K-Drama 
TABLE OF CONTENTSDirect links to sections: (to get back here, click on the link at the end of sections)
................... The office (the Běijīng map of remarkable towers) ................... The shared apartment (far suburbs) ...................Luán Niàn's apartment (a high end time mystery) .................. The mountain scenes (either in Jīnlóngshān 金龙山 Harbin or around Běijīng) ...................The Harbin scenes (some landmarks) ................... The other places (studio scenes, or elsewhere in bars, cafés, PureK karaoke bar, OnSite leisure café, Láng Yuán Station, Bà Hé riverside walk, hotels and vicinity of Běijīng)
This Companion Piece has been optimized to be readable both in dark mode and light mode, on computers or hand held devices (tablets and phones). Pictures link to their sources ; highlighted texts lead to more information, sections or sources. To view the list of my other drama companion pieces (with links to them), check : HERE. |
General Information : | ||||||||||||
The series was filmed between September 5 and November 26, 2025, in Běijīng and Harbin. It was released on Youku for 24 episodes, circa 45 minutes each, between August 26 and September 9, 2026 Official Airing platforms : Youku (also some episodes uploaded on YouTube but not on their YouTube channel which showed preview clips and BTS), and globally, on Netflix. It is adapted from the novel 早春晴朗 ( Zǎochūn qínglǎng / A clear, early spring day) by 姑娘别哭 (Gūniáng bié kū,"Don't Cry, Girl")
Voice and role of the technical voice and sound staff : Since 2015, original voice (原声 Yuánshēng) is preferred for the cast, and since all 40+ cast members used their own voices, speaking in standard pǔtōnghuà — the job of the 配音导演 [pèiyīn dǎoyǎn, "dubbing director"] narrowed considerably. Although three are credited : Lǐ Lóngbīn李龙滨 、 Jiāng Cōng 姜聪、Zhāng Xīnyǔ 张馨予, these only had to work on adding the music and background noise when needed, serving as most do since 2023 as project coordinator for the audio department. Although part of the drama takes place in Harbin, no dialogue in the drama used North-Eastern dialect or much accent. (see Characters and cast section for the actors or MDL more complete cast list) ML : Jǐng Bórán 井柏然, (often nicknamed Jǐng Bǎo 井宝) as Luán Niàn 栾念 FL : Sūn Qiān 孙千 (often nicknamed QiānQiān 千 千 ) as Shàng Zhītáo 尚之桃
Douban synopsis : "This is a forbidden love story born of mutual respect for talent, compatibility in personality, and enduring equality. The exceptionally gifted "genius" Luán Niàn and Shàng Zhītáo, a struggling young woman just starting out in Běijīng., meet by chance. The passionate and courageous Shàng Zhītáo, gradually matures and grows, breaking down Luán Niàn's hardened, worldly defenses. The two, drawn to each other, experience a tumultuous journey of separation and reunion in the urban jungle. Love is about using all your courage, leaving no regrets. It's about mutual repair and growth. Between affection and love, he gradually tempers his sharp edges, and she begins to stand on her own two feet. These two equals will write a new chapter for each other… " |
Lots of videos and reviews, articles, etc now have been made available, including a Wikipedia page. You can also explore some short or longer videos posted by fans or platform to YouTube and hidden behind a selection of the screenshots in the below Companion piece (click on pictures for surprises!)
(*) Screenshots gif. The 24 episodes title cards with Jǐng Bórán penmanship (+linked FMV)
But to carry on the story, Youku also aired (on a restricted audience basis, so not available to Netflix or international audience) a compilation of extended scenes including cuts that did not make it into the drama. These additions on Sept.19, Sept.21 and Sept.24, titled "Special 1" to "Special 3" have been nicknamed Eps.25, 26 and 27 by the audience who saw them on Youku. Only announcements or clips have hitherto made it to YouTube.
Warning : if some pictures take time to appear. in waiting for pictorials reveal, have a cup of iced Americano following Luán Niàn's preference, or a glass of osmanthus flowers sprinkled honey milk, such as Shàng Zhītáo liked it, or mix yourself a "One Heart" cocktail 😆
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Started on September 10, Last edit and spellcheck, links check, September 25, 2026
THE EARLY SPRING FILMING LOCATIONS - The Philosophy
The production's stated philosophy was to film in real spaces to "最大程度还原年轻人的真实成长环境" (maximally restore young people's real growth environments). Only two studio stages in Běijīng. served as controlled environments for the most frequently repeated interiors (probably the office and one of the apartments), while all exteriors, street scenes, and Harbin sequences were shot on location. The actual approach was: "全实景拍摄" (all real location shooting) Therefore, the three core interior environments were real locations dressed and lit to achieve specific visual identities, not purpose-built studio sets:
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Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-09-12
THE EARLY SPRING FILMING LOCATIONS: Běijīng remarkable towers
The largest agency in Beijing, the Dentsu China Network is also the #1 advertising agency in China. Founded in 1994, this firm serves as a critical bridge for international brands seeking to navigate the complex Chinese market, leveraging the global scale of Dentsu Inc.." "With a workforce ranging from 150 to over 5,000 employees across Běijīng, Shànghǎi, and Guǎngzhōu, Běijīng Dentsu (aka Dentsu Aegis Network) offers end-to-end standardized methodologies adapted for local nuances. They are particularly renowned for their work in automotive, beauty, FMCG, and technology sectors." It was located in the Fùhuá Building at Cháoyángmen N Ave, 8号, 富华大厦F座F-11, 邮政编码: 100010 in Dōngchéng district of Běijīng, but has moved since 2017 to Genesis Běijīng. (启皓大厦 / Qǐhào Building), No. 8 Xīnyuán South Road, Cháoyáng District — specifically floors 3–5 of the East Tower., and 6F, Tower D, Parkview Green, 9 Dōngdàqiáo Road, Cháoyáng District, Běijīng 100010. But the Fùhuá building or the current address of Dentsu is not used in the drama and anyway, the name and type of the ads company, Líng Měi翎美 , seems inspired by Ào Měi 奥美 which is the Chinese name of famous Ogilvy international advertising company. Fictional "Líng Měi" is also the Chinese branch of an international company. Ogilvy China 奥美中国 is an Advertising, Advertising Services, and Advertising & Marketing company with dual headquarters in Shànghǎi and in Běijīng., at 9/F Huá Lì Building, 58 Jīnbǎo Street ; but this location is not in the drama either. The opening scene shows Luán Niàn and Shàng Zhītáo crossing path in front of the atrium of the Asia Financial Center & AIIB Headquarters in Běijīng, China, a new building built 2013-2016, and positioned prominently in the city, marking the end of the north–south axis through Běijīng‘s Olympic Park. It is close to the National Stadium ("Bird's Nest") in the Olympics Park. (Address: Tower A, Asia Financial Center, No.1 Tiānchén East Road, Cháoyáng District, Běijīng) But this place is not housing advertisement companies. It is only used for the lobby. Later, Luán Niàn 's office window views revealed that the filming location used for his office was in the Běijīng Kerry Centre (specifically the North or South Office Tower), situated at 1 Guānghuá Road, Cháoyáng District, Běijīng. Nevertheless, the production only stated that they had used mostly "real locations across the CBD" rather than a single named tower, and the specific building for interior office work hasn't been publicly confirmed. It probably was a composite of shots from co-working rental space locations in CP Center, Kerry Center, etc, in addition to the very recognizable Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank lobby, and the main interior action was still filmed on sets in studios. |
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(Chinese people even when not religious, may appreciate lucky charms and blessed things from famous temples)
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This information list from 2014 covers the main skyscrapers and office buildings at the time of the story. |
Left : Guānghuá lù 光华路 below 3rd ring-road and CCTV tower (nicknamed "Big underpants 大裤衩 dà kùchǎ"), which is about 500 m from Kerry center (source of picture), traffic going in the direction of the 国贸 Guómào World Trade Center complex, now including including the China World Tower (also known as Tower 1), a 330-meter, 74-story skyscraper completed in 2010.
