just so I can understand the lyrics without needing translations!

So yeah—just try it, and you’ll know what I mean.

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Simply Excellent

Just to be brief without any frills or spoilers... This series is truly excellent. Zhang Ruo Nan once again proves she is sensational and grounded in her work. The acting from the entire cast, but especially Zhang Ruo Nan and her costar were so immersive. They embodied and played their characters with amazing depth and it was clear that the direction and writing were attuned and brought out the best in their performances. The story was well developed, well paced, and each piece worked cohesively with the characters allowed to drive the action. I am just so deeply impressed and proud to see Zhang Ruo Nan in this amazing role. I heartily recommend!

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Enjoyable but not impressive.

I really enjoyed this series. Some aspects of repetition worked well but on the whole I felt there was too much repetition. Too much going back to their school days and reliving the exact same thing over and over. The love story was very nice, their chemistry was good. But family life was not portrayed in a good light at all. No forgiveness, no real understanding of each other. One scene annoyed me and didn't seem necessary - when on the same day he was being checked in hospital for a wound and he'd had 8 stitches in his hand - she asked him to carry her and he did so without a problem... that seemed a bit odd. On the good side - it was about the possibility of healing and sharing the truth with people around you for support.

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