Jason_17_

According to the novel, there is no connection. She gets in contact with Miaojing’s fake boyfriend to find out what is going on between Chenyi and MJ. So I assume she must have gone to Cenye for that exact reason.

Your words were, "A waste of both FL and ML, in my opinion," and you based this on the drama spending half its time on the audit part which is not true and the police exam, as well as your dislike of the premise and finding it boring.

Except for the audit and police exam parts, your other points were entirely based on personal preference.

I commented that you did not understand the characters and their circumstances. If you did, you wouldn't suggest that Chen Yi could have simply taken the police exam, avoided Zhang Bin, and used Mr. Zhao's help to stay out of those shady situations.

Furthermore, his friends and supporting characters were not there to drive the plot toward defeating the villain, nor were they meant to significantly impact the main couple relationship. They were simply a realistic part of their lives. Chen Yi's friends were a pillar of support to him. Both Tu Li and Cen Ye served a clear purpose, and even the characters from the audit team had their roles. In fact, most side characters in the show did drive the story, but through their personal journeys rather than by teaming up to defeat the villain or pushing the leads to progress their relationship faster.

As for your point about the show being boring, that is clearly just a matter of preference.

Regarding Chen Yi being moody all the time, of course he was. What else do you expect from a guy whose life trajectory went from one nightmare to another?

So from the points above it is clear that you didn't understand what the drama was trying to show, and you got defensive in response to my comment.

For the second comment before responded, I even explicitly stated that I did not want to make this into an argument, but you got upset by that as well.

Your first comment lacked proper criticism of the script, the character dynamics, the pacing, the environment, the editing, and even the tone. It simply dismissed the show as a waste of the female and male leads. In your next comment, you claimed that you criticized its structure and so on. However, the criticism you used consisted of nothing but preferences and the you didn’t understand.

Calling something bad writing without explaining why does not qualify as a criticism.

I brought up free speech because you used disrespectful wording, and with each subsequent comment, you keep bringing up new points that I never even addressed in the first place. Now, even after using disrespectful language, you are refusing to acknowledge it and are instead shifting it by claiming you are just criticizing the work. I would’ve loved to read a an actual criticism and not just I didn’t like the premise and found the drama boring and call it a disappointment and a waste of Fl and Ml.

You can respond if you want, but I will stop here. Typing on a phone is really hard and time consuming.

I don't want to make this an argument.

I also didn't ignore the other points you mentioned.

I didn't elaborate further because, most of your points fall under preference. So I didn't want to type out the whole thing about preference's and biased perspective.

Again, it's just your preference that doesn't align with what this drama was trying to show. However, there is no need to call it a waste of FL and ML time when a lot of people love this drama.

There are so many people who love and are invested in Chen Yi and Miao Jing. Both Song Weilong and Zhang Jingyi did an excellent job of bringing these characters to life for the audience. Labeling their efforts waste because the drama doesn’t match your preferences is not only disrespectful to the team who worked hard to present them, but also to the viewers who understood the characters and their story.

Well, anyway, it's free speech, so have a good day!

Are you seriously saying he could've taken the police exam again? How would he pay his monthly debt, which was dumped on him by MiaoJing's mother? And how can he take care of MiaoJing if he attends police academy? Where does he get the money to attend the academy? If he were alone, then maybe he wouldn't have needed to join Zhang Bin, but he isn't, and he needs a lot of money to clear the debt and to live.

From your comment, I can see that you didn't understand the story, characters, or even their circumstances. That's fine; not everyone understands or appreciates the same things in life.

In the novel, Tuli contacts Miao Jing's fake boyfriend to find out what’s happening between Miao Jing and Chen Yi. I assume she tried to do the same thing here with Cen Ye, but gave up once Miao Jing helped her with her trouble.

MiaoJing got ChenYi out of the situation. She said she was hurt because she knows and you can also see it as her test to see if ChenYi would leave the dinner for her, and he did. She says she lost the earrings and he responds they are not serious, I will buy a new one. To that she responds if you don't want to help, then I will do it myself. Then ChenYi gives her the umbrella and starts looking for the earrings. Then she asks why isn't it serious and also about his past words 'don't look back and keep walking', but what about ChenYi. To her he looked like someone who was stuck in the past, living his life miserably, she knows he is not living well from the day she got back, but she only learned about his condition that day.

I interpreted the rain confrontation as their situation. To her their love is very important and she lost it like she said she lost the earrings. If he doesn't want to help looking for it she will still do it by herself. So she asks why isn't it serious when it was their love. She is also heartbroken at the fact of his miserable state and anger at the fact that he let go of her and she wasn't able to be there for him in his lowest times. So it was her trying to wake him up. If you ask why don't she just talk normally and ask, but she knows he will only avoid answering and she knows ChenYi doesn't want her to find out how messed up he is and get her involved in his mess. So, from the moment she came back, she chose a provocation method to make him lash out and it works in ep 17.

