Linayeol

It’s quite sad that all of Jin Zhao’s suffering and struggles were brushed aside. What’s even sadder is that most people choose to judge him instead of showing a bit of compassion and trying to understand his perspective. That’s truly disappointing. In my opinion, the direction handled this separation arc very poorly.

In the novel, Jin Qiang’s daughter suffers from vitiligo and is constantly bullied at school, to the point of attempting suicide. Jin Qiang is a complete parental failure. As far as I remember, he wasn’t an alcoholic, but he completely neglected Jin Zhao during his struggles, to the extent that Jin Zhao even had trouble feeding himself. This is precisely why he started working at a very young age and engaging in illegal activities. Despite his negligence, Jin Zhao paid for his daughter’s treatment, and later on, Jin Zhao was also forced by Jin Qiang to keep his distance from Mumu.
I also agree that the editing is very choppy.

He really reminds me of Wen Yi Fan. She wanted to protect herself and also protect our international Sang Yan. Once Sang Yan understood the hardships Yi Fan had gone through in her life, he understood her choices and felt deeply sorry for her. He healed Yi Fan’s inner child. It’s a shame that the drama focuses mainly on the romance instead of exploring the psychological aspect more deeply.

I’m rather disappointed by this narrative arc, which doesn’t clearly depict enough of the traumas, dilemmas, and difficulties Jin Zhao had to endure during this period of separation, nor the difficult choice he faced when deciding to hide the truth from her. Jin Zhao’s decision wasn’t motivated solely by his desire to protect Mumu; it was also a way to protect his inner child, who had always been abandoned, both physically and emotionally, in his most difficult moments. A line he says in the novel perfectly expresses this fear that Mumu, even after learning the seriousness of his situation, might leave: “People always leave when things get too hard.”
The relationship between Jin Zhao and Mumu was still very recent. Mumu understood the gravity of the accident, but when she learned that her mother was recovering from a successful operation without any complications, she chose, without even checking on Jin Zhao, to go to her side. Jin Zhao arranged their meeting so as not to overwhelm her and to let her leave with a peaceful mind, even though deep down he was dying to ask her to stay. But facing his disability, he felt diminished, unable to hold her back, especially at an age where she was just beginning to take responsibility for her own life. He didn’t want her to ever regret spending the best years of her youth taking care of him and lifting his spirits.
I’m not sure if this will be further developed, but after feeling ready and capable of re-entering Mumu’s life, Jin Zhao went to see his father. The latter, cowardly and aware of Jiang Mu’s mother’s hatred, made him promise not to contact her again. How could he refuse? Jin Qiang was his only parental figure, and deep down, Jin Zhao knew that after everything he had endured, he could never be completely normal again or fully let go of certain fears.
Jin Zhao has lived through far more drama and experienced life more intensely than Mumu. From a very young age, he faced the darkest sides of humanity. He knows that, even with love, it’s often not enough to face certain difficulties together. He has endured too many betrayals and disappointments to blindly trust a budding love. How could Mumu, who was already struggling emotionally with news about her mother, handle problems concerning him? If she had been forced to choose, she would have been torn between the guilt toward her mother, who had always protected her, and the budding romantic relationship with Jin Zhao. It wouldn’t have ended well. Letting her choose was therefore not an option.
Mumu suffered, of course, but Jin Zhao suffered far more. He made an adult, difficult, yet understandable decision. He couldn’t hold her back, and that is more than enough. I wish this aspect had been explored more, but the drama still conveys enough for viewers to understand that this was not simply a matter of miscommunication.

I completely agree with you, and it breaks my heart. I can’t help but think: what if the situation had been reversed 😮‍💨?
And yes, Jiang Mu didn’t do enough for Jin Zhao.

In the novel, Jin Zhao was officially adopted at the age of 2 by Jin Qiang and Jiang Yinghan. This adoption was not motivated by love or affection, but by a compromise:

Jin Qiang’s family wanted a child, as Jiang Yinghan was unable to conceive.

Jiang Yinghan, in conflict with her in-laws, agreed to the adoption on the condition that Jin Qiang cut ties with his own parents.

Jin Zhao was therefore adopted to satisfy family dynamics, not to be genuinely loved.

Jiang Mu has no blood relation to Jin Zhao, but legally, they were recognized as brother and sister. Before learning the truth, Jiang Mu believed Jin Zhao was her biological brother, as they grew up together and he always acted as a protective older brother.

Later, the family falls apart: Jiang Yinghan and Jin Qiang divorce, and Jin Zhao takes his father’s surname, while Jiang Mu keeps her mother’s.

