No, don’t worry. The continuation of Ep 7, and my write-ups of Ep 8 are in the pipeline. I’m skipping them to write about the text messages before I forget my explanation.
I used Netflix subs. They weren’t much different from the Youku/YouTube subs.
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1. In Episode 8, when Jiaxu and Sang Zhi met up again, he accused her of ignoring his messages.
I’ll start from the beginning of their meeting to give the context.
DJ: Sang Zhi? Did you start smoking?
SZ: I don’t smoke. That’s not mine.
DJ: I clearly saw it fall out from your pocket. You picked up bad habits. I’m confiscating it.
Note: this is a change from the web novel. In the web novel, Jiaxu smoked so he couldn’t lecture her about smoking. He just told her something like he didn’t smoke when she was around, thus implying that he knew that smoking and second-hand smoke were harmful.
SZ: No. I told you it belongs to my friend. She may have misplaced it. If you don’t give it back –
DJ: (in an accusatory tone) You’ve even been drinking.
SZ: (defensive) Just a little.
This couldn’t have been the way Sang Zhi imagined meeting him again. She knew that she was disappointing him.
DJ: I’ll put the rest aside. It has been a while. You didn’t even greet me. Hmmm?
He was telling her that she’d been in YiHe for months but had yet to reach out to him even once. She knew that they were in the same city.
Note this peculiar trait of Jiaxu: he didn’t like to be snubbed by Sang Zhi. He didn’t like when Sang Zhi ignored him, avoided greeting him or didn’t acknowledge his presence. At first, I thought he was a stickler about social niceties and proper decorum. But now I think it’s more personal.
SZ: (thinking of an excuse) Jiaxu Ge…
DJ: Did you come here to have fun?
He meant the club. Was she visiting the club for fun? I thought this question was fatuous. What else would she be doing at a club?
Note how he was firing questions at her. He was quickly changing the topic without giving her a chance to answer his questions. Part of me thinks that he was excited to see her and wanted to know what she was up to. But part of me thinks that he was doing this rapid “21 Questions Game” to rattle her and trip her up.
SZ: Mmm. It’s my roommate’s birthday.
DJ: When did your military training end?
SZ: In the middle of last month.
DJ: You didn’t visit me during the Golden Week holiday.
The Golden Week Holiday in 2017 was from Monday, Oct 1 to Sunday Oct 8.
SZ: I had classes.
DJ: (scoffing) Classes during the holiday?
Gotcha! Do you see what I mean about trying to trip her up?
SZ: My mistake. My part-time job.
DJ: Ahhh. I see. A part-time job.
SZ: Mm.
DJ: I used to work part-time too. Other than working part-time, I had to meet your teacher, do your homework, and take you to school.
It was too funny when he side-eyed her. Her excuse for not meeting with him was lame.
DJ: Ungrateful thing. (sighing) This kiddo has no conscience at all. Well, it’s fine.
My comments:
a. The first time he accused her of having “no conscience” was when she was playing with the fox stuffed toy in Episode 1, and she told him that she wouldn’t have played with it had she known it was his. Whenever he says this, I think he’s provoking a reaction from her.
b. He probably meant something like, “Kids nowadays! They’re so inconsiderate and thoughtless.”
c. Why does he sound like a boomer when he’s only 25 years old?
d. He probably DID feel slighted when she didn’t contact him, but his sulking was an ACT to guilt-trip her and to get her to apologize. If he was really hurt, he would hide it from her.
SZ: Jiaxu Ge. You were already a senior back then. I’m only a freshman. I might be a little busier than you were.
DJ: Are you calling me old now?
No. Sang Zhi wasn’t calling him old. She was asking for a bit of understanding and leniency from him. As a freshman, she was learning the ropes of college life.
DJ: Sang Zhi. Take a moment and reflect. What exactly did I do wrong to you?
SZ: (quickly) I never said that.
I think this was the point of his rapid-fire “21 Questions.” He wanted to know the reason Sang Zhi was acting differently around him. She was avoiding him and giving him the silent treatment. He knew he offended her, but for the life of him, he didn’t know how.
It was a slip of the tongue when she said, “I never said that.”
