A girl travels ten years back in time to change a man's life but he's also giving her life a makeover. Meanwhile she has to avoid her real self and fix her own life
Notable Actors/ActressesLi Hong Yi: Jiao Yang
Shi Shi: Lin Miao
Chinese Title
時間倒數遇見你
時間倒數遇見你
When Time Reversed I Met You
[Ep1] Lin Miao's introductory voice-over: Time is a rascal. When it's the right time, you meet the wrong person, when it's the wrong time, you meet the right person but sometimes it will give you a surprise.
[Ep16] Su Cheng Jun mistakes Li Wei Jun as Lin Miao and tells her how she’s so much more superior compared to Li Wei Jun. What is wrong with this dude? With that, Lin Wei Jun is motivated to improve herself and move on from Su Cheng Jun. She's even more motivated when she sees Lin Miao at work and how she glows from self confidence. 
So she's her own motivator and role model. Hmm. 
[Ep22] All of Lin Miao’s sense start deteriorating. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Jiao Yang. He confirms with the doctor that she’s abnormally aging but he doesn’t tell her he knows. Instead he uses the time he has left with her to make her happy. She apologizes for sleeping in and skipping out work. She tells him she’ll make up for it later. He doesn’t need her to make up for it, he does want to make out with her though. He kisses her again and again.
[Ep23] Lin Miao is aware of her time ticking away. She wants to spend the last moments with Jiao Yang happily. She takes him to see her grandmother (who’s in a coma still). They go grocery shopping and then find a secluded place to dance. She has more on her list but there isn’t enough time. She's also recoding their every minute together.
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] This is a higher quality fluffy rom-com. I really like this from the story to the dialogues to the music to the characters i.e. I love everything. He's not mean at all. He just doesn't know how to express his inner softness. Meanwhile she's an independent career woman who traveled ten years back with a mission to transform him into a man of CEO calibre. I'm really liking the chemistry between the two main leads. The story is intriguing especially when she meets her old self and is working with her ex-boyfriend. I don't think I've watched a time travel drama where there's two versions of the protagonist in the same space and time. Although this is a noona-romance of eight years but it's technically not a noona-romance either because if they're back in their normal time frame she's younger than him by two years.
[Ending] I tried to hold back my green comments in the last episode recap because I was so stupefied with certain events but I rather talk about them here than interrupt the recap. First shock: Lin Wei Jun and Lawyer Gu are going to have a thing. First of all isn’t Lin Miao and Lin Wei Jun the same person but just at a different age? If Lin Wei Jun is together with Lawyer Gu, what’s going to happen in ten years time when she becomes the current Lin Miao? The alternate theory is then Lin Wei Jun stays Lin Wei Jun. She never changed her name to Lin Miao because she never experienced the same pain Lin Miao. Therefore Lin Wei Jun is Lin Wei Jun and Lin Miao is Lin Miao – but how does that work?? How does Lin Miao exist without Lin Wei Jun? Doesn't Lin Miao's existence vanish then? Then comes the second shocker: Lin Miao saying in reality, time reversals don’t happen. No duh. But show, you can’t just deny your own premise in the ending like that. Show, you goofed.
[Review] I really like this but there are its flaws. Ultimately, I think a lot of time loop stories are finicky. If I can offer a warning for those who like making sense of time loop dramas is to just accept the fact that Lin Miao and Lin Wei Jun (her ten year older and ten year younger self) are different people, two completely different entities. The ending is a happy one, it just doesn't satisfyingly explain the time travel. The other complaint I have is Su Cheng Jun. His character makes no sense. The only redeeming part of his character is that there is none so I can freely hate him all I want. How can he love one (Lin Miao) and not the other (Lin Wei Jun)? I ask that all the time but I do realize Jiao Yang is the same too. He only loves Lin Miao. The difference is that Jiao Yang is at least nice to the other one. Other than those complaints, I do love the drama for it's two main characters and the OSTs. The OSTs were so pretty to listen to. So dreamy. The music paired with the visuals in the beginning were enchanting which is what made me love this drama initially. Then there's solid chemistry between Shi Shi and Li Hong Yi. I think this guy is just a natural when it comes to creating chemistry with his female partners. Purely for the romance (and the actors), I think this drama was worth watching.
Network: iQIYI
Mini Recaps
[Ep1] Lin Miao's introductory voice-over: Time is a rascal. When it's the right time, you meet the wrong person, when it's the wrong time, you meet the right person but sometimes it will give you a surprise.
Lin Miao (33yo) is rushing to an important meeting. She arrives at Taste-Good cafe. Jiao Yang (25yo) also has an important press conference to attend. They both reach the door handle at the same time but prior to touching the handle, neither were in the same space. Once they touched the handle, lightening strikes and they both somehow run into each other. Both their hands felt an incredible shock. Lin Miao falls over Jiao Yang. Their unfortunate meetings don't stop there. She ends up completely ruining his press conference when she accidentally left her lipstick mark on his neck. Yes, she kissed his neck upon first meeting him. It happened during a fight where she thought he was her business rival.
Lin Miao finds herself ten years back in time (2010) but she's not any younger. She's still 33. She goes back to the coffee shop hoping to open the door to the future. An annoyed employee kicks her out after she's opened the door for the nth time. Without another place to go to, she arrives to her home. She also receives a message on her newest iPhone giving her a mission to make Jiao Yang a CEO of Hong Yu Group (a hotel business) within three months. If she fails she will disappear forever. As she's at home googling Jiao Yang, the ten year younger version of herself arrives home. She screams and faints over. The current Lin Miao is shocked that there's two versions of herself too. She comes to a conclusion that the two versions of her cannot meet.
