Reviews

A WARM HUG FOR YOUR HEART

Sometimes this drama feels like When Life Gives You Tangerines. Sometimes it feels like I’m watching Descendants of the Sun. But it is actually very different from both of them.


This drama gives you heart-wrenching, light-hearted, and warm feelings at the same time. Even though I’m only teenager, it awakened my childhood memories.

☆ The ML & FL secret hideout scenes where they eat, chat, and spend happy times together. (My friends and I also had a spot at school where we gathered during free periods.)


☆ The lumber-making and painting scenes. In those scenes, many children watched Fang Muyang and Fei Ting making beds and chairs. These moments made the drama feel very realistic.

I truly loved it.


~ Plot ~
The story flows smoothly like butter. In the 1970s era, people had to endure many hardships. However, the plot does not focus only on sadness. Instead, it feels warm, light-hearted, and realistic. That’s why I liked this drama so much.

Furthermore, when needed, the ML and FL become reliable and serious. But when they are alone, they show their childish sides. I really loved their childish moments 😂


~ Cast ~
There’s no doubt that Chen Feiyu and Sun Qian did an amazing job. Their chemistry is incredible.


~ Makeup ~
The makeup was done beautifully. Thankfully, they didn’t make the ML and FL look unnaturally pale.


~ Cinematography ~
The entire drama is filled with breathtaking natural scenery. I can’t even express in words how much I loved those scenes.


This drama is truly underrated. I hope every C-drama fan watches this masterpiece. It is very different from typical Chinese dramas. 😍

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Although this short drama has a romance sub-plot, this is just a part of the greater Coming-of-Age story told here. Err and Mawin are in that fragile year when it becomes obvious to young people that a part of their lives is coming to a close (school and childhood) and that the future is still unknown -- and that time coincides with a phase when teenagers are still coming into their own identity.
Consequently, the drama asks: What do you want in life? Where are you going? Why are things important? Or if not, why not? Are you good enough -- and for whom? Who are you, and who do you want to be?
Both Err and Mawin will have to find their own way of navigating interactions with their peers and expectations of adults -- and in the meantime manage their first romantic feelings.

Despite the slightly ridiculous set-up of a maths camp in a hotel, I'd call this drama slice-of-life-adjacent.

Both main actors performed well -- which surprised me in a good way because Sea ("Mawin") was still rather stiff and unexpressive in his first role in "Only Boo!".

The romance took a backseat in favour of the coming-of-age, which I did not mind one bit.
Actually, I think this little drama would have worked as well, if not better, as an ensemble piece. The supporting characters -- the other students at the camp -- seem to have interesting backstories: The perpetually grumpy Mangpor, the boy with the broken arm, sunny Mhee. I am sure they would have added more depth to the themes the series touched upon.
Alternatively, the focus could have been tightened to the two main characters, that would have worked too.

But overall, I feel that the writers and the director made exactly the story they wanted to tell; I felt that there was a good attention to detail both in the screenplay and in the execution of the drama (unlike in other recent cash-grab GMMTV BLs).

However, for what it is, this short drama did what it wanted to do, not more and not less. The themes might not be exactly new, but they are certainly relevant to most teenagers.


Was it good?
It was a well-executed short coming-of-age story. I didn't feel it lacked anything there; viewers focused on the romance might feel that it didn't get enough time.

Did I like it?
I liked it well enough. I usually don't feel too strong about coming-of-age stories nowadays.

Who would I recommend it to?
To those who don't mind a story that is not that focused on the romance in favour for a more slice-of-life-leaning plot.

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A love triangle disguised as a found family show.

