A tug of war between the sister-in-laws.
Notable Actors/Actresses
[Ep1] Feng Xiao Qin (38yo) is married to Gu Lei. They have a son together. Gu Lei is a slacker, and doesn’t mind being that way. Feng Xiao Qin forces him to improve himself. She, herself, is a certified baby-sitter for her son, her husband, her father-in-law (Father Gu; Gu Shi Hong), and her grandmother-in-law. She’s doing everything for everyone. She even puts the toothpaste on the toothbrush for her husband!! Lately, Feng Xiao Qin nags in Gu Lei's ear nonstop. She wants him to borrow money to buy their first home together. (Currently, they live in Father Gu’s home.)
Gu Qing Yu reunites with her first love (Shi Yuan), who’s here to interview as her fake husband! I confess. This is the reason this drama intrigued me. Bring me those contract marriages! Gu Qing Yu asks Shi Yuan questions. Her voice is calm and controlled while he clenches his fist as he answers each one. How long has he been in this profession? He says not long, but the agent replies he’s very experienced. Shi Yuan breaks into a cold sweat. How long has he been back in Shanghai? He avoids answering her. Has he been married before? He says no.
Gu Lei has a very bad cough but their family doctor is very busy. Feng Xiao Qin suggests they ask Zhan Xiang for help, since he has connections. Feng Xiao Qin is more concerned about creating opportunities for Zhan Xiang to pursue Gu Qing Yu than her own husband’s cough.
Gu Qing Yu is fed up and calls for a family meeting, and by family it’s Gu Qing Yu, Gu Lei, and Father Gu. Feng Xiao Qin is an outsider. Gu Qing Yu wants his brother to smarten up. When they’re older, there will be no one (sister and father) to protect him (for his wife). Gu Lei thinks his sister is telling him to divorce. Father Gu sighs. He translates for his idiot son to improve himself, which is followed up by Gu Qing Yu stressing for him to defend from Feng Xiao Qin. His wife already dragged her sister into the family. Next it will be her brother.
[Ep7] Zhan Xiang helps both ladies (Gu Qing Yu and Feng Xiao Qin) with their problems. He’s such a caring guy, and a smart one too. I’m curious how he moves on from Gu Qing Yu to Feng Xiao Qin... at least based on the posters it sort of looks like that... :/
[Ep8] Feng Xiao Qin works part-time making deliveries while keeping up her full-time housewife job. On the road, she gets into an accident and falls off her motorbike. She can still stand, but she’s dazed from the impact. When she’s home, Grandma Gu’s words are like daggers to Feng Xiao Qin’s weary heart. She doesn’t even tell the family she crashed today. Meanwhile, Grandma Gu thinks Feng Xiao Qin has a man outside and would say it right in front of Gu Yin (the son, nickname = Xiao Lao Hu).
At the airport, Gu Qing Yu meets Shi Yuan, but he’s at work, being yelled at by a tourist. Great. His ego. She offers to drop him off and it’s even more awkward in the car when Shi Yuan gets a phone complaint. He gets out of the car. Not a single word was exchanged. When Shi Yuan finally returns home, Gu Qing Yu is right there! She tries to talk to him, but he’s quiet. It seems like he really doesn’t want to talk. Will that be it? Nope. He will talk to her about anything she wants. He’s very straightforward in an awkward but cute way. Gu Qing Yu smiles and brings up that he owes her an apology. He swiftly apologizes with sincerity for deleting her on WeChat. But is that all that he’s wrong? Guiltily, Shi Yuan changes the topic to her family. Well, uh, her brother died. He doesn’t know how to comfort her, but tells her to cry if she wants to. As he walks away to give her space, he pats her shoulder. A flashback tells us he did the same for her when her mother passed away.
The next night Shi Yuan and Gu Qing Yu have a proper dinner date. He’s so polite. He’s also struggling with the menu price and the fact that she picked him up with her car. She does pretty well in making it okay when it’s not okay for him. After dinner, she sweetly asks, “When will we meet next time?”
When Gu Qing Yu is home, Zhan Xiang is at the parking lot, drunk. He congratulates her for finding her love after 20 years. Ah he’s holding back his tears.