The CORRECT action to his question, “What did I do wrong?” should have been, “Nothing.”
“You did nothing wrong, Jiaxu Gege. What are you talking about?”
She should have DENIED and feigned ignorance. Instead, her reply implied that he did in fact do something wrong, but she would never bring it up. (Of course, she was thinking of his “broken” promise to introduce the girl to her before he dated. But tehre was no way she’d ever him that.)
SZ: Also, I’m a grown-up now. If you keep calling me a kiddo, don’t you think it’s a little awkward?
DJ: How old can you be? You’re still a kid.
I understand Sang Zhi’s resentment when he called her kid.
However, I think there’s a literal and a nonliteral meaning to the word, “kiddo.” She’s only getting the literal meaning. She thinks he’s calling her young, and she infers that he finds her too young for him. If I were her, however, I’d train myself to see the affectionate side of the word, or the nonliteral meaning.
He’s calling her “kiddo” because he sees himself as her protector. In this sense, as long as he’s protecting, spoiling, and doting on her, she’ll always be a “kiddo” to him. It’s a term of affection that can also translate to mature women. I’m not offended when I’m called “Baby” and “Babe.”
She ain’t no kid, either.
SZ: (swallowing) Yes. I’m still a kid. Two years… After two years, you’ve indeed grown older and weathered.
Ouch! She made him sound like a shriveled-up geriatric.
DJ: (inhaling to calm himself down) Sang Zhi, check your phone and see how many messages I’ve sent you. You didn’t even reply even once? Why?
SZ: It’s like I said. I had classes.
DJ: Did you need to isolate yourself?
SZ: Of course I had to. If I didn’t, how else could I get into YiHe University?
DJ: (not saying anything)
SZ: (not saying anything either)
DJ: Fine.
He knew she was blocking him off, and he wouldn’t get to the bottom of things tonight.
2. Also in Episode 8, Sang Zhi pulled up his texts on her phone.
When she got back to her dorm, she received a text from him. He was reminding her to find someone to accompany her back to the dorm next time she was going to be out late. She answered him, and then scrolled up to read his other texts.
The impression there that we viewers got was that she was reflecting on her actions as he told her to. It’s only in the next Episode that we get a clarification that she was seeing all his texts for the FIRST time.
The dates, from the most recent texts to the oldest:
2017.9.4 at 9:11
2017.8.3 at 13:27
2017.7.25 at 15:39
2017.6.8 at 7:15
2017.6.2 at 18:43
2017.6.1 at 9:20
2017.1.26 at 23:51
2017.1.1. at 0:12
2016.12.24 at 21:20
He texted on New Year’s Eve. He must have timed it because the message arrived at 12 seconds past midnight. Netflix translated that text. It said, “Happy New Year. I sent your parents gifts. You get one too. But don’t tell Sang Yan.”
When she didn’t respond to that text, he texted her later that month, on the 26th. There was still no response from her, and he waited till June 1st to text again.
3. In Episode 9, we get the whole back story about Sang Zhi’s last year in high school.
She hadn’t read his text messages because she didn’t have her phone with her.
DJ: By the way, I’ll take you to a phone repair shop as well.
SZ: My phone? Why would I repair it?
DJ: Isn’t it broken?
SZ: It’s not.
And DJ smiled. He knew that she didn’t see his punchline coming.
DJ: I thought it must be broken. Your texts are so formal. Where did that come from? You were never so formal with me. Your words are so polite.
He could be a stand-up comic. This reminded me of his joke at the dessert shop. He asked her to pay one yuan more. And when she asked why, he joked, “Because you stole so many glances at me. I can’t let you do that for free.”
He gets her every time because she’s so literal.
But I like that instead of directly telling her to revert to her casual way of talking to him, he teased her to get his point across.
DJ: (continuing) Ah. I remember now. Does this mean…I have a place in your heart?
That smirk!!
I think this one-liner “I have a place in your heart” is a pun or a cultural humor that’s lost in translation. @Grace can explain better.
SZ: Jiaxu Ge. Here’s the thing. My dad told me to be respectful to anyone older than me by five years or more. If I remember correctly, you’re five years older than me. Your voice sounds young, but you can’t fool anyone. You’re not young anymore. So —
DJ: I’m hanging up now. Bye.
