A poor girl and a rich boy meet because of amnesia (but there's more to this!)
Notable Actors/ActressesZhao Lu Si: Gu An Xin
Liu Te: Ling Yue / Xiao Ba
Accidentally Picked Up Love
Network: Youku
Mini Recaps
[Cyn-opsis] Our leads: Ling Yue is a rich executive; Gu An Xin is a poor girl aspiring to be a successful manhua artist. Gu An Xin accidentally crashes into Ling Yue and he turns amnesic but poor girl wasn’t the one who crashed into him first. His car was tampered by his older brother which resulted in her crashing into him. Although he doesn't remember who he is, he knows to demand her for compensation. She's dirt poor and to save on hospitalization fee, she takes him home and that begins the cohabitation between two complete strangers.
[Ep2] The condo turns dark, and Gu An Xin is afraid. Ling Yue distracts her with a story. Once upon a time there was a king who told his three sons to fight for the throne. He watched as the brothers fought. The third brother gave up because he knows he’s not a match. The second brother picked up the sword and strikes at the older brother, injuring him. However, he wavered. At that moment, the eldest prince strikes back. The winner is the eldest prince. Gu An Xin thinks the King is heartless, especially towards the Second Prince. He watched his son die. Ling Yue turns solemn. He tells her that perhaps the birth of this Second Prince was wrong to begin with. Gu An Xin asks why.
Ling Yue’s voice turns quieter: He is adopted.Gu An Xin is dazed.Ling Yue notes that she seems emotional.Gu An Xin cheerfully answers: Mmhm! Because I am an orphan too.
But then she tells him she was kidding.
Gu An Xin returns home and now she finds that her condo is flooding. Ling Yue is paralyzed on the couch. Gu An Xin was yelling at him but realizes he’s afraid of the water, or more specifically of drowning. To calm him, she puts a headphone over him. Is this the moment where he truly falls in love with her?
Ling Yue says he needs help bathing. It’s his leg that’s injured, right? Anyway, she falls into the tub while he’s stark naked in the water.
[Ep3] Ling Yue was pretending to be amnesic the entire time!! He suspects her of being the illegitimate daughter of his father, Ling Tian. It’s a non-secret among the Ling Brothers that Ling Dad is giving 5% of Ling Corp. shares to Gu An Xin. With this 5% share, Ling Yue can take over the company without the rest of his father’s inheritance. From the very beginning, Ling Yue approached Gu An Xin with motive when he realized she was the one who "crashed" into him. Omg, that’s why he paid attention to her mother’s picture when he first arrived in her room. Thus, when he lied about her toothbrush falling into the toilet, it was to steal it to check her DNA!!
The DNA report is out. She’s not related to Ling Tian. Ling Yue is happy about that.
(Poor) Gu An Xin has fallen in love. She’s actually sad to think that her "Xiao Ba" (a name she gave Ling Yue) is leaving her. She searches everywhere for him and ends up finding him at the amusement park. Well actually, he was following her.
[Ep4] Ling Yue is now Gu An Xin’s Prince Charming. He claims he won the lottery and revamps her home. Most importantly, he upgraded her computer for her manhua drawings.
Xu You You, a friend of Gu An Xin, drops by for a visit and finds out about Gu An Xin’s boy pet (= Xiao Ba). You You asks if Xiao Ba can be her fake boyfriend to get her parents off her case. Gu An Xin reluctantly asks Xiao Ba and is further disappointed when he actually accepts. He too is angry she asked this of him
After Ling Yue's A+ performance of You You’s fake boyfriend, Gu An Xin drinks a lot that night. She sleeps on the couch to which You You says it’s not her bed. An inebriated Gu An Xin says the couch belongs to her. Then, with her beer in hand, she points to Ling Yue that he is hers too. Ling Yue smiles, takes the drink, and sips it. There's a saying in Chinese that if you drink after someone's saliva, you listen to them (forever).
[Ep5] Gu An Xin is sexually assaulted by Creepy Manager who likes her. She locks herself in the storage room to hide from him. He knows she’s afraid of the dark and so to force her out, he turns off the light. Gu An Xin hyperventilates. She remembers how her mother died: by jumping off a building. Then Superhero Ling Yue rescues her from Creepy Manager.
After a fall on the couch,, Ling Yue softly kisses Gu An Xin. She isn’t responding but she also isn’t pulling back and so he kisses her again. She kisses him back.
Creepy Manager is back! He was fired from his job (thanks to Ling Yue) and is now seeking revenge on Gu An Xin. Ling Yue calls up his secretary, Ai Li, to help him search for Gu An Xin. Ling Yue is back to superman mode as he pulls out Creepy Manager from the driver seat though an open window. Gu An Xin is saved.
Since knowing of Ai Li's existence, Gu An Xin feels jealous of her. But Ai Li had told her there isn't any romantic between them. Apparently, Ling Yue is her saviour.
[Ep6] Ling Yue has left Gu An Xin’s home to go back to being who he is. He knows she would be in danger with him and so he cuts off all contact with her. Gu An Xin is heartbroken. I think Zhao Lu Si acted this part really well. The happiness when she daydreamed him followed by the grief in her eyes when she knows he’s gone for good.
Dad Gu seems to hate Gu An Xin. Gu An Sheng, older brother of Gu An Xin, doesn’t get why Gu Dad hates her and loves him when he too is not related to him. It has something do with Gu An Xin’s mother, Jin Wan. And I thought Ling family was complicated enough.
