Beautiful love story with a fascinating underlying storyline

This drama has everything. A beautiful love story, a great underlying plot, extremely smart and well written, so well that there is no unnecessary secondary plot, just one… the production and, ost are perfect too.
It is relatively short (36 ep of 40mn makes it 24 ep regular)…
You just need to go beyond the first 2 ep, set à the middle of the story, before going back to the past, for the main part of the drama. You just need to know that the ending is absolutely perfect…
And what a great cast…
As stated by others, the chemistry between the leads is over the top, with a lot of sweetness and cuddling, as expected from a loving couple, and as we seldom get to this level in any drama, whether Chinese or Korean.
The way their journey unfolds, how they meet and fall in love, gradually, feels just right. You understand what attracts them to each other, the unique bonding they develop over time. They are very supportive and bring the best out of each other, which I don’t recall having even seen in another drama. (

Big spoiler: Even their parting at some point can be understood. Having lost his sister, his only family left, bc of a mean rival, he knows that the revenge he wants to exact, not using his brain this time, could affect her, and that anyway her family will never accept him, so he forces her out of his life, trying to make her hate him… so that she can move forward… youth mistake, lack of foresight and understanding of what really matters in life, not applying his principles of self preservation….and the short solace brought by revenge and the heavy price to pay…
But the power of true love will bring redemption and second chances for the better…
Everything in this story makes sense.
And is extremely interesting….
This story is mesmerising, from beginning to end.

Now a bit more about our heroes:
The character of the male lead - awesome Arthur Chen Feiyu - makes perfect sense, brilliant, driven, charismatic, unforgiving for displays of stupidity and mean behaviors, abrasive in the way he may speak, hiding a pure heart behind protective fences… which the FL understands so well…
Demanding of others as he is for himself, totally justified by a gifted intelligence placing him above others, yet willing to share with his friends, provided they are not stupid enough not to assess themSelves correctly, blinded by weak egos…
Thé FL is bright and shining… what a perfect match
And what a journey… with a perfect ending.

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Perfect in every regard

Outstanding series in every regard. I was afraid that it would be « makjang style, with dirty plotting, but it is incredibly smart with an unexpected progression of the storylines, fascinating characters and arcs, endearing, subtle, psychological depth, very interesting takes on the work environment. Of course, some will say it is in some regards specific to Korean culture. No, it is just that Korean culture and system is much more transparent in how the world is actually run, without the hypocrisy of the westerners. Elite is the same everywhere, with the same glass ceilings everywhere,… it has been a long time since I have watched such a qualitative program., never boring one single sminute from the beginning to the end, with an awesome cast.

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What a highly misunderstood and underrated drama.

IT IS NOT A FLUFFY ROM-COM - hence the bad ratings of viewers who picked the drama for the wrong reasons. If you want a no-brainer, no-depth, unrealistic rom-com: watch « a business proposal », exact opposite of this one.
It is a PSYCHOLOGICAL drama, a very interestingly written adult (romance) drama, abt people, their values & moral compass, behaviours & what motivates them, office politics & greed, compromise or stay true to oneself & principles, what they do of their failures, success, how they heal & move on, or stagnate in past grievances & jealousy, what is love & marriage, first love and « white » lies, regrets & clean breaks, about trustworthiness & doing what is right, about taking one’s’ responsibilities, having faith & trusting, genuinely caring & supporting. Marriage out of love or reason… 2nd chances

There is Such a psychological depth in the characters, their behaviours and motivations are clear, consistant, endearing,. Their backgrounds, psychologies & development arcs are greatly defined & gripping. The storyline is smart, well paced, meaningful, gripping, with really cute & funny situations.

So It is not a simple romcom with contract marriage, but a psychological & HEALING DRAMA. And a wonderful one.