Note : on June 27, 2026, a 66 year old private pilot with mental problems hit it with his small plane, escaping detection while flying from Pinggu suburb, wounding 13 people and damaging the facade on point of impact. (Běijīng airspace was tightly restricted against aircraft fly-over, although drones were allowed except over the center of the city, and commercial aircraft of course land and take off from the two airports, of which Capital International PEK is the oldest, Dàxīng PKX is larger and newest.) Note2 Because of that crash, drone flying and photography has been drastically shrunk again: a no-fly zone with a 600 km diameter centered on Běijīng (covering Tiānjīn, Héběi, and Inner Mongolia) went into effect on September 20, 2026. + Starting November 15, 2026, the ban will go even further: possession, storage, and transport of drones and their core components within Běijīng will be outright banned, with fines up to 10,000 yuan and confiscation for violators. (source) |
source : online map
The Běijīng CBD skyscraper skyline (compressed composite photograph)
1.CITIC Tower (China Zun / 中国尊): The tallest building in Běijīng at 528 meters. 2.CCTV Headquarters (中央电视台总部大楼): The famous 234-meter "Underpants" 3.China World Trade Center Phase 3B (国贸三期B) 4.China World Trade Center Tower III (国贸三期A): 330-meter 5.Fortune Financial Center (FFC / 北京财富金融中心) 6.Television Cultural Center (TVCC) 7.SK Tower Běijīng (凯德大厦 / 原SK大厦) 8.Běijīng Yintai Centre - Main Tower (北京银泰中心中央主楼 9.Běijīng Yintai Centre - Corner/Office Towers. | 10.China Life Financial Center (中国人寿金融中心) 11.Samsung Tower (三星总部大厦) 12.China Merchants Tower (招商局大厦): 13.Cháoyáng Park Plaza (朝阳公园广场) 14.China Central Place (华贸中心) 15.HP Tower (惠普大厦) 16.Phoenix Center (凤凰中心): axcually on the southern edge of Cháoyáng Park. 17.CP Center (正大中心): Twin skyscrapers to the right/behind the CITIC Tower base 18.Taikang Financial Tower (泰康金融大厦) 19. Sunshine Insurance Financial Center (阳光保险金融中心) |
Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-10-10
THE EARLY SPRING FILMING LOCATIONS: The shared apartment
The community was built in 2001–2002. It has 61 buildings and roughly 7,800 units, with a green ratio of 36% and rentals went for about 1,600 rmb for a room in a shared apartment in 2026. Built starting in 1999 primarily to provide affordable housing for displaced residents and migrants, it is still widely known as a "sleeping city" or "ghost town" during working hours because about 85% of working-age residents commute long distances to downtown Běijīng Zhōngguāncūn (technology hub in Hǎidiàn district), Wangjing, Yayuncun, or the CBD for employment. This workforce is highly educated (60%+ with college degrees, 70% under 45) and concentrated in IT, finance, and creative services. The buildings were built by a real estate company and sold to homeowners with property rights for 70 year ; residents are a mix of owners and "Běijīng drifters" who rent apartments. |
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and screenshots of Shàng Zhītáo,'s arrival at Tiāntōng Dongyuàn Yi qu #54 archway
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More about the real Tiāntōngyuàn The area is located outside the 5th ring road, in a bend of the Wēnyú river 温榆河, and is well connected through multiple bus lines and 6 subway lines. Since 2022, the Tiāntōngdōnggyuàn station connects with line 17 to Worker's stadium (Gōngrén Tǐyùchǎng 工人体育场) in the south and in the north to the new "Future Science park"/Wèilái Kēxué Chéng 未来科学城 (a major innovation and entrepreneurship hub located, approximately 30 kilometers north of downtown). It also connects since 2025 with line 18 of the capital subway system to Hǎidiàn district. The Tiāntōngyuàn community consists almost entirely of high-density housing blocks and gated subdivisions (700 buildings across 16 subdivisions. on 8 square kilometers, and a grid-like plan), with limited commercial (some shopping malls, supermarkets) or recreational (cinemas) and other amenities (kindergartens, schools including an Affiliated High School of Minzu University of China, banks). It was seen as "Asia's largest community dorm" due to its population of 400,000 permanent + 600,000 floating by 2013, which grew to over 700,000 residents (about 3% of the capital's total population) by 2019. The buildings especially in the oldest Tiāntōng Dōngyuàn East district address (No. 16 Tàipíng zhuāng East 1st Road, Chāngpíng District, 北京市昌平区太平庄东一路16号) are multi-story, mid-rise buildings which have only staircases, no elevators, most apartments are 2 or 3 bedroom units on a 75 to 246 m² floor (according to Baidu) and the corridors are cramped, often with old posters or notices glued to doors or walls, like in the drama : production wanted to keep the "Běijīng drifters" atmosphere realistic, so the exteriors at least were not studio scenes.
The area is under renovation since 2018. The 21-hectare Tiāntōngyuàn Ecological Leisure Park was completed and opened to the public in 2024, equipped with sports facilities and parking lots. The Tiāntōng Science Park within the community has been operational since 2021, housing 81 enterprises with a 95% occupancy rate. It is planned to create employment for approximately 10,000 people, focusing on the New Entertainment and New Consumption industries. A "Health Tiānbei" Cooperation Framework Agreement with Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital was signed in 2025 for the north sub-district. Watch a 5 minutes walk through Tiāntōngyuàn explaining how it has grown to be a white-collar workers magnet. |
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Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-10-02
THE EARLY SPRING FILMING LOCATIONS : a high end time mystery
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From stock shots in the episodes of Linked Hybrid (also locally known as Contemporary MOMA or Dāngdài MOMA) and the layout of the balcony less apartment, I was convinced this was the building, but esteemed and dedicated commentator tintin92 found it was Vanke NAVA serviced apartments "in Lufthansa quarter". Vanke NAVA (万科NAVA) is indeed a new luxury residential apartment complex in Běijīng. It has been described as located in the Lufthansa Center area (centered on the Kempinski hotel and the intersection of Third ring road with Liàngmǎqiáo lù 亮马桥路 ). But in fact, it is much closer to the Olympic park and the "Bird's Nest" stadium, along the North Fourth Ring Road in Cháoyáng District. The Vanke NAVA residence is visible from and overlooking the ring road, so that's the one seen repeatedly in aerial views along the episodes. "This high-end residential complex designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel served as the luxury apartment home of the elite advertising director Luán Niàn (played by Jǐng Bórán). This is one of the key filming locations used to contrast Luán Niàn's high-end, elite lifestyle with Shàng Zhītáo's humble "北漂" (Běijīng drifter) shared apartment in Tiāntōngyuàn." It is a transformation of an existing building into an apartment complex. The colorful palette used for the exterior windows panels of the building were designed by architect Jean Nouvel, inspired by Forbidden City tones like gold, red, blue, and green and facade greenery designed to "look like a forest waterfall". Vanke NAVA (Běixiǎoyíng) 万科大都会NAVA is located No. 186 Běiyuàn Road (北苑路186号) on the north part of the 4th ring road. The mixed-use space residential project was developed between 2016 and 2022 . The development comprises two main buildings with a total habitable area of 52,000 m². Building A (26,700 m²) houses retail spaces, apartments, and a club, while Building B (25,150 m²) contains apartments, a fitness center, and a swimming pool. Delivered on June 30, 2023, sales launched in November 2022, for the A 126-unit residential tower on Běijīng.'s Fourth Ring Road (Běiyuàn Road). To evoke Chinese painting, the facade uses a rare Brazilian fossil-grade granite called Kamarica, formed 3,000 m underground under extreme heat and pressure. (The stone is so rare that the same quarry's previous batch was used only on the top of the Burj Khalifa) Its natural swirling patterns contain four dominant tones:
A second, gap-less glass curtain wall was added in front of the stone facade, with a vertical ecological barrier (the planting layer) designed in the cavity between the stone and the glass, to achieve the effect of vegetal "vertical forest cascade". The four-colored glass shutters (louvers)s on the west-facing façade — gold, red, blue, green — are a separate element, inspired by the color palette of the Forbidden City's palace architecture. The design incorporates large-scale undivided French windows (two tall, hinged panels that meet in the middle, swinging outside to allow for maximum natural light and ventilation), including a 10-square-meter glass pane on the south facade, intended to frame the urban landscape of the Fourth Ring Road. The interior design adopts a minimalist Art Deco style with warm yellow and white tones and integrates smart home technology.
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Next morning, she exited the NAVA residence (logo etched on the glass behind her) on April 12, 2013 after having heard the weather forecast in the lobby.
