I don’t expect you to watch this Cdrama based on my first impressions. In all honesty, I’d rather that you didn’t watch it. That way, I won’t feel obligated to write reviews for it to explain my takes.

I get to selfishly keep all the goodies to myself like a secret treasure.

Remember to practice JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) and to be selective with the drama you spend time with. Think of it as dating a new guy each time you start a new drama.

Try to pick a worthy drama, and if you must “date” the hyped-up ones, like “Squid Games,” “Hospital Playlist2,” “Nevertheless,” and “Hometown Cha Cha Cha,” (notice how they’re “Netflix” exclusives, lol), be aware that your brains have limited capacity to handle a constant diet of junk.

Detox is recommended after the series so you can reorient yourself.

Now, since I’m a firm believer that you become what you consume, be it food, books, ideas, or dramas, let’s immerse ourselves in beautiful things.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

The slow pace is the reason I like the first episode of “Forever and Ever.” Many scenes are hypnotically slow, taking forever and ever to unfold.

Too often, viewers make the mistake of correlating a slow-paced drama with a boring plot. But there are merits to a snail’s pace, especially when the writer and director have a point to make.

To me, the slow pace is perfect for the following five reasons:

1. It matches the subject matter: reincarnation.

Duh.

Personally, I think reincarnation is bunkum. But my skepticism doesn’t mean ignorance of how reincarnation is depicted in literature, art, and films. For instance, I’m well aware that in Cdramas, reincarnation entails thousands of years of waiting.

One simply does not rush through a rebirth cycle. Characters must wait to meet again.

Because reincarnation doesn’t happen in a blink of an eye, viewers shouldn’t expect this drama to proceed in a tearing hurry ala “Avengers” film. A fast-paced drama wouldn’t reflect the subject matter of reincarnation.

Now, why do I say that reincarnation is the drama’s main subject? I don’t have to watch the prequel of this drama, “One and Only,” to find this out. Lol. It’s obvious from the beginning scene.

Let me deconstruct the first scene.

The female lead, Shi Yi, narrates the scene rolling on a big screen. She speaks on the microphone, very slowly, pausing after every few words.

She’s a dubber – which in itself is an interesting profession. As you know, a dubber does over or recreates a dialogue that’s already filmed. Timing is everything for a dubber. She has to be in sync with the original performance. That is, she must speak her lines in approximately the same time and inflection as the original actress.

At this moment, Shi Yi is providing the internal thoughts of a narrator in a voiceover.

She says, “With long eyebrows…and beautiful, striking eyes…the man was charming… and irresistible…. Zhousheng Chen… The Junior Prince of Nanchen…”

After she says the hero’s name, a teardrop rolls down her cheek. She ignores it and continues reading her lines.

“…fought bravely for his country….Loyal as he was…he became obsessed with fame…and wealth in his prime…thus the seed of rebellion began to grow in him….”

From here on, she picks up the pace. There’s a noticeable shift in her narration. Her pauses become infrequent. Her sentences cease being fragmented. This change in her speech pattern tells me three things:

a. When she was reading the description about the prince, the words moved her.
b. She was describing the fictional hero like she knew him and was reminiscing about him.
c. She’s dubbing the history of her past life. This is a do-over, or in a sense, a reincarnation.

As soon as her lines stop being descriptive and change to a narrative of a sequence of events, she executes them in an efficient and detached manner.

“Fortunately, the prestigious family in Qinghe saw through his plot…. As a result, the Junior Prince of Nanchen got arrested. The Crown Prince was furious with him…and sentenced him to death by dismemberment…. The execution lasted for six hours…. But the Junior Prince of Nanchen never let out a cry of pain once…. He regretted nothing even till his last breath.”

Her narration ends here. A recording studio staff hands her a tissue to wipe her tear. This suggests that it isn’t unusual for her to get emotional on the job.

Then she’s hurried out of the recording room. She has a flight to Shanghai to catch.

Once she’s gone, the recording studio staffers praise her work. They gossip that she’s so good that the film producer begged her four times to do the voiceover.

Note: To me, this tidbit of conversation isn’t irrelevant. It suggests that, originally, Shi Yi did NOT want to accept this project. I think she declined to work on the project because she thought the script painted the false picture of the “Junior Prince of Nanchen”.

