Introduction
At first, I did not plan to watch The First Frost. But I love second-chance romance, which this drama is about. I read some reviews and discovered that this drama is not your usual youth romance. The more I watched, the more I realized that this drama has multiple layers of character depth. It also tackles some sensitive issues such as workplace harassment, sexual assault, victim-blaming, and the vulnerable of society becoming easy targets.
This first part of the article series consists of drama info, a character list, and recaps from Episodes 1 to 8.
Drama Info
Drama title: The First Frost (Native title: 难哄 )
Alternative titles: Hard to Coax, Nan Hong
Genres: Romance, Life, Youth, Drama
Aired: Feb 18, 2025 - Mar 10, 2025
Episodes: 32 | Duration: 45 minutes
Director: Chu Yu Ning ( 瞿友寧 )
Screenwriters: Chu Yu Ning ( 瞿友寧 ), Chen Long ( 陈龙 )、Zhao Wen Jing ( 赵文晶 )、and Zhang Ke Xin ( 張可欣 )
Adapted from the web novel "First Frost" (难哄) by Zhu Yi (竹已). English translation
Where to watch: Youku and Netflix
Trailer:
The Meaning of “First Frost”
“First frost” (霜降 Shuang Jiang) or The Frost’s Descent is the 18th of 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is the last solar term of autumn and marks the transition from autumn to winter. It means that the winter is about to enter. It reflects the large change in temperature between day and night, and at the same time, the weather is getting colder. The moisture in the air is also beginning to turn to frost. The Frost’s Descent usually falls on 23 or 24 October.
Connecting to this drama, Shuang Jiang is the Female Lead’s name. Her birthday also falls on The Frost’s Descent Day.
Original Soundtrack
There are a total of 14 songs! I think this drama has the most OSTs from other dramas I have ever seen!
李宇春 )
章若楠 ) and Zhang Miao Yi ( 张淼怡 )
Synopsis
After Wen Yi Fan has a chance encounter with her childhood crush, complicated feelings surface when the two wind up living together. (Source: Netflix)
Characters
Main Characters
Bai Jing Ting ( 白敬亭 ) as Sang Yan
Sang Yan was born into a wealthy and happy family. He likes to tease his sister Sang Zhi but is reliable during critical moments. At age 25, Sang Yan is mature and loyal. After graduating from university with excellent grades, he started a video game business with his best friend Su Hao An, who is also his business partner in Overtime Bar. This bar was also where he reunited with Wen Yi Fan. Sang Yan seems heartless and careless, but in fact, he keeps Wen Yi Fan in his heart for nine years.
Zhang Ruo Nan ( 章若楠 ) as Wen Yi Fan/Wen Shuan Jiang
She is also called Shuang Jiang, A Jiang, or Dian Dian. She is always kind and gentle, but he keeps her distance from everyone. She met Sang Yan in high school. Although she admired him, she felt inferior because of an incident and was no longer in contact with him. After graduating from the university, Yi Fan becomes a reporter. By chance, she meets Sang Yan again and even becomes his roommate. By time she becomes stronger and more mature. She decides to slowly let go of her trauma and bravely takes the initiative to approach the man she once liked.
Supporting Characters
Su Hao An (Edward Chen) – Sang Yan’s friend from highschool days and co-owner of Overtime Bar
Zhong Si Qiao (Zhang Miao Yi) – Delivery girl, care services provider, and Yi Fan’s bestfriend
Xiang Lang (Zhai Xiao Wen) – Yi Fan and Si Qiao’s childhood friend
Mu Cheng Yun (Yuan Ye) – Actor and an intern at Yi Fan’s workplace
Drama Recaps Episodes 1 to 8
Episode 1
Good bye, Sang Yan. Good bye, Wen Yi Fan
On a rainy night, Wen Yi Fan broke up with Sang Yan. Sang Yan left sadly. Yi Fan looked back at him in tears.
“Wen Yi Fan, am I just your backup option?”