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The time mystery Luán Niàn the mighty (worshiper of Lucifer?) must have had the power to tweak not only lucrative automotive deals and the minds of his opponents but also time-strands of parallel universes. Or there is a big plot hole around this choice of his residence. Because she got in a drunken stupor on a Friday night, Shàng Zhītáo mistook the building number of her shared apartment, so Luán Niàn, in his capacity as dark Lord had whisked her away to his haunt and lair, on his compassionate (and frankly passionate) "dark angel wings". This was her her first (accidental) visit to Luán Niàn's apartment. Now refreshed after some sleep in dark colored sheet (all but reminding of vampire tales) by episode 5 she was ready to go home and ponder her future... Shàng Zhītáo briefly heard the date on the weather forecast broadcast in the lobby of the building before her exit : "12 April 2013". Yet, the Jean Nouvel renovation and transformation of the old abandoned buildings of the early 2000s only started after the new design was commissioned in 2016, and was not delivered to new unit owners before 2023! What happened? In which tangled web had she, as a mindless early spring butterfly mistaking seasons, let herself be glued and be ready to be consumed time and again (until she'd find her way back to a city which could be colder than Luán Niàn himself, once she would have burned all her assets) ?! |
Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-09-14
THE EARLY SPRING FILMING LOCATIONS : Mountain scenes
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The mudslide scenes at the "filming site in the mountains" in ep.3 was also filmed there. The weekend hike for a weekend in the mountain "near Běijīng" by the friends and roommates of Shàng Zhītáo (ep.11) "Switzerland" scenes in episode 11 |
But I think Luán Niàn's friend Tán Miǎn's exclusive restaurant in ep.4 was located in Běijīng, in the northern suburbs towards Cuīgèzhuāng 崔各庄 around the birch and pine trees of Pékin Fine Arts gallery, or further up in Shùnyì 顺义区 or Mìyún 密云区 : there are some places that look like that with low buildings and relatively recent tree plantations. Edit: the exact spot was spotted by a fan to be "Sicily Kitchen", a Mediterranean-style restaurant next to a farm at the foot of the Xiǎo Hǎituó shān Mountain (小海陀山) [the site of the 2022 Winter Olympics alpine skiing venue], 330 meters north of Hòu Hēilóngmiào Cūn 后黑龙庙村 Village Committee, Yánqìng District 延庆区 (it is not a widely known restaurant or place, on Xiǎo Hǎituó shān, in the vicinity of the other big reservoir, the Longqing Gorge 龙庆峡). Also, the "mountain bar" near Běijīng is actually in Commune By The Great Wall, a high end weekend retreat spot/boutique hotel where 12 architects designed different showcase buildings nestled in the lush parts near the Great Wall. It can be accessed through the Shuǐguān Chángchéng 水关长城 Exit, No. 53, G6 Jīngzàng Highway (the Běijīng to Xīzàng/Tibet motorway), on the stretch aka Bādálǐng Highway 八達嶺高速公路, Yánqìng District 延庆区 (a district northwest of the city). |
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This was filmed in Jīnlóngshān national park |
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(Commune By The Great Wall, Běijīng) |
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Although Mount Tai /Tài Shān 泰山 (aka Dài Shān (岱山) or Dōngyuè (东岳) , mentioned by Luke in ep.12, is a popular destination, considered close by high-speed train (2-3 hrs journey), it doesn't fit the pictures of the group travelling to it by touring coach on the road. It is in Shāndōng Province, approximately 455 kilometers (about 283 miles) south of Běijīng. |
Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-10-02
THE EARLY SPRING FILMING LOCATIONS : Harbin 哈尔滨【hā'ěrbīn】
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Some of the biggest landmarks have been used as backdrops for the series :
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"The aroma of fried buns wafts in Dōnghéchǎng Building on Xīshísāndào Street (东和昶1917, 宽街文化复合体 Kuānjiē Wénhuà Fùhé Tǐ, No. 43, West 13th Street (西十三道街), Daoli District).
This small red brick building, built in 1917 by national capitalist Máo Shǒuhé 毛守和, is now a cultural complex integrating cultural heritage, dining, leisure, and accommodation. After careful restoration, it was reopened on July 6, 2025 as an immersive cultural space combining a museum, photo studio, coffee bars, restaurants, and lodging — all within the historic courtyard layout.
Xī shísān dào jiē Street, 西十三道街 formerly known as Kuan Street, (Kuān jiē 宽街), is the widest street among the auxiliary streets of Central Avenue. The store on the first floor of Donghechang has been turned into a public welfare Kuanjie Museum. Old photos from the 1920s “Shiming Hall”, advertisements for the “Old Baduo” Tobacco Shop, business letters from the Donghechang business... Nearly 200 urban history relics display the history of Harbin's industrial and commercial prosperity that took place on this street." (adapted from an article in Chinese)
Wrap photo of cast and crew in Harbin Jīnlóng shān 金龙山 national park. (November 26, 2025)
Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-09-18
THE EARLY SPRING FILMING LOCATIONS : Studio scenes or elsewhere in Běijīng
The studio work was essentially a cost-saving strategy: three "impossible" travel destinations (Phuket, Tibet, Northwest, Guǎngzhōu in ep.2) were compressed into one Běijīng soundstage, while everything in Běijīng and Harbin was shot on location. The "locations" of the non Běijīng or Harbin shots were simply signaled by stock pictures of iconic landmarks, sometimes revealing that these far away locations were not used (even showing places in Běijīng instead!) Otherwise, interior scenes were also filmed in studios. It has been mentioned that only two studio locations were used, but no specific facility name, owner, or address was disclosed. It was most likely a third-party rental from one of Běijīng's many private studio complexes (e.g., in the Chāngpíng or Dàxīng districts, which house numerous independent stage facilities), rather than a facility owned by either 虎鲸 Hǔ jīng (Orca) or 乐酷匠心 Lèkù jiàngxīn (Leku Ingenuity) production companies. A small company (too small to have a widely known address), Qiān Yǔ Studio (千予工作室) handled the day-to-day execution of filming under Lèkù Jiàngxīn which was the main production company, with Youku as the presenting/distributing platform. The three-tier structure (Yōukù 优酷→ Lèkù Jiàngxīn 乐酷匠心, → Qiān Yǔ 千予) is common in Chinese drama production, where the platform commissions a production house, which in turn may subcontract the actual filming operations to a specialized studio |
Ep.18 screenshot : The hotel and other scenes were filmed in Běijīng, in particular at the China World Hotel, (北京中国大饭店).
Located in the heart of Běijīng's Guó Mào CBD, 1 Jianguomen Outer St, the hotel's prominent entrance doors feature a distinctive, signature interlocking circle "E" pattern.
The scene where Shàng Zhītáo 's former boyfriend waits sitting at the foot of the sculpture, was filmed in the lobby of the lifestyle hotel EAST Beijing, which is located at No. 22 Jiǔxiānqiáo Road, inside the INDIGO shopping mall of the Cháoyáng District. The picture features the distinctive wooden-slatted walls, long custom benches, and striking, twisted silver structure sitting on the black pillar is a centerpiece installation located inside the hotel's on-site Beaom / Smile Gym wellness facility area.
| 坝河 Bà Hé (Ba river) : This new ecological waterfront landmark integrates diverse functions—including ecology, culture, tourism, and consumption. The Bàhé River originates at the Northeast Moat (near the Hépíng jiē 和平街 Zhuān jiǎolóu Nánlǐ 砖角楼 南里community) and flows into the Wēnyú River, 温榆河 covering a total length of 21.7 kilometers; the section above runs from Jiǔxiānqiáo Road (near 798 Art Zone) to Langyuan station on Line 14 of the Běijīng Metro. (The part pictured is close to the Indigo commercial complex on No. 18 Jiǔxiānqiáo Road).
The doors of the hotel which Luke's sister exit are those of the upscale Grand Hyatt Běijīng Oriental Plaza, No. 1 Cháng'ān Avenue, Dōngchéng District, Běijīng, China (specifically the entrance lobby/residence gates of the hotel complex), which serves as the filming location for their dinner date meant to make Shàng Zhītáo jealous. The location is identified by the signature frosted wave patterns on the glass panels of the door. Note - Luán Niàn's car is a Mercedes-Benz G-Class (commonly known as a G-Wagen). The distinct boxy silhouette, rear-mounted spare tire, and iconic taillights characteristic of the luxury SUV are visible as he walks back to the vehicle outside Beijing's China World Mall. |
But this was not where Shàng Zhītáo and her roommates played cards after she got introduced to Lóng Zhèntiān 龙震天. Since. I doubt night-life places exists in suburbian Tiāntōngyuàn, I thought it could have been a pub like Great Leap Brewery (at #12 Xinzhong Jie) or Schiller's (which has big tables) in Sānlǐtún 三里屯 , opposite 33 complex (Watch a 2026 pub crawl on YouTube !)
Now it has been found as ONSITE on "Yama road" or according to this post more exactly on 106–108, 1st Floor, East Courtyard, No. 16 Yard, Nán Shílǐ jū, Xīnghuǒ West Road, Chāoyáng District, Běijīng Note that Běijīng people have been used since forever to use the East, South, West, North (东南西北 dōng nán xī běi). directions to find places in the city. This order reflects a clockwise progression starting from the east (where the sun rises) and now the ringroads or park also serve as landmarks ONSITE is thus in the "Běijīng dōngbù/ dōng jiāo" 北京东部 / 东郊 (east part or east suburbs) of the city. (but it is not as far as in the 东北 Dōngběi region of China from which the actor pair comes from !) -- See the updated map of Běijīng at the end of the Filming philosophy, before the post about Běijīng offices and skyscrapers. The interior pictures from ONSITE match the ep.4 scene : it was not a simple studio shot. As for the platypus? There happens to be a big sculpture of one in the garden !