It turns out Zhan Xiang bought the condo near Gu Qing Yu's home (years ago) because she lived there. I’m not sure if it was love at first sight or he has seen her somewhere before.
Feng Xiao Qin helps Boss Shi rent out a public space. It’s thanks to her efforts that Boss Shi succeeded.
[Ep12] Feng Xiao Qin scolds her son for his bad marks. Xiao Lao Hu cries. Feng Xiao Qin’s tone softens. Gu Lei died. There’s only two of them now. Mom just wants him to study well, get into a good university, and find a good job. Don’t let other people look down on them. Xiao Lao Hu, in between his sniffles, promises he’ll buy mom a big house.
[Ep14] Gu Qing Yu finally meets Shi Yuan’s parents, but Mom Shi had also invited his wawaqing girl. Mom wanted to show Gu Qing Yu the girl who Shi Yuan was supposed to marry. Shi Yuan sets the facts straight to everyone in the room: Gu Qing Yu isn’t his girlfriend, but his wife. He tells his mother it’s him who’s not worthy of her. Although he spoke up for her, Gu Qing Yu is still upset that his parents are looking down on her for her background of all things.
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[First Impression (Ep1-6)] The general storyline is three couples, each buying a new house: a married couple of eight years buying their first home, a newly wed buying their marriage home, and a contract couple buying a house for the sake of buying a house.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Zhang Song Wen: Zhan Xiang
Director:
Chinese Title
心居
心居
Heart House
Network: iQIYI
Recap Grade: B/C
First Impression: 3/5
First Impression: 3/5
[Dropped (Ep17)]
Mini Recaps
It’s Gu Qing Yu’s 36th birthday. She’s Gu Lei’s older sister, Feng Xiao Qin’s sister-in-law. She’s rich, successful, and a freshly minted single. It’s not that she can’t marry, she hasn’t found the one she loves. She’s always been chasing her first love when she was 14yo. This is the reason for her obsession with white dress shirts. Her first love always wore them.
Gu Qing Yu rejects Gu Lei’s request to borrow money. She’s tight on money because she wants to buy a condo too. Feng Xiao Qin asks if she’s buying a second one, or replacing her home. Gu Qing Yu casually says it’ll be a second house. But it’s illegal in Shanghai to buy more than one when she’s not married. Uh oh. Gu Qing Yu is in a dicey situation. She lied about buying a home in order to not lend money. Now she’s gotta buy a home, which means she’ll have to find someone to marry. Where to find a contract husband!
[Ep2] Feng Xiao Qin kicks Gu Lei out to sleep in the living room, but she makes sure to wish him a happy birthday right at 12 even if he’s sound asleep. Later on, Feng Xiao Qin’s anger escalates when she learns that Gu Qing Yu would rather sign up for a contract marriage to buy a house than lend her money. It’s as if it’s obligatory that those who are rich have to lend money to their siblings to buy a house. The borrowers who don’t get their money are the ones who are wronged.
[Ep3] Everyone in Gu Family interferes with Feng Xiao Qin’s plans to buy a house (uh, it wouldn’t be interfering if she had the money). All her pent up anger explodes. First she reprimands Gu Qing Yu for buying her son a brand name backpack when she was trying to discipline him. Plus, is Gu Qing Yu trying to brag how auntie is more capable than the mother? This aunt is so capable, she can give away the scarf that Feng Xiao Qin knitted for her as a present to her housekeeper (by the way, the scarf had a fake LV logo on it. Gu Qing Yu was not going to wear it). Next Feng Xiao Qin moves on to lecturing Gu Lei. He skipped his class again. She knows that he doesn’t cheat or gamble, but if he doesn’t improve himself and is fired, the one who will suffer with Gu Lei is Feng Xiao Qin and none of them. She grew up in a poor family. She has no security, which is why she’s in a rush to prepare everything in advance. Is it so wrong that a mother wants to buy a house for her son? Then she confronts the aunts who are here to convince her too, afraid that she’d move out and ditch the elders. She knows she’s selfish, but it’s for her family. She asks Father Gu if she's done anything wrong to any of them? She did everything properly and dutifully. “Does my face say I will divorce Gu Lei?” Eight years ago, it was Gu Lei who told her to quit and take care of their son, and his grand/parents. Even a nanny is paid to take care of the house. “Or am I below a nanny to you guys?”
