Be Not Meant to Be (2025)

It Should Have Been...Meant to be Better

Everyone knows I love me some Dai Gao Zheng. I am so happy to see him back in a familiar drama unlike the last one which did nothing for me. He is looking so fine and yes, we get to see that famous chest and abs. And kissing….this man can kiss ok?

This drama started out good but after the seventh episode, they change direction which wasn't necessary. You feel let down for what you thought it could or should have been.

The FL (Li Mo Zhi aka Ye Nan Zhao) is “killed” by her husband because he wants a better life in society. He has his side chick Lu Wen Yin. She was tired of being the side chick, so she tells Lin Chi Shu that he needs to man up and get rid of his wife, Ye Nan Zhao. He decides to make Ye Nan Zhao look like she is going to commit suicide. He forgets his daughter is there. She tries to stop her father only to get pushed, hit her head and dies. In the process knocks over a candle, a fire starts. Lin Chi Shu races out and leaves both of them, thinking the fire was going to take care of everything. As fate should intervene, the rope that he used started to burn and Ye Nan Zhao was released.

Vowing to get her husband for losing her daughter and trying to kill her, she makes her way down the road to file a report to the police, but a vehicle pulls up. The man tells her that she shouldn’t be walking on the road because it was raining and he would give her a ride. She accepts the ride only to be placed in the back of the truck with other females…she is being abducted!

Waking up she finds herself, along with the other females on a boat, headed out to Nanyang. The women all begin to scream as they see a female is dead. All the women know who it is. They blamed her for trying to seduce the men while they tried to escape and are happy she got what she deserved. Ye Nan Zhao goes over to the woman lying there, covers her up but not before seeing a butterfly tattoo and that she looked like her.

Everyone hears a gunshot topside. You hear footsteps and here, all in black walking in the rain, ML (Dai Gao Zheng aka Lu Zhou) second-in-command of the Qinglong Society. He tells them that they have abducted women for human trafficking and that is inappropriate. Yep, fight happens. Lu Zhou is killing guys left and right until he goes below to find the “second madam.” You got it. Ye Nan Zhao who is replacing the “second madam.” Why, because she looks like her.

Seeing Lu Zhou, she walks over to him…you know she had to pass out in his arms. Who wouldn’t? That fine man I would too. Anyway, Ye Nan Zhao wakes up in the Lu residence with Lu Zhou acting friendly towards her calling her stepmother. She rapidly looks around the room and spots the portrait on the wall. She immediately begins to assess the situation. Lu Zhou grabs her by the throat. Startling Ye Nan Zho. Until he starts telling her to stop the “act” she is putting on because he was not buying it. Recalling to her how she tried to frame him for a relationship with him. Knowing the situation was dire, she grabs a hairpin and stabs herself in the arm as she hears the master of the house call her name...Bai Shuang Shuang.

Master Lu comes in and berates Lu Zhou until everyone just leaves. Telling Hong Du to get her ready. Not understanding but deciding she just needs to get out of there she follows Hong Du only to find out that she is to attend a wedding. Thinking this is the perfect opportunity to slip out without anyone seeing her, firecrackers go off which causes her to turn around. Through the haze of the smoke, she sees a familiar figure in wedding attire on a horse. It was none other than her husband, Li Chi Shu. Say what? Oh, she wasn’t leaving now. It was time to stir things up. And that's what she did.

Li Chi Shu had to serve a cup of tea to his stepmother, the look on his face was absolutely priceless when he saw it was his wife, Ye Nan Zhao. Oh, you know it was on. Talk about nervous wreck. Hands shaking, he could barely even look at her. She then spilled the tea on him, saying her hand slipped. Watching all of this exchange was Lu Zhou.

Li Chi Shu goes to change. After coming out Ye Nan Zhao follows him with a knife. This is the best part seriously. He turns around and confronts her knowing that she is not Bai Shuang Shuang. He tests her to verify her identity by mentioning their daughter…Nan Nan. Feeling all the fury of the loss of their daughter, he never saw what was coming next. She slapped him not once, not twice, but girlfriend went for seven times until he fell almost on the ground. He was about to draw out his gun until he saw Lu Zhou standing in the archway.

Ye Nan Zhao started berating him for being disrespectful to her. Of course, Li Chi Shu had to apologize because of Lu Zhou was standing there. As she walked by Lu Zhou started questioning her. Snatched her up and threw her up against the wall. He told her that she could only die at his hand. She told him whatever she owed him she would pay him back. He showed her his scars. She took the knife and cut herself. He looked at her like she was crazy and told her to stop acting pitiful. But after that moment, you could see he was starting to question who she was.

Hong Du, the little maid becomes her ally after Ye Nan Zhao saw how Steward Li treated her. Ye Nan Zhao decided to trust Hong Du and tell her everything. Hong Du readily agrees and tells her about the individuals at the Lu residence and about Bai Shuang Shuang life there.

