Is believing in a true, faithful love something naive or a mere illusion bound to be broken? Or is finding that one-of-a-kind romance the ultimate goal in life? In the big year of 2026, love is still a mystery, but it’s one that everybody is willing to try to figure out, even if there’s a risk of ending up heartbroken. “About Love” starring Wang Zi Wen and Liu Yu Ning navigates your typical girl-meets-boy story; however, it also brings a colorful and complex mixture of relationships that will make you realize that modern love could have more than one happy ending.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
Li Xiao Xi (Wang Zi Wen) is a charming and sweet woman, the kind of beauty everyone dreams about. But as pretty as she is, she has never experienced being in love. After witnessing time and time again how men can never be trusted, she has become disenchanted with the idea of romance. However, she’s still a girl’s girl, and that’s why she doesn’t hesitate to help women who seek her help to test the loyalty of their partners, giving her a reputation as a heartless and cold vixen.
Although she seems like a total femme fatale at first sight, at a second glance, you soon discover that she is actually clueless about romantic relationships. She might know how to play a role to always keep 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’s known about the opposite sex, she might 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. On their first encounter, he straightaway refuses Xiao Xi’s advances. He isn’t impressed by her looks or open flirtation like most men. But the woman’s confidence and strong personality draw his attention inadvertently. As a luxury items appraiser, he can easily tell apart the fake from the real deal, and he naturally discovers Xiao Xi’s true value. Once they get to know each other, they quickly start a romantic relationship.
If you were expecting an overly dramatic love confession or for them to overcome great obstacles before getting together, then this development might have come as a surprise. But in modern dramas, this can only mean that the problems are coming 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 hasn’t been able to forget her, claiming to be profoundly 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 that she inflicted on other women have become the greatest threat to her own love story. It isn’t a moral story, but the irony behind it still serves the purpose to show that nobody is completely without fault in those affairs.
While Xiao Xi tries to protect her relationship with Xiao Bei, trying to hide her past as a “love tester,” she unwillingly starts to get closer to Gong, who knows her true identity. He isn’t a saint by any means and takes this opportunity as well. Contrary to 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 candid personality is what allows Xiao Xi to show her true self to him and not to her actual partner.
Xiao Xi continues hesitating about revealing her past to Xiao Bei, afraid of losing his affection. And given how much he despises the person who allegedly ruined his friend’s relationship, a subtle yet clear gap opens between them. Here, the nuances of relationships are perfectly portrayed. It isn’t only about feelings; it is about trust, communication, insecurities, hidden truths, half-told lies, hopes, fears, and much more. In short, it is about human nature.
That is also shown in the secondary couples. The messy love triangle between Ah Xiu (Gu Jia Cheng), his wife Yu (Jiang Xin), and his long-time friend Luan Luan (Huang Zi Qi). While both friends clearly have feelings for each other, he isn’t able to take the step to break his marriage, nor does she want to draw the line between them. There’s also the confusing situationship between Da Sen (Zhu Jia Qi) and Ming Ming (Vivienne Tien), who is unwilling to either let go of her first love or define her relationship with Da Sen.
In that sense, this story might not be flashy or extraordinary in terms of the plot, but it is relatable and interesting in many senses. Because even the most astute 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 so to be true. Everyone has their flaws, dreams, and goals. Their mistakes don’t make them unlovable or villains; they make them real. And a story like this is always worth watching.
Watch “About Love” here:
Watch Now
Those in Southeast Asia can watch here!
Andy zar 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 loves romance, web comics, 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 “Phantom Lawyer.”