Feng Xiao Qin’s speech draws in everyone’s sympathy. This actress (Hai Qing) is something else. Her speech, the way she enunciates her words, it’s so clear and persuasive. The logic is all wrong (to me. Why is it obligatory that someone has to lend you money just because you need it?), but she convinced me emotionally that she deserves a home even if it’s with someone else’s money, lol.
Father Gu lends the money for the deposit. It’s a win for Feng Xiao Qin! But she promises (without being asked) that she will continue to care for the grand/parents even if they move.
After that meeting, Gu Qing Yu is still very curious about Shi Yuan. They promised (at 14yo) to meet in Shanghai once he’s back, but he never fulfilled his promise. She visits his neighbourhood and bumps into him. She asks about his life. He’s currently a tour guide. He has a decent salary, but obviously it’s pea-sized compared to hers. He was back in Shanghai in1998. His uncle was supposed to receive him in the city in 1996 (because to live in Shanghai, someone had to sign for him). The two years he was absent in Shanghai affected his studies, and he failed to get into a good university. Thus he chose to study tourism. Gu Qing Yu quietly listens until she asks the one question she’s been yearning to ask:”When you were back in Shanghai, why didn’t you look for me?"
[Ep4] Shi Yuan doesn’t answer the question directly. He thinks Gu Qing Yu should know by now. (Shi Yuan feels inferior to Gu Qing Yu. Later, he deletes her WeChat. He refuses to be her fake husband. This man owes a lot of money (for his mother’s hospital fees). He’s also been in two (fake?) marriages. But wait, didn't he say he was never married? I guess he meant he didn’t marry for love?)
Note: Zhan Xiang was the cupid for Feng Xiao Qin and Gu Lei.
[Ep5] Gu Xin (Gu Qing Yu’s cousin) marries Ge Yue. Ge Yue is born with a silver spoon, and thanks to her, their marriage home is a mansion, anything that can be leather is leather and anything that cannot be leather is leather. Sun Qi attends the wedding. She’s Gu Xin’s ex. They dated for ten years. Presumably, he broke up with Sun Qi to marry Ge Yue (for money and status).
Feng Qian Qian hears the conversation between Gu Xin and Sun Qi. She knocks on the door to notify Gu Xin, saving him from being caught with his ex. (They aren’t doing anything, but it would be awkward if they were caught together at his wedding.)
Feng Qian Qian is Feng Xiao Qin’s younger sister. She’s struggling to find a job in Shanghai and without a job, no one wants to date her.
Feng Xiao Qin is mad that Gu Lei failed the finance courses. She drinks with Zhan Xiang (who’s not drinking). He tells her to let her husband breathe or he’ll suffocate. After dinner, Feng Xiao Qin leaves to get a foot massage. However, she’s too drunk. Boss Shi helps her up, and then Gu Lei misunderstands that Feng Xiao Qin is cheating. In the morning, Feng Xiao Qin packs her bags and leaves home, threatening divorce. Father Gu desperately calls Gu Qing Yu for help. By the time she reaches home, Feng Xiao Qin and Gu Lei have already made up. Must the whole family be so involved in Gu Lei's marriage, omg.
Feng Xiao Qin overhears everything. She packs her bag and leaves for good. Gu Lei runs after her. She flings him off, and whoops, he rolls down the stairs, knocks his head on every step until his body comes to a full stop but his head had crashed through glass.
Gu Lei dies.
