This week Lu Tian Xing is quickly becoming Le Si’s bad penny, popping up everywhere while Xiao Lu is slowly distancing himself from both Le Si and OZ. Will the absence of one clear the way for the presence of another? At this point, I highly doubt it but let’s dig into this week’s episode of Fall in Love With Me and see what we can uncover, shall we?
So this week starts off with Tian Xing appearing out of nowhere, just in time to bail OZ out of a presentation disaster. Coincidence? Of course not! Tian Xing is smart enough to realize that the only way he’s ever going to have a chance to make Le Si fall in love with him is if he spends more time with her and the only way he’s going to legitimately be able to do that is if he works with her. Hence, Tian Xing’s miraculous appearance at the Samsung presentation and his “coincidental” assignment as the consultant between Samsung and OZ. In reality we all know that this position as consultant was created by Tian Xing as a means of being close to Le Si, which was smart on his part, unfortunately he lacks the brains to figure out that if he was even the tiniest bit nice to Le Si and the rest of OZ’s employees, he’d get much farther with them all. It’s this overall lack of common sense that drives me to frustration, and watching Tian Xing throw himself uselessly at Le Si makes me as frustrated as a toddler eating Jell-O with a fork. Augh! I just want to sit Tian Xing down and tell him, straight up, that there are two things that need to happen if he’s ever going to succeed in winning Le Si’s affections:
1. He’s going to have to make Xiao Lu disappear. And when I say disappear, I mean gone… As in from the face of the planet, never to be seen or heard from again.
This whole, “I’m off to shoot a short film with my friends” crap just isn’t going to cut it! As long as Xiao Lu is anywhere remotely near, Le Si is going to be trying to reach out to him… She’s going to be pulling him back and since Xiao Lu has an obvious weakness for her (as in he’s totally in love with her) he’s not going to be able to resist her for any length of time. This week’s episode proved this time and time again. Xiao Lu can try as hard as he might but he’s never going to actually be able to let Le Si go because he’s afraid that if he does, he’ll never get her back again. This is an understandable fear but it’s doing absolutely nothing to help Tian Xing win Le Si’s heart.
2. Tian Xing needs to START BEING NICE! It’s as simple as that.
No matter how many times Le Si may find her heart fluttering because of Tian Xing, she’s never going to develop feelings beyond that if Tian Xing continues to be a total jerk. It’s true that good girls tend to fall for bad guys but it’s not because the guy is an absolute jerk all the time. The mystique and draw of the bad guy is only strong when he shows an obvious soft spot for the girl he loves. It’s this weakness and vulnerability that makes a bad guy so appealing and if Tian Xing doesn’t start showing some sort of softness towards Le Si, he’s never going to get anywhere with her. EVER.
This is why I was so happy to see Tian Xing completely lose his cool at the train tracks, as it was the perfect moment for Tian Xing to expose his weakness to Le Si and prove that he is, after all, human. Maybe that sounds silly but Le Si really needed to see that beneath his calloused exterior, Tian Xing is actually a wounded soul in desperate need of some healing TLC. I’m sure that seeing Tian Xing’s moment of weakness won’t change things right away but it did provide a moment of absolute honesty between the two (something that has been severely lacking between the two up to this point) and for that one brief minute, they were able to be together as themselves. I know a minute isn’t long but it’s certainly a start and I think it may carry some weight in the future as Le Si looks back and realizes that Tian Xing is more than what he seems.
Until that moment comes, we’re going to be forced to put up with many more painful moments as Tian Xing tries to force himself on Le Si and, if we’re lucky, a few more moments in which Tian Xing and Leo try to one-up each other. Oh boys! I know it was completely childish, the way those two were behaving as everyone else was scouting the location but it was also pretty stinking funny. The looks, smirks and shrugs between the two cracked me up and it wasn’t until Miao Miao caught them in a full-on wrestling match that I decided that enough was enough. At least they now “officially” recognize the other as competition though, as Leo pointed out himself, he hasn’t even entered the competition yet so there’s really nothing for them to fight over. If Leo decides to step up and finally confess his feelings to Le Si, I’ll give him a standing ovation. Not because I actually want to see him end up with Le Si (because I don’t) but because for once a second lead will have the guts to admit his feelings instead of hiding them until the last possible moment. Oh, wouldn’t that be lovely? I’m sure it’s all wishful thinking but it would be nice!
As things stand now, Tian Xing hasn’t progressed any further with Le Si. Le Si is beginning to pine for Xiao Lu who is struggling with his alter-ego on a regular basis as he tries to convince himself to let Le Si go to his other half. Miao Miao is still moaning over Leo’s lack of affection and Leo hasn’t had the guts to man up and confess to Le Si. My, what a tangled mess this is! As bleak as things may sound, things could actually be a lot worse so I’m not going to complain!