Several years later…
Life is hard for Wen Yi Fan, and work is even harder. But she endures it with kindness and perseverance. Yi Fan works as an intern reporter at Nanwu TV Station. Today the task is to investigate an illegal business with another intern, if she can’t do her job she’ll be gone when the probation period is over. The couple who is involved in the illegal business seize the evidence they collected and threaten them. Karma causes the couple to go into an auto accident. Yi Fan and her colleague Fu Zhuang rescue the couple despite what they did to these interns.
Luckily, despite the hardship, Yi Fan has her cheerful and chatterbox Qiao Qiao as her bestie. Qiao Qiao says there is a bar just open called Overtime. Let’s check out the handsome owner! After several days of working overtime, Yi Fan and Qiao Qiao unwind in the Gastropub area and check out Overtime. Qiao Qiao wants to show Yi Fan the handsome boss. Turns out it’s Sang Yan! In panic, Yi Fan bumps into a waiter carrying a drink and it pours over her clothes. When she goes to the restroom to clean her clothes, Sang Yan comes over. But he doesn’t seem to recognize her. He politely apologizes on behalf of the restaurant, gives her his coat, and comps the meal.
Yi Fan returns to her cheap rented home. The living conditions are bad, but it’s affordable. Her next-door neighbor is disgusting, but her landlord is even worse because he intends to rape Yi Fan tonight! Luckily, the greasy neighbor rescues her and she calls the police. She’s afraid to go back, so she stays overnight at Qiao Qiao’s place. Although her family warmly received her, Qiao Qiao’s house is small with a multigenerational family living in it.
Yi Fan became famous because she and Fu Zhuang rescued automobile accident victims yesterday. Her boss is very satisfied and gives her a task to cover the New Year’s Eve event. At the event, she bumps into Sang Yan again. She sends a New Year greeting text to her friend group, including Sang Yan. But he only replies with a question mark. Sang Yan seems to not know who the sender is.
Episode 2
Your name is written on my heart
Yi Fan returns to her place and decides to move out. Her colleague Wang Lin Lin’s roommate has just moved out, so Lin Lin invites Yi Fan in. Although the rent is much higher Yi Fan needs a safe place to live. Lin Lin just broke up with her bf but he invites her for dinner, so she asks Yi Fan to accompany her. Turns out her ex is Su Hao An, Yi Fan’s high school classmate. Not only that, when Hao An picks the girls up Sang Yan is sleeping in the back seat of his car! The atmosphere in the car is sooo awkward. They go to Overtime bar and although it’s lively Yin Fan can’t mingle with them. She goes to the restroom and bumps into Sang Yan. He’s sarcastic when she says it has been a while since they met. “Was that two days ago on the New Year’s Eve?”
Yi Fan excuses herself to go home due to unfinished work. When she’s waiting for a taxi, Sang Yan asks her help to find Hao An’s car. Since it’s hard to find a taxi, Sang Yan takes her to her old place to pack up. Yi Fan goes in and her cat Dan Dan is missing. Turns out the sleazy landowner is out of jail already and holds her cat hostage. He has friends with him to teach her a lesson. Yi Fan runs out the door and of the building. Sang Yan is still at the parking lot but she doesn’t ask for his help but runs the other way. Sang Yan pulls her and takes her to the car. He fights the men but three to one is too much. Sang Yan and Yi Fan drive away to the police station. Seeing that Sang Yan is injured, Yi Fan buys ointment for him. Sang Yan sends Yi Fan to Lin Lin’s place, but she leaves her keys on the seat.
Episode 3
Everyone needs a romantic interest. You’re my romantic interest.
As soon as Yi Fan moves in, Lin Lin tells Yi Fan that she’ll quit her job. She got another job but it’s far away, so she’ll move out. Yi Fan can’t afford the ¥7K rent but Lin Lin comforts her that she doesn’t want the deposit and promises to find another roommate for her.
Yi Fan treats Sang Yan to dinner to thank him for helping her with the thugs before. Sang Yan gets a call that his house is on fire. When interviewed, Sang Yan sarcastically says “I’m happy. I hope you can be as happy as I am.”
