Shi Yi and Zhousheng Chen first met at the airport and where Shi Yi runs after him to ask for his number (I know, way to go Shi Yi. Taking initiative! LOL) but since he just got back from Germany and found no purpose of having a phone at all, he didn’t have a phone but gave her his email instead and their love story started with emails before accidentally meeting again in Xi’an. 

It might felt a bit rushed for others that from basically strangers to an acquaintance then immediately to an engagement, their status progressed so quickly yet their relationship with each other was still at a snail’s pace. 

I honestly don’t know how to properly word the feelings for this drama. Their love story might seem a bit ordinary and nothing exceptionally special, they are both adults who are at the point of their lives are somewhat pressured to get married but eventually found comfort with each other, and even though they face problem after problem when it comes to his family and at a point with her family as well and there are already so many dramas with quite a similar format but one of the best points in the drama is that despite the difference of world they belong to and how different their personalities are they value their relationship and grow and learn together. They respect and support each other, giving the other space if needed and lending a shoulder when necessary. 

Even though they were engaged and married early on in the drama they followed their own pace and did what they wanted. They wanted to get married so they did even though they both knew it’s not very traditional nor will their families like it, they did what they wanted and made a path of their own. I love that despite all the challenges that keep on getting thrown their way, they held on and fight through it without ever doubting each other. And that folks, is a healthy relationship. LOL

Even from the beginning, we can already see that Chen has quite a complicated relationship with his family, and to be honest, if you don’t take a moment to really think about how complicated his family is, you might get confused. Who is who and what are their relationships etc. as well as their significance in the storyline. As an Asian, all the rules, traditions, and all strict upbringing is nothing new or shocking. So all the issues with Chen’s family to Shi Yi’s family is something very familiar to me. 

Some families are more traditional than others and some are more strict than others, it might be hard for outsiders to understand it but its the way of life for these families and even though Chen knows about his family traditions doesn’t mean he strictly abides by them since he was raised outside of the clasp of the family, living with his maternal grandmother and then moving away and focusing on science. Hence why he is completely different from his family and quite detached from their traditions. 

I know some might think that ‘oh Shi Yi is always following his lead, always compromising for him’ I would honestly suggest watching One and Only, although if you don’t want to, you don’t have to but to be able to really understand Shi Yi and her unwavering devotion, patience, and trust for Zhousheng Chen, you might want to check it out. Yes, I know it’s a spoiler to say that they didn’t have the ending that they deserve on that drama but their journey throughout those 24 episodes is what really cemented their destiny together and why they absolutely deserve their happiness on this drama. And yes, this has a happy ending! 

--Spoiler, Skip this part--

There are so many touching scenes in this drama that if I have to list and explain it all out, I might exceed the allotted text for a wiki so I’ll keep this short.

Okay, first let me talk about one of the biggest heartbreak in the drama, Wen Xing. I have expected the heartbreaking scene in the hospital when I read the novel but it still hit me so bad especially with Mei Xing by her side. Yes, she did something bad and knows the consequences of her actions but she only wanted to protect the people that she loved and when Shi Yi was listening to that recording and Wen Xing said “I’ am selfish” Oh my, my heart just dropped. 

I’m satisfied with what they did with Wang Man’s character, that they gave her an upgrade that what she was in the novel. And the fact that they actually gave her a more clear ending than the novel, thank you, writers. Wang Man’s miscarriage in the novel is much more worst than it was and I was completely disappointed and to a point, disgusted with what she did in the novel for Wen Chuan, so her ending it all in the drama was probably the biggest development for her.

There is also Mei Xing’s exit on the last episode on Shi Yi and Chen’s wedding, for those who have read the novel we already know who’s reincarnation he is, and despite me hating his character so much on OAO, Zi Xing in one way or another has paid back a portion (definitely not all) of his debt to the past Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi. I just honestly feel bad that Mei Xing gets a sad ending because of Zi Xing. I mean just like his beginning in OAO, he fell in love at first sight with Shi Yi it was his love or from my perspective obsession with her that on both lives he could never have her and can only watch from afar. And then his debt to the old Chen by making him the most loyal friend to the present Chen was well deserved. 

But definitely one of the scenes that got me crying so bad like literally had me sobbing so bad was when Chen wobbled his way to the ancestral hall, despite his unspoken vow to never bow before his ancestors because of his mom, when he struggled to kneel and bow to pray, no, to beg his ancestors to bless Shi Yi while she is unconscious it was like someone grabbed my heart inside my chest before ripping it out. 

It was like an accumulation of so many painful emotions that his kneel before his ancestors were just so out of desperation and his love for her. For an atheist, a man who doesn’t believe in religion and has never bowed to his ancestors because of his grudge for his mom who was never given the right to be included in the hall, it was just so heartbreaking to see him beg for Shi Yi. 

