Writing the highlights for a 30-episode romcom was a pretty tall order for a dilettante like me. But now, with only five more episodes to go, I think I can make it, thanks to everybody’s input, especially @agdr03.

Episode 25 has fewer scenes than usual of Weiwei and Nai together. Even so, their couple moments are sweet like Hallmark cards.

1. Leaving Erxi

Nai approaches Weiwei after her phone call with Xiaoling.  He tells her that they can leave early from work to move her things to his apartment that day. He’ll move to his parents’ place.

Weiwei tells him that she can manage her things herself. He goes, “Are you sure?”

After 25 episodes of scrutinizing Nai’s character, I’m beginning to figure him out. His question “Are you sure?” is prompting her to reconsider and to allow him to help her. But when she responds, “Very sure,” he accepts it.

Although he doesn’t voice it, he’s concerned that she’ll encounter Erxi and be hurt again. Thank goodness the apartment is empty so Weiwei packs her things without incident.

On her way back to Nai’s apartment, she encounters Zhensui, her ex, who’s on his way to find her.

Zhensui Wuxiang formally introduces himself, Zhen Shao Xiang. There! I finally got his name right.

An aside: At first, I really had trouble keeping up with the names of the characters because I’m not used to seeing so many Z’s and X’s in names all at once. Zoey and Zach (and their variations) were the only Z names I knew, and X stands for xylophone and x-ray.

But now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, I could differentiate the offline and online names. Like, Xiao Nai = Yixiao Naihe, but Xiaoling is not Shaoxiang.

I know that in Episode 3, Nai realized that Luwei Weiwei was a play on her real name, Bei Weiwei. See that? I’m not the only one who wondered about names.

Anyway, back to our topic…

Having broken up with his trophy girlfriend in the last episode, Shao wants to renew ties with Weiwei. I seriously question this guy’s sincerity. What’s up with him? In one day, he divorced Luwei Weiwei and married a new girl. Now, he’s doing the same thing. He dumped his girlfriend, and is going after Weiwei shortly thereafter. Doesn’t he give himself a respite? An intermission between relationships?

He’s accustomed to getting what he wants that, in his mind, all he needs to do is reach out to Weiwei and she’ll fall into his lap. He tries to accomplish three things with her, and he flunks each attempts.

First, he wants to get her real name but she evades that.

Shao: By the way, what is your real name. I shouldn’t still call you Luwei Weiwei (Reed Weiwei per Kissasian subs) the next time I see you. (Then he tries to bluff.) Actually Zhao Erxi has already told me your real name.That’s how I knew you live in this area.
WW: She told you my last name is Lu?

Shao: (thinking to himself, “Ah! So that’s your last name!”) Of course.
WW: (she just grins slyly and just walks away)

Second, he offers to drive her to her destination but she turns him down flat since she’s going to her boyfriend’s place.

Whoa! That’s bold of her to divulge her plans like that. She wants to give Shao the false impression that she’s living with Nai. That’s funny when she and Nai have been particularly careful that they don’t share the same lodgings! This tells me two things:  first, she doesn’t care if Shao thinks she’s promiscuous, and second, she wants it clear that she’s unavailable to him.

Third, he tries to belittle Nai but she disses him in return.

Shao: Your boyfriend? Xiao Nai? He came to my company a while back looking for funding. However, they were still an undeveloped student team.

He’s saying that a) he’s rich and Nai’s poor, and b) he’s established and Nai’s a greenhorn, a newbie to the business. Weiwei quickly corrects him and defends Nai.

WW: If I remember correctly your company is Zhen Yi Technologies, right? Mr Zhen, (hahaha she doesn’t want to address him informally) on the company level Zhi Yi and Zhen Yi are both in the running for development to “New Chinese Ghost Story.” That proves that both companies are on equal footing.

WW: As for my boyfriend, he’s the chief programmer and head strategist of Zhi Yi Technologies. And what position do you hold in Zhen Yi Technologies, Mr. Zhen?

I love how she proudly declares, “‘MY BOYFRIEND is the chief programmer and head strategist.”

Then she turns the tables on him, and shames him.

WW: On behalf of my boyfriend. I thank you guys for not investing in them.

And she leaves him in a huff.

Shao: She has the same attitude as she does in the game. Fascinating.

Shao’s smitten by her hauteur.

2. Moving in

He’s moving some of his things out the closet (Yeah. Yeah. I noticed that cheap butt view of Yang Yang, Director! I wish you didn’t do that.) when she rings the doorbell.

Nai: I cleared out half the closet for you. Hang your things here. (Did you see that? Weiwei didn’t panic ANYMORE that their clothes will touching in the closet. “But…but…but…what about the cooties???” lol.)
WW: I’ll organize my things after you’re done. You’re really giving me your room?

