From what I’ve heard, Sun Yuanzhu was based on the author’s friend - it really happened,
That and the pandemic made many more people aware of life's limits (30,000 days at most, she said!!) and the dark maelstrom of depression, as lethal as a glacier sliding into mud tsunami (thoughts and respect to the victims and bereaved in the August 26 catastrophe which even caused a postponement of drama awards)..
No, Luke's apartment building was in Linked Hybrid, shown both from outside and inside in the drama. The general…
You are RIGHT ! The name was etched into the glass panels when Shang Zhitao exited Luan Nian's dark lair in episode 5 after her drunken night and (almost classic vertical drama style) ravishing by the "dark lord" 😂.
BUT there was a time conundrum. Before exiting the lobby, a voice piped the weather forecast for that exceptionally non humid Saturday... April 12, 2013. That's when the mind boggling powers of our Luan Nian Dark Prince (second only to Lucifer) were revealed : he could not always tweak Shang Zhitao's stubborn resolve to set work first and hide sentiments away. But he could modify time strands and shift to parallel universe where the residence existed like today already before 2013! In our reality, the previously abandoned buildings of the early 2000s were transformed and commissioned for renovation and transformation not before 2016 and marketed to clients only in 2023 (listed on Nouvel's own site as "Vanke Beijing Beixiaoying Project"). 😁
In 2013 our times, the architectural project had not even started drafting! (Wondering why production let out that they chose NAVA as key location, despite showing repeatedly the stills and skyway timelapses of Linked Hybrid building inaugurated in 2006 and fitting the dark color themes). Logic is sometimes difficult to understand.
Incidentally, I could not find another NAVA building closer to the Lufthansa area on 3rd ring road: there is only this Beixiaoying address which is closer to the Olympic park and Bird's Nest on 4th ring road - and this is consistent with the road signs and the bus announcements, to travel to the metro line 5 station at Huixinxijie Beikou (惠新西街北口),which links to Tiantongyuan (Shang Zhitao's shared apartment residence area) in the drama.
Anyway, I've amended my review, with a note that the story has to be in a parallel universe where NAVA existed as today in 2013. 😁 - btw thanks for having read and liked that review!
I am starting a new Discussion piece on the drama page, about the filming locations and the interesting things and places there, to follow the production philosophy which was stated at time of shooting. I will perhaps make into a mini Companion piece to add to the list of those I committed 😂.. Will work more on it in the weekend !
Also looking forward to resume watch of the Miles Wei drama Blossom through the sky which I paused to wrap my notes about The Early Spring, and get sidetracked into writing another "tome" 🤣.
Elvis Han, Liu Xueyi, Johnny Huang, Xu Kai and may Liu yuning
All good actors + why not Lin Gengxin, Wallace Chung, William Chan... 🤩 If JBR had not been available, any certainly could have contributed something interesting, but let's be honest : in this drama Jing Boran literally owned the role to perfection. Chemistry, conflicted and sometimes dark aura, eyes play to rival Allan Ren's but steamy skinship and hot kisses like RJL avoids, and these impeccable clothes and styling choices JBR actively contributed to,as a bonus.
Jing Boran's take on the conflicted , foul mouthed 🌵advertising company boss managed to throw audience into opposing factions with those who could not take his ruthlessness and started flinging "toxic" and even "narcissist" labels among other PC objections (+ vocally clamoring this was not like K dramas 🙄), and those who thought this story was more realistic than most fairy tales and thus, more than just worth the watch 😇. Another actor might have made the drama blander and more forgettable.
The innovative addition to the crew of the "intimacy coordinator" 🥰 perhaps smoothed some tensions which actor pairs go through and rattle dramas where stand-offish tensions are not desirable. In the case of lesser experienced at such scenes Sun Qian, thanks to this support, the ambitious FL role shone as much as Jing Boran's remarkable previous pairing with not-shy Seven Tan in the second chance Road Home romance. Sun Qian will have gained a lot in her career thanks to this drama. She has visibly improved again, since her pairing with Johnny Huang in Love Song In Winter.
But we are not in vertical dramas where alternate casts tackle same story and lines so audience can choose their favorite (Wang Kaimu, Zhao Zhendong, Wang Nan etc). Nevertheless, even when these play "age gap older and wiser than Cinderella" classic drama stories of overbearing CEO falling for pretty employee, these short drama actors are still too young for a role like Luan Nian for whom JBR was in every respect a perfect fit. Besides, the plot was not as straightforward as those model stories and choosing a fashion brand ambassador like JBR added value to the drama.
