The Early Spring

Give me all the 50 Shades of Luke!!

Hello from London. 🇬🇧
✦ ✦ ✦Give me all the 50 Shades of Luke!! ✦ ✦ ✦
I have to admit, I’m rather surprised to see this drama receiving some lower ratings so early on, particularly when it has already demonstrated just how much traction it is gaining — especially here in the West and across social media. Sometimes a drama needs a little time to reveal what it is doing, and this one already has me thoroughly invested.

I was unfamiliar with the ML , JJing Bo Ran, before watching this, but consider me impressed. Give me all the Fifty Shades of Luke. He has an undeniable screen presence, and beyond being exceptionally handsome, he brings a confidence and intensity to the role that makes him incredibly watchable. There is something quietly magnetic about him, and I would genuinely love to see him cross over into more internationally distributed dramas. Bo Ran has the kind of presence that could translate very well to Western audiences.

The FL is equally charming. She has that lovely balance of innocence and understated sensuality, which works particularly well against his more intense presence. Most importantly, the chemistry between them feels natural rather than manufactured. They are a very convincing pairing, and their scenes together are easily among the strongest elements of the drama.

As for the story, I’m enjoying it so far. It certainly carries Fifty Shades of Grey undertones — but rather than feeling like a direct imitation, it comes across as a more toned-down, television-friendly interpretation of that particular dynamic. And, frankly, it is proving to be just as addictive. There is something about the combination of tension, attraction and emotional restraint that keeps you pressing “next episode.”

I do have one small criticism: the soundtrack. There is one particular song that keeps appearing which, unless I’m completely missing something, sounds like English lyrics that don't quite make sense.😅 Every time it comes on, it pulls me out of the scene slightly. 😅 There is another track associated with a very popular actor — whose name has completely escaped me at the moment — and that one, thankfully, is much more enjoyable.

What I’m particularly looking forward to now are the more emotionally charged episodes. The foundation has been laid, the chemistry is there, and I’m curious to see whether the drama can move beyond the initial attraction and give these characters some genuine emotional depth.

For now, though? It has me glued to my screen.
It may not be perfect, but it is extremely watchable — and judging by the conversation surrounding it online, I certainly won't be the only one saying that.

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Reality would be very different

While I loved the acting, I couldn't get into the romance despite the oozing chemistry as there is a power imbalance and people shouldn't be dating their bosses. In real life,this would end very badly. I also think szt is a hypocrite.Made such a fuss about getting by on her own and not depending on him at work yet so many times,she couldn't separate work and the relationship and acted disappointed when he did his job as her boss if she messed up or something happened she was not aware of. They both clearly could not keep both seperate as when he's mad at her personally, it translates to how he behaves at work with her and vice versa. I found it quite ridiculous but it's a fictional romance so that's that. I also kept feeling like I was missing some context or there were missing scenes. I also could not get to care for the side characters because again felt like I was missing scenes or the context that was meant to get me to care for example yao bei and sun yuanzhu. Overall I wouldn't rematch but the cast and acting was very good.

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A kind of bold Cdrama!

This drama is different in a way that it does step over the boundary of current conservative Cdrama pattern. I thought a lot of it would be censored as it has this premarital sex. It's no wonder it's a hit globally, reaching Neflix No 2. Sometimes you need to be bold and different although I am not particularly a fan of steamy dramas because most just do it for the sake of creating some hot scenes. This one at least has emotional intimacy. The ML and FL have such strong chemistry they look so good together. The story is OK. The acting is great. The OST is awesome. And the dog just adds life into this drama. Who doesn't love Luke the dog?

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I am hooked!!! Once you start you won’t be able to stop!!!!

The ML and FL are new to me but their chemistry is really good! Story is easy to follow and characters very believable. The ML is super dreamy and extremely conflicted from the get go . - If only I had such a mentor when I just started work 😛. The FL is honest in her depiction as a newbie at work and romance.

Started watching after rave reviews on TikTok and it is definitely worth watching. I’m now worried I’ll be running out of episodes very soon as once you start you can’t stop.

Liu Yu Ning’s opening tracks is soooo good!

Production value is good and supporting cast are great as well.

Finished this and have rewatched several times since. I’m a huge Jing Bo Ran fan now and find it hard to move one 😢

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Six years together and somehow they still need visitor passes to each other’s lives. ?