Jiang Yinghan never really loved Jin Zhao, especially after the birth of her own daughter, Jiang Mu. After Jin Zhao’s time in prison, it seems his stepmother wanted to remove him from the family register, but this point is not very clear in the novel. In the drama, some parts are clearly omitted, and nothing is confirmed or denied on this matter.

Mumu learns very late that Jin Zhao is not her biological brother. Many changes and details are left out in the drama to avoid disrupting the story, which I personally think is a good decision.

I wanted to mention this because many people understand that Jin Zhao was adopted and lived as Mumu’s brother for several years, which may make them uncomfortable. Even if these circumstances are not always clearly stated in the drama, in some countries, this kind of situation can be viewed negatively, making some viewers skeptical.

I would simply say that if some people feel uneasy about this, they should probably stop watching and avoid leaving hateful comments. There are plenty of other dramas to enjoy. This is not a spoiler, as many of the things I just mentioned do not appear in the drama.

That’s why I sincerely hope the screenwriter handled this part well and made the necessary adjustments. After that moment, I always felt that Mumu might not have been the right person for him, and that Jin Zhao needed someone mentally stronger and more mature, someone who could protect him from Mumu’s parents, who treated him so terribly.

Many people tend to glamorize Jin Zhao’s sacrifices and see it as “manly” that he lets the woman he loves live carefree. But in reality, he chose not to tell her anything to protect himself emotionally, in case she decided not to stay, or if he wasn’t sure she could still love him after seeing him so broken and depressed.

Jin Zhao has always been treated unfairly in life, and it’s truly sad. I hope this part is handled carefully, to show that his sacrifice isn’t just a display of masculinity or romance, but the difficult choice of a man fully aware of his own limits and emotional wounds.

where she doesn’t even try to look for him, nor wonders whether he has recovered psychologically or physically from the accident, feels very strange especially knowing that her mother had already once deliberately cut off their communication. Her naivety comes across as excessive.

Jiang Mu’s parents are so toxic that I honestly wish Jin Zhao had completely cut ties with them instead of constantly seeking their approval. The father, in particular, is incredibly selfish. After everything Jin Zhao did for their family, he still had the audacity to behave like such a coward.

In the novel, after their separation, Jiang Mu does not truly look for Jin Zhao. She thinks about him and worries, but her concern remains passive. She follows the decisions of the adults especially her mother’s and accepts the silence surrounding Jin Zhao instead of challenging it. She builds a new, stable, and fulfilling life with her stepfather’s children and enjoys a calm, carefree university life.

Meanwhile, Jin Zhao goes through one of the most painful periods of his life: amputation, trauma, and complete loneliness.

Some lines perfectly capture his state of mind, even if they are not in chronological order:
“I’m used to being left aside.”
“People always leave when things get too heavy.”
“I can only rely on myself.”

What deeply moved me is that Jin Zhao would never want Jiang Mu to stay out of obligation or pity because of his disability. If she were to stay, he wanted it to be her own choice, not something forced by circumstances.

Later, Jin Zhao begins an extremely difficult path of reconstruction. San Lei does not erase his pain, but he reaches out to Jin Zhao at a time when he has completely lost his self-worth. With his help, Jin Zhao works relentlessly day after day to overcome depression, regain control of his body, and become physically independent. He refuses to be a burden; he wants to stand on his own.

Out of love and dignity, Jin Zhao chooses effort, discipline, and self reconstruction. Not out of pride, but out of love. He would rather suffer alone than take Jiang Mu away from the carefree life she has always known. He wants to become someone worthy of standing beside her, without her parents seeing him as a burden even though he does not yet dare to believe she might return.
This parallel is what I personally find deeply unfair: Jin Zhao suffers without a family, while the person he loves builds a stable and happy life, unaware of his pain, and only returns after he has managed to overcome his hardships and establish a stable career.

He simply doesn’t love Wan Qing. He is harsh because he absolutely doesn’t want to give her the impression that she has a chance with him. He is certainly aware of her good intentions, but she insisted so much despite his refusal that he prefers to remain firm. Jin Zhao is quite mature: he doesn’t judge people based on their parents’ mistakes. Mumu, for example, has very questionable parents, especially her mother, yet he doesn’t hold her responsible at all. He applies the same distinction with Wan Qing: he recognizes her good intentions but cannot stay friendly with her, since she loves him and he does not. With Wan Qing, he clearly prefers to draw a firm boundary.