Obediently, she listens to her phone's mission and arrives at Jiao Yang's company. Somehow someway she becomes his secretary (because no one else applied for that position). Jiao Yang is weirded out by her and gives her a hard time. When she applied for a company dorm he disapproved it not knowing her dire conditions: no money, no home. She sulks and leaves his office. He peaks out from his office blinds to look at her and recalls their previous meeting. It turns out they met again at the coffee shop when she was repeatedly opening and closing the door. She told him to hit her again like how they first met hoping that would send her back to the future. He was at a lost for words and asked her why not be struck by lightening instead. She thought it was a great idea. Recalling that event, he confirms her she's weird but he's also oddly attracted to her. By chance he finds out that she has no home to go to so he adopts her for the night.
[Ep2] Jiao Yang brings Lin Miao back home and prepares the couch for her. In his perspective he finds her ungrateful (and weird). From her perspective, he's a brat and she doesn't know if he's a pervert. Love the mind conversation they have. He leaves her be but he comes back out a few minutes later. He stares at the sleeping girl in front him very confusingly. In his hand is a stuff animal; he's giving her a pillow.
In the morning, she wakes him up. They brush their teeth together. She doesn't think of him as a man at all as they share the same washroom, lol. He thinks she's even weirder when she's using all his sample products. As they're both brushing, she notices his is an electric one, there's no need for him to scrub his toothbrush around. He grumps that it's out of batteries. I find this moment so cute. She must think he's cute too, ha. He's also moping around slowly in the morning purposely making her anxious of being late. By the way she's wearing his clothes.
There's a problem at work. The wedding venue for the VIP customers is cancelled. The wedding is tomorrow. Jiao Yang gets a lecture from his dad (the CEO) about his carelessness. Initially she was snickering but she does have a mission so she saves him by saying he plans to take full responsibility and will create the most memorable wedding. He had no such plans. After they leave his father's office, he bounces all the responsibility back to her. Although she's doing all the work, he's staying next to her even if he's just playing video games. She keeps calling him "Jiao Yang" and he keeps reprimanding her to call him "Jiao Deputy". She tells Jiao Yang they need to have light decorations for the venue. He complains it'll be hard to buy them now. That's why she's planning to steal. He's standing on the ladder helping her steal the light-bulbs off the tree in a residential area. When they have enough, she tells him to come down but he demands her to do her job properly. She glances around and finally realizes what he means. She runs around to his side and offers her hand to help him down. It's like he's the Empress or something. She's still taking his hand as they walk back to the car.
The ten year younger version of herself shows up in the same space. I'm going to call her Lin Miao 2.0 for now. She's chasing her boyfriend, Su Cheng Jun. He's working super hard to find a wedding venue. He's quite the ambitious one. Lin Miao 2.0 wants to give her boyfriend chocolate ahead of Valentine's Day but he barely acknowledges it and runs away for work. The current Lin Miao sees her old pitiful self and dodges behind Jiao Yang. Suddenly a security guard calls out after them. The next moment, they're running-Christmas-trees.
He takes her to hide behind his car. They end up tangled together. He notices her injured heel and gives her a tissue to wipe the blood. She's touched by his unexpected gentleness. That's not all, he even buys her a bandage. When she doesn't put it on her heel immediately, he kneels down and tends to her injuries himself.
The wedding is today. Lin Miao has created a balcony wedding with lights and beautiful decorations. However, the lights suddenly go out.
[Ep3] Jiao Yang saves the wedding event. He had planned a firework show for the VIP bride and groom. As the wedding is successfully in progression, he gives Lin Miao a prize. It's a chocolate that he got from the wedding. Ah, he gave her chocolate on Valentine's Day even though it wasn't his to give. This makes her solemnly recall the chocolates she gave Su Cheng Jun that were knocked down to the floor. After she broke up with him, she never ate chocolate ever again. Jiao Yang complains about the chocolate being too sweet and grabs champagnes to share. With one sip, Lin Miao is out. She falls asleep standing. He lays her down and covers her with his suit but doesn't find it appropriate to leave her there so he carries her home. He's such a softie.
When Lin Miao wakes up, she finds Jiao Yang glaring at her in front of her. She slept on his arm on his bed the entire night. When she realizes it's her fault they slept together, she's speechless. At breakfast, he offers her his home to live in. He feels bad for selfishly denying her dormitory application. There are conditions though: it's only for a month; she has to clean and cook; she cannot annoy him while he's gaming; she cannot inform his dad about him. Lin Miao agrees to everything and adds on one more stipulation: they must keep their cohabitation a secret. He agrees without hesitation. However in his mind he's grumpy that he hasn't even minded her living at his place and she already is embarrassed about it.
Before driving her to work, he drops her off at a mall. He wants her to improve her personal hygiene and stop using his samples. He's paying for everything. He also notices her (still) injured heel and buys her the newest and hottest pair of sneakers. However, he doesn't know how to gift a female ("employee") a present. Methinks he's never had a girlfriend or at least he's never dated a girl he truly cared about. He claims that the pairs of sneakers were from an event the supermarket had. She looks at the sneakers and is disinterested. She throws it to the backseat. A majorly upset Jiao Yang tells her to get out of his car.
