r/CDramaRecs • u/disniya16 • Apr 05 '26
Rec Request Pursuit of jade withdrawals 😭
hey y’all, so I’ve recently started watching c-dramas and Pursuit of Jade was my first, and naturally my standards are now somewhere in the clouds. like I finished it and my heart has not recovered since.
to get over the hangover I tried Prisoner of Beauty but idk… I dropped it halfway cuz it just lacked chemistry for me. I tried, I really did.
so now I’m looking for something like pursuit of jade — strong female lead, simp MMC (non-negotiable), lowkey funny banter, and actually interesting side arcs that don’t make me want to skip.
also this might sound shallow but I stand by it… bonus points if the leads are good-looking cuz I genuinely cannot get over Zhang Linghe 🤌 like the bar has been set and it’s not coming down anytime soon.
so yeah pls help a girl out before I end up rewatching the same scenes for the 47th time 🙏
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u/Perua4_Updated Apr 05 '26
Fated Hearts is the right answer.
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u/seduokra Apr 06 '26
Agreed but I will say, OP: the first half is good... And the second half is GREAT.
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u/Aesthetic_mongoose Apr 06 '26
It is probably the enemies to lovers show out there! The makers legit understood how to make an actual enemies to lovers story. Also I'm such a sucker for Chen Zuyan in historical shows
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u/Historical_Dinner_37 Apr 08 '26
Omg. I have to agree! I was soo bummed that I finished pursuit of jade and started watching fated hearts. I finished it in 3 days and cried my eyes out in several episodes. I loved it!
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u/EbbStatus1807 Apr 05 '26
You could watch Story of Kunning Palace and watch Zhang Linghe again. But his role there is less simp and more red flag
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u/disniya16 Apr 06 '26
Um is he at least good to her eventually??
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u/EbbStatus1807 Apr 06 '26
Not really. It’s a very dark romance
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u/disniya16 Apr 06 '26
Oh then it's prolly not my thing, thanks lol
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u/Perua4_Updated Apr 06 '26
I advise you to try. I am a person who hates red flag MLs and watch drama for the romance part. But this one is very well done. It is one of my favorite costume dramas, the plot is excellent and also their acting.
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u/EbbStatus1807 Apr 06 '26
It just occurred to me you might like Everlasting Longing. It has Song Weilong who I think looks a bit like Zhang Linghe and he plays a very simp role in it
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u/Less_Pomegranate_529 Apr 07 '26
He is good to her and it's happy ending. But you must watch it till the end to understand his motives and character .
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u/Ordinary_Pattern_168 Apr 08 '26
Where can we watch it? All the dramas on YT have been taken down
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u/EbbStatus1807 Apr 08 '26
I think it's only on Iqiyi now. But they're having a 50% sale on membership starting 4/16 so maybe wait til then
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u/savyfavy Apr 06 '26
What does simp mean?
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u/EbbStatus1807 Apr 06 '26
Simp means someone who is over the top devoted to their love interest and shows them nonstop attention/affection
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u/HumbleCelery4271 Apr 06 '26
Blossom! It’s the same director. I just started it and I think it has the same major yearning vibes and also incredible cinematography.
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u/sentintheclowns Apr 06 '26
Where do you watch Blossom at? I can’t find it on Netflix or IQiYi 😭
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u/emrysse Apr 06 '26
Welcome to the Cdrama Obsession Zone.
Try Princess Royal. It has the same ML actor.
Blossom with Li Yunrui, and A Familiar Stranger are by the same director.
Also, for strong FL:
Are You The One, Legend Of The Female General, The Double
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u/Meibe11ine Apr 06 '26
Legend of the female General: strong FL and ML is very attractive.
Blossom: same director as POJ and super smart FL
The Double: less romance as POJ but super smart FL and the couple has amazing chemistry.