Some regret that they broke up, in the last few episodes, before reuniting. Or that these last 4 episodes are poorly written or the ending is rushed.
Or say he went back to his girlfriend.
What a total nonsense…
Sorry to say, but those viewers didn’t pay attention or simply understand at all what was going on…
The 4 last ep are not poorly written but awesome: you don’t feel that they break up and you know that it is just a question of time before they reunite. It is explained to us by the 2 of them to their friends, over and over. during the break, XK and YM keep their wedding rings & expressing their feeling for each other, even if to 3rd parties, so this is not stressful at all. The break only serve at confirming and reinforcing their feelings for each other. Never 1mn did they consider reuniting with their exes…Xk broke & worked in the background to help her achieve her business goal, that was hindering her, so that she has the time to reflect on what she wants, and comes to him willingly out of love.
If it takes time, it is because he helps her without her knowledge, and she wrongly was led to think she has missed him and has gone to his ex…
But this time and space is needed for her to come clear with what she truly wants and has never taken the time to reflect on, because her career goal was her priority.

Note that the drama is written by the same author as The Psychologist and He Dun’s happiness.

Xu Kai and Yang mi perfectly portray their characters. And the Lyrics of the OST are perfect to underline the purpose of the drama.

********************************************
Spoilers to better understand.

In the first 3 ep., we are given key elements explaining XK & YM personalities.

1. the AGE GAP between the main leads is nothing: XK is almost 30 (28 as told in ep 7) / YM is 32 (ep2), so this is not a Noona story.

2. Living a simple life is his choice. He’s out of the rat race to success & appearances. He’s not interested in fake things. Only meaningful & genuine.

3. He’s TRADING STOCK from home, not to become rich but for his simple needs and living expenses, refusing to give up what he believes to be his acquired freedom & peace of mind for a meaningless career. He has left his job due to unfair circumstances, and hasn’t yet healed and forgiven, after 4 years.

4. he’s far from being immature or a loser. Cf. ep.2 : he was SUCCESSFUL in his former job & owns half of the beautiful house he’s currently living in with his parents). he is very insightful & smart (IQ of 148): he’s able to tell YM what she does wrong in her job when she doesn’t see it, advise her either from a relationship or financial analysis & advisory standpoint. He supports & complements her work-wise, she secretly admires him, like he does admire her assertiveness & professional qualities.

5.,They have perfect UNDERSTANDING of each other, even w/o exchanging.
At the beginning of ep3, we learn why she chose him to impersonate her fake husband, w/o knowing him. It was not random. Before they actually met by chance, she was moved by the things he wrote on Weibo several years ago. Even if he has deleted it, she can still quote some of his writing. She found herself in his sensitivity. that’s the reason why despite learning that he’s used to impersonate her husband, after being mad at her, he agrees to go along with her for a given time. Not just because he needs his mother to stop pressuring him, but because he found s.o. who truly understands how he feels & thinks.

Numerous situations in the drama show their mutual understanding, respect & appreciation, from the start.

What brings them together is a similar sensitivity, moral compass and values. They are both INTROVERTS who have been hurt by life,….NOT POLAR OPPOSITES. They just chose 2 different roads.
Their main DIFFERENCE is their ASPIRATIONS IN LIFE. When they meet, He is not interested in making a lot of money any longer, he just wants to live a peaceful & burden free life, while she’s career driven, with no wish to have a love life whatsoever.
His story with Ym will however enable him to male peace with his past and move on, and find a position aligned with his outstanding capabilities. But YM knows his worth and never expected that from him.
She always admired his brain and heart, and never considered him for a mere housewife.
He is the Perfect husband because he is understanding and supportive in all the right ways. The perfect reliance as he said.

The way they fall in love is a treat to watch.

6. It perfectly makes sense that they divorce. In ep.36, bc of what he heard, he asks her if she loves him, and she’s unable to confess her feelings… he asks her to clearly think abt what this marriage means to her. He has understood that he is her shield from life, and not her partner, her reliance as he’s says.so he believes it is indeed a fake marriage for her, that she’s not mentally ready yet (confirmed ep39)
She regrets agreeing to the divorce, but says to her friend that she agreed bc « it was indeed a fake marriage: if they have a future together, it cannot grow on lies. So they have to terminate the lie before they can begin a new life together» And sometimes, only time and distance can help you see.
The drama is about that: Building relationships on sound foundations.
An awesome and epic drama.
How lucky she is to indeed have found the perfect husband

And I Wish I had been younger when this drama was released… ;) it is a lesson for life.

