Dear readers, Our Generation is a romance drama about Yin Tao and Jiang Qiao Xi. Their story wasn’t smooth, and a bumpy road lay ahead of them. However, this story of love, friendship, and personal growth will pull you in with its heartfelt moments and bittersweet turns.
I know you’re here because you’re curious about the ending, but I suggest you watch it yourself. There are so many heartfelt dialogues between Ying Tao and Jiang Qiao Xi that are worth experiencing firsthand. You can read my review about it on Our Generation drama review post
Now, if you’re ready to read the ending, keep on reading this ending explained, dear readers… 😉
Our Generation Ending Explained
What Happened to Lin Qi Le / Ying Tao and Jiang Qiao Xi on Our Generation Ending?
Jiang Qiao Xi’s life in Hong Kong didn’t turn out the way he expected. Initially, everything was fine. He lived with his cousin, Jiang Ruo Cheng, and his family in a nice apartment. Jiang Qiao Xi was busy preparing for his college entrance exams. But things took a turn for the worse when the stock market collapsed. His parents lost a huge amount of money and ended up divorcing.
Jiang Ruo Cheng, who worked in finance, got caught in the crosshairs when a furious ex-employee, who had just lost his job, came looking for him. In the heat of the moment, he pushed Jiang Ruo Cheng off the building. Jiang Ruo Cheng was badly injured and fell into a coma.
From then on, the family’s situation completely reversed. Jiang Ruo Cheng’s wife, Zhou Ya Lin, had to use Jiang Qiao Xi’s education fund just to cover the hospital bills. Jiang Qiao Xi thought about giving up on his studies altogether, but Zhou Ya Lin didn’t let him.
Eventually, a colleague helped convince HKU to allow Jiang Qiao Xi to defer his studies for a year. During that time, he worked construction by day and tutored students by night, doing whatever it took to earn money for the hospital bills. He also moved into a cheap, tiny apartment.
On the wall of his apartment, Jiang Qiao Xi pinned everything that reminded him of Ying Tao. That was the first thing she saw when she stepped into his place. Still, no matter how much she tried, Jiang Qiao Xi wouldn’t open up about what had happened.
He knew that if she found out about his suffering, Ying Tao would rush to share his burdens without hesitation. Because that’s the kind of person Ying Tao was, someone who would walk straight into a storm for others.
Ying Tao told Jiang Qiao Xi that he didn’t need to earn her love through achievements. Once she decided to love him, she would love him until the end. But when Jiang Qiao Xi told her, AGAIN, to “wait a little longer,” Ying Tao reached her emotional threshold.
Furious, Ying Tao told Jiang Qiao Xi that she wanted someone who would be with her, not just someone she kept calling with no answer or texting into a void. She reminded him that he wasn’t the only person she had ever liked. That she could move on, too. Ying Tao was tired of the constant anxiety, fear, and longing.
And so, there she stood at the top of the stairs, with a dignified surrender, declaring that she would stop loving him and walk away. Jiang Qiao Xi’s heart sank. He crouched down as if the position could stop it from falling further. He was still sitting there when Ying Tao walked past, luggage in tow. She entered a taxi.
But when the taxi was ready to depart, Ying Tao told the driver to stop for a while. Sensing it, Jiang Qiao Xi looked at her with a flicker of hope. Ying Tao also took a good look at him. But then the taxi drove away. Only when it was too late did Jiang Qiao Xi wake up from a stupor and chase after her.
The taxi didn’t stop. Jiang Qiao Xi returned empty-handed, tears streaking his face. But when all seemed lost, Ying Tao came back. She’d seen him chasing after her and wanted him to know what it felt like to search for someone.
She asked him plainly what he wanted from her. He begged her not to stop loving him because he couldn’t bear to lose her. But Ying Tao wasn’t having vague answers anymore. She wanted a clear assurance from him.
So Jiang Qiao Xi told her, again, that he didn’t want to lose her, didn’t want to see her dating or marrying someone else, and didn’t want to live without her. Ying Tao sighed and showed him what she wanted to hear. It was words like “Ying Tao, I love you” and “I want to be your boyfriend.” After some hard-to-get and pulling-and-tugging game, they officially became a couple. 😅
Ying Tao stayed in Hong Kong for quite a while. During that time, Jiang Ruo Cheng woke up from his coma and was soon discharged. It wasn’t easy for him to accept that his condition had caused his family’s hardships. Zhou Ya Lin also wasn’t in her best condition. But Ying Tao’s optimism and courage brought warmth back into their lives.