Then Mr. Lin was like holding his emotions and tears while watching the boy he looked after for so long, to see Chen kneel down before his ancestors, this was definitely one of the most heartbreaking scenes throughout the drama. I can’t express just how much that one scene wrecked me, destroyed me, broke me, it was like Shi Yi’s ending from OAO all over again.

CHARACTERS

Shi Yi

“I will only be with him for the rest of my life”

Shi Yi is a famous voice actress who also happens to be an absolute beauty in the real life. She is kind and patient and is quite trusting. She is very satisfied with her life, she has a good and steady career, has her own house, enough time for her hobbies, and doesn’t have to worry about making a living. When she was young, she often had dreams about the Junior Prince of Nanchen or in better terms, her previous life that’s why her hobbies and her interest are mostly related to them like playing Guqin, preferring old books, calligraphy, and traditional painting. 

 Zhousheng Chen

“I’m only an ordinary guy that happens to meet a woman exceeding my expectation at the right age. If I didn’t marry her, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life”

Zhousheng Chen is an astrochemist who works on studying venus. He is your typical genius male lead with little to no social life. Chen keeps to himself, has specific routines, and is not attached to any material things or better yet, in Xiao Yu’s definition, unworldly, too distant. Chen is quite a serious guy who only does things he needs and has no particular interest in anything outside of his laboratory.

CAST AND PRODUCTION

Queen Bai Lu has done it again. I absolutely love her and then she was paired with Allen Ren who is also a gem! Okay, tbh I was a little skeptical with Allen Ren when it comes to romantic scenes. I know he’s good and I really love his dramas but as an avid “romance” lover, Allen Ren is a special case of an actor when it comes to doing romance dramas. It’s his sort of unofficial no kiss policy, not sure if it’s true but he almost always does minimal intimate scenes with his counterparts. Yes, you can carry a drama with really little intimacy but if the main theme for your drama is romance, just having 1 or 2 kissing scenes for the entire drama is quite disappointing. So to have quite a few kiss scenes, then the bed scene and there is a bathtub scene?!  Oh my almighty! You have blessed me with great happiness LOL

But I do have every confidence in his acting, and his portrayal as the timid and shy Zhousheng Chen compared to the confident Prince/General from OAO was definitely outstanding. We always see actors play these charismatic, strong, and confident men and they always nail it but to play such a vulnerable man like Chen especially when he was drowning in his grief and pain, some actors just can’t nail such scenes, they wouldn’t look horrible but I just feel like they don’t give enough justice to the emotions they needed to portray yet Allen Ren’s performance in the painful scenes felt so real and just sticks a knife to your heart kind of effect. He is definitely a really great actor.

Love the setting of the drama, the blend of old and new is really good and I love the aesthetic. Although there were definitely times where I felt like, can we tone down some of the filters already? LOL but thank god it’s only a few scenes. It was just that, I guess there were some scenes that didn’t necessarily need that much filter. 

And just need to mention the OST for this drama is so spot on! In Filipino, we have a term “Tagos sa Puso” that literally translates to “through the heart”, well that was the effect that the OSTs for this drama had on me. Especially and when I say especially I particularly mean “Where to go” by Lu Hu that had me sobbing so bad! 

FINAL THOUGHTS RATING: 9.5/10

 I have read the novel and have seen One and Only so I was already expecting some of the scenes but damn, when you actually see a dramatization of what you read, its hits you differently, the emotions you feel are just more amplified. So after watching the drama, my desk was littered with damp tissues, and had a slight headache from all the crying but it was worth it. 

Would I recommend this? Yes! And I heavily advise watching One and Only as well. Like I said you don’t have to if you don’t want to but I still highly recommend it the pain is worth it! If you haven’t watched it then you might see this as any other modern romance with simply a good cast and a not so unique love story. The story is might seem quite a fast pace in the beginning but their romance is honestly a slow burn. The main leads really took their sweet time in learning and loving each other so if you’re looking for a really suspenseful, high-paced, heavy drama then this might not be a fit. It has its comedic points, as well as wholeness and drama but it’s quite light and greatly focused on how Shi Yi and Zhousheng Chen held on to their love despite everything. 

ABOUT THE DRAMA

Synopsis:

This story is about Shi Yi, a gentle pleasant and low-key but industry's top voice actress, who ran into the elegant returnee chemistry professor Zhou Sheng Chen at the airport one day. They gradually develop a mutual understanding in getting along with each other, and join hands to preserve traditional craftsmanship and overcome many storms as they decide to accompany each other for the rest of their lives...

~~ Adapted from the novel "One Life, One Incarnation – Beautiful Bones" (一生一世美人骨) by Mo Bao Fei Bao (墨宝非宝). 

Director: Shen Yang

Genres: Romance, Drama

Episodes: 30

Original Network: Tencent Video, iQiyi, iQiyi

Source: Weibo and Mydramalist.com

WHERE TO WATCH