It seems from the calendar that tomorrow, after their Tibet trip, Shang Zhitao will hug Sun Yuanzhu to console him and Luan Nian will get jealous. He will again say something hurtful with that cursed mouth of his, and in episode 20, Sun Yuanzhu will die by suicide. Then, in episode 21, the main breakup will happen, and Shang Zhitao will leave Luan Nian and go back to Harbin.
Many people are saying that it's Shang Zhitao's fault, but I don't think so. Everything started after their first night, when Luan Nian said he didn't want to date anyone and that Shang Zhitao shouldn't cling to him. Yes, after that he did say that he considered Shang Zhitao his girlfriend, but he still should have clearly communicated his feelings to her. Even after that, he still thinks of Shang Zhitao as someone timid and easy to push around, along with many other hurtful things he has said.
During the Dony incident, whatever Shang Zhitao did was to protect Kitty and the other victims. If Kitty had come forward and said that she was the one Dony had harassed and taken nude photos of, her reputation would already have been ruined. So, to keep everything private and protect the victims, Shang Zhitao had to keep it a secret from Luan Nian. If Luan Nian had found out that Dony had harassed Shang Zhitao, he would have called the police, which Shang Zhitao couldn't do because it could have put Kitty and the other victims in danger.
Also, I don't understand how Luan Nian can have so many ex-girlfriends and even hug Zang Yao before she left, but when Shang Zhitao does something similar, suddenly it's cheating and betrayal. If he's jealous, he should confront her properly and ask her why she hugged Sun Yuanzhu. Zang Yao was simply leaving for the UK, while Sun Yuanzhu had lost his mother and was also suffering from depression. If Luan Nian had asked Shang Zhitao properly, it's not like she would have kept it a secret. She would have told him.
But no, whenever he's jealous, all he does is say hurtful things to Shang Zhitao. Who is he, a 5-year-old? 😭
if we are approaching the breakup episodes ,when do u guys think will be the episode when they go together to…
Ep 19 tibet , ep 20 sun yuanzhu suicide and ep 21 breakup because in the breakup scene shang zitao was wearing a dress , and from the emoji on ep 21 it seems to be some kind of award ceremony or something
From the calendar, it seems like the breakup is going to happen at episode 21. But after watching the episode 18 preview, they’re going to show them being all lovey-dovey again in episode 19!? 😭😭😭😭😭 It’s going to be so heartbreaking. Gotta prepare the tissues! 🥲
Are we ever gonna get an Express Package, or will it continue to be 1 episode per day? I haven’t watched many Youku dramas while they were airing, so I don’t really know how their schedules usually work. Can someone explain how Youku’s release schedule works?
No maybe give a book on how to be a human. He acts like he was never a fresher he never learn anything. he is…
LMAOOO 😭😭 YOU’RE RIGHT!! Forget the EQ book, this man needs to start with “How to Be a Human: Beginner’s Guide” 💀📚 He really acts like he was born with the entire Wikipedia downloaded into his brain and everyone else is just out here doing life incorrectly .😭😭
I just saw episodes 5 & 6 and OH MANNN, WTF is Luan Nian even doing?! 😭😭
I’ve already read the novel, so I knew what was coming, but SEEING it play out on screen is a completely different experience. The expression on Shang Zitao’s face when Luan Nian accused her of "playing hard to get" and then gave her that ridiculously expensive bag??? 😭 My poor Taotao!!!
And the biggest difference from the novel is that Luan Nian clearly already likes her here! HE is the one getting jealous, HE is being possessive, HE is already falling for her, but then he goes and does all these stupid things, says such rude things to her, gets angry at her, and STILL expects her to be happy because he gave her an expensive bag. BRO WHY?! 😭😭
TAOTAO IS LITERALLY TRYING TO IMPROVE HER PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND THIS MAN IS STANDING THERE LIKE:
"Oh, you're reading that?"
