May 21, 2020

Love Designer | Recap and Review

Love Designer
Through multiple encounters, a man falls in love with a woman who just broke off her engagement with another man who scammed her of everything. Will she be ready for another romance?
Notable Actors/Actresses
Dilraba Dilmurat (Dilireba): Zhou Fang
Huang Jing Yu: Song Lin
Director
Shen YangBen Fang
Chinese Title
幸福,觸手可及!
Happiness, It’s Within Reach
NetworkMangoTV
Year2020
Episodes: 36/51
First Impression: 2/5

Mini Recaps

[Ep1Zhou Fang catches her fiancé cheating on her the day of their wedding photo shoot. She walks on the lonely street on some stranded piece of road. Unlike a normal person, she walks in the middle of the road in her wedding dress like she's in some sort of music video. A motorcycle takes a quick turn and the rider finds himself almost crashing into her. He's Song Lin. He skids over the train of her dress and they both fall. She finds it ridiculous that he's yelling at her for not paying attention when he's the one who crashed into her. After a few spit and spat, she helps him push his motorbike to I don't know where. She's got nothing on her so he treats her to food. She ends up drunk and confesses about her pitiful romance. They end up at a hotel. He's washing up when she suddenly barges in to puke in the toilet. In her drunken state she's seen him all naked but she doesn't recall a thing. The next day they end up getting arrested when her fiance calls the police to file a missing report. Song Lin is under suspicion for kidnapping. This man is reputable CEO by the way

Zhou Fang's ex-boyfriend not only cheated her of her love but also her entire wealth. Zhou Fang has dated this guy for five whole years. 

[Ep2Zou Yu Lin (Wu San = 5, 3) is cute. He's pursuing Qin Qing.

As if things couldn't get worse for Zhou Fang, she finds herself being sued by Song Lin. 

[Ep3] Not only does Zhou Fang find herself being bullied by Song Ling, but her nephew, Shen Di, is also bullied by his sister, Song Luo. They're classmates and deskmates. 

[Ep4] Song Lin uses his sister as an excuse to bug Zhou Fang. She outright asks him if he likes her. He simply replies that he does. She responds with, "Are you sick?" He replies the same, "Are you sick?" There's nothing sick about liking someone. 

[Ep6] Zhou Fang belatedly finds herself renting Song Ling's condo. He can now see her right from his balcony. He loves it. She doesn't or at least she's not making it obvious she likes being pursued. His sister also becomes his cupid and calls her over to help care for a sick Song Ling. However, when the two girls fight over who should get water for him because none of them want to, the lonely and sick Song Ling pours the powder pack in his mouth without water, heh. Pitying him, Zhou Fang makes him ginger tea. He pulls her close and tells her a secret. He whispers, "You really are pretty."

[Ep7] Zou Yu Lin is hospitalized after he tries too hard to overcome his cat allergy for his girlfriend Qin Qing. Huo Chen Dong returns to China. He had a crush on either Qin Qing or Zhou Fang (they're university alumni). 

[Ep8] Song Lin misunderstands Zhou Fang wants to commit suicide. This gives him a chance to fall on top of her. She's overworking herself because she wants to be selected by his company. He's confident in her skills though. However, he's not quite confident in himself once he sees her university friend, Huo Chen Dong, drop her off at home. 

[Ep9] Zhou Fang makes it into the competition and the person she shows if off to (or wants recognition from) is Song Ling. She pours her cuteness on him (if he wasn't in love with her before, he should be now). There's also Han Chen Dong who drives her home all the time but she doesn't share the happy news with him.

[Ep10] Everyone thinks Zhou Fang won the first phase of the competition because of connections. Song Ling is doing his best to help her clear her name. Isn't that also a form of connection?

Zhou Fang's mom meets Song Ling at her daughter's new condo. She recognizes him immediately as the man who stole her daughter during the blind date event. Song Ling feigns ignorance but his familiarity with Zhou Fang's home doesn't go unnoticed. Song Luo makes his predicaments even worse when she calls him her dad, heh.

[Ep11] Just how many times does Zou Yu Lin need to pursue Qin Qing? He's cute though.

[Ep12] Song Ling sweetly tends to Zhou Fang's injured hand. And sweetly leaves a card at her door to motivate her when she's down. When she's at home, she's putting the bouquet he left at her doorstep in a vase. Song Ling watches her from his condo. Without looking at him, she knows he's watching her and closes her curtains on him.  He also bought her dinner by the way 

[Ep13] Zhou Fang is being pushed against the wall for the competition by Luna (Song Ling's fake public girlfriend). It's Song Ling who rescues Zhou Fang from an awkward situation and claims she's his girlfriend. He threatens Luna to not touch a hair of Zhou Fan's. She takes his hand and lets him rescue her.

