One thing I don't get is why Chen Yi has still been in touch with Zhang Bin after all these years. It did seem like he was his former boss, but the fact that he still offered Chen Yi a position at the company makes me wonder... Why hasn't Chen Yi been able to cut all ties with him after Zhang Bin made him the scapegoat in the arson case?
It's eating me up not knowing what happened to Chen Yi during those six years, what's going on in his mind now, and what exactly he's planning. He better be planning something with the cop because both of these men have lost all the color in their lives because of Trash Bin. 🗑️
The more I see the cop and Chen Yi together, the more I can't help but think they're mirror images of each other -- two selfless souls who bottle up all their wounds and emotions until the very end 💔
Okay, so when MJ said she really wanted him to get a good night's rest, at least for that night, I thought she was simply concerned. Who knew it would actually be his last good night's sleep before her ex came back! Ever since Cen Ye returned, he's been dropping bomb after bomb, and bruh's been sleeping with his eyes wide open. 😂
Can we please have more realistic adult romances in dramas?I understand the appeal of the “I’ve only ever…
Well, that's exactly what makes C-dramas special and keeps many of us coming back to them. They still hold on to the "I've only ever loved you" kind of romance, while so much of Western media fills the screen with one-night stands, casual relationships, and graphic intimate scenes.
There's no shortage of shows these days where the leads aren't faithful to each other or get involved in meaningless relationships despite having someone else in their hearts. Those shows may try to imitate "real life," but they often leave the soul feeling hollow rather than fulfilled. They rarely make you long for that kind of love. C-dramas, on the other hand, instill hope and kindle the desire to experience one true love, even when life turns dark and difficult.
Ironically, the novel actually includes many of the things you mentioned -- casual flings, friends-with-benefits, and morally questionable relationships -- but the director deliberately chose not to adapt those aspects for the drama. By doing so, the drama shows how powerful true love can be: even after years of separation, their hearts remain connected. It shows that no amount of pain, scars, or darkness can taint a heart that has already been given to its beloved.
It also shows that, despite enduring unimaginable hardships, Chen Yi never let those experiences corrupt who he was at his core. If the drama had adapted the novel exactly as it was, I doubt it would have had the same emotional impact or charm.
The same applies to the cop, who is still deeply in love with his late fiancée. He could have moved on and dated other women, but he chose not to. Why? Because that's what true love means to him.
It only seems unrealistic because we live in a time when this kind of unwavering love isn't valued as much anymore, and casual relationships and hookups have become increasingly normalized under the label of "adult relationships." But that doesn't mean lifelong devotion isn't possible.
For many of us, C-dramas are one of the few places where that kind of romance is still celebrated. They keep our faith in love alive and leave our hearts feeling full, even when the story itself is tragic. We'd love for that to never change, because that's one of the biggest reasons we've fallen in love with C-dramas in the first place.
Hi guys … I just want to say mdl is becoming a toxic platform day by day … I just shared my casual opinion…
When someone crosses the line of basic decency and resorts to personal attacks just because you happen to share a dissenting opinion, it's best to ignore them and not let such people affect your mood. MDL doesn't have a block feature, or else you could simply block them and move on.
that one girl from High School took offence that you don't even remember her.She is the only one who made CY compromise…
I think what Linda and Tu Li feel for Chen Yi is somewhere between infatuation and true love. But I don't think it's unhealthy obsession. If it were, Linda wouldn't have helped Chen Yi by warning him about Zhang Bin's secret plan or offered to leave that hellhole with him. She also seemed to realize there was something between him and his meimei, and she took the end of their date quite gracefully.
As for Tu Li, she knew from day one that her "relationship" with Chen Yi was transactional - in name only. She needed his protection and couldn't expect anything more from him. Chen Yi thinks she doesn't love him because she's never let him realize it. We can also see that she doesn't take advantage of him by the way she refused MJ's offer to buy the clothes and put them on Chen Yi's tab. We also saw how she treated MJ, whom she saw as a potential romantic rival. I'd say Tu Li handled it in a fairly calm and mature way.
Of course, we still don't know how she'll react if she finds out Chen Yi and MJ are actually in love. That's why I said I hope she doesn't change later on.