The Early Spring

This drama really said, let’s take two flawed people, give them trust issues, emotional baggage, terrible communication skills and then put them in a relationship. What could possibly go wrong? Apparently, everything. 😂

Production

The production is polished and thoughtful, with plenty of little details that actually mean something rather than simply sitting there looking pretty. The director uses repetition and visual parallels cleverly, especially in the way Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao pass each other at different points in their lives. Even their body language and appearance change with their circumstances, quietly showing how much they have grown.

The antique typewriter was another clever touch. It becomes almost a character of its own, representing Luan Nian’s carefully controlled world. Then comes the irony of that control literally falling apart. Subtle, but nicely done.

Story

This is where the drama won me over.

It would be very easy to watch this and declare Luan Nian the villain and Shang Zhitao the innocent victim. But the writing refuses to make things that simple. Neither of them is innocent. Neither is entirely wrong. They both bring their own insecurities, fears and baggage into the relationship, and unfortunately they have a talent for pressing exactly the wrong buttons in each other.

Luan Nian is arrogant, blunt and sometimes downright infuriating. Honestly, sir, sometimes silence really is an option.

But Shang Zhitao is not the helpless victim either. She keeps him outside important parts of her life, hides things, avoids difficult conversations and expects trust while giving him plenty of reasons to question what is happening.

That is what makes the relationship interesting. There is no convenient cartoon villain standing in the corner ruining everything. It is two people who love each other but repeatedly make poor choices and make already complicated situations worse.

My biggest complaint is that the drama needed more episodes. The 24 episode format makes parts of the story feel rushed, particularly the Harbin arc. There was clearly more character development and relationship material that could have been explored.

Acting

Jing Bo Ran and Sun Qian carry the emotional weight of the drama well. Their performances make the relationship believable because they are not playing a perfect romance. There is frustration, attraction, tenderness, resentment and vulnerability.

Jing Bo Ran’s Luan Nian is especially memorable. He can go from cold and controlled to petty and ridiculous in about three seconds. 😂 He is supposed to be this sophisticated, highly controlled man, yet somehow he is also the person making me laugh the most.

Sun Qian gives Shang Zhitao enough vulnerability without turning her into a damsel who needs rescuing. Her character grows from an insecure young woman into someone capable and respected in her own right.

Romance

The romance is complicated, messy and occasionally infuriating, which is exactly why it works.

The attraction between them is obvious, but emotional intimacy is a completely different story. He wants control. She wants independence. He wants her closer. She keeps putting up walls.

Six years together and somehow they are still acting like they need visitor passes to each other’s lives. 😂

Their biggest problem is not a lack of love. It is the inability to communicate honestly and let the other person fully into their world.

And then Luke the dog arrives and basically becomes relationship therapy with four legs. Suddenly these two complicated humans start looking suspiciously like a little family. 🐶

The reconciliation is probably one of the strongest parts of the drama because it feels more earned. After everything they have been through, watching them finally communicate and understand each other gives the romance a sense of maturity rather than simply throwing them back together because the episode count says it is time.

Visuals

The visuals are beautiful without feeling unnecessarily flashy. There is a softness to the cinematography that suits the title and its themes of winter, thawing and new beginnings.

The early spring imagery works particularly well as a metaphor for the characters. Their relationship goes through its own winter before eventually reaching a second chance.

The visual storytelling with the typewriter, repeated encounters and changes in the characters’ appearance adds more depth than simply giving us pretty shots.

Final thoughts

The Early Spring is not a fluffy romance where everyone behaves sensibly and communicates like emotionally mature adults. Thank goodness, because that would have been about five episodes long. 😂

It is a story about two imperfect people who love each other but repeatedly fail to handle that love properly.

Luan Nian is arrogant enough to test your patience. Shang Zhitao is insecure enough to make you question some of her decisions. Together they are basically a walking communication disaster.

But that is also the point.

They hurt each other, separate, grow and eventually learn that love is not about being perfect. It is about becoming better and learning to make room for another person.

And yes, Luke deserves his own award because honestly, the dog understood the assignment. 🐶

8.5/10

Story: 8.5/10
Acting: 9/10
Romance: 8.5/10
Visuals: 9/10
Production: 8.5/10
Luke the Dog: 10/10

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Hablen, por favor… ¡HABLEN! ?