Jiao Yan consults in his secretary, Yan Xin, on how to give her a present and so the whole day they're working together to make her accept the sneakers. First they make her walk back and forth to make coffee and milk hoping to tire her out. Poor Yan Xin has to drink at least two full carton of milk before he tells his boss he's lactose intolerant. Ha. That trick doesn't work so he decides to shutoff the elevator forcing her take the stairs. This plan is a bigger fail because it's his father who is stuck in the elevator. With that incident, his father gives her the authority to control him with whatever way she wants so that he can focus on work. If he makes another mistake it is her who has to be fired. Lin Miao sulks that not only does she have to be his sister, now she has to be his mother too.
Lin Miao begins her work and surveys him every second of his work even to the washroom. He's trying to run away from her and he notices a puddle on the ground. He runs towards it with the intention of making her slip on the puddle. He's still not over the plan to make her wear his sneakers even after being lectured by his father. However, he ends up submerging her phone in water and breaking it. It's her only connection to 2020 and her mission. She's angry and points her finger at him as she yells at him. She even dumps cleaning water on him. She vows to quit. It's Yan Xin, who grabs onto her leg and begs her to help Jiao Yang who needs to be at an important meeting otherwise he's screwed. They're both panting as he tells her that Jiao Yang did all that stuff today was for her to wear the sneakers he bought. Her anger melts and she decides to find Jiao Yang. First she needs to know where he likes to go when he's angry. Yan Xin tells her that would be his gaming place. She locates the exact one and finds him. His one condition on to make him leave is if she wins him. She takes him on.
[Ep4] Lin Miao wins. So she's a gamer. She takes Jiao Yang back to the office. When he's following her on his hoverboard he notices she's wearing his sneakers. He doesn't realize what a mess his hair is though. After she fixes up his hair, he's ready for the meeting. The meeting was his chance to prove his worth and he does it with charisma. A new character shows up, she's Zhao Yan, the daughter of a board executive and also a childhood friend of Jiao Yang. She will be the annoying second female lead who's madly in love with Jiao Yang.
After the meeting is over, everyone takes the elevator to leave. Lin Miao is too late to enter and the elevator has reached its threshold. Jiao Yang stops the closing doors and coolly leaves the elevator to stay with her. He asks her why he didn't accept his shoes before. She tells him because it was too comfortable. Shoes that are too comfortable makes her lax and she can't afford to relax. He's satisfied with her answers and forgives her for the shoe and water incident. He wants to drive her home but she brushes him off.
Lin Miao is bumped by a car. The driver is Su Cheng Jun. Thus, they finally meet. She tries to tell him he's mistaken about her identity but he's certain she's "Lin Wei Jun". That was her original name before she changed it after a car accident. Jiao Yang shows up to help her. He had been staking outside the office waiting for her. Su Cheng Jun can't believe that the woman in front of him isn't his girlfriend but when Lin Wei Jun phones him that her gaming account has been hacked he finally believes Lin Miao is just a person who looks exactly like his girlfriend. Jiao Yang isn't happy about her reactions towards Su Cheng Jun that he pulls her super close to himself. He takes her home and treats her leg once again. He's fixing her twisted ankle and feeding her medicine. As she's getting up, she falls over him and almost re-injures herself. They're both awkward as they separate and he's touching her leg again to see her injuries. The awkwardness remains.
While she's sleeping, he sneaks around her belongings because he's curious about her resignation letter. He finds it and reads all the complaints of him being useless and a good for nothing. He uses his flashlight to flash her as a petty revenge. Ha. After reading that letter, he's determined to impress her (only there's not much from him to impress her with).
The meeting with Su Cheng Jun reminds Lin Miao that she needs to fix her own life as well. Her grandmother will die soon and she'll be fired from work as well.
[Ep5] Jiao Yang receives a character from his father, "Wu" which means "Nothing". It's a very fitting word to his current situation because he can't find anything to impress Lin Miao with. Thus, he puts all his efforts into his next project without her. Meanwhile Lin Miao is off to fix her own life. However, she's unable to change anything. Her grandmother dies ahead of schedule and Lin Wei Jun is still fired. The only thing she can do is comfort her old self. But who's there to comfort her?
When she comes back to work, Zhao Yan has assigned her a position in their new project. They have a very important guest who will arrive and she is to be the hotel housekeeper. Initially Jiao Yang doesn't help her refuse that position but when he does want to help her, she refuses his aid and insists to be the perfect housekeeper.
Lin Miao is checking the pool. Yan Xin is under the orders of Jiao Yang to help him make her quit the housekeeping assignment. He almost accidentally pushes Lin Miao into the pool. Jiao Yang's quick reflexes saves Lin Miao but because he's awfully close to her, she forcefully pushes him off. The next moment, he's fallen into the pool. Lin Miao is holding back her laughter. She's actually laughing at this instead of feeling sorry, lol, Everyone else is questioning why she pushed him and so she lies that she didn't. It's Jiao Yang, a very responsible manager, who wanted to personally check the water temperature. Jiao Yang plays a along. Lin Miao is still containing her laughter.
Jiao Yang showers in the hotel room which happens to be the room for the VIP guest that Lin Miao had spent an entire day cleaning so that not a single water or dust is visible. Lin Miao opens the door to find him stark naked. She's horrified and screams. However, what's scaring her is that he's tainted not her eyes but the room she cleaned. Jiao Yang's scream made me laugh because his voice cracked at the end. He calls her a pervert. She retaliates that there's "no need" for her to watch him shower. He's offended by her words and demands to know what she means by "no need". The lights suddenly go out and she accidentally rips open his gown exposing his chest right before her eyes.
