FM_dramas

My comment had a more generic value, seeking to give an idea of ​​the different contexts in which such familiar expressions were used in Chinese culture. And I wasn't denying anything!
In this drama, it's justifiable that they present themselves as brother and sister, since their parents live together, making this form of address simpler in front of others, without giving complicated explanations about the family, in addition to the fact that in the minds of children and teenagers, relationships are more natural and easier to name.
As for the romantic premise - love between close friends/neighbors or between foster siblings (in this case, if that relationship doesn't come from birth and has a limited time, with separation in between), I don't see anything problematic. I can talk about many real cases, including my own.
For me, CEO-employee relationships are much more complicated, because in real life they are not so romantic, based on a power relationship and often abusive (the scene of secretary Kim tying her boss's tie is paradigmatic of this dangerous romanticization), with a lot of infidelity. I also consider the glorification of alcoholism in many dramas to be far more serious—aspects that people rarely discuss and that destroy so many lives.

What I'm about to say has already been said by many, but I'll reiterate it because there's still some "indignation" about the fact that the characters address each other as "brother"/"sister." If I give any incorrect information, please correct me because I'm not Chinese and I don't know Chinese culture well.
In Mandarin, "Gege" means "older brother." Have you noticed how the actors address each other on variety shows? We only hear "Gege" or "Ge" everywhere! And also, of course, "Didi" - younger brother; "Méimei" - younger sister; and Jiějie - older sister.
In Chinese culture, these terms mark the respect and affection used in the family, but they are also frequently used in everyday life among close friends or as an affectionate term for someone older or younger. Thus, they are expressions used not only for biological relationships, but are terms used in everyday life, also marking a certain age hierarchy. For example, if I meet a girl younger than my son, I'll tell my son to call her "mèimei".
So, when in C-dramas, characters call each other "brother" or "sister", it doesn't mean they have biological ties. We must take into account the context in which they speak. And there's no mistake! And this even happens in many countries when we address our friends as "bro," for example.

Netflix is ​​the world's largest streaming company and has subscribers on five continents, and Viki also has a large reach in terms of audience for Asian dramas.
Chinese dramas like "Hidden Love," "The First Frost," and "Pursuit of Jade" were as successful because they premiered on Netflix and reached many people who were even unaware of the existence of Chinese productions.
Let's not forget that there are many people who refuse, perhaps for convenience, to use platforms other than Netflix.
So, yes, "Never-Ending Summer" would have been a worldwide hit if it had been shown on Netflix (or at least Viki). But, as happened with "When I Fly Towards You," after seeing its huge success, perhaps they will still add this drama to their catalog.

A drama that wasn't streamed on Netflix or Viki, and yet it was still a hit!

Let me share my experience: "Love Between Fairy and Devil" was one of my first C-dramas, and I really enjoyed it. In the meantime, "Love You Seven Times" premiered, and a dirty campaign against this drama began, undoubtedly carried out by the Esther Yu's and "Love Between Fairy and Devil"'s fandoms, to the point where Ding Yu Xi and Yang Chao Yue cried publicly. I have this image of him kneeling and her on the sofa crying because of how attacked they were in a live stream. It was such an ugly campaign that it influenced the success of this drama, affecting the enjoyment of its viewing, not giving a minute of peace. I read comments on the LYST MDL page from fans of Esther You and LBFAD rejoicing that this drama was not successful. I don't know if they deleted the comments or not, but I read them.
Being a European fan of C-dramas myself, I was so negatively impressed that I started avoiding Esther Yu's dramas (besides LBFAD, I had also watched "Moonlight", which I also enjoyed).
Honestly, these malicious campaigns, wishing for the failure of others, give a very bad image, create a bad atmosphere and indignation, and some repulsion against the actor/actress, all of that caused by his/her own fans.
LET THESE TWO DRAMAS DEFEND THEMSELVES AND HAVE THE SUCCESS THEY DESERVE.

I love "Are You the one"!

Chinese dramas don't have to be compared to Korean dramas. Why do Korean dramas have to be the model to follow?
I like that they are different - the pace, the Chinese way of telling a story, more attentive to detail, more sensitive, giving time to the development of the characters, appeals to me.

Honestly, I really liked your comment and the clear way you explain the problem. And that's exactly it. Thank you.
Having dealt with someone's suicide, I can only say that this situation is so painful, it creates such a feeling of guilt in us – "if I had been there I would have prevented it," "Why didn't I go to dinner with him when he invited me?"... – that families often don't want to publicly admit this type of death. There are religious reasons, guilt, a feeling of dishonoring their loved one, social stigma... That's why I understand that in many cases of suicide, the cause of death is not disclosed, and this happens in the East as it does in the West. There is also a social issue: the fear of imitation, leading to a greater or lesser degree of self-regulation or censorship, which provokes great speculation and conspiracy theories.