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Next, when Sūn Yǔ was called away and Shàng Zhītáo and Lóng Zhèntiān ended up alone, they decided to move venue and start the first English tutoring session at a new trendy bar, the Miami. Luke arrived and took a look, noticing the girl, stepped forward to sing "You should know". There is one similar named bar/nightclub on Gōngtǐ Xīlù (Worker's stadium west road, and Sānlǐtún area, still heart of the Běijīng night scene). But that venue is gigantic.Although production did not state which specific bar they used, it could be or be inspired for studio shots, by the Miami which is "a pure EDM nightclub. The interior decoration style is also the most popular design style in Gōngtǐ" in 2025 (source) It could also have used the Mix Club on Gōngtǐ Běilù. [But in 2013, time of the action, that venue did not exist yet and the popular live-houses bars were the MAO音乐现场 Live-house in Gǔlóu (it was closed in 2016 and moved later to Hǎidiàn, with branches in other cities) : or the Yúgōng Yíshān 愚公移山 in Dōngchéng (sadly, it closed in 2019).]
Afterwards, Luán Niàn took charge of drunk Shàng Zhītáo, first taking her out to breathe in the street. The street has been identified to be in the "Shǒuchuàng Láng Yuán Station" 首创郎园Station, aka 751 Art District close to famous 798/Dàshānzǐ 大山子 Art District , address : Jiǔxiān qiáo Dōngbà xiāng/township, Bànjiétǎ 53 北京市朝阳区酒仙桥东坝乡半截塔 53. Renovated from a Beijing textile warehouse, it blends industrial heritage with modern trends and has become a landmark for international cultural consumption and a hub for the film and television industry. (source). |
Shàng Zhītáo celebrated her first birthday with her female friends at PureK karaoke bar (工体店 / Gōngtǐ Branch) in Běijīng. (Link to an extended 66' video with the scene featuring around timestamp 32:08-33:20) | PureK karaoke bar is located at: No. 6 Workers' Stadium West Road (about 200 meters south of the Worker's Stadium West Gate), The venue is famous for its towering, dark metallic vertical panel structure integrated with thousands of small glowing LED matrix dot lights. The illuminated white stylized signature logo sits proudly on this mesh screen wall right near the entrance. The distinct grid facade and ambient wall lighting were used as the backdrop to establish the real-world premium nightlife vibe of Sānlǐtún 三里屯 / Gōngtǐ 工体. Real location scene. |
Ep.13 screenshots of the year-end "company retreat" /Team building holiday in "Phuket", Thailand. (studio scenes) |
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| The production team of The Early Spring did not film in the real Tibet. Due to a limited production budget, the team could not travel to Tibet, Hong Kong, or overseas locations.
Instead, the scene where Luán Niàn and Shàng Zhītáo take a romantic trip to Tibet and pose for couple photos in traditional clothing was entirely shot at the China Ethnic Culture Park (also known as the China Ethnic Museum) located in Běijīng., on 2025-11-10 (Tiktok footage) The museum built 1992-2001 covers approximately 50 hectares and comprises 56 ethnic villages. The park features highly authentic, full-scale reconstructions of traditional ethnic villages—including Tibetan architecture and cultural elements—allowing the production team to replicate the environment of Tibet without leaving the city.
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Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-10-02
THE EARLY SPRING Main Characters and relationship chart
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Ep8 stargazing moment on the music of 此刻 (This Moment) - 袁娅维 (Tia Ray)
Warning : unfortunately, the function to hide spoilers doesn't work well on yellow color background, so I have removed them below. On other colors, just click on the grey lines to reveal the text.
Pictures + Actor / Actress cast | Character description | ||
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Fandom Name: BabyFace (BBF), color blue. He has 24.685 million followers on Weibo
Graduate from the Shěnyáng Foreign Affairs Service School, he first started as a singer. In 2007 he won the talent contest My Hero (07加油！好男儿), and together with third-place finisher Fù Xīnbó (付辛博) formed the Mandopop boy band BoBo (BOBO组合), signed to the H.Y. Brothers label. They released 3 albums between 2007 and 2010. End of 2010 Jǐng Bórán released independently a song which won the Most Popular Duet Golden Song award in 2011 : 暖暖手 (Warm Hands). Meanwhile the BOBO duo fell out, faded away and officially disbanded in 2012, the year when he appeared with his grandma on stage after singing a song. His grandparents had a big role raising him after his parents divorced when he was not even a month old infant But Jǐng Bórán insists he was not abandoned by his mother who had left, and that he keeps up good relations both with her and with his dad, debunking "legends" that he toiled to earn money for his family as a kid. (More details about his life are on this BaiduWiki page.) Jǐng Bórán prefers not to talk about his youth and his former band. It is "past history" and he has not acknowledged his former colleague for over a decade. In a Xinhua interview, he explained that he is now primarily an actor, and that he views singing as a periodic performance obligation (occasionally in variety shows or for CCTV gala duties, such as :
[incidentally, Mid-Autumn Festival 2026 falls on Friday, September 25, 2026.] Jǐng Bórán debuted in acting in a 100 episodes drama in 2009 (in which his character was called Jǐ)ng Bǎo) and in a 2010 movie. He has played in a dozen dramas. He is recognized for his roles in major hits such as :
His next appearance on screen in a drama will likely be in NOVEMBER 2026 on Youku, in a modern thriller of 38 episodes titled The Silent Storm 谷雨 , where he'll play as Ōuyáng Xù 欧阳旭, a tax investigator, in a story that begins in 1994. The drama is directed by Lǐ Lù 李路, the director of recent Light Of Dawn thriller drama. Being from Shěnyáng, he may speak with a Dōngběi accent, but not in the role of Luán Niàn, which calls for clipped standard pǔtōnghuà "upper class" speech. He did speak in 东北话 off the record with his co-star. In The Early Spring, he did not sing himself the atmospheric song "You should know" : he only acts the brief moment when they seem dream like to be alone in the bar, he swallowing visibly, with his Adam's apple moving. In a promotional event, Sūn Qiān was asked to recognize the leads she had played with from masked pictures, and explained that for Jǐng Bórán, it was his prominent Adam's apple that gave him away !
Links Baidu Baike ; Douban; Weibo ; Personal Studio; ; Instagram
| Luán Niàn 栾念 aka LukeHe was a senior executive and Creative director of of Líng Měi, a Běijīng advertising company He was a loner who distrusted most people except his long time male friends and classmates ( Tán Miǎn 谭勉,Chén Kuānnián 陈宽年 and Sòng Qiūhán 宋秋). He had been betrayed once by a former business partner, who had caused his first fully owned advertising company to go under. He was wary of women who threw themselves at him. He had quickly broken up with a crazy woman who kept hounding him years later: Zhāng Xīn , 张欣 (played by Mù Ruìnī 牟睿妮). He preferred to talk to his lone white koy fish, which swam in the huge aquarium in his apartment ! He disliked having to take more care than necessary for a new hire, but felt the need to check on her when she was sent to a mountain shoot, lucky that they saved each other in a landslide. Later, he noticed her sitting drunk in his friend's bar, stepped forward to sing "You should know". (ep.4, screenshot below)
He was resenting Alex, who clearly wanted to pull the rug under his feet as a rival for the position of general manager : Alex had managed to steal the Qipai automotive account from him and demanded the source codes to work on client's new wishes. Mr Lin Yi (played by Zhèng Qí 郑奇)the outgoing general manager, tried to balance the two, although favoring Luán Niàn who had won back the important YueTeng account (ep.6-7) When Luán Niàn got the "L" key back, he typed "You don't have to be perfect to be worthy of love" ; he let Shàng Zhītáo help him shave his chin before taking her up to the mountain to stargaze in his coat (ep.8, my gif below).
Luán Niàn valued honesty and loyalty but had a forbidding stance and a foul mouth which seldom praised anyone, even less his hidden love, who insisted that she did not want for them go public, fearing backlash at work. So, at wits end, he had suggested the "secret relationship" weekends agreement, which they could "just stop if they got involved with someone else".
