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.
Yeah it does seems so , in the original novel luan nian was really cold hearted the only time he cried was when…
Yeah , there were so many times i wanted to stop reading this novel . I have always like kind male leads the most but luan nian was totally opposite. So While reading the novel I was just praying shang zitao to leave him 😂
Yeah it does seems so , in the original novel luan nian was really cold hearted the only time he cried was when…
Sorry to disappoint you but I think sun yuanzhu's ending might remain the same. Because in a way his suicide was one of reasons why shang zitao left luan nian. Also there's a clip where shang zitao was hugging sun yuanzhu and consoling him .
I think they are gonna tone down the male lead personality compared to the novel just like they did with the character…
Yeah it does seems so , in the original novel luan nian was really cold hearted the only time he cried was when shang zitao gave birth. Other than that he never cried nor did he show any remorse. But it seems from the clips that he is going to cry a lot 🤭. I just wish this will release quickly, i have been dying to see them together 😭😭😭
I am on episode 9 . Xiao wuyi seems really sick i mean the blindness I don't know much about his illness but i want to ask will he recover because right now rui sheng said that xiao wuyi only has 3-5 years left , will he be able to find a cure ? Please tell me he will !!! 😭😭😭
From episodes 19 and 20, it seems that Jason's matter is being investigated by the police, and the misunderstandings between LWX and WF seem to have been resolved but the WF still doesn't know about LWX's past and professor shu's death . I thought maybe she will finally tell him but now I am nervous 😥😰 when will she tell him , I hope she doesn't try to commit suicide again . If someone has read the novel please give me a spoiler 🙏 and who killed proff shu ?? I feel like this is also related to that xiang zi (spade Q)
I saw on X that xiao huayong only has 5 years to live and if the poison flares again it's only 3 years , is it true ??? 😭😭😭😭 Will he really be alright by the end of this drama , I am starting to get scared. If someone has read the novel please tell me if this plot is in the novel also if yes then what will happen now This is the X link : https://x.com/Vyn4_L1ght/status/2075911666227884350?s=20
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! ☺️
This is the X link :
https://x.com/Vyn4_L1ght/status/2075911666227884350?s=20