So tell me, what do you think of Tian Xing’s whole “Who am I” dilemma? Will he ever decide which version of himself is the “real” him? What do you think of his determination to “make” Le Si fall in love with him? Will he succeed or will he fail miserably? Do you even think it’s possible to “make” someone fall in love or is it more something that happens by chance? Maybe fate? What do you think about Leo and Tian Xing’s rivalry? Does Leo stand a chance? Does he even deserve a chance if he’s unwilling to step into the ring? What about Lance? I know I didn’t talk about him but do you think he’s going to start causing problems for Tian Xing? For OZ? As always, I’d love to hear all of your thoughts, ideas and theories so be sure to leave me a comment below!
You can catch up on all of my past reviews of Fall in Love With Me here:
First of all, woah, you wrote the review up in record speed. When Tian Xing showed up to the Samsung presentation, I wanted to flip some tables because everyone at Oz should have known that this is NOT a coincidence. I think Leo suspects something, but he is keeping quiet.
To me, Tian Xing is trying to hard to win Le Si’s affections. She is too much in love with Xiao Lu, which is surprising to me. She goes into so many daydreaming moments instead of working and that really irks me. Tian Xing is right in that she needs to step up and be a strong part of Oz. Daydreaming all day is getting her nowhere. I think she should get the hint that Xiao Lu is distancing himself from her, but then again, their relationship isn’t at the point where they are seriously dating. Yes, they held hands, but nothing else came out of that. It’s pretty obvious that Le Si wouldn’t easily cheat on Xiao Lu with Tian Xing. If I believed I was dating a guy, there’s no way I would try to flirt with another guy, even if he looked like my boyfriend. It’s only the right thing to do! Anyway, Le Si will dump Xiao Lu and Tian Xing once she finds out the truth. There’s no win-win situation for him over there.
I can tell Le Si is impressed with Tian Xing’s abilities at work and Tian Xing is just what she needs right now. After all, Tian Xing is the one who motivated her all along. Xiao Lu did as well, but it was very subtle.
I’m really wondering what happened to Tian Xing that caused him to hyperventilate near the train tracks. Are we going to get more about his background and how he lost his parents?
Leo and Tian Xing were so immature during while they were doing location scouting. Ugh, it’s pretty obvious what’s going on. Leo, however, made me disappointed when he won’t even admit that he’s in the competition. Come on! What is he doing then? Playing a brotherly role? Lies.
I’m really surprised at how easily Tian Xing plays both sides. It seems to me that he will back stab Lance by cooperating with Oz, but I don’t understand how collaborating with Oz and trying to recruit Leo is going to help their company. Weren’t they the best of the best anyway? Besides, Lance is annoyed that Tian Xing openly gazes at Le Si right in front of him when Lance’s sister is the one pining for Tian Xing. I’m guessing more action will happen in that aspect. Lance and Tian Xing will become enemies.
Lance just has the look about him. You know the one I’m talking about, right? The whole “I’m the bad guy so I must stare darkly off into the middle distance and scowl as often as I can” look… Yeah, Lance is the master of that one. The problem is, I can’t really see him as a true “bad guy.” He comes off more as slimy to me, like he’s a snake or something. I get the feeling he’s going to continue to be the troublemaker but there are some aspects of his actions that are justified. I mean having the CEO of your company pull a stunt like Tian Xing pulled in episode 1 and then sneak off and start helping the competition… That would be a bit upsetting. Plus, Tian Xing and Lance have been friends since childhood and yet Tian Xing is treating Lance like a perfect stranger, blowing him off and keeping him out of the loop. If I were Lance, I’d be hurt by that especially when it’s coming from my “best friend.” I’m really starting to wonder what their relationship was like when they were younger and if Tian Xing has always been this massive of a jerk because if he has, Lance really ought to have looked for a better friend a long time ago.
Leo has disappointed me pretty much from the get-go so this week’s moments of putziness came as no surprise. If he’s not going to man up and confess his feelings to Le Si, he has no right to fight Tian Xing off. At least Tian Xing has made his intentions towards Le Si perfectly clear and Leo would do well to do the same. Of course he won’t which means I’m probably going to spend most of this series being constantly disappointed by Leo but I guess that’s to be expected when you’ve got a second lead who opts for the role of “brotherly friend” over lover. (Can I just say “pathetic”?)
I do think the whole train crossing incident was no coincidence and, like you, I’m hoping we’ll get some back-story for Tian Xing in the near future. I’m guessing his parents were killed by a train and he’s been scarred for life as a result, since most people don’t typically freak out as they approach train tracks. If Le Si starts falling for Tian Xing out of pity, I’m going to be disappointed because they have so much more they could build a relationship on. I could just see the writers using Tian Xing’s train weakness as a means to soften his image as well as Le Si’ heart towards him. I’d be okay with the heart-softening bit as long as they don’t take it too far and make her feel pity for him. She’s already pitied Xiao Lu enough, she doesn’t need to do that with Tian Xing as well.