Actually in ep 14 ChenYi never thought about accepting ZhangBin's proposal, but MiaoJing doesn't know that. She was only worried about him getting back into dangerous stuff. So, in this episode, her emotions were also all over the place with things she learned and witnessed, the rain scene was her expressing them out.

Ep 11th

Overall this drama is doing a lot better than other recent successful dramas.

From your comment, I think you finished Ep 23 but haven't watched Ep 24 yet.

Actually In Episode 23, it reveals why Chen Yi went outside even when Miao Jing asked and warned him not to. His decision to enter the Zhang Bin company was of course because of Miao Jing, but not every action is a direct influence of her presence. He didn't go back to his old self you will understand it later, but MiaoJing was indeed hurt when he left despite her asking him not to, and Ep 22 tells us her state of mind: she was having second thoughts, fearing her presence might only plunge him further into darkness rather than bring light to it. So she stops playing it safe. From Ep 25 onwards, they stop having conflicts and open up to each other.

Thanks for the compliment, but I use Grammarly and ChatGPT to correct my grammar. So, credit to them.

ChenYi would have been the top dog both academically and in leading people if he hadn't been denied the chance for education he deserved.

I mean, these characters should not be treated as regular individuals; their lives have been shaped by trauma, and their decisions are deeply influenced by it. Miao Jing would love to have a conversation, and there is even a scene outside their house where she waits, worried, and asks, “Why are you always like this?” To that, Chen Yi doesn’t even realize what she was asking about.

Chen Yi thinks she doesn’t know the danger, and from his reaction, most viewers think she doesn’t know the danger she is getting into. But she knows, and she is willing to get into it. After what Chen Yi did, she realizes that even after six years, he still sees her as a kid that he has to act as a shield for. So, of course, she is frustrated and afraid of what might happen to Chen Yi if he keeps on going like this.

She asks during the wedding, “Have you ever thought about our future together?” and right after that, the marriage needed a bridesmaid and they asked for Miao Jing to be the bridesmaid and Tuli comes in to take the role, Chen Yi doesn’t even say anything. This happened right after she asked about their future. Miao Jing was, of course, feeling jealousy, but she doesn’t show it. This was also one of the reasons she tried to make Chen Yi jealous in the next episode. During the wedding, she also gives a speech about being together. That is not only directed at the couple but also at Chen Yi. It is her way of telling him that she wants to be with him through everything life has to offer, good and bad.

Her actions to make Chen Yi confront what he is to her can be seen as immature, but they did work on him. Miao Jing knows Chen Yi better than anyone, and she is also frustrated with how Chen Yi is. Also, Miao Jing didn’t treat Cen Ye specially in any way, just like a friend. Because he was her supposed ex, treating him as a regular friend might seem weird to viewers, but she didn’t have any emotional connection to him to feel awkward conversing with him. Since they have to work together as a team, she trusts his capabilities and is open to being on good terms with him.

Again, if normal conversations could truly get through ChenYi's head, she would have loved to have a talk with him. In Episode 22, we see that even after she opens up about it, his response is that he willingly did it and just wants her safe.

If the danger you are talking about is from Episode 17, then that was a type of variable even Chen Yi wouldn’t have been safe from. People have blind spots, and Chen Yi is no exception. So what gives Chen Yi the exception that he can go into danger for Miao Jing, but if Miao Jing does the same, she is treated as a fool and a liability? Is it because she is physically weak? She is well aware of that, but she has her ways of protecting herself and protecting him. If she had actually made a move against Zhang Bin in ep 21, do you think she would have walked around carelessly without any plans against ZhangBin?

She is asking a very fundamental question: What is he to her? Is he a slave meant to shield her from everything and a guardian who sees her as a kid who can't handle anything on her own, or her boyfriend who walks hand in hand with her, facing burdens both big and small? She never tried to make him feel inferior.

Was she manipulative and rude? Perhaps. But she likely felt that through normal means, he would never change or that it would take far too long. As she stated, she has lived apart from him for six years, and she simply does not want to waste any more time and there is also a psychological burden on her after she learned and realized Chen Yi is suffering with trauma, and directly or indirectly, it was a byproduct of trying to support her and shield her. So, seeing Chen Yi drive into danger again for her, Miao Jing was also in a messed up state. She wants Chen Yi to understand that she can be his support and take care of him, but words alone won’t reach him. If they could, Miao Jing would have already locked him in his room and had a good talk with him.

Also Chen Yi knew exactly what she was trying to do. He did not interpret her actions as an attempt to make him feel inferior; rather, he felt inferior on his own. Cen Ye’s has a cleaner upbringing, excellent background, and stable career, compared to him, Chen Yi is a huge hot mess and a ticking bomb who might put Miao Jing in danger at any second.

Yes, they end up together.

I mean, you said that she came to show him she had many choices and yet she chose him. But I saw her coming back as needing ChenYi to feel complete. I mean, it was a necessity from her part, not a choice. 😅 You are right; I became so engrossed with them that I'm literally preaching about them, and I didn't properly read your comment.

