This is the scene when it struck me that the alternate title, “One Smile is Alluring” could actually be referring to Xiao Nai…and not Weiwei: their dinner together.
Weiwei returns to the office to find that everybody gone and Nai working alone.
Nai: They went out for dinner.
WW: Ahhh…Are you waiting for me? (sounding pleased)
Nai: I got back late, too. I didn’t catch them.
In other words, NO, he wasn’t waiting for her. Rude!
Weiwei lets his comment slide because she’s happy to eat with him, just the two of them.
WW: What are we having for dinner?
Nai: I ordered delivery. The missus will have to settle for dining with me.
(I like the Netflix translation better than Kissasian here.)
Mental note: he calls her wifey again!
I don’t know about you, but calling her by her occupation, that is, wife, is way cooler than those overtly lovey-dovey names like “Pooky-bunny,” “Honeybunch,” “Love muffins” and “Snookums.”
And I like how he says that she’ll have to “settle” for his company for dinner — as if THAT’s going to be any hardship or disappointment for her. hahaha.
It’s like saying, “Sure, I’ll settle for that tiara.”
Over dinner, he asks her about Ashuang’s job for her.
Nai: What did Ashuang task you with?
WW: The game testing found a few phones incompatible. Ashuang wants me to turn in an analysis report by noon tomorrow.
Nai: Tomorrow noon?
WW: Yeah
Nai: You got it?
WW: The first part is done. I found all the phones. I just have to install the game and test them. Then, I can finish the report.
So… he took seriously Mozart’s complaints about Ashuang’s unfair treatment of Weiwei! I bet he didn’t react to Mozart’s protests because he wanted to avoid a) a conflict of interest and b) the appearance of favoritism and incompetence. If he stepped in, it would look as if he doubted Weiwei’s ability to handle it herself and he was covering up his girlfriend’s ineptitude. Talking to her in private is a much better way of working the problem.
WW: Ah. I saved the company a bunch of money. I got the phones and there’s still $500 left in the budget.
He stops eating and studies her. lol.
He tries to actively listen to her. He’s giving her his full attention and he concentrates not only what she’s saying, but also on what she isn’t saying. But funnily enough, he isn’t doing this to butter her up but to tease her.
Nai: Is the missus taking credit for the job?
WW: Yes, I’m asking for praise.
Nai: There’s no praise. You get a share of the money saved.
WW: (nearly choking on her drink) What?
Nai: Based on my share calculation, you get about 250.
WW: You and your calculations!
She pouts. Of course, she wants the verbal acknowledgement more than the monetary reward. But he’s withholding his praise to tease her. Remember? Yesterday, she accused him of being conceited (or “narcissistic”) when she asked for the internship, and now she wants to be admired for a task she was supposed to have accomplished anyway as part of her internship. lol.
His comment also calls to mind when she asked to be an alpha tester for the game and he said it would depend on their calculation of their affection levels. Now, she’s actually a tester for the game, and she’s getting half. He’s generous.
But he tries to flirt with her on the job and he’s not doing a good job on it.
He smiles at her sulking.
Then notices dirt on her lips.
He gets a tissue to wipe it off
and she grabs it from his hand to show that she’s still annoyed with him.
He gives up and drops his hand. He looks sheepish. Then, either to appease her or change topic, he gives her extra food.
Nai: It’s your favorite.
WW: (she returns the favor and gives him food, too). Nonreciprocity is impolite. (grinning)
WW: By the way, I have to thank you.
Nai: For what?
WW: For assigning me to Ashuang. I was actually afraid you’d supervise me from the get-go. That’d be so awkward. Anyway, this arrangement is good. I look forward to the tasks Ashuang will give me next.
Nai: The missus is overthinking things.
WW: What?
Nai: I only passed you to Yugong to save the trouble.
She looks dismayed and horrified at the same time.
See his grin in slow-mo.
Single ladies: This is one sure sign you’re falling hopelessly in love with someone. When he’s done something wrong that you feel like throttling him but just one look at his smiling face makes you forget your anger and want to smile back at him. Instead of strangling him, you end up hugging him.
…or thumping him, like Weiwei.
This time, Weiwei won’t stand for this for teasing her. He fobbed her off on Friend #1 because he didn’t want to supervise her.
WW: You lied to me again! Don’t eat all the pork chop! It’s all mine.
Of course, the pork chop is too big for her to chew on so Nai hands her another tissue which she ignores.
lol. She looks like a chipmunk.
I like this series because we can see the slow build-up of their relationship. I don’t mind that there isn’t a big drama or a great mystery that the two have too survive together. It’s a joy to see love develop over time rather than over a crisis.
