And here we go! Note: Lots of images, those reading this on data, go forth at your own risk.

Ep 1: Dear Jiang Chen

The drama starts with a monologue by our female lead Chen Xiao Xi in the present. An adult Xiao Xi recounts that the most important thing in her life has been drawing…. and… heh.

The scene flashes back to 2005 where Xiao Xi is waiting with her bike for Jiang Chen to go to school together. We get introduce to her cold, aloofted, genius, way too good looking for his own good neighbour since childhood.

Xiao Xi, in her monologue, describes that they’ve always had a good relationship and how Jiang Chen has always been really kind to her. Our video montage shows otherwise. Xiao Xi, being the clumsy and forward girl that she is, constantly does stuff like sit on his jacket or accidentally pour water on his head.

He’s great, just that he walks too fast and I can’t catch up to him. Even though I spent my entire youth following him, I believe that he must also be secretly waiting for me.

The scene shifts and we see the students of Chen Xi High School (HAH. Yes, script writers, make it even more obvious which pair is destined to be together) sweeping the courtyards. Xiao Xi slowly sneaks up to Jiang Chen, who sees but ignores her.  She smiles with all awkward youth in her and says “Isn’t it a coincidence that we’re in the same class again?” (Inner OS [please read in your teenage girl voice]: OMG! It must be fate! We were destined to be together!!!)

Jiang Chen sarcastically comments that the entrance requirement for Chen Xi High School must have been lowered yet again and the sarcasm flies straight over Xiao Xi’s head. Xiao Xi looks around her to make sure no one is in earshot, takes a deep breath and confesses to Jiang Chen: “I like you!”. Without missing a beat, Jiang Chen nonchalantly replies: “I don’t like you”.

*cue awkward silence* Xiao Xi: “I’ll….think of another idea!” *runs off in a frenzied panic* The scene switches again, and we get a scene of Xiao Xi on Baidu searching up how to get a guy to like you (Athena: ROFLMAO. Don’t deny it, we’ve all done it before…or at least, I have…>.>). The first two items on the page that she pulls up says: look pretty and be outstanding. No Sh*t Sherlock.

The next day, we see Xiao Xi engaging in friendly banter with Lu Yang, quickly copying his homework before handing it in. We learn that both Xiao Xi and Lu Yang are what the chinese netizens have called School Rubbish (学渣) [this term is said in the most endearing way possible and means someone who is not neccessarily academically successful].  Just as Jiang Chen walks by, Xiao Xi starts bragging to her classmate about how the exam today was easy, just that the topic of “Chasing your Dreams” was a little hard to write for the essay, right? Jiang Chen? Jiang Chen, again with his poker face, says that “Chasing your dreams” was the comprehension essay title, “Fair and Just” was the prompt for the essay. LOL.

The scene cuts to Xiao Xi getting scolded in front of her class for her horrendous grades that pull her school rank down by 75 places. Hah. So much for pretending to be outstanding. Of course, while scolding Xiao Xi, her homeroom teaches praises Jiang Chen — who apparently gets first every single time.

At recess, Xiao Xi sees a pretty female classmate, Li Wei, approach Jiang Chen to discuss with him about a homework problem. She disgruntly asks Lu Yang, who is pestering her to form a unit with him called Dragon Brother Tiger Sister, who has a smaller face. Lu Yang says without hesitation: “Her.” Xiao Xi walks off in disappointment while we get a shot of Jiang Chen looking back her as she walks off (you know you like her!!).

At night, Xiao Xi pulls up the same page and decides to try the third point which is “Gentle and Considerate”. The next day, she waits at 7:00am for Jiang Chen downstairs with breakfast buns. Jiang Chen tells her, “Stop bringing me buns”. The next day, she tries again with chinese donuts. As she waits, she launches into a one man play where she’s pretends to be discussing a book with Jiang Chen and that he was impressed by her knowledge. At 7:59am, she realizes that Jiang Chen has probably already left for school earlier.

On the third day, she wakes up even earlier (at 6!!! That dedication right there!) and falls asleep sitting on the curb waiting for Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen comes down, sees her sitting there and rides off on his bike to school.

Having failed the breakfast plan, she on the last point of the no-sh*t-mr-obvious site: Confess. She decides to write him a love letter. And off she goes, on a quest to write the best love letter. At lunch with Lu Yang, who brags that he has received at least 30 different love letters, she decides to ask him for help. In return for teaching her how to write love letters, he enlist her help to pass out some love letters. He plagarizes a couple of love songs while helping her write her love letter to Jiang Chen (which she doesn’t pick up on, LOL).

After school, pretty classmate Li Wei ask Jiang Chen where he lives. To which he replied, “Beside Chen Xiao Xi.” (awwwwwwwwwww) Xiao Xi catches up to him and decides to recite him a couple lines to test the water. Jiang Chen stops his bike and tells Xiao Xi to stop memorizing lyrics and do more practice tests. Xiao Xi stops in her tracks and pulls out the love letters and starts reciting them eventually attaching the melody to the lyrics.

That night, Xiao Xi gets a phone call from a friend she met online to attend a fan event for her. (She’s a fangirl too! LOLOLOL) She tells her online friend that she wants to write a love letter (FOR HER FRIEND) and might not be able to make it. Her online friend offers to write the love letter for her.