SIR. SHE IS STUDYING. PLEASE ACQUIRE AN EQ TEXTBOOK AND BEGIN CHAPTER ONE. 📚😭
She is working so hard, and this man keeps mocking her and making her feel small. I completely understand why Taotao eventually left him. Honestly, he NEEDS to suffer a little. Maybe losing her is the only way he'll finally understand what he has been taking for granted. 🤣
At this point, Luan Nian is beyond saving. Someone please give this man a book on relationships and emotional intelligence. Otherwise Taotao is going to leave him and he'll have to learn everything through practical experience. 😂
Best of luck, Luan Nian! You're going to need it. 🤣
Also, a kind warning for anyone thinking he behaves this way because he was hurt in a past relationship: sorry for the spoiler, but NOPE. 😂 His emotional problems aren't because of some tragic heartbreak. He never even took his previous relationships seriously, let alone got deeply hurt by them.
OMG, I am so in love with this drama! 😆😆😆😍 I really love this version of Luan Nian, and Shang Zhitao…
It's only been 4 episodes, but Luan Nian already seems completely down bad for Shang Zhitao. 😂 There hasn't even been any romance or intimate scenes yet, but he's already gotten jealous twice! He is already in loveeeee!!! 😭❤️
Shang Zhitao also feels quite different in the drama. She is much more mature and intelligent here, and she knows exactly what she wants and what she has to do. I really love this version of her.
Ahhh, I am literally screaming! My heart is beating so fast, and I can't wait to see how the story progresses. I had been waiting for this drama for two years, and now that it's finally here, I am so happy and excited that I feel like crying. 😭✨
OMG, I am so in love with this drama! 😆😆😆😍 I really love this version of Luan Nian, and Shang Zhitao is so cute, as expected of Sun Qian. The intro is also amazing! I usually skip the intro of a drama, but this one is so good that I can't bear to skip it. And, as expected of Liu Yuning, his voice is so beautiful. 😭😭😭😭
The story basically starts with Shang Zhitao, an ordinary fresh graduate from a normal college who unexpectedly…
I've actually only read three Chinese novels so far, so I don't really have enough experience to recommend something similar 😭 I usually only read the novel when I'm extremely curious about the story. The three I've read are Legend of the Female General, When I Meet the Moon, and The Early Spring. Maybe you can try "When I meet the moon" It has yearning, push-and-pull, angst and a breakup/reconciliation arc.
The story basically starts with Shang Zhitao, an ordinary fresh graduate from a normal college who unexpectedly…
Btw, there’s one more thing I forgot to mention, which I’m really looking forward to seeing in the drama.
In the novel, no matter how ruthless and sharp-tongued Shang Zhitao became after their breakup, she still somehow lost to Luan Nian. Throughout the entire novel, there was never a moment when Luan Nian cried, not even after their breakup or during their reconciliation. The only time he ever cried was when Shang Zhitao gave birth to their daughter, Nian Tao.
But it seems like they changed this in the drama. I’ve already seen quite a few clips of Luan Nian crying. Honestly, I think I like the drama version of Luan Nian more because he actually seems to show regret and genuinely reflect on his actions. In the novel, he barely showed those emotions, and sometimes his lack of emotional expression made him feel almost inhuman.
The story basically starts with Shang Zhitao, an ordinary fresh graduate from a normal college who unexpectedly…
You're welcome! 🥹❤️ I'm really glad you found it helpful! And honestly, 24 chapters are NOTHING compared to everything that happens in the novel 😂 I tried my best to fit all the important parts into one summary. Greetings from India! 🇮🇳 Hope you enjoy the drama! 🌸
The story basically starts with Shang Zhitao, an ordinary fresh graduate from a normal college who unexpectedly gets an offer from a top advertising company, Ling Mei. She goes to Beijing to join the company and rents a shared apartment with one female and two male housemates, who later become very good friends.
On her first day at work, she meets Luan Nian, her boss, who is very cold, arrogant, proud, competent, demanding, possessive, and stubborn. His nickname is “Stubborn Donkey.” He tells her to quit on her very first day because he believes Ling Mei is only suitable for the most intelligent people in the industry. He sees her as ordinary and ill-suited for the ruthless advertising world. He doesn't sugarcoat his words. He constantly criticizes and ridicules her, focusing on her shortcomings and pushing her to her limits so that she can develop a thick skin.