One night Yi Fan returns home after returning the old keys to the landlady. There is someone inside, so she calls the police. Turns out it’s Sang Yan… with his luggage! Hao An arranged for Sang Yan to live here when Lin Lin was looking for a roommate for Yi Fan. When called, both Lin Lin and Hao An don’t think it’s a big deal for Yi Fan and Sang Yan to become roommates. The next day, Yi Fan asks a female colleague for advice. As long as he has a good character, why not? In the evening, they officially discuss the cohabitation. Sang Yan agrees to pay the biggest share of ¥4K but wants the smaller room and gives Yi Fan the master bedroom.
Episode 4
I’ll dispel the rumors for you.
Day 1 of official cohabitation. Sang Yan really moves in with a LOT of stuff. He buys some furniture, even a cat tree, and other cat toys. He says “The cat tree was a free add-on”. Yeah, right!
Omg… Qiao Qiao and Hao An end up in bed together! What happened? They run to check the surveillance cameras. Last night, Hao An was at the bar and was very depressed after being dumped by Lin Lin. Qiao Qiao saw him. They met the day before when she picked up Yi Fan’s cat. They witnessed Lin Lin and Hao An’s big argument since Hao An didn’t want to break up. Hao An and Qiao Qiao started drinking together, and too much drinking. They returned to his home together. They agreed the incident was a mistake and not to talk about it anymore.
I think I will like this couple. They’re such a riot!
Yi Fan has been a victim of several sexual harassments. Now at Nanwu. Before at her old workplace. Even when she was in high school. A boy spread a rumor about a love triangle between her, Sang Yan, and Xiang Lang. She was dubbed “Pretty Face Wen”. She pretended not to hear the gossip, but Sang Yan twisted the boy’s arm and forced him to apologize to Yi Fan.
Speaking of Xiang Lang, he returns to China from abroad. Yi Fan, Xiang Lang, and Qiao Qiao plan to get together, and Sang Yan offers the rendezvous at Overtime. When Xiang Lang and Qiao Qiao pick up Yi Fan, Sang Yan, who was with Hao An, takes the initiative to say that they are all old classmates and it’s appropriate to have dinner together. So the five of them squeeze into Xiang Lang’s car. On the way to Overtime, Xiang Lang asks Sang Yan if he knew beforehand that he would be Yi Fan’s roommate. Sang Yan answers, “Yes, that’s why I decided to move in.”
Episode 5
Get closer, would you?
Oh, oh, someone “eats vinegar” (吃醋, chī cù = “to be jealous”)
Xiang Lang, Qiao Qiao, and Wen Yi Fan grew up in the same neighborhood, so they have been close since they were in kindergarten. There are stories and jokes Sang Yan doesn’t know about so he mopes. When Hao An pulls Sang Yan away for business purposes, Qiao Qiao suggests Yi Fan to live with Xiang Lang since she saw Sang Yan doesn’t smile the whole night, he must be a difficult person to deal with.
Yi Fan’s boss calls for additional work so she returns home early. Sang Yan texts her telling her that he won’t come back home. In fact, he hasn’t come back home for several days! The Chinese New Year is coming and Yi Fan’s mom asks her to come home for the celebration but she refuses citing overtime work. It seems their relationship is not good because of her stepsister Zheng Ke Jia.
When Qiao Qiao sees that Sang Yan has been living at Overtime, she asks Yi Fan if the two argued. Yi Fan says no, to be precise, they’re like two strangers living under the same roof. Sang Yan overhears it. He has returned home and filled up the refrigerator.
Episode 6
I will always be with you, will you always be with me?
At Nanwu, a lot of people will go home for the New Year, so Yi Fan offers to stay and work overtime. San Yang texts her stating that he will not return until a week after the New Year is over. So Yi Fan spends the New Year alone. She has been alone since young. Her father passed away in high school. When her mother remarried, Yi Fan lived with her grandma. Her grandma passed away so she was sent to her uncle’s house.
Awww, Sang Yan comes home bringing a lot of foodstuffs. His excuse is that his house is too crowded with relatives (but there were only his parents and sister, lol). Yi Fan helps Sang Yan cook, he is a good cook. He also brings dumpling (饺子, Jiǎozǐ) that is also a symbol of reunion).