[Ep7] Ling Yue is jealous of Gu An Sheng being close to Gu An Xin. He knows they’re siblings but Doctor Buddy (Xiao Yi Shan) rubs it in that they’re not related at all. Gu An Sheng was brought into Gu Family after Auntie Yang Hong married Dad Gu.
Ling Yue is forced to reveal himself in front of Gu An Xin when he finds out Ling Fang, his older brother, is approaching her at Dad Gu’s big birthday party. Now Gu An Xin knows why the Ling brothers are obsessed with her: the 5% share that Dad Ling is giving her. She realizes she was fooled by Ling Yue this whole time.
Gu An Xin leaves the birthday party but a Creepy ex-Friend (Yu Guo) dumps water all over Gu An Xin. The boys (Ling Yue and Gu An Sheng) are worried for her but she tells them to give her some space with Creepy ex-Friend. Something happened between them that’s not too clear yet but Gu An Xin feels guilty for it. Creepy ex-Friend pushes Gu An Xin into the lockers and something from the top falls onto her. Gu An Xin faints. Ling Yue takes her to the hospital. Meanwhile Creepy ex-Friend is back at her home being very creepy. It looks like she’s plotting to harm (or even kill) Gu An Xin.
Gu An Xin is in the hospital and refuses to forgive Ling Yue. Thinking that she’s leaving, he holds her down onto the bed, making her promise she won’t leave. Gu An Xin threatens she’ll bite her tongue and commit suicide. He pinches her cheek to stop her. She calls him stupid for believing that. Before he leaves her, he also steals her heels so she can’t go home.
The entire Ling Family knows of Gu An Xin. Dad Ling tells his son that Gu An Xin isn’t her daughter. Her mother, Jin Wan, is his saviour. If it weren’t for her investment in his company, Dad Ling would not be who he is today.
If Gu An Xin can’t escape through the doors with shoes on, she’ll escape through the windows shoeless. Lol. Gu An Sheng had to go downstairs to help her down because she was dangling around with her makeshift rope.
Gu An Xin receives the thermos via delivery and knows it’s from Ling Yue. Angrily, she pushes it aside. On Ling Yue's side, his friends ask him wouldn't Gu An Xin throw his food away. Ling Yue know hers well that no matter how angry she is, she won’t waste food. Bingo! The scene returns to Gu An Xin who is now happily stuffed.
[Ep8] Gu An Xin is kicked out of her home by the landlord. Gu An Sheng adopts her. Ling Yue was keeping tabs on her and has rented out a condo in another building opposite to Gu An Xin to spy on her. Ling Yue deliberately sends Gu An Sheng away so that he can visit her in the condo. He helps her reach for something at the top and backs her up to the wall, telling her that no matter how she avoids him, he’ll find a way to her. He kisses her and An Xin can’t help but kiss him back. Then a ladle drops on his head. She quickly scurries away.
Ling Yue is caught in a questionable pose that makes Gu An Sheng misunderstand he's sexually assaulting Gu An Xin. He hits him repeatedly and Ling Yue doesn’t even dodge. Gu An Xin yells at her brother to stop. She asks Ling Yue why he’s not dodging. All bruised up, his reply is this: “You ignoring me hurts more than me being hit.” Ah~ a pro.
If it’s not obvious by now, Gu An Sheng loves Gu An Xin. Meanwhile You You, who’s supposed to be the house guest today, falls in love at first sight with Gu An Sheng.
[Ep9] Ling Yue asks Gu An Xin to forgive him. As she’s telling him she can forgive him with a condition, he’s already kissing her forehead and telling her he’ll pay her with his body. Gu An Xin blankly blinks back. Then every time she tries to speak, he kisses her lips. An Xin laughs and gives up. She forgives him. Then Ling Yue asks her to have dinner with his family as his girlfriend. Already?
At Ling family dinner, Gu Xin Er is invited by Ling Sheng (Bro#3) who likes her. Gu Xin Er and Gu An Xin aren’t on good terms. Gu Xin Er is Gu An Sheng’s biological sister (same mom). Gu Xin Er has liked Ling Yue since high school. Thus, during dinner, she tries to outdo Gu An Xin but fails at every attempt. Gu An Xin is pretty upset at Gu An Xin and digs her nail into Ling Yue’s hand under the dinner table. It's followed by a cute glare and soon their hands are stuck to each other like magnets, aw.
Gu An Xin also refuses Dad Ling’s 5% shares. Ling Yue still loves her nonetheless. Not only does he give her a surprise event (that’s unfortunately ruined by Ling Fang), he bought back the condo she rented. He’s now the landlord and she will be his tenant, their contact is indefinite.
[Ep10] Gu An Xin belatedly learns her career and her bestselling spot was all because of Ling Yue’s money. They fight over it and she refuses to speak to him.
Gu An Xin is dubiously invited by Yu Guo to her home. This creepy friend was planning to hurt her had it not been for Ling Yue’s timely appearance. They’re now in this village in a storm with no signal and no gas in the car. The motel they arrive in only has one room. He takes the floor until critters crawl over him. Thus, they share the same bed. He’s apologizing again. He asks her to give him time to learn how to love her the way she would like to be loved. He’s forgiven.
Yu Guo is back in her hut of a home. She receives a message that the money has been deposited in her account and now she’ll need to move to a new place. Hmmmm. Is that Auntie Yang Hong’s voice? The motel owner was also suspicious. It didn’t seem like it was Ling Yue’s doing to have them sleep in one room. But why would Auntie Yang Hong hook them up?
