First Impressions: “About Love” is a C-drama that explores the nuances of romance and relationships

Is believing in a true, faithful love something naive or a mere illusion that needs to be broken? Or is finding that unique romance the ultimate goal in life? In the great year of 2026, love is still a mystery, but it is one that everyone is willing to try to figure out, even if there is a risk of ending in heartbreak. “About Love“in the lead role Wang Zi Wen and Liu Yu Ning navigate your typical girl-meets-boy story; However, it also brings a colorful and complex mix of relationships that will make you realize that modern love can have more than one happy ending.

Warning: spoilers ahead!

Li Xiao Xi (Wang Zi Wen) is a charming and lovely woman, the kind of beauty everyone dreams of. But as beautiful as she is, she has never experienced being in love. After seeing time and time again how men can never be trusted, she became disillusioned with the idea of ​​romance. However, she is still a girl’s girl, which is why she does not hesitate to help women who seek her help test the loyalty of their partners, earning her a reputation as a heartless and cold fox.

Although at first glance she seems like a total femme fatale, upon second glance you soon discover that she is actually clueless about romantic relationships. She may know how to play a role of always having the upper hand in front of treacherous men, but when she meets Xiao Bei (Liu Yu Ning), an honest and devoted man who breaks all the rules she knows about the opposite sex, she may have a change of heart for the first time in her life.

On the other hand, Xiao Bei looks serious and cold on the outside, but on the inside he is a kind and caring person. Upon their first meeting, he immediately refuses Xiao Xi’s advances. He is not impressed by her looks or overt flirtation like most men. But the woman’s confidence and strong personality inadvertently caught his attention. As an appraiser of luxury items, he can easily distinguish the fake from the real deal, and he naturally discovers Xiao Xi’s true value. Once they get to know each other, they quickly begin a romantic relationship.

If you were expecting an overly dramatic declaration of love or that they had to overcome major obstacles before getting together, then this development may have come as a surprise. But in modern dramas, this can only mean that the problems come their way. Just a few months into a blissfully happy relationship, Xiao Xi realizes that one of Xiao Bei’s closest friends, Lao Gong (Gao Wei Guang), is her client’s ex-boyfriend. Even worse, after their brief but intense encounter, Gong couldn’t forget her, claiming to be deeply in love with her.

Now Xiao Xi not only risks being exposed in front of her beloved Xiao Bei, but she also has to face the consequences of her past. And that’s probably the most interesting premise of this show. Because no matter how good her intentions were, the tears and pain she inflicted on other women became the biggest threat to her own love story. It’s not a moral story, but the irony behind it still serves the purpose of showing that no one is completely flawless in those matters.

As Xiao Xi tries to protect her relationship with Xiao Bei and hide her past as a “love tester”, she reluctantly begins to grow closer to Gong, who knows her true identity. He is by no means a saint and also takes this opportunity. Unlike Xiao Bei, who is somehow naive and pure, Lao Gong is cynical and a playboy, but he is also honest about it. And probably that same open personality is what allows Xiao Xi to show her true self to him and not to her current partner.

Xiao Xi remains hesitant to reveal her past to Xiao Bei, afraid of losing his love. And given how much he dismisses the person who allegedly ruined his friend’s relationship, a subtle yet clear rift develops between them. Here the nuances of relationships are perfectly portrayed. It’s not just about feelings; it’s about trust, communication, insecurities, hidden truths, half-told lies, hopes, fears and much more. In short, it is about human nature.

This is also shown in the secondary couples. The messy love triangle between Ah Xiu (Gu Jia Cheng), his wife Yu (Jiang Xin), and his longtime friend Luan Luan (Huang Zi Qi). Although both friends clearly have feelings for each other, he is unable to take the step to break up their marriage, nor does she want to draw the line between them. There is also the confusing situation between Da Sen (Zhu Jia Qi) and Ming Ming (Vivienne Ten), who is unwilling to either let go of her first love or define her relationship with Da Sen.

In that sense, this story may not be flashy or extraordinary in terms of the plot, but it is relatable and interesting in many ways. Because even the most cunning woman can become a fool, the most confident man can become insecure, and even a bad guy can become a true friend while in love. No relationship is perfect, but it doesn’t have to be that way to be true. Everyone has their faults, dreams and goals. Their faults do not make them unlovable or villainous; they make them real. And a story like this is always worth watching.

Watch “About Love” here:

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Those in Southeast Asia can watch here!

Andy tsar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She likes romance, webcomics and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet and BOL4. Find her on Instagram @wuaitboni.

Currently watching: “About Love“
Plans to watch: “Love story in the 1970s” and “Ghost lawyer.”