Joe Chen & Huang Xiao Ming’s lack of chemistry
I don’t know why, but I’m still not very into their whole relationship right now. I can see the producer’s weak attempts to create cute moments to sweep us off our feet but most of these moments are so cringe-inducing and awkward.
Hopefully it gets less weird as the drama proceeds.
We start the episode with where we ended off last episode, where Jin Xiu and Ling Lin went exploring to see where the sources of the weird noises originated from in the Mei Hua offices. At last they found this lab where medicine was being made.
They assumed that it was made for make-up, but it was later revealed by Long Yi that it was the medicine made by the underground network for the soldiers fighting against the Japanese army. This was the exact thing that Long Yi sent Ming Zhu investigate about in Mei Hua.
Ming Zhu was first ridiculed when she wanted to join Mei Hua. I mean, if I was Boss Ling I would judge her too – Ming Zhu’s just a mere pretty face who earned her status and wealth just by being pretty. She had no place in being an executive in such a prestigious company.
Xiang Shao, knowing of Ming Zhu’s desire to get into Mei Hua, made Boss Ling an offer she couldn’t refuse. He also bought up the shares of the shareholders that Boss Ling had worried about all along, and gifted it to Boss Ling.
So, Ming Zhu became an executive.
It was also during this press conference where Boss Ling revealed at the big ‘Red Make-up Ball’, which is a prestigious ball and celebration of Mei Hua, that Jin Xiu would dance the opening dance because she’s been an outstanding employee.
Ok it’s getting pretty annoying where she always looks so damn clueless
Meanwhile Ming Zhu tries to negotiate with Boss Shum.
Boss Shum had a disagreement with Xiang Shao earlier about working with the Japanese. Xiang Shao, being the head, said to decrease the cooperation between the companies and the Japanese, but not to stop it completely, because the Japanese could well win the war.
Boss Shum has a lot of business with Japanese so he’s like “Uh, no” and decides to increase rent on all his properties as a tactic to force Xiang Shao to changing his mind. This is because a lot of Xiang Shao’s factories are rented from Boss Shum, and this would cost Xiang Shao a lot of money.
Ming Zhu tries her hand at negotiating and gets insulted by him. Boss Shum says that he’ll do whatever she wants, if she sleeps with him (hey at least she doesn’t fall for it, right?).
Ying Shao witnesses her humiliation and decides to handle Boss Shum on his own. Again it’s his inferiority complex kicking in, where he’s like “The Xiang family doesn’t only have one man (his brother), they have ME too”. Well, you gotta start acting like one.
But nope, he doesn’t. He actually picks the least manliest avenue to go down, which is to target Boss Shum’s daughter.
Like really? There is no competition with the first male lead and the second male lead, because Ying Dong is just so undesirable.
Anyways, Boss Shum’s daughter, Shum Meng, is so adorable. I find her to be cuter than Jin Xiu and her acting as an innocent and naive girl is much more bearable.
Jin Xiu decides to learn how to dance at home. Zuo Zhen, originally going to visit her, decides to spy on her once again through her window like a creep, and finds out.
Zuo Zhen Stalker Tally: 4
He decides to learn dancing on his own, and he even fantasizes about dancing with Jin Xiu.
Ok it’s undeniable that he only gets away with being so creepy only because he’s good looking ok?
Which leads me to this video:
Imagine this guy fantasizing about dancing with you:
I rest my case
But Zuo Zhen succeeds. He goes over to Jin Xiu’s house, returns her the jade bangle, and teaches her to dance.
Finally, the day of the ‘Red Make-Up Ball’. Apparently Jin Xiu’s dress is really ugly, because everyone judges her for it. Luckily, Zuo Zhen steps in and prepares her with a beautiful dress and jewelry.
And I just want to say this woman kept singing noises and sounds the whole time. It was like “Hula Hula Hula Hei” and a bunch of gibberish. It was strangely mesmerizing.
Jin Xiu has a total Cinderella moment when she’s changed into the nice dress and jewelry (and I swear, she was wearing a pair of Louboutins on her feet ok), and take the first dance with Zuo Zhen.
Later on that evening she confronts a bunch of women gossiping about Ming Zhu. They say very nasty things about her, about even though she’s wearing all this nice jewelry, it can’t hide her ‘dirty’ body that’s been with so many men, since she was an escort.
Jin Xiu stands up for her, only to get confronted by Ming Zhu afterwards about all that Ming Zhu has suffered.
Ming Zhu once again swears to kick her out of Shanghai. She said that way in the beginning when she first reunited with Jin Xiu and Jin Xiu’s not any closer to getting kicked out than she was before.
ADSFLSAJDF Ling Lin is so adorable. He acknowledges all of Jin Xiu’s suitors and says that he wants to get ahead… so he proposes. He is just so cute with a boyish charm. He gets rejected of course, but he’s just so damn cute.
Jin Xiu invites Zuo Zhen to her place for dinner, where she tries to cook him a dinner.