Being targeted at work after the scandal that Alex and Dù Ānnī had tried to stir to topple him from his position (from which he was vindicated), he had to face another trouble with the appointment by HQ of an old enemy who tried to assault Shàng Zhītáo. When lawyers sent by HQ tried to force a hush-down, he rose and resigned on the spot for breach of confidence, watching the company face financial trouble as the embezzlement and sex scandal went public (ep.16-17). He could rebuild his life managing his mountain bar if needed. HQ agreed to whatever he asked for so he'd return, and Luke's demands included stock options for the victims, including Shàng Zhītáo! (ep.17). He was prepared to accept much from her but also set limits about the dating scam which her friend relied on to launch an app. But he felt the need to retaliate and using his sister Luán Sīyuàn 栾思媛 (played by Xiào Hán 肖涵) when he saw her hugging her ex boyfriend. (ep.18) Time and seasons dragged on, with him watching her rise in ranks, joining her in an almost honeymoon like road trip in Tibet. (ep.19), but all the happiness was torn to pieces when he happened to see her hugging Yuǎnzhù in Lánzhōu. She had not told him and did not explain the aftermath.Misunderstandings piled up as he got pressured to give the Specialist title to a rich newcomer and did not warn Shàng Zhītáo (ep.20). When Shàng Zhītáo left the company and returned to Harbin with Luke, he was heartbroken, slowly realizing how his lack of communication and trust had led her to despair. Perhaps to conjure fate, he added a red koi fish to serve as companion to his white "Hongqi" in his aquarium (ep.22). Years had passed but he had not let go, keeping tabs and watching her without intruding until a project brought them together again, with some trepidation. When he next saw her, she was almost bankrupt but contemplating a shift into online business. Sometime later, Luán Niàn at last offered her a grand proposal for a happy end. |
She studied ballet for seven years at the Affiliated Secondary School of Běijīng Dance Academy. but due to a knee injury at 18, had to shift goals. She graduated from the Central Academy of drama, majoring in acting. To date in 2026, Sūn Qiān has played in three movies and 20 dramas since 2018, when she played as Hé Yuánzī 何原姿 the arranged fiancée of Dàomíng Sì (played by Dylan Wang) in Meteor Garden. In 2024, she played as FL alongside JohnnyHuang in Love Song In Winter, and in 2025 she played as FL in Legend of the Magnate ; in 2026 she had 3 FL roles in The Guilty; and in Love Story in the 1970s (as Fei Ni, alongside Chén Fēiyǔ), before the role as Shàng Zhītáo in The Early Spring. A Harbin native, despite her years in the capital, she stlll may speak with a Dōngběi accent on variety shows and in interviews (co-star Jǐng Bórán even said he "only speaks Northeastern dialect with Sūn Qiān . She joked that his accent is stronger than hers). Her special, more relaxed non acting voice can be sampled in this interview about her Harbin born character Shàng Zhītáo . She protects her privacy fiercely and all the paparrazzi sightings of her "dating" with different males have been systematically denied through her agency as fake, "just friend"s, no relationship, no boyfriend. Only CP duty when expected, to promote her work. Links : Baidu Baike ; Douban ; Weibo ; Agency Profile Fandom Name: 千斤 / Qiān Jīn (she has 8.332 million followers on Weibo).
| Shàng Zhītáo 尚之桃 aka Florathe new employee from Harbin. She had a previous relationship which ended when both partners drifted away for their ambitions, but the break-up was not angry, so they could meet again as acquaintances in the future when she went to Guǎngzhōu where he had entered a different field of employment. At Líng Měi, she focused on improving herself, designing work plans in a notebook titled " My heart is a little bigger than the entire universe", including learning English. So, on a Saturday night out, she accepted the offer by Sūn Yuǎnzhù 's friend Lóng Zhèntiān 龙震天 (played by Stuart Forbes) to serve as informal language exchange tutor. This led to a fateful Saturday drunken night... (ep.4-5) Initially, she tried to distance herself from Luke through a transfer to Alex's team, getting Annie/Dù Ānnī as her new mentor (ep.6). When she was tasked with getting the Qipai source codes from Luán Niàn, he not only gave them to her but also the code to his home door ! (ep.6) and next helped her with setting up a database of suppliers with rankings. To thank Luke, she handed him a small gift: the repaired L key for his antique typewriter (ep7). Because of her ambitions she had only accepted Luán Niàn's wooing on condition that it remained secret, allowing only weekends together at his apartment (ep.9). She was not prepared to let him get closer to her roommates because of his jealousy, and she preferred to solve alone every problem on her way, while still resenting that he did not let her be favored at work even when she took the blame for mistakes that were not only hers (ep.10). She grew increasingly close to Luán Niàn, as his care for her was revealed despite the thorny way he spoke. She got his back story from friends and she was ready to stand as his witness when he got slandered. He had included her in his plans to set up a private mountain bar. He accepted her dog and the name she had given to it, getting out of his way to take care of it for her when she was away. She had a bucket list of wishes including him (ep.18). She nevertheless was afraid of his jealousy and of becoming a burden for him. She trusted him but still did not come clean with some trouble that might upset him, and when he found her hurt, he did fly into a rage against the offenders, but took her side to protect her and get due rewards. (ep.14, 16-17). But when she opened up about her wish to go public and get married to him, have a family, after having met his sister, he clammed up, cutting deeply her hopes (ep.18). All what was left was work. She took on an important S+ project expected to last 14 month for the Cultural Tourism Development of the Northwest. They went together on a trip to Tibet after which they admitted their long relationship to her parents. Everything seemed to move in right direction until Luán Niàn caught sight of her receiving a bouquet from her roommate and hugging him (ep.20). Until an unexpected disappointment and a series of misunderstandings caused her to resign and go back to Harbin to set up her own company just as the covid crisis struck. She had to start over. Luán Niàn finally mustered courage to apologize and offer what help she could want. "Their Love survived the bitter winter, and finally welcomed the early spring,. From there, through the blazing summer, they entered the brightest season of their lives." The Early Spring is an S+ drama |
For length reasons the description of the SUPPORTING CHARACTERS has been moved further down in another post next. |
Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-10-02
THE EARLY SPRING Supporting Characters
Click and enlarge the chart to 250% to read it more comfortably on computer or laptop, or use your hand held device to enlarge manually. (original in Photo Section)
Pictures + Actor / Actress cast | Character description |
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In the source novel by Gūniáng bié kū , Lú Mǐ is explicitly described as a 胡同里长大的北京大妞儿 — "a Běijīng girl who grew up in the hútòngs, the narrow traditional lanes of old— with a bold, no-nonsense personality. In the drama's Běijīng -set context, that character background would naturally carry some 儿化音 (Ér huà yīn) , the rolling "r" word finales characteristic of Běijīng, coloring her speech. This is a very common convention in Chinese dramas for native Běijīng characters. But there was no leaning heavily on Běijīng dialect. Only her calling Luke "老大"(lǎodà) which is the natural, colloquial Beijing way for a subordinate to address their boss. In this untranslated BTS video and interview, the actress had interesting views about her character. | Lú Mǐ 卢米A Běijīng native, well connected in every circle (even toughs!) who valued her position at Líng Měi, in the Business Division, as relaxing and often acted as second in command to Luán Niàn, her valued boss, with no messy sentiment involved and only loyalty. A carefree, modern woman who wasn't afraid to speak her mind, the assigned mentor of Shàng Zhītáo (ep.1) soon became her closest work friend. She went with her to the mountain shoot (ep.3). She advised Shàng Zhītáo against transfer to Alex' team ; helped her correct the botched ad ; rose with her to defend Luke against the toxic rumors. She warned Shàng Zhītáo that "We only live for around 30,000 days. If you like someone, tell, them, if you miss someone, go see them As long as it's safe and it's what we want, we have nothing to lose." (ep.10) But this sound advice to communicate went against her friend's plans.