Despite his cold exterior, he never deliberately sabotages her. If she performs well, he recognizes it. In his own harsh way, he becomes a brutal but effective mentor who helps her grow professionally. He is basically the kind of male lead who doesn't know how to express his feelings properly.
One day, purely by bad luck, Shang Zhitao sees him with his ex-girlfriend. She becomes afraid that she has discovered some secret about her boss and worries that he might come after her. However, circumstances eventually lead to Shang Zhitao and Luan Nian becoming physically involved. Shang Zhitao already has feelings for him, and Luan Nian knows this, but he initially refuses to acknowledge her feelings because he insists that their relationship is only physical.
They agree that if either of them finds a genuine romantic partner, they will end their arrangement immediately, with no strings attached and no drama. It is Luan Nian who establishes this rule. He uses the excuse of being “just partners,” but in reality, he is deeply and genuinely in love with her from early on.
Luan Nian also gives Shang Zhitao expensive gifts, especially luxury bags, because that is how he has always treated his past relationships. He had never been emotionally attached to his previous partners and was used to keeping relationships simple and materialistic. However, Shang Zhitao doesn't like receiving these gifts. Instead of feeling loved, she feels uncomfortable, almost as if she is selling herself and being compensated for the relationship. This only reinforces her belief that Luan Nian doesn't have genuine feelings for her and sees their relationship as something purely physical.
The irony is that Luan Nian is completely different with Shang Zhitao. Although he refuses to admit it, he becomes deeply attached to her. He constantly breaks his own rules, micromanages her life, and acts like an incredibly protective and jealous boyfriend while insisting that they are “just partners while refusing to admit that he has real feelings for her. Shang Zhitao loves him fiercely but forces herself to follow their agreement because she is convinced that he doesn't love her and only sees her as a casual partner.
Luan Nian is too proud to admit his feelings. Whenever Shang Zhitao tries to pull away or end their arrangement, his pride makes him agree immediately. But shortly afterward, he finds excuses to bring her back into his life because he cannot actually let her go.
They maintain this secret relationship for six years, during which they experience countless misunderstandings and unexplained feelings. During those six years, Shang Zhitao grows into a top-tier employee and works tirelessly toward a promotion.
When she eventually fails to get the promotion, she assumes that Luan Nian didn't vote for her or support her. Because of his cold and perfectionist nature, she feels personally rejected and emotionally used, as though he only valued her privately but didn't respect her professional abilities.
Around the same time, her close male friend is suffering from severe depression and tragically dies by suicide. This completely breaks Shang Zhitao's spirit. The combination of losing her friend, the exhausting career setback, and Luan Nian's emotional distance makes her realize that her life in Beijing has become completely hollow and painful.
She reaches a point of total heartbreak and burnout, so she quietly packs her bags and leaves the city without giving Luan Nian a chance to explain.
She returns to her hometown, Ice City, and uses her exceptional marketing skills to start a new life. She successfully opens her own restaurant and establishes a highly successful event-planning company. By the age of 27, she has transformed from a naive rookie into a confident and powerful businesswoman who lives entirely on her own terms.
Luan Nian is devastated by her sudden departure and spends the next four years regretting his arrogance and coldness. Eventually, he tracks her down in her hometown.
When they meet again after four years, Shang Zhitao is no longer the insecure girl seeking his validation. She has become his equal and treats him with calm, professional politeness.
To win her trust back, Luan Nian completely puts aside his ego. He becomes incredibly patient, pursues her from the beginning, and works hard to clear up all the misunderstandings between them.
After going through their struggles, they finally get back together. Luan Nian proposes to Shang Zhitao during a trip to a “Time-Space Museum,” symbolizing their long journey together.
Shang Zhitao accepts his proposal, and they eventually get married. In the novel, they also have a daughter named Nian Tao.
Many people are saying that it's Shang Zhitao's fault, but I don't think so. Everything started after their first night, when Luan Nian said he didn't want to date anyone and that Shang Zhitao shouldn't cling to him. Yes, after that he did say that he considered Shang Zhitao his girlfriend, but he still should have clearly communicated his feelings to her. Even after that, he still thinks of Shang Zhitao as someone timid and easy to push around, along with many other hurtful things he has said.
