MarkWasHere

The instant, usually unearned redemption, awarded to evil parents/grandparents by writers occurs far too often in dramas.

Then watch Eungyo. You'll see quite a lot of her in that movie.

https://youtu.be/C2lLTDXtoNc

The several examples of aggressive non-consensual "kissing" in "Go Ahead" were quite a bit worse that what happened in this drama.
I see where you are coming from, but I still don't think Xiao Zhi Yu's was justified. If you take that logic to its conclusion, any man who knows (or even suspects) a woman likes him could sexually assault her and be "justified". He's an adult - he should be able to have a conversation to tell her how he feels.
I don't remember Hu Xia doing the "same" thing to Xiao Zhi Yu. Which scene or episode was it? I remember her slowly approaching him to kiss him, giving him ample time to pull away, which he did. But the issue isn't just the non-consensual kiss, its also the physically restraining the other person who is trying to push the perpetrator away. Due to the biological realities that men are (on average) physically much stronger than woman, a man can often restrain a woman trying to push him away, whereas a woman would have little chance of physically restraining a man who was trying to push her away.

I absolutely hate how so many Chinese dramas romanticise non-consensual romantic/sexual behaviour. On two separate occasions, Xiao Zhi Yu physically overpowered an unwilling Hu Xiu and firmly "kissed" her on the mouth. On both occasions, they were not in a relationship at the time. He didn't ask for her consent and he physically restrained her as she was trying to push him off her. In most civilised countries, that would meet the standards of a sexual assault. But the writers "rewarded" his character's behaviour by making her suddenly become compliant with him after the "kiss". It's not a very healthy message to be sending, and I suspect it is the consequence of the writers (and actors) growing up in a patriarchal society where males are expected to be dominant and females are expected to be submissive to them.

The drama itself was OK. I'd rate it as slightly above average (8/10). But there was one thing about it that I absolutely hated, which seems common in many Chinese dramas. It's in the spoiler.

I'm not so sure the Old Poet was quite as wholesome as you suggest. He did fantasise about banging her, even though he's easily old enough to be her grandfather.

See my reply to Tsukiko.

Episode 19. While in the murder mystery game, Xiao Zhi Yu grabbed Hu Xiu's arm and physically pulled her into the alley. He then pushed her against the wall and kissed her forcefully on the mouth. She initially tried to push him off, but was unsuccessful because he is obviously bigger and stronger than her. None of this was consensual. They weren't in a relationship. He didn't ask for her consent. He didn't go in slowly to give her the chance to pull away if she wanted to. Her consent was entirely irrelevant to him. At the time, Hu Xiu was upset and pissed off with Zhi Yu and had just told him that she wasn't interested in him any more. But rather than respecting her clearly stated desire, and perhaps try to talk to her, he just did what he wanted anyway. At the bare minimum, this demonstrates that he doesn't respect her as a person.
The fact that after failing to push him off her, she eventually submitted to him doesn't change anything about what happened up to that point. It just romanticises the non-consensual behaviour by implying that a man can change how a woman feels by forcing himself onto her.

Why would I comment about a different drama on this drama's page. Does that make sense to you?

Obviously this one.

FUCK!
Another Chinese drama that romanticises non-consensual romantic/sexual behaviour. Why do so many Chinese writers do this? Is it simply because China is a patriarchal society, where a female's consent just doesn't matter? In most civilised countries, this is assault.

Chinese dramas are never steamy. They're not allowed to be.

I'm on Episode 19, and I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with Xiao Zhi Yu's childish behaviour. He's an adult, but yet seems totally incapable of having an adult conversation.

This is available on YouTube. All episodes combined: https://youtu.be/qLojsGI26CQ

This drama's genre can be described as slap stick comedy interwoven within a action thriller. Personally I didn't much like that combination, as I found the transition between genres quite jarring. The plot was a bit all over the place, and the romance between the leads was an afterthought and contributed almost nothing to the narrative. I did however quite like Jin Ki Joo's comedic acting in the early episodes. She was quite funny.
Overall, I rate this a slightly above average drama that tried (unsuccessfully) to be way too much.
8/10.

I suggest you check out my MDL list and look at the Chinese dramas that I've scored 9.5 or 9. Although you will find that most of the high scoring Chinese dramas are historical fantasy, rather than modern dramas.

This drama certainly had potential, but unfortunately it didn't fulfil it. The start of the drama had my attention, but the second half wasn't as interesting. Both of the lead actresses have potential, and I'd be happy to see them together again in a more serious drama with a better plot, better direction, and perhaps after they both sharpen their acting skills a bit
Even with those criticisms, it is still a decent watch, especially for fans of Thai GLs. It did have a couple of very funny scenes in it - the "drooling" scene, and the scene where Jane casually tells her dad about the porn she watched, making him extremely uncomfortable.
7.5/10

I really hate how Chinese writers so often include, and even sometimes romanticise aggressive, non-consensual romantic or sexual behaviour perpetrated on a female by a male. This especially annoys me when the character committing this offence is otherwise a green flag. In this drama, on at least three separate occasions, Li Wu forcibly "kissed" Cen Jin on her mouth against her will. I don't know what the law is in China, but in most countries, this is assault.

I enjoyed this drama a lot. If you're a fan of Noona / Jie Jie romances, then this is a must watch, because it is one of the best out there. I do want to have a whinge about something else in the drama however, which I'll put in the spoiler.