Affinity
Finally, I have time to talk about Affinity. Since the beginning of this cdrama airing I’ve been sick, worked after hours and slept max 5 hours a day (but also rewatched many times).
So I first saw this cdrama on the 22nd of January. I noticed that FangJin was in it and I had to watch it.
Normally when I like an actor in a series, I like to see other works from them. Or if they release new work, I like to include it in my watch list (except if the story is wuxia, I really can’t watch that genre, sorry). In her case I first watch her in Embrace, and contrary to other viewers, I liked her acting and not so much the male lead actor ‘s acting (I remember that there were two scenes from him that I thought the expressions he used were awkward). So every time I see a new series with her, I like to watch it.
After start watching I recognized the male lead actor from “Liars in Love”, that I watched because of Li JiaQi. I remembered that I liked that series a lot because of their chemistry, therefore I remembered him. So two actors that I liked their previous works, looked promising. Another thing I can’t forget to mention is that car chase scene from the 1st episode reminded me of Embrace and later I connected the dots when I found out the director was the same in both cdramas. For me his director signature is the type of CGI he uses – you can see the car chases are unique to any other shows (and also the type of comedy used in his shows). When I watched Embrace those scenes felt new/different to me.
During that same day I started getting sick and running a fever, but even so I forced myself to watch episodes 7th and 8th at the end of the day. During the following weekend instead of sleeping to get better, I was rewatching the episodes already aired. I don’t remember another drama where it was this bad, my god. I rewatched the trailer innumerous times, to try to theorize what would happened next. Later this week I was searching for videos with spoilers in china’s bilibli and douyin.
And in this cdrama I was more successful in finding the music used, on contrary to Embrace where I searched any ways possible and didn’t find any of the songs. In Affinity I could find 2 songs, that I’m listening on repeat. And also the ending credits song, that was released.
Now finally, about this cdrama: The main actors chemistry is insane. For what I understand they do their cp fanservice and look comfortable with each other, so that’s a good thing. I remember that with the success of Embrace there was some “problems” behind the scenes. For what I remember the male lead actor had a girlfriend that didn’t like his interactions with the female lead actress, therefore in the specials and lives they later release you could see them awkward with each other. FangJin trying to do the cp fanservice and him not fully going with it. Hopefully this time the two actors seem pretty okay with each other, and I’m happy for her. After all the cp fanservice is part of her work as an actress, if the other party in not willing, it’s more difficult for her to work.
I don’t know what type of works Cui YuXin usually does, but normally FangJin works in short dramas, so I hope that the same that happened to Chen FangTong and Dai GaoZheng happens to them, and the success of Affinity gets them to work more times together in the future.
Let me continue talking about the cdrama: Their chemistry is insane. This type of story is new to me, so I was learning while watching. But people are right, it has some hints of Twilight. The 1st arc (episodes 1 to 8) was great to show how this world works, and also has the reencounter of the main leads after their first meeting, 5 years ago. NongYu never fully lets her guard down around XinXu. In one hand she is afraid of him, and in the other she sees that he’s the one who can help at that moment. And you can also start to see that XinXu is very transparent when talking with NongYu. When she confirmed who he was, he explained what he did so he could become her ideal, what his motive was (we also see this side of him in the 22nd and 24th episodes) – he is very transparent because what he says is what he thinks, but at the same time he is not fully as he doesn’t talk about her brother (like in the 24th episode, he only talked half true).
I do understand the reasoning of their 1st kiss, because of the characterization of their world, but in later episodes you see that XinXu tries to do things so that NongYu remains in control (like the pendent he gives her as their wedding gift, for her to use if he gets out of control), but also tries to get something more from her, a little at time.
The 2nd arc (episodes 12 to 19) is also great as we start to see XinXu gaining emotions from the 1st time, that later in the 22nd episode he tries to explain them the best way he can to NongYu (for me is the best episode to date). I especially liked the dream part from both, as we could see NongYu being a support to XinXu, and him getting to know part of her past (was not so perfect as we thought). I also cannot not mention the parallel from fandoms and idols they tried to do in this arc. And the dragon! The only thing we can thank the brother.