Part of the problem is those who spend their time devastating the private lives of deceased actors and their families, creating conspiracy theories and believing in fake news, contributing nothing to solving the problem, instead continuing to be manipulated and getting involved in nothing.
Perhaps we should be healthier as fans, not idolizing artists, and not letting them quickly fall into oblivion, leading them to deep depressions. And yes, we should respect real people and their suffering

I apologize, but it was you who actually brought this whole discussion to this page. And people have to respond because they are outraged by so much disrespect and insensitivity. You have already started spreading your poison of conspiracy theories, disrespecting the death of a human being.
And I wasn't just talking about artificial intelligence, as you know. But for your information, artificial intelligence started to become widespread from 2022 onwards, and YML died in 2025.

Excuse me, but you can think for yourself without spending your time writing about conspiracy theories and without any respect for the deceased and the family's grief. What interest do you have in knowing about Jin Ze's life and death? Why so much interest? This only serves to create speculation, which you are already doing. In a way, it's no different from village gossips, only on a more global level.

What's your interest in "finding out"?! What's the goal? Please respect people's pain. I don't know if you've ever experienced such sad moments, moments of remembrance, moments when we fought or hurt each other, moments when we should have asked for forgiveness, moments when we remained silent when we should have spoken to each other... .
The family has a right to silence and privacy. It's terrible to see your loved one being talked about on the internet and their lives commented on by nosy and insensitive people.

The family asks for respect for their grief over the loss of a loved one (and we don't know the process, we don't know the anguish, the suffering in life, what was left unsaid, the hugs that were left ungiven...),

"Misinformed people"?!! Misinformed people are those who cannot differentiate between manipulated or AI-generated videos and reliable sources; misinformed people are those who believe everything that little-known channels or those clearly with an agenda publish without verifying the information; misinformed people are those who read a "news" story about Yu Meng Long on one channel and then that same channel publishes another one on the same subject that is completely illogical and contradictory, and they believe everything! Misinformed people are those who watch a 2021 video of Liu Yuning crying on a television program because a contestant had been eliminated, and swear that he is crying over the death of Yu Meng Long.
Misinformed people are those who cannot differentiate between reality and fiction, and demand justice for Yu Meng Long without knowing the truth and without ever caring about him while he was alive.

I followed the news of Yu Meng Long's death. And it's frightening how people let themselves be manipulated by videos and images generated by artificial intelligence and how blindly they believe everything that aligns with what they want to hear, with their beliefs. Somewhat obscure channels used every possible lie, narratives that contradicted each other, for example, they posted a 2021 video of Liu Yuinng crying, saying that he was crying over YML's death, and thousands of people believed it!
And those who are out there writing about justice for Yu Meng Long didn't even know the actor, nor did they EVER care about the REAL PERSON and his health problems, nor do they know ANYTHING about the circumstances of his death!
They should leave these fictitious internet outrages and fights for justice and worry more about the people around them, contributing to healthy and meaningful lives.

You only show your fears and consider all scenarios when it comes to China. When the actors/singers are from other countries, you remain silent.
I was taught to respect the pain of others and to always remember that there are people suffering from the death of a loved one.
Speculating and "considering all possible scenarios" only reveals a lack of consideration for people and a morbid, unhealthy curiosity that needs to be fed through speculation and fake news.

Stop politicizing and blaming the Chinese government for these unfortunate deaths and look at your own country, where young actors/singers have probably also died. Unfortunately, the death of actors/singers for various reasons is quite common in the entertainment industry. The USA, UK, South Korea, and Japan are countries where young singers and actors die every year. Why don't you blame those governments?

It's interesting to note how differences in treatment between cultures lead to misunderstandings. I've been following Asian entertainment for a few years now and I've become accustomed to forms of address that normally refer to blood ties, but which are used to mark the socio-affective closeness/intimacy between people who, although not related by kinship, have strong bonds of friendship. So let's rest easy because Qing Ye and Xing Wu are not related: in China, as in the vast majority of societies, sexual involvement and marriage between blood relatives and relatives by marriage is taboo and considered incestuous.
And, if we pay attention, in most of our societies we also use words like "bro," "aunt," "cousin" in everyday language, in informal and more intimate social contexts. In the East, these words seem to be used in a more meaningful and serious way, indicating deeper bonds. But I've noticed that "ge ge" is used, in many contexts, in a way identical to "bro" in the West.

I read your comment and decided to do a brief "investigation," looking for older and more recent images of Ci Sha, and I don't see any difference in his facial structure. He might just be a little thinner...

Episode 14 made me cry, which rarely happens to me when I watch dramas. But the mother-child relationship is so vital and powerful... And let me say: tell your parents you love them, verbalize that love, act in love, and don't let hurt and resentment control you.