- Title: Will Love in Spring
- Also Known As: 春色寄情人, There Is a Lover in My Hometown, My Hometown Has A Lover , Wu Xiang You Qing Ren , Chun Se Ji Qing Ren
- Director: Liang Cheng
- Cast: Li Xian, Zhou Yu Tong
- Screenwriter: Even Jian
- Genres: Romance, Drama, Family
- Number of Episodes: 21
- Date of Release: April 22, 2024
- Original Network: CCTV Tencent Video
- Where to Watch: WeTV, Tencent Video, Viki
- Adapted from the web novel Qing Ren (Lover) by She Mu Si
Dear readers, how are you? The news says that Asia is facing a heatwave. Many schools closed and people were told to limit their outdoor activities. My T-shirt is always wet from sweat, even after bathing. If you’re having the same problem, be careful. Stay hydrated. Wear a hat or cap outside. Avoid the hottest time of the day. And don’t forget the pets. Keep their water bowl full and put ice in it. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
And while you are enjoying the cold drink (a glass of cold fruit juice is a very good choice 😋), this is the review of Li Xian and Zhou Yu Tong’s newest drama, Will Love in Spring. Enjoy the post!
Will Love in Spring Synopsis
Will Love in Spring is Chinese romance drama, consist of 21 episodes released in April 2024. Chen Mai Dong and Zhuang Jie are high school classmates. He’s cold and rebellious, while she’s quiet and insecure. Years later, they met again on a bullet train to their hometown, Nanping.
The rebellious youth is now calm and composed. He works as an embalmer after a life-changing event. His work is special and only a few men can do it. Meanwhile, the shy girl has become a lively salesperson in the wellness industry. Zhuang Jie worked hard to prove that her amputated leg didn’t stop her from striving for a better life.
In the city of Nanping, years after they parted ways, Chen Mai Dong once again found someone to brighten his life. Meanwhile, Zhuang Jie who was recovering from a broken heart, learned that she still loved Chen Mai Dong. They didn’t get along at first. Chen Mai Dong refused to acknowledge her, but Zhuang Jie wouldn’t give up.
Their relationship is full of ups and downs. Zhuang Jie and Chen Mai Dong have different personalities and goals. Through a series of unfortunate events and the loss of loved ones, Zhuang Jie and Chen Mai Dong learned to understand each other and accept their imperfect lives.
Will Love in Spring Drama Review
The first episode of Will Love in Spring shocked me. It opened with a blue banner with a bold Chinese character written on it. It said “9th Professional Funeral Technique Competition.” I was stunned and moved the cursor backward to see if I read it wrong. A funeral technique competition? Is this a real thing?
When the scene moved from Chen Mai Dong to Zhuang Jie, I was amazed. As someone who would enter a surgery room, Zhuang Jie surely had a lot of energy. The bed moved fast, but she still greeted everyone and even made a business deal. This is unbelievable.
I should have read the drama synopsis. But I’m sure I’ll still be amazed.
Will Love in Spring drama has great visuals. The sets are beautiful and well-designed. When I saw Grandma Lin’s veterinary clinic, I felt like I was in a children’s TV program where the children play on a farm. They have all the plants, animals, and a hut. Perfect!
The rooftop in Zhuang Jie’s parents’ house reminded me of the rooftop in K-dramas with lots of lights and a long table. But the real star of this drama is the cemetery where Chen Mai Dong works. Every time he drove to work, I stared at the neatly arranged graves. It did not look like a huge cemetery. It was eerily pretty.
The visual wasn’t the only thing that took my breath away. I also couldn’t stop staring at Zhou Yu Tong. She’s so charming and gorgeous with her long hair. Combined with Zhuang Jie’s lively personality, she steal the show. Li Xian also looked handsome. However, I like Zhou Yu Tong better. Her version of Zhuang Jie is more attractive than the icy Chen Mai Dong. Zhuang Jie’s clothes were pretty and comfortable. I liked her casual boho style in Nanping.
Love in Spring made me feel warm inside. It’d been a while since I’d seen an adult romance. The one in which both parties are mature people with adulting problems, not the one with adults doing R-rated things. 😆
The romance isn’t the only thing that made me binge-watch this drama. The relationship between Zhuang Jie and her siblings is amusing. He Niao Niao and Zhuang Yan’s simple minds are funnier than I thought. He Niao Niao thought Zhuang Jie was staying single because she still liked Chen Mai Dong from high school.