Compared to the high school girl, who wanted to teach MJ a lesson and bully her just for being seen with Chen Yi, both Linda and Tu Li have been much more mature about their feelings for the man they admire. They long for his affection, but they don't try to hurt him or force him to return their feelings. Since their love is one-sided and they know he'll never reciprocate, I personally wouldn't call it true love yet, but I also wouldn't call it unhealthy obsession.
that one girl from High School took offence that you don't even remember her.She is the only one who made CY compromise…
That's not love, though. It's just immature obsession -- almost like crazy-fan behavior. What Linda and Tu Li feel for Chen Yi is genuine love because they both want what's best for him and would never think of hurting him for their own selfish desires. At least, that's the impression I've gotten from what the drama has shown us so far. I just hope Tu Li doesn't change later on.
All the women who've fallen for Chen Yi are absolute 10/10 baddies and so damn fine - whether it's Linda, Tu Li, or, of course, our stunning queen MJ. I'm already feeling bad for Tu Li. The girl's sweet and kind-hearted. But CY is reserved for MJ for life. I hope she finds someone too by the end.
Man, oh man, MJ is so back - and how! CY still hasn't got a single clue why she's here. How could he? Despite being in utter shambles, he still wears his heart on his sleeve. He can't pretend to be someone he's not, no matter how hard he tries. But MJ isn't like that anymore.
And one thing he got right about her... Not a single word of truth has come out of her mouth since she came back. 😂 With every new episode, we're seeing it in action. This girl has so many tricks up her sleeve, and not a single thing she's done so far has been without purpose. It's like she planned everything the moment she set foot in her hometown.
While Bo and CY are scratching their heads, thinking she's jealous of Tu Li and looking for a job, the girl's quietly collecting pieces of information, all while feigning cluelessness, that she'll later use as weapons to protect CY and bring Zhang Bin down. It wouldn't be wrong to say that the best decision CY ever made was sending her away for her own protection. She came back as the strongest shield he could never have imagined, not even in his wildest dreams.
Miao Jing, I'm rooting for you, girl! Show them what you've got!
You’re on spot about the novel, it’s sick to the point where you’re unsettled in the scenes where the leads…
Me too! They're the sweetest and purest angels in the leads' lives. To the point that I'm afraid we've already lost one of them that night. I have a feeling Wen Jie died in the arson, and that Chen Yi witnessed her death. That could explain the PTSD we saw in Episode 1. And perhaps, over the past six years, he's gone through even more traumatic experiences because of the dark life he was forced into, all thanks to that ungrateful former boss of his.
This drama really is tragic, and I'm afraid the leads won't get a moment of respite - or any extended period of happiness - until the very last episode. 😔
And I agree! SWL suits this kind of role so well. I'm really enjoying the drama because of its gripping story and the fantastic performances from both leads! 💗
Nobody's being mean to MJ. There's just a cold tension among the group because the two parted on bad terms. Chen…
Ahh, thank you!! 🥹 I think the guy's name is Cen Ye. The drama has shown MJ keeping in touch with him over the phone since she came back. So she's probably not single either. We still don't know what her profession is, but I believe she'll end up in a career that somehow helps Chen Yi and eventually pulls him out of his darkness.
So maybe she met Cen Ye through work, and either he's her boyfriend or he has a one-sided crush on her. Given what we've seen of MJ's character so far - and because of my delulu self - I'd like to believe it's the latter. Perhaps he's helping her with her mission too, the same way I suspect Tu Li is helping Chen Yi. So yeah, that's my guess for now. 🤭
Nobody's being mean to MJ. There's just a cold tension among the group because the two parted on bad terms. Chen…
Aww, thank you!🫶 Oh, they're definitely locked in a battle of wills right now, with MJ clearly having the upper hand by rage-baiting him. Lol. I'm really enjoying this feisty side of her because I think this nonchalant attitude is the only way she'll be able to deal with a tough nut like Chen Yi. If he's adamant, she's no less stubborn.
So I'm really excited for the upcoming episodes to find out the truth about their past, what happened during those six years, and how everything led them to where they are now. In the meantime, watching their push-and-pull dynamic is absolutely delicious. Haha.
Nobody's being mean to MJ. There's just a cold tension among the group because the two parted on bad terms. Chen…
Tu Li is his girlfriend. Whether it's a real relationship or a fake one, the coming episodes will tell. I really hope it's fake because I prefer the kind of romance where the leads are each other's one and only. Haha. But this drama is complicated, as you can see. And from what I've heard, the novel's leads are far more twisted and toxic than their drama counterparts. So we'll just have to digest these things here and be grateful that the drama toned the characters down considerably. I've also heard that novel Chen Yi and MJ have done even more disturbing and morally questionable things. I couldn't believe my eyes when I learned about them, I tell you. 🥲
And I get why, in the drama, CY keeps telling MJ to leave. I think the arson case was just the tip of the iceberg. That was only his first step into the criminal underworld. It's been six years since then, and so much more could have happened to him. He may have lost more people he cared about too (Wen Jie, I'm afraid), and he's only sunk deeper into darkness ever since.