Of course, after that we entered the lovey dovey arc/era (?), that was the type of love NongYu wanted, not forced love or being in the Yin and Ren games, but it ended too quickly – the brother’s problem always in the back of XinXu mind. Then the 27th and 28th episodes happened and my theory is still the same as my last post.
This is a good cdrama, if you're carefull you can understand its story, the reasoning of the characters (for example, is easy to understand the brother even though he did what he did in the bureau, same for the other characters). It as a deeper meaning than what it first looks.
To finishing this “essay”, I know how the Chinese government censors some type of histories, so for me it makes sense that in the last episode NongYu wakes up or finishes reading a book of this Yin Ren history, in 2025’s earth. And them they’ll have that typical scene where she encounters the male lead. If that so happens, please let the success of this cdrama get them to make an almost like “season 2”, with all main cast in the modern world, getting to know each other and love as normal people.
I’ll update this post with future thoughts related to Affinity.
See you soon.
(1st edit 01/02/2026: I'm already back because I just saw a spoiler from today’s episode in bilibili. The brother wrote a letter to NongYu, but from their clothes that scene will happen in the beginning of the 29th episode, so after that we still have the funeral and suicide attempt so that letter will not be of great help to our couple.)
(2nd edit 01/02/2026: I came back because I saw a written spoiler in douyin for the end: 1) that both NongYu and XinXu will find the cure and live happy ever after (duh!) and 2) that both brother and sister-in-law faked their deaths so they can catch the masterminds (it translated that way, but it must be to get evidence of the director’s crimes) and that XinXu knows about their plans. I don’t know if this is real or invented by the user, but I read before that both 2nd lead actors said their characters are going to have a happy ending. Maybe that can really happen, or they consider happy ending the scene we saw with the two watching the final credits (or a final scene with all cast members on earth, to appease Chinese censorship). Theories, so many theories my god. In one hand I want to watch the rest of the episodes as soon as possible, on the other hand I don’t want to because I going to miss this….)
(3rd edit 02/02/2026: very quick, my theory for his parents deaths was right, and he now knows the true mastermind. NongYu found who sent the video, tan tan!! And the ending of the 30th episode, how can someone not like this cdrama? He must let her go, but will probably continue to be near her (as seen in 31st trailer). But I found something strange in NongYu ‘s reactions in the 31st and 32nd trailers. Don’t tell me that when she wakes up, she’ll not remember him…? Now back to sleep.)
(4th edit 02/02/2026: youku published a new calendar where episodes 35 and 36 are said to be aired on the 5th of February, and after that, nothing more. In youku’s official website it still says it has 40 episodes, so I do believe they mean that they’ll release an express pass on the same day(?). Then that will mean I'm not going to sleep on the 5th….. And I’m still thinking about 31st and 32nd trailers. Maybe she really doesn’t remember him, and on the 31st she found him and takes care of him, and on the 32nd for some reason he still continues with her after getting better - there is a Japanese movie with a similar plot, where she finds him almost dead on the streets and takes care of him, I remember the actors but I don’t recall the name of the movie. Wait, my god, is this going to be XinXu's illusion, and then that's when we'll have that scene from NongYu saying to him to leave that place? My god, my god!!)
(5th edit 03/02/2026: this cdrama is going to grab my attention until the last second of the last episode. What can I say about the 32nd episode….. Probably in the next episode NongYu will get them both out of the circle of dreams and both decide to distance themselves. But its best for them to go their separate ways, to try to heal. But on the 34th or 35th episode we’ll have their reunion, 2 years can make a difference. Probably he is also searching for the 3rd fragment and something happens and he helps her (that’s why he is weak in the trailer), and afterwards they team up to find it. And their reconciliation will probably be that scene where he is crying in the bed. I'm dying to watch the next episodes. Fingers crossed that we’ll have express pass the day after tomorrow.)