When her favorite boss went on holiday and was replaced by Wil, Lú Mǐ felt at first conflicted about the new, rigid, marketing director, but she was soon sent on a mission by Tracy (on suggestion by Luke) to investigate the situation in Hángzhōu, where Dony was causing some worries. (ep.16-17). Lú Mǐ appears from episode 1. | ||
| Tracy aka Liáng Xīn 梁心She was in charge of Human Resources in Líng Měi, and went over Luán Niàn's head to have Shàng Zhītáo hired as a "promising" asset for the company, although Luán Niàn had rejected her application. She phoned to Luke in Thailand to warn him that Alex had resigned to go to an upstart and was poaching some Líng Měi personnel. (ep.13) She supported the investigation of Dony (ep.16-17) She attended the wedding and gently roasted L uán Niàn and Shàng Zhītáo (ep.24) Appears notably in episodes 1, 8 , 20-21, 24 |
She debuted in support roles in dramas in 2016 and has played as FL in two movies in 2021 and 2022. | Kitty
A senior employee in the team of Luke in the beginning. She was instrumental in putting Shàng Zhītáo in a dangerous situation once they were going to film an ad.(ep.3) In Hángzhōu, Dony took threatening advantage of her. Shàng Zhītáo noticing her fear, collected statements from other victims to expose the criminal. (ep.16-17) Appears in episodes 3, 16 -17, 21. |
| Alex, marketing director. Division 2He was among the deciders who sat at Shàng Zhītáo's interview for the job at Líng Měi advertising company. (ep.1) He was jealous of Luán Niàn and was prepared to undercut him, taking over the Qipai account from Luán Niàn discussing with him and with Mr Lin (ep.7) . He scolded Dù Ānnī about the slander of Luán Niàn (ep.6) because of which he had to later break from Líng Měi. During the outing to Phuket,he tried to lure away key persons and to convince Shàng Zhītáo to leave Líng Měi, and join his new team . Back in Běijīng, he announced his leaving to switch to anothrer company, taking Dù Ānnī and Lǐ Tiānrán 李天然 along. (ep.13) He appears notably in eps. 1, 3, 6 -9, 13. |
She graduated from Shànghǎi Theater Academy and acted in many dramas and movies since 2015. In March 2020, her boyfriend Leo Li / Lǐ Jiāmíng 李嘉铭) (since 2018 drama, Moonshine,and Valentine) publicly proposed to her and they got married in April. But their divorce was announced in February 2025. | Annie / Dù Ānnī 杜安妮
She was appointed as mentor for Shàng Zhītáo once Luke's former subordinate moved to Alex' team. But she did not like the new girl. She also schemed to get Luán Niàn slandered and cyber bullied using photoshopped pictures "allegedly from" a crazy woman (Zhāng Xīn , 张欣 played by Mù Ruìnī 牟睿妮) who pretended to have been Luke's girlfriend and to have been beaten. Appears in episodes 3, 6, 8, 13 |
| Sòng Qiūhán 宋秋寒A bar owner friend of Luán Niàn who had assets in common with him and their two classmates. But Sòng 's father had the bar shut down (ep.8), so Luán Niàn decided to step in, build a mountain bar and get his friends in with a Share agreement. Sòng Qiūhán was amazed to see Luán Niàn acknowledging a girlfriend in Shàng Zhītáo. Luán Niàn finally even asked him to send "some budget" to Shàng Zhītáo's new advertising agency in Harbin (ep.23) Appears in episodes 4, 5, 8, 15, 22-24 | ||
He graduated in 2003 from Běijīng Central Academy of Drama. He debuted in support roles for dramas and movies in 2007. | Chén Kuānnián 陈宽年
Another friend and former high school class mate of Luán Niàn, who was ready to investigate the situation of the dishonest property manager in episode 14. Appears in episodes 4, 5, 8, 14, 15, 22, 24 | ||
| Tán Miǎn 谭勉Best friend of Luán Niàn, associated with many of his ventures. Totally supportive of his friend's budding romance, he tried to advise him so Shàng Zhītáo would not leave him. He lent his SUV to Luke (ep.3) He greeted the pair at his unlisted exclusive private restaurant before chatting with his friends at the bar and later at Luke's home (ep.4). He helped Luke get hold of footage to clear his character in the restaurant incident. He often acted as conscience sounding board for Luke :
He also sent to Shàng Zhītáo the video he had recorded on his phone of Luán Niàn in tears under the Northern Lights, telling to the disconnected phone number how much he missed her and loved her. (ep..24) Appears in episodes 3 to 5, 7 to 11, 15, 22, 24 | ||
Trained at dancing from the age of 4, she was a child actress before gaining attention in the 2011 drama Scarlet Heart. | Zāng Yáo 臧瑶The childhood friend of Luán Niàn viewed herself as fiancée until Luán Niàn told her very bluntly, during a New Year holiday out in Switzerland together with their friends, that she had no chance and he only saw her as a little sister. But Luán Niàn's ambiguity when she mistook the flowers sent to Shàng Zhītáo for a gift sent to herself ! (ep.11) and a picture of him and Zāng Yáo in Switzerland ) triggered Shàng Zhītáo to feel sad, jealous, and unsure about him. Zāng Yáo, feeling bad too, showed up, drunk, at Luke's apartment (ep.12 ) where she revealed some of Luke's past before leaving, heartbroken). She said goodbye to Luán Niàn before flying away( ep16 ). Appears in eps 2, 11 , 12, 16. |
She entered showbiz in 2011 after winning the top 10 in Xi'an singing competition "Blossoming Flower". | Yáo Bèi 姚蓓Senior sister from Nánjīng college of Shàng Zhītáo who helped her find an apartment in Běijīng Tiāntōngyuàn. She had a meal with her in ep3. Because of a breakup with her cheating boyfriend, she had to leave Běijīng and went to Hong Kong. She took first leave of Shàng Zhītáo in ep.7 with a parting advice : "An ambitious person will never be defeated by life" She only waited to attend her friend's birthday on the eve of her departure. They met qgqin in Shēnzhèn, where Yáo Bèi had got married to an architect (ep.18). Appears in episodes 3, 7, 9. 18. 24 |
He studied music at a young age and then transferred to the Běijīng Film Academy. He debuted in movies in 2009 and in 2016 in dramas. | Zhāng Léi 张雷Co-owner with his wife of the Tiāntōngyuàn apartment, he stayed as roommate together with Shàng Zhītáo and her friends . He hurried back from a business trip when the roommates got threatened by the violent property manager (ep 14-15). He had suggested sending bouquets to Shàng Zhītáo, who was sad (ep.10), causing the flowers spat. He joked that if a girl did not get flowers that meant she was naturally fragrant ! Appears in episodes 6, 9,11, 14, 15, 21, 24 | ||
| Sūn Yǔ 孙雨First friend of Shàng Zhītáo who worked in a dating agency; she also was her roommate in Tiāntōngyuàn. She had fallen for Sūn Yuǎnzhù but had to swallow her pain that it was unrequited, trying to be good friends instead. In ep.4 when she was introduced to the Canadian Lóng Zhèn tiān 龙震天 (played by Stuart Forbes) she introduced herself as "Fèng qiú huáng" (Phoenix Seeks His Mate), referring to the 2018 C-drama Untouchable Lovers [or the 2008 base novel, serialized on Weibo and Bilibili, since TES drama is supposed to be set in 2013 at the time of the meeting between Shàng Zhītáo and her English tutor.] She worked for a dating agency and tried to set up an independent app-based company with the help of her friends. Appears from episode 1 to 22, 24 | ||
| Sūn Yuǎnzhù 孙远翥An IT coder specializing in autonomous cars, from a very conflicted family who kept demanding money from him. Roommate in Tiāntōngyuàn, he had a crush on Shàng Zhītáo, but did not want to burden her with ihis feelings, after he realized that she was in another relationship. He had repaired the lost L key from the typewriter and handed it over to her (ep.4). He also took driving lessons with her (ep.7). But his parents extorted money from him on the pretext of needing to buy a house. When Sūn Yǔ came to vist him in the Northwest, in Gānsù, Lánzhōu area, he was ashamed of his miserable lodging there (ep.16). All the discouragements led him to depression. Still, he investigated Dony to warn Shàng Zhītáo (ep.17), and he picked her up at Dūnhuáng airport when she arrived for the Northwest project. But his coming one evening months later when she was getting ready to go back to Běijīng, with a bouquet for her (and her hugging him after he told her of his mother's passing) triggered Luán Niàn's jealousy again (as he was watching from his car to surprise her with his arrival. and could not get the full context). Luán Niàn also did not get to know the consequences of Yuǎnzhù's depression. Shàng Zhītáo was thunderstruck when Sūn Yǔ revealed to her why she and Yuǎnzhù could not have the happy end their friend thought they would. Appears in episodes 1, 4-6, 11, 12, 14-20. |
| Shàng Zhītáo 's parents Lǎo Shàng 老尚 and Dà Zhái 大翟 in Harbin .They owned a small restaurant and stayed in touch with their talented daughter over the phone, in warm and loving support rather than nag about her life decisions. In the mudslide scenes, Shàng Zhītáo longingly rememberred her father's home-cooked braised fish. Her mother's philosophy was expressed in the sentence : "你愿意干嘛就干嘛，想喜欢谁就喜欢谁，不喜欢就不喜欢了，妈妈都支持你。" They were taken aback when their daughter announced that she had been traveling to Tibet with her boyfriend and Luán Niàn said they had been dating for SIX YEARS! (ep.19). Later, it took some work for Luán Niàn to get back on the good side of her parents, and prepare his proposal. Appear in episodes 2, 12,15, 19, 22-24 |
| DonyAn "elite" who was appointed from overseas HQ to replace Alex as the general manager of the Business Division. Tán Miǎn warned Shàng Zhītáo that Dony "had a history" with Luán Niàn and was "up to no good". While Luke prepared his annual leave, Tracy worried that HQ now might send an HRBP (Human Resources Business Partner) i.e. a senior-level HR professional who acts as a strategic liaison between an organization’s leadership and its human resources functions. Thus threatening both her and Luke's position. (ep.16) Dony took a core team to Hángzhōu, but Shàng Zhītáo found that they could not access MCN resources from the Běijīng office (physical and data analytics tools for deep audience insights, legal and copyright management support), and that Dony who seemed to be living the high life, playing with budgets, was feared by Kitty. (ep.16) Sūn Yuǎnzhù warned her over the phone that Dony aka Chen Dong, had a criminal record, both for embezzlement and for a sex scandal. Shàng Zhītáo took precautions to record him and Dony was exposed, police got alerted, HQ finally stopped backing him ; he got sentenced to 11 years in prison (ep.17). Appears in ep.15-17 |
He debuted in dramas in supporting role in 2005 and has played in more than 30 dramas, including some ML or 2ML roles (in 2016 Novoland: The Castle in the Sky ; 2017 The King's Woman ; 2025 Men in Love). He has also played in a dozen movies. He is married to model Wú Zǐjiā (吴子佳) and has a daughter nicknamed "Duo Duo". | Will (Tu Mi)
He was going to serve as the head of the marketing department while Luke took annual leave. A market and new media expert endorsed by headquarters, despite being a rigid, scholarly, and conservative figure, marking a shift in the office power dynamic, as he stepped into a leadership vacuum. he caught the attention of Lú Mǐ , as an opposites attraction figure. But she hated that he was very cold when she asked for leave to go to hospital where her father had ben sent for a stroke (ep.16). Yet, over time she gained enough trust in him to praise him, informing her friend about the favorable vote expected. [ Will fans hope there will be a continuation of the drama as in the related novel Miss Talkative, penned by same author, in which Will and Lú Mǐ have a romance]. Appears in ep.16-17. 19, 20. |
There is no credit for relevant staff of freelance (Kennel, trainers and on-set handlers), nor for the dogs — which is standard for C-dramas where the animal is treated as a prop/costume element rather than a credited performer. | "Luke" the dogThe dog first appeared as a stray puppy and later was brought "home" as "new roommate" by Shàng Zhītáo in ep.14-15 to the amazement and initial rejection by Luán Niàn. Because of her frequent absences for work, Luán Niàn took increasingly care of the dog, become a sort of child for the couple. Appear in eps.14-16 .and until the end, when Luke the dog acted as "ring bearer" for the proposal !