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After Hwayugi, the Hong sisters are back with another great fantasy drama…. Too bad i have to wait a few more months for its continuation. This drama was absolutely EPIC… great plot, directing, special effects, acting, although I am not the biggest fan of Jung so-Min because of her usually rather limited facial expressions (to me)… which is why I won’t be too bothered if she has another body swap in the next series… ;)
Lee Jae wook is just outstanding here. And compensâtes for her in my opinionThey have been so wise to cast him as the ML despite his limited experience at the time ….

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Superb drama, (not so much about time travel but personal growth and pure true love)

I suspect the drama is underrated because its summary may give wrong expectations, and also, if you don’t pay attention throughout, you will miss the key to understanding it…and the watch will not be rewarding. When the story is actually very simple with no doubt whatsoever in the end.

It is not a classical coming-of-age drama with a fluffy romance. It is a beautiful love story, yet even if you feel their unwavering and unconditional love for each other, and see it grow, their endless separations, and his tragic ending(s) throughout the drama is gut wrenching. But we have our happing ending, opening a whole new world.

Their love story is meaningful, thanks to the time-travel opportunity to revisit one’s past and choices
- Not to change the past in our primary lifeline since you cannot do it in your own primary lifeline, as the drama explains in the 1st ep through the tv show in the background
- But to grow, find one’s dreams and own path, lead a better life, pay more attention and develop meaningful relationships with our people of importance,
- instead of losing one’s identity and purpose in life, lamenting abt what has happened that canNOT be changed in our past.

TIME TRAVELLING concept, as clearly told to us in the tv show in the first episode about time travel, is here that you cannot go and change your primary lifeline’s past, you only travel to alike parallel ones…

The ACTORS bringing life to this story are outstanding, esp. Qu chu xiao and Karlina Zhang…what a beautiful couple, oozing subtlety and chemistry while showing us what TRUE LOVE is….when unspoken actions are more meaningful than anything. Their looks and smiles at each other are also one of a kind. And I loved that contrarily to so many c-dramas, their voices are not dubbed and so fitting to the characters.

SPOILERS:

The TIME TRAVEL concept and rules are smart , simple, flawless and crystal clear (like in Reset)
They are perfectly explained, even if little by little over the drama, which is unforgiving if you don’t pay attention:
she travels back at times of regrets of the ML about her, thanks to her mobile phone, the texts representing those moments.
And she is sent back to present when there is a love confession, whether in written or verbal between them.
Always, as we are explained in ep.22/23. So love is the key between these two.

My take on the ENDING of the drama:

1. He is the one coming to her at the very end of the last episode (ep.24). It can only be him, even if we don’t see his face. For the following reasons:
- We clearly see the arm and hand holding the black umbrella. And the tall man is wearing his very duffle-coat from the beach walk in ep. 23.
- The black umbrella is an item of key significance when she met him when travelling to the past in another lifeline. And He has always protected her from the rain…
- Her shining smile behind her tears tells it all. Even before turning towards him, she knows.
- she has been told that « her whole world is behind her »- by the old man fishing in the 1st ep- and when he comes, he stands right behind her. He is her whole world. Like the sea for the fish as the old man said.
- The OST song playing also says exactly that. her whole world behind her.

2. He can only come from another lifeline through time travel. Not from her primary.
Some say that we don’t know if he died from the fall of the lighthouse. Not true. In ep. 19, we can hear the body when he falls on the ground. There is no doubt whatsoever. He didn’t fall into water. And he fell with part of the railing in his back , which must have been awful and certainly not protective. And it is also clearly said that the police closed the case quickly. The rest is just the hope of friends. It is obvious.

3. The fact that he comes from another lifeline is no more extraordinary than her travelling to other lifelines…

4. In her last travel, she at last manages to save him (ep 23) in another lifeline.
So, same as she has been able to travel to other lifelines and meet him at key given times for him, his regret times, I believe that their link is what makes them reunite in the present, at the very end of the last episode (ep.24), him from another lifeline, the last one visited, coming this time to her, because now, same as he was missing her in the past, she truly deeply misses him now and has heartfelt regrets in the present (we also have a clue that “he from the past” can travel as well in other lifelines, as I think he clearly visited the present, (or another present to past?) , if we pay attention to his winning essay “10 years from now” that is an exact picture of the present.)