The Early Spring fue un drama que disfruté muchísimo, especialmente por la química entre sus protagonistas. Se sentían muy naturales juntos y me encantó ver cómo iba creciendo su relación, pero tengo que decir algo: estos dos me sacaron de quicio. 😂

Y eso que yo tampoco puedo presumir de ser la mejor comunicándome, pero ellos definitivamente me ganaron. Cada vez que aparecía un malentendido que podían solucionar simplemente hablando, yo estaba frente a la pantalla pensando: “¡DÍGANSE LAS COSAS DE UNA VEZ!” 😩

Lo peor es que muchas de las situaciones que vivieron podrían haberse evitado con una conversación de cinco minutos, pero podía más el orgullo, los sentimientos heridos y ese miedo a decir lo que realmente pensaban. Y claro, una como espectadora sufriendo por algo que literalmente se podía solucionar. 😂

Aun así, creo que justamente esa parte hizo que su relación se sintiera bastante humana. No eran personajes perfectos y muchas veces tomaban decisiones equivocadas por miedo, orgullo o inseguridad. Y aunque me desesperaban, también podía entender de dónde venían sus acciones.

Que lastima que cortaban muchas escenas, también me hubiese gustado ver el matrimonio y la hija que tienen (en el libro). Creo que se merecía al menos el Capitulo 25.

Un drama que me gustó por su romance, pero que me enseñó que a veces el mayor enemigo de una pareja no es la falta de amor… sino el orgullo y no saber decir lo que sienten. ❤️‍🩹

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"Their love survived the bitter winter & finally welcomed the Early Spring"

Contain spoilers:

This was such a well portrayed drama, the character were as real as can be.
The pacing was also not bad, I was wondering how they would portray the 6/7 year relationship then breakup and reunion in 24 episodes but they managed to do it and I think it's perfect that way because there no wasted episodes and personally I don't like long modern dramas, there was a bit of confusion though on which year we were in as there weren't timecards to let us know which year it was, I would sometime hear them mention that its been thus many years and I'd be shocked coz the whole time I thought it was still within the same year, I think this would have cleared the confusion other people had about Luke being rich but having such an old phone.

I loved how Flora and Luke as characters and their relationship was painted in a way that was somewhat realistic, it showed a relationship a lot of us have been in when we were young. It was messy with sweet moments in-between. It didn't paint the female lead as a completely innocent person as well, she had her own flaws just as much as Luke had his own. I think it showed that relationships are work and not some magical event that works itself out somehow, we see this in how things fell apart between them when they didn't communicate and then there would be clarity and harmony when they did communicate and clear misunderstandings and when Luke chose to stop being proud and actually be vulnerable and kind to Flora.
Would I recommend that a friend or younger sister date Luke? Hell no. Not because he's a horrible person, actually he has a good heart and he's teachable and willing to listen when he's being corrected, the issue was his pride and his poisonous mouth that made him a horrible boyfriend sometimes.
Flora had to do some growing up as well, she called him her boyfriend but kept him at arms length, constantly lying to him straight up or by omission, what I loved about her was that she was true to herself and had courage to ask for what she wants even though she didn't look like it in the earlier years, she had way more self-control than I would because the way Luke was constantly coaxing, I'm embarrassed to say would have folded immediately.
One thing I loved about this drama unlike any romantic drama, is that Luke wasn't the perfect white knight and Flora the damsel in distress, they were both each others' savour when needed and I think Luke also points to that symbolism in the end when he reminds her of them rescuing each other during the mudslide.
I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. I enjoyed the frustrating, the sad and heart-wrenching, funny, swoonworthy, heart fluttering moments were all worth the watch.
I enjoyed the friendships that Flora had with Sun Yu and Sun Yuanzhu, Lumi and the rest of her colleagues. I enjoyed the friendship Luke had with his friends especially his mentor and bestie Tan Mian.
I even love that they showed Luke family background and his mentor/bestie gave him advise and didn't make any excuses for his behaviour, it did help us to understand why he was the way he was (nature vs nuture).
I think that they made the characters feel real and bot just there to add to the world of the male and female leads, especially with the heartbreaking story line of Sun Yuanzhu, they showed a young man who carried the burdens of his family's financial needs, witnessing the mum's abuse and not being able to help her or convince her to leave, the gambling dad, the expensive city they were in and the pressure to make it so he can afford all this, he put others above himself and barely took care of himself, he was too young to be carrying all that and while he might have been on meds I'm guessing he was already too tired by then and had given. His story is one I know too well for it to just be a plot to drive Flora to break up with Luke.

