This review may contain spoilers
Blood may be the strongest bond, but that doesn't mean it's always the safest
I almost forgot about this drama's existence, but I’m so glad I ended up watching it anyway. I have zero regrets getting a Viki premium subscription just to follow this show to the very end.
To be honest, I almost dropped it within the first three minutes because the editing felt a bit off—it was overly dramatic, and I was worried it would turn into a cheap, over-the-top soap opera. But I’m so glad I gave it a chance.
Honestly, this is the first C-drama that gave me serious nostalgia for 2012-era K-dramas. The most fitting tags for this show are definitely Life, Family, and Dark Romance. Even though it carries a heavy atmosphere and tackles sensitive topics with high-stakes drama, the underlying message is actually simple yet profoundly deep.
It shows how a child is forced to grow up in a toxic and hostile environment. They try hard to stay on the right path, but naturally, dry soil can't grow just any plant—it has to adapt just to survive. And that is exactly what happened to Chen Yi.
One thing I truly applaud about this drama is how it dares to break the old saying: "A parent's love lasts a lifetime, while a child's love is short-lived."
This drama shows us that this proverb isn't always true. We see how many cases of neglect, violence, abuse, and exploitation happen to children at the hands of their own parents. And how many parents abandon their children, only to return when they are old just to depend on them? It leaves the child not even knowing whether to feel angry, sad, or relieved when it all happens.
What happened to Miao Jing and Chen Yi might be an extreme case, but it accurately portrays how many people are unfit to be parents. It depicts how many children are forced to grow up too soon and stray off path simply because they lacked proper guidance.
In this story, Chen Yi was lucky to have Zhou Kang An—an adult who never grew tired of guiding him back whenever he lost his way. Without that one person, Chen Yi and Miao Jing’s lives would have been completely different. Growing up in an extremely toxic environment, they didn't even understand how to love or care for someone properly at first.
Because of that, I honestly found Chen Yi and Miao Jing to be one of the most toxic couples I've seen in the first two-thirds of the drama. But it makes total sense—when you've never experienced a "normal" life or relationship, it's immensely difficult to know how to get back to a normal state.
Yet, the drama ultimately offers a ray of hope. No matter how dark or broken our starting point is, it doesn't mean our destination has to end up broken too. Miao Jing and Chen Yi undergo one of the most complex character developments I've ever seen in a C-drama. Deep down, they are just two wounded children longing for the warmth of a "home."
Even if they might never become a "typical" normal couple by the end, we know they finally found a home in each other.
A huge, heartfelt thank you to Zhou Kang An, who acted as a parent, friend, and moral compass for our main leads. His own life was incredibly heavy, yet he chose to live by his principles. I'm sure his regrets will stay with him forever, but he managed to move forward. He and Wen shared a happy chapter together, and though their paths were destined to part sooner than expected, life must go on. We all face obstacles and broken pieces in life, but as long as we keep living, we give ourselves a chance at happiness.
As for the acting, I was already so blown away by the deep message of this drama, but if I had to comment, I'd say I am extremely satisfied. The entire cast, from the minor roles to the main leads, brought incredible depth to their performances. Out of the four works of Song Wei Long I've watched, this drama fully unlocked his potential as an actor. I used to doubt his acting skills—with a face that handsome, I often felt underwhelmed by his performances—but here, he completely shattered all my doubts. Song Wei Long and Zhang Jing Yi turned out to be the most surprisingly satisfying pairing I’ve watched in a C-drama.
To be honest, I almost dropped it within the first three minutes because the editing felt a bit off—it was overly dramatic, and I was worried it would turn into a cheap, over-the-top soap opera. But I’m so glad I gave it a chance.
Honestly, this is the first C-drama that gave me serious nostalgia for 2012-era K-dramas. The most fitting tags for this show are definitely Life, Family, and Dark Romance. Even though it carries a heavy atmosphere and tackles sensitive topics with high-stakes drama, the underlying message is actually simple yet profoundly deep.
It shows how a child is forced to grow up in a toxic and hostile environment. They try hard to stay on the right path, but naturally, dry soil can't grow just any plant—it has to adapt just to survive. And that is exactly what happened to Chen Yi.
One thing I truly applaud about this drama is how it dares to break the old saying: "A parent's love lasts a lifetime, while a child's love is short-lived."
This drama shows us that this proverb isn't always true. We see how many cases of neglect, violence, abuse, and exploitation happen to children at the hands of their own parents. And how many parents abandon their children, only to return when they are old just to depend on them? It leaves the child not even knowing whether to feel angry, sad, or relieved when it all happens.
What happened to Miao Jing and Chen Yi might be an extreme case, but it accurately portrays how many people are unfit to be parents. It depicts how many children are forced to grow up too soon and stray off path simply because they lacked proper guidance.
In this story, Chen Yi was lucky to have Zhou Kang An—an adult who never grew tired of guiding him back whenever he lost his way. Without that one person, Chen Yi and Miao Jing’s lives would have been completely different. Growing up in an extremely toxic environment, they didn't even understand how to love or care for someone properly at first.
Because of that, I honestly found Chen Yi and Miao Jing to be one of the most toxic couples I've seen in the first two-thirds of the drama. But it makes total sense—when you've never experienced a "normal" life or relationship, it's immensely difficult to know how to get back to a normal state.
Yet, the drama ultimately offers a ray of hope. No matter how dark or broken our starting point is, it doesn't mean our destination has to end up broken too. Miao Jing and Chen Yi undergo one of the most complex character developments I've ever seen in a C-drama. Deep down, they are just two wounded children longing for the warmth of a "home."
Even if they might never become a "typical" normal couple by the end, we know they finally found a home in each other.
A huge, heartfelt thank you to Zhou Kang An, who acted as a parent, friend, and moral compass for our main leads. His own life was incredibly heavy, yet he chose to live by his principles. I'm sure his regrets will stay with him forever, but he managed to move forward. He and Wen shared a happy chapter together, and though their paths were destined to part sooner than expected, life must go on. We all face obstacles and broken pieces in life, but as long as we keep living, we give ourselves a chance at happiness.
As for the acting, I was already so blown away by the deep message of this drama, but if I had to comment, I'd say I am extremely satisfied. The entire cast, from the minor roles to the main leads, brought incredible depth to their performances. Out of the four works of Song Wei Long I've watched, this drama fully unlocked his potential as an actor. I used to doubt his acting skills—with a face that handsome, I often felt underwhelmed by his performances—but here, he completely shattered all my doubts. Song Wei Long and Zhang Jing Yi turned out to be the most surprisingly satisfying pairing I’ve watched in a C-drama.
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