[Ep6] The entire family (maybe not Father Gu?) is angry at Feng Xiao Qin for Gu Lei’s death. Without Gu Lei, she really has become more of an outsider in the house. Meanwhile Feng Xiao Qin has turned her devastation into anger. She sues her neighbour for placing glass in public space. Father Gu begs her to stop. Will suing their neighbour bring back Gu Lei? Gu Qing Yu is convinced Feng Xiao Qin is in it for money. Feng Xiao Qin says she wants justice. Everyone is responsible for their actions. Father Gu interrupts, indirectly telling Feng Xiao Qin that she’s responsible too. However, to Feng Xiao Qin, the principle responsibility falls on Gu Qing Yu. If it weren’t for her insults, Feng Xiao Qin wouldn’t have been angry. She already made up with Gu Lei that day but Gu Qing Yu drove a wedge between them.
Gu Qing Yu denies she did anything wrong in warning her brother of his wife. Feng Xiao Qin married Gu Lei only because he was Shanghainese, the tool she needed to live a comfortable life. Feng Qiao Xin never respected Gu Lei like a husband.
Feng Xiao Qin is dogged in her stance. It was Gu Qing Yu who made Gu Lei inferior. She always blocked Gu Lei, she was better than him, above him.
Feng Xiao Qin (voice shaking with hatred): Gu Lei died because of you! This actress is something else.
Feng Xiao Qin wins the lawsuit against the neighbour. Feng Xiao Qin proves that she only wanted justice by demanding 1 RMB and an apology. The neighbour sympathizes with the family and after the trial, she offers more money as a token of apology, but Feng Xiao Qin rejects it.
Feng Qian Qian praises her sister for proving Gu Qing Yu wrong and using her actions to slap Gu Qing Yu’s pompous assumptions. But Feng Xiao Qin regrets it. She really regrets it. What use is an apology? Can it feed them? What will she use to raise her son? When they starve on the streets, what use is justice? What use is gaining face?
Gu Qing Yu asks Father Gu if he’ll continue to live with Feng Xiao Qin. She helps him analyze their possibilities. Father Gu doesn’t want to hear it. She did the same thing the night Gu Lei died and then what happened to Gu Lei? Gu Qing Yu is shaken. Is Father Gu blaming her? Father Gu didn’t mean it like that. It just hurts him to be reminded of that night.
The next morning, Feng Xiao Qin wakes up to prepare breakfast like normal. She’s emotionless, but she’s determined to keep the promise with Gu Lei that she’d take care of the family.
The same morning, Gu Qing Yu recalls the conversation with Father Gu last night. He told her she can’t be so calculating and analytical when it comes to family. If every penny is counted, it’ll be hard to live under the same roof.
Gu Qing Yu blames herself too for her brother’s death.
[Ep8] Feng Xiao Qin works part-time making deliveries while keeping up her full-time housewife job. On the road, she gets into an accident and falls off her motorbike. She can still stand, but she’s dazed from the impact. When she’s home, Grandma Gu’s words are like daggers to Feng Xiao Qin’s weary heart. She doesn’t even tell the family she crashed today. Meanwhile, Grandma Gu thinks Feng Xiao Qin has a man outside and would say it right in front of Gu Yin (the son, nickname = Xiao Lao Hu).
Feng Xiao Qin asks Gu Qing Yu if she tattled to Grandma Gu about Boss Shi (from the foot massage). Feng Xiao Qin explains there was nothing between them. Gu Qing Yu says she doesn’t care and she didn’t say anything about it. In fact the more Feng Xiao Qin explains the more she’s suspicious. Feng Xiao Qin is fatigued, body and heart. She’s explaining because she doesn’t want to be misunderstood. The last thing she needs is criticism and especially not from a family member.
Gu Xin (the newlywed) drops off Feng Qian Qian (Feng Xiao Qin’s sister) at her cashier job. An unreasonably aggressive customer blocks her path. Gu Xin saves her and fights with the man. I’m smelling a future affair!
[Ep9] Shi Yuan tells Gu Qing Yu he never looked for her because he was afraid of seeing her. He was afraid of disappointing her. He had gone back to their old neighbourhood. It changed a lot and then he realizes that is where she’s buying her new house, the place they promised to meet. She’s buying it because of him, because of them. He knows that now.
The next night Shi Yuan and Gu Qing Yu have a proper dinner date. He’s so polite. He’s also struggling with the menu price and the fact that she picked him up with her car. She does pretty well in making it okay when it’s not okay for him. After dinner, she sweetly asks, “When will we meet next time?”