So the show itself had a lot of potential and the initial 4 or so episodes are pretty good. But then the love triangle well it kind of ruins it. Not to be dramatic the show had betrayed it's own audience. No longer a show about a child care but one about a love triangle and a child as an accossery. The story had potential with found family vibes and exploring each character's trauma and regrets but no we are wasting time on a stupid and infuriating love triangle.
Characters
Woo Hyeon Jin ( fl ) - She is not well written her regrets about her sister aren't explored enough. The problem with her is that she makes a few claims of what she would do but doesn't follow through them. She is clearly not fit to be the baby's guardian, she can't even take care of herself. She does have her positives though like I liked how she made porridge for the ml when he was sick and she isn't a bad or malicious person. But her inability to clearly reject the ml while knowing that he hates waiting is my main issue. Her trying to impress her boss and her antics were annoying. I don't believe she had to have agreed to date the ml but when she was actively goes on dates with sml it gets frustrating.
Seon Tea Hyeong ( ml ) - easily the better written character out of the main characters. His character is well explored . He has a very good character arc from going from this jerk who didn't want anything to do with the baby to adoring him so dearly. What I like about him is that his care and love for the fl and baby are separate. I wish we could have explored a bit more of the photography a bit more since well I feel like that industry isn't represented in much depth in media. Also his boss was such a diva. My issue with this character comes in the later episodes where he is almost portrayed as a hopeless romantic loser though I absolutely love the cute scenes between him and fl but the love triangle also indirectly hurts his character writing mainly we get too much of it. His scenes with the baby are peak easily the best scenes in the entire show. I can tell why the baby was so attached to him. He is unintentionally very good with the baby.
Park Yun Seong ( sml ) - would have liked him in any other show but not this one. Okay I get it he likes the fl but he keeps her late even after he finds out she has a baby to take care of. He doesn't care for the baby the baby is just a tool for him to impress her. The reason why his moments don't hit much with the fl is because it's less about action more about throwing money and making it appear as if he cares for the baby. The car seat scene is a good example it was clear it wasn't care. He also lacks chemistry with the fl. He has better chemistry with ml than the fl and all they did was fix a door.
Seon U Ju ( baby ) - the star of the show and probably the reason why people continue to watch the show. He does his job well cute great chemistry with the leads. Really expressive as he is a baby he doesn't have much of a character arc but I wish we could have explored more of his trauma like he was diagnosed to have some psychological problems. But I wish we were shown these problems. Like him reacting weirdly to noise and the leads unsure what to do.

Improvements for the show ( based on my opinion)
1. Just focus on the ml and the baby. - this would have made the show stand out against most of the other childcare shows which also have heavy emphasis on romance.
2. Focus more on the characters psychology and trauma - this would have given the drama without the need of romantic plots.
3. Show the full regaining of the ml's love of photography - from hate to just to keep them a float to genuine passion.
4. Show more of his friends - they are genuinely funny and they could have a brother like bond with the ml highlighting a past he has lost.
5. Make the father more manipulative and a genuine threat - he shouldn't be a threat like he is threatening the baby's life but more of a psychological manipulator kind someone who makes the ml question his credibility as a guardian.
6. Bit more focus on the photography industry - we could see how he uses lightning how he gets clients and methods he uses for exposure.
7. More scenes in his childhood with his brother - this could be triggered by things the baby does. He could feel resentment and sorrow when the baby reminds him of his brother, he could feel self pity when the baby reminds him of himself.

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A second chance at forbidden love : hihh - stakes duty meets unwavering patriotism

#fireworksofmyheart #yangyang #whangchuran
I recently saw this series, and for me it's a must-watch! A bridge between Asia and the West. #yanyang#'s acting transcends the screen. it tells the powerful story of reconciliation between fire chief Song Yan and Doctor Xu Qin, separated ten years earlier by family opposition. Couple Dynamics and Healing: Healing occurs through overcoming past traumas: Xu Qin, raised in an oppressive adoptive family, finds in Song Yan the strength to rebel against an upbringing that had made her insecure and dependent. Their love is not merely romantic, but a journey of realistic maturation that leads them to choose each other again as conscious adults. The drama addresses critical issues such as: Family Psychological The suffocating influence of Xu Qin's adoptive mother, who used guilt and economic control. The social barriers that saw Song Yan (from a humble background) as an unsuitable suitor for Xu Qin's prestigious family. The direction excels at balancing personal drama with high-tension sequences: Realistic Rescue: The firefighter rescue scenes and medical emergencies are described as very well-executed, adding a sense of urgency and "grit" to the narrative. The production is of high quality, with particular attention to technical detail (they enlisted the help of real professionals) and the ability to integrate action scenes with the emotional development of the characters, avoiding the classic clichés of the genre. A product, despite its Chinese cultural underpinnings, that has a production, direction, and acting style that is understandable worldwide. Congratulations

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SINGTOKRIST COME BACK ???