The novel made me cry so much for him; it made me want to protect him so badly 😢

For me, Jiang Mu should have chosen Jin Zhao.
If we analyze the situation rationally, the mother’s surgery, although serious, was still a scheduled medical emergency, supervised by doctors and supported by proper hospital care under optimal conditions. She was surrounded by adults, medical staff, and institutions capable of taking over. She was not facing death alone especially since the surgery went very well and only required a period of recovery afterward. Moreover, the mother knew about Jin Zhao’s amputation.

Jin Zhao, on the other hand, comes out of an accident that destroyed his body, his future, and his sense of identity. He is not only physically injured; he is amputated, traumatized, burdened with guilt, and profoundly alone. Unlike the mother, he has no safety net, neither emotional nor financial. His father is unreliable, the adults around him fail him, and he has no voice or power to make decisions. At that precise moment, Jiang Mu is the only stable emotional presence he has left.

Jiang Mu witnessed the accident. She knows how severe it was. Jin Zhao’s disappearance afterward, without any news, could only mean one thing: the worst had most likely happened. And yet, she does not stay.
That is why Jiang Mu should have stayed with Jin Zhao. At that moment, he was the one who needed her the most, because the real emergency was not only medical it was deeply human. Leaving him alone then almost seals the idea that he will always have to endure pain by himself. Once again, Jin Zhao is abandoned.

If he says nothing to Jiang Mu, despite deeply wanting her to choose him, it is because he has internalized since childhood that he does not have the right to ask. Raised in neglect, he learned to erase himself rather than ask for love or support.
After the accident, the amputation completely destroys his self-esteem. He sees himself as a burden and believes it would be selfish to ask Jiang Mu to stay while her mother is ill. He genuinely believes that he no longer deserves to be chosen.
Out of love, he also refuses to put her in a moral conflict between him and her mother. He would rather suffer alone than make her feel guilty. His silence becomes a form of self-sacrifice.

When Jiang Mu leaves, it confirms his deepest fear: he is never anyone’s priority. He even convinces himself that if she had stayed, her love for him would eventually have faded further proof of his belief that he is unworthy of love in moments of weakness.
His emotional state deteriorates to the point where he contemplates death. During this period, San Lei is the person who helps him the most, partially filling the void left by Jiang Mu’s absence.

This behavior, perceived by many readers as maturity or even a form of masculinity, is in reality a survival mechanism. Jin Zhao does not remain silent solely for Jiang Mu’s sake, but because he loves too deeply, devalues himself too much, and has learned to endure everything alone. Some things will probably be changed, but if we refer to the novel, Jin Zhao was the priority for me.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRYy15Xg/ I was so obsessed with Jin Zhao’s handsome face that I didn’t even notice 😂😂😂

Jin Zhao’s father is not simply an imperfect or clumsy man.
He is the very example of a derelict parent, whose selfish choices and repeated negligence shaped and ultimately destroyed his son’s life. Behind the façade of an ordinary adult lies a series of serious failings: alcoholism, cowardice, financial irresponsibility, and a profound disregard for a child’s needs.

From childhood, Jin Zhao was left to fend for himself. His father did not guide him, supervise him, or protect him. He watched his child grow up without truly caring, choosing instead to escape his responsibilities through alcohol and avoidance. This alcoholism is not a mere character flaw; it is the symptom of a man who refuses to take responsibility, who has abandoned all moral authority, and leaves a child to carry the weight of adulthood alone.

This irresponsibility reaches its peak with his remarriage, while already in a precarious situation with a child to care for. This decision reveals a deep selfishness: he never considers whether he has the emotional, material, or financial capacity to manage both a child and a new family. He acts for himself, for his own comfort, without concern for the direct consequences on Jin Zhao, once again relegated to the background. One has to question whether he even truly considers Jin Zhao his son.

Worse still, this negligence is sometimes masked by deceptive gestures. Teaching Jin Zhao how to improve his car without cheating, sharing a few technical tips, creating the illusion of a connection all of this is more compensation than true parenting. These are superficial acts, offered to soothe his own conscience rather than meet his son’s real needs. Knowing a mechanical trick cannot replace constant presence, financial stability, or genuine parental commitment.
This behavior reveals a fundamental cowardice. The father always chooses the easiest path: avoiding conflict, avoiding responsibility, avoiding sacrifice. He prefers to be a tolerable absent adult rather than an engaged and responsible father.
In my opinion, you are glamorizing irresponsibility and negligence far too much, because nothing absolutely nothing in his behavior deserves to be softened or excused.

The consequences are clear. Jin Zhao develops forced hyper-independence, a capacity to endure everything alone, to ask for nothing, to rely on no one. This is not strength; it is a deep wound, born of years of emotional and material abandonment.
And yet, despite all this, Jin Zhao remains attached to his father. This emotional dependency is the most tragic aspect of their relationship. He clings to crumbs of attention, interprets minimal gestures as proof of love, and continues to hope he will be truly recognized as a real son. This loyalty is not deserved; it is the result of deprivation, not a healthy bond. To me, this man did not raise Jin Zhao.