Zuo Yu Lin finally gets a little love. He wants a hint of what Qin Qing likes so he knows what present to get her. She smiles and gives him a present instead. It's a peck on the cheek. I like his reaction after: fixes his glasses.

[Ep15] Zhou Fang rejects Huo Chen Dong's confession. He asks if it's because she likes Song Ling. She hesitates but confirms his suspicions. A hand grabs her form the back. It's Song Ling. Talk about coincidence. He heard everything. He pulls her in for a kiss. She accepts it. Lonely Huo Chen Dong walks away.

[Ep16] They're flirting across condos. Then he uses hand signals to ask her out that night. Isn't it nice to live across the person you love? He's dressed up with a suit and a turtleneck while she's in her PJ's. Dilraba looks good regardless. She confesses she had wanted to dress nicely but considering he's already seen her at her worse and he still loves her, there isn't a need. This guy really loves her. He tells her she's his weakness. Before he had nothing to fear but now that he loves her, anyone that wants to attack him (business-wise) will attack her worse. Thus these two brace for the first, but first some sweet moments take priority. He piggybacks her home. 

A cute and jealous Song Ling kept tailing Zhou Fang for a dinner with her parents until she's forced to agree. 

[Ep17] I like the friendship between Fang and Qing especially when they're talking about their relationship problems. Zhou Fang's trust and calmness in her romance with Song Ling makes Qing angry all the time, ha. 

It's Song Ling's birthday and Zhou Fang almost sets her (his) kitchen on fire. It does lead to a very cute flirty scene between the two where he's checking if her face is red from seeing him. She counters that it's black because of the smoke and keeps coughing in his face. Their flirting is so natural. The romance is cut short when Lu Na and Song Ling have a scandal. She wants a breakup this instant. What an awesome birthday present

[Ep18] Although Zhou Fang won't meet up with Song Ling, work brings them together. He uses any opportunity he can to just be with her.

[Ep20] Song Ling seductively asks Zhou Fang on a date using business as an excuse. She almost agrees but he walks off. Song Ling's friends are also his cupids trying to hook these two back up again. Our couple is almost back.

[Ep21] Zhou Fang meets the girl her ex had two timed on. She's Shen Pei Pei. She never knew she was the third person. It turns out the ex was out to get her money too. Zhou Fang and Shen Pei Pei are now friends. Plus, Zhou Fang is completely over her ex; she's got Song Ling now (even if they didn't completely make up yet). 

*Note: I think I got my episode count with my notes messed up around these episodes but I don't want to watch it again so I'll just leave it as is. 

[Ep24] Zhou Fang admits to liking Song Ling but she can't accept him because there's too many potholes and traps aimed at him. She can't handle making up and breaking up all the time. It's a breakup to protect herself from more hurt. Meanwhile it throws them both into more turmoil and heartbreak. It doesn't stop him from being cute or pursuing her. He sticks on the "I Miss You" sign that his sister wrote for him on the window for Zhou Fang to see. I think it would be amusing to live in the condo right above or below hers just to spy on the stuff he does for her.

Mom finally learns that Zhou Fang and Song Ling live across each other. She barges into his condo demanding his relationship with her daughter and if he dares utter a single lie she'll never let him see her daughter. Song Ling looks at Zhou Fang hoping to receive some sort of hint on how to reply but Mom tells him to look at her not her daughter. Song Ling tells the truth, just not everything. He tells her that he's pursuing Zhou Fang but she's been rejecting him because she's taking her mother's valuable opinions. Mom believes it until Song Luo walks in exposing them of having dated before. Mom is stupefied. She now lives with her daughter to guard her every move preventing Song Ling from making any contact with her.

[Ep26] Zhou Fang and Song Ling unofficially make up but Mom is still an obstacle. They both duck behind bushes just to hide from her. 

Zhou Fang and Shen Pei Pei meet their ex again and he's even more of a jerk. He even takes a knife to Zhou Fang's dad. This is the perfect opportunity for Song Ling to demonstrate his heroism in front of her parents.