YALLLLLLLLLL 😭😭😭

THIS SERIES???? OH THIS SERIES WAS NOT JUST A SERIES. THIS WAS A WELCOME BACK CEREMONY, A HOMECOMING, A CULTURAL RESET, A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE FOR SINGTOKRIST. AND I WAS FRONT ROW SCREAMING.

LIKE HELLO???? MY PERAYA HEART??? RESURRECTED. REVIVED. REBORN. ❤️

This show is basically comfort food for Peraya OG fans which, unfortunately and proudly, IS ME. I swear the entire storyline lowkey mirrors SingtoKrist’s real life dynamic and I’m sitting here like…

HELLO??? ARE WE WATCHING FICTION OR A DOCUMENTARY??

Because excuse me??? They didn’t work together for like WHAT, SIX YEARS??? Then Singto came back to GMMTV and suddenly Krist is glowing like a man who just got his husband back from war and BOOM they get their own series again???

GIRL.

Also let me talk about the TRAUMA I went through when the trailer dropped for The Ex Morning. Because I remember new BL fans in the comments going like:

“Where is my JimmySea series?”
“Why SingtoKrist again?”
“Are they still relevant?”

EXCUSE ME????

BOY IF YOU DON’T SIT DOWN WITH YOUR LITTLE BABY BL DEGREE FROM TIKTOK UNIVERSITY—

SINGTOKRIST LITERALLY CARRIED GMMTV ON THEIR BACK LIKE TWO SINGLE MOTHERS WORKING DOUBLE SHIFTS DURING SOTUS ERA.

If they didn’t blow up the industry back then, HALF OF YOUR FAVES WOULD NOT EVEN EXIST. So yes babes. Show some respect to your BL ancestors.

Anyway… let’s calm down before my blood pressure spikes and let’s review this thing properly.

And yes. This review is biased.
EXTREMELY biased.
If you don’t like it…

Ciao. 💅

___________________________________________________________

a) Plot

Okay quick synopsis before I start screaming again. Phi is this famous weather forecast prince. On camera he’s charming, charismatic, professional, everyone loves him blah blah blah. But OFF camera???

Oh honey…

That man is an entitled, dramatic, slightly insufferable manchild.

Harsh? Maybe.
But am I wrong? Absolutely not.

So one day during a live broadcast, this rookie journalist Tae starts throwing off-script questions at him. Phi is already annoyed, his patience is hanging by a thread, and suddenly— BOOM. He throws coffee in Tae’s face. LIVE. ON. CAMERA. And I’m sitting there like, "NOOOOO OH U FUCKED UP". Anyway his career immediately goes poof 💨CANCELLED. FINISHED. GOODBYE WEATHER PRINCE.

So the company decides the best way to fix his image is to produce a new show for him. Cool idea. Great strategy. Love that. But the producer they hired to manage the project is... Tawan. His ex. The same ex who disappeared from his life FOUR YEARS AGO WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION. So when Phi finds out, he basically has a mini emotional nuclear meltdown and honestly? VALID. Because if my ex who ghosted me suddenly appeared at my workplace like “Hi I’m your boss now” I would also start screaming.

So the whole series is basically their journey of rebuilding their relationship while fixing Phi’s career and confronting all the unresolved feelings they never dealt with. Now let’s talk about the actual plot. I genuinely thought this show would be draggy. Like you know those BLs where nothing happens for three episodes except intense eye contact and slow walking scenes? But surprisingly?? THE PLOT WAS ACTUALLY GOOD??? There are proper developments, conflicts that make sense, and the pacing for a 10 episode series is actually pretty steady. Yes there are some filler-ish scenes. Like the multiple moments where Phi randomly sings while Tawan reminisces about their old relationship and I’m just sitting there like "OH MY GOD PLEASE STOP SINGING I AM BEGGING YOU." I literally hit 2x speed during those scenes. Sorry. Not sorry.