Shi Yuan: Is tomorrow too quick? Aw!
When Gu Qing Yu is home, Zhan Xiang is at the parking lot, drunk. He congratulates her for finding her love after 20 years. Ah he’s holding back his tears.
Feng Xiao Qin helps Boss Shi rent out a public space. It’s thanks to her efforts that Boss Shi succeeded.
[Ep10] Zhan Xiang helped Feng Xiao Qin’s sister (Feng Qian Qian) find a job at a bank.
Gu Xin hears his mother-in-law nitpicking his poor background.
Feng Xiao Qin is working hard! She’d go above and beyond to get a good rating from her customers. A grandpa rejects a takeout ordered by his son. He complains that it’s oily and unhealthy. Feng Xiao Qin switches her lunch with his takeout to ensure that she’s not taking advantage of him. It’s a fair trade. The next time she delivers, the grandpa wants her homemade lunch again. Lol. He even orders fish from her the next time. Hahaha. I see a business coming up for FXQ.
Sun Qi wants revenge on Gu Xin and will take out Gu Qing Yu too, but Gu Qing Yu is too smart for that. Sun Qi is making desperate moves because someone recorded their meeting during the wedding and is threatening her with her career if she continues to pester Gu Xin. It’s very likely that this person is Gu Xin’s father-in-law. Hm. So Gu Xin is imprisoned by his in-laws. Marriage kinda sucks in this drama.
Gu Xin hears his mother-in-law nitpicking his poor background.
Feng Xiao Qin is working hard! She’d go above and beyond to get a good rating from her customers. A grandpa rejects a takeout ordered by his son. He complains that it’s oily and unhealthy. Feng Xiao Qin switches her lunch with his takeout to ensure that she’s not taking advantage of him. It’s a fair trade. The next time she delivers, the grandpa wants her homemade lunch again. Lol. He even orders fish from her the next time. Hahaha. I see a business coming up for FXQ.
Sun Qi wants revenge on Gu Xin and will take out Gu Qing Yu too, but Gu Qing Yu is too smart for that. Sun Qi is making desperate moves because someone recorded their meeting during the wedding and is threatening her with her career if she continues to pester Gu Xin. It’s very likely that this person is Gu Xin’s father-in-law. Hm. So Gu Xin is imprisoned by his in-laws. Marriage kinda sucks in this drama.
[Ep11] Gu Qing Yu proposes! Here’s how it went. Initially she was upset with Shi Yuan who introduced her to his mother as a “friend”. After consulting her friend who tells her that Shi Yuan isn’t confident enough in the relationship, Gu Qing you is motivated to propose to boost his confidence, haha. It begins like this: “Do you think I’m pretty? Do you think I’m cute? Do you think I’ll make a good wife?” He replies yes to everything except the last question. They only dated for a few days. He can’t be ruining her future in case the marriage doesn’t work out. He’s worried for her. Gu Qing Yu tells him that’s not his jurisdiction. She knows what’s good for her. But Shi Yuan carries too many baggages on his shoulders. He also believes she recently lost her brother which makes her impulsive. From his point of view, he wants to keep her safe.
Gu Qing Yu is rejected! Shi Yuan feels bad, but he can’t risk her future. Gu Qing Yu’s friend calls her back to make sure she didn’t do something stupid like propose. LOL. Gu Qing Yu is like Of course not.
The next day Shi Yuan apologizes to Gu Qing Yu. She says she’s not mad. In the middle of lunch, a petty rival joins and calls Gu Qing Yu a psycho. She always demanded her boyfriends to wear white dress shirts and black framed glasses to mimic her first love. Shi Yuan, who’s normally reserved, squarely criticizes the man and pities him. He’s never seen his rival, and he already lost to the imagery of him. Then Shi Yuan holds Gu Qing Yu’s hand to tell her he now knows how important he is in her heart. Even his forever cannot repay her love and sincerity. The petty business rival is shoved away by their display of love. When they’re alone, Gu Qing Yu clarifies she’s not a psycho, says all psychos. White dress shirts are very common and it’s not like Shi Yuan always wore his glasses. This makes her look even more obsessed for noticing, lol. Anyway, Gu Qing Yu thanks Shi Yuan for his brilliant performance, but he says it wasn’t all an act. She tells him goodbye and takes care, as if ending their relationship.