Gu An Xin and Ling Yue are snuggling together on the bed. She smiles up at the sleeping Ling Yue and kisses him on the cheek. She goes back to sleep but he wakes up and kisses her on the lips. With her round eyes, she innocently stares up at him, reminding him he promised to not do anything to her.
Ling Yue: You messed with the fire first.Gu An Xin thought she was pretty stealth and quiet about kissing him.Ling Yue: I’m hugging my entire world, how could I possibly fall asleep?
With his mouth, he unbuttons her shirt. Then his lips are back on hers ~ ~
[Ep11] The morning after is sweet too. Ling Yue slips her clothes under the blanket for Gu An Xin to wear and asks if she needs help dressing. She inches away, refusing the help and they both fall off the bed. With a kiss, he apologizes.
It’s all sweet until they reach the lobby and Gu An Sheng pulls Gu An Xin away from Ling Yue. Ling Yue is super pouty his girlfriend is snatched away by this “brother” who obviously has other intentions.
Gu Xin Er and Ling Yue have a scandal. It's all over the news. Actually, it’s a deliberate move by Gu Xin Er. Then Gu Xin Er misleads Gu An Xin into thinking that Ling Yue bought her the same perfume.
Gu Sheng An takes Gu An Xin by the sea to cheer her up. Ling Yue is desperate to explain to her but he also has a fear of the water. He faints and is now hospitalized. The misunderstandings are cleared. He never dated Gu Xin Er. Gu An Xin believes him. Then she glances at his report and notices he’s been taking metoprolol (blood pressure med). He takes it whenever his heart rate accelerates because of his fear of water which started when his brother pushed him into the pool. Her eyes turn watery. He hugs her, telling her that ever since meeting her, he hasn’t taken a single medication.
[Ep12] Ling Fang makes a big boo-boo at work. He was planning to sabotage Ling Yue bit ut backfired. Ling Yue graciously saves him in front of all the execs. It's a big win but at the same time Ling Yue never thought of bringing down Ling Fang.
Gu An Xin owns her own studio for her manhua! With what money?
[Ep13] Yu Guo delivers a (fake) bloody hand to Gu An Xin and then hides in a corner. What is up with her?
Ling Yue’s company is in trouble (because of Dad Gu). Gu Xin Er has a solution for him: marriage. Her Gu Family will help him overcome his crisis says the daughter of the man who put him in the crisis. Then she accidentally trips and her lips presses into his white shirt. At this moment, Gu An Xin barges in.
[Ep14] Gu An Xin’s anger is directed at Gu Xin Er and not Ling Yue. I like that. Gu An Xin lets Ling Yue sleep on her lap. He truly is exhausted. Gu An Xin feels bad she can’t help him.
You You realizes Gu An Sheng likes Gu An Xin. She’s crying until a call comes in from Zhao Lei who gives her a ticket to a fanmeet to see her favourite idol. After the fanmeet, he has food prepared for her because, knowing her, she'd forget to eat when she's in chasing-star mode. He also can't take his eyes off from her face. She asks if there’s something there. There is, he says. There is cuteness. This pickup line sounds much smoother in Chinese. Also, these two are unexpectedly cute.
Gu Xin Er provokes Gu An Xin. The reason Ling Yue’s business endeavours are failing is because of her (Gu An Xin) and the only person who can help Ling Yue is her (Gu Xin Er).
Ling Fang actually cares about Ling Yue! He asks Dad Ling for help but denies that he cares about his little brother.
Despite that unpleasant conversation with Gu Xin Er, Gu An Xin happily takes Ling Yue out for a date at an amusement park. It's to de-stress him. The only problem is that he’s afraid of heights. She eases Mr. Ling’s fears by telling him to focus only on her eyes. She wonders out loud, “What will happen to you if I’m not at your side?” Oh wait. She’s planning to leave him.
[Ep15] Ling Yue comes out on top. He doesn’t need the marriage alliance with Gu Xin Er. His inspiration came from Gu An Xin’s thriftiness. Dad Ling also lent a bit of support. After his company overcomes the crisis, Ling Yue immediately celebrates with Gu An Xin but he can’t find her anywhere.
Gu An Xin had left.
The day before Gu An Xin left, Gu An Sheng had confessed to Gu An Xin. She’s in shock. She rejects him as politely as she can and then runs off to find Ling Yue who was (temporarily) hospitalized from overwork. She doesn't reveal herself but Ling Yue had actually sensed her!
Now that Gu An Xin disappeared, Ling Yue actually falls sick.
Gu An Xin is back at her old home. This is where she lived with her mother. Memories of her mother's suicide rush back. Her mother had sat by the window and told her that she’d pick the moon for her. Then the lights turned off and her mother had committed suicide. Gu An Xin huddles in a corner and weeps as she remembers her mother. Gu An Xin left Ling Yue to protect him but in leaving Ling Yue she's living in her own nightmare.
[Ep16] Ling Sheng asserts he doesn't want to be treated like a little brother by Gu Xin Er. As she opens the door to the passenger seat, he slams it shut, closes in, and tells her: "I will protect you with all I've got." Gu Xin Er blushes, claiming it's hot outside. Let's have this couple happen quicker because I do want to like Gu Xin Er. I don't think she's that bad, just a tad too obsessed....
