This review may contain spoilers
Love and Missed Timing
First off, the character who really stole the show for me was Jiang Rui, Nie Xi Guang's cousin. For someone who's about to enter college, he was emotionally mature and incredibly observant. I loved the bond he shared with Nie Xi Guang. He was always there for her, making her laugh, protecting her, or just lending a listening ear. I really wished we had more scenes showing the two of them together.
One of the most refreshing aspects of this drama was how Lin Yu Sen didn’t hold a grudge against Nie Xi Guang for long. Usually, dramas love to drag out grudges and revenge plots, but this one was different. When Lin Yu Sen asked Nie Xi Guang, “If I forgot everything that happened before, what about you? Can you forget the way I treated you before?” and she replied, “Yeah, I don’t hold grudges,” it was clear that he was genuinely ready to let go of his resentment. He never brought up the past again and truly got to know her, eventually falling even more in love. I really liked how he respected her boundaries and didn’t waste time courting her. Of course, the grudge he once held came from a misunderstanding, but it was refreshing to see him let it go.
Zhao Jin Mai, who played Nie Xi Guang, portrayed a female lead from a wealthy family who was extremely humble. At first, she appeared carefree and outspoken, but after her confession to the second male lead, she became a completely different character.
Song Wei Long as Lin Yu Sen was essentially Nie Xi Guang’s white knight. I wish we’d seen more character development and emotional depth from him. The character himself lacked complexity. Lin Yu Sen’s resentment toward Nie Xi Guang came from feeling abandoned after a significant accident disrupted his life. He never blamed her for the accident, but he struggled to understand why she hadn’t visited him in the hospital. Once he realized he could no longer be a surgeon, he continued to not hold resentment. Gradually over time, he began to harbor resentment towards Nie Xi Guang because she never once came to visit him. I liked that he didn’t let that darkness consume him, but honestly, I found it a bit unrealistic that he never blamed anyone. And becoming a renowned surgeon at 29? That stretched believability. Their relationship felt extremely perfect and honestly, I found it boring. It would have been more engaging to see how they handled conflicts and differences.
Now, the second male lead, Zhuang Xu, was interesting. Normally, I root for the underdog, but this was the first drama where I genuinely couldn’t. I can understand his intentions which is why I can't hate him. I may have given him more grace than he deserved. Early on, he said to Nie Xi Guang, “You seem unhappy with your job in Wuxi. If you are unhappy, find one yourself. Don’t be picky when something was handed to you,” and, “Then why don’t you find a job yourself instead of staying in Wuxi with your parents, being a parasite with no meaning?” The delivery was harsh, but his intention was actually to encourage her to pursue work in Shanghai. I felt that he truly wanted to pursue her once they were settled in Shanghai and could start fresh. It was already established that he would be working at a Hua Ya Bank in Shanghai. This was further confirmed when he deliberately handed out her resume to several companies there.
The real turning point in their relationship came when Rong Rong accused Nie Xi Guang of not relaying a message about an interview. But even before that, there was already a crack forming. When Nie Xi Guang lent Zhuang Xu money for his mother’s surgery and he later paid her back with interest. When Nie Xi Guang looked back on that moment, she saw it as a clear rejection. What she didn’t know was that Zhuang Xu only did this because his brother had told him that Rong Rong had told him Nie Xi Guang was supposedly telling people around campus she lent him money and that being together was inevitable because he owed her. Later on, Nie Xi Guang’s fake phone call to prove her innocence only reinforced Zhuang Xu’s doubts about her character. From his perspective, it made her look guilty rather than wronged. Eventually, he did discover the truth, but instead of apologizing, he chose not to. At that point, their relationship already felt doomed. Zhuang Xu’s insecurities stemmed from his humble upbringing, while Nie Xi Guang came from a wealthy family. Zhuang Xi at one point even says , “What do I have now to be with her?” There is a Chinese saying, “餓死老婆燻臭屋,” which literally translates to starving one’s wife to death and filling the house with a foul smell. He wanted to establish himself in his career before moving forward with the idea of being with Nie Xi Guang. One thing I still don’t understand is why Zhuang Xu never replied to her text. That silence was never explained and felt like a missed opportunity for emotional closure.