They're in the dark and at least two meters away from each other. He wants her to apologize for seeing him naked and the pool incident. He walks to her at full speed backing her to the wall. She complains to him he should wear his clothes thus he taunts her to tie his waistband for him otherwise who knows what he'll do to her in the dark. She quickly feels his away down his chest to his waistband to tie it ever so tightly. The lights turn on and the two awkwardly finds themselves very close. He quickly backs off. Her stomach also starts grumbling. He steals the apple from the table. She begs him to not eat it because she spent an entire afternoon looking for three identical apples. The VIP guest is phobic of everything and can't stand his fruits being in even numbers or nonidentical. He solves her problem by telling her to eat the second one. She glares at him. The two begin an apple biting war of who can bite the loudest.
She wants him out of the room but he can't leave in just his gown; he's got a reputation. She goes to retrieve his clothes and accidentally finds her resignation letter. She finally understands his attitude towards her this whole time. When she returns with his clothes she tells him she had no intentions of giving him the letter and compliments him on his ability. It's just the words he wants to hear.
[Ep6] The phobic VIP guest graces his appearance. He's Sui Yi. Lin Miao is able to do everything that suits his needs from wearing gloves to touch his stuff to protecting him from a cat. He's afraid and allergic of cats. He hides behind Lin Miao using her as a shield. She's afraid too. Jiao Yang has his hands in his pockets and is glaring at them with jealously. He doesn't like Sui Yi touching Lin Miao. Su Cheng Jun pops out of nowhere and heroically protects both scaredy-cats. Jiao Yang glares at the three of them, his hands still in his pockets.
Lin Miao has a severe cat allergic reaction to cats. After she recovers, she quickly runs to Sui Yi knowing he too might have an allergic reaction. Jiao Yang stops her at the entrance worried for her but when she's determined to find Sui Yi he obliges and princess carries her there. She manages to save Sui Yi in time but the company punishes Jiao Yang for his negligence. Jiao Yang promises to investigate the reason why Sui Yi had an allergic reaction in one day otherwise he'll resign. He promised this deal only because Li Dong Qiang (a rival executive) is threatening to fire his team (including Lin Miao).
It's impossible to find the source of Sui Yi's allergies in a mere day (it was Su Cheng Jun who put cat fur in the hotel napkins). .Jiao Yang just wanted to take all the responsibility upon himself. However, his entire team (including Lin Miao) had bugged Sui Yi for an entire day to forgive him. Sui Yi is touched by his team's efforts to keep their boss that he relinquishes his complaint.
[Ep7] As Lin Miao is setting up her couch bed, Jiao Yang brings the chalkboard reminding her of her promise to leave in two days. She regrets it immediately and changes it to until she recovers (she was hospitalized for her allergies). He walks off on her though. Lin Miao whimpers that she's sick. Moments later, he's back again with his pillow and blankets. He's taking the living room until she's better. Lin Miao happily takes his bed.
Peace doesn't last and news of his incompetency is spread all over the internet (Su Yi allergy incident). He sulks alone. Lin Miao comforts him (we also learn his name "Yang" is derived from "sun".) She hints to him that someone is purposely tarnishing his name and helps him find the hacker who did it. After they successfully clear Jiao Yang's name, the team celebrates. There's alcohol involved and Lin Miao and Jiao Yang end up being awfully sincere to one another. They're thanking each other for everything and they almost kiss. The next day they both remember it but neither admit to it.
Another news: Su Cheng Jun and Jiao Yang are half-brothers. They share the same mom. Su Cheng Jun is the older brother. It's because of his father that their mother fell sick and passed away. Jiao Yang had asked his father why don't they give Su Cheng Jun a chance to demonstrate his abilities and his father had wanted to but he's wary of him because he was raised by that father of his. They should be wary of him.
[Ep8] Jiao Yang has a new assignment. He has to revitalize Li Rong Hotel. The hotel was designed by his late mother. When they arrive (Jiao Yang, Lin Miao, and Su Cheng Jun), they find out it's a haunted house. They become locked inside Jiao Yang's mother's work room. Su Cheng Jun accidentally knocks over their mother's architectural model. Over the night, Lin Miao was rebuilding the model. When she wakes up she finds Jiao Yang sleeping across from her staring right at her. He tells her good morning and smiles at her for fixing his mother's building model.
The hotel gets weirder. They find a sleepwalking girl and when she wakes up she suddenly wants to marry Jiao Yang. All the other employees agree Jiao Yang should marry her. Jiao Yang is very confused and uses Lin Miao as his shield. He claims she's his fiancée. To prove it, he kisses her. One of the hotel employees notes that it's him seducing her. Lin Miao is still recovering from the kiss and nods naively that it's all him. He doesn't feel good hearing that so he kisses her again telling her what seducing really means. It's Jiao Yang's first kiss.
[Ep9] The next day Lin Miao helps Zhao Yan confess to Jiao Yang. While she's confessing, his eyes are busy staring at Lin Miao and her interactions with Su Cheng Jun. He doesn't even hear her confession. Lin Miao is trying to pretend the kiss never happened.
At night Jiao Yang comes across a bartender. She tells him to choose between three drinks that will predict his love life. He picked the one that meant his true love has appeared but she's a devil. She'll either change his life for better or for worse. That's when Lin Miao suddenly appears and he quickly backs off calling her a devil, heh.
So what is up with the haunted hotel? It's a dead hotel with five employees who value this precious hotel. However, every business man that comes to revitalize their hotel plan to destroy it then reconstruct it hence their standoffish attitude towards Jiao Yang.