In a lineup of my now numerous noticed Chinese actors poll, I would have chosen Jing Boran too 😂😂😂
Only downside of the drama?The sudden pop ups of AI generated landscape or drone images
There are many actual not AI generated landscape or cityscape views in the drama! Pop ups like these are used in many c-dramas and it is fun to recognize places one has been to, or have Google find the real stills. Virtually travelling again :) Not a downside at all.
Luke fans,This is the place he lived.😂https://beijing.maxviewrealty.com/apartment/nava-%E4%B8%87%E7%A7%91%E5%A4%A7%E9%83%BD%E4%BC%9A-7770.html
No, Luke's apartment building was in Linked Hybrid, shown both from outside and inside in the drama. The general interior color scheme of the apartment is dark, even with dark slate covered walls in the shower ; instead of white, the walls are painted in dun colors. Outside, it is a very dark grey building.
The Lufthansa quarter in Chaoyang is perhaps where the crew and cast stayed in serviced apartments, but I don't think it was what is shown in the drama which had dun or dark colored walls, no balcony or window patio looking to greenery but instead a rather forbidding cityscape.
Linked Hybrid, 北京当代MOMA), and Vanke Nava, Lufthansa are not at all in same parts of Beijing ; the first is in Dongzhimen of Dongcheng district off Second ring road ; the second is in Liangmaqiao quarter of Chaoyang district near Third Ring road near the embassies quarter and the high end Kempinski hotel, and close by are several residence buildings with serviced apartments towers where expats often live. Vanke Nava in Beijing is a high-end serviced apartment and residential compound located in the Lufthansa Area (CBD)
Construction of the Linked Hybrid complex began in 2003 and was completed in 2009, marking a turning point in Chinese architecture toward sustainable building practices. This project was among the first major residential developments in China to employ geothermal energy as a primary source for heating and cooling systems. It is a mixed-use residential complex in Beijing consisting of eight residential towers and one hotel tower. Standard apartments do not typically have individual balconies, but there are private roof gardens for penthouse units. The ground plan has greenery and garden, and even shops and a cinematheque.
As for interior views, though, both residences could match in layout and furnishings, only window and lighting would be different. I used to have acquaintances who lived in MOMA (but I did not take pictures, sorry).
They were so vague about it , I felt some people might not understand why her business began to struggle after…
Wasn't Lei the owner of the flat in Beijing, which he sold when SZT moved to Harbin ? I don't think he moved to Harbin : SZT's subordinate who helped with the new company was Fu Dong.
perhaps my attention flagged there. Sometime later, I will perhaps rewatch. Now, I am digesting the good ending and what memories I kept from the drama, which I liked despite the character's bumpy road to resolve their differences.
I did not look for evidence of how 2020 could have affected the characters, although of course I connected the dots when Tao mentioned she almost went broke and that digital media would be the next pivot for her business.
Sure, the pandemic did change the world for most people, including the fictional ones, although the burden was less in casualties but in psychological trauma caused by the preventative measures, resulting in temporary economic downturn in China. That time marker was well past, though, by the end of the story which is closer to our still turbulent time, in which other factors strike (linked to global warming accompanied by weather changes and instability of places that once only were seen as growing like the Everest).
I did not really notice a spray, but my attention briefly caught on her white face masked secretary. But since that was not really the focus of the drama, pictures and mentions did not insist.
Lovely drama which took us on a roller coaster of competing prides that looked like (despite the attachment they…
Luán Niàn and Shàng Zhītáo had already had a taste of honeymoon on their road trip together where Luán Niàn agreed to let go of his always impeccably dressed CEO persona to join her in cosplaying to please her, as Tibetan prince with her as his Chinese "princess Wencheng" in photographic match before the Potala palace. Shàng Zhītáo still kept too much for herself in episodes 20 -21 next, in which unforgivable words were uttered.