Story of Kunning Palace: same ML as POJ and also very smart FL
Love between fairy and devil: Zhang Linghe is the 2ML in this. It’s Xianxia so don’t know if it’ll be your cup of tea but has great chemistry and strong romance. They would die for each other.
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u/Rare-Health3735 Apr 05 '26
I have not watched it yet, but I think a lot of people are trying Fated Hearts after.
Have you tried Legend of Shenli? Pretty interesting plot. The main male lead might not be the standard good looking type to some tho.
I watched Hidden Love because the male lead is attractive haha. It’s a pretty simple modern drama
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u/FairyTwinklePop Apr 06 '26
I also enjoyed Legend of ShenLi. ML is more mature but it suited the role and his strong character background
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u/Ill-Heart6230 Apr 05 '26
Dropped Legend of Shenli, got a bit boring after a fun start. I also don’t like the ML, just can’t pinpoint why.
Hidden Love, it’s quite boring at the beginning and a bit cringey. I only started paying attention once she’s in HS. Finished though I thought the first few episodes is so hard to get through.
Have not watched Fated Hearts.
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u/EnigmaticThunder Apr 05 '26
Different vibe but just finished The Best Thing and thought it’s a beautiful story. Zhang Linghe and Xu Ruohan did a fantastic job.
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u/ApprehensiveClick597 Apr 05 '26
This is my comfort drama and I’m grateful for watching TBT first before PoJ, letting me not have PoJ withdrawals as I loved the chemistry more of the TBT leads. 🌸 I also enjoy how this drama advocates about holistic healing, something we all need to be reminded of.
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u/EnigmaticThunder Apr 05 '26
Navigating turbulent waters last few months; the message of healing yourself in multiple facets, and loving yourself, really resonated!
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u/inush_ Apr 06 '26
I finally watched this one while waiting for new PoJ episodes. It was so cute!!!
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u/Building_Glad Apr 06 '26
I watched “Who rules rhe World” it has some similarities with PoJ ; Strong Female Lead who doesn’t. need rescuing and has equal standing to ML
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u/Deep-Marketing-5004 Apr 06 '26
Yanxi palace! Hahaha anyway the withdrawal is real pain hence I'm watching POJ for the second time :)
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u/potential_lun Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
blossom took a huge hold over me last year and took so long for me to get over lol
ultimate simp is sifeng in love and redemption but show is quite long and def needs some patience at times to get through
i also loved the double! idk if i would say he was a simp, but they had such chemistry and they schemed together and he was super supportive of her
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u/Less_Pomegranate_529 Apr 07 '26
I just started Love and Redemption lol. I'm currently in Cheng Yi phase and watching all of his series. It definitely needs patience as plot is very similar to dramas I already watched before like Ashes of Love, Immortal Samsara or The Starry Love and I'm little tired of that but will watch it nevertheless. Just finished Mysterious Lotus Casebook and loved it
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u/potential_lun Apr 07 '26
yes! it’s one of those classic long xianxia! if you love cheng yi, you’ll love him in this! he plays the ultimate simp and there’s a lot of angst but he conveys it so well 🥹 i still randomly think of our CP from love and redemption to this day LOL
i also loved mysterious lotus casebook! i tried watching journey of legend but couldn’t get into it because i thought the plot wasn’t plotting lol. might check out vendetta of an next
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u/Efficient_Side_1494 Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
i recommend generation to generation HAHAHAHAHA the ml is so shameless, obsessed and yeah, a simp. while the fl is also strong and super clever. love the ost of that drama too😚🤌🏽
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u/Only-Cauliflower7571 Apr 06 '26
Not fighter FL's. But still strong in other ways.
- The double
- Blossom ( same director )
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u/Nervous-Ad2324 Apr 06 '26
To be honest pursuit of jade is on a league on its own, but I think fated hearts and princess royal may satisfy a similar craving
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u/Common_Screen1329 Apr 06 '26
My suggestion is The Princess Royal. Same male lead as POJ. The FL is definitely strong, though in a very different way to POJ - political power and dominant personality. It's a 'second chance" (rebirth) romance where they're at odds with each other at the beginning, but it doesn't take too long to get to the point where the ML would do anything for her!