On the taxi ride to the airport, Shi Yi is still mulling over the script. She rolls down the window and looks out at the passing scene. As she looks outside, she determines that Zhousheng Cheng was wrongly accused.

ShiYi: He’s a loyal official who protected his country and had no wife or children. But in the end, he was framed. Zhousheng Chen. The Junior Prince of Nanchen.

My comments:

a. Her internal thoughts contradict the script she dubbed. She questions the veracity of the story, and believes the opposite interpretation of the past.

b. To me, the director is setting up the narrative arc of “Forever and Ever.” This is a do-over.

We’re going to see the present-day Zhousheng Chen reverse the fate of the past Zhousheng Chen. Not only will he protect his country, but he’ll also fight bravely for his wife and children. He won’t obsess about fame and wealth. In contrast, he’ll want to work for the service of others in anonymity. He’ll escape being unjustly framed and bring to justice those who hurt his loved ones.

He’ll no longer be the “Junior Prince” but the king of his domain.

c. The car setting isn’t to be ignored too.

We here at BoD shouldn’t have problems recognizing the symbolism here. The director is giving us a view of the ShiYi’s internal mindset. At the present, she’s like a passenger. She’s a spectator, watching life roll by.

To me, she’s a “walking dead” (or sitting dead). She’s certainly alive, but she feels dead inside. She’s like a passenger in the car, just passing through life. And she’s like a spectator, just watching her life roll by through the window.

🙂

Like one of those lost souls so often pictured in these reincarnation-themed dramas, she’s waiting to be awakened from her slumber and be reborn as the modern-day ShiYi.

2. The slow pace matches the slow passage of time.

The slow pacing manipulates our impression of time so that the 50-minute episode actually spans the first six months of the relationship.

I like that the director is showing us the couple slowly moving toward each other in this in a series of accidental (or “fated) meetings. The first meeting is at the airport; then the second meeting happens six months later, in a dinky noodle restaurant.

Let me deconstruct the first meeting.

She arrives at the airport to check in for her 3pm flight to Shanghai. In the next counter, the male lead also checks in for his 3pm flight to Xian. She loads her luggage on the conveyer belt. The male lead, Zhousheng Shen, does the same on the other side.

The point of this setting is that they’re going to be side by side. Lol. I don’t think viewers are aware that they’re being pre-conditioned to see this couple as traveling side by side. They’re still traveling in parallel worlds at the moment, but their paths will intersect each other soon.

She goes through check-in quickly and leaves the counter. Had she stayed a second longer, she would have heard Zhousheng Shen’s name called out by his assistant.

She goes through security check and triggers the alarm. She needs to be rechecked. Meanwhile, Mr. Zhousheng and his assistant also pass through the same metal detector, and he triggers the alarm, too.

We all know that fate is intervening for them. They’re supposed to meet that day, so time is contracting to allow them to meet. Had they sped through the security check, she wouldn’t have heard his name AGAIN called out by the security personnel.

But he forgets his ID so the security personnel shouts after him, “Zhousheng Chen. You left your card.”

Hearing the name, Shi Yi turns around to look at him. This is ShiYi’s moment to wake up for her rebirth.

Time slows down as they see each other for the first time.

Typically, I’d find this sort of time-stand-still moment very cheesy. But here it’s great because it fits the context of reincarnation. For so long, their souls have been apart and searching for each other. Thus, when they meet again, an eternity (or “forever and ever”) feels like a slow-motion of ten seconds.

Zhousheng Chen retrieves his ID and walks ahead. She galvanizes into action and chases after him.

SY: Sir! Sir! Wait a moment. May I borrow a few seconds of your time?

I’m not sure whether the subs for IQIYI used a literal translation or an idiomatic one. But I thought this greeting is ironic. She’s asking for a few seconds of his time when she’s waiting for him for centuries. He could spare her a “few seconds.”

SY: (continuing) It may sound a little abrupt, but is your name Zhousheng Chen? I heard them call you that at the security check.