I had three favorite scenes, and honestly, they were all centered around Zhuang Xu because that’s where the emotional weight of the drama really lived for me. One was the private conversation between Zhuang Xu and Nie Xi Guang at their friend’s wedding. That scene was heavy with tension and longing. You could feel how much they still cared about each other, even though neither of them could openly say it. There was so much restraint in that moment, like both of them were afraid that saying the wrong thing would expose the feelings they were still trying to bury.
Another scene that really stayed with me was when Rong Rong asked, “You believe her over me?” It’s a line she’d used repeatedly to guilt and control Zhuang Xu. This time, though, his response completely flipped the power dynamic. When he said, “In the past, I always chose to believe you. I already paid my bill for trusting you,” it felt like a turning point. That line was about regret, misplaced loyalty, and the cost of choosing the wrong person to trust.
The final scene, and probably the most emotionally devastating one for me, was when Zhuang Xu finally lost control and confessed his feelings to Nie Xi Guang. Up until that point, he’d always been so restrained, guarded, and emotionally closed off. Seeing him completely unravel in front of her made the scene incredibly powerful. You could feel how much pain, regret, and longing he’d been carrying all that time. It felt less like a confession and more like an emotional breakdown, and that’s what made it hit so hard. That moment alone made his character feel painfully real.
Lai Wei Ming’s portrayal of Zhuang Xu was excellent. At first, I found his acting stiff, but I realized that his character was intentionally reserved and poker faced, never revealing vulnerability easily. He was complex, and he was the most interesting character in the drama.
As for things that annoyed me, Nie Xi Guang’s circle of friends was questionable, except for Xiao Feng, who consistently defended her. When others questioned her character, they mostly stayed silent. Rong Rong’s constant jabs were tolerated by the rest of the friend group, which didn’t make sense to me. If someone treated a friend that way in real life, cutting them off would be the obvious choice, but here, they kept her around.
Overall, this was an okay drama, but I don’t feel the desire to rewatch it. The main reason is how perfect Nie Xi Guang and Lin Yu Sen’s relationship was almost too idealized, which made it boring. Plus, the chemistry between the leads wasn’t consistent.
One of the most refreshing aspects of this drama was how Lin Yu Sen didn’t hold a grudge against Nie Xi Guang for long. Usually, dramas love to drag out grudges and revenge plots, but this one was different. When Lin Yu Sen asked Nie Xi Guang, “If I forgot everything that happened before, what about you? Can you forget the way I treated you before?” and she replied, “Yeah, I don’t hold grudges,” it was clear that he was genuinely ready to let go of his resentment. He never brought up the past again and truly got to know her, eventually falling even more in love. I really liked how he respected her boundaries and didn’t waste time courting her. Of course, the grudge he once held came from a misunderstanding, but it was refreshing to see him let it go.
Zhao Jin Mai, who played Nie Xi Guang, portrayed a female lead from a wealthy family who was extremely humble. At first, she appeared carefree and outspoken, but after her confession to the second male lead, she became a completely different character.
Song Wei Long as Lin Yu Sen was essentially Nie Xi Guang’s white knight. I wish we’d seen more character development and emotional depth from him. The character himself lacked complexity. Lin Yu Sen’s resentment toward Nie Xi Guang came from feeling abandoned after a significant accident disrupted his life. He never blamed her for the accident, but he struggled to understand why she hadn’t visited him in the hospital. Once he realized he could no longer be a surgeon, he continued to not hold resentment. Gradually over time, he began to harbor resentment towards Nie Xi Guang because she never once came to visit him. I liked that he didn’t let that darkness consume him, but honestly, I found it a bit unrealistic that he never blamed anyone. And becoming a renowned surgeon at 29? That stretched believability. Their relationship felt extremely perfect and honestly, I found it boring. It would have been more engaging to see how they handled conflicts and differences.