But the time apart finally led to correcting mistakes and cementing a match which had started when she first saw him in the airport in first episode and he became aware of a silly but surprisingly resilient "gosling" that he could not help wanting to protect until she grew into the proud "grus virgo" like bird that flies over the highest summits. (She reminded me of the impossibly driven demoiselle cranes seen in the opening sequence of the Qomolangma movie in which Jing Boran [accurate pinyin for his name is Jǐng Bǎirán but the actor's name is consistently romanized as Jing Boran ] played the role of the martyr photographer!) Despite the cuts and sometimes too conventional choices (in proposal for instance), I did not find the end too rushed, amused by the choice of an engagement ring that did not fit the finger perfectly and looked like it still was at risk to slide off ! (reminding of Shàng Zhītáo once commenting that she could slide on Luán Niàn's perfectly straight nose - one which still had a slight bump! )
I was also amused by the clownish disguise of the hairy Samoyed, somehow reminding of Huáng Zǐtāo 's bling bling marriage to Xú Yìyáng in October 2025, where the dogs brought the rings : although I assume the author did not consciously chose the Shàng Zhītáo name so close in pronunciation to that of the other celeb, and a choice of lavish flower display and "sentimental journey" for the proposal, it did tie in the drama with the broader celeb and c-drama culture, in a roundabout manner, getting back to the story of the real life CEO who wed his beloved after a long sentimental journey where friends and fans knew but did not tell... Will Jing Boran next tie the knot with top model Liú Wén once CP duty with "sister" Sūn Qiān is done, this will be seen in "next real life episode" perhaps? They all but confirmed officially in June 2025 that they indeed were not just strangers to each other ; but "the couple has reportedly not yet announced the good news to the public, as they wish to thoroughly plan their wedding before going public".
Now, I am continuing the pleasure through watching some videos which focus on how the actors played their role : interviews, the video about the "intimacy coordinator" innovation (Tsài Jiāyīn from Taiwan organized the sweet choreography), the "Easter eggs" spelling Love from the moment Shàng Zhītáo broke the L key on Luke's antique, fragile, typewriter and brought it back, repaired to the moment when Luán Niàn had it mounted as a gem to grace the necklace he gave her before the ring....
Admiring in retrospect how the seasons were conveyed in the drama that was filmed principally in Beijing from September 5, 2025 before moving to Harbin in November 2025 for winter scenes, using artificial snow due to insufficient natural snowfall (real Ice and Snow festival there coincides with January and February). Filming officially concluded on November 26, 2025 at Jīnlóng Mountain in Harbin, on which several key scenes were filmed (the mud slide, the climbing to the peak to watch the sunrise and tie red ribbons to a wishing tree, take group photos, also the supposed location of Luán Niàn's renovated mountain bar). The drama took us on real and virtual tours to the West of China beyond the desert of Gansu province, to Tibet, to the southern sultry cities around Guangdong, to Harbin, to many places in Beijing, notably skimming around the hideous slate grey compound named Linked Hybrid : a "prominent architectural development characterized by its distinctive grey, grid-patterned facades and sustainable design. Designed by Steven Holl Architects and completed in 2009, the 220,000 square-meter project is situated adjacent to the old city wall and comprises eight residential towers linked by skybridges".
This was the barren monk-like minimalist designed, if huge, apartment in which Luán Niàn had chosen to live with his huge fish tank in which the solitary white butterfly koi fish swam to the mirror like limits of the glass panels, until it got a more colorful mate once Shàng Zhītáo got entry to it. That first koi fish mirrored the cold, emotionally closed-off personality of its owner and the contradictions in the drama (koi fish are usually symbols of affluence and happiness in Chinese culture, not of loneliness and forbidding walls, sharp mouth, yearning for relief).
I am also continuing the pleasure through listening to the OST which is lovely : "You should know" caught the attention of everybody in audience when they first heard it in episode 4. It encourages to re-watch and admire the clues thrown in cleverly by the script and director, on the spiky road of the amorous journey to mutual surrender.
All in all a very satisfying watch for me, which stirred a lot of emotions, contradictory until contradictions were finally resolved. 10/10 for me (I am not stingy with rating when I like a drama.)
Lovely drama which took us on a roller coaster of competing prides that looked like (despite the attachment they both denied for long), even to go derailing when Luke acted like a possessive stalker from his car in ep.20 and escalated to (expected) breakup when they unawares hurt each other with sharpest words (Luke was unaware of his beloved's grief at losing a friend for a heavy reason, she thought he knew all along although she had not told him). But Luán Niàn made up for all his flaws, without losing his or her special sense of dignity on the way back on tracks. Shàng Zhītáo achieved her bucket wish list and tacitly agreed to let him share in it.