Now that MJ is back, he's bound to be terrified of staining her life all over again, just like before. He can't let her get caught up in his world, can he? Otherwise, all the sacrifices he made to protect her would have been in vain. Remember, pushing her away was just as painful for him as it was for her. They only had each other as family. So it's understandable why he's acting "rude" around her and trying to push her away again. But MJ isn't the same girl she was before. She won't give in to his demands this time. She's come back to pull him out of that hellhole and set him back on the right path -- all while acting nonchalant. 😁
Moral of the story : Don't save rich people. They are ungrateful.
Fr fr, Zhang Bin is like a parasite in his life. He's destroyed CY inside and out. Such an ungrateful jerk. Instead of freeing him from the clutches of the underworld, he dragged him even deeper into it under the guise of favoring him over his other underlings. Then, when the time was right, he pushed CY to take the fall. CY should've left him to meet his fate the first time they met. Six years later, that rascal is still flourishing, while this poor guy is stuck so deep in that hellhole. Zhang Bin is poison incarnate.
Just finished episode 11, what does Chen Yi's friend have against Miao Jing? He talks about her like she's the…
Nobody's being mean to MJ. There's just a cold tension among the group because the two parted on bad terms. Chen Yi knows he wronged her, the group knows she was treated unfairly, and now that she's come back unexpectedly, the need for an explanation still hangs in the air. But nobody wants to dig up the past, and to top it all off, she's completely changed. So they're all just being wary of her, which comes across as hostility.
As for why CY has a girlfriend, we don't really know. Maybe it's a one-sided feeling from Tu Li, and she's his girlfriend in name only. Maybe he's relying on her for some hidden agenda, like a plan to bring down his former boss (the drama hasn't revealed Tu Li's background yet, so she might be connected to his mission in some way). Or maybe he's in a relationship with her as a coping mechanism to forget MJ.
Whatever the reason, it's obvious that MJ is the one in his heart, but it stings nevertheless.
The way MJ's rage-baiting CY every chance she gets, it's like she's making sure he feels it in his bones that this is the MJ he gets after sending her far away for her own good. Lmao
But just see how he's slowly becoming more mindful around her and more conscious of his choices. I believe this girl is going to pull him out of that hellhole and set him back on the right path, all while acting nonchalant and minding her own business. Of course, his business is her business too -- he just doesn't know it yet. 😂
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It's eating me up not knowing what happened to Chen Yi during those six years, what's going on in his mind now, and what exactly he's planning. He better be planning something with the cop because both of these men have lost all the color in their lives because of Trash Bin. 🗑️
The more I see the cop and Chen Yi together, the more I can't help but think they're mirror images of each other -- two selfless souls who bottle up all their wounds and emotions until the very end 💔
There's no shortage of shows these days where the leads aren't faithful to each other or get involved in meaningless relationships despite having someone else in their hearts. Those shows may try to imitate "real life," but they often leave the soul feeling hollow rather than fulfilled. They rarely make you long for that kind of love. C-dramas, on the other hand, instill hope and kindle the desire to experience one true love, even when life turns dark and difficult.
Ironically, the novel actually includes many of the things you mentioned -- casual flings, friends-with-benefits, and morally questionable relationships -- but the director deliberately chose not to adapt those aspects for the drama. By doing so, the drama shows how powerful true love can be: even after years of separation, their hearts remain connected. It shows that no amount of pain, scars, or darkness can taint a heart that has already been given to its beloved.
It also shows that, despite enduring unimaginable hardships, Chen Yi never let those experiences corrupt who he was at his core. If the drama had adapted the novel exactly as it was, I doubt it would have had the same emotional impact or charm.
The same applies to the cop, who is still deeply in love with his late fiancée. He could have moved on and dated other women, but he chose not to. Why? Because that's what true love means to him.
It only seems unrealistic because we live in a time when this kind of unwavering love isn't valued as much anymore, and casual relationships and hookups have become increasingly normalized under the label of "adult relationships." But that doesn't mean lifelong devotion isn't possible.