During the Dony incident, whatever Shang Zhitao did was to protect Kitty and the other victims. If Kitty had come forward and said that she was the one Dony had harassed and taken nude photos of, her reputation would already have been ruined. So, to keep everything private and protect the victims, Shang Zhitao had to keep it a secret from Luan Nian. If Luan Nian had found out that Dony had harassed Shang Zhitao, he would have called the police, which Shang Zhitao couldn't do because it could have put Kitty and the other victims in danger.
Also, I don't understand how Luan Nian can have so many ex-girlfriends and even hug Zang Yao before she left, but when Shang Zhitao does something similar, suddenly it's cheating and betrayal. If he's jealous, he should confront her properly and ask her why she hugged Sun Yuanzhu. Zang Yao was simply leaving for the UK, while Sun Yuanzhu had lost his mother and was also suffering from depression. If Luan Nian had asked Shang Zhitao properly, it's not like she would have kept it a secret. She would have told him.
But no, whenever he's jealous, all he does is say hurtful things to Shang Zhitao. Who is he, a 5-year-old? 😭
I’ve already read the novel, so I knew what was coming, but SEEING it play out on screen is a completely different experience. The expression on Shang Zitao’s face when Luan Nian accused her of "playing hard to get" and then gave her that ridiculously expensive bag??? 😭 My poor Taotao!!!
And the biggest difference from the novel is that Luan Nian clearly already likes her here! HE is the one getting jealous, HE is being possessive, HE is already falling for her, but then he goes and does all these stupid things, says such rude things to her, gets angry at her, and STILL expects her to be happy because he gave her an expensive bag. BRO WHY?! 😭😭
TAOTAO IS LITERALLY TRYING TO IMPROVE HER PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND THIS MAN IS STANDING THERE LIKE:
"Oh, you're reading that?"
SIR. SHE IS STUDYING. PLEASE ACQUIRE AN EQ TEXTBOOK AND BEGIN CHAPTER ONE. 📚😭
She is working so hard, and this man keeps mocking her and making her feel small. I completely understand why Taotao eventually left him. Honestly, he NEEDS to suffer a little. Maybe losing her is the only way he'll finally understand what he has been taking for granted. 🤣
At this point, Luan Nian is beyond saving. Someone please give this man a book on relationships and emotional intelligence. Otherwise Taotao is going to leave him and he'll have to learn everything through practical experience. 😂
Best of luck, Luan Nian! You're going to need it. 🤣
Also, a kind warning for anyone thinking he behaves this way because he was hurt in a past relationship: sorry for the spoiler, but NOPE. 😂 His emotional problems aren't because of some tragic heartbreak. He never even took his previous relationships seriously, let alone got deeply hurt by them.
Yeah... he's just a jerk. 😭
Shang Zhitao also feels quite different in the drama. She is much more mature and intelligent here, and she knows exactly what she wants and what she has to do. I really love this version of her.
Ahhh, I am literally screaming! My heart is beating so fast, and I can't wait to see how the story progresses. I had been waiting for this drama for two years, and now that it's finally here, I am so happy and excited that I feel like crying. 😭✨
In the novel, no matter how ruthless and sharp-tongued Shang Zhitao became after their breakup, she still somehow lost to Luan Nian. Throughout the entire novel, there was never a moment when Luan Nian cried, not even after their breakup or during their reconciliation. The only time he ever cried was when Shang Zhitao gave birth to their daughter, Nian Tao.
But it seems like they changed this in the drama. I’ve already seen quite a few clips of Luan Nian crying. Honestly, I think I like the drama version of Luan Nian more because he actually seems to show regret and genuinely reflect on his actions. In the novel, he barely showed those emotions, and sometimes his lack of emotional expression made him feel almost inhuman.