More in spoiler below (this will also serve as my review for that drama, which I'll give the title "Contradictions resolved by time on an arduous emotional journey") and generously extend a 10/10 rating (I am not stingy when I like a drama).
Seldom did I feel emotionally moved at a drama declaration like I did at XiaoZhen's end of episode 13 ! This was surprisingly well played. I was a bit worried about the two friends rationalizing to the point of belittling love as worthless and dubious obsession, even when admitting it is a gamble. This episode was rich in different forms of ending relationships and stumbling into new ones reluctantly or wholeheartedly. Ji Meihan who played XiaoZhen caught my attention there.
absolutely the styling is so fab! All characters are so well dressed. btw JBR was choosing costumes himself. he…
😂 Were these "all"? Do you mean that sweater was not branded?? Can't believe he'd have chosen a mommy knit one😂😂😂 btw, got pushed today a short video about JBR and his style choices : https://youtube.com/shorts/VojKZYcFddw
Some commentator mentioned he's got a top model wife or gf ? so checking online, my AI query returned this answer : "Liu Wen, is Jing Boran's girlfriend, and they are known for maintaining a private yet stable partnership, often supporting each other's careers. She is a globally renowned Chinese supermodel and Victoria's Secret Angel. The two have been in a long-term romantic relationship since approximately 2019, following their collaboration on a Chanel Qixi campaign. They confirmed it in December 2025."
Also, "Jing Boran has significant fashion endorsements and holds several high-profile brand ambassador roles. He is a Uniqlo global spokesmodel, a Shiseido brand spokesmodel, and a Chanel brand ambassador. He is also Global Brand Ambassador (since 2023) for Montblanc (pens, leather ware...)"
Nonetheless, it's clear that JBR's got his own style choices, very carefully thought through, and they contribute mightily to this drama.
I dug a little more into his apparent great friendship with Bai Jingting because of that YT short : "Jing Boran and Bai Jingting are close friends with a nearly 10-year bond. They first met in 2016 as cast members on the variety show Fighting Man (《我们战斗吧》) and have maintained a close relationship since. Their friendship is characterized by playful teasing and shared interests, particularly in fashion. Both actors stand at 183 cm tall, leading fans to nickname them the "183 Duo." They frequently joke about their wardrobes, with Bai Jingting known to playfully "take" clothes from Jing Boran’s closet, a dynamic that recently resurfaced during promotional events for Jing Boran’s drama The Early Spring." 😊
Just wondered about what kind of fandom group he is associated with and got from Cpophome that his is named "BabyFace(BBF)", color blue, and that he's currently got 24.4 million (2441.1万粉丝) fan followers on his Weibo social media. Not half bad...
I now realize I'd seen more of the drama and movies JBR appeared in than I initially thought: the Monster Hunt comedy movie franchise, the experimental Bazaar short featuring also WuLei, Z.Tao (who is another one in the 183cm gang) and Chen Feiyu in a somewhat vapid showcase, the Qomolangma movie (in which he stars alongside Zhang Ziyi, Jackie Chan, Hu Ge..), the Psychologist drama centering mostly on Yang Zi, the episode in which he stars in Faith Makes Great. Really taking belated proper notice in Road Home drama. Although I only focused at the time on filming locales and places mentioned for that drama in my short companion piece "where was this filmed" to add pictures of these wonderful places to visit: Hemu Village, Duku glass footbridge in Dushanzi. Rather than dwell on how good the actor looked in uniform as SWAT officer and anti-terror bomb specialist and how sizzling yet mature his romance with FL (played by Tan Songyun) was. But looking at the cast in The Early Spring, I was attracted, remembering precisely these moments of sweet and mature romance.
Yeah well, despite his gruff and incisive speech pattern in this role, I do like that actor: he's good at what he does and is a real eye candy ! I still have a few dramas and movie to catch up with in his filmography, one of which is overdue languishing in my tbw list: must tackle that one (maybe more) after TES 😊
2 
5 
1 
2 
1 
BUT there was a time conundrum. Before exiting the lobby, a voice piped the weather forecast for that exceptionally non humid Saturday... April 12, 2013.