- Lu Songyan – Head of the Lu family. Master Lu had tuberculosis and his health was deteriorating. He neglected the first madam and lavished all his affection on Bai Shuang Shuang. Dotes solely on the second madam. He would be her greatest shield in the house.
- Yan Tinglan – First madam.
- Lu Zhuo – Eldest son, not related to Lu Wen Yin. His mother was the former First Madam of the Lu residence.
- Lu Wen Yin – Eldest daughter.

She finds out the rift between Bai Shuang Shuang and Lu Zhou stems from three years ago when she complained to Master Lu, that he tried to force himself on her out of lust. Master Lu was furious and expelled Lu Zhou from the Lu residence. It wasn’t true of course. Bai Shuang Shuang tried to seduce Lu Zhou to keep him as her back up plan because she knew Master Lu’s health was deteriorating. He refused her. And you got it, she framed him. After Master Lu expelled him, he went to the Qinglong Society and became second-in-command.

Meanwhile Lin Chi Shu is tripping because of seeing Ye Nan Zhao. He is now trying to think of how to get her back. And the next day, he thinks he does…but again, not in his favor.

At breakfast, Lin Chi Shu tells Master Lu that he made a trip to the Fushou Temple to request a vegetarian meal. But he knows that Ye Nan Zhao is allergic to shrimp, so he gets them filled with shrimp using the guise that Lu Wen Yin told him that the second madam loves shrimp, the most. Of course, she has to eat it because she is being pushed by everyone at the table too. She manages one but to eat another one would be too much. She had to think of a plan and fast. She slaps him. I know another one. Standing up she accuses Lin Chi Shu of putting shumai which contains sweet rice wine. Claiming rice wine contained alcohol and didn’t he know that Master Lu had tuberculosis and he couldn't have alcohol. Yeah, she was getting him good again. She told him that he didn’t want Master Lu to get better and he was trying to harm him.

Again, she turned the tables on him. He was so mad. But meanwhile she needed to leave because she was having an allergic reaction to the shrimp. Of course, Master Lu praised her for her sharp eye. But she just wanted to leave. Lu Wen Yin jumped in to defend but Master Lu wasn’t hearing any of it and left. So, now this give Ye Nan Zhao time to get out of there and get her medicine. I mean she is running. Gets to the room and Lu Zhou has her medicine. He won’t give it to her. She falls into his arm, he sees her reaction and wait, he had to take it first and kiss her to make her take it. What a shame right?

After that encounter, Lu Zhou goes to get a beat down at the society. He is just frustrating about the kiss and his reaction to her. Because he knows something is off about Bai Shuang Shaung. This is where you get to see him the second time shirtless. You also get to see him on horseback too. So worth it. Just sayin.

Here goes Lin Chi Shu again, trying to rattle Ye Nan Zhao. It just keeps going with him. He "attempts" to set her up by saying he was rehearsing a new play with Steward Li’s niece. Oh, and he went there again talking about their daughter Nan Nan. He just kept goading her until, you guessed it, she snapped. She picked up the stick he dropped and beat his ass! He screamed at Steward Li to go get Master Lu because she had lost her mind. Well, she pretty much did because he kept talking about their daughter. But she hit a nerve with him because she told him he was useless and was a plagiarizer. He thought he had her again but what did she do…she handed him back the stick. Dummy that he was. Made it look like he pushed her with the stick so that she fell into the lake. He got busted again.

Now, it is Lu Wen Yin's turn to slap him because she has had enough. He told her that Ye Nan Zhao was not Bai Shuang Shuang but his wife that he tried to kill. She tells him not to do anything that she will handle it. You know he doesn't listen. He decides to devise a plan to get her in public. He wants her to get caught in the room with another man. He has two guys get her and put her in a room. But you know our man, Lu Zhou is there and see her going up the stairs. He knows something is up. He goes looking for her. They gave her an aphrodisiac. She at least is a fighter and fought the men off. She gets away as they chase her. Lu Zhou is in the hall; she asks him for help.

He gets her into a room, and he realizes she is drugged. She grabs his belt, and she continues to ask him to help her. She asks him to hit her as she ties herself up. He asks her is this the way she seduces a man. Pushing him away she tells him that Lin Chi Shu set her up. He drugged her because he wants to harm her. She didn’t want to lose control and drag him down with her that is why she tied herself up. Chilling, Lu Zhou is having a cigarette as Ye Nan Zhao wakes up. He asks her who she is. She tells him right now, she was Bai Shuang Shuang. As they are having the conversation, here comes Master Lu to the room. He can't get in because it is locked. Hong Du was told by A'Wen (Lu Zhou's man) that both of them are in the room. They cannot get caught. In the room, Lu Zhou pulls Ye Nan Zhao onto his lap. Threatens her until she says she needs "this" identity to stay in the Lu residence. Just as Master Lu puts the key in, Ye Nan Zhao opens the door and says she had a headache. Goes in and finds no one there but become suspicious after seeing two wine glasses and marks on her shoulders.

Naturally she had a counterplan. She let Master Lu believe someone was trying to hurt her at the residence. After the guy from the residence wouldn’t talk, Ye Nan Zhao ask for Master Lu to give him to her. She knew it was Lin Chi Shu, but she just needed for him to say it. He wouldn’t so she gave him poison knowing that Lin Chi Shu was watching. This was a set up for her final takedown.