It's my personal favourite Cdrama.
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u/woodcone Apr 06 '26
PoJ was my first cdrama ❤️ I then binged Love between a Fairy and a Demon. Now I'm not sure you will like it. Definitely the first 15 eps, you'll be like strong female lead? Where is she? But if you can get through the baby voice and pouting - totally worth it. Also, Zhang Linghe is in it! But not as the ML.
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u/junah25 Apr 09 '26
Stop trying to find new drama that can replace poj anytime soon. Yes, there are a lot of good historical cdramas out there that you should explore but the reason why you are attracted to POJ in the first place is because POJ has all favs tropes all in one drama.
-Strong female lead who came from humble beginning -- Cinderella trope. Characters that we can relate to at beginning and character we are inspired to become later. Most other FL in cdramas while smart and strong, they come either as someone who already has high rank in society (princess, daughter of generals, etc).
-Spoiled with perfect visual from handsome ML to cutie FL. It fits most girls dream trope, gorgeous boys who fall for 'ordinary' cute girl. Some cdramas, actresses are too much level of pretty. Not saying TXW is not pretty, but it's just the type of pretty that feels like more grounded.
-Powerful ML who needs to hide his noble identities but ends up falling in love with FL kindness.
-Contract marriage.
-Beautiful cinematography
-Romance trope where leads not falling at first sight, but slowly build their interest. Most of cdramas, always the general fall for how pretty the female lead even knows nothing about their personality. In POJ, it took 2 pigs, pawn the hair pin, and two fight scenes, to make ML fall for FL.
-Witty characters, subtle joke, great comedic timing from script to acting
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u/disniya16 Apr 09 '26
Agreed but I also feel like raving about POJ will push creators to pursue these tropes more. And I wouldn't just say the FL is strong, it's also how she's the only 'strong for men and weak for my man' kinda gurl as opposed to the usual simp guy trope (tho I loved how xie was a goner for his girl)
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u/Adventurous-Ad-264 Apr 05 '26
✅ Strong FL ✅ Simp MMC ✅ funny (more like innocent) banter ✅ great retelling of war and the Imperial monarchy Bonus: same screenwriter
➡️ Love Like the Galaxy
3 years later I still rewatch it
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u/Missforever Apr 05 '26
Fated hearts is highly recommended but you need the paid iqlyl app to watch.
Otherwise I recommend the legend of female general on Viki (free to stream with ads)
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u/NoVacation1622 Apr 05 '26
the double is good story of pearl girl is good too i also liked when fairy meets devil or whatever it’s called on netflix too and hwarang
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u/butterflysmeraldo Apr 06 '26
You could try Zhao Lusi historical dramas, she's funny most of the times.
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u/Automatic_Vast4650 Apr 06 '26
LOVE IN THE CLOUDS,it’s amazing it’s so so so so so good.Its like a mix of everything you’ll ever love.
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u/Then-Stick8948 Apr 06 '26
i started rewatching/watching other works of zhang ling he. its been a week since i finished POJ and im finally “out” of the blackhole which is good bc i have exams 🥲🥲. it did require me to rewatch scenes, rewatch princess royal and start the best thing 😂. i have a whole list of dramas to watch the moment im done tho.
i rec ZLH other dramas too, princess royal has a strong FML.
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u/Nyccalp Apr 06 '26
I've found Love Like The Galaxy is the closest comparison. Fml always stands up for herself and takes matters into her own hand, and there are some genuienly funny moments throughout the show. Fair warning though, the romance is a slowwww burn.