That's when the mind boggling powers of our Luan Nian Dark Prince (second only to Lucifer) were revealed : he could not always tweak Shang Zhitao's stubborn resolve to set work first and hide sentiments away. But he could modify time strands and shift to parallel universe where the residence existed like today already before 2013! In our reality, the previously abandoned buildings of the early 2000s were transformed and commissioned for renovation and transformation not before 2016 and marketed to clients only in 2023 (listed on Nouvel's own site as "Vanke Beijing Beixiaoying Project"). 😁
In 2013 our times, the architectural project had not even started drafting! (Wondering why production let out that they chose NAVA as key location, despite showing repeatedly the stills and skyway timelapses of Linked Hybrid building inaugurated in 2006 and fitting the dark color themes). Logic is sometimes difficult to understand.
Incidentally, I could not find another NAVA building closer to the Lufthansa area on 3rd ring road: there is only this Beixiaoying address which is closer to the Olympic park and Bird's Nest on 4th ring road - and this is consistent with the road signs and the bus announcements, to travel to the metro line 5 station at Huixinxijie Beikou (惠新西街北口),which links to Tiantongyuan (Shang Zhitao's shared apartment residence area) in the drama.
Anyway, I've amended my review, with a note that the story has to be in a parallel universe where NAVA existed as today in 2013. 😁
- btw thanks for having read and liked that review!
I am starting a new Discussion piece on the drama page, about the filming locations and the interesting things and places there, to follow the production philosophy which was stated at time of shooting. I will perhaps make into a mini Companion piece to add to the list of those I committed 😂.. Will work more on it in the weekend !
Also looking forward to resume watch of the Miles Wei drama Blossom through the sky which I paused to wrap my notes about The Early Spring, and get sidetracked into writing another "tome" 🤣.
Have a nice weekend on yr end!
Jing Boran's take on the conflicted , foul mouthed 🌵advertising company boss managed to throw audience into opposing factions with those who could not take his ruthlessness and started flinging "toxic" and even "narcissist" labels among other PC objections (+ vocally clamoring this was not like K dramas 🙄), and those who thought this story was more realistic than most fairy tales and thus, more than just worth the watch 😇. Another actor might have made the drama blander and more forgettable.
The innovative addition to the crew of the "intimacy coordinator" 🥰 perhaps smoothed some tensions which actor pairs go through and rattle dramas where stand-offish tensions are not desirable. In the case of lesser experienced at such scenes Sun Qian, thanks to this support, the ambitious FL role shone as much as Jing Boran's remarkable previous pairing with not-shy Seven Tan in the second chance Road Home romance. Sun Qian will have gained a lot in her career thanks to this drama. She has visibly improved again, since her pairing with Johnny Huang in Love Song In Winter.
But we are not in vertical dramas where alternate casts tackle same story and lines so audience can choose their favorite (Wang Kaimu, Zhao Zhendong, Wang Nan etc). Nevertheless, even when these play "age gap older and wiser than Cinderella" classic drama stories of overbearing CEO falling for pretty employee, these short drama actors are still too young for a role like Luan Nian for whom JBR was in every respect a perfect fit. Besides, the plot was not as straightforward as those model stories and choosing a fashion brand ambassador like JBR added value to the drama.
In a lineup of my now numerous noticed Chinese actors poll, I would have chosen Jing Boran too 😂😂😂
Pop ups like these are used in many c-dramas and it is fun to recognize places one has been to, or have Google find the real stills. Virtually travelling again :)
Not a downside at all.
The Lufthansa quarter in Chaoyang is perhaps where the crew and cast stayed in serviced apartments, but I don't think it was what is shown in the drama which had dun or dark colored walls, no balcony or window patio looking to greenery but instead a rather forbidding cityscape.
Linked Hybrid, 北京当代MOMA), and Vanke Nava, Lufthansa are not at all in same parts of Beijing ; the first is in Dongzhimen of Dongcheng district off Second ring road ; the second is in Liangmaqiao quarter of Chaoyang district near Third Ring road near the embassies quarter and the high end Kempinski hotel, and close by are several residence buildings with serviced apartments towers where expats often live. Vanke Nava in Beijing is a high-end serviced apartment and residential compound located in the Lufthansa Area (CBD)
Construction of the Linked Hybrid complex began in 2003 and was completed in 2009, marking a turning point in Chinese architecture toward sustainable building practices. This project was among the first major residential developments in China to employ geothermal energy as a primary source for heating and cooling systems. It is a mixed-use residential complex in Beijing consisting of eight residential towers and one hotel tower. Standard apartments do not typically have individual balconies, but there are private roof gardens for penthouse units. The ground plan has greenery and garden, and even shops and a cinematheque.