I just found your blog and read all of your Fall in love with me posts. It’s soooo great that you are recapping this! I’m looking forward to reading more of your thoughts on that. Jia you! ^_^
Also, here’s hoping that TX/XL will get an opportunity to just be himself with LS in the near future. I guess they need to be alone and in a situation that’s removed from the whole ad industry or s.th.
I’m so happy you found me and are enjoying my posts! I’m having so much fun writing the recap/reviews for Fall In Love With Me so I’m really glad someone else is enjoying them! Yay!
I think you’re right about Tian Xing and Le Si needing some quality time alone and away from the ad industry. I think the whole warehouse incident proved that when they’re alone and being civil towards each other, Tian Xing and Le Si can get actually get along really well. I’m really hoping the writers will provide more opportunities for the two to be together. *fingers crossed*
It’s nice that I’m able to see the show through a new set of eyes because I was a little disappointed with FILWM. We have to admit that it’s quite a lot of fluff.
I’ve found TX/XL character too one dimensional that I can’t seem to figure out which to root for. Who exactly is Tian Xing? I hope to see a reveal of his character other than jerk CEO and sweet intern (Still how was XL ever hired?). The dual personality is the most interesting thing in this drama I think. I predict lots of heartbreak later on. As for Tao Le Si, I’m especially frustrated at who she is as a leader. TX does his best to better her as the head of OZ, but I would appreciate if she could step up without necessarily having to prove Tian Xing wrong.
I have no care in the world for Leo. Working in the shadows can be cute and all but he’s been way too passive. What’s with 2nd lead thinking that their leading lady will never have any interest in other men? Booh
The scene with his sister did wonders for Lance’s character IMO. I think this will definitely bring some crackles in his relationship with TX (which doesn’t seem stable anyway) and the company will just serve as a vehicle for the battle. However I wish the business portion of the drama was at least gotten right. I don’t know how many times I had to suspend my disbelief during this show (I’m looking at you crappy physics in ep 1).
I’m certainly happy things have been going at a pretty fast pace, crossing fingers over how the next episodes will play out.
I totally agree that FILWM has a whole lot of fluff but then again, doesn’t every T-drama? I know I’ve not watched a ton of T-dramas but those I have watched have always been full of a whole lot of insignificant filler and fluff. I suppose if they took all of that out we’d only have a couple of episodes to watch! lol
I think the reason we’re having such a hard time trying to figure out which side of TX/XL to root for is because he’s so confused himself. If he would take the time to sit down and really try to find out who he really is, instead of chasing Le Si and messing with Lance, he’d be a lot better off. I do like how he can switch back and forth between the characters so well but it seems to me that the longer he keeps this duality up, the more confused he’s going to be. If he could just figure out who he really is… I suppose that will come with time but I think a lot of heartbreak could be spared for both him and Le Si if he could figure out himself a little earlier.
As for Le Si, yeah, she’s not the strongest of leading ladies but at the same time, I’m not so annoyed with her that I want to flip tables every time she appears on-screen. It would be nice if she could be a stronger leader without Tian Xing’s constant provocation but I suppose that’s asking too much. I suppose as long as she uses Tian Xing’s irking as motivation to better herself, I can be okay with her currently weak role as leader though I’d much rather see her as a strong, independent and successful business woman on her own. (A girl can hope, can’t she?)
And then there’s Leo… Ugh! I don’t even want to go there! He’s exactly the type of second lead that I NEVER get behind. Why must most T-drama seconds be such inactive, mopey punks? It drives me crazy! If you’re going to get upset at a girl for falling for a guy when you’ve never made an effort to let her know how you feel about her then you have no right to say or do anything… EVER! It’s been made clear, from the very beginning of this drama, that Le Si has only ever seen Leo as a brother and yet he’s been moping for weeks about Le Si’s growing attraction to TX/XL! WHY??? Leo either needs to fess up or move on because the way things are now, I just want to smack some sense into him!
I’m still up in the air about Lance… The bit with his sister proves that he can be a very kind and caring brother and I like that but he’s such a punk when it comes to work that I can’t really decide whether I like him or hate him. When you add to that the fact that his relationship with Tian Xing is a bit confusing (are they really good friends or have they been around each other so long they’ve gotten tired of each other???) I can’t really decide where I stand with him. Not that where I stand with him really matters… lol I just can’t decide if he’s going to be used to throw a monkey wrench in things for Tian Xing/Xiao Lu/Le Si or if he’s just going to stir up trouble for OZ… It’s a conundrum for me, to be sure.
Like you, I am happy with the pace of this drama. A lot has happened in these first few weeks and I’m very much intrigued by where the story is headed. Like you said, they’re probably a lot of heartbreak in the future but I can see there being some happy moments as well and I’m really curious to see how things play out between Tian Xing and Le Si. He’s so determined to “make” her fall in love with him… I’m curious to see how that’s actually going to play out.