So there is no debating whether it is him or not. We have a happy ending, even if we don’t see the face of who comes and protects her with his umbrella, for her shining smile behind the tears tells it all…
and it is the perfect closure to their first encounters when she travelled back in time…Because She is shining for him. He is shining for her…
(and a continuation movie is in the works.)

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Very well written and original romance COMEDY, far from the classic Wuxia genre. A real treat

This is not a “serious” Wuxia. It is truly a romance COMEDY taking place in the past, as an excuse to reflect on the relationships between men and women and their respective positions in society, or about what makes a good ruler, and how to sustain states, the easy way through taxing, or through more meaningful and respectful ways… all with a modern take. It is light, fluffy, funny… yet with enough substance in the storylines to keep you interested, if not hooked, as it is extremely well written and thought. A real treat, with well defined characters, nothing overly complicated, and a feast for the eye as the production is not lacking, served by a great cast. Their smile is contagious. You are rooting for the main leads. Special mention to the 3rd and 5th brothers, as well as the superintendent,and the Little (adopted) Sister of the ML… There is no high level of angst: Even the “bad” characters are not that bad, which is really relaxing (for instance, when a young lady threatens to do something nasty to the dog of the FL to have her punished, … she puts flowers in the dog’s fur….), except maybe for the really dumb, moody and mean crown prince.
I loved it. Such a refreshing take on Wuxia.

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An absolutely epic long ballad

Extremely rewarding drama. The main storyline is of such a rare quality, supported by a fantastic, generous and talented cast. This one is an emotional rollercoaster. Wu Lei and Dilraba Dilmurat are perfect. The production is highly qualitative and supported by a beautiful OST. Even if we are not granted any kiss scene between the leads, their romance is nonetheless really heart-fluttering and very gratifying and satisfactory nonetheless. Their expressions, the way they look at each others ….is one of a kind. All in all, one of the best dramas in its kind. I especially loved the growth of the two female leads, their long ballad towards true wisdom…Learning along the way that revenge as a goal in life is not worth pursuing, as its toll will always be more than what you bargained for…and such a waste of the precious time we have…

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What if the mist fulfilling love relationship is from AI

If one is able to put aside the fact that, at the difference of “I’m not a robot”, or “my holo love”, this love story is about falling in love with an artificial intelligence, as the better self of a spoiled heir… this is a really beautiful love story. Albeit a bit disrupting in so far we are rooting for a robot../
The beginning of the drama is a bit slow and off-putting, and does not fairly reflect what it going to be about… Seo kang joon is absolutely perfect in playing dual polar characters, an unredeemable bad brat and his perfect AI alter ego, self improving throughout the drama to the point of experiencing emotions…
How nice it would be to benefit by truly unconditional love and support could be the underlying theme…
On the contrary to the majority, I don’t believe that the Skj we see in the end with the Ai tech friends is the bad guy after he has become good, I think it is the former repaired Version, looking at his simplified self on the beach, now able to shed tears…
All in all, this drama is really smart and leaves a lasting impression, also thanks to a brilliant Skj

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A very good surprise …

I hesitated to watch the drama because of some reviews, and I don’t regret having watched it, as these reviews were wrong to me.
Also, the screenwriter also wrote 100 my Prince, and Scent of a Woman.
And the mature Jo Bo Ah never chose her drama wrongly so far.

The storyline isn’t messy at all, it is extremely clear and well balanced between present time and flash backs, which come little by little to maintain the suspense of what really happened in the past between the two lovers and why, until the end… and it is really impossible to thoroughly guess it.

Another good thing about the drama is that it managed to be very original … and therefore unexpected despite some classic kdrama tropes.
But these are lovely.

Now about the love story, it is absolutely charming,
I must say I wasn’t a fan of Rowoon so far, but he plays his part perfectly…especially when he doesn’t know if he loves Jo bo ah because of a spell or genuinely… in that regard, dialogs and situations are once again on point, a bit more daring than in many dramas. And lighthearted too with moments that really make you smile.
And I loved that there was only genuine love between them, in the past and present.

