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Jian Jian had always viewed Zi Qiu as her "real" brother. They'd grown up living in the same house (he had his own bedroom there) and shared the same father. Ling Xiao lived upstairs and had a different father.

From the beginning, Jian Jian had treated them differently. She resented Zi Qiu and tried to get rid of him when he first came to live with them. She kept throwing his luggage down the hill! After she accepted him, they got into trouble together like siblings do. It was always up to Ling Xiao to cover for them or clean up their messes, even though he was the same age as Zi Qiu.

Jian Jian loved Ling Xiao from the moment she met him. No matter how he rebuffed her, she kept interacting with him. He begrudgingly accepted her attentions, because he got fed by her father. When she was nearly abducted, their relationship took a huge turn. Both their fathers had them kowtow to one another, and they were cemented together in a bond from that moment forth, almost like a childhood betrothal.

Ling Xiao was a tormented soul, but bright, outrageous Jian Jian was the sun in his darkness. He determined early on that she was the only girl for him . Their relationship got put on hold when both he and Zi Qiu left Korea for nine years.

When they both returned, Jian Jian was standoffish and upset with the both of them. I was annoyed at how awful she treated them, but I had to admit to myself that I would have done the same. She'd been their spoiled sister, and they basically abandoned her. For nine years, they never told her anything of their struggles; they never visited her. She had to make a life for herself without them and with not knowing if they'd ever return. She had accepted that they didn't consider her family, and that's how she coped with her abandonment. It wasn't easy to accept them back into her life. She'd just gotten used to them being gone, and she wasn't ready to go through another reunion if it was going to end in another abandonment.

There were many reasons why Jian Jian pushed Ling Xiao away initially. She didn't want to hurt her family. She didn't want to hurt Zi Qiu. I'm sure she considered the gossip and what her father would endure at the noodle shop. Although she'd always been attracted to Ling Xiao, she'd treated him like a brother, and it took a change of mind to admit her true feelings. Ling Xiao had admitted that it would take some time for her to see their relationship in a new light. Once he kissed her, she couldn't deny the attraction. She'd been repulsed to even think of kissing her first boyfriend Shu Ran, but she reran Ling Xiao's kiss over and over in her mind.

TL; DR: Zi Qiu was Jian Jian's "real" brother in her heart. Her relationship with Ling Xiao was different; when she was separated from him, she became like a "withered radish."

I like that world and the characters, but I've removed this from my Watch list. I still have Love and Destiny to look forward to.

It sounded suited to my current frame of mind until you mentioned the love triangle.

I always appreciate your reviews.

I didn't care for the FL as much as I imagine I was supposed to. I really like Lee Jong Suk as an actor (he's excellent in W, https://mydramalist.com/16589-w), but the relationship seemed one-sided, as the FL was cold and noncommittal until she suddenly wasn't.

Wonderful review. Those things you found valuable in storytelling are the ones that bring me pleasure, too.

I often whine about the lack of logic, but when a drama can present something stylish and unpredictable, I'm willing to overlook that when everything else is diverting. Besides, it moves so quickly, who can think? There's no time to ponder the ridiculous thing when another larger, more ridiculous thing happens right after. My only regret is not realizing Viki didn't have the entire drama ready to binge.

I just finished a C-drama with a similar premise, Love Crossed. Sadly, it never explored the need for fantasy versus real relationships. It devolved into a silly romcom when, initially, I thought something more substantive would be explored. It seems, between our two expectations, that there should be a serious drama concerning AI and relationships in the making.

Your review made me add it to my Watch list!

It's not a drama quickly forgotten. The actors made their roles indelible. I'm angst averse, so I struggled throughout, but the outcome was worth the journey. It was cathartic when Su Jin's eye scene finally appeared! I do wish the writers could have handled the miscommunications more deftly. I tire of what I've termed dumbfounded mutism, where a character is accused of something and just stands there without speaking. At the very least, mumble, "I didn't do it" or something to the effect!

I agree about Mark Chao. For a stoic part, he was able to convey his emotions admirably through his eyes.

I always appreciate a drama that teaches me something, and I learned a bit about fabric in this one. I could have done without the love triangles, but Asian romances seem to find that mandatory!