<--Clip : Luke as ring bearer, ep.24 |
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THE EARLY SPRING Reception (Opening Douban rating etc) and opinions
This romance was a huge success both in China and internationally, as it rose meteorically up in ranks on Netflix. The Early Spring surpassed 10,000 on Youku's Popularity Heat Index (热度值) within three days of its August 26 premiere — i.e., around August 28–29, 2026. This made it the fastest contemporary romance drama of 2026 to reach that milestone on the platform, and the first drama starring either Jǐng Bórán or Sūn Qiān to do so. |
Instead of celebrating the breakthrough with a poster, as productions usually do, they instead released a "sexy reel" on August 30: This is the intimate behind-the-scenes compilation (亲密花絮) released around the 破万 (10,000) milestone — a video compiling the leads' intimate moments (shaving foam scene, hugging, etc.) along with the 破万 reward announcements. (Although I am not sure, I think it could be this video). The poster in the right column was from one which was not widely circulated but posted on Jǐng Bórán 's personal Weibo social media account on August 29, 2026. The intimate scenes certainly drew much attention from audiences both in China and abroad. Among the most discussed scenes was that of "the head kiss" (gif to the right).
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The drama has achieved massive commercial success and polarized critical reception : it became the fastest Youku drama of 2026 to surpass a popularity score of 10,000, with a peak daily viewing volume exceeding 70 million. It made history as the first mainland Chinese production to use an intimacy coordinator and ranked No. 2 on Netflix’s Global Non-English TV List for two consecutive weeks after its August 26 premiere. and went on to enter Netflix’s Top 10 in 54 countries, reaching No. 1 in Brazil, Thailand, and Indonesia.
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(Douban rates may fluctuate, to see the latest rating, click on picture above or here)
The drama opened with a 6.7 rating on Douban as of September 11, 2026. This score was based on ratings from approximately 40,360 users, marking a notable contrast to the series' high popularity and strong viewership numbers on platforms like Youku and Netflix. While viewers praised the visceral chemistry and realistic portrayal of flawed characters navigating toxic workplace dynamics, it also faced criticism with some audiences finding the communication issues and power imbalances frustrating or problematic. Public ratings reflected a split between high engagement and moral controversy. Note : An 8.5 Douban rating was circulated on Augt 30, 2026 by multiple Sina content-farm articles which confidently reported "豆瓣开分即达8.5分" (Douban opening score reached 8.5, with over 50,000 raters) But this appears to have been a marketing/promotional figure that got amplified by formulaic, likely AI-generated articles on Sina. The number may have been loosely inspired by the show's kisskh score of 8.6 or the source novel's ratings (7.8 on Douban Books, 9.6 on Jinjiang), but it had no basis in an actual Douban score. This "myth" nevertheless shows how much the show had drawn an increasing number of fans in China and abroad. For more info about rankings and popularity indexes , see the Discussion initiated by baekhyunoonaID |
The drama got snowballing attention with interviews, fan made or official videos, widely circulated on social media, including on YouTube. Among the latest promotional events was the "Líng Měi Team Building", offering an online meet-and-greet (face to face with cast) on September 13th to celebrate (MDL member XiaoMeiren included the announcement in the Photos section of the drama page) The 破万 "rewards" (福利) which the leads had promised — Jǐng Bórán giving away personal outfits (私服) and Sūn Qiān a bag — were formally fulfilled at this finale meet-and-greet, where the production team also released the cut/edited behind-the-scenes footage that had been held back. |
Recaps and articles also offered their positive or nuanced views, such as drama-blogger cyn-lynn.
Among the fan videos,this short one about Luán Niàn's frustrated or jealous reactions, throwing things rather than fits, and the re-enactment of that scene in the fan meeting.
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| The Early Spring ranking in the "top ten web dramas of the week" (audiences in China) from drama vlogger Marcus Here, in the weeks mentioned:
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| Encouraged by the success of the drama, when Youku unveiled their 2027 annual content lineup on September 16, 2026, they announced a sequel titled A Bright Midsummer / Midsummer Clear and Bright / Midsummer Sunny Day (English title not firm yet) aka Midsummer Sunshine (《盛夏晴朗》)The original creative team from Youku's Qianyu Studio is confirmed to return, with Director Jiang Jizheng. and screenwriter Gāo Xiǎoxián leading the writing. | But, unlike The Early Spring, this sequel will be an original screenplay rather than a novel adaptation. Casting has not been confirmed yet — it remains unclear whether Jǐng Bórán and Sūn Qiān will reprise their roles or if the story will shift to a new couple. --> report on MDL (from "Source: Shandong TV News") From the Weibo post : " |
| The author did write another novel centered around two of the supporting characters in the original novel and in the drama, Lú Mǐ and Will. This other novel, title informally translated to "Miss Talkative" does not look like it will serve as basis for the now announced "Season 2". Lala, MDL member, posted a link to the translation of "Chatty Lady" | And DenizZz, other MDL member, started a Discussion with downloadable links to the original "The Early Spring" novel. You can also read a translation online here "with the extra chapters" linked by noveladdict MDL member. (click on links to read them) |
Taking the side of the morally offended, drama vlogger AvenueX had, unsurprisingly (she is known to hate 1/idol actors, despite Jǐng Bórán has not reached firmly that level yet, and 2/everything that can be targeted by woke or sjw standards, so to her, she saw only insufferable "gaslighting" from end to where she dropped watching! 3/ if she can rant against a drama, she unapologetically does so, and does not come back to correct her stance even when her first impressions were based on negative social media readings. She always does have some points though, and for the dramas she does like, such as the first Joy of LIfe drama, her video reviews can be very enlightening.)
An excerpt of AvenueX's scathing assessment : well, she has no patience for much in C-dramaland, these days, anyway, and prefers to play and comment about video games ! But she has an influence on some international audience, and she has a point when she warns that young people (14+) better should not be led to believe this drama is realistic or a role model! ....Should they altogether avoid the harsh advertising industry even when they think it is a glamorous creative job, because they could DIE!? Many jobs are terrifyingly competitive nowadays, and there have been widespread reports of people dying in banking, construction, teaching, healthcare, security (bomb squads..), entertainment (burnout, depression, addictions...), telecommunications, AI, computer and IT related jobs - even in the Early Spring, that's what happens to one likable character! Besides, it is a fact that "office romance" especially between a superior and his/her subordinate can be construed as "disgusting harassment" and lead to job termination.
But it is a frequent trope in TV series, movies, and novels. Like for Clint Eastwood, with a wicked glint in his eyes in his heyday, taunting criminals with his famous "Make My Day! punk!" in the old Inspector Harry movies, TV series should not be construed too much as role models, even when some quotes can be funny or deeper take-outs for those who let themselves be carried away or fantasize about the fictional situation.