More of Gu An Xin's memories. She was kidnapped near the time her mother died. When she woke up she was tied up and there was a boy next to her. They were kidnapped. Being quite smart as a kid, she takes the boy and they flee. This boy is "Yuan Yuan" and she introduces herself as "Xiao Mao Dou" (Little Bean). It's her "little name". Yuan Yuan asks if there's a way he could repay her. Our little Gu An Xin scrunches up her face to make these weird expressions that I don't really understand and then kisses him on the cheek, "Since I took advantage of you, let's call it even."
The current Gu An Xin faints from the memories she had just recovered.
The next moment when she wakes up, Ling Yue is there. He is Yuan Yuan! He knew she was Xiao Mao Dou the moment he saw her picture with her mother. The first ep! Omg, so THIS is why he paid attention to her mother's picture in the first episode. Show, I am liking you a lot. Now this is how you make a childhood connection interesting. Gu An Xin happily reunites with her Yuan Yuan until she realizes he had actually thought she approached him with ulterior motives otherwise there was no reason for him to hide his past. Ling Yue hangs his head low, a silent admission, haha. But she's still over the moon that he's her Yuan Yuan. She'll forgive him.
Gu An Xin remembers other bits of her life: her real father. In her home, Ling Yue finds the picture of her dad. Her father is Dad Gu! So why does Dad Gu think she's not his daughter? Gu An Xin confronts her father that it was his actions of stealing her from her mother that pushed her mother to commit suicide. It was because of him (not trusting her mother) that she died.
Gu An Xin tries to find out more about the DNA report that confirmed she wasn't Dad Gu's daughter. She takes a cab to the hospital but currently, it's a flat piece of land. The cab driver was going to scam her for money but then Ling Yue shows up. He'll sue the cab driver for knowingly driving a customer to a place that doesn't exist anymore. The man quietly drives away.
Ling Yue also gives Gu An Xin a working phone. In it, there's an app that lets him know where she is and she can know where he is too. I appreciate that this is done openly with consent. He also asks her to live with him, at least for a few days, so that her heart settles down.
Ai Li and Xiao Yi Shan. These two bond over a cat. I like them. He's cute and she's cool.
Zhao Lei and You You. You You pretends to be too weak to open a can of drink that I refuse to name (too much PP!). The more pressing matter, though, is that Zhao Lei has colour blindness (that he's hiding from everyone).
[Ep17] Gu An Xin and Ling Yue go furniture shopping. She's decorating his place to feel more home-y and for her work purposes. As she's looking for a bed, she uses her long arms to measure his height. It's pointless, he tells her. He is equal to two of her. Geeeez.
Ai Li teaches boxing. Xiao Yi Shan signs up for her classes. He sucks at it but when he sees another student sexually harassing her, our cowardly doctor challenges that man to a boxing match after merely two lessons. Xiao Yi Shan never had a chance but he perseveres. Ai Li is moved by his tenacity. Then at the parking lot, Ai Li meets the man and kicks him down with her swift footwork. Is it revenge for herself or for Xiao Yi Shan? (: The man whines that she’s a coach. She corrects him: it’s off-work hours.
Zhao Lei organizes a collaboration with Ling Yue’s company. Gu An Xin didn’t want to but he reminds her of the money. Gu An Xin thinks out loud: “Money = Bubble tea money.” Taking a deep breath, she enters the company. Lol, I guess that’s a motivating way of counting money: by # of bubble teas. At the lobby, Ling Yue opens his arms for a hug from Gu An Xin but she, from at least two metres away, approaches with her hand stuck out for a handshake. Gu An Xin wants to keep their relationship a secret because she doesn’t want special privileges again.
As our couple walk down the corridor, Ling Yue is dying to touch her or at least hold her hand. She smacks his hand away and reminds him of self control. After the meeting, he summons Gu An Xin to his room. Right after she closes the door, his body is already up close to hers. He no longer can control himself. Gu An Xin laughs and permits him to lose control with just the two of them and then his lips conquers hers.
Gu An Sheng visits Gu An Xin’s new house (which is technically Ling Yue’s). Afterwards, Ling Yue asks her about it. Gu An Xin isn’t forthright with the truth. I thought there was going to be a misunderstanding but Ling Yue tells her he saw Gu An Sheng and that he would prefer she tell him if she was going to see her brother, actually, it’s better she doesn’t see him at all. I like this misunderstanding is over just like that!
Since Ling Yue honestly asked that of her, she has a few questions for him too: Who’s calling him at night? He laughs. It’s Xiao Yi Shan asking him for relationship advice. Ohh. Gu An Xin calls Xiao Yi Shan crazy to rely on Ling Yue. Ling Yue agrees, “Those in love aren’t normal". Gu An Xin retorts “Are you insulting me or you.” Without hesitation, he points at her, ha. Alright, last question: Why is the home password 0411? It’s the day they first met when they were children. Aw.
Gu An Sheng visits Gu An Xin’s new house (which is technically Ling Yue’s). Afterwards, Ling Yue asks her about it. Gu An Xin isn’t forthright with the truth. I thought there was going to be a misunderstanding but Ling Yue tells her he saw Gu An Sheng and that he would prefer she tell him if she was going to see her brother, actually, it’s better she doesn’t see him at all. I like this misunderstanding is over just like that!