Some dramas you might enjoy:
Hikaru no Go, a student develops a passion for the ancient board game of Go (I know that doesn't sound the least bit interesting, but I found it unique)
https://mydramalist.com/45437-qi-hun

Lost Romance, a romance editor is transported into a novel as a villain, and she tries to use her knowledge to use known cliches to extricate herself from a bad ending
https://mydramalist.com/59701-lost-romance

The Kidnapping Day, a desperate man kidnaps a child for ransom money for his ill daughter's surgery
https://mydramalist.com/718187-day-of-kidnapping

The Prisoner of Beauty, two feuding clans use marriage to forge peace between them, but the husband can't get over the betrayal of his new wife's family (I especially loved how the wife remained strong and poised as she dealt with her husband's cold treatment; it's a wonderful enemies to lovers story)
https://mydramalist.com/687393-the-prisoner-of-beauty

I would have easily rated nine stars (I don't rate as high as most MDLers), if not for the ending. I realize that disappointing ending is likely due to censorship, and I try to overlook it, but it did mar an otherwise very nice story. If I rewatch, I'll skip that part.

I often listen to the OST; it's so pleasant. I absolutely love "I See You" by Qian Xi.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=dvrVLTR_XAY&list=PLK6MrsCxIhGZDX0rSXpulCIadjlfVx71f

I enjoyed this and the Korean version. Both told an engaging story about the stoic boy and the bubbly girl who loved him. And both versions did poorly in wrapping the story up, but that's a common flaw in Korean/Chinese dramas that I've almost come to accept.

I like the actors, and I know I watched the drama because I rated it and left myself a note that four lifetimes meant a lot of tragic death scenes, but, for the life of me, I can barely recall the drama. It made so little an impression on me. Still, I rated it an eight, which is above my 7.5 rating for standard fare.

It helps immensely, in my opinion. If you don't watch season 1, you will miss all the tribulations the FL underwent for the ML. You'll better understand her obsessions, and you'll have the background for ML's life before she appeared.

I like Shen Yue and Chen Zhe Yuan, and any story revolving around writers/books is always a bonus to me. Unfortunately, the last episodes ruined any chance that I'd ever rewatch this.

Healer (action, thriller); The Devil Judge (mystery, drama); When the Phone Rings (thriller); Alice in Borderland (thriller); Death's Game (thriller); Mouse (thriller; I couldn't finish it because it made me too tense); Bad and Crazy (corrupt cop comedy; could be deemed mild thriller); Mobius (thriller); The K2 (thriller); The Kidnapping Day (thriller with a little comedy).

RomComs:
100 Days My Prince
A Dream within a Dream
A Romance of the Little Forest
Angel's Last Mission: Love
Another Miss Oh
As Beautiful as You
Coffee Prince
Dating in the Kitchen
Familiar Wife
Filter
Forever Love
Go Go Squid!
Hello, My Twenties!
Hi Venus
I'm Not a Robot
Kill Me, Heal Me
Lost Romance
Love between Fairy and Devil
Love Next Door
Moonlight
Mr. Bad
Mr. Queen
My Dearest Nemesis
My Fated Boy
My Love from the Star
My Sassy Princess
Oh My Venus
Perfect and Casual
Put Your Head on My Shoulder
Queen and I
Reply 1997
Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung
Secret Garden
Sungkyunkwan Scandal
The Love You Give Me
The Romance of Tiger and Rose
The Starry Love
To Fly with You
Touch Your Heart
Unforgettable Love
Wok of Love
You Are My Glory

Obviously, Hou Ming Hao reminds many of a kitten! It's not just me.

I don't ask a drama to be perfect, but it's magical when it nearly is. All I ask is to be entertained and have something unique presented to me like the cinematography in Glory. Those tea plantation scenes were memorable.

I agree about the flaws. There would be no way a large enterprise could flourish with all of the infighting and undercutting of the sisters with one another. It's hard enough for a family business to thrive when everyone is mostly working together! My advice to anyone considering going into business with relatives is to have a thick skin, set boundaries, and sign a strong contract.

Hou Min Hao as a baby dragon trying to spew tiny spurts of dragon flame was cuteness personified. The drama was worth watching if that were the only scene.

The actor has range. He can look innocent, adorable, fierce, or deadly.

So unprepared! That poster has what I thought was a cute nose tap between two flirty people. I'm still not quite recovered from that.

If you know it's going to be painful, at least you can guard your heart a bit.

Thank you! I'll check out the ones I haven't seen.