My comments:
a. Note the background music. It’s that “I Have Someone I Like” song.
I can taste you whenever I’m breathing
Thinking that maybe you want me tooLike a butterfly fluttering in my sight
Your moves create a ripple effect on me.Tell me are you listening
The world is moving fast
Here’s all my secrets.
I hope you like that
(I put on) a bright face, pretending to be calm.
But I can’t contain my joy.I have a weird intuition.
The bell in my heart jingles nonstop
When I think of you.How I wish I could read your heart
And see if my secret love is not one-sided.
I’m falling in love with –
b. Meaning, his jokes are flustering her. And she wonders maybe his jokes are telling her something; maybe her secret crush isn’t one-sided after all. She’s got a woman’s intuition, after all.
c. So what’s an innocent girl like Sang Zhi gonna do? She’s going to strike back with the only weapon she has: his seniority. She retaliates by bringing up their age difference.
d. And her plan worked. He was annoyed when she brought up his age. He wanted to hang up on her. It’s funny really, considering that he likes to call her “kiddo.”
SZ: Wait! Hello?
DJ: Hmm?
SZ: I have something else to tell you.
DJ: What is it?
SZ: I didn’t mean to ignore you by not replying or calling you back. I was living on campus. I didn’t have my phone with me.
Note: This is another deviation from the web novel. In the web novel, she gradually “reduced the frequency” of her communication with him. Whenever he asked about her exams, she would reply. But she wouldn’t take his calls. Her often-used excuse was she was busy. Then, she blocked him from seeing her photos on Weibo. (From Chapter 29).
The web novel didn’t mention her being without a phone and Jiaxu asking Sang Yan about Sang Zhi’s situation. This whole conversation didn’t happen in the web novel. In my not-so-humble opinion, this was a great addition by the screenwriter. It changed the story from a simple “her” unrequited love to “his-and-hers” unrequited love. Great job, screenwriter! Just as I would expect from the screenwriter of “Love O2O.”
He couldn’t help but his smile as he heard Sang Zhi’s confession.
DJ: (smiling) I know. Your brother told me that.
SZ: You knew?? Then why did you even ask?
DJ: Mm?
SZ: (stuttering) Okay, that’s it. That’s all for now. Bye.
He didn’t get why she hung up suddenly. She was obviously flustered, just like in the song.
4. The text messages left two unanswered questions. I’ll answer them.
Question 1: Why did he leave her messages back then when he knew that a) she didn’t have her phone with her and b) she wouldn’t be able to read his messages, anyway?
The short answer: He wanted her to know that he was thinking of her. Though they were apart, and she couldn’t see nor hear from him, he wanted her to know that he was still there, thinking of her.
The text messages are like those yellow sticky notes, saying “I love you. Have a good day.” that one leaves in lunchboxes and file folders…
The long answer: It’s the “Come to Jesus!/Footprints in the sand” moment. Remember what I told @Kate?
The web writer wrote a run-of-the-mill unrequited love story between young girl and her Gege. The comeuppance (or vindication? victory?) came when Gege fell for her in the end because she worked hard and proved to him that she was an adult, “worthy” of being loved by him.
An experienced screenwriter, however, could take this generic unrequited love story and give it a different spin…the “Footprints in the sand” twist as I call it.
Have you heard of that story? There were two sets of footprints on the beach. But occasionally, one pair of footprints would disappear, leaving only one tracking in the sand. The individual confronted God, “Hey, Big Dude! You told me if I followed you, you’d always be by my side. But I see you didn’t keep your end of the bargain. On tough times and lean days, you left me walking alone.” And God said, “No, little dude. I kept my word. I never left you. When you see only one set of footprints, I carried you then.”
The cdrama becomes all the more special when there’s a subtext to Sang Zhi’s unrequited love, and the real hidden love story is that the guy liked her all along but shouldered the strain of keeping it secret.
It’s fun watching her go through her struggles of unrequited love for her Gege. But it’s also fun to imagine that he had his own internal struggles with his “brotherly” affection for his meimei.