Since Ling Yue honestly asked that of her, she has a few questions for him too: Who’s calling him at night? He laughs. It’s Xiao Yi Shan asking him for relationship advice. Ohh. Gu An Xin calls Xiao Yi Shan crazy to rely on Ling Yue. Ling Yue agrees, “Those in love aren’t normal". Gu An Xin retorts “Are you insulting me or you.” Without hesitation, he points at her, ha. Alright, last question: Why is the home password 0411? It’s the day they first met when they were children. Aw.
[Ep18] Gu An Xin’s presentation fails to impress Ling Yue’s company. After the meeting, Ling Yue asks her to stay behind (to comfort her). No one at his company knows they’re dating so when his employees return to the meeting room, Gu An Xin flings herself to the wall as if Ling Yue had pushed her, haha. Poor dude was just holding his girlfriend’s hand.
Gu An Sheng is set on working with Dad Gu to take down Ling Yue. Huh??
Gu An Xin designs an Armadillo mascot for Ling Yue’s company. Zhao Lu Si looks very cute next to the armadillo (= Ling Yue). Her armadillo is called “Wo-chi” which really should be pronounced as “Watch” but Wo-chi is cuter. It means to watch attentively and to guard. The slogan is “Watching with you”. Her inspiration came from this person who always "wo-chi" her and protected her. From being watched, she felt warmth. Unless the person doing the watching is a creep.......
Gu An Xin’s “Wo-chi" unanimously passes the board. Ling Yue was waiting for this moment. He proudly takes her hand to walk across the company, showing off his girlfriend to everyone. Gu An Xin shyly but surely walks with him. She wanted this too, lol.
You You and Zhao Lei. They glue their thumbs together. Do you guys see the heart shape they were making with their hands? You You feels fuzzy at the touch of their hands. Then when their eyes lock, she’s flustered and jumps away. Ouch. Their thumbs.
The next day, Zhao Lei confesses his love to You You by decorating the room with all her favourite idol stuff. She can’t stop smiling and accepts his confession.
Gu Xin Er and Ling Sheng. He’s still doing his considerate thing. Gu Xin Er, please notice this sweet guy. From 2010 he has collected this wine (Evermore) hoping that one day (one year), the person he loves agrees to marry him, Kiddo, how old were you in 2010? 2010 was the year he met Gu Xin Er and today is the anniversary. Gu Xin Er can’t promise him anything. Ling Sheng knows. He’s not looking for a yes but at the very least he wants her to be happy like before because right now she’s still heartbroken over Ling Yue. The next morning, she wakes up from a hotel bed. She slept with Ling Sheng! He wants to take responsibility, but she doesn’t need it.
[Ep19] Gu An Sheng thinks that by ruining Ling Yue's business, he'll get a chance with Gu An Xin. Well, Gu An Sheng indirectly gets his way. Gu An Xin and Ling Yue argue over this. She's upset he didn't tell her anything. He misunderstands that she's defending Gu An Sheng.
Auntie Yang Hong’s scheming comes to light. Gu An Xin discovers Auntie bribed Doctor Jiang to forge a DNA report to make Gu An Xin unrelated to Dad Gu. As for Yu Guo, Gu An Xin had thought Yu Guo's hand disability was her fault but it was actually Auntie who forged another medical report. Yu Guo's real diagnosis was disability due to severe allergy which means her disability had nothing to do with Gu An Xin. Oh, Auntie, you so bad. Gu An Sheng has her genes.
[Ep20] Gu Xin Er thinks that by locking up Ling Yue, she'll get a chance with him. Well, that's not happening. Gu An Xin finds Ling Yue through the tracking app they have. From this incident, our couple actually made up. Thank you, Gu Xin Er. There's also a clarification on the cheek kiss back in high school. Ling Fang had pushed Ling Yue into Gu Xin Er. The kiss was an accident.
Oh, and some man is tailing Ling Yue and Gu An Xin. Hm.
Ling Sheng finds Gu Xin Er all alone in the auditorium. He admits the truth: they never slept together at the hotel. He just wanted her to move on from a man who doesn't love her. She thanks him. She also promises him that this time she'll let go.
Daddy Ling has a stroke! He's in surgery. Ling Yue is to oversee the company in dad's stead. Hey, Ling Fang seems to be in agreement.
Ling Yue wants to cooperate with Gu An Sheng's company. The latter smirks. Why is Ling Yue so confident Gu An Sheng will cooperate? Ling Yue trusts in Gu An Xin: if she vouches for her brother, then Ling Yue will believe Gu An Sheng too. Collaborating is also in their best interest. The men shake hands. It seems as though Gu An Sheng wasn't out to get Ling Yue. There was someone messing in the middle. Cough, Auntie Yang Hong.
Ling Sheng and Gu Xin Er. Ling Sheng plans a confession event for Gu Xin Er. Bruh, your father's in a stroke. As she steps out onto the balcony, balloons rise up to meet her. She takes the little bag the balloons were carrying and then releases the balloons. Noooo, those balloons don't belong in the air!! In the bag, she finds old plane tickets. It's all proof that he's been wherever she's been. As she was watching Ling Yue, Ling Sheng was Wochi-ing her too. Totally not creepy. He wants her to know she is worthy of love. Gu Xin Er nods her head and finally reciprocates his love of ten years.
Xiao Yi Shan and Ai Li. Xiao Yi Shan is depressed about Doctor Jiang forging medical documents. He was his role model. He's drunk and hugs Ai Li. She's quite flustered. He'll only let go if she promises she'll be together with him. Ai Li softens up and hugs him back. She promises. Unfortunately, when he sobers up, he forgets everything.