Mumu’s parents completely failed Jin Zhao, and this injustice deeply upsets me. During his childhood, this woman was literally his only maternal figure, the person who was supposed to provide him with security, warmth, and affection. Yet, at the most crucial stage of his development the time when a child builds self-esteem and their understanding of the world Jin Zhao did not receive love, but hatred, rejection, and contempt. Growing up in such an environment leaves invisible yet lasting wounds that mark a lifetime.

His father represents another, equally destructive form of abandonment. Barely having started working and gaining a semblance of stability, he chose to remarry and build a new family without ever ensuring that he was truly capable, financially or emotionally, of supporting a new family or even taking care of the child he already had. He chose to start over elsewhere rather than take responsibility, leaving Jin Zhao to fend for himself in an already harsh world.

Deprived of any adult support, Jin Zhao had to learn to survive on his own far too early, without guidance, protection, or anyone to rely on. This imposed solitude and responsibilities led to a series of tragic circumstances that would have broken almost anyone. Yet, instead of succumbing to anger or hatred, he developed a profoundly moving resilience.

What touches me the most is that he harbors no resentment. Despite everything he endured, he remains grateful, kind, and continues to protect and care for his younger sister. This behavior reveals just how deeply he longs for love and belonging, to be chosen and loved unconditionally.

Jin Zhao embodies silent courage and a rare strength of character. His ability to remain humane, gentle, and loyal after so much neglect and pain is truly moving. His character is exceptionally well written.

That’s why I think the screenwriter should have had her learn the truth from childhood; it would have felt more natural and less morally questionable.

Sadly, she doesn’t learn the truth until just before her departure for Thailand.

That’s not exactly the case. Jin Zhao always knew that Mumu was not his biological sister, but Mumu had no idea that he wasn’t her brother. Her mother only reveals the truth right before Mumu leaves for Thailand, hoping that this will keep them apart.

Go watch the drama, it’s really well made. I’m sure you’ll love it.

The drama remains largely faithful to the novel and benefits from a very strong aesthetic. The world-building is coherent and well constructed, and the atmosphere works well enough to easily draw the viewer in. He Yu delivers a solid and convincing performance, even though some scenes are overly exaggerated and occasionally verge on caricature, which weakens the emotional impact at times.

Esther is undeniably a good actress. After watching My Journey to You, it is clear what she is capable of and how much her acting can surprise those who are still skeptical of her abilities. Her casting as Mumu makes complete sense: she is beautiful, with a youthful face and a soft, almost childlike voice that perfectly matches the character’s description in the novel. She is also accustomed to playing this type of role and appears entirely comfortable in similar characters. I have no criticism of her performance, as she remains faithful to Jiang Mu despite a few minor changes made in the adaptation.

My main issue lies with the writing of Jiang Mu rather than with Esther’s portrayal. I had hoped the screenwriters would handle Jiang Mu’s emotional development more carefully, but the transition toward romantic feelings is far too rushed. This is especially troubling given that she has only just learned that Jin Zhao is not her biological brother. The resulting moral discomfort could have been avoided if Mumu had known the truth since childhood, which would have made her emotions feel more believable and psychologically coherent.

I also wish Jiang Mu had been portrayed as more mature and perceptive when it comes to Jin Zhao’s reality. Several elements made his situation painfully obvious: her mother’s open hostility toward Jin Zhao clearly suggested that the loss of contact was not voluntary. The poverty and hostile environment in which Jin Zhao lived made it evident that his inability to continue his studies was directly linked to financial hardship and a complete lack of moral and parental support.

The behavior of Jin Zhao’s father is equally telling. Seeing him live in extreme poverty while still having the audacity to remarry and have another child despite never having been able to take responsibility for Jin Zhao should have prompted deeper reflection from Jiang Mu. She never truly questions what it must have felt like for Jin Zhao to be abandoned yet again, pushed aside in favor of a biological child, especially when Jiang Mu’s mother had never loved or accepted him in the first place.

These elements, although obvious, are insufficiently explored, resulting in a lack of psychological depth for Jiang Mu’s character. This flaw already exists in the novel and unfortunately carries over into the adaptation, which is a real waste given the emotional potential of the story.

Fortunately, the chemistry between the actors is excellent natural and convincing which makes the drama worth continuing despite its narrative weaknesses. Above all, He Yu is truly outstanding in this role.