(6th edit 03/02/2026: I just saw a couple of scenes that will appear in tomorrow's episodes, on bilibili. On the 32nd episode NongYu already recognized that they do love each other as whenever a new dream starts their subconscious draws to each other and always end up falling in love with each other in each dream. They must heal 1st so they can be able to fully love each other, without anything in the back of their minds. But NongYu do confirms her love for XinXu before their separation. He’ll probably keep trusting her feelings for him, and wait for her to return to him when she finally heals. Therefore the 2 years jump, and the coincidental meeting on the 34th episode. You can see he’s weak from the fights, but his 1st reaction is not trying to do something to her, but cry. Like he’s trying to get his emotions out in some way. My theories were right, let’s hope for the best. I never micro analyze all spoiler scenes, trailers, as much as I’m doing in this cdrama…. Also, FangJin's acting in the 32nd episode, love it love it!)
(7th edit 03/02/2026: express package on the 5th, yay!)
(8th edit 04/02/2026: in 34th episode NongYu didn’t take her medicine as supposed to, this looks like an excuse for them to kiss in the next episode (as when she was in a coma, his kiss helped her control her virus). And do you believe that before waking up I was dreaming about the release schedule of the rest of the episodes? That tomorrow they would only release 35 to 38, and that I would need to wait for the 6th of February to see 39 and 40? This is getting really bad….. And tomorrow it will end. In a way I want to watch as soon as possible, on the other I don’t want it to finish…. I’ll miss those two last weeks (minus the “little sleep” part, I will finally be able to sleep 7 to 8 hours a day). I’m still doubting if they bonded or not. It looks like it in the 33rd episode, but then that scene in the trailer special, when NongYu says that XinXu doesn’t have that kind of thoughts, I always deducted that it was thoughts of bonding with her and therefore they would not bond before the 2 years time skip. Let's see...)
(9th edit 04/02/2026: I always thought Youku would release the express package on the 4th of February because the original episodes calendar ended on the 4th of February, so it was logical that at the time it was scheduled to happened on the 4th, so I believe that they postponed 1 more day because of the success of the cdrama, which would be a good thing. Also, as I said in the beginning of this post, I hope this success gives something good to all involved. And maybe in the director’s future work we’ll see the main actors again, as we already saw FangJin in 2 different works.
And I didn’t find any spoiler for tonight’s episodes…. But we’ll probably have:
35-36 episodes – last fragment found, NongYu starts working on the vaccine:
37-38 episodes – NongYu finish working on the vaccine; the scene where XinXu cries happens, and they get back together/give one more chance to their relationship; and all 3 test the vaccine on each other (?);
39-40 episodes – they take down the bureau; 2nd wedding (?); and something more happens like NongYu wakes from a dream or finishes reading a book (the end). Those are my theories at the moment.)
(10th edit 04/02/2026: still no luck with spoilers (I only saw on douyin the same bts clip with the 2nd lead couple with a scene that we never saw – that will probably appear in the final episode or in a special episode). But I do need to talk about the 35th episode trailer. When NongYu asks who wants meat, XinXu is not confident if he should reply, like he’s walking on eggshells around her. But later NongYu gives him a stick with, what she says is “probably the best meat” – they care about each other deeply. While XinXu seems afraid, NongYu seems more proactive (like in the scene in the 34th episode, XinXu saw NongYu and decided not to go to her, and when NongYu saw him, she walked in his direction. Even in the scene where they were being chased by the bureau, she knew they should leave but because she thought she heard his voice and later a gunshot, she had the need to go and check if it was really him. Now I’ll try to sleep and hopefully when I wake up is already past 9A.M. GMT +8 time.)
(11th edit 05/02/2026: and then it came to an end…! Of course, the big plot twist – I’ll rewatch all episodes with that plot twist in mind. The ending felt rushed, in one episode NongYu was saying that she wasn’t ready for a new relationship because she still didn’t process her current feelings for XinXu, and in the next episode she says to him for them to get back together when he said he wanted to pursuit her 1st – of course, at that scene there was only one more episode left, they had to rush it. And the earth scientists evolvement… how did that ending passed china’s censorship, that’s my question. But the cherry on top of the cake was that special after XinXu (spoilers)/ after the end of the 40th episode. For me this cdrama has 41 episodes, and the 41st episode is that special – without it the ending wouldn’t be the same. It was worth every euro I spent on it! I’ll try to do one final update, after rewatching all episodes – all over again. Now I'm going to sleep. I'm going to miss this...)