Nai: I don’t have confidence in my self-control.

Yes, it didn’t miss my beady eyes that Nai nearly lost his self-control in the last episode when he turned off the lights and he and Weiwei stared at each other for like eternity. He almost grabbed her in his arms and kissed her senseless. Phew! That was such a harrowing moment. It would have been worse than death had he lost his self-control and ravished Weiwei on the floor…errr…bed.

pffftttt.

Nai: Fortunately, I can still go to my parents’ place. Or else I’d have to sleep on the floor at the office.

3. “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

As it turns out, his father’s place is flooded so they return to his home again. They’ve brought back his parents’ expensive and precious manuscripts.

WW: You said if you didn’t go to your parents’ place you’d be sleeping on the office floor, so where will you be staying tonight?

lol. AS IF this is the question we should all be asking, right? Where is he sleeping? To me, that’s a no-brainer but…hey! I’m not Chinese and my name isn’t Patty de Prude. 

Then, Nai comes up with the flimsiest excuse. Get this now.

Nai: I don’t mind sleeping at the office. But these paintings are my parents’ prized collections. I can’t let anything happen to them.

Yes, like thieves will come and steal them, right? They’ve been sitting in an empty house for ages, Nai! 

Nai: I’ll be worried with you here by yourself.

Huh? I don’t it. In case, thieves come to steal the manuscripts at your place, you’ll be there to protect Weiwei?  Are you worried about the manuscripts or Weiwei? Or did you perhaps imaginei that the manuscripts would come alive in the middle of the night, like the Nutcracker, and attack Weiwei?  

WW: So then?

Nai: I’ll stay here to watch over them.

See that? He doesn’t make sense. Weiwei realizes a second too late: he’s sleeping at home again.

lol.

4. But he’s a gentleman.

He keeps his word. He sticks to the living room couch typing on his laptop, and she gets to sleep on his bed…with his pillow. (But what about cooties??!!! Won’t she get pregnant if she uses his pillow??)

She gazes at him while he’s working. (I would, too.)

She thinks to herself, “This is like a glimpse of how we’ll be in a few decades. It’s not bad.”

lol. Really? She wants him over THERE in the living room while she in the bedroom?

Silly girl. Somebody’s got to tell her that that it’s better to spend evenings together than apart.

5. The picture of domesticity

I know that rabid feminists will denounce this scene. Weiwei’s doing dishes and pottering in the kitchen while Nai’s working (playing???) on his laptop. For neo-feminists this visual image glorifies purity, submissiveness and domesticity, and it’s oppressive to women.

But look at how happy she is to join him on the couch.

WW: You don’t need to go to the office this afternoon?
Nai: Progress on the game has been good so there’s no need for any more overtime. Are you kicking me out? (lol. It’s HIS house anyway.)

WW: Why would I do that? I just didn’t want to distract you by walking around.
Nai: (putting his hand on her nape again) Then bring your computer over and sit next to me.

Hmm… Did you notice how Weiwei is submissive to an unmistakably dominant guy like Nai, but she’s out-and-out haughty, almost rude, to an inferior guy like Shao? It’s as if she doesn’t respect Shao because she knows he’s no match for her. She’s more forceful and assertive with Shao as Shao can’t touch her whereas she acquiesces to Dashen because she loves and looks up to him.

They’re on their laptops side-by-side playing the game until she naps. Nai gets up to grab a blanket for her and notices that Shao has come online to chat with her. Nai takes Weiwei’s laptop.

Shao: Luwei, do you still remember this place? I think this was where we fought a boss for the first time after we became a couple. We didn’t have many people at the time.

Our team was likely to be wiped out. In the end, you obliterated the monster and saved the whole clan. In fact, every time we entered a dungeon, you always took the lead. You’ve never needed anybody’s help. I really miss the times when we fought side by side.

Now that I think about it, you’re the one I’ve worked the best with. If I don’t say this in the game, I wouldn’t be able to say it to you in person.

Nai’s face at reading Shao’s reminiscences:

edited: I found a gif!

Shao: (wondering why Weiwei hasn’t responded) Weiwei? Are you here? Have you been disconnected?

Nai simply moves the cursor away (and Luwei Weiwei) from Shao’s avatar.

Shao: Luwei Weiwei, I took things for granted in the past. I’ve made a big circle and I now finally understand who is best for me. People make mistakes. I’ve also made a lot of mistakes. If possible, I really wish none of this happened. But it’s probably still not too late. Give me a chance to start over, won’t you?