One of the reasons for the attraction may have been the impeccable sense of fashion brought by Jǐng Bórán who deliberately contributed over 120 pieces of clothing. It even briefly sparked a new trend of "office wear" fashion! And one fun way of characterizing the drama was the fashion display, shown in one of the many interviews : |
Note: Jǐng Bórán is famous for being well-dressed. He has an extensive wardrobe, into which his long time friend Bái Jìngtíng 白敬亭 often comes to borrow items! His reputed girlfriend / wife or wife-to-be Liú Wén 刘雯, born 27 January 1988, is incidentally considered as China's first supermodel. She stays in support of Jǐng Bórán 's work.
Interview: Why Is The Early Spring a Global Hit? Jǐng Bórán Says It’s “Like Jeans”—Timeless! |
In addition to her acting career, Sūn Qiān is recognized as a model and brand ambassador. . Her personal style is described as "effortless French chic" – minimalist basics mixed with a cool, sweet edge – which is cited as a key reason for her having been named brand ambassador for the French fashion house Celine. Her modeling work includes participating in Paris Fashion Week (in which she represented the Spanish luxury brand Balenciaga) and being featured in renowned magazines such as Elle and Cosmopolitan. In 2026, she was named ambassador for the Chinese skincare brand Fuerjia , and for the South Korean sportswear brand Fila.
In the drama, Dài Yánbīng (戴言冰) was credited as the overall styling director leading a team responsible for the female characters (Jǐng Bórán supervised the male design .She designed the outfits, to fit the real situation of ordinary Beijing migrant girls who want to maintain a decent job but have a limited budget when they first enter the workplace. So, Shàng Zhītáo starts wearing a fake Polo Ralph Lauren in episode 1 ( she and production explained on her Weibo account that was "bought by my mom at a mall back home" and a deliberate choice for realism): the detail was praised by netizens for breaking the floating routine of urban dramas “poor people covered with big brands”. Therefore, Shàng Zhītáo refused the limited edition Hermès bag that Luán Niàn had bought for her in episode 5, but preferred mass market outfits, soft backpacks or tote bags s,or ready to wear accessible pieces (such as the Maija Women's Asymmetrical Shoulder Fitted T- in ep.23 timestamp 30:00 , until the end episodes, in which does wear a Celine Triomphe line outfit (cable nit cardigan on the chair, bag on the side shelf) after having started with simple wear or and a Michael Kors inspired bag. But along with time and growth, her style shifts away from simple polo shirts and basic knits into more distinct, contemporary designer workplace (such as the cardigan from London based Self-Portrait) | |||
My opinion on the attraction and harsh rejection opposing factions here :
Despite the quick rise to fame, the drama polarized audience between two factions. The romance lovers and fans of the leads admired the impeccable fashion sense of the boss, and the spiky, yet sweet interaction between the leads, smoothed by the innovation of the "relationship coordinator". This led them on an emotional roller-coaster that went from lows to highs and back again in the yearning to resolve deep seated contradictions.
In the opposing camp, were on the one hand those who just hated the "constant gas-lighting" of the "patriarchal" dominant CEO, whom they dismissed with harsh words for being "like the BDSM male" type like in the novel and movie 50 Shades of Grey, adding that the drama portrayed unrealistically the advertisement industry. Very few found a middle ground: this acknowledged adult drama is either hated or loved.
The younger audiences, together with those formatted by the notions of PC behavior, and more aggressive in their "social justice warrior" stance, could not find any redeeming trait in the story, despite the case built by those who chose to assume the role of the Defense lawyers against the Prosecutors who agitated for trial by mob and swift hanging and quartering of the "offenders" to preserve the modern mores. The contradictions reached deep into the audience's views, making them take sides as if in a war, throwing lowest ratings in lieu of bombs to drag down the efforts of those, production crew and cast, who dared to have taken part in the project ! Cinematography was not enough to erase the sin of not showing a relatable and uplifting role model in love or work ethics. Both leads were judged as guilty, one for being a boorish prick, the other for being too meek despite her ambition but also cold-hearted and selfishly erasing her tender feelings to emulate her "master" and mentors.
But given the undeniable flaws of these characters, the antis chose to disregard how the ML tried to overcome the rules of workplace interaction and of class upbringing, to correct his idiosyncratic bluntness and not lose the person who'd touched his heart in a fated way. Or the adversaries chose to disregard the FL as a villain with no pity for the man who had saved her time and again from illness, drunken stupor from carelessness, and traps big and small on her way up the corporate ladder, to claim "equality" with him. It is always easier to nitpick than to praise, and fact was that the ML was "a handful" in spite of his shrewd and fair assessment of situations and people in business setting.
As an emotional virgin, who had shut himself away in a fortress of cold loneliness, Luán Niàn had no clue about the hurt he could inflict with his clumsy reactions. Why would a woman be embarrassed by lavish gifts of bags and offers of rides to save her from sleep deprivation, or from the foul weather, when she had willingly accepted and even demanded a "hidden dating on weekends only" "with benefits", to keep working on her career ? Why would she bring a furry creature to be loved by both and next, take it away for years ? Was it possible to see through the dark and thick coat of the older character, and find seeds of joyful sharing and spontaneity?
The drama shows the trials and errors and their cost, despite the sensual commitment, before both grow to resolve their differences and peace is achieved after long strife and reluctant conquests. But it may not be interpreted that way by all : opposing factions will remain camping each on their battlements. It is somewhat encouraging that the vast majority still seems to like the drama and the skills of actors.
Jiejie pinned a Discussion about Flora's changing feelings for Luke in their 10 years + relationship as dramatized in The Early Spring. |
Link to my own Review, posted after first watch of the drama. |
Link back to Table of Contents Last updated 2026-10-26
THE EARLY SPRING - The Music
Peachey Blossom already posted her versions of the MVs with lyrics, pinyin and translations to enjoy the songs, below the"full OST" MV (see also the Discussion item about the music). dellutgerysallut also posted Indonesian translations for the OST song lyrics in this Discussion.
The drama has ten music tracks, as noted on the Baidu drama page ( data condensed in 3 columns to stay readable on a phone; highlighted names lead to more info)
歌曲名称 / Song title | 演唱 / Singer | 作词 / Lyricist 作曲 / Componist | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
主题曲 Opening Theme song | Wāng Sūlóng aka "Silence Wang". The ethnic Manchu pop singer and songwriter made his debut in 2010, and now he has published 5 albums. | Lyrics written and music composed by Wāng Sūlóng aka "Silence Wang". | ||
栾念人物曲/ 片头曲 Luán Niàn's Character Song / Opening Theme Song | The king of OST songs and also a famous actor | Lyrics written and music composed by 禹嫣 Yǔ Yān She is also a singer and songwriter | ||
深情限定曲/片尾曲 Limited-edition sentimental track / Ending theme song | Yuán Yàwéi (akaTia Ray) She started as background singer for other Chinese singersin 2004 before becoming a famous R&B singer including many OST songs | Lyrics written and music composed by 禹嫣 Yǔ Yān | ||
都市暖心曲/插曲 Heartwarming urban song /Insert song | Born in Chengdu, Sichuan. She is a former member of 2018-2020 Rocket Girls 101 (火箭少女101) | Lyrics written by 高小娴 Gāo Xiǎoxián, &张子涵 Zhāng Zǐhán and music composed by 张子涵 Zhāng Zǐhán | ||
雪花小姐》 尚之桃人物曲/插曲 Shang Zhitao's Character Song /Insert Song | A singer from Běijīng she graduated from Tsinghua University in 2008, and from Berklee College of Music with a master's degree in music management. | Lyrics written and music composed by 禹嫣 Yǔ Yān | ||
/唯你似光》 逐光曲/插曲 Song of Chasing Light / Insert Song |
a female singer who sang theme songs for 8 dramas since 2025 | Lyrics written and music composed by 丁嘉昱@灼梦Studho | ||
/你该知道 氛围曲/插曲 Ambiance track / Insert song |
Actor and singer who debuted through the iQiyi idol competion" Idol Producer" in 2018 | Lyrics written and music composed by 李长庚 Lǐ Chánggēng PS "ember eyes" instead of "amber eyes" | ||
孙远翥人物曲/插曲 Sūn Yuǎnzhù's Character theme song / Insert song | Born in Hángzhōu in 2000 and co-founder of the female group SIS in 2020. She has acted in two dramas in support roles, and sung some OST songs such as this one | Lyrics written and music composed by 禹嫣 Yǔ Yān | ||
拉扯曲/插曲 Song of Conflict / Insert Song | Wèi Bì 未必 A female singer who released her first songs in 2026 | Lyrics written by Jǐng Tā 景她 and music composed by 蝉悠 Chán Yōu | ||
故事曲/插曲 Story Song / Insert Song | Wèi Bì 未必 A female singer who released her first songs in 2026 | Lyrics written by Jǐng Tā 她 and music composed by 小吴太太 Xiǎo Wú tàitài |
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