On her first day at work, she meets Luan Nian, her boss, who is very cold, arrogant, proud, competent, demanding, possessive, and stubborn. His nickname is “Stubborn Donkey.” He tells her to quit on her very first day because he believes Ling Mei is only suitable for the most intelligent people in the industry. He sees her as ordinary and ill-suited for the ruthless advertising world. He doesn't sugarcoat his words. He constantly criticizes and ridicules her, focusing on her shortcomings and pushing her to her limits so that she can develop a thick skin.
Despite his cold exterior, he never deliberately sabotages her. If she performs well, he recognizes it. In his own harsh way, he becomes a brutal but effective mentor who helps her grow professionally. He is basically the kind of male lead who doesn't know how to express his feelings properly.
One day, purely by bad luck, Shang Zhitao sees him with his ex-girlfriend. She becomes afraid that she has discovered some secret about her boss and worries that he might come after her. However, circumstances eventually lead to Shang Zhitao and Luan Nian becoming physically involved. Shang Zhitao already has feelings for him, and Luan Nian knows this, but he initially refuses to acknowledge her feelings because he insists that their relationship is only physical.
They agree that if either of them finds a genuine romantic partner, they will end their arrangement immediately, with no strings attached and no drama. It is Luan Nian who establishes this rule. He uses the excuse of being “just partners,” but in reality, he is deeply and genuinely in love with her from early on.
Luan Nian also gives Shang Zhitao expensive gifts, especially luxury bags, because that is how he has always treated his past relationships. He had never been emotionally attached to his previous partners and was used to keeping relationships simple and materialistic. However, Shang Zhitao doesn't like receiving these gifts. Instead of feeling loved, she feels uncomfortable, almost as if she is selling herself and being compensated for the relationship. This only reinforces her belief that Luan Nian doesn't have genuine feelings for her and sees their relationship as something purely physical.
The irony is that Luan Nian is completely different with Shang Zhitao. Although he refuses to admit it, he becomes deeply attached to her. He constantly breaks his own rules, micromanages her life, and acts like an incredibly protective and jealous boyfriend while insisting that they are “just partners while refusing to admit that he has real feelings for her. Shang Zhitao loves him fiercely but forces herself to follow their agreement because she is convinced that he doesn't love her and only sees her as a casual partner.
Luan Nian is too proud to admit his feelings. Whenever Shang Zhitao tries to pull away or end their arrangement, his pride makes him agree immediately. But shortly afterward, he finds excuses to bring her back into his life because he cannot actually let her go.
They maintain this secret relationship for six years, during which they experience countless misunderstandings and unexplained feelings. During those six years, Shang Zhitao grows into a top-tier employee and works tirelessly toward a promotion.
When she eventually fails to get the promotion, she assumes that Luan Nian didn't vote for her or support her. Because of his cold and perfectionist nature, she feels personally rejected and emotionally used, as though he only valued her privately but didn't respect her professional abilities.
Around the same time, her close male friend is suffering from severe depression and tragically dies by suicide. This completely breaks Shang Zhitao's spirit. The combination of losing her friend, the exhausting career setback, and Luan Nian's emotional distance makes her realize that her life in Beijing has become completely hollow and painful.
She reaches a point of total heartbreak and burnout, so she quietly packs her bags and leaves the city without giving Luan Nian a chance to explain.
She returns to her hometown, Ice City, and uses her exceptional marketing skills to start a new life. She successfully opens her own restaurant and establishes a highly successful event-planning company. By the age of 27, she has transformed from a naive rookie into a confident and powerful businesswoman who lives entirely on her own terms.
Luan Nian is devastated by her sudden departure and spends the next four years regretting his arrogance and coldness. Eventually, he tracks her down in her hometown.
When they meet again after four years, Shang Zhitao is no longer the insecure girl seeking his validation. She has become his equal and treats him with calm, professional politeness.
To win her trust back, Luan Nian completely puts aside his ego. He becomes incredibly patient, pursues her from the beginning, and works hard to clear up all the misunderstandings between them.
After going through their struggles, they finally get back together. Luan Nian proposes to Shang Zhitao during a trip to a “Time-Space Museum,” symbolizing their long journey together.
Shang Zhitao accepts his proposal, and they eventually get married. In the novel, they also have a daughter named Nian Tao.
Hope it helps you! ☺️