Sang Zhi thought she was forgotten by Jiaixu. She was “out of sight, out of mind.” But as it turned out, he was sending her text messages in the hope that she’d get a chance to read them one day and know that he was thinking of her.
I’m guessing, by the timestamps on his texts, that after she didn’t reply to his January texts, he gave it a few months before following it up with Sang Yan. He would have asked Sang Yan how she was doing, and he would have done it in a casual way, without arousing suspicion.
Beginning June, he was texting her at least once a month.
Question 2: So why was Jiaxu angry that she DIDN’T reply to his numerous messages when he knew very well that she COULDN’T respond because she didn’t have her phone with her?
Is he psycho??
Short answer: Frustration. He was expecting her to contact him as soon as she could.
Long answer: When they met at the sing-along club, he realized that she STILL hadn’t seen his messages.
He made a big fuss so she’d go home and look them up. He wanted to let her know that he was waiting for her.
In a way, his action resembles the time he wrote the essay “Helping my brother move” and gave it to her. I told you all that his behavior was suspect. He had NO reason to write an essay (a “compensation” he said!). Clearly, he couldn’t help himself. He made sure to stuff it in her schoolbag before he dropped her off at school. He was practically begging her to read the essay, especially the postscript that he’d written there.
Here, let me refresh your memory. Here again is his letter to her which he contrived to write like an elementary school kid scribbling a diary entry.
Helping my brother move
Today I helped my brother move into his dorm. My brother has so many things. I don’t know why a guy like him has so many useless things.… Thankfully I was there to help him. Luckily, the silver lining is that I saw my brother’s roommate whom I had not seen in years. Although he called me a thief upon seeing me, I know he was only joking with me. Seeing that he has helped me before and want to help me again, I won’t hold any grudges this time. From now on I won’t call him old either.
Also, the fox plushy that he gave me is not ugly at all. However, I still want a brother like him. As for my brother, he can go anywhere he wants. If anyone wants him just take my brother away. P.S. That boy told me he was also very happy to see Sang Zhi again.
Do you see the common thread?
Then and now, he wants her to:
a. forgive him for whatever he did to annoy her
b. stop calling him old
c. look upon him kindly
d. take notice of the things he does in secret for her, and
e. know that he’s always very happy to see her again.
Telling her to check his text messages is like him slipping his letter for her in her schoolbag and calling it “compensation.” Pffft.
We should know his tricks by now…
My last words, then. Jiaxu may not know how to call, classify, and identify his feeling for her then. But it’s definitely not platonic nor brotherly. As I’ve been saying, his story is the real “hidden” love story in this drama.
Thank you! 🥰
This is why everyone wants a Duan Jiaxu in their life. 🥰
It’s about the consistency and connecting those actions that may look nothing but in truth, there’s definitely something there right?. 👏🏻☺️
Who cares if she doesn’t get in touch with him? She’s just a friend’s sister. But the effort was there. He really cared. ☺️
The firing of questions was funny, SZ got caught off guard because she couldn’t say I’m trying to avoid you at all costs. 😃 All of her excuses was lame.
DJ definitely missed her during those times of silence from SZ. That’s why those texts in different months. There’s the connection of footprints in the sand. I really like that. 🥰
Did you put a magnifying glass so you can see those dates? 😱😃 I was like ‘wow’!. 👏🏻
I like that flashback too as soon as she saw him. 🥰
Ha! The conversation that her phone is broken was cute. SZ might as well have said yes, you’ve had a place in my heart since I was 14. 😆 She was flustered yes! 😍
Hi packmule,
Coming back here after a long time since HP2.Hope all are doing good.I can’t describe how much Im addicted to this drama.it’s my first cdrama too.very nice writeup.Im definitely looking forward for all your writeups of his side (hidden)story.
Yes, you’re right, @Packmule3, that it bothers DJ when he senses SZ ignoring him, and he’s quick to call her out on the perceived slight rather than suffering in silence. He chided her for not greeting him in the car when her brother was driving and taking her, Qian Fei, and DJ to dinner (before the embarrassing incident due to her monthly flow). At Qian Fei’s wedding, he texted her as they sat next to each other–even pointing to her phone to get her to read it–because she wasn’t speaking to him. He can’t tolerate being ignored by her!
