CHINESE SHORT DRAMA REVIEW · 08
Chinese title卿卿三思
Strong chemistry, a devoted male lead, excellent romantic payoff, attractive visuals, and a soundtrack that makes the romance hit harder. I just wanted more kisses.
THE ROMANCE CHECK
Relationship spoilers below.
Finished. Personal opinions plus checked relationship facts.
My impressions cover what I watched. Later research is labeled on dropped reviews. Kissing, affection and adult intimacy are separate; coercion does not count as romantic spice. Being apart does not automatically mean a breakup.
A PERSONAL VIEWING JOURNAL
I really loved The Deliberations of Love. It is one of those short dramas where the chemistry does a lot of the heavy lifting, but in this case, I was perfectly fine with that.
The biggest reasons this worked for me were the chemistry between the leads, the romance, and the soundtrack. The music especially added a lot to the atmosphere and made the romantic scenes hit harder. The drama also looked really good overall. I liked the costumes, styling, and general visual presentation.
Li Fei was easily one of the highlights for me. Pei Xun is exactly the kind of male lead I usually enjoy: devoted, protective, and completely invested in the woman he loves. I loved him. Liu Yueqing was also a good female lead and matched him well, even though I liked him a little more than I liked her individually.
Their chemistry was excellent. The romantic payoff was very good, and I never felt frustrated with the way their relationship was handled. There was no constant hot-and-cold nonsense making me wonder why these two were even together. Once I was invested in them, the drama let me enjoy them as a couple.
My main complaint is simple: I wanted more romance.
The kissing and physical chemistry were already very good, which honestly just made me want even more of it. For a drama with this much chemistry, I would have happily taken additional romantic scenes, more affection, and more time with them simply being together.
I also cannot pretend that I was deeply invested in everything happening outside the romance. The larger plot existed, and it kept the story moving, but I was mostly there for Pei Xun and Liu Yueqing. Every time the story returned to them, that was where my attention went.
The pacing, however, was very good. It stayed engaging and never felt painfully slow, which is especially important for a short drama. Both leads also sold the romance well enough that even when I cared less about the surrounding plot, I still wanted to keep watching.
The ending was good and satisfying, but I wanted a little more romantic payoff before it was over. Not because the ending was bad—I just liked this couple enough that I was not ready for the drama to stop giving me scenes with them.
I probably would not rewatch the entire series from beginning to end, but I would absolutely go back and rewatch specific romantic scenes. 👀
RELATIONSHIP MILESTONES
Major spoilers ahead.
Episode 1
The story begins with a previous disastrous lifetime/timeline that ends in death.
That death/reset should not be recorded as a normal romantic breakup.
Episode 2
Liu Yueqing wakes before the marriage has fully played out again and tries to change her fate.
She attempts to avoid the path that previously ended badly.
This is pre-relationship avoidance in the new timeline, not a breakup.
Episode 5
While affected by drugs, Yueqing impulsively kisses Pei Xun.
Pei Xun recognizes that she is impaired and does not take advantage of the situation.
Episodes 6–10
Pei Xun continues pursuing and protecting Yueqing.
His actions gradually make it harder for her to treat him only as the dangerous man connected to the previous timeline.
Mid-Series
Their relationship shifts from suspicion and fate-avoidance into genuine trust and affection.
Episode 22
At the army outpost, Yueqing openly trusts that Pei Xun will return to her.
They kiss, and their emotional commitment is unmistakable.
Episode 23
Pei Xun rescues Yueqing and puts himself in serious danger.
Episode 24
Pei Xun appears in the final timeline as Yueqing's husband, and the two share an affectionate snowy reunion.
The timeline mechanics may be complicated, but the romantic answer is not:
They end up together.
Overall, The Deliberations of Love gave me exactly what I want from this kind of drama: strong chemistry, a devoted male lead, a likable main couple, good pacing, attractive visuals, and a soundtrack that actually added something to the experience.
I just needed more kisses. 😭
THE FINAL WORD
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