On a lighter note, Luke jnr really loves his dad Luke, that cute boy refused to leave his dad and the moment when Luke and Flora were arguing because Luke wanted to see Luke jnr was so funny, it's like they were a divorced couple fighting over custody of their child.
When it comes to character development, I saw that more with Flora throughout, with Luke it was once in awhile and then we see some serious change in the final episodes.
The ending with Luke jnr and the balloon was so cute 🥰
Overall this was an amazing drama, great story telling and the chemistry between the leads was astrononical 🫣.
The OSTs for this drama were the cherry on top, this is the first drama where I don't skip the intro after episode 1 (Liu Yuning did a big one with "Her"), lol I even knew what it means once "You should know" comes on

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started this because of an interesting office romance drama but

At first the ml was a jerk (i mean who isn't in that boss role?) but he remained jerk for a far too long. and the fl i wanted to slap her on 23rd episode. luan niang was foul mouthed but fair & competent since day -1 and shang zhitao knew that too! then how could she forget that after losing an award??! ik she went through a lot after her friend's death and luan niang's word choice didn't help either actually both of them deserved a smack on their heads.

the thing i liked the best was their intimate scenes lol and the thing i hated the most was their lack of communication.

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Miscommunications + insecurities -> toxic yet enthralling relationship

The Early Spring is so far my favourite drama of 2026.

Flora is a young, hardworking woman hired by LIME, where she works under her authoritative and assertive boss, Luke, with whom she eventually becomes entangled. During this years-long situationship, they develop deep affection for one another, which is marred by misunderstandings, only fuelled by Flora’s naivety and her feeble attempts to gain clarification, and Luke’s pride and lack of empathy, as well as their combined lack of romantic experience.
Sun Qian and Jing Boran not only did an excellent job portraying their characters through realistic and natural acting, but also had amazing chemistry with one another.
All in all, their flaws make them feel very realistic, which is something that many other dramas fail to achieve. This also applies to the side characters, none of whom felt extraneous.
The only thing I would have loved to see more of would be Sun Yu’s and Zhang Lei’s career advancement. The drama focuses more on Luke’s help, but in the novel, the roommates actually play key roles in Flora’s business development.

As for the storyline, those who have read the novel will have noticed that the screenwriters changed and added certain scenes and scenarios. Although I’m usually not too fond of such changes, I actually think they did a great job this time round, as they managed to tie separate plot-lines and events together, helping the story flow better. The additional scenes also contributed to the romantic build-up, for example the scene where they got stuck in the mountains during a storm.
I also believe that the decision to adjust Luke’s character, thereby making him less of a red flag than in the novel, was the right call.

As for the parts that fell a bit short:
From the beginning, I was anticipating the couple’s period of separation, but when it arrived, I felt that it fell a bit short of my expectations. I would have loved for it to be stretched out more to emphasise the yearning and anguish, especially on Luke’s part. Reportedly, they had to cut the drama down from 32 to 24 episodes, so it would be interesting to know how it would have been in the 32-episode version.
Also, Linda’s and Yilia’s roles felt a bit too condensed. The writers could have used Yilia more to show how her presence fed Flora’s insecurities and essentially widened the rift between her and Luke, leading up to their breakup.

All things considered, I really enjoyed this drama and hope to see more modern dramas like it in the future.

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Flora is the Problem and I Said What I Said!!

I'm sorry, I'm just gonna go into my review without caring or mincing my words, otherwise I don't see how else I can write this review seriously. I'd rather have Jigsaw have me dig in my ass with a razor to find some keys than rewatch this shit.

Now.......I never once thought men could be the prize in a relationship, so color me shocked when I found myself disliking the female lead more and more as the show progressed. Yes, she's good at her job. Yes, she's kind to her friends and colleagues. But when it comes to her as a person in a relationship.....oh brother. I finally understood the phrase "love is blind" because of her. I genuinely do not understand how Luke stands her.

More than the actress's poor acting and portrayal of the character, I think the character herself is just downright stupid. I kept trying to look at this from a different lens because maybe I was biased for some unknown reason. But no matter how much I tried to deflect and justify it, it all boils down to the same thing. I know people are gonna say, "Oh, she's a flawed character." NO. A flawed character is Xu Yan from Love's Ambition. Zheng Shu Yi from Only for Love is flawed. Even Luke is a flawed character with his family drama and overly bluntness. Flora is just dumb! She just constantly projects her bad energy on that man whenever stuff aint going her way!