Feng Xiao Qin delivers food to the grandpa but then the son accuses her of attempting to poison his father or some sort of grand conspiracy. The next time she brings him food, the son brings police officers to arrest her. The son had a run-in with Feng Xiao Qin previously where she sorta scammed him into buying a condo at a higher price. He's adamant she’s scamming her father too but really, she’s done nothing wrong. Father Gu is the guardian who signs for her release.
Father Gu overhears. He sympathizes with Feng Xiao Qin. Gu Qing Yu is in agreement with Father Gu to be sympathetic with Feng Xiao Qin. The next day, when it’s raining, Father Gu gives Feng Xiao Qin an umbrella at the bus stop. The following morning, he prepares breakfast and a cold medication for her. He’s not good at speaking and so he keeps it short. He just wants the family to be like a family.
Gu Qing Yu isn’t at the airport to pick up Shi Yuan. The first time she picked him up she gave him hope that he should get used to it, but it seems that will be the first and only time. Now he’s really depressed. Well you rejected her proposal, lol. He’s so sulky, he reads Shakespearean English poems about fate. I don’t know if it’s Shakespearean, but he’s my go to poet if I ever needed to mention a poet.
Gu Qing Yu isn’t over Shi Yuan at all. Zhan Xiang helps her out by pretending to be her boyfriend to make Shi Yuan jealous. Zhan Xiang says it’s their 3XXX days of knowing each other. He’s been counting! Prompted by Zhan Xiang’s questions, Shi Yuan compliments Gu Qing Yu. It’s as if time hasn’t left a trace of wrinkle in her life. She shines bright wherever and whenever. He envies her. The more he says this, the more I feel his inferiority. How is this relationship going to work? But! Then he plays the piano. And sings! It’s Feng Xiao Feng's voice singing Love Me Tender. Shi Yuan tells Gu Qing Yu that he’s not a reckless person. He doesn’t take risks and he won’t let others take risks, but this time he must be reckless for once or else he’ll regret it his entire life. He gets down on his knee and proposes (with a random flower he found somewhere). She accepts by asking for her ring. They’re engaged! Zhan Xiang is gone.
Shi Yuan has one condition to marry Gu Qing Yu. A prenuptial agreement . She doesn’t think it’s necessary but that’s his condition precedent.
Gu Qing Yu and Shi Yuan marry! (No wedding) Shi Yuan was just planning to tell his parents, but Mom Gu reveals that his wawaqing will be in the country to visit. Shi Yuan can’t come forth with the truth that he’s married. Huh? Why? But he does whisper it to his father. As for his mother, he’s afraid she’d be so agitated, she’d be hospitalized again.
Zhan Xiang is drunk and cries. Feng Xiao Qin comforts him (because he asked her to).
[Ep13] While Shi Yuan struggles to tell his mother about his marriage, Gu Qing Yu drops the bomb to her entire family: Here’s my husband! During the meal, everyone’s texting in the group chat. Ding! Ding! Ding! Note: I can’t spell the WeChat sound. Shi Yuan is the only one excluded. He’s looking stiff and serious as everyone is giggling. Gu Qing Yu finally invites him to the group chat after 10+ messages pressuring her to.
Gu Family is warm and receptive to Shi Yuan but when they all know he works as a tour guide, they all gossip that he’s unworthy of Gu Qing Yu. (Shi Yuan is probably aware of that anyway.)
WeChat drama! Gu Qing Yu lends money to her (paternal) 3rd Aunt Gu and then goes on the chat to shade her 2nd Uncle’s family for not lending the money saying things like Oh, we’re family. Next time if you (3rd Aunt) need to borrow money, just ask me. That’s what family is for. Ugh. Gu Qing Yu is willing to lend money if she thinks the borrower is family. Fine. Since Feng Xiao Qin wasn’t family, she didn’t lend. Fine. But hold up. Why is it obligatory to lend!!!!! When 3rd Aunt Gu’s husband ranted about 2nd Uncle’s character on not lending, I was a finger away from giving up on the drama.