BUT the plot twist about why Tawan left Phi?? OH BABY. When the reveal happened I was like "WAIT— OH???? OH?????? THAT’S WHY?????" It’s not super dramatic but it’s sweet enough to make you gasp and go “oh damn okay that makes sense.” Also the cinematography??? HELLO??? There’s this one scene where Phi is heating rice over a charcoal stove and waiting for the fire to light up. Then Tawan comes and they talk about Yong choosing their demo and making a bet about who wins. When Tawan says “deal” and pours oil into the fire and the flames suddenly burst up.... BABY. THE FIRE WAS NOT THE ONLY THING HEATING UP.

Because Singto looked so damn charming in that scene I literally choked. Like excuse me??? WHY IS MY HEART BEATING LIKE THIS??? WHY AM I FEELING THINGS??? Sir you cannot just stand there looking that good. It awakened something inside me and I’m not going to elaborate further. Also the SOTUS reference during their wedding ceremony??? I SCREAMED SO LOUD MY NEIGHBOURS PROBABLY THINK I SAW A GHOST. And can we talk about how the series actually explained same-sex marriage in Thailand???

I LOVED THAT.

They showed how the legal process works and how Thai wedding ceremonies are performed and honestly it felt so refreshing to see that represented in a BL series. Thank you GMMTV for letting SingtoKrist be the couple that explains it.

My Peraya heart is full. 🥹

___________________________________________________________

b) Characters

> Phi played by Krist Perawat

Oh Krist.

MY FORMER NUMBER ONE BIAS.

And honestly after watching this series I understand exactly why he used to hold that position. This man CAN ACT. Like I’m not exaggerating when I say his acting improved A LOT since SOTUS. Back then he was good, but now he’s so natural on camera that it feels like we’re just watching someone’s real life. The camera basically disappears. It’s like we’re the third wheel spying on his life.

And Phi as a character? UNSTABLE.

Emotionally unstable. Mentally unstable. Romantically unstable.

This man folds faster than a lawn chair every time Tawan gets close to him. And honestly??? RELATABLE. Because tell me WHY Tawan is constantly seducing him.

Loose shirts exposing his chest.
Leaning close to his face.
Casually changing his shoes.

EXCUSE ME???

SIR YOU ARE NOT HELPING HIS SELF CONTROL.

If I were Phi I would’ve folded in episode two. But I love the character development he gets later in the series. He starts as this selfish hot-tempered guy but eventually becomes someone who prioritizes the people he loves. Growth. We love to see it.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

> Tawan played by Singto Prachaya

Ah yes. THE MAN. THE MYTH. THE VOICE OF HONEY ITSELF. Singto’s voice in this series is so soft and gentle that I genuinely had a moment where I thought: “Wait… when have I ever heard him raise his voice before?” Answer: NEVER. This man speaks like he’s narrating an ASMR audiobook. And acting wise? No problems there. I’ve known since day one that Singto can act. Every scene feels natural, no awkwardness, no stiffness.

Now let’s talk about Tawan. At first he shows up looking cool, sharp, professional, very “I’m here to work.” But by the end of the series he becomes this goofy man who is ready to sulk the moment Phi ignores him. And honestly? I’m okay with it. Because for most of the show Tawan is ridiculously cunning and seductive. This man was flirting in broad daylight. Not subtle. Not discreet. FULL ATTACK MODE. My only complaint is that his sharp, calculating personality slowly fades near the end of the series. That could’ve been explored more.

Missed opportunity.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

> Kaoki played by Jamie Juthapich

Okay let me be honest. I usually don’t get very invested in GMMTV GL characters because the dynamic is always the same:
cold top × sunshine bottom.

Jamie isn’t really an exception here. This is the first time I noticed her in a bigger supporting role and she did fine, but the character itself was just… mid. Kaoki is supposed to have tons of connections because she’s a famous camerawoman, but the show barely demonstrates it. The only time we really see her influence is when she posts a tweet supporting Phi. Other than that the character just exists.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

> Nudee played by Earn Preeyaphat

Earn still has room to improve. Her acting isn’t bad but there’s still a bit of awkwardness in her eyes and voice sometimes. Nothing unbearable though. Nudee as a character is basically Phi’s support system. She runs his fanbase, does research, helps with investigations, and occasionally forgets things because apparently every bubbly side character must also be slightly scatterbrained. But I actually liked her energy and the little connection she had with Yong. Cute siblings dynamic.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

> Tae played by Aou Thanaboon

BOY. Let me tell you something. I love Aou. He’s my bias. But while watching this show I completely forgot about that because THIS MAN WAS GETTING ON MY NERVES. Acting wise he’s great, no issues there. But Tae as a character???