[Ep21] Xiao Yi Shan and Ai Li. Xiao Yi Shan cutely bundles himself with a kitty-cat to cook for Ai Li at her place. She blocks him at the door because she's embarrassed about her messy home but he barges in anyway. During dinner, on the topic of family and friends and how she's without any, he offers a perfect solution: he can take care of her. She's not ready to give him a yes. He stops her before she finishes her sentence. He says he will wait for her.
Ai Li tells Gu An Xin her story with Ling Yue. She was a boxer but also a slave to her boss. It was Ling Yue who bought out her contract and offered her the new job. He saved her from a cruel boss (so that she can work for another boss..?).
After Gu An Xin hears Ai Li’s story, she gives the right advice to Xiao Yi Shan. He needs to be assertive with Ai Li and tell her she’s worthy of love. With that advice, Xiao Yi Shan confesses his love to Ai Li.
Xiao Yi Shan: Are you willing to give me your weakness ... and let me protect you? Aw.
Ai Li accepts the bouquet. It’s a yes! But actually she had said yes already: the night he was drunk.
Ai Li: I don’t need you to protect me because I am capable of protecting myself. But I am willing to try (dating) with you.
Gu Xin Er asks Ling Sheng if he’s someone simple or complicated. She asked that because she realized he had hired someone to follow her otherwise he wouldn’t have known she was at the auditorium. He panics as he explains he was only worried about her. Oh that dude who I thought was following Gu An Xin and Ling Yue...was actually following Gu Xin Er?? Hm. I don’t know. Ling Sheng, you better not be suspicious. He has another present for her. It’s a billboard message with cute cartoons about love. He’s asking her to be his official girlfriend. Are they not together yet? She nods. They kiss.
Dad Gu is being weird. He can’t recognize Gu Xin Er and calls her Gu An Xin. Early Alzheimer's Disease? What’s wrong with the dads in these episodes?
Yu Guo invites Gu An Xin to another secluded place. From a flashback, we know that Yu Guo is controlled by Auntie Yang Hong, brainwashed to believe her disability is due to Gu An Xin.
Once Gu An Xin arrives at the promised location, she's caught.
Elsewhere, Gu An Sheng overhears his mother’s suspicious phone call about kidnapping Gu An Xin.
Then Ling Yue receives a message and he's alerted of Gu An Xin's kidnap. Gu An Xin is a hostage to threaten Ling Yue to sign a share transfer agreement. He signs it, hands the man (Ah Lun) the contract, but then attacks Ah Lun the moment he’s distracted. Ling Yue frees Gu An Xin but Yu Guo sneaks up on him and hits him. Now he’s tied up too. Ah Lun leaves with the signed agreement. The lives of Gu An Xin (and Ling Yue) will be at the mercy of Yu Guo. Supposedly. However, she’s locked inside the warehouse too and carbon monoxide is filling the concealed room. Auntie Yang Hong wanted Yu Guo to die with them. So cruel. Yu Guo is still delusional and decides to kill Gu An Xin before the carbon monoxide takes them all out. And then Ling Fang saves the day! Oh, he’s looking good too!
[Ep22] Ling Fang is here because he had followed Ah Lun (a known hitman; the guy who kidnapped Gu An Xin) after overhearing "Ling Yue" in his phone call.
Ling Yue thanks his ge. It’s not often that Ling Fang gets to hear “ge” from Ling Yue. Ling Fang professes that bullying his brother is his special privilege exclusive to him. No one else can hurt his brother. Gu An Xin chirps that he should stop plotting to kill his little brother then. Ling Fang denies it was him. Although he had hired men to tamper with Ling Yue’s car. his men were far too idiotic to do anything. Then who could it be..... It’s Ling Sheng!! Omg. The man at the school auditorium was actually following Ling Yue!
Gu An Sheng arrives on scene. Boy, you’re so late. This is why you missed out on Gu An Xin. Then Yu Guo wakes up. Gu An Sheng confirms for everyone that Auntie Yang Hong is the mastermind. Ling Fang connects the rest of the plot for us: Ling Sheng and Auntie are a team; Ling Sheng gets Ling Yue's shares and Auntie gets rid of Gu An Xin. Also, Gu Xin Er and Ling Sheng’s marriage is in preparation already Ohhh, that’s why Auntie liked Ling Sheng so much from the beginning. And it makes sense for that motel guy in Ep10 to hook up Ling Yue and Gu An Xin because Ling Sheng wants Gu Xin Er to move on. Wow. It never occurred to me how creepy Ling Sheng was whenever he found Gu Xin Er. He always had the perfect reason D: Now he’s the perfect example of a creepy Wo-chi.
The problem is that there’s no proof. Ling Yue wants the other boys (Ling Fang and Gu An Sheng) to tell everyone they are dead. That will buy them time to search for evidence.
Gu An Xin brings Ling Yue to her friend “Wu Ge”. She helps them capture Ah Lun but he's rather loyal and won’t spill anything.
Gu An Xin is bored. Yes. I'd feel bored too when there's no longer a hitman after me. Where is the thrill? Ling Yue humours her and borrows Wu Ge’s supermarket. They shop around in the dark. Is Gu An Xin not afraid of the dark anymore? Then they have an impromptu hotpot at the supermarket where there’s unlimited free food and drinks.
[Ep23] Ling Sheng sends his father's blood pressure skyrocketing with the news of Ling Yue's death. I gotta admit Ling Sheng is looking rather cool at being evil.