Remember how I said in earlier recaps that she reminded me of a girl that screamed at everything in my gym class? Well here she goes again. She’s cooking, and she’s screaming at her f*cking frying pan.
What did you expect?! Is this supposed to look cute?! It just looks her look dumb and incapable of doing any basic human activity without getting someone else’s help. Seriously I was so unimpressed BUT…
WHAT. SERIOUSLY? MUST YOU SAVE HER FROM EVERYTHING?
Zuo Zhen hears her screaming and he does this awkward corny hug behind her and twirls her in the opposite direction to safety, and this is all done in slow-motion. THIS IS SO UNNECESSARY AND SO DAMN AWKWARD.
At a certain point he need to allow Darwin’s Law to take its place and stop trying to save her at every chance. He can’t fight against evolution.
Back to Ying Shao. He goes full dirtbag and uses Boss Shum’s daughter as bargaining chips to get him to sign a contract. Originally hiding in rural suburb, he ‘elopes’ with her to Shanghai after making her fall in love with him.
Somehow he gets her underwear to prove to Boss Shum he has her, so I think it’s implied that he had sex with Shum Meng.
Shum Meng explains to her father that she loves Ying Shao and willing to give up everything for him. At this point Ying Shao feels ashamed and realizes what he’s done, and he’s shitting bricks. He completely lied to this girl and will probably ruin her if he left her.
Boss Shum signs the contract and agrees on all terms even though the contract solely favours the Xiang family. Ying Dong presents this contract to his brother, and Xiang Shao flips out.
He rips up the contract and tells Ying Dong that they would rather lose money rather than face and integrity – which is something that they won’t be able to get back from this incident. He cooly walks away.
Ming Zhu tries to get Jin Xiu fired but failed. Boss Ling puts her in her place.
In our last scene… Zuo Zhen goes to Jin Xiu for medical attention for a wound that he got. She says something in passing like, “No one would want to marry you, since they’d always have to worry about you,” and he gets weird again. He keeps saying things like “My woman would be the luckiest, and she would be the envy of all women in Shanghai” blah blah. I feel like I could come up with more romantic things to say than he does – I would just get creeped out. I would swipe left or unmatch him.
TRAILER:
So in the trailer, we see Jin Xiu being dumb af again, and sliding down a cliff. Having unequivocal love for her, Zuo Zhen decides to save her, and ends up sliding down the cliff instead. WILL THIS BE THE DEFINING MOMENT WHERE JIN XIU FALLS IN LOVE FINALLY? I’m so sick of the push and pull of her reluctance and his persistence that I’m hoping the pace picks up.
IM SO PISSED i lost 13/14 after i updated this. I know why now. I’m so frustrated that I don’t know when I’ll do 13,14 again anymore…. ARGH. So pissed.
Deer Drama 
Omg, I feel so bad for you 😦 Hope you will be able to solve the problem soon!
Love your recap (and especially your comments!)
I first started loving both leads, but now I cringe so much when ZZ says nonsense loveline and tries to save her and when RJX is being clueless. I am not even sure I want them to be together or have a happy ending. Really, having either one of them as a lover must be a pain v_v
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LOL yeah I’m so unattached to both of the leads that I really don’t mind if there is an epic tragedy right now. It would actually spice things up haha
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Oh my god, Ying Dong is so immature. I hate his character. I do hope after Zuo Zhen used his life to save Jin Xiu that they will finally get together. I want some nice OTP moments before shit goes down.
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I think my fave character has to be Zuo Zhen. He does say and do cheesy stuff but it’s just the way he is. He has never loved a woman before Jin Xiu. He just so desperately wants her to love him back. I know he seems like a crazy stalker, but I think it’s sweet that everything he does for Jin Xiu he doesn’t expect payback… He just wants to be loved by her. He kind of remind me of a real life stalker than stalks my friend lol but in a creepy way.
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I like ZuoZhen. So very focus on JinXiu and no nonsense from other ladies. When JinXiu threw his late mom’s bangle, I am surprised that he is not angry at all. Sometimes, he is just too tolerant for her but at times he is too harsh and forceful to her till she cannot feel his love for her. The drama is really worth watching. So much so that I find it even better than the Taiwan ones which at times can be rather draggy and the storyline can be abit distorted. Thanks for your recap
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Your recaps are better than the drama.
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Oh my god, I wonder when the Japanese man will come across Jin Xiu again…. U know shit is gonna happen when he appears. I think he may try brain wash her or something.
I think Jin Xiu is starting to lose interest in Ying Dong (about time too) because she said she was tired and seem a bit reluctant to want to hear his problems, he has done nothing for her, damn he even forgot he had to teach her to dance. I think she is starting to like Zuo Zhen, he is important to her.. But she hasn’t realised that she likes him yet.
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Your recaps are definitely more entertaining than the drama. Looking ahead, there’s another opportunity for ZZ to save JX. I was really annoyed when she screamed during her cooking attempt. Come on! Is there anything she could do competently?
