Synopsis & Character Breakdown
- Genre: Youth, Romance
- Episodes: 31
- Episodes Length: 19 minutes
- Where to watch: iQiyi (en)
An ordinary girl, Yu Mingxi, earns a spot at the prestigious Jingcai Academy. Determined to honor her late father’s wishes, she commits to excelling academically while embracing her athletic gifts.
Jiang Bohan, a top student burdened by the loss of his younger brother and a fractured relationship with his mother, hides his pain behind a rebellious persona.
When their lives intersect, Yu Mingxi and Jiang Bohan challenge each other, gradually breaking down their emotional walls. In confronting past wounds, they begin to heal, finding unexpected solace and redemption in each other.
Characters
- Liu Xiao Bei [刘小北] as Jiang Bo Han, a student at Jingcai known for his good looks and his role as captain of the basketball team.
- Bubble Lin Yu Zhu [朱林雨] as Yu Ming Xi, a poor student accepted into Jingcai under special circumstances. She’s on a healing journey, seeking redemption tied to her father’s death.
- Li Ruo Tian [李若天] as You Jing Chu, Yu Ming Xi’s childhood neighbor who becomes her roommate after moving to the city to work as a boxer.
- Wu Bo Wei [吴博威] as Yan Zheng Wen, a troublemaker linked to Qin Si Yao due to their parents’ romantic relationship.
- Chen Jia Ning [陈佳宁] as Qin Si Yao, who grew up with Jiang Bo Han and is determined to make him hers, no matter what it takes.
- Chen Si Yu [陈思宇] as Wang Chu Nian, Yu Ming Xi’s best friend and a hopeless romantic with a crush on the basketball team.
- Hu Xiao Long [胡晓龙] as Chen Su Jie, a basketball team member hiding a knee injury from the rest of the team.
Ending Explained
Please do not read if you don’t want to be spoiled for the last four episodes.
Happy ending for two couples: Yu Ming Xi agrees to help Jiang Bo Han’s mother convince him to study abroad by lying to him – telling him that she will be leaving with him because debt collectors are after her. However, she never even started the application process, and Jiang Bo Han eventually leaves for UCLA alone. The two reunite four years later at Chen Si Jie and Wang Chu Nian’s wedding and decide to rekindle their relationship.
Sad ending for one couple: Qin Si Yao is startled by the sound of arguing in the living room, where she finds Yan Zheng Wen opposing the union between his father and her mother. Qin Si Yao steps in and sides with him, upsetting her mother, who forces her to kneel as punishment. Yan Zheng Wen pulls Qin Si Yao away, and the two run off, finding comfort in each other’s presence. However, Yan Zheng Wen is later attacked by the debt collectors he had previously beaten up and dies. Qin Si Yao is left with only the memories of his quiet protection and the comfort he gave her, regretting never confessing her feelings. Later she gets in a heated argument with You Jing Chu and Jiang Bo Han over Yu Ming Xi’s undressing video, Qin Si Yao falls and sustains a serious injury, ending her future as a ballerina.
Drama Review
★☆☆☆☆ Rating: 1.5/5
Initial Impressions
This one had a lot of potential. I genuinely enjoyed the directing, cinematography, music, and editing of the drama. However, the storytelling didn’t do the production justice. It felt like the show was trying to tackle too much, but failed to execute it in a way that made the characters feel real or relatable.
Underdeveloped Side Characters
The characters’ backstories, especially the side characters, weren’t developed enough for us to connect with them, yet they still had a surprising amount of screen time. It felt like each one was briefly introduced with their name, role, and a quick summary of their issue, but nothing ever tied back to the main plot or had enough depth to make them memorable. So despite showing scenes of their personal struggles, I didn’t feel emotionally moved.
Leads That Fell Short
Even the lead characters’ personal arcs weren’t explored deeply enough to make sense. There was some initial setup, but for most of the show, I was confused about what their core trauma was, how they were meant to heal each other, or how their bond even realistically formed.
Yu Ming Xi’s trauma stemmed from failing to get help for her drowning father in time as she believed that if she had run just two minutes faster, she could’ve saved him. Throughout the show, we see her training for a marathon, talking about her father’s death, and even facing her fear of water over a few episodes. But beyond that, there wasn’t much follow-through. She never truly showed a fear of water, so the resolution to that arc didn’t feel earned.
From her financial struggles and refusal to accept help from her mother, to her sudden sense of independence, it all felt a bit unrealistic and hard to connect with. I think this disconnect also came from Bubble Zhu’s acting as I couldn’t quite grasp the emotional depth of her portrayal of Yu Ming Xi.
Jiang Bo Han, on the other hand, is dealing with the trauma of his younger brother’s death. Although he doesn’t come off as rebellious, it felt like the writers were trying to paint him that way.
Then there’s his complicated relationship with Qin Si Yao, a girl who was once close with both him and his brother. I found myself confused about their dynamic and why he seemed unable to maintain even a friendship with her.
Themes That Don’t Land
Thematically, the show wanted to explore healing, guilt, and redemption, but the emotional arcs didn’t always land. It introduced strong ideas like self-blame and emotional repression, but rarely gave them room to evolve.
A Flat Romance Arc
Most importantly, I didn’t feel any real chemistry between the two leads. There was no build-up to meaningful tension or emotional connection. Honestly, they felt more like friends than romantic partners. I think the writers were aiming to portray two teenagers who had each lost something important – one trying to prove something, the other trying to escape. Qin Si Yao’s bullying just brought them closer because they were two lost but kind souls, but even that connection didn’t quite land emotionally.
The Supporting Cast Had More Spark (Kind of)
Ironically, I probably felt more for the second male lead, You Jing Chu, and the “villain” of the story, Yan Zheng Wen, neither of whom had real backstories aside from not being loved by the person they liked.
The only reason I felt anything for them was because I had to use my own imagination and empathy to fill in the emotional gaps of feeling bad for them. I was utterly upset with how they approached Yan Zheng Wen’s story as I was rooting for the underdog and am a sucker for bad boy doing everything for the girl. Now these two just needs a spin off short drama of supporting character gets a chance to restart her life and decides to love the bad boy instead.
Quick Watch, But Emotionally Hollow
Apart from that, it was easy to get through the series because each episode was under 20 minutes and a lot was going on to keep me entertained. But while everything felt rushed, it also felt like nothing meaningful was actually being told. Compared to other youth dramas, which balance emotional depth with coming-of-age charm, this felt more emotionally disconnected and rushed.
Final Thoughts
With that, it leads me to a low rating but not super disappointed with wasting time to watch, just felt like it had potential but wasn’t executed well enough. I wouldn’t rewatch nor would I remember it as one of my favorite youth dramas.
However, if you’re someone who enjoys short, visually pleasing youth dramas and doesn’t mind filling in emotional blanks yourself, this might still be worth a casual watch. But if you’re looking for something emotionally rich and character-driven, this one probably won’t hit the mark.
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