I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this youth drama.

BASIC PLOT
Lin Beixing is working at a zoo job she doesn’t particularly enjoy and preparing for her wedding to her high school sweetheart Zhan Yu when he abruptly dumps her and tells her he never really liked her. As she begins to accept the breakup and delete old text messages she unexpectedly finds herself repeatedly transported back in time to her high school days.

As Beixing travels between past and present, she begins to wonder if she can change the present by making different choices in the past. She finds herself learning more about a classmate Zhang Wansen who she learns passed away shortly after the gaokao. She also gets to know Yang Chaoxang (a boy obsessed with crosstalk), Gao Ge (principal’s daughter with good grades but a rebellious streak), and Maizi (orphan and seeming “bad boy” - but is he really?)

Can she excel at the gaokao this time? What really happened to cause Wansen’s death and can she prevent it? Will she revisit her relationship with Zhan Yu or find new love? The time travel element allows to glimpse different facets of the past and also learn what remains constant and what changes based on the choices Beixing makes.

OVERALL IMPRESSION
Beixing’s character is sunny and brave, and the friendships that develop as she travels to the past are heartwarming. The romances that develop will give you the feels and in one case break your heart. Like many youth dramas, there is an embedded message about not forgetting to enjoy life and friends in the moment even while focused on gakao (major high school exam), and another about only being happy when you are true to yourself and your dreams. There is also an additional darker element (I can’t reveal without spoilers) that adds depth to the latter half and a solid warning to youth. I liked this more than I expected and binged it

Recommend.