Here are some real views of Linked Hybrid :
https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5011/6122/28ba/0d70/4200/05c1/medium_jpg/stringio.jpg?1414471148
https://larryspeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Larry-Speck-UTSOA-Stephen-Holl-Linked-Hybrid-Beijing-Housing-5-uai-258x323.jpg
https://www.archdaily.com/34302/linked-hybrid-steven-holl-architects
https://cdn.britannica.com/46/146946-004-9C715D42/Linked-Hybrid-Beijing-Steven-Holl-Architects-space.jpg
As for interior views, though, both residences could match in layout and furnishings, only window and lighting would be different. I used to have acquaintances who lived in MOMA (but I did not take pictures, sorry).
I did not look for evidence of how 2020 could have affected the characters, although of course I connected the dots when Tao mentioned she almost went broke and that digital media would be the next pivot for her business.
Sure, the pandemic did change the world for most people, including the fictional ones, although the burden was less in casualties but in psychological trauma caused by the preventative measures, resulting in temporary economic downturn in China. That time marker was well past, though, by the end of the story which is closer to our still turbulent time, in which other factors strike (linked to global warming accompanied by weather changes and instability of places that once only were seen as growing like the Everest).
But the time apart finally led to correcting mistakes and cementing a match which had started when she first saw him in the airport in first episode and he became aware of a silly but surprisingly resilient "gosling" that he could not help wanting to protect until she grew into the proud "grus virgo" like bird that flies over the highest summits. (She reminded me of the impossibly driven demoiselle cranes seen in the opening sequence of the Qomolangma movie in which Jing Boran [accurate pinyin for his name is Jǐng Bǎirán but the actor's name is consistently romanized as Jing Boran ] played the role of the martyr photographer!) Despite the cuts and sometimes too conventional choices (in proposal for instance), I did not find the end too rushed, amused by the choice of an engagement ring that did not fit the finger perfectly and looked like it still was at risk to slide off ! (reminding of Shàng Zhītáo once commenting that she could slide on Luán Niàn's perfectly straight nose - one which still had a slight bump! )
I was also amused by the clownish disguise of the hairy Samoyed, somehow reminding of Huáng Zǐtāo 's bling bling marriage to Xú Yìyáng in October 2025, where the dogs brought the rings : although I assume the author did not consciously chose the Shàng Zhītáo name so close in pronunciation to that of the other celeb, and a choice of lavish flower display and "sentimental journey" for the proposal, it did tie in the drama with the broader celeb and c-drama culture, in a roundabout manner, getting back to the story of the real life CEO who wed his beloved after a long sentimental journey where friends and fans knew but did not tell... Will Jing Boran next tie the knot with top model Liú Wén once CP duty with "sister" Sūn Qiān is done, this will be seen in "next real life episode" perhaps? They all but confirmed officially in June 2025 that they indeed were not just strangers to each other ; but "the couple has reportedly not yet announced the good news to the public, as they wish to thoroughly plan their wedding before going public".
Now, I am continuing the pleasure through watching some videos which focus on how the actors played their role : interviews, the video about the "intimacy coordinator" innovation (Tsài Jiāyīn from Taiwan organized the sweet choreography), the "Easter eggs" spelling Love from the moment Shàng Zhītáo broke the L key on Luke's antique, fragile, typewriter and brought it back, repaired to the moment when Luán Niàn had it mounted as a gem to grace the necklace he gave her before the ring....
Admiring in retrospect how the seasons were conveyed in the drama that was filmed principally in Beijing from September 5, 2025 before moving to Harbin in November 2025 for winter scenes, using artificial snow due to insufficient natural snowfall (real Ice and Snow festival there coincides with January and February). Filming officially concluded on November 26, 2025 at Jīnlóng Mountain in Harbin, on which several key scenes were filmed (the mud slide, the climbing to the peak to watch the sunrise and tie red ribbons to a wishing tree, take group photos, also the supposed location of Luán Niàn's renovated mountain bar). The drama took us on real and virtual tours to the West of China beyond the desert of Gansu province, to Tibet, to the southern sultry cities around Guangdong, to Harbin, to many places in Beijing, notably skimming around the hideous slate grey compound named Linked Hybrid : a "prominent architectural development characterized by its distinctive grey, grid-patterned facades and sustainable design. Designed by Steven Holl Architects and completed in 2009, the 220,000 square-meter project is situated adjacent to the old city wall and comprises eight residential towers linked by skybridges".
