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Now that the infamous ex-boyfriend Wang Shuo (Liu Jun) has finally made his appearance in ‘Revenged Love’, it’s clear Chi Cheng (Tian Xu Ning) has a ‘type’: gorgeous little schemers!
Recap of ‘Revenged Love’ Episodes 13-14: Wei Wei (Zi Yu) and Chi Cheng start to date each other seriously, going on fun dates, while also working together in their new art company. Meanwhile, Guo Cheng Yu (Zhan Xuan) tracks down Dr. Xiao Shuai’s (Liu Xuan Cheng) predatory ex-boyfriend Meng Tao (Birgit) and forces him to come clean. Meng Tao admits he had Xiao Shuai drugged and photographed to make it look like he cheated, so they would break up. This confrontation gives Xiao Shuai closure and also brings him closer to Cheng Yu.
While Episode 13 features cutesy romantic moments between Wei Wei and Chi Cheng, trouble brews in the next chapter when Chi Cheng’s ex-boyfriend, Wang Shuo (Liu Jun), returns to town. Interestingly, Wei Wei isn’t insecure; instead, he encourages his boyfriend to sort things out with the ex so they can move forward with their lives. Episode 14 ends with a tense meeting between Chi Cheng, Wang Shuo, and Cheng Yu over drinks at their usual hangout spot.
Episodes 15-16 of ‘Revenged Love’
After a fun, comedic 14-episode run, the series has now entered its cliched era, filled with a few frustrating misunderstandings that don’t make a lot of sense. For instance, a coincidence leads Wei Wei to believe Chi Cheng might’ve spent the night with Wang Shuo, when in reality, Wang Shuo unexpectedly crashes at Dr. Xiao Shuai’s flat. And come on, we all know how chatty and gossipy Xiao Shuai is, so when he runs into Wei Wei the very next day, it’s completely implausible that he wouldn’t mention Wang Shuo had stayed over. In-fact, if Wang Shuo had cleared up the matter, it could’ve led to more insecurity and cause for concern and confusion for Wei Wei!
Titled “Who Can Resist the One You Love, But Cannot Have?”, Episode 15 of ‘Revenged Love’ begins with Chi Cheng confronting Wang Shuo about his sudden return, and why he’d been hiding it for six months. It’s clear Chi Cheng still needs closure over what happened between them in the past. New entrant Liu Jun is entertaining as the sly, bratty Wang Shuo, whose ultimate agenda seems shady, but it’s evident he wants to stir up trouble between the lovers.
Meanwhile, things get more complicated when Chi Cheng takes Wei Wei’s mother, Li Ya (Qin Yue), to the doctor and learns she has pancreatic cancer. In a cliched twist, she makes him swear to keep it a secret, forcing poor Chi Cheng to lie to his boyfriend about his whereabouts during the hospital visits, leaving Wei Wei confused, insecure, and heartbroken. Actor Zi Yu shoulders these emotional scenes with nuance and sincerity, tugging at the heartstrings of viewers.
While Episode 15 might be the weakest installment of ‘Revenged Love‘, dragging slightly in pace, Episode 16 is more entertaining, reintroducing some of the show’s comedic tone. One of the funnier surprises (especially for those who haven’t read Chai Ji Dan’s novel Counter-Attack) is when the bratty Wang Shuo shows up at Wei Wei’s art installation company, as a client.
Jealous yet curious to learn more about the ex, Wei Wei slips into scheming mode and agrees to visit Wang Shuo’s home, where he ends up befriending Wang’s older brother. But not just that, Wei Wei also discovers some old videos which lead to new revelations about Chi Cheng’s messed up equation with Wang Shuo and Guo Cheng Yu. So we get some comedic scenes between Wei Wei and Xiao Shuai wondering what really went down between the three men.
Fans who’ve been patiently waiting for the romance between Guo Cheng Yu and Dr. Xiao Shuai to progress might feel rewarded: they’re finally officially a couple in the series. Some credit goes to the mischievous Wang Shuo for escalating things between the pair. I am not sure how much space this secondary couple had in the novel, but they could’ve definitely used some more scenes in ‘Revenged Love’, since the chemistry between Zhan Xuan and Liu Xuan Cheng is pretty cute.
Although, damn, I said in my review for the first four episodes of ‘Revenged Love’ – Zhan Xuan and Tian Xu Ning have great onscreen chemistry too, which is making all characters curious about the exact nature of their ‘friendship’. Because not just Dr. Xiao Shuai, but it seems Wang Shuo was also insecure about the proximity between the childhood friends.
The climactic moments of Episode 16 indicate that Wang Shuo might not be as evil as everybody assumes him to be. Overall, these two episodes of ‘Revenged Love’ were engaging, even if not as chaotically entertaining as the earlier editions.
You can watch ‘Revenged Love’ on YouTube or Viki.
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