In contrast, he ignores most texts and calls from his stalker, Jiang Ying, who persists despite his clearly stating that he wants no contact with her after his father’s debt is paid. Is he sensitive about SZ ghosting him because he’s doing it to someone else? No, I don’t think so, because those two relationships are so different. Duan Jiaxu and Jiang Ying’s connection was forged in pain and obligation: there is no fondness in DJ’s heart for JY, and JY seems stuck on DJ from an obsessive desire to control him. DJ’s feelings for SZ spring from amusement, and are rooted in respect. From her earliest meetings with DJ, SZ has not only displayed her feistiness, but also empathy. She clearly cares about his well being. She lends him an ear when he talks about his feelings at graduating college and about being indebted. She offers him emotional and practical support. So when DJ senses a wall between himself and SZ, he’s aware he’s lost touch with someone he cherishes, and someone who augments his existence. That hurts him.
Even though DJ and SZ endured long periods of separation in the early years of their knowing each other, they didn’t disappear from each others’ hearts and minds. When they did meet in person, they’d pick back up were they left off. DJ’s fear is that SZ will forget him as she’s growing into an adult.
😂😂 That wedding incident is a spoiler, @Welmaris! 😂😂
I skimmed through that scene. Not only did he text Sang Zhi to get her attention, he also played up a non-existent “gay relationship” with Sang Yan so Sang Yan would become disgusted and switch places with Sang Zhi.
IIRC, he was calling Sang Yan “Gege” and was lovey-dovey with him. What a rogue!
Smart dude for trying to get his girl to sit next to him! 🥰🙌🏻
It’s like he’s playing 3-D chess! He’s getting people to move around like he wants them to. 😂
But wait… I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m only in Ep 7.
Correct! 😁 He did it while he was playing gay and a guy in pursuit of a girl. 😂
He even killed two birds with one stone. SZ moved next to him and he finally found out that it was him all along that she likes.
Smooth DJ! 👏🏻🤣
@Packmule3, hints of rumors about Duan Jianxi and Sang Yan being in a gay relationship swirled while they were in college, because they were often together (the two dogs of Nanwu University), both were good looking, and neither dated girls. At the gathering of classmates in a bar after graduation, one friend said he wanted to get to the bottom of why neither DJ nor SY had girlfriends, although he said it was understandable that Sang Yang’s temper was off-putting. Then Jianxu is asked why he doesn’t have a girlfriend. DJ glances at SY, who’s sitting next to him.
DJ: What do we say?
SY grins (nice dimples!) and slings his arm around DJ’s shoulders.
SY: See? That’s why we’re best buds. What? Is there a problem?
The bar erupts with hoots and clapping. DJ peels SY’s arm off his shoulders.
This scene is in Episode 6, starting around 34:12.
Oh yeah I forgot about that @Welmaris 😂
The 2 dogs of Nanwu University. 😁
Thank you, @packmule3. My first impression of the cross-fire questions was from SZ’s point of view. I think she had hoped never to come across DJ again, or at least not unawares. We had a premonition, because they passed in the hallway. It seemed that he didn’t see her, but perhaps he did and that’s why he waited outside? Her look on her face when she saw him made me think she was thinking “Sh*t! No, no, no, no!” Then he proceeded to scold her as though he were disappointed in her again. She must have felt so vulnerable and wanted the ground to open and swallow her up. She could barely meet his eyes and the questions must have seemed to go on mercilessly.
Now we know that SZ didn’t have access to the phone because she was boarding at the school during her last year. (Very strict – not even after hours!) But surely she must have been home for New Years and some other breaks, so DJ must have hoped that she would read his messages then. Sadly for him, the message notifications were packed away mentally in the box that contained his gifts in her room and unopened. Seeing them now was like throwing her a lifeline for reconnection.
@packmule3, I have to add what you said, DJ gets her every time because she’s so literal. If some of his questions were jesting, she wouldn’t know.
I wondered why SZ didn’t remove his contact, then I realised SZ couldn’t block him without alerting her brother and family who were probably still hoping that he would stay as a connection for her in Yihe. They would have thought her strangely ungrateful to DJ as well, after all the tutoring and incidents of protection.