Jiao Yang has no intention of reconstruction. He wants to maintain the hotel's essence by finding a rare plant to prevent reconstruction and also to promote the hotel. This rare plant is "Jin Lan". Lin Miao is against this idea because her father died looking for this plant. As a result, her sick mother never got to see her father before she passed away too. That's how Lin Miao became an orphan. Not only is Lin Miao against it, she also works with Su Cheng Jun to propose a reconstruction plan against Jiao Yang. It doesn't get any easier for Jiao Yang when he's given an impossible time frame to find the rare plant.
Su Cheng Jun has an agenda to bring him down. He's working with Li Dong Qiang.
[Ep10] Jiao Yang searches for the plant alone. This is an ominous sign for Lin Miao who lost her father to the plant. She's worried for him. She finally finds him but she slips. He catches her and they both fall. It's a coinkydink they find the rare plant right under their bums. She stares at the plant and scrunches it before throwing it to the side. She hugs him and tells him she's sorry for not supporting him. He forgives her. She also requests the help of Sui Yi (who owes her a favour for saving his life) to help them promote the hotel.I'm surprised Sui Yi let her shake his bare hand. After the meeting is over, Lin Miao trips again. Again! He tells her she's not allowed to hurt herself again because she's his secretary. He piggybacks her back to her room.
At night everyone is celebrating the revival of the hotel. Lin Miao is drunk (as always) and Jiao Yang takes her to his mother's work room. There he finds her mother's model all fixed. It was Lin Miao who rebuilt it. He takes out a contract for her to sign. She drunkenly reads that it's a slave contract but it's actually a life contract to bind her to him. I guess there's not a lot of difference, lol. She doesn't sign it and rejects his offer. She falls onto the bed and he needs to know why he's rejected.Uh the girl is drunk... It's because she's not a person of his time. She literally tells him everything but obviously he thinks she's lying to reject him.
The next morning she wakes up to find him sleeping next to her again. This is the third time they woke up together in the morning. She has zero memory of what she did to him. He reminds her she unbuttoned his shirt and and ripped off his belt. That's all he's willing to tell her because he's too embarrassed about being rejected. He also refuses to be rejected. It is his first confession after all.
I honestly don't get why Su Cheng Jun is jealous of Jiao Yang and Lin Miao when he's mistreating his own girlfriend. Lin Miao and Lin Wei Jun are the same person. How can he be so annoyed of Lin Wei Jun but simultaneously find Lin Miao attractive?
[Ep11] Jiao Yang is in trouble again. Someone is attacking him online once more. Lin Miao has a project up her sleeve to allow him to win favour again. He leaves the task to her while he has important business to attend to. This important business of his is to pluck off the leaves on his poor pot of plant to determine if Lin Miao loves him.
Jiao Yang sold his car and is working overtime. When he leaves the office, it's pouring rain. Su Cheng Jun has Lin Wei Jun to pick him up. Jiao Yang sees this from afar but he's too far to see her face. He complains to himself that a girlfriend is way better than a female secretary. He muses he should deduct Lin Miao's salary. That's when Lin Miao shows up with two umbrellas. Aw. He doesn't like being separated from her so he takes cover under her umbrella and holds it for her. She smiles telling him that Jiao Deputy is going to have to hold the umbrella for his little secretary for a long while. He purposely mishears her "long while" to "forever". She jokes about his bad hearing but he's serious. He did agree to carry the umbrella for her forever.
Jiao Yang fumes with jealousy when he thought he saw Lin Miao and Su Cheng Jun hug. It was Su Cheng Jun doing it on purpose to make him angry. Jiao Yang and Lin Miao are still in the dark of Su Cheng Jun's vile intentions but luckily Jiao Yang's dad seems to know.
[Ep12] Jiao Yang is determined to know what that hug was all about so he struts back to the balcony. Instead of finding Lin Miao, he finds Lin Wei Jun who's looking for her boyfriend. After seeing Lin Wei Jun, a carbon copy of Lin Miao, he's confirmed that Lin Miao is from the future and that she's here to find Su Cheng Jun and not him. He's heartbroken. The next day he distances himself from her. Lin Miao doesn't like it. Not that Jiao Yang is feeling any better either. He's especially upset when Su Cheng Jun asks her out right in front of him. Why does Su Cheng Jun like her and hate his current girlfriend? Ugh. During the dinner with Su Cheng Jun, Jiao Yang coolly takes her hand, interlocks it with his and steals her back from Su Cheng Jun by claiming she's his girl.
They're still holding hands as Jiao Yang tells her he regrets putting distance between them. He reveals that he knows she's from the future. It doesn't matter to him where she's from he only likes her. Lin Miao flicks his hands off and tells her she doesn't like him. That night she moves out without him knowing. She doesn't want to start anything with him because she's bound to leave.
Everyone on Jiao Yang's team has learned that Su Cheng Jun has betrayed them putting their project in a pickle. As a result, Jiao Yang resigns. However he hasn't given up on the project and is looking to redeem himself. His entire team is still loyal to him.
[Ep13] Su Cheng Jun breaks up with Lin Wen Jun. He tells her he needs someone who can help him improve and she's not the one. Lin Wei Jun thinks he's cheating on her with Lin Miao, not knowing she's her future self. She runs into Lin Miao and was about to attack her but she trips and is hospitalized. Lin Miao gives her younger self a lecture. I'm surprised how Lin Miao and Lin Wei Jun are supposed to be the same person. Lin Wei Jun is a hot tempered idiot.