And this is when Shao crosses the boundaries: when he tries to pursue Weiwei knowing full well that she’s already in a relationship with Nai.

That’s why Nai’s face suddenly hardened. It’s one thing to reminisce and talk about shared online memories with Weiwei, it’s another thing to manipulate those nostalgic feelings in the hopes of stealing HIS girlfriend, in real life.

When Nai snaps shut his mug, he’s also shutting down Shao and his ludicrous dream of a future with Weiwei.

Nai: (typing) I am Yi Xiao Nai He.

On his side, Shao is embarrassed humiliated and he goes offline.

5. Weiwei wakes up. Conveniently. When it’s all over.

He has this “You have a little bit of explaining to do, my dear wife” look on his face.

Without a word, he returns her laptop and sips from his mug.

WW: What’s this?
Nai: Chasing nostalgia.

He means that Shao’s being nostalgic for what-could-have-been and what-should-have-been. To me, he derides Shao’s attempt to steal his girl and he pokes fun at Shao to play down his jealousy.

Weiwei just sighs. To be honest, I’m glad that she didn’t mind that he was using her laptop. I thought she would get mad and scream “Invasion of privacy!” or something. That’s good. She has no secrets with him.

WW: Zhenshui Wuxiang must be fuming now.
Nai: You ran into him yesterday? (He’s jealous of course.)
WW: I did. He someone got the address out of Erxi. He was waiting for me outside and lied that he knew my name. I know Erxi well. However mad she may be at me, she’d never sell me out. So I asked him a trick question, and his game was up.

Nai suddenly scoots over to her side.

Nai: Why didn’t you tell me?

WW: I forgot since I resolved it too easily.
Nai: My wife has indeed been asked out all her life. You should tell me right away. (he stares at her intently)

WW: For the sake of fairness, you should also tell me right away.

They stare at each other. Then Nai backs down.

Nai: It’s rather easy to forget. Never mind.

Meaning Zhensui Wuxiang is such a trivial matter anyway so he’s not going to make a fuss about him.

WW: Why do I somehow feel like I’m what people called a beauty who brings disaster? (Kissasian subbed it as “femme fatale”.) I have the worst luck with men.

Nai: (agrees) Mmm… Yes, thankfully I took you in. (pinches her cheek)

And just like that, his good humor is restored by Weiwei. I notice that ever since the cake incident in Episode 22, Weiwei’s getting good at humoring Nai when he’s jealous.

It seems to me that Weiwei’s “complaining” about two things. One, her beauty brings bad luck and causes disaster. And two, because of her beauty, she gets unwanted attention from men.

In response, Nai tells that she should be thankful he captured her because:

one, it’s okay if her beauty brings bad luck because whatever doom and destruction she brings, he can handle them,

and two, the unwanted attention from men she doesn’t like (like Shao) is effectively put to an end with him at her side. Nobody would dare bother her with him around.

That’s why Nai tells her that it’s a good thing that HE took her. He’s rescuing her from her misfortunes and her bad romances so she can continue being beautiful — and cheeky.  

Because she IS being cheeky when she “humble-brags” about being a femme fatale and having many suitors.

6. Sandstorm

Ah! So this is when the reference to sandstorms came up…

The guys find out that Mozarta (or Hao Mei or Friend #3) owns two properties.

Yugong: How could you do this to me, Hao Mei? Back in college, you were stinking rich, yet you borrowed money from a poor student like me! You borrowed a lot and did you ever repay me?
Mozarta: You think I wanted to do that? I was really poor! Back then, I applied for QU behind my dad’s back. I lived off of 600 RMB a month. Had I known Beijing had Nai and sandstorms, I wouldn’t have come!

Weiwei and Nai had stopped to listened to the guys argue. Now, Weiwei laughs, saying “Mr. Hao Mei thinks highly of you. He compared you to sandstorms.” She’s mocking him.

Nai hands her their lunch. “Give this to Yugong, and tell Hao Mei, I’ll remember that.”

I’ve never experienced a sandstorm but I’m assuming that being caught in a sandstorm is infinitely worse than being caught in a rainstorm. Rain just makes you wet. But sand can be suffocating and abrasive. It’s sand after all! Moreover, sandstorms can dramatically alter the landscape as the wind shifts the sand dunes and sand covers familiar points of reference. It must be scary to be caught in a sandstorm.

I guess, Mozarta is saying that being caught in Nai’s orbit is like being caught in a sandstorm. Nai can be abrasive like a sandstorm; the work can be suffocating and demanding, and he’s lost his sense of life direction because he’s following Nai wherever he goes. To him, Nai’s a force of nature to be reckoned with, pretty much like surviving a sandstorm. 

lol. No wonder Nai’s annoyed.