While Zhuang Yan thought she was physically wounded because of one-sided love. They thought she was staying home because she missed him. They were shocked when Zhuang Jie said that she was recuperating at home after a gallbladder surgery and because she was out of love with someone in Shanghai.
Zhuang Yan and He Niao Niao also have problems. Zhuang Yan wanted to pursue art, but his mother didn’t support his decision. Meanwhile, He Niao Niao’s problem was just like any other school kid’s. She didn’t like studying and needed help with certain subjects.
And don’t forget the goose, Jishan. This guy just ran around doing nothing. But I still love it. 😂
I was moved when Zhuang Jie called He Niao Niao the most reliable of them all because she inherited He Zhan Yue’s genes. Zhuang Yan agreed too. He Zhan Yue is a kind stepfather who was able to smooth out family tensions. With him around, the family is always at peace.
I envied the friendships in this drama. Grandma Chen and Grandma Lin had been friends for years and still talked for hours. Zhuang Jie and Wang Xi Xia’s friendship lasted beyond high school. They are now best friends, roommates, and colleagues. Although they were far away from each other, they still called and talked about everything.
Chen Mai Dong still hangs out with his high school friends. Even though he was the only one left single, they still had a poker night where they played cards and talked (more like gossiping 😁) about everything. They still doing childish pranks on each other to the point it’s driving Zhang Hong Xu’s wife crazy.
The story moves fast, but the relationship is at a snail’s pace. I got my share of the kissing scene quite early in 5th episode. But if you thought the relationship would start early. You were wrong. There was still a long way to go before Zhuang Jie and Chen Mai Dong could resolve their differences.
Will Love in Spring’s story contains many life lessons for us to take. It taught us about sadness, grief, and loneliness. It also taught us to love, to cherish life and the living. Because eventually, those who are meant to leave will leave, and nobody can make them stay.
“Life has its limits. That’s why whe should strive hard to live, to create, and to love.”
Said Chen Mai Dong to the grieved Zhuang Jie.
One sentence really struck me.
“When it comes to death, everyone is the same. We could only prove how special we are by living well.” Said Chen Mai Dong to a person who suffered from bone cancer.
The Cinematography
The director is clever and good at making interesting scenes. In the sixth episode, a child’s hand appeared in the embalming room after a grandmother died. I gasped when the little hand appeared. I don’t like horror movies, so I was ready to turn off the screen when the drama turned into a horror movie. Luckily, it was just my imagination. 😆
Or when Zhuang Yan painted on a boat. He stood on a small boat with his bag and an easel. The picture is beautiful. But I don’t think it could happen in real life. The boat would always shake. I think it would be better to paint on the shore. 🙄
Our director, Liang Cheng, did an outstanding job with the art of visual storytelling. He used the right angles to capture emotions and create the right atmosphere. All in all Will Love in Spring is truly pleasing to my eyes.
I also like the soundtrack of this drama. The opening song had a 90s soft rock vibe. The background music is also good. Each piece of music sets the right atmosphere for each scene.
The Casts and Crews
Will Love in Spring drama is directed by Liang Cheng. This is the first drama of his I’ve seen, but I will watch more. I really like Will Love in Spring drama and I am sure there will be many more dramas born from Liang Cheng’s creative mind.
Many of you probably know Li Xian. His filmography is impressive and one of my favorite dramas is his drama with Liu Yi Fei, Meet Yourself (I also wrote this drama review and ending explained, you can read them here at Meet Yourself drama review and Meet Yourself ending explained). I recommend adding this drama to your watchlist ASAP. In Will Love in Spring drama, Li Xian also did a very good job as the icy Chen Mai Dong as well as the prankster Chen Mai Dong. Li Xian has a tranquil appearance, but it conveys many emotions at the same time.
I rarely watch Zhou Yu Tong dramas. The one that I remember clearly is Nothing But You. The reason is not only because I wrote the review, but also because she teamed up with Wu Lei in this drama. In Nothing But You, Zhou Yu Tong looked cute with short hair. But I think she is more attractive with long hair and red lips.
Li Xian and Zhou Yu Tong looked cute together and had great chemistry. I liked how natural their interaction was.