Jiao Yang recognizes what she has gone through for her to become the current Lin Miao when she used to be Lin Wei Jun. He gives her candy but she rejects it. He sincerely tells her he wants to bring back the sweetness in her bitter life but she first needs to give him a chance. He offers the candy again and this time she takes it. She only takes one though because to someone like her, one candy's sweetness can last her a long time. So that's a yes to him changing her life? :D However, when he asks her if she's willing to be with him, she can't reply because she doesn't belong to this time. And yet she's wearing the sneakers he gave her. Definitely sounds like a girl who wants to reject him.
[Ep14* ] Zhao Yan provokes Lin Miao to battle it out for Jiao Yan. From her provocation, Lin Miao admits she likes him. Jiao Yan overhears this and smirks. That smirk of his, ha. After work, they're walking home because he's got no car. He casually takes her hand. She wants to call a taxi because it's a waste of time spending an hour to walk home. He questions her if it's a waste of time to spend an hour with him. She smiles. They walk home.
Lin Wei Jun commits suicide. Jiao Yan saves her and takes her to the hospital. Lin Miao and him are waiting outside the hospital room. As Lin Miao stares at Jiao Yan she suddenly remembers that ten years ago it was also him who saved her when she committed suicide. When Jiao Yan is walking back to her, there's a halo surrounding him. She hugs him, grateful that it was him who saved her ten years ago and ten years now. When he learns of this, he asks her for a reward: her body (he uses a Chinese idiom where her "body" means her life, her love, her everything). She shakes her head but smiles. He changes up the condition and offers his body to her instead. Aw.
Lin Wei Jun wakes up and hollers at Lin Miao. She's throwing a child tantrum again. Lin Miao splashes water at her to wake her up. Su Cheng Jun isn't worth an ounce of her love. Lin Miao cries while giving herself this piece of advice. Jiao Yang hugs her immediately. Aw. To prevent Lin Wei Jun from harming herself, Jiao Yang takes her home. I think Lin Miao was almost jealous of herself when Jiao Yang wanted to take Lin Wei Jun home. Lin Wei Jun's one condition is to not live with Lin Miao. Easy. Jiao Yang has another home for Lin Miao. She asks him why he didn't just let her live in this second home of his in the first place. He tells her it's obviously because he wants to live with her. Ha.
[Ep15] Lin Wei Jun and Jiao Yang make a bet whether Lin Miao will call him that night. These two are like siblings arguing. It's so odd how he's interacting with Lin Miao's younger self like she's his sister or something, heh. Lin Miao was initially happy he visited her but his visits were too annoying and too pointless that she called the superintendent of the condo to complain about him, ha. However, as she’s sleeping she’s constantly remembering all the little things he did for her.
The relationship between Lin Miao and Lin Wei Jun are also likeable. After a failed bidding, Jiao Yang is obviously upset. Li Wei Jun calls up Lin Miao to urge her to comfort him. Her younger self is teaching her older self how to love. Thus, Lin Miao gives him an awkward hug and ear blows to Jiao Yang. I don't understand what that blowing has to do with anything but I think she's trying to pet him like he's her cat or something. She hold his face and tells him she’ll always be with him. He’s confused because she’s never this nice to him. He doesn’t have the comforted look so she moves on to level two. The mood becomes serious when he directly asks her what’s next. She freezes and it’s his turn to hold her face. She tells him she believes in him. He’s motivated. He rouses the back of her hair and tells her this is the correct way to pet.
The relationship between Lin Miao and Lin Wei Jun are also likeable. After a failed bidding, Jiao Yang is obviously upset. Li Wei Jun calls up Lin Miao to urge her to comfort him. Her younger self is teaching her older self how to love. Thus, Lin Miao gives him an awkward hug and ear blows to Jiao Yang. I don't understand what that blowing has to do with anything but I think she's trying to pet him like he's her cat or something. She hold his face and tells him she’ll always be with him. He’s confused because she’s never this nice to him. He doesn’t have the comforted look so she moves on to level two. The mood becomes serious when he directly asks her what’s next. She freezes and it’s his turn to hold her face. She tells him she believes in him. He’s motivated. He rouses the back of her hair and tells her this is the correct way to pet.
Lin Miao is upset she lost evidence to help Jiao Yang win. He’s more concerned that Lin Miao is upset than losing the evidence. To cheer her up, Jiao Yang pulls a magic trick and beat-boxes for her but she’s unmoved. The last trick does it though as he finally makes her laugh when he embarrasses himself for her.
[Ep17] The contract is successful. The new building will be using Jiao Yang's proposal. He tells Lin Miao that room 001 will never be for sale because it will always belong to Lin Miao. He also tells her his view on life that he believes everyone begins with an empty room in themselves. He spent twenty-five years filling his room bit by bit and asks her if she's willing to be the female owner of his room. She is. They kiss.
Jiao Yang's father is severely ill. Dad worried for his son's position in the company and decides to arrange a marriage between Jiao Yang and Zhao Yan (because Zhao Deputy has quite a few stocks in his hands). Jiao Yang has other plans. He wants to team up with Cao Deputy instead. Yan Xin is assigned the trusty task of distracting Lin Miao from Jiao Yang's news of engagement with Zhao Yan.
[Ep18] It's inevitable that Lin Miao learns the truth about his engagement. She's more upset that Jiao Yang has resorted to giving up an important contract to avoid the marriage. With that, she angrily disappears from his world. She moves out and quits her job. She's forcing him to accept the marriage so that his father can feel at ease to accept the surgery. So in the end Jiao Yang has to rely on a marriage to secure his CEO position and not by his own skills. Show, you better not do this to me.