For many of us, C-dramas are one of the few places where that kind of romance is still celebrated. They keep our faith in love alive and leave our hearts feeling full, even when the story itself is tragic. We'd love for that to never change, because that's one of the biggest reasons we've fallen in love with C-dramas in the first place.
As for Tu Li, she knew from day one that her "relationship" with Chen Yi was transactional - in name only. She needed his protection and couldn't expect anything more from him. Chen Yi thinks she doesn't love him because she's never let him realize it. We can also see that she doesn't take advantage of him by the way she refused MJ's offer to buy the clothes and put them on Chen Yi's tab. We also saw how she treated MJ, whom she saw as a potential romantic rival. I'd say Tu Li handled it in a fairly calm and mature way.
Of course, we still don't know how she'll react if she finds out Chen Yi and MJ are actually in love. That's why I said I hope she doesn't change later on.
Compared to the high school girl, who wanted to teach MJ a lesson and bully her just for being seen with Chen Yi, both Linda and Tu Li have been much more mature about their feelings for the man they admire. They long for his affection, but they don't try to hurt him or force him to return their feelings. Since their love is one-sided and they know he'll never reciprocate, I personally wouldn't call it true love yet, but I also wouldn't call it unhealthy obsession.
And one thing he got right about her... Not a single word of truth has come out of her mouth since she came back. 😂 With every new episode, we're seeing it in action. This girl has so many tricks up her sleeve, and not a single thing she's done so far has been without purpose. It's like she planned everything the moment she set foot in her hometown.
While Bo and CY are scratching their heads, thinking she's jealous of Tu Li and looking for a job, the girl's quietly collecting pieces of information, all while feigning cluelessness, that she'll later use as weapons to protect CY and bring Zhang Bin down. It wouldn't be wrong to say that the best decision CY ever made was sending her away for her own protection. She came back as the strongest shield he could never have imagined, not even in his wildest dreams.
Miao Jing, I'm rooting for you, girl! Show them what you've got!
This drama really is tragic, and I'm afraid the leads won't get a moment of respite - or any extended period of happiness - until the very last episode. 😔
And I agree! SWL suits this kind of role so well. I'm really enjoying the drama because of its gripping story and the fantastic performances from both leads! 💗
So maybe she met Cen Ye through work, and either he's her boyfriend or he has a one-sided crush on her. Given what we've seen of MJ's character so far - and because of my delulu self - I'd like to believe it's the latter. Perhaps he's helping her with her mission too, the same way I suspect Tu Li is helping Chen Yi. So yeah, that's my guess for now. 🤭
Oh, they're definitely locked in a battle of wills right now, with MJ clearly having the upper hand by rage-baiting him. Lol. I'm really enjoying this feisty side of her because I think this nonchalant attitude is the only way she'll be able to deal with a tough nut like Chen Yi. If he's adamant, she's no less stubborn.
So I'm really excited for the upcoming episodes to find out the truth about their past, what happened during those six years, and how everything led them to where they are now. In the meantime, watching their push-and-pull dynamic is absolutely delicious. Haha.
And I get why, in the drama, CY keeps telling MJ to leave. I think the arson case was just the tip of the iceberg. That was only his first step into the criminal underworld. It's been six years since then, and so much more could have happened to him. He may have lost more people he cared about too (Wen Jie, I'm afraid), and he's only sunk deeper into darkness ever since.
Now that MJ is back, he's bound to be terrified of staining her life all over again, just like before. He can't let her get caught up in his world, can he? Otherwise, all the sacrifices he made to protect her would have been in vain. Remember, pushing her away was just as painful for him as it was for her. They only had each other as family. So it's understandable why he's acting "rude" around her and trying to push her away again. But MJ isn't the same girl she was before. She won't give in to his demands this time. She's come back to pull him out of that hellhole and set him back on the right path -- all while acting nonchalant. 😁
As for why CY has a girlfriend, we don't really know. Maybe it's a one-sided feeling from Tu Li, and she's his girlfriend in name only. Maybe he's relying on her for some hidden agenda, like a plan to bring down his former boss (the drama hasn't revealed Tu Li's background yet, so she might be connected to his mission in some way). Or maybe he's in a relationship with her as a coping mechanism to forget MJ.
Whatever the reason, it's obvious that MJ is the one in his heart, but it stings nevertheless.
But just see how he's slowly becoming more mindful around her and more conscious of his choices. I believe this girl is going to pull him out of that hellhole and set him back on the right path, all while acting nonchalant and minding her own business. Of course, his business is her business too -- he just doesn't know it yet. 😂