The next scene shows Wu Bo Song casually walking down the road to school when he hears Xiao Xi yell “You, stop there!” Turns out she was reading the love letter than her online friend has written for her (in the tone of a head of mafia). She stops when she sees Wu Bo Song standing there. Wu Bo Song jokingly asks her “Classmate, is the school this scary? Are you Big Brother? Part of the ‘society’?” Xiao Xi walks off after affirming his questions.

In class, Xiao Xi gets called up to an english spelling test that she was not prepared for. Wu Bo Song walks into class and saves her on a word she doesn’t know (because it was on his shirt). He gets introduced to the class as a student with special skills (usually someone who excels at the arts or sports). He sits behind Xiao Xi and jokingly calls her “Big Brother”. Jiang Chen turns his head back at this comment.

A random girl from and her friend (who is too shy) looking for Jiang Chen to give him a love letter. Xiao Xi says he’s not here and that he transferred to another school (ROFL). During free time, Xiao Xi decides to put her love letter for Jiang Chen in his bag, and in a mad rush, gives him the wrong one (one of Lu Yang’s).

When Jiang Chen discovered the love letter, he opened it up, sees Lu Yang’s plagerised lyrics and goes… “wtf is this?” while looking back at Xiao Xi.

During break, Xiao Xi approaches Jiang Chen to tell him that she took a long time to write that letter, not having time to finish before being pulled off by Lu Yang to help him pass out love letters. While giving Lu Yang’s love letter to an upper year girl, the girl’s bully classmates and makes fun of Lu Yang. Someone runs back to their class and informs everyone, including Jiang Chen and Lin Jing Xiao, that Xiao Xi and Lu Yang was in a fight with upper class mates. Lin Jing Xiao and Wu Bo Song immediately stands up for our two cute troublemakers, while Jiang Chen takes the smart route and calmly announces that the dean is coming — immediately breaking up the fight.

Lu Yang and Xiao Xi gets pulled away by Wu Bo Song and Lin Jing Xiao respectively. *cue super cute moment when Lu Yang is in awe of the girl who saved him and falls in love* Hah. Usually it’s the other way around.

Of course, the entire class gets scolded by their homeroom teacher and the dean. The dean decides to punish Lu Yang by reading his stack of love letters out loud… only to discover that they all have the exact same content. Jiang Chen suddenly is reminded of the love letter that Xiao Xi gave him and opened it up to realize that it was one of Lu Yang’s love letters. As the dean makes his way through the pile, Xiao Xi panics as her letter to Jiang Chen is also in that pile. Both Wu Bo Song and Jiang Chen picks up on her panic, and both stand up in protest of the dean’s “violation of the student’s privacy”.

The five of them, including Lin Jing Xiao, gets sent to the teacher’s office to write a review of 1000 words. And thus, this is our introduction to how the core group of characters became friends.

Lu Yang suggests that they all hang out together after school. Lin Jing Xiao and Xiao Xi rejects in unison and runs off. Jiang Chen and Wu Bo Song also reject Lu Yang. But the scene shifts and we see the 3 guys playing CS in a net cafe (LOLOL). Turns out Jiang Chen is also good at playing games as well…. (yes, yes, yes, let’s add to how perfect he is and render the audience even more single). Lu Yang suggests that the 3 of them form a unit called T3. 😆

The girls also bond at a fan event where Xiao Xi finds out that the online friend who helped her write the mafia like love letter is actually Lin Jing Xiao. She also saves the day by drawing a new banner on the spot when Lin Jing Xiao brings a folded banner. You bond through adversity right?! LOL

On the way home, Lin Xiao Xiao thanks Xiao Xi and teasingly confronts her about the love letter. “It’s for a FRIEND!” Xiao Xi protests. Right. We all roll our eyes. She also immediately figures out that the letter was meant for Jiang Chen.

The next morning, Xiao Xi gets woken up by her alarm and decides true love can wait. LOL. She walks outside her building with two bags of breakfast in her hand anyways and to her surprise, finds Jiang Chen outside waiting for her. Xiao Xi can’t hide the smile on her face.

Jiang Chen asks her why she’s smiling. She replies: “I’m happy to go to school with you!”. Heh. Sweet.

You might not have received my letter, but I feel like you know the contents anyway.

Rewind to the part where Xiao Xi fell asleep on the curb at 6 am in the morning waiting for Jiang Chen. We see that Jiang Chen actually stops in front of her and looks at her sweetly before reaching out a hand to stroke her face. He gets stopped when Xiao Xi, in her sleep, mutters “Jiang Chen, eat the bun.” He laughs sliently and walks away. (awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww)

Athena’s Comments:

In this episode, the stage is set, the chracters are introduced and the premise is laid out. Yes, we have the classic not-so-bright girl chasing cold-aloofted-boy genius trop. But here, boy genius actually might have liked the girl before she even realizes it. We get introduced the secondary characters who plays out a side vstoryline just as interesting as the main one.

And gosh. The face value of Hu Yi Tian makes this drama so so so so so soooo worth it. He’s also like 188cm. Just saying. Not fantasizing about marrying him or anything.

 

LOL

Well, until next time!

unforgivingAthena