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I KNOW – _ – why is she always in danger?! For once, can she not lack the common sense to do something for herself?
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Jin Xiu finally meets her killer! That scene was rather cheesy lol but I love it. Qi Ji is hawttttttt
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LOL I actually thought that was a very cute scene!!! It’s sad when your third male lead has cuter scenes than with the first one right? He just stares at her adoringly. I guess now it will be even harder for Ming Zhu to kick Jin Xiu out of Shanghai now that there’s Long Yi haha
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Yeah! I’m glad I’m not the only one messed up lol other people have also been cheering the bad guy on lol. I do think it was a cute moment the way he hugged her. We shouldn’t be wishing them together! But he is just too cute, think they picked wrong guy to play the Japanese man. I just can’t hate him… Yet… I think later he does try convince her it is Zuo Zhen as her parents killer because I saw trailer somewhere when Zuo Zhen laying in bed and there was Jin Xiu standing over him with a knife and background voice of Long Yi saying Zuo Zhen is killer… Could be wrong though. We know Long Yi won’t hurt Jin Xiu, but he definitely an obstacle with OTP getting together. Let’s forget about Ying Dong he is just pathetic.
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Qi Ji is smoking hot. Too bad he’s playing the bad guy. I’d love to see him more in the drama. He’s such an underrated actor. I think you should have kept a tally of the number of times ZZ saves JX. I can’t believe the amount of filler there is to drag this supposedly short story out.
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I actually think the long drawn out relationship is kinda fun to watch – does kinda flesh out each ZZ and RJX strengths and failings as individuals and why he likes her and later, why she likes him (on ep 20 now). RJX is meant to be a rich man educated daughter and if not for the tragedy which befell her family, she woild never have crossed paths w the leader of the underworld hence explaining a lot of her nonchalance/ambivalence towards zz – she does look down at him to a certain extent. If she were to fall for him immediately, it would be yet another love at first sight/hero saves damsel in distress romance. Here, it seems more like she learning to accept him for who he is and he learning to understand that women are not possessions. I think the show also aims to demonstrate that RJX is booksmart and not streetsmart. I also find it refreshing that she has male friends (and not completely lost in love with one man) and all her thoughts/concerns in times of distress are about missing her family / reconciling with her half sister and not abt a man (regardless whether its Ying Shao or ZZ). Thats my 2 cents 🙂
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I’m losing track of when they broadcast. I thought there was no episodes on Sunday? But why is there 2? Recent episode is weird. Loved the Qi Ji and Joe scenes. I don’t think he really did shoot her. Must be shock bullet or something to deceive his teacher cos she’s clearly alive next episode. And he seems to have aimed for her shoulder. We don’t see any bullet going through? As bad as Qi Ji is… I don’t think he has it in him to kill her…
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Where are you deer? Would like your opinions on recent events. It’s bugging me, I still can’t believe Long Yi shot her… Then again I seen a trailer where Jin Xiu is getting pushed into emergency room in hospital but dunno when that would happen. Surely Long Yi has killed many people and if he really needed her to be dead he would make sure he finished her off properly. Then again I think he shot her somewhere so she survives and that the shot he did was he intentionally wanted her to live. I see him get whipped by his teacher in a future trailer.
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Just guessing, Long Yi master may play the trick. Test his loyalty, the woman or master? Then somehow use JX to get to ZZ or Long Yi already have planned to save her. I also like JX and Long Yi scenes together.
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DEDE ur right, I read comments on weibo because it was bugging me… It would seem Long Yi and Jin Xiu relationship pointless in last 2 episodes. What MOST people predict is…. And I agree is that Long Yi set one of his people by the gate, when Jin Xiu saw the man she naturally just followed him. The plan is for Long Yi to lure her away. What he did is set up someone to dress like her and basically killed that person. When the real Jin Xiu turned around, she did not see Long Yi. Must be someone else that startled her. When long Yi killed her replacement, the replacement was only seen from behind (keep audience in suspense), when he hugged the dead person it was to hide that persons face from his teacher so that the teacher will believe is JX. When long Yi commented that to gain something you have to lose something. Long Yi wishes to gain JX and lose the teacher. (This is also backed up by chinese wiki on Long Yi, description said he wants to gain JX at all costs).
So I think that would be a reasonable explanation 😀
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Bahhhh I’m so far behind… I’ve been occupied with boyfriend problems this weekend 😥 now I have so much to catch up on tMr… and I think that on Fri sat they only show one episode and Sunday to Thurs its two episodes… but man I’m so glad that long yi is in it now… Im with everyone where I enjoy seeing him with jx hahaha
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I was wrong, he did shoot her. I slow motioned it and paused when he shot her, the bullet went through her and I can see blood. I think he is expert with gun and won’t miss his target as he has killed many people before. He deliberately did a non fatal wound to make it look like he killed her. But still… Wound like that needs emergency attention. Nevertheless still ❤ Qi Ji!
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Haha I guessed right on my previous previous post. ❤ Qi Ji
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