Here is Ling Yue’s counter plan: dislodge the trust between Ling Sheng and Auntie. He invites the help of our trusty You You and Zhao Lei to investigate Ling Sheng and Auntie. Meanwhile Xiao Yi Shan and Ai Li are to guard Daddy Ling at the hospital
Gu Xin Er is in happy mode. She’s planning for her wedding. Gu An Sheng buys Gu Xin Er’s favourite dessert. He has a question for her: is it better to live with the truth or to live in happiness. Gu Xin Er answers with a sweet smile that living in happiness is more important. Then during the wedding dress fitting, Gu Xin Er stuns in her white piece. It’s a dream come true for Ling Sheng. She hugs him, assuring him that this is all real.
Back to the plan to take down Ling Sheng: Gu An Sheng ensures the coast is clear for Ling Yue and Gu An Xin to sneak into Gu Home. They’re looking for the illegal share transfer agreement from Auntie’s safe. However, Gu Xin Er suddenly returns home. She sees them but when Auntie opens the door, Gu Xin Er hides them from Auntie. Could it be possible that Gu Xin Er knows about Ling Sheng and Auntie? Did Ling Sheng divulge all his crimes when he talked in his dream earlier in the episode?
It’s the engagement party. Gu Xin Er tells Gu An Sheng she saw Ling Yue and Gu An Xin. She told them to leave through the back door right when mom was entering. She’s relieved they didn’t die. She believes they’ll wish her happiness on her engagement. She also believes her brother, Gu An Sheng, will always be by her side. Gu Xin Er is still looking so blissful. O-kay...so she doesn't know.
Then at the pinnacle moment of Gu Xin Er's engagement, there’s a broadcast of the damning conversation between Ling Sheng and Auntie – the two people closest to her – conveniently talking about all their crimes of kidnapping, murdering, etc. Gu Xin Er is devastated. Gu An Sheng takes her away but the broadcast doesn’t end there. The last piece of audio reveals it was the medication that Auntie Gu gave Gu Xin Er that led to Yu Guo’s disability. After all these years, Gu Xin Er realizes she was the culprit. She only thought of putting sedatives in Gu An Xin’s drink. She didn’t know Yu Huo drank the water, let alone that Yu Guo was allergic to the medication.
For the grande finale of the engagement party, Ling Yue returns from the dead.
[Ep24] Ling Yue has no shares to contest with Ling Sheng. Ling Fang wheels in Daddy Ling and Dad will give his shares to Ling Yue. It might be futile because it is still less than Ling Sheng’s but Ling Yue is an admirable character and deserves the recognition. Ling Fang who’s suddenly my favourite brother will give his 10% shares to Ling Yue too. Ling Sheng is hysterical. How can Ling Fang help an adopted brother over his very own biological brother? Hm. Did we ever go over why Daddy Ling adopted Ling Yue? Now Ling Yue and Ling Sheng are at a tie. Ling Sheng remains smug because he has the support from the rest of the shareholders. Hold up. Gu An Xin walks in too. She’s got 5%! Omg, Drama, well planned. Then Daddy Ling makes a motivational speech to sway the rest of the shareholders and now everyone is motioning for Ling Yue to be the CEO over Ling Sheng.
Ling Sheng is set for jail time.
Dad Gu is hospitalized. He has a brain tumour. Gu An Xin cries. She hasn’t even had a chance to tell him she’s his daughter and now his memories are all gone. Gu An Sheng will stay in the country to take care of his parents and the company. At the mention of Auntie, Gu An Xin admits she can't forgive Auntie right now.
Yu Guo gets a closure too – the truth and a moment to confront Auntie. But what happens to Auntie?
Gu Xin Er calls Gu An Xin “jie” (sister). She apologizes and will repent for the wrongs she committed towards Gu An Xin and Yu Guo. Gu An Xin forgives her sister so long as Gu Xin Er continues to call her “jie”. Gu Xin Er beams: “Jie.”
Daddy Ling regrets raising his sons in "feral" ways. But hey, Ling Yue and Ling Fang turn out to be darlings. Ling Yue hands Ling Corp to Ling Fang. Ling Yue wants to expand his own business. The brothers, with their long legs, suavely switch seats. Now that Ling Fang is behind the desk, he can't hide his excitement. Aw.
Gu Xin Er visits Ling Sheng in jail. She wonders how different their life would be if she had chosen him from the beginning. He gave her the happiest days of her life. Ling Sheng hangs his head low; he doesn't think he deserves to give her happiness anymore. Gu Xin Er disagrees. She shows him the ring on her wedding finger. She will wait for him. The time he spent in his unrequited love for her, Gu Xin Er will use her entire life to repay him. Gu Xin Er warns him: "Don't make me wait too long." Ling Sheng cries.
Ling Yue is missing! Gu An Xin searches high and low for him but it's actually a romantic event for her. First she meets a clown who tells her to pick a lottery. They start singing and it's funny how Zhao Lu Si joins in to sing xD. She gets a prize worth 888 RMB. What a coincidence, she used to call Ling Yue as Xiao Ba (Little 8). Then she gets a "delivery". It's her motorbike, the one she "crashed" into him with. Following the arrows, she arrives at the amusement park where she randomly wandered to in Ep3 to find Ling Yue. Finally she sees him. Gu An Xin isn't exactly happy. This whole time she was worried about him but he has this lovely speech that erases all her anxiety.
