There are 24 episodes and *if* I’m going to finish reviewing them all, I might as well tell you a little bit about what I’m looking for in a drama.

Previously, I said that I like a drama to mean something other than an opportunity for two lips to assault each other in torrid kisses. To have a meaningful drama, there should be meaningful conversations between the characters, especially the lead ones. However, I don’t want the writers to force-feed me information about the characters’ motivations and emotions. I expect the dialogue to have subtext, too, or things that the hero and heroine aren’t saying — or hearing — completely. The subtext keeps me interested in the story because I love a good mystery.

Now, since I’m a romcom addict, the unexpected, romantic gesture is essential for me as well.

I’m not looking for a grandiose declaration of love found in many kdramas. There’s always these elaborate staged events planned by the hero, like a fireworks display at the beach or a private light show at an amusement park. These scenes are off-putting to watch because, in my books, an ostentatious display of love is inversely proportional to real love.

What I’m looking for are simple moments.

For instance, there’s this scene in this old movie, On the Waterfront, (lol, most of you probably never heard of the actress, Eva Marie Saint), when Marlon Brando picked up the glove she had dropped. All the while they were talking, he brushed off the dirt on it and tried it on for size.

According to director, Marlon Brando’s action was improvised. Watch it so you’ll know what I’m talking about.

This whole scene was delicious to watch. While we were listening to their spoken words, our eyes were mesmerized by his hands. It was such an intimate thing for him to do…wear the girl’s glove! Her glove was hers. It fitted her hand tightly but now, he stretched it. (Ha! And if you have a perverted mind, you wouldn’t miss the sexual connotation there, too.)

Moreover, despite his smooth action, we knew that he HAD TO BE playing it cool because he was really interested in chatting with her some more. It was obvious that he didn’t want to let her go just yet. Had he returned the glove back to her, she would have walked away. So he picked the dirt off the glove, ignored her reach for the glove, and babbled about inconsequential things, like “I don’t like the country. The crickets make me nervous,” and his brother’s education.

All these were his way of holding on to her as he was holding on to her glove. He sounded like a brash guy but it was all fake courage.

Now, I’m not comparing Brando’s acting with Xing Zhao Lin’s. That notion is too sacrilegious even for this irreverent bitch.  🙂

But what I’m looking for are similar scenes where the writer and/or director tried to instill small touches into our drama to make the budding romance between our couple appear natural and realistic.

I’ll point out three scenes.

1. Dead skin (lol)

@grace commented that Xia Ke liked her Xing Yun from the start. I think this scene corroborates her claim.

Xia Ke brought her to his home. He sensed that she was nervous to be alone with him at his house at night so he pretended to be gruff with her. That’s why he ordered her to slice those oranges. When I first watched this scene, I thought he was a jerk for making his injured guest work in the kitchen. I realized later on that it was his way to keep her distracted.

She didn’t notice, when she came hobbling to the living room with the orange slices, that he’d already prepared the first aid for her sprained ankle. Although he brusquely told her to attend to it herself, he kept an eye on her. Then, when he couldn’t take her clumsy efforts any longer, he took her injured ankle and treated it himself.

He ordered her to relax her toes, but she couldn’t unclench them. She was that uncomfortable with him. Realizing that his “bossy” approach wasn’t working, he changed tactics. To put her at ease, he shared a little secret.

Xia Ke: I’ll tell you a little secret. In the past, my first girlfriend was a Kendo instructor. So, I’ve a lot of experience with this.
Xing Yun: Then, did you help to treat her often?
Xia Ke: (sheepish) It was to help treat myself.

Immediately, her toes uncurled.

Now, of course, this scene couldn’t compare to Marlon Brando’s glove scene. But it was satisfying to watch him readjust his way for her. It told me that he was attuned to her feelings, and was willing to share an uncomplimentary story about himself to make her relax.

As he kept on massaging her ankle, dead skin came off. He teased her.

Xia Ke: How many days has it been since you showered?
Xing Yun: I shower every day!
Xia Ke: Then, what is this? (showing his dirty palm to her)
Xing Yun: That is sweat, okay? You try struggling and running around all day in the dirt, then see if you don’t sweat!

lol. Again, this wasn’t exactly Marlo Brando’s intimate glove scene, but you’ve got to admit that it was cute the way he provoked her. While he didn’t want her
to feel flustered as he massaged her, he couldn’t resist raising her hackles.

Then he noticed her jade bracelet, and he scowled.

Xia Ke: A meeting gift?
Xing Yun: How did you know? CEO Xia, you’re so knowledgeable. Can you help me see if this bracelet is expensive?
Xia Ke: It’s not worth much, about the cost of a scooter. (grabbing a tissue to wipe off her dead skin on his palm)
Xing Yun: Really??

He glanced at her studying the jade bracelet and sulkily tossed the used tissue at her.

This was funny because he knew he was beaten. She was so focused on Chu Nan’s expensive gift that she forgot about thanking him for exfoliating her dead skin…errr…massaging her sprained ankle. I bet if he could sprain her wrist, he would. lol.

Mind you. That’s what he ALMOST did in the next scene. He almost sprained her wrist. lol. He attempted to remove the bracelet off her hand using different methods until they finally gave up.