With Jiang Ruo Cheng recovering, Jiang Qiao Xi decided he wanted to return to Hongyang and start over, mainly because he didn’t want to live far from Ying Tao. But Jiang Ruo Cheng urged him to finish his studies at HKU, worried he was making an emotional decision rather than a well-thought-out one.
Ying Tao also wanted him to stay and complete his degree, since he was already an official student at HKU. In the end, Jiang Qiao Xi promised her he’d finish quickly and return to Hongyang as soon as possible.
Ying Tao shared her dream of becoming an exceptional teacher. The one who helps students gain knowledge, understand themselves, and find their own path. Jiang Qiao Xi, who had once given up on math to avoid his parents’ expectations, now wanted to work in finance.
After what happened to his cousin, he saw how the field could either lift people up or crush them, and he wanted to be someone who lifted others. With Ying Tao beside him, he feared nothing. That night, they encouraged each other to chase their dreams.
On the night before Ying Tao returned to Hongyang, Jiang Qiao Xi cooked dinner for her in the kitchen they borrowed from Brother Yin, their landlord. The three of them shared a warm farewell meal.
Brother Yin confessed that he’d decided to help Jiang Qiao Xi after seeing him cry during Titanic, not at Jack’s death, but at the promise Jack and Rose made to live a beautiful life together. Ying Tao was touched by the kindness Brother Yin had shown to Jiang Qiao Xi.
Before the night ended, Brother Yin gave them heartfelt advice. He said that Ying Tao and Jiang Qiao Xi were lucky to be together, so they should hold on tightly to each other. After dinner, Ying Tao and Jiang Qiao Xi shared a passionate night.
Later, as the pleasure subsided, Ying Tao called Qin Ye Yun to share her happiness and some confusion she felt for the first time. Ying Tao didn’t have to say much because Qin Ye Yun immediately understood. However, as an inexperienced girl, Qin Ye Yun confessed that she felt a little scared at the thought of her own first time. Ying Tao reassured her, saying Qing Ye Yun just needed to be with someone she truly loved, and the fear would vanish.
The next day, the couple was heavy-hearted. They didn’t want to be apart, but they had no choice. Ying Tao cried as she hugged him tightly, reminding him that he had promised to return, and she would wait for him.
After she left, they kept in touch through video calls. But once, when Jiang Qiao Xi didn’t answer, Ying Tao was anxious with worry. Well, he DID have a record of disappearance. It was understandable why Ying Tao was so panicked. However, it turned out that he couldn’t answer the call because Jiang Qiao Xi already waiting for Ying Tao under her balcony.
Time passed.
Years later, they had already gotten their marriage certificate and were preparing for the wedding. Jiang Qiao Xi He worked in an investment company and was super busy. He even missed his appointment with Ying Tao to check on the wedding venue. While Ying Tao had become a first-grade teacher, her lively personality was perfectly suited for the job.
Jiang Qiao Xi was a person who could weigh the pros and cons of investing. When he sensed that his boss was doing shady business, he immediately resigned from the job. But Ying Tao didn’t know. When Cen Xiao Man told her the stock market had collapsed and the company was under investigation, Ying Tao panicked and rushed home.
Seeing his red eyes, Ying Tao thought Jiang Qiao Xi had been crying over losing his job and money. But in truth, before she came, he had been reading all the letters Ying Tao had written to him back in Qushan, each one full of longing and love.
At that moment, Jiang Qiao Xi knew it was the right time to propose. But Ying Tao’s first thought when she saw the ring was that he had sold all his shares to buy it. Jiang Qiao Xi helplessly explained and then asked if she would spend her life with him. Of course, Ying Tao said yes.
Later, when they visited the Lin family home, Jiang Qiao Xi asked Zhao Sheng Juan and Lin Hai Feng if he could call them “mom and dad” instead of “uncle and aunt.” Zhao Sheng Juan warmly replied that they had considered him their son since he was a child.
Jiang Qiao Xi’s relationship with his own parents was still lukewarm. His father had moved to Africa, and while he called occasionally, it was usually Ying Tao who chatted with him. But it was better than Jiang Qiao Xi’s relationship with his mother, Liang Hong Fei, which was even more distant. She would call once in a while to check up on him.
But it was always brief calls that ended within a minute. Yet, Zhao Sheng Juan told Ying Tao that Liang Hong Fei had once visited her after returning from Nigeria. She was there to ask Zhao Sheng Juan for help to teach her how to make jujube buns, Jiang Qiao Xi’s favorite.