You also said that she thought he had forgotten her, out of sight out of mind, in a reflection of how she had packed away her physical mementos of him in the hopes of keeping him out of her mind. I think that she was first dismayed and shocked that he hadn’t, but the shock turned into curiosity and hope.
@Fern, yeah, SZ must have thought why is he making me feel guilty? Why is he upset that I didn’t get in touch with him?
That montage made her open up her buried feelings again. ☺️
Sang Yan’s reminder of all of the questions and gifts to SZ from DJ at the beginning of episode 9 made her feel that beyond anything else, she should show her gratitude at least once. Also she could try to feel out the situation in the first scheduled meeting and see how it goes for their relationship in the future, be it friendship or more.
I think that was the only reason why SZ did want to take him out for a meal. To say thank you for the gifts etc.
Maybe she felt there was no chance whatsoever, even after learning that he was all by himself in Yihe all this time. 😊
@Welmaris, to add to your list of when DJ felt ignored by SZ, DJ pestered SY for updates on SZ as well during the 2+ years of no communication following the airport parting.
@Packmule3 – delicious observations.
I remember rather enjoying the teasing and tension during that re-meeting! It was clear that the stakes were higher than they might have appeared and we were in the raw, uncertain territory of DJ needing more from SZ and her puzzlement taking her into new awareness.
@Welmaris- yes great link to DJ’s wedding strategy.
Yes to 3D chess @Packmule, he’s a very bright young man.
Interestingly the actor played a genius in another coming of age drama ‘Our Secret’..I wonder if that character was the reason they wanted the actor to play DJ.
@agdr03, yes that is what she tells herself, but she had discussed him with her housemates by then (the ‘my friend’ conversation), so it may have been 80% gratitude and 20% what is really going on with him–as in ‘Why does he say he is alone in Yihe?’ One of her housemates asked if she liked him. If so, keep in contact and pursue. If not, let him be. She may have wanted to confirm her current feelings, too.
@Kate, from what I read in Twitter, the producer said that CZY is their first choice and same with Lusi.
Yes, @agdr03- I read that as well. I was just wondering if he was the first choice because of his role in ‘Our Secret.’ There are a lot of similarities in the type of drama, even if the characters are different.
If you ever watch it, let me know what you think. X
Will do @Kate. Maybe you’re right about that. ☺️
I’m wondering about CZY’s current drama, The Princess and the Werewolf? There was an article about the FL lead’s white teeth being distracting to the viewers. I’m like huh?
CZY looks good in costume though, even in white hair. 😊
Regarding The Princess and the Werewolf, my take is that it’s like a low-budget live-action anime. I’m mostly enjoying it as a brainless, no-stress watch. CZY looks great when he appears as a normal man, but the werewolf-type appearance at night is a bit…cartoonish. It also prevents his expressions from coming across clearly at times. Other than that, the acting isn’t bad and there’s a good bit of humor.
I keep losing my reply to you @Fern. I’m getting distracted. 😬
But yeah, she can just go with that 20% of curiosity and hope. As it is, I feel even without the acute appendicitis issue, DJ would still want to see her often. ☺️
Thank you @Stacy 😊
If I have time, I’ll have a look.
Very keen observations @pm3. I’m 3njpying your analysis on these episodes and reliving the show through it. I’ve already rewatched it once haha, won’t do that again.
@Fern, I also remember that after the Yihe incident, SZ’s parents were discussing that they’ll take her phone away. So besides being/living on the campus (is that a thing in China? Do students live in schools in their final year? Also what’s the college military training?), she didn’t have her phone because of that incident.
@agdr03, The Princess and the werewolf is a funlow budget show for now. I personally am not thay attched to it yet and the new cdrama Lost You Forever has kind of replaced it for me (which is pretty good btw, revrse harem and all). CZY is a little green there, still good nonetheless but his acting has improved in HL. Moreover the angles, lighting, makeup, styling and filters in HL make him look so dreamy and better. Sometimes that show becomes an antidote to what image I have of CZY after HL lol.
😂 Thanks @wapz!
Yeah I heard that he’s been branded Campus heartthrob or something after HL. 😃
Not sure if I’ll check it out, I’ll see. 😊