[Ep19] Lin Miao has a new job. She's Jiao Yang and Zhao Yan's wedding planner. Zhao Yan knows he doesn't love her but she just loves him too much. I don't hate Zhao Yan; she's pitiful too. It's not like she forced him to marry her. Jiao Yang's father's deteriorating condition is pressuring him to follow through with the marriage. Lin Miao gives him the last push. She lies that she used him from the very beginning; every meeting of theirs was a calculated move of hers. Thus the engagement party preparations happens at light-speed.
[Ep20] It's the day of the engagement party. Jiao Yang has the most bitter expression. Meanwhile Zhao Yan is trying her best to smile her brightest even though there tears in her eyes. She puts the ring on him telling him he'll always be the brightest star in her heart. After the engagement party is over, she disappears. She ran off. Aw. Before leaving, she left video messages for Jiao Yang and Lin Miao wishing them happiness. She also gives Lin Miao a diamond ring. At least Zhao Yan has Yan Xin accompanying her.
Lin Miao returns to Jiao Yang's home. She promises to help him secure his position in the company. They're happy again but the happiness doesn't last long. There's something wrong with her vision.
[Ep21] Jiao Yang plans a surprise for Lin Miao. He takes her to a museum where her mother’s artwork is displayed. It’s a picture of his parents in love.
Jiao Yang: Miss Lin, are you willing to walk with me to the future?
He knows she’s settled on leaving but that doesn’t stop him from confessing all his love for her. She kisses him on his cheek. That’s a yes. He wants a real kiss though. She stops him and tells him she wants to give him a surprise instead because it’s always him planning events for her. The boy just wants a simple deep kiss bus she insists on a surprise.
It’s funny how Jiao Yang and Lin Miao are desperately hiding their relationship when their entire office already knows. Their coworkers are also desperately hiding the fact that they know. Heh. It was cute how his hands are glued to hers, no matter how she flicks him off, it’s still there.
It’s Jiao Yang’s birthday in two days. Lin Miao calls up Lin Wei Jun for present ideas. I guess it’s easier asking yourself for ideas... By the way Lin Wei Jun has found a new job, it's at a law firm. At night, Jiao Yang is waiting at home for Lin Miao in the dark. He has something for her: the lifetime contract. She laughs. She takes the contract and accepts his sincerity but signing it is her decision. The next day is the birthday surprise. Lin Miao has planned a romantic event with the help of her coworkers. Jiao Yang gets the kiss he wants. He also gets the main present from her: the signed life contract. Although her blurry vision is a sign of her leaving this world, she’s promising the rest of her life with him.
Su Cheng Jun gets even more annoying. His late-mother gave him 5% shares to the company and it allows him to stop Jiao Yang from assuming the CEO position.
Jiao Yang secretly makes a deal with Su Cheng Jun. Jiao Yang will do anything he wants (e.g. firing his employees and stopping his late-mother’s hotel construction) to become the CEO so that Lin Miao can be safe.
Jiao Yang’s pieces are falling into place. Zhao Yan’s father admits to his crimes so that he doesn’t hinder Jiao Yang. Zhao Yan had a hand in convincing her father to do the right thing. Jiao Yang also finds proof that Su Cheng Jun’s will is fake, the 5% shareholder stock isn’t available until he’s 40. Lin Wei Jun had a hand in helping him too. Look at Jiao Yang getting all these ladies to help him willingly. Jiao Yang is set to become the CEO on November 1st, the last day of her three-month-mission.
[Ep24] Jiao Yang knows there's no time left so he takes her to a shop that provides aging services. They're both dressed up as an old couple. A foreshadowing of being together? Yes? Later that night he has planned another romantic surprise for her. He's proposing to her. She accepts.
It's November 1st. Their last day together. He's the CEO. He's giving his speech and thanks the most precious person to him: Lin Miao. She walks up to him on the stage where he's waiting for her, but before her hand reaches his, she falls. Jiao Yang piggybacks Lin Miao to the coffee shop they first met. As he's carrying her there he tells her to take care of herself well and buy better shoes. He assure her he'll take care of her grandmother. Lin Miao doesn't want to leave him though. She uses the door handle to help her weakened self stand up but with the touch of the handle she disappears into thin air. Jiao Yang hopes she'll remember him but it doesn't matter because he'll remember her.
Jiao Yang is so lonely. :( He sees the set of suits Lin Miao has laid on the floor for him to wear each day of the week. He finds the video recorder she left him. Inside, there's a video message for him. She tells him she'll remember everything between them from the magic trick to the fireworks to stealing light bulbs. She tells him she loves him, all of him. So is he going to be without her for ten whole years?
Lin Wei Jun calls Lin Miao but she's directed to her voicemail. Lin Wei Jun has quit her job because of the mistake she made. That doesn't mean she's giving up on improving herself. Lin Wei Jun confesses she no longer hates Lin Miao, she actually likes her. As she's leaving her office, Lawyer Gu offers her a ride. Whaaaaaaa.
Other couples: Zhao Yan asks Yan Xin if he can love a spoiled princess like her. Of course he can. Meanwhile the other office workers pair up (minus Ding Ding). That boyfriend is actually Cao Deputy's brother. What.
Ten years have gone by. Lin Miao never showed up. Jiao Yang has remained the same. He kept the same condo, the same furniture, the same red string bracelet. He kept her slippers, and her pillow. He kept a space next to him on the bed for her. He kept her toothbrush and continues to use the electric toothbrush like a regular toothbrush. He kept his wardrobe the same by wearing the clothes Lin Miao had planned for him each day of the week.
Jiao Yang is successful as a CEO. His father (who's alive!) praises him. Yan Xin runs to Jiao Yang telling him that someone wants to buy room 001 claiming it is her home. Jiao Yang is visibly upset because it's his home – that is until Yan Xin smartens him up. There's only one person who would want that room. Jiao Yang realizes who it is. He runs to this person. It's Lin Miao. She has reappeared.