Since Lin Chi Shu had failed so miserably to get rid of Ye Nan Zhao, Lu Wen Yin told Lin Chi Shu she was stepping in to handle her. But she felt they should wait until after his play opening. Bad move on their part. Before she does her last go round with Lin Chi Shu, Ye Nan Zhao meets with Lu Zhou to make peace by giving him a rosewood trinket which said, “peace.” This was to thank him for helping her with her situation but to also say goodbye.

It all goes down at the theater. The title of the play "The Execution of Chen Shimei." Lin Chi Shu got drugged by Ye Nan Zhao and only she had the antidote. He remembered what he saw when she gave the guy at the residence poison, and he was having the same reaction. He immediately went after her. She leads him on a chase throughout the theater until they are backstage. As the curtain opens, she goads him to stabbing her and Lu Zhou shoots him…dead.

After the husband gets killed this is where I feel the story just went off track. Once they got rid of him what was left for her to even be there. She could have left the residence free and clear. But she ends up staying.

Some highlights of what happens later:
- Liu Yanni, daughter of Tie Shanhu expected to marry Lu Zhou. Dreaming. He cancels her out.

- Lu Zhou's godfather, Tie Shanhu, Leader of Qinglong Society makes him take three cuts and six holes because he wants to not only leave the society but annul the engagement with Liu Yanni to marry Ye Nan Zhao. He also sells Lu Zhou out to Yan Jinxing.

- Lu Wen Yin snaps after Lin Chu Shu her husband dies.
She tries to kill Ye Nan Zhao in the hospital.
She further goes crazy after everyone finds out how she conspired with her husband to murder his wife Ye Nan Zhao and their daughter.
Master Lu dies because she won't give him his medication. First madam is in on it.
Kidnaps Ye Nan Zhao and buries her alive.
Kidnaps Ye Nan Zhao who tries to kill her again. Tells her that all the poems that Lin Chi Shu wrote were done by her. She further lost it. Lu Zhou saved her, and Yan Jinxing was there too.
Kidnaps both Ye Nan Zhao and Lu Zhou.

- Yan Jinxing, Governor General of Nan City comes in to help Lu Wen Yin and First Madam to take care of Lu Zhou. He is also the catalyst to break up Ye Nan Zhao and Lu Zhou.
He knows that she was a twin. Bai Shaung Shaung since he grew up with her as a child.

- Lu Zhou
Told that Ye Nan Zhao drowned saving him. Not true, she made a deal with Yan Jinxing that she would go with him if he didn’t kill him.
Goes back to how he was after he finds out she is “supposedly” dead.
Marries her portrait because he would marry no other woman but her.
Saves Ye Nan Zhao again and ends up having amnesia after saving her. Does not remember her. Told he may never get those memories back.

-Ye Nan Zhao
Sacrifices to save Lu Zhou and be with Yan Jinxing.
Told by Yan Jinxing that Lu Zhou was married.
Finds out about what happen to her and her sister Bai Shaung Shaung and who is her real father.
Reconciles with Lu Zhou but he does not remember her. She fights to help him remember.

I have to say the romantic arch of Ye Nan Zhao and Lu Zhou is sweet. It was enjoyable. But again, after the husband dies, it just went off track. I also didn't like how they took Ye Nan Zhao from being so fierce and strong to being this weak woman. I wanted to see her fight back, but she really didn’t when she gave into Yan Jinxing.

It was definitely a much better watch from his last one I saw "Destiny Switch." The writers need to be stronger and Dai needs better scripts. The last ones are just not cutting it.

Enjoyable watch but I believe it was meant to be better.

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The Absurdity Will Make You Laugh

The show is not great to be honest and the acting lackluster but this drama made me laugh a lot simply because of how ridiculous situations get. I have given it a 7 just because I was entertained. Just not in the way it was intended. If you need to uplift your mood, watch this for the heck of it.

The writer decided to throw every possible trope into this. Abusive husband, dead child, twin sister, step-mother step-son relationship, concubine, a ML that just won't die, childhood friend, buried alive, drowning, forced kisses, revenge, phobia, kidnapping, blindness, amnesia, attempted rape, death of a parent, death of a sibling, etc etc.

The supporting cast even asks the male lead why he won't do a common sense thing and then exclaims, " The scriptwriter won't allow it". 😆 I wish the whole drama actually did some tongue-in-cheek breaking the fourth wall type of stuff so that it was more obvious that they are going to extremes on purpose. It would have become more enjoyable.

For the most part I enjoyed it but I was just a bit annoyed towards the end. I had had enough with these pop-up villains. I actually raised the rating from 6.5 to 7 because the FL gives her evil husband a good beating and her revenge idea was actually interesting. If only there was more of that version of the FL till the end.

In any case, it was a quick watch. I wouldn't recommend it as such but if you do watch it, try to enjoy the silliness of it all rather than taking it too seriously.

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