There were other familiar faces in this drama. You may recognize Zhang Xi Wei (who played He Niao Niao) as the young Sang Zhi in the Hidden Love drama together with Zhao Lu Si and Chen Zhe Yuan. This young lady was born in 2011, but she already had a very long and impressive filmography. Zhang Xi Wei also appeared in My Sassy Princess (My Sassy Princess drama review), Who Rule the World (Who Rule the World drama review and Who Rule the World ending explained), and Stand By Me. This girl is great at acting and I believe she has a bright future as a famous actress.
Liu Lin, who played Liao Tao, Zhuang Jie’s mother, also appeared as Yang Mi’s boss in She and Her Perfect Husband. She also performed in The Long Season drama. I didn’t watch all of Liu Lin’s dramas. But the ones I watched always showed her as a character with a strong personality. in this drama, Liu Lin’s strong presence matched Liao Tao’s bold character.
I had just finished writing the Best Choice Ever drama review when I started watching this drama. I immediately recognized Yi Qian’s face because he played Xu Kai’s father in Best Choice Ever. And Baby Zhang, who played Song Yi, once again became the ex-girlfriend of the male lead.
In the drama She and Her Perfect Husband, Baby Zhang became Xu Kai’s ex-girlfriend who made Yang Mi burn with jealousy. However, Baby Zhang’s version of the ex-girlfriend in both dramas is the one who wished the ex-boyfriend a good life with his new girlfriend.
The Story
Chen Mai Dong and Zhuang Jie were both 30 years old, single and could be considered to be doing well in their careers. And like in any other Cdrama, there is always an elder who worries about the marriage. In this drama, the elder is Grandma Chen. She was worried that her grandson, Chen Mai Dong, would be alone all his life.
Well, her fear is understandable. Chen Mai Dong is a lone wolf who works with dead bodies. He rarely talks to girls and the only relationship he had ended in betrayal.
So Grandma Chen spends her time harassing the other elders in town who might have eligible daughters or granddaughters. She hopes that one of them can help her with Chen Mai Dong’s problem. And the one who suffered so much is Mrs. Wu, the village female director, and the town mayor. It was quite funny that someone’s marriage became the responsibility of the civil servants.
“Ma, I love to stay beside you and Mr. He. It’s very comfortable. But it’s too comfortable it’ll polish my determination away. I must strive to improve myself because I’m physically disabled.”
This is the reason Zhuang Jie told her mother she couldn’t stay in Nanping and wanted to go back to Shanghai. Zhuang Jie was determined to be a successful person so no one would question her or her physical condition. She bought an expensive prosthetic leg that could help her walk, run, and jump. Her eloquence and talent in selling things might have come from her mother, who ran a famous braised chicken store.
Zhuang Jie loved Shanghai because there, she could walk down the street without anyone noticing her leg. She could pass by a bridge and no one would ask about her father’s death. In a small town, everyone knows everyone, so people are nosy. In a big city, people are selfish, so they don’t care about others. It’s a double-sided world. Nobody cares about your past, but nobody cares about you either.
Zhuang Jie said she loved Shanghai more than anyone else. But I think she just wanted someone to see her as she was, not because of her disability.
Chen Mai Dong felt numb because of his job. To face death every day, one must have very good emotional control. He couldn’t vent his frustration on alcohol because he knew he had to be ready for work 24 hours a day.
The only way to numb his feelings was to not express them. People were reluctant to interact with him because of his job, so Chen Mai Dong became used to not talking with others. When two people with different personalities met, sparks flew. Their interaction was intense.
Both Chen Mai Dong and Zhuang Jie’s families faced ordeals when death came to take their loved ones. Chen Mai Dong and Zhuang Jie healed from their grievances and grew closer. However another problem arose when Zhuang Jie had to return to Shanghai to start her own business.
I’m sure you’re wondering about the ending. Don’t worry, it’s happy. You can read the full ending in our Will Love in Spring ending explained post.
The Characters
Chen Mai Dong
Chen Mai Dong (played by Li Xian) is a quiet man. He only speaks when he wants to. When he’s with his grandma or friends, he’s like any other young man who likes to talk and joke around. It’s his cold face that makes people not want to talk to him. That, and the fact that he works with dead bodies every day.