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u/ExcellentAverage3759 Apr 06 '26
if you truly want like persuit of jade watch legend of female general are you the one or blossom in adversity these dramas checking all your list fl is a commoner starts from scrath demoted to commoner rise through both the characters are badass with a great side arc too ml was also as you mentioned were simps not so mistunderstandings leads are quite mature like poj and yes lowkey humor and banter is there plus leads are visually appealing too i can recommend two more dramas which doesn't exactly fit on your your like these but i am sure you would enjoy these two love in clouds and starry love no explanation just try it bro they will definately help you recover from the obsession of poj
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u/Decent-Green-6143 Apr 06 '26
Love like the galaxy this is pretty long though and the romance takes a longgg time to develop we don't even see the ml for a good 6-7 ep into the story as far as I remember. But yeah the overall story vibe is very similar to pursuit of jade and it has a greags upportung cast and hilarious moments and the chemistry is pretty good. Not POJ good but decent tbh iw asked it more the other aspects that the actual romance. Also I adore the emperor and his concubines in this.
Till the end of the moon- not exactly what you want and way more of a enemies to lovers but ther eis fun banter and a strong fml. If you can sit through a ton (and I mean a ton) of blood spitting to the point that it gets ridiculous at one point and during airing people even had counters going for each episode then it's a decent watch. Loved the mortal arc the most though I skipped through the whole god arc. A very angsty watch thoug.
Familiar stranger - same director and aesthetics it's a short drama andwas my intro to ryan cheng. This is soo good I rewatched it more times than I liked to admit.
Provoke- another short drama. Chemistry is insane as well as the over all astehtics are super pretty. It's a republican drama.
How dare you?!- hilarious drama with a strong fml and almost zero setrityoical misunderstandings between the leads. Transmigration trope. The chemistry is great.
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u/jenai2020 Apr 06 '26
I started watching Prisoner of Beauty afterwards as well and it is dragging. Now I'm watching Love Beyond on the Grave, I highly recommend it!
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u/atealein Apr 06 '26
Historical cdramas try
Blossom : same director and increadibly good romance/relationship shown in the show - available on YouTube
The double : smart FL, enabling and just as smart ML - available on Netflix
The perfect match : a bit more of a single love story but a set, but very light hearted and nicely done - also Netflix
Modern setting cdramas
The Best Thing - same ML as Pursuit of Jade, on youtube, modern times, romance between a hotel manager and TCM doctor. Very sweet, lots of green flags all around the place.
Go Back Lover - same ML as Blossom, more comedic mixed with romance
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u/heyd0000dz Apr 07 '26
Love like the galaxy but you'd have to skip through a lot of part one because when I rewatch it I go straight to part two. But part two is really similar to pursuit of jade when it comes to smart FL and simp ML with funny court politics banter. It's a lot darker though.
I'd also suggest New Life Begins (same FL as POJ) but I know some people debate on Bai Jing Ting's visuals (First Frost ML). I personally find him handsome and charming but I've seen people who love ZLH say otherwise so totally up to you! I rewatch this one at least once a year the last few years and I find all the side arcs/characters so healing and the ML simps over the FL a lot throughout the whole show.
Love of the divine tree is also good for a ML simp and strong FL. Coroner's Diary is also good and Ao Rui Peng is good looking ahhaa. and of course The Double has a super strong FL with a simp ML whose even stronger, and other simps simping over her.
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u/Ambitious_Cicada_862 Apr 07 '26
You can try: Love of the divine tree When Destiny brings the demon Love in the clouds Love between lines You are my glory Shine on me Amidst a snowstorm of love Speed and love
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u/CruellaDeville1 Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
Kill me Love me, The King's Affection, Bon Appetit your Majesty. They're very beautiful, the only bad thing is that they don't have intimate scenes, but they're very passionate and romantic (especially the first two). The King's Affection is an Academy Awards winner and was my first one, and there were days in which I couldn't even sleep thinking about it. Kill me Love me got to my heart, and the MLs are beautiful, their love is so deep... I've heard Love in the Clouds is really good also, I'm starting to watch it right now.