This explains my recent disenchantment with kdramas. Lately, I’ve sensed that couples are being swept away by emotions, mostly traumatic ones, rather than bonding over connections. I think kdrama writers are stuck in either a malaise or some sort of crazy competition where they have to undo each other with hyperbolic scripts. Hopefully, springtime will inspire them again. It’s ridiculous that so much time and money are wasted on ridiculous stories like Fox Star Bride and Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter.
his grin in slow motion, 5 stars :)))))
The alternate title in reality is a play on words in the original Chinese. This is the title in Chinese
微微一笑 很倾城
The first section 微微一笑 is a play on words. It reads Wei Wei Yi Xiao. So it can mean
1. A little smile/the faintest hint of a smile
OR
2. Seeing the main female lead’s name is literally WeiWei. ‘Yi Xiao’ is one smile. So it can also mean “A single smile from WeiWei”.
The second section 很倾城 just means very alluring or beautiful.
I guess Translators just went with option 1 with the English title. 🙂
Dear all, I’ve been a silent reader of all of packmule3’s posts on Love O2O and they really added to my appreciation and enjoyment of the drama.
I would like to make a few comments since I watch the drama in Chinese and would like to share some of my observations.
1) regarding the name of the book, I would like to suggest one more possibility: 微微一笑 is the combined game ID of WeiWei and Xiao Nai. So the title could also mean beautiful WeiWei and Xiao Nai
2) I would not take Xiao Nai’s nonchalant comment that he came back late and didn’t catch the group at face value. I think he waited for Wei-Wei but he trivialized it. He did it quite a lot throughout the drama. A good example is he trivialized his efforts on the game video. He also did it when they went to the cafeteria, which is very far from their dorm, and when asked by his roommate, he said it was just a random pick (Episode 6).
3) There are several instances in this drama when mention of the number 250 came up. I think when a person is called 250, it means he/she is either a silly head, dumb or a simpleton. So when Xiao Nai said Weiwei’s share is 250, I think he is jokingly calling her a silly head. I recall there was one other time this came up. When Xiao Nai came to in the hospital in Episode 9, his friend asks him what is one plus one. His answer is it’s 249, and the other friend said Xiao Nai is okay because he is joking about the friend who asks the question that he is even less than a 250.
Again, I totally enjoyed your postings.
I don’t know about you, but calling her by her occupation, that is, wife, is way cooler than those overtly lovey-dovey names like “Pooky-bunny,” “Honeybunch,” “Love muffins” and “Snookums.”
In Oz sometimes you get called “Love” and most of the time it irritates me except when it’s the elders that say it, I really don’t like it especially if it comes from a man, who is a complete stranger. hehehe
I agree with @Chuyu that Nai just down played the reason why he was still in the office. He really wanted to 1 – wait for her, 2 – eat together and 3 – to discuss about Ashuang’s task for her in private.
I like the way he teases her because it gets him the reaction that he wants. Look at that smile! Drop dead handsome! 🥰 🥰 🥰 I also love that WeiWei gave him back the pork chop! 🙂
I’ll second that, if you like/love someone you hit their arm jokingly instead of strangling them or hitting their head. LOL!
I like this series because we can see the slow build-up of their relationship. I don’t mind that there isn’t a big drama or a great mystery that the two have too survive together. It’s a joy to see love develop over time rather than over a crisis.
I hear you!!! This is the first drama that I’ve watched where the main leads didn’t cry. That’s amazing! You still feel all the emotions but no need for tears because misunderstanding was never an issue. It was always set in the table and discussed by our couple. That’s why after watching so many dramas, I will have to put Love O2O as my number 1 and my fave.
Some people say I don’t need to watch dramas because their life is a drama itself but for me, I watch dramas to forget my dramas. LOL! So this one was perfect! ☺️ ☺️ ☺️
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THIS.
“I like this series because we can see the slow build-up of their relationship. I don’t mind that there isn’t a big drama or a great mystery that the two have too survive together. It’s a joy to see love develop over time rather than over a crisis.
This explains my recent disenchantment with kdramas. Lately, I’ve sensed that couples are being swept away by emotions, mostly traumatic ones, rather than bonding over connections.”
I see your point here. Recent kdramas either too dramatized (at least for my taste) or too cliche? Or you want to strangle the lead characters! 😅
I personally enjoyed your observations and comments. This drama is the first cdrama I’ve watched and loved. Still can’t get over their chemistry! 😅 And now, I’m only 2nd cdrama (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) which pleased me that you also made a blog about. 😊
Thanks!
Yes, recent kdramas are angst-ridden. If I could, I would have reached into my laptop and knock some sense into the lead characters.
Althought Love O2O and Put Your Head on My Shoulder have the same trope (i.e., genius, cold guy and a lovable girl), these romcoms don’t repeat themselves. Since they present a slice-of-life story, even the mundane things like going to school and shopping together, become romance-filled. In contrast, the recent spate of kdramas seem to rely on supernatural events, over-the-top love declarations, and action-packed scenes, that the love story itself seems to become a secondary story or a sub-plot.
Well… kdrama writers will have to learn the hard way, won’t they? Drama viewers are notoriously fickle, especially when they’ve lots of choices.