It reminds me of Yang Cai Wei in In Blossom.😁
Chen Mai Dong is a kind person. He is smart, sensitive, and sensible. His kind heart used to be overlooked because of his violent tendencies. When he was young, Chen Mai Dong was known as a rebellious youth.
However, during high school, he often waited for fand help to carry Zhuang Jie on a rainy day. The task was a punishment from his teacher, but Chen Mai Dong did it sincerely. Chen Mai Dong had been interested in Zhuang Jie. He never said or showed it, but she left a deep impression on him.
However, Chen Mai Dong still had his sense when it came to love. He always felt that Zhuang Jie was a woman who loved to play around. Combined with his experience in a broken relationship, Chen Mai Dong was very careful when it came to love. He wouldn’t take any risks that would hurt him. He knew that if he fell into another bad relationship, Grandma Chen would be the first to feel sad.
Zhuang Jie
Zhuang Jie works (played by Zhou Yu Tong) in wellness as a salesperson. With her intelligence and persuasive ability, Zhuang Jie was one of the top salespeople in the industry. She was confident and always stood out in a crowd. Nobody would have guessed she was the quiet, shy girl in high school.
When Zhuang Jie was young, she was shy because of her leg. She wore a prosthetic leg, but she still needed crutches to walk. This made it hard for her to join activities at school. She was enlightened by Chen Mai Dong’s words, “Even a crutch could be used as a weapon”. Zhuang Jie saw her disability differently after that.
Although Zhuang Jie looks carefree, she is very sensible and the most obedient member of her family. Zhuang Jie hides her sadness from her family because she doesn’t want them to worry. She only showed her weakness to Wang Xi Xia. Zhuang Jie often gets misunderstood because she hides her feelings. Even Chen Mai Dong thinks she’s insincere and pretentious.
Wang Xi Xia
Wang Xi Xia is the cutest and kindest character in this drama. She’s Zhuang Jie’s best friend. Wang Xi Xia is close to Zhuang Jie’s family and often spends holidays with them. Wang Xi Xia is a city girl. She is smart, modern, and fashionable. Together they were a great team at work.
Although she seemed modern and independent, Wang Xi Xia also dreamed of settling down. She often went on blind dates to find a potential lover. Wang Xi Xia is a very rational person. She could see problems more clearly than Zhuang Jie because she didn’t have a burden in her heart. Wang Xi Xia is very kind and she deserved a family of her own.
Grandma Chen
Grandma Chen (played by Fang Fang) wants to find a partner for her grandson, Chen Mai Dong and meets Zhuang Jie. The grandma was attracted to Zhuang Jie when she taught her how to use WeChat. She thought the lively Zhuang Jie was a good match for Chen Mai Dong, who was a bit gloomy. Grandma Chen is worried about Chen Mai Dong because she doesn’t want him to live a lonely life.
Grandma Chen is a table tennis champion. She’s in good shape and still plays table tennis. Grandma Chen is sharp-tongued, stubborn, but kind. When Zhuang Jie’s family is struggling, she buys many chickens from her store to help them. Even though her cooking isn’t great.
Liao Tao
Liao Tao (played by Liu Lin) is another sharp-tongued character. Born to a strict father, Liao Tao had a hard childhood. Her father didn’t care about education. He only taught his kids how to survive and often beat them. Liao Tao inherited the recipe for chicken from her father, and Liaogen Chicken is thriving in her hand.
Liao Tao’s first husband is Zhuang Jie and Zhuang Yan’s father. He died when Zhuang Jie was 12 and Zhuang Yan was still in the womb. After Mr. Zhuang died, Liao Tao married his brother-in-arms, He Zhang Yue. They had a daughter, He Niao Niao. He Zhang Yue’s calm temperament could balance Liao Tao’s fiery temperament.
Liao Tao was strict with her kids, but she loved them. Liao Tao wasn’t a perfect parent, but she raised kind and sensible children.
The Conclusion
Will Love in Spring is a great drama about mature romantic relationships. The story is emotional but also heartwarming. Watching this drama will make you laugh and cry. If you need drama to cheer you up, don’t watch this one. there were Too many sad and emotional scenes. But if you’re in a good mood, put this on your watch list. Will Love in Spring is too good to miss.
Dear readers, I hope this review gives you a clear description of the drama. Let me know what you think if you’ve already watched it. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading. I’ll see you in another review. Bye!
