The special really makes the ending come together. It's actually over an hour long and explains a lot more than the actual episodes. Not sure why they chose to do it that way, but it's there if you need the closure!
I recommend everyone who feels unsatisfied with the ending to watch the special! We get a lot of back story to…
This is set at a time before the last scene in the official series. Zhao Xiaotang and Mu Hai are getting married and that's where our leads meet each other again. Mu Chenghe learns that Xue Tong and Liu Qi are dating and sees them together. Both leads end up graduating at the same time, and after that he plans to go back to Germany and sell his apartment. He is reminded of the time when he and Xue Tong planted the rose and desperately tries to grow another one. They meet at his apartment and he ends up chasing after her car gifting her the one that successfully sprouts, like a miracle. Liu Qi reveals to Mu Chenghe that actually Xue Tong isn't happy and that she can't forget him. Mu Chenghe confesses to Xue Tong that he loves her and asks her to go on a trip to Russia with him. Liu Qi, through a really thoughtful and profound way, says that he understands that she still loves Mu Chenghe and tells her to go to him. The leads go to Russia and Mu Chenghe tells her about how he was 6 when he found his father's hanging corpse in the house and how he had clutched a piece of paper. Mu Chenghe explains that he's studying the same thing his father studied, and ran into the same issue his father couldn't figure out which is why he had been so obsessive on the experiment that caused him and Xue Tong to break up. This trip to Russia is to find out what his father had meant on the paper and what he regretted. He's afraid that he'll become obsessive over the experiment and hurt Xue Tong again so they can't be together until he makes this breakthrough. They go on a bit of a hunt and through several people, he's able to find out the meaning of his father's last message. He takes Xue Tong to a top of a hill and proposes to her to which she agrees to be Mrs. Mu forever. We then see an extension of the last scene of the drama where Mu Chenghe comes home to the friends' gathering and Xue Tong tells him that she's pregnant.
I recommend everyone who feels unsatisfied with the ending to watch the special! We get a lot of back story to his character and answers to why they broke up and how they got back together. It makes the story so much more complete.
For those who can't understand Mandarin, I've written a brief summary below because I definitely would've needed the closure.
As an artist, I'm super aware of visuals and they were gorgeous! Especially the beautiful opening and paired with the OST it made me sit through it without skipping for over half the episodes (ah can't say the same for the actual episodes though).
But yeah I agree with all the other comments, the main actor was so stiff lol
This is actually pretty underrated. Although I got a little tired of the male lead towards the middle; all he did was yell and drink tea. He had a complete 360 attitude change around episode 29-30 though, and the romance was pretty abrupt too. Overall it was a good watch by skipping around a bit.
For those who can't understand Mandarin, I've written a brief summary below because I definitely would've needed the closure.
But yeah I agree with all the other comments, the main actor was so stiff lol