I genuinely enjoyed this episode, perhaps because it’s super refreshing to see Bing Bing being the active party for once.

Zhen rushes to Japan to find Bing Bing and tells her it’s okay even if she can’t give birth. About the watch? “Granny said she decided to sell it to you precisely because you looked like her.” Zhen thinks that solves everything and brings out the ring, but Bing Bing resolves to be hard on herself (and Zhen). She reveals that even their relationship started off on a wrong note – it was because of Zhen’s demanding attitude. From the start, she just treats him as a friend.

Zhen understands finally that she wants to break up and leaves with his heart broken. He gets ready to leave for Vietnam and tears in front of Bing’s note on the wall.  Funnily, when Bruce drops by and hears the news, his first response is “How is she?” Zhen is incredulous, “I’m the one who got dumped.” “…Are you okay?” Zhen rants that he never understood what “giving up” means — this was how he became 2nd in school, and later the top of his department, yet now, he finally understands what it means.

During these 3 months, Bing Bing writes in her diary of her thoughts of Zhen – how she keeps herself up to date with news on Vietnam so that she can be closer to him. Even though you aren’t by my side, I’m filled with hope everyday. 

3 months later, Zhen returns with lots of new insight. Ai Zhen informs him that she will, as usual, get ready for Ah Nuo’s death anniversary.

At the seaside, the two bid their farewell to Ah Nuo for real. Zhen is thankful for the life Nuo has given him and decides to stop being grudgeful about being a doctor (exactly!! You ARE a great doctor). Ai Zhen smiles with tears in her eyes, “Ah Nuo, I’m not waiting for you anymore. I will always remember you in my heart…Here’s to you, my first love.” Okay this honestly breaks my heart a little heh.

Zhen, in his alone time with his brother, murmurs, “I’m giving the name back to you.” Thank you Nuo, I felt like I knew and understood you too.

7 months later, Zhen changes his name back to Wang Zhen and also becomes little Tiger’s godpa (how convenient, we never got to watch Yi Le as a pregnant mum!) He also helps his dad out with rearing the fishes, as he always wanted. Ai Zhen’s father pops by and is still bitter about how he treated Ai Zhen, leading to awkward laughter from father and son hahaha. Lego Lee really reminds me of Vic Zhou in this scene haha.

In the meantime Bing Bing works hard and also finally returns to Taiwan to head Akira-san’s shop (Haru)’s branch. Her dad has moved into a new apartment, which is dangerously close to Zhen’s house. Our couple almost sees each other but keeps missing the moment.

Bing Bing visits Bruce and opines that she finally understood what professionalism means. The old her is no more. Bruce brings up Zhen, but Bing Bing doesn’t want to force it – as long as he’s happy, she’s okay. Bai He becomes the branch manager, and their new staff, Pei Pei, reminds them sorely of the old Bing Bing – “I think anything goes~”.

At night, Zhen looks at a magazine (of himself) and Bing Bing finally runs into him. She panics because she is dressed super sloppily with a messy bun and decides that running away is the best option right now. Zhen mistakes her for a thief and pulls her. She grabs a box of chocolate to hide her face, but he pushes it away…oh-ohhhh. She winces, “It’s been a long time,” but he looks at her coldly, “Sorry, I made a mistake.”

He returns home to Romeo and Juliet (his adopted dogs) and start ranting to them hahaha. He starts scolding Juliet and sides with Romeo, “Let’s not care about her. The better you treat her, the more she takes you for granted.” He demands for Juliet to sit but she blatantly ignores him HAHAH.

Bruce is now doing culinary shows and he decides to interview Bing Bing and the Haru brunch. Zhen and Yi Le both get a little pissed from this – since Yi Le is still disappointed with Bruce’s flippant attitude. Despite her valiant attempts, Zhen still engages Bruce’s help in organising little Tiger’s one-month old birthday. Bruce cheekily suggests the venue of Haru and both of them egg Zhen on about accepting the suggestion.

Later, the guys start talking about little Tiger’s father and Bruce thinks that the guy must have not been too great, because he trusts a woman’s instinct, “So she must have her reason for leaving this man.” Zhen replies dead-pannedly, “What reason? Fear of insecurity, fear of losing herself so that she will only rely on others?” (Talking about Bing Bing and himself basically hahaha).

I thought Zhen already knew Yi Le’s kid is Bruce’s, but it seems like he didn’t?? because he’s super shocked to find out that Bruce and Yi Le had a one night stand (and that Yi Le gave him the hickey). HAHA I’m so tickled – here we go, the juxtaposition of a traditional man and a liberal one.