Shi Yuan finds a background check on him in Gu Qing Yu’s phone. He doesn’t tell her. (She forgot all about it since it was Zhan Xiang who sent her the file).
[Ep14] Gu Qing Yu finally meets Shi Yuan’s parents, but Mom Shi had also invited his wawaqing girl. Mom wanted to show Gu Qing Yu the girl who Shi Yuan was supposed to marry. Shi Yuan sets the facts straight to everyone in the room: Gu Qing Yu isn’t his girlfriend, but his wife. He tells his mother it’s him who’s not worthy of her. Although he spoke up for her, Gu Qing Yu is still upset that his parents are looking down on her for her background of all things.
Shi Yuan apologizes to Gu Qing Yu and asks her to not blame his mother. From a young age, his mother's hope was all on him. She was diagnosed with mild depression and took medication. Dad didn’t think the medication was healthy and changed it into sleeping pills. Mom didn’t know. She thought her depression medication could help Shi Yuan focus on his gaokao and so she gave him double the dose in his soup. This is how he failed his gaokao. Mom Shi’s depression worsened. Gu Qing Yu tears up and understands Shi Yuan’s difficulty. She’s no longer upset. They enjoy their new married life as he moves into her place.
Feng Xiao Qing is harassed by a pervert on one of her deliveries. She gets a one-star rating for defending herself against the sexual predator and her headquarters doesn’t care unless she has proof.
[Ep15] Clever Feng Xiao Qin helps Gu Qing Yu in her work with deliveries! Delivery girl saving your day! Despite that, Gu Qing Yu is still wary of Feng Xiao Qin. It turns out there’s a secret! Years ago, Gu Qing Yu had investigated Feng Xiao Qin and learned of her ex-boyfriend who died in an accident. Very timely, she was pregnant. Then Gu Lei said he wanted to marry her. Gu Qing Yu kept the secret to this day.
Feng Xiao Qin describes her relationship with Gu Qing Yu. It’s like a glass cup, it's already cracked but glued back together. It may look fine, but the crack is still there. Feng Xiao Qin has to pick it up lightly and set it down lightly.
Father Gu is worried about Feng Xiao Qin’s brother who’s rebellious and violent. Father Gu isn't worried about the brother but for Xiao Lao Hu who will have this kind of uncle for the rest of his life.
[Ep16] Feng Xiao Qin wants to open a senior home. She sees a niche and she has the passion. She genuinely cares for the elders. She asks Zhan Xiang to consider investing and writes a business proposal. Zhan Xiang didn't even graduate high school and is seriously struggling with reading the stack of papers. Ha. He makes all sorts of excuses to bring it home to read, but even so Feng Xiao Qin will call him. She can even go to his home since she knows his password. Anyone blind will know it's six 1's. Zhan Xiang peeks through his window to see if she's spying on him, pft. Zhan Xiang may not be reading it, but he got his staff/buddy to read it. That's what being a boss means. Get other people to do your work. It does look like a profiting project.
Shi Yuan doesn't tell Gu Qing Yu he's working extra jobs (translating). Every night when she's sleeping, he gets up to work. Then right before she wakes up, he sneaks back into bed. Gu Qing Yu knows. Her home has cameras. Shi Yuan...this guy. What to do with him? He's trying to live by her standards, and slowly he's disappearing.
Ge Yue, Gu Xin’s wife, is pregnant. Her father is sued and their wealth is downsized (to normal size?). Now that she’s no longer super rich, Gu Xin's mother wants them to live with her instead. This mom is also so rude. She'd put down Ge Yue's parents right in front of her. When Ge Yue (meekly) complains to Gu Xin, he’s offended because that's his mother, who is her elder. Ge Yue cries. Just because she's an elder, it doesn't mean she can bully her. Ge Yue's mother finds her crying and lectures Gu Xin. Doesn't he know that their family is the one taken advantage of in this marriage. When in-laws get involved, it's just nasty.