At 25, Jiang Qiao Xi wrote a heartfelt reply to the 16-year-old Ying Tao, telling her how happy he was with her, and how, back then, he had always imagined being by her side, never apart.
Eventually, on the ending, Ying Tao and Jiang Qiao Xi held their wedding. She wore a white dress and the red shoes he had given her years ago.
What Happened to Yu Qiao and Qin Ye Yun on Our Generation Ending Explained?
The first person who found Jiang Qiao Xi in Hong Kong was Yu Qiao. He didn’t want Ying Tao to suffer while searching for Jiang Qiao Xi, so he went ahead to check on his friend first. Yu Qiao was angry and disappointed when he met him. After all, Jiang Qiao Xi’s disappearance had hurt him, too. He had always regarded Jiang Qiao Xi as a friend.
Before leaving, Yu Qiao hinted that if Jiang Qiao Xi didn’t make a move toward Ying Tao, he would make sure she knew about his secret feelings. His words sent a ripple of fear through Jiang Qiao Xi’s heart.
Yet for Yu Qiao, Ying Tao’s happiness mattered more than his own feelings. He couldn’t bear to see her heart broken because of Jiang Qiao Xi. In the end, he told her Jiang Qiao Xi’s address in Hong Kong, fully aware she would go there immediately. But before she left, Yu Qiao quietly confessed his feelings to her. He knew Ying Tao would never accept them, because to her, he would always be her best friend.
When Ying Tao returned from Hong Kong, she messaged Yu Qiao saying she had bought the Ray-Bans they’d talked about before. She told him it was Jiang Qiao Xi who paid for them, as a thank-you to Yu Qiao. She also thanked him herself.
At that moment, Yu Qiao knew his first-love era had ended. When Ying Tao offered to send the sunglasses, Yu Qiao told her he was busy preparing for his aviation academy exams. He also mentioned an upcoming interview in Canada, so he couldn’t meet her.
To ease the awkwardness, he joked that one pair of Ray-Bans wasn’t enough, and that when Jiang Qiao Xi returned to Hongyang, he should bring the sunglasses and bow in thanks in person. Even with his heart shattered, Yu Qiao still smiled for his good friends’ happiness.
Meanwhile, Qin Ye Yun had started her own clothing company. Her father still managed the small store and also helped with her business. Aunt Shuang Yan continued selling food outside the shop.
When they learned Ying Tao and Jiang Qiao Xi were together, Mr. Qin immediately questioned his daughter’s love life, even bringing up Yu Qiao’s name, which Qin Ye Yun quickly dismissed. She said she was still focused on buying a car so she could drive her loved ones to see the world.
Five years later, Yu Qiao and Qin Ye Yun still hadn’t gotten into a relationship. Qin Ye Yun had become a successful businesswoman, and Yu Qiao was now a commercial jet pilot. Qin Ye Yun finally bought the car she’d always dreamed of, and her friendship with Ying Tao remained as strong as ever. Yu Qiao, on the other hand, gave everyone a scare when his plane went through a deadly incident.
One night at the beach, Yu Qiao finally gave Jiang Qiao Xi the letters Ying Tao had written back in 10th grade. The same letters that Yu Qiao had once snatched away. He never read them, though.
In the end, that same night, Qin Ye Yun decided she didn’t want to live with regret. She told Yu Qiao that he had always been in her heart. Yu Qiao replied that from now on, he would think of her too.
Is this the start of something different between them? I hope so. Qin Ye Yun and Yu Qiao’s story could be a good one. As for Mr. Qin and Aunt Shuang Yan? I have a feeling they’ll end up together eventually.
My Musing
Our Generation’s ending still feels rushed to me, even after I wrote this article. I can’t stop myself from wondering how Ying Tao’s arrival in Hong Kong could magically solve everything so quickly. Jiang Qiao Xi is a complex person, and the problems he faces are heavy.
Yet Ying Tao seemed like a lucky goddess who fixed everything with ease. Jiang Ruo Cheng suddenly woke up from his coma and was discharged in no time. And Ying Tao winning the lottery? That only added more frown lines to my forehead. The whole thing felt a bit too far-fetched.
Still, if you love romantic stories about childhood friends who grow up together and fall in love, go for this one. But if you also end up feeling a bit disappointed, fret not, dear readers, just take a look at my review archives. I have plenty of drama reviews about childhood friends turning into lovers, so you might find your next Cdrama binge there. Well, I’ll see you in another drama article, dear readers. Until then, goodbye and happy watching!