Ling Yue proposes to Gu An Xin. Omg is there really a difference to him kneeling and her standing? xD Of course she accepts. Our engaged couple kiss and then all their friends run out to congratulate them. I almost couldn't recognize Ling Fang without a suit on.
Lastly, we get a scene of Gu An Xin and Ling Yue with their kids! Wrong. Gu An Xin and Ling Yue are reading her book "一不小心撿到愛". The Chinese title of the drama. They don't yet have kids. Ling Yue mulls on how unoriginal the children’s names are. It's 小吉 (small Ji) and 小利 (small Li). Gu An Xin contradicts. When they grow up, they will be: "大吉大利" (big Ji big Li). LOL. That’s hilarious. If you don't know 大吉大利 means great luck and great prosperity. Ling Yue can't help but laugh. He's starting to worry about their future children.
The end!
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] I had paused this at Ep1 to watch something else because the plot was an amnesic rich dude falling in love with a poor plucky girl. Then I casually let this play until Ep3 and, oh my, I am delighted! Everything after Ep3 makes so much more sense. This drama isn’t a simple romcom, it’s got a complicated, in-depth story! I thought Ling Family was convoluted enough but Gu Family is even more complex. The fortunate thing about this drama is that it’s not melodramatic (given the nature of the story). It still has that simple romcom feel to it.
My request for Show: please don't give me another amnesia.
[Actors/Actresses] I do get tired that Zhao Lu Si is a typecast for these roles but it’s undeniable she’s good at them. If I was a producer who has a script for an idiotic plucky FL and I need an actress who can sell dumb as cute, I’d choose Zhao Lu Si too. She’s also got a knack for chemistry.
Edit: For the record, Zhao Lu Si's character here isn't that dumb – maybe just in the beginning when she randomly lets him live in her home.
[Behind the Scenes]
[Behind the Scenes]
[Ending] Happy! Main couple is engaged. All the other couples are together or will be together.
Some missing closures: What is Auntie's punishment? How come Dad Gu has brain tumour all of a sudden? Will he remember Gu An Xin and know she's his daughter?
[Review] I highly suspect this drama practices sorcery. Otherwise how does it turn bad cliches into good plot twists? The concoction of clichés used in this drama are at least a decade old – amnesia, business conspiracy, family birth secrets plus kidnapping, yikes – and yet I enjoyed it precisely for its clichés, or more precisely for its clever inclusion of the clichés. There's exactly three bad-cliché-turned-good-plot-twists that had me applauding the drama not only for the surprise but also the thoughtfulness in the drama for laying the hints early on. For the last episode, I also liked how it brought back details I thought were no longer significant e.g. Gu An Xin's shares, Xiao 8, the amusement park, etc.
Final Review
[Review] I highly suspect this drama practices sorcery. Otherwise how does it turn bad cliches into good plot twists? The concoction of clichés used in this drama are at least a decade old – amnesia, business conspiracy, family birth secrets plus kidnapping, yikes – and yet I enjoyed it precisely for its clichés, or more precisely for its clever inclusion of the clichés. There's exactly three bad-cliché-turned-good-plot-twists that had me applauding the drama not only for the surprise but also the thoughtfulness in the drama for laying the hints early on. For the last episode, I also liked how it brought back details I thought were no longer significant e.g. Gu An Xin's shares, Xiao 8, the amusement park, etc.
If I turned you off from the drama by listing those tropes, come back! It's actually a fluffy drama 70% of the time just that there are these classical tropes you'll have to tolerate but the fact that the drama takes the melodrama more seriously than most fluff dramas, the secondary cast gets to shine, especially the brothers from both the Gu and Ling family. Gu An Sheng, Ling Fang, and Ling Sheng all stand out in this short 24-episode drama. I’d love to talk more about the brothers but I’d be spoiling every major thing. Then there are the secondary couples whom I find all very cute.
Most Zhao Lu Si fans may not like this drama the best but I highly appreciate that her character wasn't forced to something stupid to elongate the plot (cough, her 2020 dramas). Chemistry-wise, this one falls short from her previous dramas (but the competition is tough! There’s The Long Ballad, Dating in the Kitchen, The Romance Between Tiger and Rose, Love Better than Immortality, etc.). It’s still very cute between Gu An Xin and Ling Yue. He will wo-chi her and she will wo-chi him – the healthy and not creepy type of wo-chi. For those who haven't watched the drama, I will translate: Ling Yue grows from selfishly pampering Gu An Xin to loving her the way she wants to be loved (;
Most Zhao Lu Si fans may not like this drama the best but I highly appreciate that her character wasn't forced to something stupid to elongate the plot (cough, her 2020 dramas). Chemistry-wise, this one falls short from her previous dramas (but the competition is tough! There’s The Long Ballad, Dating in the Kitchen, The Romance Between Tiger and Rose, Love Better than Immortality, etc.). It’s still very cute between Gu An Xin and Ling Yue. He will wo-chi her and she will wo-chi him – the healthy and not creepy type of wo-chi. For those who haven't watched the drama, I will translate: Ling Yue grows from selfishly pampering Gu An Xin to loving her the way she wants to be loved (;
Overall, I had a fun time letting the drama take me through it's business conspiracy topped with cute romances and excellent performances from the supporting cast. Despite there being plot holes, I highly enjoyed the plot twists.
Random Recommendation: Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru (JDrama)
No comments:
Post a Comment