Hi, this is just my view. I see it differently. I agree that she had choices and could have chosen to stay with someone else. She had plenty of options, but there's a reason she broke up with her exes: she never loved them. They were never able to fill the void inside her.
As you know, she has abandonment issues, and someone with those issues seeks safety, reassurance, and a sense of completeness. I remember her mentioning that the city felt cold and empty. Despite having friends and a successful job, she had a life that most people would consider perfect, yet she never felt complete.
She didn't come back to prove that she chose Chen Yi despite having other choices. She never saw it as a choice. To her, Chen Yi was the only person with whom she could truly feel complete. When she said she was selfish and wanted a man who would put her first, she wasn't lying. She truly wanted a man who would make her his first priority and someone she could make her own first priority in return. I think her character traits perfectly align with that.
Chen Yi never needed to learn that she chose him despite having many safe options, and she never tried to make him see it that way. She only wanted to show him that his darkness wouldn't consume her, that she was strong, that he didn't have to carry everything alone, and that she would stand by him through it all. To her, loving him wasn't just about the sacrifices. It was also about trust and the willingness to walk through hell together. To see happiness even in hell when the person she loves is there. To her sticking together is more important than the burdens.

You’re Welcome and thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I think she didn't talk about it for two reasons. First, Chen Yi didn't think much about it because he was the one who wished her to move on. Second, she never loved her exes. If she had even the slightest feelings for any of them while she was dating them, I believe she would have told Chen Yi because that's just the kind of person she is.

Why did she date a second time? Maybe because she was too proud to accept that she could never have the home she wanted without Chen Yi. She tried, In the end, she realized she couldn't keep pretending and eventually returned to him and found what ChenYi actually went through. That is also why she showed cold shoulder to ChenYi from ep21 because she was afraid that history might repeat.


The drama could have explored their pasts in greater depth, but from the very beginning, its intention was to tell the story of two lost souls who grew up together and became each other's light and home. That's why it focused on establishing their characters and their struggle to build the future they both dreamed of and not about their separation period. As viewers, we naturally want to know more, but it's clear that the director's intention was never to dwell on the past but on healing. It never confronted the past cause to ChenYi and MiaoJing being able to be with one they love was enough to slowly heal.

I agree, rough and a bit flawed characters suit him a lot better.

I can understand the frustration. As I said, Miao Jing knows that Chen Yi loves her, deeply, but from her perspective, the sacrifices he made were not what really mattered because she was willing to sacrifice everything for him at any time. She made it clear that all she wanted was a simple, stable life, and Chen Yi presented himself before her as someone with a simple, stable job. Many of the things we know as viewers are unknown to her.

Miao Jing's mother loved her, but Miao Jing was never her first priority. She let go of Miao Jing's hand the moment things became difficult. So when Chen Yi said, "I'm tired of playing house," and, "Don't be ridiculous," Miao Jing did not believe him completely, but she was afraid that it might be true because that was the pattern her life had always followed.

She did not try to move on from Chen Yi for a long time. Even in the novel, she dated for only a short period before realizing she could not keep pretending to love someone she did not actually love.

As for the physical intimacy, the drama cut all of Chen Yi's intimate scenes with other girls and even toned down his wildness with Miao Jing, so I do not understand why people think the writers would have kept Miao Jing's physical intimacy the way it was in the novel. The drama never even mentions whether she was physically intimate with anyone. At this point, it is up to the viewer's interpretation, but based on my understanding of the drama version of Miao Jing, I do not think she was physically intimate with anyone.

The reason I think the drama never explored her six years timeline is that Miao Jing herself does not care about the past. She only cares about the present and the future with Chen Yi. The drama relied heavily on "show, don't tell," and I can see that what they showed was not enough for most international viewers and I’m one of them.

Well, not every drama is everyone's cup of tea. I’m not gonna say it doesn’t have any flaws but I have to disagree with Miao Jing’s love being lesser.

I heard the novel's author personally chose Song Weilong for the male lead. She liked his portrayal, so I think he did a decent job in Shine on Me.

I'm looking at it from her perspective. I guess I can agree that they could have shown her pain a bit more from the six year gap so that most of the audience could better understand her perspective. Maybe because I never doubted her love and was invested in their story, I was able to understand them.
Her actions and determination to stay with Chen Yi showed both her pain and her love. Her childhood also showed how deeply she longed for a place she could truly call home. She felt abandoned because Chen Yi never explained anything to her or shared what he was going through. She knew he must have been in a mess, but she had no idea how deeply he had sunk into it or how dangerous it was. So all she could do was see things from her own perspective.

To better convey her perspective, the director chose the abrupt flashback cuts because that was all she knew and that was how she felt about everything. Most viewers saw those cuts as terrible editing, when in fact it was a very deliberate and effective choice. I know Chen Yi didn't abandon her, but from her point of view, she had been abandoned again… by the person she considered home.