Next scene, we have a book signing event. Lin Miao has published a book: Parallel Love. Jiao Yang joins her at the table. Through the stacked books, we see they're both wearing their wedding band. But where's my marriage scene that I see in the OST? Lin Miao has a voiceover: Even if in real life time cannot turn back, you can still meet your loved one.
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] This is a higher quality fluffy rom-com. I really like this from the story to the dialogues to the music to the characters i.e. I love everything. He's not mean at all. He just doesn't know how to express his inner softness. Meanwhile she's an independent career woman who traveled ten years back with a mission to transform him into a man of CEO calibre. I'm really liking the chemistry between the two main leads. The story is intriguing especially when she meets her old self and is working with her ex-boyfriend. I don't think I've watched a time travel drama where there's two versions of the protagonist in the same space and time. Although this is a noona-romance of eight years but it's technically not a noona-romance either because if they're back in their normal time frame she's younger than him by two years.
I forgot which episode she made a voice-over that said something along the lines of hoping he'll remember her in ten years time. It makes me wonder how the ending will be especially when I see a scene of them looking old in the opening song theme. Nonetheless, at the moment, I'm enjoying this. Loving his puppy love for her. Loving her independence. Loving their interactions and dialogues.
[Actors/Actresses] Shi Shi was in quite a lot of big productions. My most memorable impression of hers was in Story of Ming Lan. Off topic but I like how the sisters from that drama are getting their chances at main character roles after their success from Ming Lan. Zhang Jia Ning has a lead role in "Burning" and I really wanted to watch her in that but I just don't have the time and police-crime dramas aren't my thing. Anyways. Li Hong Yi. What an awful hair. But! I grew to like it. Sort of. Watching the opening song I honestly couldn't tell that was him. I remember watching him in Love Better Than Immortality. Now that I'm watching this it reminds me why I fell in love with that drama. It was all because of him. He's not good looking in my books but the expressions he can make are so fun to watch. Creating chemistry just comes naturally for him. Of course, Shi Shi is doing very well too. [Ending Update] I'm definitely keeping my eyes wide open for Li Hong Yi's next projects. I love Shi Shi too but I think it was Li Hong Yi that sold the chemistry.
[OST] Li Hong Yi sings the opening song! It's called "Countdown To Meet You" (时间倒数遇见你). I always love listening to the entire OST before each episode. There's something so beautifully enchanting about it. Miao ((缪以欣) sings "The Starting Point of Meeting" (相逢的起点). It's the song that plays when sad things happen. Dai Yu Tong (戴羽彤) sings "I Can’t Bear The Moment I Pass By/Miss You" (舍不得那个与你擦肩而过的瞬间). This is the song that pleases my ears whenever something romantic happens. Lastly, I also liked Dino Lee's "Not That Fragile" (没那么脆弱).
[Ending] I tried to hold back my green comments in the last episode recap because I was so stupefied with certain events but I rather talk about them here than interrupt the recap. First shock: Lin Wei Jun and Lawyer Gu are going to have a thing. First of all isn’t Lin Miao and Lin Wei Jun the same person but just at a different age? If Lin Wei Jun is together with Lawyer Gu, what’s going to happen in ten years time when she becomes the current Lin Miao? The alternate theory is then Lin Wei Jun stays Lin Wei Jun. She never changed her name to Lin Miao because she never experienced the same pain Lin Miao. Therefore Lin Wei Jun is Lin Wei Jun and Lin Miao is Lin Miao – but how does that work?? How does Lin Miao exist without Lin Wei Jun? Doesn't Lin Miao's existence vanish then? Then comes the second shocker: Lin Miao saying in reality, time reversals don’t happen. No duh. But show, you can’t just deny your own premise in the ending like that. Show, you goofed.
If I can make sense of this ending that doesn’t make sense is that two parallel universes have intersected, something that can never happen but it did. Because of that miracle, Lin Miao is able to meet Jiao Yang. Lin Wei Jun is also happy with her new love. There’s nothing more and nothing deeper than that. This drama happened because there was a miracle. Period. Ending message: cherish your loved ones in the current time because you will never be able to time travel to find your true love.
[Review] I really like this but there are its flaws. Ultimately, I think a lot of time loop stories are finicky. If I can offer a warning for those who like making sense of time loop dramas is to just accept the fact that Lin Miao and Lin Wei Jun (her ten year older and ten year younger self) are different people, two completely different entities. The ending is a happy one, it just doesn't satisfyingly explain the time travel. The other complaint I have is Su Cheng Jun. His character makes no sense. The only redeeming part of his character is that there is none so I can freely hate him all I want. How can he love one (Lin Miao) and not the other (Lin Wei Jun)? I ask that all the time but I do realize Jiao Yang is the same too. He only loves Lin Miao. The difference is that Jiao Yang is at least nice to the other one. Other than those complaints, I do love the drama for it's two main characters and the OSTs. The OSTs were so pretty to listen to. So dreamy. The music paired with the visuals in the beginning were enchanting which is what made me love this drama initially. Then there's solid chemistry between Shi Shi and Li Hong Yi. I think this guy is just a natural when it comes to creating chemistry with his female partners. Purely for the romance (and the actors), I think this drama was worth watching.
[Verdict] Light romance drama with an interesting time loop element but don't get too caught up with making sense of it. Just enjoy the beautiful chemistry between the leads.
No comments:
Post a Comment