Chen: (frowning) Yes. I’m Zhousheng Cheng.
SY: Here’s the thing. I’ve seen your name a lot recently during work. Zhousheng Cheng. It’s a character’s name in a story. A movie to be exact. I’ve been dubbing for the movie. So I just had to talk to you when I heard the name Zhousheng Chen.
Chen: (nodding)
SY: I’m sorry. I’ve made it even more confusing. You may not know this but I…
Chen: The story about the Junior Prince of Nanchen?
SY: (face lighting up) Yes! You know that story?
Chen: I do.
SY: (offering her hand) Nice to meet you! My name is Shi Yi.
Chen: (slowly shaking her hand) Nice to meet you.

First contact done!

SY: I’ll be boarding soon, and I don’t have much time. May I have your WeChat contact or phone number? I hope we can be friends.
Chen: (frowning)

Two things:

One, she mentions time again. She doesn’t have time. Time is another main subject in this drama.

Two, he’s frowning not because he thinks she’s being too forward asking for a stranger’s WeChat but because he doesn’t have a contact info.

SY: Just friends!
Chen: I’m sorry. I’ve just come back from abroad and I don’t have a local number yet.
SY: I see. That’s alright. (turning to leave)
Chen: If you don’t mind contacting via email, we can exchange our email addresses.

This is an interesting character trait. It’s hard to get a hold of him now because he doesn’t seem to use social media. But by the end of the drama, I’m sure he’ll be the one who’ll want to be able to contact her at any time.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to find a hundred ways to get in touch with her other than by email. He can text her, call her up, use Morse code, fly a kite, use a “Bat phone” reserved just for her, send a message through a family member or friend, fly a kite, express himself with flowers, write a poetry, or even use a tin-can-and-string phone to connect with her.

You see, he strikes me as clingy.

SY: Sure! I give you mine, or you give me yours?
Chen: I’ll give you mine. (turning to his assistant) Pen and paper, please.

ShiYi’s name is paged because her flight is about to leave. She’s pressed for time.

Chen: (gives his contact info) Here.
SY: Thank you.
Chen: I’ll be going then.
SY: Goodbye.

That’s the start of their six-month online communication. Her roommate tells her to dump him because having a platonic long-distance relationship is a waste of time.

Xiaoyu: Your mom called to ask if you’ve a boyfriend. I felt too embarrassed to tell her that you’ve wasted half a year dating a chemistry professor who’s in Germany online!
SY: We’re not dating online.

The matter of time is continually brought up in their conversation. For instance, Xiaoyu asks why it takes her time to reply his emails.

SY: The format and contents of his emails are always so formal. You’ll understand when you see them. I have no choice but to reply carefully.

Meaning, that she can’t rush through her answers; she has to give it some thought.

Then Xiaoyu asks how old he is. SY has no idea because she never asked.

Xiaoyu: I say you should give up. Am I wrong? Don’t tell me you’ll want to be in a platonic love for the rest of your life.

Lol. This is a foreshadowing of course. Platonic love isn’t what she wants. She wants romantic love, clearly.

ShiYi blurts out that he’s in Xian at the moment. Xiaoyu teases her that their relationship must be fated because ShiYi can join her when she flies to Xian on business. SY pretends to be coy.

SY: I may not have time. I need to check my work schedule.

But of course, she makes up her mind to go with Xiaoyu. She promptly emails Zhousheng Chen (ZSC) to suggest a meeting.

She writes, “I happen to be going on a business trip to Xian next week. If you like, we can meet. Shi Yi.”

Note two things here:

One, her inhibition. Despite communicating with him for six months, she’s still self-conscious. She doesn’t want to impose on his time.

Two, the rain. While she types her email, it’s raining outside her window. Although rain poses an inconvenience, it is regarded as an auspicious event according to Chinese superstition. It’s regarded as a sign of good luck. When cabdriver in Xian informs then that it’s been a strange year since “three years’ worth of rain all came that year,” it’s a sign that the deities are blessing their upcoming encounter. The heavens are opening – not only for heavy rain – but for a downpour of good fortune for the couple.

At the same time as Shi Yi’s arrival in Xian, ZSC’s friend, Mei Xing, arrives at his apartment. Hmmmm….He looks handsome enough to be the second male lead here. But as of now, I’m not sure if he’ll end up as ZSC’s rival or a sidekick.

lol. He definitely surprised me.

Their conversation mentions time several times, too. Mei Xing (MX) asks him why he is staying in a small place. ZSC points out the convenience.

