BLISS RATING: ★★★★+
“When two souls are one, they hear each other, even in silence.” – Matshona Dhliwayo
Admittedly, this will be a narrative not to everyone’s taste. It is a tale of quiet love. Between two men who are deeply flawed and so self-absorbed that they have forgotten have to love. Not self-absorbed in a narcissistic fashion but have shutdown because they have been subjugated by forces outside of their control. Yet, still composed or shaped in large part by who they are. Sounding perhaps a bit oxymoronic, but not. Both, to some degree, have been guided by guilt and a compulsive sense of obligation. Perhaps because of that, fate might have already determined that they would meet.
Indeed, this series is also a very sad story. I wept – a lot. I cannot imagine anyone remaining unmoved by either the stellar performances or the deep human story at its heart. Both touched me solemnly. Teng Mo (Wei Lin Yu) is a very successful lawyer but by a serendipitous chance, witnesses an unresolved murder. Fearing for his life and not wanting to get involved, he retreats from society, quits being an attorney, and drops off from living by opening an adult store and tries to remain veiled. A strikingly handsome young singer at one of the local bars keeps coming in to buy Viagra. Teng Mo quietly is intrigued by Shi Xian (Tang Shao Wen) and becomes concerned for him for what he thinks is the overuse of that drug, which he assumes is for himself. It is only later that Teng Mo finds out that he has been purchasing the drug for his sister who suffers from pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Shi Xian is quite a good singer and Teng Mo begins to spend more and more time at the bar, especially when he is performing. Shi Xian is striking in that his hair has a grayish-blueish tone and he uses a rather pronounced blue tint also for his lips. Teng Mo begins to build a strange rapport with Shi Xian. In an oddly creative and sneaky manner, Teng Mo does something to Shi Xian that forces him to employ a rather unusual sexual response to cure him (to relieve Shi Xian). Which, of course, leads to a night of wild, uninhibited sexual passion and lust.
While all this starts out perhaps humorously, even tongue-in-cheek, it does not end that way. This is merely a tease at a creative establishment of a relationship that in a sense both needed. Not knowing it at the time, what we had were two very, very lonely guys who needed companionship. But before our eyes, that lustful connection turned into a passion, then into a love, finally into destiny. In quick succession. This unfolding has a certain feeling of inevitability to it as if it was meant to be – a sort of destiny.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? In a true sense, the story is about the sister as well as about Teng Mo and Shi Xiang. Her story is integral to their transformation. Wi Yixian has a rare pulmonary condition and as the older sister commands a lot of respect and deference. Shi Xian does so willingly; she is his only family and as family is willing and wanting to sacrifice as much as he can for her. Played by An Ran, she in a real sense has been shaping Shi Xian throughout – providing guidance and a moral compass. Now, she is beginning to help shape the relationship between her brother and Teng Mo. Initially, weary of their connection, she perceives that the two of them are deeply in love and with her finite time on this earth fast coming to an end, she calculatingly makes sure that Teng Mo’s intensions are sincere and committed. She has realized for a long time that Shi Xian’s devotion to her has limited his experiences in living and growing and he indeed could be a burden to a future partner. While she might be physically confined, her level of astuteness and perception is veracious. An Ran plays this part with such quiet dignity, knowing she is burden yet also knowing she is the one that has provided her brother with the directions he needed. She can be at peace now that someone is in his life that will not be taking advantage of him but truly loving him and taking care of him. The final scene with the brother and sister together was not just sublime acting, it was quite heartbreaking and created a beautiful reflection for his sister. To say that I was deeply touched and wept would be an understatement. Not maudlin, however. Just bittersweet.
The overall story surprised me as I frankly was never sure where it was going. It was set up that their relationship seemed to take one step forward at the same time it took two back. Yet, they persistently moved forward because both talked. Both communicated their feelings and frustrations. And they did so openly and honestly. Their relationship just sort of moves along in slow spurts but bursts that make sense in terms of everyday world experiences. It all just sort of happens in a world that is so relatable to us.
Where this series diminished and frankly confused me was with its ending. I was so prepared to put this on my top ten list but then it weirdly twisted itself. I was not sure if it was just poor editing or the story simply fell apart. Teng Mo was put into a position of rectifying his mistake from 5 years ago with the unsolved murder case, and we are left hanging with what is happening with all of that – rather mysteriously and ominously. In addition, to get to that point, it looked like (at least to me) that the production seems to intersperse scenes from when Shi Xian had changed his hair color and when he had not. In addition, conversations seem to be discoursed between him and Teng Mo as if he had gone back to school and then suddenly looking like then it was around the funeral of his sister again. I just did not get the juxtaposition of what was happening and frankly got confused. That all time frame with after the sister’s death needed to be tightened up and edited to be less confusing.
That indeed is unfortunate. As this really was an exceptional series up to that point. They are not your typical/traditional BL shipping couple, and their problems/issues were way more relatable to people who are living a more maturation lifestyle now. I also thought that Wei Lin Yu and Tang Shao Wen are to put it in a vernacular term a hot couple. They were sensual and erotic, and their lovemaking scenes were graphic and sensual as well. While both chronologically are not that far apart in actual age, their makeup did give the illusion there was a 9-year gap between the two. And it all worked. Beautifully and tastefully. The supposed age-gap was also a non-starter and a non-issue. That was refreshing and added so much to the story by NOT making it a major focus.
As mentioned, this is not a series for your standard BL flock; it offered a more sophisticated approach to the development of a relationship. Here we see the physicality of the connection turn into a deep romantic, quiet love that perhaps only a slightly older couple could achieve. It was refreshing to watch this. Perhaps there will be a Season 2 to clarify some of the abruptness of the way it ended. I sure would like to see that.
For those of you who want to see the beginnings of what a deep love relationship is and, dare I say, a soulmate connection, I would highly recommend this series. Just know that the ending is not very clear one.
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