[Ep17] Ge Yue’s father blames himself for protecting his daughter too well. He made her too weak, unable to resist any bit of rain or wind. He teaches her how to handle her mother-in-law. He teaches her to be strong. “When people are good to you, you can survive it. When people are mean to you, you need to survive it too. This is being capable. Do you understand?” Ge Yue cries and faces reality. She’s honestly not that bad at all but there is a problem if her personality continues to be like this while living with that inconsiderate mother-in-law. I just want to say, though, her dad is awesome! When he had the power, he protected her. He’d never known he’d fall so hard in life. Now he teaches her to be strong on her own. Aw. When you can’t change the environment, you can change yourself. It’s not giving up, it’s surviving.
Zhan Xiang secretly helps Shi Yuan find a part-time job because the latter is tight on money. When Feng Xiao Qin hears of this, she’s not surprised. He’d do anything that’s good for Gu Qing Yu even if it’s helping his love rival.
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Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] The general storyline is three couples, each buying a new house: a married couple of eight years buying their first home, a newly wed buying their marriage home, and a contract couple buying a house for the sake of buying a house.
Not going to lie, the contract marriage trope got me. Moreover, it’s Feng Shao Feng and Tong Yao acting the “fake” couple! Rather than strangers to lovers, they were each other’s first love. I was ready for the romance! But right now, there’s really not much romance. The potential is there.
It’s the two female leads who are dominating the drama, and rightfully so. Amazing acting is a given. C’mon, it’s Hai Qing and Tong Yao. I’m enthralled by the way the characters are written and how they juxtapose each other. One lives ideally because she can; she is Gu Qing Yu. The other lives practically because she must; she is Feng Xiao Qin.
Gu Qing Yu will always be defensive against her sister-in-law, Feng Xiao Qin, in order to protect her brother from his wife, the “outsider”. Feng Xiao Qin will always advance for the sake of her family. She will beg for money to buy a home, even if everyone thinks she’s avaricious. The two women see each other as enemies. Unfortunately, there is a fatal casualty to their long and quiet battle.
There’s interesting themes throughout. Feng Xiao Qin is an outsider whether it’s at home or in the city. She may be the wife in the house, but she’s the only Feng in a home full of Gus. She lives in Shanghai but she’s non-Shanghainese. There’s also the theme of social class. Each couple is unequal. They struggle to find an equilibrium in their relationship or is there no equilibrium to achieve in the first place?
[Ep6 Thoughts] It’s not that big of a spoiler but if you’re the type to enjoy the surprises on your own, then stop reading now. From the various posters, you should be able to predict that Gu Lei (Feng Xiao Qin’s husband) dies. Feng Xiao Qin and Gu Qing Yu share responsibility in it.
For those who have watched it, are you team Gu Qing Yu or Feng Xiao Qin? I think it’s so complicated which makes this really good. Anyone can argue either perspective, and I’d be convinced. I don’t think it’s wrong of Gu Qing Yu to be wary of Feng Xiao Qin, especially with the way FXQ treats Gu Lei. Neither do I think it’s wrong of Feng Xiao Qin to choose Gu Lei for practicality over love, especially when FXQ is dutiful and faithful.
Gu Qing Yu is the type who won’t marry unless it’s for love. This is why she’s capably single, which underlies her detestation of Feng Xiao Qin who married her brother for “money”. Honestly, what girl, or anyone wouldn’t want to choose love if they could? But Feng Xiao Qin needed to survive first. Marrying Gu Lei wasn’t pure love, but she still cared for him. It’s just that care for Gu Lei is merely a fraction to her desire to survive in Shanghai.
(Note: Emphasis on capably because I’m tired of watching dramas focusing on girls in their 30s who cannot marry. One or two is fine but when every drama has that focus, it’s tiring. This one is fresh in that she’s 36. The focus isn’t there. Move on.)
[Dropped] Other than the scenes with both Feng Xiao Qin and Gu Qing Yu, nothing else interests me. Where I’m at, the drama is no longer focused on their relationship. Nothing is making me happy or engaged. Romance is also very flat.
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