ZSC: I requested this room. It’s only five-minute walk to the lab. It’s a big timesaver.

I like this attitude because it’ll be useful later. If he already spent hundreds of years separated from her, then he needs to be conscious of how precious time is. He can’t waste any time apart from her.

Mei Xing informs ZSC that ZSC’s brother is going to be married. His reaction seems controlled. He says he isn’t surprised.

MX: What about you?
ZSC: What do you mean?
MX: When are you going not meet the fiancée that your mother arranged for you?
ZSC: I do not have time.
MX: Do you lack time or do you lack courage?
ZSC: I really don’t have time!

While Zhousheng Chen complains about his lack of time, Shiyi pretends that she doesn’t have enough time, too. When Xiaoyu asks her if he’d reply to her email and she shakes her head.

Xiaoyu: What a pity!
SY: I’m not here to meet him anyway. I came to work. I’ve made an itinerary. I’ll visit the Azure Dragon Temple, the Terracotta Warriors, and the museums. If I have more time, I’ll go visit the Epang Palace.

Lol. Of course, she’s disappointed that he hasn’t reached out to her. But she’s hiding her disappointment by pretending to be busy. In truth, she’s waiting for him to reach out to her.

I’m guessing this is a foreshadowing. In the future, their situation will be reversed, and he’ll end up waiting for her, and revolving his time around hers.

3. The slow pacing fits well with the “Bones” theme.

The theme of bones is introduced during the interview of Xiaoyu with a married couple who donated their life savings to education. The man said they donated because they wanted to make a difference in their hometown despite growing up poor and living a difficult life.

Husband: (mumbling) I…I’m not good at explaining things. Dear, why don’t you explain it to them?

This is a foreshadowing. ShiYi will end up like the wife. They have similar characteristics. At their first meeting at the airport, Zhousheng Chen is uncomfortable communicating while Shi Yi exhibits no such discomfort. So like this married couple, ShiYi will be the one to express her thoughts and feelings, and he’ll look to her for guidance.

Wife: (indulgently) They are interviewing you. Why are you asking me to talk?

Xiaoyu asks the married couple if they ever argue after donating their money.

Wife: Never. I’ve always supported whatever he does. And…(glancing at him) I always listen to him.
Husband: What are you talking about? You are the boss. (smiling at her)

Judging by the way, the camera is focused on capturing ShiYi’s reaction to the couple’s interview, I expect this to the kind of marriage she’ll end up with. To me, the writer scripted this scene to show that ZSC and ShiYi’s happily-ever-after will mirror this one.

Then, at lunch, Xiaoyu asks her what she thought about the interview.

SY: Most people are shallow for they only see the beautiful facial features. But not the good bone structure. The wife is very special. She’s able to see the superficialities and appreciate the good qualities of her husband.

Out of the blue, Zhousheng Chen appears. He repeats SY’s answer word for word.

ZSC: Most people are shallow, for they only see the beautiful facial features, but not the good bone structure. Well said!
SY: (speechless)
Chen: (just asking her) What a coincidence. May I sit here?
SY: Sure.
Chen: (sits down)
Xiaoyu: Do you know him?
SY: He’s Zhousheng Chen.

She introduces them and he asks if they’re there in Xian for a trip. She explains the trip and casually brings up that she mentioned her emails.

SY: In one of the emails I sent you, I’ve mentioned her.
Chen: (honestly) I’m sorry. I haven’t checked my mailbox for a while, so I didn’t see your email.
SY: That’s okay.

ZSC is handed a business card and he apologizes.

Chen: Pardon me. I normally don’t carry my business card with me. My name is Zhousheng Chen. I’m an associate professor at Berkeley College of Chemistry. I’ve been staying at the Research Institute of Xian for an exchange program.
Male Friend: Good. Good. Shengchen! It’s a nice name. You can just call me Shuai. I’m Xiaoyu’s coworker.
Chen: (clarifying) My family name is Zhousheng and my given name is Chen.
Male Friend: Mr. Zhou…Zhousheng. It’s a family name, right?

I guess his last name is special one, since it doesn’t sound familiar to the male friend, Shuai. The talk now moves back to ShiYi’s earlier comment. Shuai says that, “a sentence like that, you have to use your heart to understand it, you know?”