OH MY GOD.

I wanted to push him away from Phi every time he appeared on screen. The annoying thing is he wasn’t annoying ENOUGH. Like imagine if he intentionally told the cameraman to go live before Phi threw the coffee.

THE DRAMA.
THE CHAOS.
THE SPICE WE DESERVED.

But no. His villain era was like… mild salsa. Not spicy enough.

___________________________________________________________

c) Steamy scenes

BOYYYYYYYY. GMMTV SAID “LET’S RAISE THE TEMPERATURE.” There are at least five steamy scenes in this show and I’m not complaining. For some reason they are OBSESSED with bathroom and bathtub scenes but honestly? Do your thing kings. The kissing scenes were phenomenal. At first I thought they could be more hungry but then I suddenly remembered the lip biting kiss scene and I immediately shut my mouth.

NEVER MIND.

COMPLAINT RETRACTED.

WE ARE FED.

___________________________________________________________

d) OST

Don’t ask me anything. I remember none of the songs.

Zero.

My brain was too busy processing SingtoKrist chemistry.

___________________________________________________________

e) Overall

Listen. This is a good series. Call me biased all you want, I truly do not care. This show healed my inner Peraya and watching SingtoKrist together again felt like seeing your divorced parents fall in love again. My first BL heartbreak couple came back together. So please tell me again that this series isn’t based on them. Because the parallels are SUSPICIOUS.

Anyway I rarely rewatch series unless they are extremely good. And for this one… I still probably won’t rewatch it. I’m sorry.

But that doesn’t change the fact that it was fun as hell to watch.

Final score? 10/10.

And yes.

I said what I said. 🫦

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I knew it was supposed to be toxic, but whew. Good music and decent acting, though

good music, toxic storyline/character, but you know that going in. Still, this is a unique depiction of toxic that seems like they found the handbook on how to create a textbook abuser in a highly abusive relationship in the real world, filched it right off a case worker's desk, and decided to try and check ALL the boxes (except physical b/c that would be too obvious). and the behavior continues even after we'd expect to see a redemption arc and the relationship turn healthy.

I will give them credit for getting verbal go-ahead from the male lead, though. That happens depressingly less often than it should in BL, so I'll give you a point for that.

Oh and the plot holes? There are more holes than plot at this rate, yet that, too, you should come in knowing to expect. I was a little too naive on that one.

Did I say exceptionally good music? Like I haven't paid this much attention to music in a drama, maybe ever, and the fact that it's for a drama I don't like, is all the more impressive.

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Fake Son-Real Son plot with over the top dramatic effect

I watched this drama two years ago and i don't know any actor of this drama . I just familiar with ML face but not his name. Later, i know his name was Zhan Zhuo. Actually this drama was gender reverse of fake daughter-real daughter plot with generic plot device.

The four sister are incredibly has great quality with different charm: The CEO, the actress, the sporty one, and pet lover one. but somehow they brain was freezing when they The most logic one is the CEO one while the most annoying sister is the pet lover one, she is just basically Fake son pawn. The fake son was traditional brat villain. The plot was overly dramatic but with less physical violence. They treat verbal sparring as violent making this were more cruel. The reborn part is quite generic, suddenly ML have brain and cut off the family ties faster. The production teams desperately want to make CEO sister as ML's angel but her cowardice just make their relationship felt apart.

Luckily, ML never have any love interest and his friends was quite like his foster family but they are barely shown the scene which it unfortunate.

Only watched for fun and Zhan Zhou fans.

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Could have been good

I marked this as spoilers, but jic, there are spoilers ahead.