2. Fussing over sleeping arrangements

Usually in kdramas, when a girl accidentally had to sleep over the guy’s house, she just used her street clothes. That’s one of my pet peeves because I’m obsessive about “contamination.” I don’t like street clothes touching my bed sheets and only sleepwear (or naked skin, of course) is allowed on my bed. I’m glad that Xia Ke was fussy about bedclothes and gave her pajamas to wear.

Xia Ke: Take this to wear.
Xing Yun: It’s a woman’s? Is it your girlfriend’s?
Xia Ke: Tsk! Do you really care that much? (meaning, why are you so intrusive?) Quickly take it. Be careful in the shower. If you slip on your injured foot, I can’t come in to save you.

That was very sweet of him to be concerned about her. He was giving her heads-up that modesty is his primary concern. Even if she fell down and bled to death in the shower, he was going to lift a finger because he didn’t want to see her naked. It’s nice to know where his priorities were. /sarcasm

Seriously. The pajamas he lent her were a far-cry from the sexy lingerie she and Yiyi were eyeing at the store for her sleep-over with Chu Nan. I thought that was funny.

I also thought he was being extra-particular about their sleeping arrangements. He didn’t want her to sleep on the couch so he deliberately scared her about his bad sleeping habits, like he’d often get up to drink water and he’d sleepwalk. For good measure, he added that she needed to cover herself up well with the quilt.

He obviously teasing her. But if he wanted her to do something for her own good, he needed to bully her or bluster around to convince her. He won their arguments because he anticipated her to object or to contradict him, and he had his counter-argument ready. Just like when he prepared a glass of warm milk for her to drink at bedtime, he anticipated her to refuse, too. But if he blocked her way out, she had no choice but to agree.

3. Wake-up call

This was funny because it was unexpected. She woke up to Xia Ke doing the caveman thing and hauling her off the bed and into the coat closet. He joined her in there.

What was weird however was that she licked him. Whenever she gets nervous, she licks her lips.

And since she and Xia Ke were stuck together in the closet, and he had his hand over her mouth to silence her, she accidentally licked his palm. To me, this scene was a missed opportunity. It could have been a funnier scene if this was filmed by Korean director. Like Xing Yun could pretend to be wiping off her drool or Xia Ke could look at his palm in horror.

Obviously, had this been a Hollywood movie, her licking mannerism plus the close dark quarters would have been a prelude to a sexual romp. But since this is a Cdrama, the reason they were hiding in the closet was to get away from Xia Ke’s nosy sister and nosier nephew.

4. Misunderstandings

I’ve to make a note that Xia Ke didn’t try to hide the fact that Shen Qing was his sister. She misinterpreted his family situation and when he tried to clear it up, she didn’t want to hear about it.

He was actually defending her against his sister because his sister was upset that she was the new girlfriend of Chu Nan, and yet she was hiding in the closet with her brother. Every time, his sister tried to throw barbs at Xing Yun, he jumped in.

Sister: It’s you.
Xia Ke: It’s really not what you think.

Sister: You even let her use my pajamas.
Xia Ke: Stop it.

Xing Yun explained how she ended up staying over at Xia Ke’s home. But her sister believed she was at fault.

Sister: A person who tries to destroy another person’s relationship usually tends to find herself in a compromising situation.
Xia Ke: What are you trying to do?

Sister: You’re still speaking up for her? If I remember correctly, she has a boyfriend. (addressing Xing Yun) Didn’t you look for your boyfriend yesterday? How did you end up in such a situation? You didn’t look for your boyfriend and went to spend the night with another man instead? Relationships are so casual these days…
Xing Yun: (confused) My boyfriend??
Xia Ke: Shen Qing, don’t vent your anger on her.

Then he dismissed his sister, “Go and cook for your son now.”

His relationship with his sister wasn’t the only thing Xing Yun misunderstood. She also assumed that he was about to fire her for accidentally spreading gossip about his love life at work.

But he only told her to go home

because he noticed that she was hobbling around. She looked pathetic.

He got on his car to drive off to his meeting but her remembered that he hadn’t told her to work from home. That’s why he called her up – to tell her to work from home until her ankle was healed.

When she caught up with him outside the building, he was actually waiting for her. Her coworker had already given him heads-up that she was chasing after him to hand him his laptop. He must have thought she was cute; he barely hid his grin. She was determined to reach him even with her injured ankle at all costs.

And since she was already outside the office with him, he asked if she’d like to go with him.

Xing Yun: Forget it. I’ll only be a hindrance.
Xia Ke: (looking down at her feet and smiling) Take this injured pig trotter of yours and go home then.
Xing Yun: Ceo Xia…

She was about to plead with him again not to fire her.

Xia Ke: As for the proposal, do it according to the original schedule. Report to me every day by video chat after you stop working.
Xing Yun: You…you weren’t going to fire me?
Xia Ke: When will you ever stop being this stupid?

Of course, he would never fire her. In fact, later on, we’d find that — whoops! spoiler alert — she was his “non-negotiable.” He was prepared to risk the whole company but he wasn’t going to terminate her.

And that’s why I like this Cdrama. Although there are some misunderstandings, the story is light-hearted and uncomplicated…or rather, the characters do NOT make life more complicated than it should be. Although there are times when I like gripping dramas, there are times, too, when I crave gentle movies. It’s restful to watch Xia Ke and Xing Yun show their devotion in unobtrusive ways…like a Hallmark movie.