9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 Chinese romantic drama with 35, 45 minute episodes. It is also known as “The Woman Who Cannot Fall In Love”.

First I will provide a synopsis then review

Synopsis
Shen Ruo Xin (Quin Lan) has climbed the ladder of success through much personal sacrifice. Her overbearing mother and even friends are pressuring her to get married and her current boyfriend is the number one candidate. At 33 she is at the upper end of what her culture considers acceptable for single life so she is reminded frequently she is breaking norms by remaining single. a man and marry. Ruoxin already defies the traditional role by navigating corrupt office politics and serving as both a counselor and a mentor to subordinates. Despite being so capable and providing a shield for those around her, no one looks out for her that is until she gives Qi Xiao (Dylan Wang), a newbie, a chance and he becomes her biggest support. He is younger than her, but really smart. mature and caring.

Review
I enjoyed this slice of the life of a businesswoman in Shanghai. As I understand it, Shanghai, in the upper class of people, it is a very specific slice of life in China. Still, I enjoyed getting a feel for it knowing it is very specific and would only be true for a very small percentage of people. Women have many of the same struggles with promotions, recognition, bias, that women all over the world experience but at a greater level because their society is still very patriarchal. Seeing Ruoxin operate where she took care of all the people around her, managed some very hostile and extreme workplace politics and managed through her skill and expertise to overcome many barriers was a lot of fun. Her relationship with the male lead was well paced and believable. Qi Xiao's unwavering admiration, love and support of her would be sure to wear down any woman's defenses.

*Spoilers
The 12 year age gap was a significant part of the story and I think brought up a lot of social issues not only within that culture but beyond as well. My daughter, in her 30s, who watched it with me felt as though that age gap was too large. She was of similar age and could not envision having a relationship with a man that much younger than her. Not all women feel that way. I thought about if there was a person who you were completely compatible with and attracted to and thought they were similar age but then found out they were that much younger would it change the way you felt about the person. I think it is highly dependent on the people and what ages each person is. In the younger years it may have more of an impact than someone in their 30s with someone in their 40s, or 40s with 50s, I think it is harder to envision that large of an age gap when the younger person is in their 20s. Life stages, interests, so many things are different in the 20s. So that, for me, was a little hard to accept, the large age gap.

The story itself was engaging and kept me interested through all 32 episodes. She really was phenomenal in her ability to bring everyone around her along in her goals and vision. From that perspective it was understandable how someone his age and as handsome as he was to have considered her unique and want to pursue her romantically. He was a very bright person who was able to think rationally under pressure and solve many problems. So he was her match in terms of his above average ability to accomplish things. I could see the point that was made about how younger men were no longer viewing women as simply someone to take care of the household but were respecting them as capable to do something as high powered and complex as Ruoxin was pursuing. That was a good justification for why the age gap between them worked. Part of the reason she never found anyone she felt compatible with was because men of her age still had a view of women as maybe dabbling in the workforce until they found a man to take care of them. Qi Xiao understood and appreciated Ruoxin's goals and capabilities and it was part of what he loved about her.

If you are looking for a relatively light hearted romance this fits the bill. If you are a fan of Dylan Wang as I am then you will like to see him in this role, he does a great job. This is also of course an age gap/noona romance. I became a fan of Dylan Wang after seeing him in Meteor Garden. I will be looking for other things Quin Lan has done after watching this drama as she is a very talented actress. I am not, in general, a fan of Chinese dramas as I find the female characters to be weak and sort of whiny. I watched this at the recommendation of it having a strong female character and it did not disappoint.

#RationalLife
#DylanWang
#QuinLan