This show had potential but ep8 crushed the whole thing for me. The secondary couple was by far my favorite part of the show and ending them the way the did was basically criminal. Using Don as cheap motivation to give the main couple a kick in the butt was so trash I can't believe it. Literally a near death or Don in the hospital sequence could have been a sufficient reality check for Akin, but no. They had to ruin the best part of the show. I never really reinvested after ep8 though I did finish it. The wedding scene with Don was also crushing, and just so unnecessary. The second couple had real problems that they were actively working through to be better, but their story got cut short for the sake of pushing the main couple to realize that all their "problems" were literally in Akin's head. They were so boring because we basically knew from very early that Than did nothing, so watching him pointlessly chase a non-communicating idiot was so tiring. Gym bro was a better option by far, so struggling through the rest of that story without PondDon to break it up was just awful. Also, again, lazy and cheap story mechanic with no respect to Don's character or their raletionship, which had sooo much promise. And no, the special ep did not make up for the trauma of ep8.

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Treat this as NPC drama

I watched this last year and this is the most recent drama from Zhang Jinyi and Lu Huanyu. For me this drama is ultimately for hardcore fans and CP fans. It was pretty mediocre.

Plot is about FL is controlled and manipulated by her uncle, but she endures her suffering to avenge her parents. ML is the weapon she lured into her life, wielding immense power. The beginning of the plot is very engaging; FL's appearance playing the piano is stunning. Plus, she gets two kills right at the start. However, the subsequent plot weakens. ML is overly enthusiastic, while the FL seems to be taking things too hard. She uses ML as a tool, but her methods of revenge are not satisfying to watch. With sufficient evidence, she could have easily caught and killed the bad guys, but she went through all that trouble for using inefficient method.

The costumes and props are good, and the plot is another Good Girl adaptation, but the story is poorly written. FL's initial portrayal of a villain is quite compelling, but she becomes less so later, becoming rather mediocre and flat.

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The Past and the Present Rewrite the Future

The past and the present meet to rewrite their future. That is the central theme of this drama and at its core are two 19-year-olds fighting to survive in a world full of strife. This drama has been compared to the likes of the K-drama, Signal (which was inspired by the Hollywood film, Frequency), The Lake House or Il Mare, and the Japanese animated film, Your Name. The comparison is spot on, the premise is indeed similar about two separate timelines converging through a mysterious mail box and an orange tabby cat that is seemingly responsible for this connection.

As much as I loved this drama, I must warn those who are looking to start it. Don't go into this if you're not prepared for the possible emotional torment it will put you through. This is not a story of flowers, sunshine, and butterflies, it's a tale of woe and tragedy, and it'll break your heart at the very least. This is one of the most emotionally heavy C-dramas I've seen to date. It is set in both 1991 and 2026, following the tragic love of Ye Haitang and Tang Yixun, and their beautiful but miserable life together, spanning 35 years of sadness and longing.

Abandoned by her mother as a child, Ye Haitang was raised by a violent and abusive father, constantly living in fear and overcome with hatred. Tang Yixun is an orphan, struggling to make a living as a debt collector. Their paths meet and they form a bond that transcends familial and romantic love. But as luck would have it, fate seems to be determined to tear them apart, and it would've succeeded if not for the appearance of a magical mail box, giving them a second chance at happiness.

I'm not gonna lie, this drama is only 12 episodes long but it took me a week to finish it because it's not an easy watch. Some of the scenes are so heartbreakingly painful and the strong performances from the cast made me even more emotional that I had to take a break from watching it. Don't get me wrong, this is a superbly written, produced, and acted drama, but it's not the type of show that I will want to rewatch again and again. I literally ran out of tissues! Episode 8, most especially, drove me to tears that I ended up crying in my sleep! I tip my hat to Zhou Yiran, Wang Yinglu, and the rest of the cast, you succeeded in tormenting me deeply. Thank you for the sweet pain you inflicted on me! lol

As for the controversial ending, I actually don't mind it. I would've preferred if they had explicitly told the viewers what exactly happened to the characters, but I'll take it. I have some theories regarding the ending and I'm fine if I never get to find out what it truly means. I rather like the idea that I get to imagine my own ending. In my head, Haitang and Yixun are happily married in their 50's and Yu Nian and Shen Cheng met again, but under different circumstances. This is a 10 for me. Only the second C-drama that I have given such a rating. I don't think I will rewatch it anytime soon, though.

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