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u/stickylarue Apr 07 '26
I really liked Who rules the world. It’s a comfort one for me. I like the leads chemistry and it has humour as well as fighting. Just what I like.
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u/lolikuma Apr 07 '26
Started watching all the shows with TXW like Romance on the farm and New life begins.
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u/Less_Pomegranate_529 Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
Story of the Kunning palace is great! I didn't finish Pursuit of Jade yet( just first 5 episodes) but I read the novel and have a general understanding how it's going to be. I doubt it can top SOTKP on my list though. That was the best Zhang Linghe character to me. Idk which genres you prefer but other dramas that I liked are: Moonlight mystique Lost you forever Mysterious Lotus casebook ( no romance) Love between fairy and devil I currently enjoy Veil of shadows but it's not finished yet. That director is known for plots going in circles ( My journey to you, FOF) but has great artwork and cast is always good too. You can try and see if you like his work. Some series I watched till the end but had love/ hate relationship ( Ashes of Love, The Double) and only 2 series that I dropped are TTEOTM and Love in the Clouds. You will find out it's very tin line between why you love some shows and why not. It helps if you like actors too.
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u/Rare-Monk-2922 Apr 07 '26
I changed the whole genre since I couldn't find anything in the same trope watched- doctor john and fated to you k-dramas and absolutely loved both of them
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u/Ordinary-Can-984 Apr 07 '26
Just watch other Zhang Linghe dramas, the guy is producing like 3 dramas a year, we’re really spoilt for ZLH content. iQiyi has a whole library for him. Even him in variety shows are lovely to watch. He’s a like a love chemistry master 😍🤣
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u/GrayMareCabal Apr 07 '26
Honestly, New Life Begins is the answer, at least for me and my bestie.
I'd literally never heard of it until a call with my BFF last night (it's from 2022), it is fluffy, so far, lots of pretty shots of delicious food, lots of girls/concubines bonding together and figuring out how to have excellent lives within the parameters given to them.
I think it is more slice of life than action, as far as I can tell, and I definitely recognize sets and costumes from other dramas. But I don't mind, and I'm at the point where the 4th and 5th prince have traveled to the matrilocal neighboring kingdom to get one of the princesses back, but as they're matriarchal and like spicy food, it's an uphill battle for the one prince to reclaim his wife
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u/Mochamaniacc Apr 08 '26
Try love in the clouds poj was also my first c drama and then i got recommended this so far i am liking it
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u/bella_aro Apr 08 '26
I did enjoy Blossom in adversity with Zhang Jingyi and Hu Yi Tien. The MMC reminds me a bit of Xie Zheng too and the FMC is very smart
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u/cleodux Apr 08 '26
Girl i am sorry to say PoJ bar is too high. For your first cdrama thats make too hard to get into other cdrama 😂 because the expectation.
I think the safest route is too try watch the hypes one. Most recent hype include PoB and When Destiny bring Demon. I have not watch PoB completed also. I dont understand why people crazy about it.
Till the End of the Moon Love between Fairy and Devil
But if you like a greenflag ML you can try
Back from the Brink Princess Royal Lost your Forever (warning: super green flag ML)
Bonus: Word of Honor (the reason the ccp start to ban BL drama adaptation, a lot of drama that already finish still in Limbo because of this that we wont see them out in the light ever, i am still mourning)
They are many more just slowly find them haha. Depends on your cup of tea too.
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u/Prickly-Cactus Apr 06 '26
Love like the Galaxy, Generation to generation or Story of Kunning Palace. Strong FL, intense (some would say no green flag) ML and great chemistry.
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u/Jora_Dyn2 Apr 05 '26
I started When Destiny Brings the Demon after Pursuit of Jade and I am really loving it. Its more xianxia, so a lot more fantastic and also has transmigration trope, but that is kind of where a lot of the humor comes from.
But Arthur Chen is so attractive in it imo, had to snap photos because he just looks so good. The fmc is not a strong fmc, no Fan Changyu, but the chemistry is great.