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you know it's a toxic love story but you can't stop watching
The kind of relationship portrayed in this story is obviously toxic. There are so many red flags, and it’s painful to imagine two people going through that kind of relationship in real life. But since it’s fiction, it was an easy watch—something that can actually teach us what not to do in a romantic relationship.
Things I actually enjoyed about this drama:
1. The main leads did an amazing job in their roles. Their chemistry was on fire, and they embodied Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao so well, including both their flaws and strengths. Even their intimate scenes were very convincing.
2. Luke, the dog! Dramas with dogs or kids always make a show more enjoyable to watch. Luke was definitely a welcome addition.
3. The 24-episode length. It wasn’t too long. C-dramas usually have way too many episodes, and I tend to dislike that because the story often gets dragged out. This one was long enough to tell the story without feeling unnecessarily stretched.
4. The parents. Compared to other C-dramas I’ve watched, the parents here were relatively chill. They did push their kids to get married—which is pretty typical of Asian parents—but at least there wasn’t the usual drama of parents being adamant about who their children should marry or actively opposing their love life.
5. The office politics and workplace scenes. The work-related conflicts and office politics actually felt realistic. A lot of the situations portrayed in the drama really do happen in real life, and I thought they were handled and portrayed quite well.
6. Luan Nian’s male friend, the chef, is such a wise and insightful person. He’s almost like Luke’s fairy godfather, always offering him advice and helping him make sense of his emotions, or the lack thereof. I really liked that Luke had someone like him in his life. He is thoughtful, perceptive, and emotionally grounded, and I appreciate how he could see through Luke and give him the perspective he needed, especially when Luke struggled to understand or express his feelings.
Now, onto the red flags!
1) Luan Nian's character is an asshole. Don't get me wrong. He is hot and very charming, I'll give him that, but he is such a man-child. His sharp tongue is really something else, and the things he says can break a woman's heart over and over again. I honestly don't think any woman would want to put up with that. His jealousy is also constantly out of line, and it's not like he's a teenager or something. At some point, you really need to grow up and learn how to communicate like an adult. But at least, he did show some changes toward the end, so I'll give him credit for that.
2) The lack of trust and constant miscommunication between them. This is a common problem in all kinds of relationships. Lack of trust and poor communication can easily lead to misunderstandings, resentment, and eventually couples breaking up. And honestly, these two had plenty of both.
3) I wouldn't want to be in a secret relationship for that long. This was another reason their relationship eventually fell apart. Kudos to them for actually managing to keep it a secret for six years, but honestly, it felt almost like having an affair. You're never truly free to act like a couple or even be openly acknowledged as one in front of other people. You can't show affection freely, constantly hiding your relationship, and after six years of living like that, it's no wonder they were so jealous and insecure about each other. They had to constantly worry about who the other person was with, what they were doing, and how their relationship looked from the outside. All that secrecy only made their lack of trust and communication worse. That's just not the kind of relationship I'd want for myself.
Anyhow, despite all the red flags, I still enjoyed the hell out of watching them. I spent half the time swooning over them and the other half cursing at them.
Things I actually enjoyed about this drama:
1. The main leads did an amazing job in their roles. Their chemistry was on fire, and they embodied Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao so well, including both their flaws and strengths. Even their intimate scenes were very convincing.
2. Luke, the dog! Dramas with dogs or kids always make a show more enjoyable to watch. Luke was definitely a welcome addition.
3. The 24-episode length. It wasn’t too long. C-dramas usually have way too many episodes, and I tend to dislike that because the story often gets dragged out. This one was long enough to tell the story without feeling unnecessarily stretched.
4. The parents. Compared to other C-dramas I’ve watched, the parents here were relatively chill. They did push their kids to get married—which is pretty typical of Asian parents—but at least there wasn’t the usual drama of parents being adamant about who their children should marry or actively opposing their love life.
5. The office politics and workplace scenes. The work-related conflicts and office politics actually felt realistic. A lot of the situations portrayed in the drama really do happen in real life, and I thought they were handled and portrayed quite well.
6. Luan Nian’s male friend, the chef, is such a wise and insightful person. He’s almost like Luke’s fairy godfather, always offering him advice and helping him make sense of his emotions, or the lack thereof. I really liked that Luke had someone like him in his life. He is thoughtful, perceptive, and emotionally grounded, and I appreciate how he could see through Luke and give him the perspective he needed, especially when Luke struggled to understand or express his feelings.
Now, onto the red flags!
1) Luan Nian's character is an asshole. Don't get me wrong. He is hot and very charming, I'll give him that, but he is such a man-child. His sharp tongue is really something else, and the things he says can break a woman's heart over and over again. I honestly don't think any woman would want to put up with that. His jealousy is also constantly out of line, and it's not like he's a teenager or something. At some point, you really need to grow up and learn how to communicate like an adult. But at least, he did show some changes toward the end, so I'll give him credit for that.
2) The lack of trust and constant miscommunication between them. This is a common problem in all kinds of relationships. Lack of trust and poor communication can easily lead to misunderstandings, resentment, and eventually couples breaking up. And honestly, these two had plenty of both.
3) I wouldn't want to be in a secret relationship for that long. This was another reason their relationship eventually fell apart. Kudos to them for actually managing to keep it a secret for six years, but honestly, it felt almost like having an affair. You're never truly free to act like a couple or even be openly acknowledged as one in front of other people. You can't show affection freely, constantly hiding your relationship, and after six years of living like that, it's no wonder they were so jealous and insecure about each other. They had to constantly worry about who the other person was with, what they were doing, and how their relationship looked from the outside. All that secrecy only made their lack of trust and communication worse. That's just not the kind of relationship I'd want for myself.
Anyhow, despite all the red flags, I still enjoyed the hell out of watching them. I spent half the time swooning over them and the other half cursing at them.
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