Xiaoyu explains it to the table.

Xiaoyu: Listen. The sentence means people nowadays only pay attention to the materialistic things.
Chen: (looks up at the Xiaoyu)

There’s something about the odd way that Zhoushen Chen looked at Xiaoyu that tells me that he has a different understanding of Shiyi’s words. It’s as if he hadn’t considered Xiaoyu’s interpretation before.

Xiaoyu: Such as money, car, house, and appearance. Seldom do they care about a person’s inner beauty.
Chen: (nods thoughtfully)

Xiaoyu explains very well the GENERAL meaning of ShiYi’s words. But there’s also a SPECIFIC connection to our couple that I think viewers will miss. In my opinion, the “bones” reference can signify three other things in the story.

One, if ShiYi and Zhousheng Chen were only looking at the outside attributes, they’re bound to miss their reincarnated soulmates.

You see, as a reserved, self-effacing chemistry professor in a suit and overcoat, Zhousheng Chen appears nothing like a formidable general that he was in his previous life. Similarly, as a successful woman in the entertainment business, ShiYi looks nothing like her timid maiden in her previous life.

However, when they take the time to look deeper, behind the outward appearances, they’ll find the fine qualities that they fell in love with the first time around.

Bones, then, are the metaphor for these fine qualities that make up a person. These qualities are immutable like bone structure.

Two, bones are the last thing to disappear. When we die, our flesh decomposes, but our bones (and teeth) are the last to remain. Bones are the slowest to disintegrate.

To me, the bones have a poetic significance. When ShiYi and Zhousheng Chen are long dead, their bones will live on. And as long as their bones exist, their story will continue to be told. Since they lived an incomplete, unhappy love story in the previous lifetime (remember Zhousheng Chen supposedly died without a wife and children), their bones serve as reminder for their reincarnated souls to finish the story and make the ending happy this time around.

And three, even if their bones were to finally disintegrate, their love for each other would last forever and ever.

When they get home that night, Xiaoyu says that she found two good qualities of ZSC: he’s manly and straightforward. But she doesn’t sound over-impressed because she thinks that ShiYi is “way above his league” especially in the looks department. Lol.

Personally, I agree. I saw this actor in two other dramas, and I didn’t think he was handsome. Of course, Yang Yang with as my yardstick, it’s difficult for others to measure up.

4. The slow pacing fits well with this theme of unfinished stories.

Xiaoyu makes a great sidekick. She can be counted on to put ShiYi in a good light. At their chance meeting with Zhousheng Chen, she reveals to him that ShiYi’s a bookworm.

Xiaoyu: ShiYi forced me to read when I was little. She’s always been a bookworm. She reads all kinds of books.
Chen: (smiles at SY)

But before she can add more praises about Shiyi, Zhousheng Chen’s assistant arrives. He scolds ZSC.

Assistant: Mr. Zhousheng! I must buy you a cell phone when I get my salary next month. I’ll even pay the phone bills for you. I went everywhere looking for you! If it wasn’t for the car of our institute parking outside, I wouldn’t have found you.

What does this tell us? It leaves us with the impression that ZSC is a “poor” professor. He’s far from the ambitious general who was obsessed with wealth and fame. He doesn’t have a cellphone or his own car. He drives the institute’s car.

But of course, we know already that he’s stinking rich from his friend, Mei Xing, who earlier said that he could afford to give a big “red envelope” to the wedding of his brother. We can also guess that ZSC has been paying for some of the equipment and materials out of pocket because they’re expensive.

The Assistant then sees ShiYi and asks if she and ZSC arranged to meet there. ShiYi says that they bumped into each other there.

Chen: (irritated) What’s up?
Assistant: We have a seminar later. Did you forget?
Chen: Of course not. I just came out for lunch. (sighing) I’ll be going then. (addressing the table) I’ll contact you later. Goodbye.
Xiaoyu: Mr. Zhousheng Chen! I heard that the cherry blossoms are blooming in the Azure Dragon Temple. We’re all not locals and may not get the chance again. Would you like to go there with us?

This is what a good friend does. Xiaoyu steps into the breach and ask ZSC out for ShiYi because ShiYi’s overcome with shyness.

