multislacking

Yeah, I have really mixed feelings at this point. It's not fun watching her spiraling in her grief and hate. I think the dreams are her way of grappling with her conflicting feelings for Xin Xu -- she loves him, but can't separate him from her brother's death even though she's already acknowledged it wasn't his fault. On top of that, right before she fell unconscious she found out that Xin Xu was the one who sent her the training video, and now she's convinced their whole relationship was based on getting revenge on her brother. I think that's the key thing she can't get over at this point. Although I'm not sure why that revelation is hitting her so hard when they already had that whole discussion about him being willing to let go of his hate for how her brother treated him. In any case, I agree it's hard to understand what's going on with the leads' behavior at this point... I commented a couple episodes back that I can put up with nonsense in the plot, but when characters start to do things that don't make sense, that gets frustrating.

I feel Like Xin Xu's comment at the end of ep. 28 is totally out of character... he was revolving around Nong Yu even before he started experiencing emotions. Now, just because she had an angry / grief-driven outburst, he's not going to care about her anymore? Maybe he'll immediately change his mind in the next episode (or his dragon will talk some sense into him 😆), but for now it doesn't make any sense for who he is as a character. Ugh, I'm not liking this cliffhanger... feels like their relationship is back to square one after they've come so far.

I can go along for the ride with all the craziness in the plot, but when characters' behavior doesn't make any sense, that gets frustrating (more below on ep. 28)

"Our Generation" (https://kisskh.at/710277-oceans-time) has some similar circumstances and character dynamics (ML disappears to protect FL from his painful situation, she still seeks him out; both are completely devoted to each other). She calls him out in no uncertain terms on his pride and selfishness, clearly explains the pain his choices caused, and asks him to use his words to express his feelings and commitment towards her. It’s some great writing and dialogue and well worth watching (despite the angst) if you haven’t seen it.

What a thoughtful and thorough review! I think your interpretation of Jin Zhao’s behavior ("He broke his own heart to ensure she wouldn't spend her best years fading away in the shadow of his pain") is spot on.

I thought this monologue near the end of the series really captured his growth as a character and their dynamic as a couple:

“All these years, I thought silence and absence were protection and sacrifice. But year after year, day after day, you stubbornly waited. True love isn’t self-righteous sacrifice, but two hearts, defying wind and rain together, resisting a broken life.”

I've yet to find any other drama that's as sweet and completely stress-free as this one, but for dramas with a cozy feel + cute romance, I'd recommend (in addition to the great ones already listed):

C-dramas:
- My Little Happiness (2021) *this one also has a charming doctor ML
- New Life Begins (2022)
- A Romance of the Little Forest (2022)

Short (Vertical) C-dramas:
- Fang Yang Ba Lao Ban (2025) / aka “The Sheep Herder Boss”
- The Crush (2025)
- An Lian Shi Ke Xing Xing Tang (2025) / aka “Secret Love Is a Star Candy”
See full "Sweet Short Dramas" list here: https://kisskh.at/list/1ep0x7M4

K-dramas:
- Meow, the Secret Boy (2020)
- Still 17 (2018)

I just watched for the third time (it's one of my favorites, like comfort food in drama form) and was struck this time around by how great a character Mumu is. It's always a fun surprise when supporting characters have unexpected depth. He's serious and might seem indifferent at first glance, but is actually thoughtful and considerate (especially toward women). He notices things no one else does and often steps in quietly to help or protect his friends. Most viewers probably focus on how Dr. Mo is the perfect man, but Mumu deserves some kudos too! He's a well-written character, and Huang Jing Xiang (who is apparently a professional cosplayer IRL, according to his bio) gives a memorable performance.

Found it! "My Premeditated Love" / 救命！我老公茶香四溢 with Zeng Hui and Zhang Jin Yi: https://kisskh.at/801862-jiu-ming-wo-lao-gong-cha-xiang-si-yi

Hello! I’m looking for a recent drama that I can’t find anymore. The plot: The ML plays a “green tea” type of character (in a hilarious way) who has feelings for his buddy’s girlfriend (the FL). When the two have a falling out, he pretends to help them reconcile while really getting closer to the FL himself. I thought I remembered Wang Yi Lei in the ML role, but don’t see anything in his recent work that looks like a match. Hoping these details will ring a bell for someone who remembers the title or cast.

“That kind of devotion, it was unrestrained. Wild, even.”

I think this quote from ep. 15 is the perfect description of the leads’ relationship. This kind of deep and unwavering commitment at such a young age might not be very realistic, but it makes for good fiction.

If anyone hasn’t started the series yet or is debating whether to continue, I’d recommend holding out through the heartache. It’s not a perfect story, but it depicts a beautiful relationship that endures through hardship and has some of best dialogue and most meaningful conversations I’ve encountered in a drama.

…how he wishes things could be, and I know there’s more to the story coming, but it’s still a pretty cruel thing to do. Did he really think the momentary happiness of thinking he’s staying and they could go to college together would outweigh the devastation when she realized he deceived and abandoned her?

He’s never been the most emotionally intelligent, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, but it still hit me hard. And the way he crumbled after watching her go up the stairs. I wasn’t expecting this much heartbreak from this series 💔

I’m only up to ep. 15, and the angst is already killing me. I get that what Qiao Xi said to Cherry is…

Agreed! Not only has the script changed, but the characters are also clearly different from the originals in their traits and motivations. Putting aside Nan Heng, if SYM would only take a hard look at her sister or even Chu Gui Hong, you'd think she'd start to have some suspicions that the scripted world isn't as predetermined as she thinks. But it's like she has blinders on and refuses to acknowledge the possibility. The way her character is written is really frustrating and inconsistent so far, but fingers crossed for a turnaround.

I’ve been trying to analyze why I find Song Yi Meng to be so unlikable as the female lead so far, and I think one of the biggest reasons is that many of her emotions (especially toward Nan Heng) are contrived to manipulate — fake crying, fake coyness, fake coaxing. Like the boy who cried wolf, her insincerity (while understandable as a survival mechanism) makes me less inclined to sympathize with her when she does show some genuine feeling. On top of that, her words and actions often conflict with each other (see ep. 26), which can be confusing — if you can’t follow along with a character’s thinking, feelings, and motivations, it’s hard to feel invested. Compared to Nan Heng, who usually wears his emotions on his sleeve, perhaps it’s not surprising that many viewers find him to be a more sympathetic character.

That said, both leads are on pretty equal footing in terms of bad behavior. Both have been hypocritical, deceptive, and attempted to harm each other. They’ve both been through trauma and pain, which influences their actions and interactions. It will be interesting to see where the story goes and if/how they can get past this. Despite the frustrating character development (or lack thereof), I’ve come too far to quit now. I’m thinking something big will have to happen to jolt SYM out her stubborn conviction that the characters and script are unchangeable. Why she hasn’t gotten a clue up to this point is baffling.