Now, the second male lead, Zhuang Xu, was interesting. Normally, I root for the underdog, but this was the first drama where I genuinely couldn’t. I can understand his intentions which is why I can't hate him. I may have given him more grace than he deserved. Early on, he said to Nie Xi Guang, “You seem unhappy with your job in Wuxi. If you are unhappy, find one yourself. Don’t be picky when something was handed to you,” and, “Then why don’t you find a job yourself instead of staying in Wuxi with your parents, being a parasite with no meaning?” The delivery was harsh, but his intention was actually to encourage her to pursue work in Shanghai. I felt that he truly wanted to pursue her once they were settled in Shanghai and could start fresh. It was already established that he would be working at a Hua Ya Bank in Shanghai. This was further confirmed when he deliberately handed out her resume to several companies there.
The real turning point in their relationship came when Rong Rong accused Nie Xi Guang of not relaying a message about an interview. But even before that, there was already a crack forming. When Nie Xi Guang lent Zhuang Xu money for his mother’s surgery and he later paid her back with interest. When Nie Xi Guang looked back on that moment, she saw it as a clear rejection. What she didn’t know was that Zhuang Xu only did this because his brother had told him that Rong Rong had told him Nie Xi Guang was supposedly telling people around campus she lent him money and that being together was inevitable because he owed her. Later on, Nie Xi Guang’s fake phone call to prove her innocence only reinforced Zhuang Xu’s doubts about her character. From his perspective, it made her look guilty rather than wronged. Eventually, he did discover the truth, but instead of apologizing, he chose not to. At that point, their relationship already felt doomed. Zhuang Xu’s insecurities stemmed from his humble upbringing, while Nie Xi Guang came from a wealthy family. Zhuang Xi at one point even says , “What do I have now to be with her?” There is a Chinese saying, “餓死老婆燻臭屋,” which literally translates to starving one’s wife to death and filling the house with a foul smell. He wanted to establish himself in his career before moving forward with the idea of being with Nie Xi Guang. One thing I still don’t understand is why Zhuang Xu never replied to her text. That silence was never explained and felt like a missed opportunity for emotional closure.
I had three favorite scenes, and honestly, they were all centered around Zhuang Xu because that’s where the emotional weight of the drama really lived for me. One was the private conversation between Zhuang Xu and Nie Xi Guang at their friend’s wedding. That scene was heavy with tension and longing. You could feel how much they still cared about each other, even though neither of them could openly say it. There was so much restraint in that moment, like both of them were afraid that saying the wrong thing would expose the feelings they were still trying to bury.
Another scene that really stayed with me was when Rong Rong asked, “You believe her over me?” It’s a line she’d used repeatedly to guilt and control Zhuang Xu. This time, though, his response completely flipped the power dynamic. When he said, “In the past, I always chose to believe you. I already paid my bill for trusting you,” it felt like a turning point. That line was about regret, misplaced loyalty, and the cost of choosing the wrong person to trust.
The final scene, and probably the most emotionally devastating one for me, was when Zhuang Xu finally lost control and confessed his feelings to Nie Xi Guang. Up until that point, he’d always been so restrained, guarded, and emotionally closed off. Seeing him completely unravel in front of her made the scene incredibly powerful. You could feel how much pain, regret, and longing he’d been carrying all that time. It felt less like a confession and more like an emotional breakdown, and that’s what made it hit so hard. That moment alone made his character feel painfully real.
Lai Wei Ming’s portrayal of Zhuang Xu was excellent. At first, I found his acting stiff, but I realized that his character was intentionally reserved and poker faced, never revealing vulnerability easily. He was complex, and he was the most interesting character in the drama.
As for things that annoyed me, Nie Xi Guang’s circle of friends was questionable, except for Xiao Feng, who consistently defended her. When others questioned her character, they mostly stayed silent. Rong Rong’s constant jabs were tolerated by the rest of the friend group, which didn’t make sense to me. If someone treated a friend that way in real life, cutting them off would be the obvious choice, but here, they kept her around.
Overall, this was an okay drama, but I don’t feel the desire to rewatch it. The main reason is how perfect Nie Xi Guang and Lin Yu Sen’s relationship was almost too idealized, which made it boring. Plus, the chemistry between the leads wasn’t consistent.
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