This was the barren monk-like minimalist designed, if huge, apartment in which Luán Niàn had chosen to live with his huge fish tank in which the solitary white butterfly koi fish swam to the mirror like limits of the glass panels, until it got a more colorful mate once Shàng Zhītáo got entry to it. That first koi fish mirrored the cold, emotionally closed-off personality of its owner and the contradictions in the drama (koi fish are usually symbols of affluence and happiness in Chinese culture, not of loneliness and forbidding walls, sharp mouth, yearning for relief).
I am also continuing the pleasure through listening to the OST which is lovely : "You should know" caught the attention of everybody in audience when they first heard it in episode 4. It encourages to re-watch and admire the clues thrown in cleverly by the script and director, on the spiky road of the amorous journey to mutual surrender.
All in all a very satisfying watch for me, which stirred a lot of emotions, contradictory until contradictions were finally resolved. 10/10 for me (I am not stingy with rating when I like a drama.)
More in spoiler below (this will also serve as my review for that drama, which I'll give the title "Contradictions resolved by time on an arduous emotional journey") and generously extend a 10/10 rating (I am not stingy when I like a drama).
(The full movie is unavailable online atm)
btw, got pushed today a short video about JBR and his style choices :
https://youtube.com/shorts/VojKZYcFddw
Some commentator mentioned he's got a top model wife or gf ? so checking online, my AI query returned this answer : "Liu Wen, is Jing Boran's girlfriend, and they are known for maintaining a private yet stable partnership, often supporting each other's careers. She is a globally renowned Chinese supermodel and Victoria's Secret Angel. The two have been in a long-term romantic relationship since approximately 2019, following their collaboration on a Chanel Qixi campaign. They confirmed it in December 2025."
Also, "Jing Boran has significant fashion endorsements and holds several high-profile brand ambassador roles. He is a Uniqlo global spokesmodel, a Shiseido brand spokesmodel, and a Chanel brand ambassador. He is also Global Brand Ambassador (since 2023) for Montblanc (pens, leather ware...)"
Nonetheless, it's clear that JBR's got his own style choices, very carefully thought through, and they contribute mightily to this drama.
I dug a little more into his apparent great friendship with Bai Jingting because of that YT short : "Jing Boran and Bai Jingting are close friends with a nearly 10-year bond. They first met in 2016 as cast members on the variety show Fighting Man (《我们战斗吧》) and have maintained a close relationship since.
Their friendship is characterized by playful teasing and shared interests, particularly in fashion. Both actors stand at 183 cm tall, leading fans to nickname them the "183 Duo." They frequently joke about their wardrobes, with Bai Jingting known to playfully "take" clothes from Jing Boran’s closet, a dynamic that recently resurfaced during promotional events for Jing Boran’s drama The Early Spring." 😊
Just wondered about what kind of fandom group he is associated with and got from Cpophome that his is named "BabyFace(BBF)", color blue, and that he's currently got 24.4 million (2441.1万粉丝) fan followers on his Weibo social media. Not half bad...
I now realize I'd seen more of the drama and movies JBR appeared in than I initially thought: the Monster Hunt comedy movie franchise, the experimental Bazaar short featuring also WuLei, Z.Tao (who is another one in the 183cm gang) and Chen Feiyu in a somewhat vapid showcase, the Qomolangma movie (in which he stars alongside Zhang Ziyi, Jackie Chan, Hu Ge..), the Psychologist drama centering mostly on Yang Zi, the episode in which he stars in Faith Makes Great. Really taking belated proper notice in Road Home drama. Although I only focused at the time on filming locales and places mentioned for that drama in my short companion piece "where was this filmed" to add pictures of these wonderful places to visit: Hemu Village, Duku glass footbridge in Dushanzi. Rather than dwell on how good the actor looked in uniform as SWAT officer and anti-terror bomb specialist and how sizzling yet mature his romance with FL (played by Tan Songyun) was. But looking at the cast in The Early Spring, I was attracted, remembering precisely these moments of sweet and mature romance.
Yeah well, despite his gruff and incisive speech pattern in this role, I do like that actor: he's good at what he does and is a real eye candy ! I still have a few dramas and movie to catch up with in his filmography, one of which is overdue languishing in my tbw list: must tackle that one (maybe more) after TES 😊
Meanwhile: onward to next episode 18 of TES ! 😊