Our couple finally run into each other on the road, but Zhen decides to ride past Bing Bing, even though the latter raises her hand in a greeting. He ‘takes it out’ on his dogs again (so cute!) “All you guys know is to eat” and sadly comments that Romeo and Juliet was always a tragedy to start.

At Tiger’s party, there was an oomph, awkward entrance when Zhen comes. Bing Bing runs off to the kitchen to bring out the cake, and despite all appearance of coldness, Zhen smiles when Xiao Fang praises Bing Bing. The cake is Haru’s specialty cheesecake, which was created by Bing Bing (and Bruce said offhandedly previously that it was created with Zhen in mind!! I hope this is elaborated in the finale!!)

Bing Bing is definitely more courageous than the one we know. She brings a piece of cake to Zhen and asks after him. Zhen replies with short sentences but still congratulates her for finding herself. He escapes on the pretext of greeting someone else, and ditches the cake.

At night, they await for the new year and after the countdown, the girls and the guys hug each other. Yi Le nonchalantly rejects Bruce’s hug while Bing Bing walks to Zhen and wishes him a happy new year. He replies, but walks away after. Romeo, your coldness makes me aware just how much I’ve hurt you. 

Ai Zhen sees all of this and tags after Zhen. She “rubs” it in his face that the way Bing Bing dumps him was how he treated her all along. Zhen asks if her new boyfriend knows that she has this side of her, and she says no, before revealing to all of us that she was the one who scared all of his previous potential girlfriends. HAHAHA. So their debts to each other are called off!

She reveals that she didn’t like how she was, after she became vengeful. Even when love turns to hate, it didn’t make her a better person, so she decided to not to let herself down anymore. I like this resolution of Ai Zhen! She was never a true villain to begin with, so there’s something satisfying watching how Ai Zhen is now the one who tries to guide Zhen out of his sorrow.

The next day, Zhen playfully lies that he has already taken Tiger’s hair for a DNA testing, causing Yi Le to acknowledge that Bruce is the dad. Hahaha. She’s still adamant about not telling Bruce, causing Zhen to be really annoyed with women – why do they always make decisions on their own and not tell the other party what they are really thinking?

Bing Bing comes to the hospital for a check-up, and because Zhen is taking over Yi Le’s shifts, we have a nice replay of our first episode where Zhen becomes Bing Bing’s doctor again. With comical music in the background, Zhen interrogates her about her habits, and learns that she has done nothing to ameliorate her heath. He even asks, “Did you have any sex?” and she awkwardly replies, “I don’t have a boyfriend” HAHA everything here is so cringeworthy and cute at the same time!!!

Zhen does an ultrasound for her and points out her growing tumours. He leaves after noting that she has to come back for a follow-up, which will be done by Yi Le then.

Granny visits Bing Bing to find out what has happened between this couple and urges her to fight for her love. If her cousin hadn’t fought so hard, Bing Cheng and Li Xue wouldn’t have gotten together. Granny wishes her all the luck in creating the miracle of Snow in Summer (when you combine the names of Xia Bing Cheng and Li Xue).

Bing Bing watches a pre-recorded clip when it’s Zhen’s birthday. She tells herself that they shouldn’t just give upon this love – the Juliet who believes in fate and the Romeo who believes in science.

I have some doubts about how easy it was for Bing Bing to finish being a disciple, but then yet again, let’s not forget that she has been a chef for 10 years so this should be nothing to her. I definitely like the new her – still a bit shy and tentative, but a lot more confident about herself, her abilities and her dreams. With this new version of Bing Bing, I’m confident that the couple will end up in a good state.

As for the break up at the start of the episode, I think the reasons are pretty intangible and hard to describe in exact words…but my feeling is that Bing Bing knows if she still has Zhen as a support, she will never learn to love herself. Each time when she meets a difficulty, she will run back into Zhen’s arms because Zhen will not judge her for it. That’s why she wants to break up, because she wants to remove all back-up options so that she will truly focus on herself and her dreams despite whatever hardships.

That being said, I do think the people around Zhen aren’t being very understanding for saying that he’s too cold to Bing Bing. This guy doesn’t know that she has thought of him everyday; all he was told was that everything was wishful thinking on his part.

However, as dramas go, I’m sure this will all work out wonderfully in the finale next week. It’s because of this faith that it makes watching Bing Bing actively seeking Romeo’s forgiveness and love even more exciting – when is Romeo going to grab Juliet in his arms??

❤ thoughtsramble