The next day, Qiao Qiao and Xiang Lang come to Yi Fan’s place for some fun. Sang Yan, who’s at work, calls her to eat the porridge he cooked. He overhears the noise. In their cohabitation agreement, one party has to tell the other party if the person wants to have friends over. Yi Fan knows that she made a mistake not telling Sang Yan so they go out to play in the suburbs. When she comes back, Sang Yan is already home.
Hao An asks Qiao Qiao to help him pretending to be his girlfriend for his grandma. His grandparents fought and Grandma took off traveling for almost a year. She will only come back for New Year if he brings his girlfriend home. He doesn’t dare to tell her that he broke up with Lin Lin.
Episode 7
A secret… that can’t be kept
When they were in high school, Sang Yan and Yi Fan were very close to each other. Their head teacher called Sang Yan’s parents and Yi Fan’s uncle and aunt to school about their puppy love. Not to embarrass Yi Fan, Sang Yan said they were not dating, but he secretly liked her. The teacher let them go. Yi Fan’s aunt pushed her niece to study. Sang Yan’s parents’ attitude was more relaxed. Dad praised Sang Yan for having a good eye, and Mom advised him to wait until college to pursue Yi Fan. What a cool parents!
Sang Yan texts Yi Fan to buy pizza for dinner since he will bring a guest home. She thinks the girl is his gf, turns out she is his sister Sang Zhi. Sis still recognizes Yi Fan as Sang Yan’s high school friend. She ends up spilling Bro’s secrets, lol. Sang Zhi says it was quiet at home during the holiday, with no relatives but her parents and brother. Sis also spills a past secret when she pretended to be lost as per Bro’s instruction and a promise to buy her candy, so he could buy Yi Fan ice cream, lmao!
Hao An takes Qiao Qiao to see his grandparents at the Lantern Festival (15 days after New Year). She dresses up prettily and learns a lot about his and Lin Lin’s relationship online. Hao An’s grandma is something else. She’s so sharp that she’s suspicious that Hao An’s gf is not Lin Lin. Especially since he accidentally spills her real name, lol! Later, when Qiao Qiao helps Grandma wash her truck, she confesses that she’s just hired to be his gf and Hao An already broken up with his materialistic gf.
Yi Fan gets hongbao (紅包 hóngbāo = red envelope) from her mother through the security guard, so she goes to visit her mother. Her stepfather and stepsister are not home, but Yi Fan is shocked that her mother has a child with her second husband. Moreover, her aunt comes and asks for money for her son’s wedding. Yi Fan is very angry and says she won’t come back here anymore.
At home, Sang Yan invites Yi Fan to set off fireworks with the children he bribed to stay.
Episode 8
The sun in the rain, dazzling and warm
Yi Fan often has nightmares of being chased runs into a huge forest and gets lost. She has one too now, and she sleepwalks out of the room. Sang Yan happens to get out of his room after a shower. Yi Fan subconsciously hugs him. After hugging him for quite some time, she walks back to her room saying nothing. Sang Yan is shocked and confused. Yi Fan doesn’t know when Sang Yan asks what it means the next day. She thinks Yi Fan is angry because she didn’t stay long the night before to set the fireworks. She asks her colleague the meaning of her dream. She says after she gets lost in the forest, she follows a ray of light hugs a sun, and feels the warmth.
Qiao Qiao likes Xiang Lang, so when he invites her to a restaurant she’s ecstatic. He gave her a bracelet before he went abroad. She asks him if he likes her, but he only regards her as a friend. Xiang Lang also invites Yi Fan. When she arrives, Xiang Lang confesses to Yi Fan. The bracelet was intended to be given to Yi Fan. That day happened to be Qiao Qiao’s bday so she thought it was for her. Qiao Qiao takes it off and leaves. Yi Fan rejects Xiang Lang and states that she only regards him as a friend. She then chases Qiao Qiao and they spend the rest of the evening together. They even buy friendship bracelets together.
Conclusion
How will Sang Yan and Yi Fan’s cohabitation continue, and when will they get together? And how about our second couple Hao An and Qiao Qiao? Let’s continue to the second part of this article series: The First Frost: Drama Recap Episodes 9 to 16.