All in all, a very unusual, very entertaining and great drama, served by a superb ost.
I really rooted for the 2 ML leads from the beginning on, and was really content with their happy ending.

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Pleasantly surprised by this crazed yet serious comedy considering the awful & nasty ratings

What a pity: I suspect that many nasty and - lets say it - stupid critics are from people who didn’t bother watching throughout and understand the drama and take pride and strength at group lapidations…)
Starting ep. 4, after mother and daughter are reunited , the drama focuses on the drug plot and gets better and better after each episode.

Yes, this drama is an outrageous comedy, that at first glance doesn’t take itself seriously, Yet the craziness is there to balance a very serious and dark drug related main plot. It also shows that dark lords are recruited and bread from childhood (orphans) to serve their masters. Korean dramas are good at revealing this kind of universal sad truth…

This drama is original and well written, with a very engaging storyline relating to-drug trafficking, consumption etc. Balanced by outrageous comedic moments and characters.

Many critic the plot. I couldn’t fault it.
The first 3 to 4 episodes however don’t serve the drama, as they show the crazy reuniting between daughter and family , and do not fairly reflect what the drama becomes after these: a great drama. After ep. 10, it is simply epic.

Nam soon is reunited very quickly with her family without any unnecessary dragging, which I find refreshing for a drama, the main Plot being the new drug trafficking, very well developed over the series, and served by a great cast.
Nam soon personality is bubbly and lively, positive, considerate and thoroughly kind. Like her mother and grandmother (otherwise, it is explained that they would immediately lose their power). She is neither stupid nor a baby. She’s smart , but just utterly kind and self-confident, relying on her strength, trusting because having been brought up in an unspoiled and protected environment (in Mongolia). But again, she has a strong assertive personality nonetheless and is a quick learner…

The main plot, which is about the drug trafficking , is very well maintaining the suspense in an engaging way throughout the drama.
There is no secondary diluting plot which is also good.

Now about the main cast. They are all very good actors, from the younger generation to the experienced ones. All characters have interesting personalities. Thy are fleshed out. The drama being a comedy, they play extreme characters, and are really fun to watch, if you accept that you are watching a comedy but with a serious plot. Like a Jim Carrey comedy (think Dumb & Dumber).
It doesn’t take itself seriously so it is out of place to try & analyse everything to see if it makes sense… That is even stupid: don’t forget that the women in the family are all extraordinarily impossibly strong to start with… if you don’t accept that fact, then don’t watch the drama and criticise, that is not nice at all.
SPECIAL MENTION TO BYUN WOO SEOK who is just amazing playing the villain. I wish he gets great parts in the future and we get to see him more often.

About the romance between the FL and the ML, played by Ong Seong Wu (amazing in Moment at Eighteen) : some say they is no chemistry between then… then watch a true romance, which this one is not. Again, It is a comedy. But they are charming together and their cute interactions leave no doubt: The ML is flustered from the very beginning and it shows in his every look at her…
All in all, very unusual, refreshing and surprising. I wasn’t bored one single moment and didn’t feel the need for fast forwarding …A good entertaining drama served by a great cast and storyline, and very aesthetics settings and lights…
I’ve watched 100s of dramas and have become very picky and easily bored. I love being surprised. And this drama did it for me.

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One of the most epic beautiful and original xanxia and love story

pic and beautiful xanxia in every regard

One of the very best xanxia I have ever watched. An unusually entertaining, deep and engaging storyline, very different (in a good way) from the classic xanxia both in terms of plot and characters, good or bad , never one dull moment, or making you want to fast forward … no unnecessary secondary plot and characters…

well paced, great dialogs, lots of laugh to relieve darker moments in a very balanced and smart way,

The xanxia is served by a really good ost, beautiful REAL landscapes on top of the usual special effects and studio CGI fake sceneries (what breathtaking mountains and river views) in the second half)…

and what a cast…
their love story and the way it develops makes perfect sense, and is both extremely charming and endearing… you root for them.
What is also awesome is the amazing relationship between the main couple, their unwavering live for each other and the fact that their is no lengthy misunderstanding or separation drama between them. We can enjoy their growing relationship during the majority of the episodes and it is very soothing in that regard.
Special mention to the FL actress serving an awesome character.