Chen: It’s been raining these past two days. If the rain stops, and you guys are still here, then maybe we could set a date to go. Is that okay?
Xiaoyu: Sounds good. It’s a deal then. ShiYi will contact you by email.
Chen: See you.

When he’s gone, Xiaoyu chides Shiyi. Shiyi makes a living with her voice but, at the most critical moments, she becomes speechless. Lol.

That night, in their hotel room, Xiaoyu shows her bias.

Xiaoyu: He isn’t that special after all.
SY: (defending ZSC) A pretty face can only be maintained from 16 to 36.
Xiaoyu: (arguing) I like looking at pretty things. It’s even better when it comes in a pair. Plus, good genes would be passed down to the next generation. You are way above his league.

She’s dissing ZSC’s looks.

SY: I think he’s not that bad.
Xiaoyu: He’s only got a special name.
SY: Your name is good, too. “A reputation that’s well-known.”
Xiaoyu: That’s too obvious. It’s boring.
SY: Then let me come up with a more romantic explanation.

So she reinvents the meaning of her Xiaoyu’s name. She’s displaying her skill at weaving a romantic story.

Xiaoyu: Go ahead.
SY: Let me think. (pause) It’s a little far-fetched, but I’m sure you’ll like it. “I’d take the Yuhong Herb and live in my dreamland forever.” Have you heard of that?
Xiaoyu: No. What’s that about?
SY: Legend has it that in the Kunlun Mountains exists a plant named Yuhong Herb. If one accidentally takes it, they would fall asleep for 300 years. Hong Xiaoyu. Hong Yu, Yuhong. Don’t you think your name could actually mean the Yuhong Herb?
Xiaoyu: I like this explanation. That’s what I’ll tell people in the future.

Because of her rich imagination, ShiYi can recreate something extraordinary out of mundane things. Not only does this gift ties in nicely with her profession as a dubber, but it also equips her with the optimism she needs to remake the unhappy ending she had with Zhousheng Chen in their previous lifetime.

In a way, too, her love for stories shows that she’s different from ZSC. She and Xiaoyu believe in romance. They’re credulous enough to believe in a fortuitous sign from Buddha.

Xiaoyu: (praying) Our ShiYi is 26 years old. Though she’s stunning, she’s never been in love. May Buddha bless her! Is she and the chemistry professor are meant to be together, then please stop the rain. (thunderclap) Buddha said yes!
SY: (shocked, lol)

In comparison, Zhousheng Chen appeared to be more practical. Although he doesn’t mind walking with an umbrella to his lab, he suggested meeting her only if the rain stopped. I think he did this because he doesn’t want her to get sick because of the weather.

When he sees that the rain stopped, he quickly writes her.

Chen: When I walked out of the lab at 4:36 am, the rain has stopped. If it isn’t raining at 11:30, then let’s meet at the Azure Dragon Temple at 12:00.

His early morning email energizes ShiYi.

What does this email tell me about ZSC?

It tells me that he wants to meet her again and is prepared to indulge her. He was watching the weather and when he saw that the rain stopped, he let her know right away that he didn’t forget his promise.

In fact, they think that he’s late to their meeting when he actually arrived early to check if admission tickets were necessary.

At the temple, ShiYi tells ZSC about her love for libraries.

Chen: You seem to like Xian a lot. When I first came here, a friend of mine at the institute gave me a guidebook to Xian. If you like it, I could give it to you. This city is full of stories.
SY: True. It was the capital of several dynasties. Do you like reading?
Chen: Yes. I set aside a certain amount of time every day for reading.
SY: What kind of books do you like?
Chen: As long as it’s interesting, I’d read it.
SY: Have you visited old-fashioned libraries, where numerous books are on the wooden shelves?
Chen: Old-fashioned libraries?

Lol. Every hero has to possess and old-fashioned libraries like the Beast. I’m sure Zhousheng Chen has an old-fashioned library, too, or he ain’t a hero worthy of ShiYi. lol.

SY: Yes. There are some in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. My parents took me there when I was little.
Chen: (thinking) The place that I frequent the most also has wooden shelves, but they are all occupied by bottles and containers and all kinds of dangerous instruments. Most of the things are off limits.