I really wish they would've had her get some help to deal with her insecurity and severe indecisiveness instead of pushing them back together in the end. These are two people who want different things. The ML/Luke wants a hot, fiery "fling" without the label of a "real relationship"(This didn't last long though it started like that.) IDK, maybe due to his poor relationships with his father? And she/Flora?.....Well, she doesn't know what she wants.

She's a textbook case of what an insecure bird looks like, and I say this with as much gentleness as needed. It's not that she doesn't know HOW to communicate; she makes no effort to do so AT ALL.

I can't even describe their relationship as push and pull because, from the beginning, he clearly stated what he wanted and kept acting accordingly. I thought she also knew what she wanted, with her making it clear that they should be dating in secret, picking the days they would meet up, and even setting the terms of the relationship, only for her to constantly get upset when those exact terms were met.

For instance, she made a mistake and was scolded harshly, just like Luke would scold any other subordinate, and her ass starts crying? LIKE HELLO? And yes, I understand the whole pretext of a superior boyfriend giving leeway to his subordinate girlfriend, but that in itself is wrong, and based on what she said, she didn't want that either. Again, proving my point about her being disgustingly and annoyingly indecisive. If you don't want special treatment, then you can't reasonably expect him to suddenly treat you differently just because you're sleeping together.

Another example is her planning her New Year's holiday around spending time with her "friend" and roommate, knowing it'll fall on the weekend that's reserved for her rendezvous with Luke, and then getting upset over the flowers he "apparently" bought for Zang Yao. Like, I totally get you feeling out of place and "below" him because he's so "talented, handsome, rich, and high and mighty,"(he's not. he's fucking arrogant idiot) but come the fuck on. STAND UP!!!! She behave and sells herself cheap and surprise why that's all others can see....

You're brave enough to tell him he should let you know if he stops liking you or if he has someone else, but you're not brave enough to clearly ask what's going on between him and his friend???? Huh? make it make sense!

She's just completely unfair and hypocritical because when Luke told her that her flatmate liked her, she just blew him off as if it was just jealousy talk. She wouldn't and didn't even think to draw a line with Zhu to make Luke feel better. Instead they became even closer and were even going on dog walks together, but somehow Luke taking a photo with his childhood friend was enough to have her bawling for 40 nights and days. And everybody is blaming him for creating space to make his girlfriend feel threaten and insecure when she quite literally does the same thing; even worst than him. Atleast he very clearly states he's taken and draws a line. She just does whatever. Which I find so Very hypocritical.

Let's speak on their communication now. Due to how bad that shit was, they'll be fighting and going no-contact with each other, and then in the next scene you'll see her giving in to his advances even though she's pretending to refuse them. Like, gurl, again, STAND UP! You're embarrassing us women. Do you want the man or not? Why do you constantly have one foot in and the other one out? why are you being lukewarm then blaming others when you get hurt? You're constantly asking for the emotional security of a committed relationship while also agreeing to the limitations of a situationship, and then becoming upset when those limitations actually affect you. Very nonsense person

I think the ML has problems of his own, and I believe he's toxic to a certain degree. He's not some innocent victim who did everything right either. He's rude, obnoxious, and his bluntness can absolutely be hurtful, but I'm not sure (actually, I am.) he is to blame for how BAD the relationship played out. If we're going to be genuinely unbiased, he was there helping and looking out for her even through all her avoidance and unwarranted outbursts. Still, every issue that arose was out of sheer pettiness and her lack of ability to open her fucking mouth and be vocal about stuff.

I think most of the toxicity we're blaming Luke for stems from her lack of communication. Their conflicts were made worse by her refusal to communicate, but that doesn't mean Luke's behavior was always healthy either especially with how blunt he is.

Let's discuss his bluntness. Let's be clear and fair: I do not agree with his approach or how blunt he is, but in their case, she became attracted to him because he was strict and blunt. So it's extremely redundant to like a trait in someone and then expect them to change that specific trait because you both are now sleeping with each other. It makes absolutely zero sense, ion know....

And this isn't me blaming women for men's actions or going on some misogyny trip. If you rewind to the very beginning, outside of him being TOO blunt and curt with her about leaving her back at his place and the job transfer with Alex, all the other issues thereafter were created and escalated because of her. The flowers, the reprimanding she got for her mistake, the ski trip she got upset over—ALL of it came back to the same pattern: she would make an assumption, refuse to communicate it, and then become upset when reality didn't match what she'd created in her head.