Epic. Doesn’t get the success it deserves

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What a highly underrated healing drama …

Such a good surprise. The first 6 episodes may not give the best idea of what the drama is about: healing drama with a beautiful love story. Some situations are extremely funny, while at the beginning of the drama, other may go a bit too far in tackling the digestive issues of the ML when under stress,. Extreme stress can cause that, which may deter some viewers from going past that. Good thing, after ep. 6, there is no more of this ;) and it is really rewarding.

This drama is Not a revenge drama. But truly a great healing drama with a lovely romance between the leads. Oh yeon seo and Ahn Jae Hyun make a perfectly believable couple, they have great chemistry, with outstanding comedic skills: a great watch, if you can go past ep. 6, which will leave you with a smile.

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One of the purest and most powerful love stories ever watched

“One and Only” is Part 1, and “forever and ever” is part 2. You have to watch them one after the other. Because not only is that how the book is written, Part 1 in the past, and Part 2 in the present; but also because if you don’t have part 2 following the watching of One and Only, you are going to cry for a long time.
One and only is a Masterpiece. (Forever and ever as well). This is a most beautiful love story, even if it remains platonic ( at the difference of Forever and ever), because of an officially given promise…. Yet, even without kissing scene between. Bai Lu and Ren Jia Lun, their chemistry, skinship and the way they look at each other more than make up for the absence of consumed romance.
The story is a slow burn, with the underlying political schemes of this Wuxia far from boring, and I am not a big fan of political plots… and you will hate the empress dowager, and everyone greedy for power and not letting people live the peaceful they are longing for.
The production is just beautiful, although it took place in winter times, and is served by a beautiful ost. This drama will haunt me, as The Red Sleeve did…
but this one (and Forever and Ever) have something unique when you think about it: they are the only ones I watched so far - and I’ve seen hundreds of them, where there is an absolute and unwavering love between the two main protagonists, something that is more powerful than anything, a vow for eternity without fight or breaking up, but mutual respect and understanding. Love in its purest form.

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By the same producers as Put your head on my shoulders and A love so beautiful.
The atmosphere of the drama is nice and probably truer to reality than the majority of high school coming -of-age dramas,
For instance, the shared bedrooms at the university don’t look like straight from a design magazine, we are also shown the military training at the start of the season for new univ students… we see tai chi being practiced outdoors… we can hear the noises of the city and traffic, which is normally polished in these dramas.
Another plus is that we can enjoy the actual and non dubbed voices of the actors on the contrary to what is common in the majority of c dramas for the main leads, famous or not… thus no silly baby voice for the actress, and not the same male voice for the main leads as in so many c-dramas… (on the contrary to a Yang Yang for instance. In that regard, xu Kai recently disclosed that it was the first time we could hear his real voice for his latest drama, “she and her perfect husband).
About the story itself, the main romance is really lovely, it is the first time I see such a cute but intense as well as heart-fluttering pursuit of his crush by a male lead (best being ep. 12 and 13). We really see how he wins her over by his attitude and it is great to watch and quite unique. He falls in love at their first chance encounter, and is understandably mesmerized by her bubbly, true kind and positive personality, when his family background has made a solitary of him (his parents have been frequently fighting since early childhood and it is discovered in present time that his mother has bipolar disorder - explaining for her mood swings).
Spoiler : As in every drama, there will be a temporary breakup, this time in the last part of the drama, not out of love or a stupid misunderstanding , but this one - however frustrating - makes sense given the ML absence of model of what a loving, caring and stable relationship really means.for fear of ending like his parents and having the same disorder as his mother, (bc. His nasty jealous childhood friend changes his genetic test results …) even if he truly loves her, he decides to break up, thinking that he will avoid future trauma. But he ends up more miserable than before meeting her, because she truly means everything for him, as he realizes. Good thing he knows how to make amend, and she.s a smart and caring person….
All in all, a great romance comedy drama- even though the female lead is not the best actress, the story itself is so endearing you don’t mind… and gong Jun is perfect.

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