[Ep27] Song Ling's jealousy puts their relationship back to square one. He gets mad at her but he's the one who's most upset. He's so drunk he went to sleep in her condo on her bed (actually it's his sister who dragged him there). As revenge Zhou Fang changes his top to her pink lace pajamas. Song Ling had a blackout and has no idea what happened but because Song Luo is there, he can't ask. Zhou Fang smirks and glances at him knowing he's dying to know what happened last night but she won't mutter a word unless he asks. He doesn't ask and so that morning she demands him to remove her lace top before he leaves. Song Ling doesn't have clothes to return home, you see.

Zhou Fang sees him staring at her across the window. She complains he only knows to look without any action. She wants him to appease her. Song Ling sneezes twice. He quickly calls her and tells her that if she wants to see him she should just tell him. Song Luo hears his corny lines and pukes. Zhou Fang asks him how many times he sneezed because once means someone is thinking of you, twice means someone is yelling at you, and thrice means you’re sick. He quickly lies he only sneezed once. Ha. Zhou Fang hangs up on him and closes the curtains.  

Qin Qing breaks up with Zou Yu Lin again.

[Ep28] Song Ling thought Zhou Fang died in a car accident so he runs in the rain to search for her. She's okay but frightened from being in the accident. The two run to each other's arms and tightly embrace one another. The next scene they're at home and he refuses to talk or even look at her. He's angry at her for putting herself in danger. She wraps his arm around her and snuggles into him to apologize. She's still in his arms as he feeds her cold medication. The man is still angry as he lectures her for eating too fast because the food is hot. Aw. These two are officially back together. He wants to kiss her but she stops him because she's sick. She does tell him to stay the night and hugs onto his back to sleep. 

[Ep29] Song Ling has to do a ninja roll to escape from Zhou Fang's mom.

[Ep31] There's another problem at work and Zhou Fang assures Song Ling she can handle it. Song Ling feels guilty and teasingly asks her what kind of girlfriend did he get himself, she's more like a bro. Zhou Fang lowers her tone and confirms he did find himself a man. 

[Ep32] Song Ling gifts Zhou Fang a red motorbike and she's in love. She gifts him with a kiss. Meanwhile, Song Luo is set to study abroad with Shen Di. Romance is good but business is not; Song Ling resigned. 

[Ep33] Song Ling and Zhou Fang make out on the couch in the dark. However, there's a lurking pair of eyes on them. Song Ling peeks up. It's Mom sitting right there. Absolutely silent. Zhou Fang looks over too and hides her head in his shoulder. Despite that embarrassing scene, Song Ling manages to convince Mom he's a good guy. 

[Ep35] Zhou Fang was hospitalized but kept it a secret from Song Ling so that he could focus on work. Now she's lost consciousness and is transferred to the ICU. I think Dilraba did exceptionally well in this scene. That look in her eyes when she watched her neighbour go through a code blue and then die was so sad. Song Ling belatedly learns of her condition and when he can finally see her, his face is hard to read except for: Upset, upset, and upset. He gives her a lecture but when she cries and tells him "I'll never be sick again" he smiles. 

[Ep36] Zou Yu Lin and Qin Qing are back together again. Now he's moving in with her. I'll never understand this couple

[Ep37]
[Ep38]
[Ep39]
[Ep40]
[Ep41]
[Ep42]
[Ep43]
[Ep44]
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[Ep46]
[Ep47]
[Ep48]


Remarks


[First Impression (Ep1-6)] So many cliches in the first episode. I don't want to bother complaining about that. It's the mediocre-okay type of drama. It's like a family drama, shouldn't have too much expectations for this anyways. Perhaps along the way I'll find a relationship that interests me. For now I'm just letting it play in the background. Zhou Fan comes off much more gracious and understanding than most typical stubborn female leads. Song Lin is also a gentleman. They're two normal people finding love in each other. I just wasn't expecting him to fall in love with her that quickly. 

[Dropped] If it's not obvious reading my recaps, I've lost interest in this a long time ago. I only watch this because it's the perfect background drama while I prioritize other stuff and still be able to understand what I want to understand. I could have easily finished this but I realized I'm going to have to rate this. It wouldn't be fair for me to review this considering I barely even watched this despite having gone through 36 episodes of this. I honestly have no idea what's happening in their fashion industry or why Qin Qing is being such a whinge to Zou Yu Lin. I don't have any complaints for Dilraba or Huang Jing Yu. Their chemistry is beautiful to watch, it's just the story is incredibly basic (translation: boring). I read some comments saying they like this because Dilraba improved but I'd like to disagree. I thought she was good since "Pretty Li Hui Zhen" (although I can't say that drama is any better than this). I think it’s unfair she’s lumped with the bad actresses just because she’s so gorgeous. 


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