Next is her bawling......The bane of my annoyance is her constantly crying.

WHY ARE YOU CRYING?

Over the consequences of your own actions? You made an assumption and created a scenario in your head that's so far-fetched from reality, but you're crying?

Here's the thing: she does a lot of unscrupulous stuff, and then when Luke confronts her, regardless of how harsh he comes off, she plays the victim.

Imagine putting yourself in a situation where you're assaulted, and your boyfriend only finds out because you sent out an email reporting the ordeal????? ARE WE FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW? I completely understand that her intentions were good and that she did what she did so she could help Kitty. But telling your boyfriend lies about what really went down, with the excuse that he already had a lot on his plate and you were thinking in his best interest, is total bullshit. Give me a break! Firstly, there was no way he wouldn't have found out. Secondly, it would've been better if he found out while on leave and at home. She would've had the chance to control his reaction until her plan fully played out. This is way I honestly keeps saying she's a dumbass!

Another thing: she sees this man every day at work and will most likely be with him over the weekend, and you didn't think to tell him that the business trip you guys will be going on to Shenzhen, you'd be meeting up with your ex-boyfriend? That's one thing, but introducing your man as ONLY your boss and to your ex you call "friend" at that? Like, are we being for real right now? She dolls herself up for a dating app, hangs out and gives a big hugs and smiles to her ex man, doesn't introduce Luke as her boyfriend or even tell the ex he's her boyfriend even in the car yet through all of this he's painted as the one with the issue and he's the asshole....

Outside of her being severely insecure and indecisive, she's also a truly terrible person. I really dislike people who do wrong and then, when confronted or reprimanded, act as if they're somehow always the victim. YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR ASS DID. don't piss me off ho! People like that are wicked. At some point, you have to take responsibility for the situations you keep creating.

By no means am I saying Luke is a saint. He is definitely not. He's rude and obnoxious and speaks without mincing his words, but he's always been a person like that. That's one of the traits in him she liked—the way he wasn't fake or the type to ass-kiss.

The relationship started out as a secret situationship, which I believe developed into something somewhat resembling a real relationship, but throughout the whole thing, Luke has always been true to himself and what he wants. She's the one who constantly goes hot and cold and doesn't know how to communicate at all.

All in all, I the character is poorly written and likely needs therapy to deal with her delusions, people-blaming, birdlike behavior, and inability to communicate properly. She has enough awareness to know when something hurts her, but not enough self-awareness to recognize her own role in the cycle. even up until the end they didn't fix this issue of hers which is why it made no sense for them to be end-game!

I believe Luke did everything a boyfriend needs to do: defending her, protecting her, loving her, and compromising for her. He's not perfect, and there were definitely things he could've handled better, but he definitely did everything he should for her! While she's a bird who wasted 6+ years of that man's life, and I believe he deserved an out and someone better. I hate the most how Luke was always the one who makes up with her. She never apologizes and always plays the victim and cries, turning him into the bad guy.

Then she had some nerve proposing they go public with the relationship and talking about marriage. It was so painfully obvious that she only wanted that because she saw that her friend was getting married. Bird-brain! I mean, just a few hours before that, you introduced your man as your boss in front of your ex-boyfriend no less......AND THEN went on to spend half a day with said ex... Like that was literally the perfect opportunity for you to say he was your man. You've damn near met everybody who's close and dear to him (except his mom) and have been introduced as his girlfriend, yet you couldn't extend the same courtesy in front of your EX?

I know Luke loves her and has always been clear about it, but she is genuinely not an easy or good person to love. I'm an onlooker looking into their relationship, and all I've seen is him constantly compromising to make her happy and comfortable while she just WON'T extend the same courtesy. It's like she expected him to keep bending while she remained exactly the same.

She's all about herself, doing whatever without much thought about her partner. This includes but not limited to how she acts around Zhu, her refusal to claim him when it's important, and her constantly having him as alast priority while wanting to remain his number one. And that's ultimately why I don't think they should've ended up together. It's not simply that she's insecure or that he's emotionally unavailable. It's that their needs, expectations, and communication styles are fundamentally mismatched, and the show never really convinced me that they've grown enough to overcome that. Instead, they just became accustomed to each other.

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