ramblingromantic

I tried to watch this when it first came out but I just wasnt in the brain space BUT ALSO I will say the first like 3 episodes of this show are the weakest. I get that they wanted to go in chronological order, but this is one of those rare times where only flashbacks would have made sense. I think seeing the crash and then watching her finish school just slowed down the plot tremendously. I know we are supposed to see her at school with the love triangle situation but even that felt chaotic and unsatisfying enough to need to watch her college experience the way we do. Its not like they *never* flashback in the show, so for me I think they could have just stuck to well placed flashbacks and the show would have been a lot easier to get hooked into. I don’t know that I would have been patient enough to keep watching if I wasn’t stuck on a plane with limited options because the show really only picks up *for me* when Nie Xi Guang starts her job (and Lin Yu Sen becomes her boss ofc).

That complaint aside…I loved the show! I think Lin Yu Sen and Nie Xi Guang were not just a cute couple but pretty healthy too. Once all the confusion of the past is resolved, I love that they *stick* together. There is no silly last minute misunderstanding for the sake of a second act break up. Instead, its them against the world (her dad, his trauma, etc). I liked them as a couple but I also enjoyed them as individuals. You really see Lin Yu Sen struggle with his new reality and question everything he thought he knew. You see him conflicted about his persistent feelings for a woman that he thought ghosted him after the accident. You see Nie Xi Guang go from “uncaring/laid back” to passionate and determined. You see Nie Xi Guang learn how to heal from the wounds of her own messy romantic past and her “daddy issues”. I was sooo happy when she popped off on her dad lol.

I know it was out of the question for Lin Yu Sen to become a surgeon again but I was wishing for a miracle lol. I will say I was sooo happy he does go back into the science field rather than business.

Rong and Zhuang Xu were honestly typical blegh antagonists. I wish we saw less of them to be honest. I was expecting more of an arc from Zhuang Xu with how much screen time we have with him at his office but we don’t. In fact, we see Rong less but her arc is more obvious. I was thinking maybe Zhuang Xu would move on and be with that one co-worker but no. Instead he finally realizes how toxic all the gossiping in college was for Nie Xi Guang and even then I’m surprised how long it took for him to really *get* it. I was gobsmacked when it turned out he GOT HER TEXT BACK THEN. All his pining and whining as if he were the victim. Sickening lol. While I hated them, their characters fit the overall show’s plot and goals. I do wish we saw less of Zhuang Xu but I don’t think they were “bad” characters in terms of experience of the show, they were solid annoying love antagonists.

Yin Jie and Nie Xi Guang’s other friends after school were great. I thought they were a lot more supportive than her college friends (minus the one that defended her) and it was great to see that juxtaposition of friends that truly support and believe in your rather than that are “nice” to you.

I also LOVED Jiang Rui. He was such a cutie and his relationship with Nie Xi Guang was peak siblingship (even though they are technically cousins).

Last but not least, I think the themes and messaging were super clear and poignant. Sometimes we can spend our much of/whole lives on a goal, but life will demand we take a detour. It sucks and it can hurt, but it’s just part of the journey. Don’t let those detours hold you down/back.