Then he proceeds to talk about a lab accident he caused. She’s so absorbed in his story that she nearly walks into a low-hanging branch.

I thought this is cute. He might have caused the lab accident because of his oversight, but he averted ShiYi’s accident because he was paying attention. This tells me that he doesn’t seem clueless as he appears to be.

5. The slow pace is perfect for ShiYi and Zhousheng Chen as they’ve a long road ahead of them. 

There’s no point in rushing, and the journey is part of the fun.

As first dates go, their first date is a dud. He comes across as dull and stodgy. Clearly,
ShiYi has her work cut out for her if she plans to rewrite their tragic past into a happy ending.

For example, Zhousheng Chen’s pastime strikes ShiYi and her friends as boring. When Xiaoyu asks him about his hobbies, he volunteers that he likes to watch a time-travel drama called, “A Step into the Past.”

Chen: I like watching TV dramas.
Xiaoyu: What’s your favorite TV drama?
Chen: “A Step into the Past.”
Xiaoyu: “A Step into the Past”? Even a chemistry professor likes time-travel dramas! It’s even “A Step into the Past”! (addressing ShiYi) Do you remember my ex during college? He also loved the show. He watched it four times.
Chen: I watched it over 70 times. To be specific, it’d be 79 times.

Lol. He doesn’t get that Xiaoyu’s comment does NOT convey admiration for her EX-boyfriend but disdain. She’s complaining that her EX watched it too many times. But ZSC doesn’t get the social cue and thinks he must do “better.”

He just wants to put his best foot forward.

SY: 79 times?! Wouldn’t you get bored?
Chen: I think it’s very interesting. And now I can remember every scene and every line in that show.
SY: (smiling in amusement)
Xiaoyu: (with irony) Good for you.

Then, they begin to play poker. This is funny, too because ZSC is caught lying.

Assistant: Would you like to play some games? Aeroplane chess, checkers, or poker?

Note: They aren’t playing poker. Poker hand only has 5 cards. I think they’re playing mahjong with cards.

Xiaoyu: (deciding for them) Aeroplane chess and checkers are a little boring. (looking at SY) But you don’t know how to play poker.
SY: It’s okay. I’ll watch you guys play.
Chen: (looks down)

He looks lost, actually.

Xiaoyu: Mr. Zhousheng, do you play poker?
Chen: (looks around) Yes.

Hahaha. I’m sure many viewers took it for granted that he was telling the truth. But I think he was FORCED to play despite not knowing the game, because they needed four players to play mahjong. Since SY couldn’t play either, he stepped in for her. He didn’t want to create a fuss.

So when his assistant prods him to go first, he sounds clueless.

Chen: Do I go first? (putting down his card) If I go first, I think I’ve won.

These are his cards.

I seldom play mahjong but I know enough that he can’t win with those cards. At best, he only has two sets of “chi” or runs (same suit, consecutive numbers), and a pair of jokers. The rest of the cards are all over the place.

That’s why the ShiYi and her friends look confused.

They don’t know what to say to him because he definitely didn’t win.

But the main reason the date is because he fails to ask for ShiYi’s phone number.

Xiaoyu: I think he is into you. But why did he leave without even asking for your phone number?
SY: (sighing) Let’s go.

She’s disappointed. She becomes more upset when she sees him talking on the phone as he gets on the bus.

So, as a whole, ShiYi’s first date with Zhousheng Chen isn’t the romantic date she expected to be.

The gamechanger comes in the end, however.

ShiYi and her friends have been waiting for a long time for a cab to pass by when a private hire vehicle stops in front of them.  The driver says that he was sent there by He Shan. He Shan is Zhousheng Chen’s assistant.

I think, even if ShiYi hadn’t seen Zhousheng Chen on the phone, she would have guessed anyway that he called for the vehicle himself and only used He Shan’s name. I think she’s already caught on that he’s very subtle with his moves.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

And there you have my “First Impressions” of this Chinese drama in 5665 words. Sorry, I tried to keep under 1000 words.

Again, I don’t expect people to watch this show with me. But if you do end up watching this, do keep an open mind about the pacing of the drama, and be prepared to dig below the surface. As the old saying goes, still water runs deep.

I’m all tuckered out after 10 hour flight. I’ll see you all tomorrow.