Introduction
In The First Frost: Drama Info and Recap Episodes 1 to 8 we are introduced to our protagonists Wen Yi Fan and San Yang, glimpses of their past relationship,and how they start cohabitating. This second part of the article explores deeper about their cohabitation, more about their personal lives, as well as the lives of Su Hao An and Zhong Si Qiao/Qiao Qiao. We also meet the actor/student Mu Cheng Yun.
Romance-wise, I couldn’t help but notice that since the beginning of The First Frost ( 难哄 ), San Yang is always the one who takes the initiatives to be close to Wen Yi Fan. He is proactive and self-motivated, spotting opportunities and taking action to nurture their romance to bloom. That’s why I chose this feature image for this article, because it focuses on San Yang and blurs out Wen Yi Fan.
Drama Recaps Episodes 9 to 16
Episode 9
False of heart, honest of action
Poor Sang Yan, one contender goes another contender comes! On her way to work, a naked homeless man scares Yi Fan. A younger homeless man playing guitar hurriedly takes off his coat and covers the naked man. He and Yi Fan take the man to the police station. Turns out that the young homeless man is an actor named Mu Cheng Yun. He observes the lives of homeless people for his project.
Sang Yan asks Yi Fan to go shopping with him. It’s raining after they finish shopping. When Yi Fan is waiting for Sang Yan to get an umbrella, the young actor comes with an umbrella to send Yi Fan. Sang Yan is jealous, he tells the man not to bother. At home, Sang Yan watches a horror movie to attract Yi Fan (since she is a horror movie fan). Sang Yan realizes the man who offered Yi Fan an umbrella is the actor in that movie.
Qiao Qiao receives an order from Hao An’s grandma to spy on Grandpa who is popular among older ladies in the square dance group. She takes Yi Fan with her. Later they meet Hao An who invites them for dinner to thank them for helping his grandma. Sang Yan, who at first refuses to come, rushes over when learning that Yi Fan is there. Relating to Hao An grandparents, the four talk about their views on love and marriage. Sang Yan looks at Yi Fan resentfully and says that men care more about first love, unlike women.
Episode 10
You forgot, but I still remember
Sang Yan witnessed how Yi Fan’s aunt abused her niece in high school. She still harasses her today. It upsets Yi Fan, and she sleepwalks again. She doesn’t hug him but wanders around the living room before returning to bed, which confuses Sang Yan.
Yi Fan and Qiao Qiao bump into an old classmate who used to chase Sang Yan. Because he rejected her, she talked badly about Yi Fan. Sang Yan defended Yi Fan. Yi Fan realizes that Sang Yan brought warmth to her in school, but she hurt him the most and had no chance to apologize. Qiao Qiao says that apologies can be said now, whether to accept or not is the other party’s business.
After Wen Yi Fan returns home, she wants to apologize to Sang Yan but can’t open her mouth. They talk about a female character on TV with abnormal behavior and they wonder if it’s sleepwalking. Yi Fan explains she used to sleepwalk since her father died but not anymore. From Sang Yan’s facial expression, Yi Fan realizes she is sleepwalking again. She doesn’t believe when he says she kissed on the first sleepwalk. The next day she visits her father’s grave and at night she sleepwalks again and even kisses Sang Yan. He wants her to return (the kiss) when she’s awake.
Episode 11
Take care of yourself, I’m still here
In the morning, Yi Fan asks Sang Yan if she sleepwalked last night and if she did anything inappropriate. It’s worse, but he doesn’t want to specify it. Yi Fan thinks she damaged Sang Yan’s belongings and will repay him.
This Mu Cheng Yun is surely something in chasing Yi Fan because he became an intern along with his classmates at Nanwu under Yi Fan’s supervision. Yi Fan is upset because Sang Yan teased her through text messages that she was lustful and wanted to possess him last night. Yi Fan and Cheng Yun work late on a missing daughter case when Qiao Qiao picks her up for dinner. Qiao Qiao can see clearly that Cheng Yu likes Yi Fan. Yi Fan asks Qiao Qiao to sleep over to see if she sleepwalks. When they return, Sang Yan’s best friend Duan Jia Xu sleeps over, too!
Yi Fan and Cheng Yun go to Hong Kong to track down the missing daughter. Sang Yan goes to alert mode when he hears about Cheng Yun accompanying Yi Fan to Hong Kong, Sure enough, when Yi Fan and Cheng Yun arrive at the airport, Sang Yan shows up to pick her up.
Episode 12
How to be happy? Staying with you
Yi Fan reluctantly joins her colleagues after work for a welcome party for the interns at Overtime. Sang Yan is there too. Cheng Yun drinks too much and Yi Fan helps him out. Sang Yan waits for Yi Fan and sends Cheng Yun back to the school dormitory. He tells Yi Fan that Cheng Yun pretends to be drunk. Yi Fan recalled when Sang Yan also pretended to be drunk in the past so Yi Fan carried him. Yi Fan also is tipsy now, and under the influence of alcohol, she wants to do what she always wanted to do which is hugging Sang Yan. He thinks she sleepwalks again. She feels guilty using sleepwalking as an excuse.
Cheng Yun waits for Yi Fan to get off work and wants to see her place. He wants to rent with her after Sang Wan moves out. Although she feels inappropriate, he insists on following her. When they get home, Sang Yan is already home.
Episode 13
We made a promise, I want to be with you
This Mu Cheng Yun is a pest! Cheng Yun acts as if he will rent the house after Sang Yan moves out. He will do all the housework and go to work and back with Yi Fan. When he wants to check out Sang Yan’s room both Sang Yan and Yi Fan say it’s inappropriate and finally Yi Fan kicks him out.
Yi Fan and Sang Yan talk after Cheng Yun is gone. He doesn’t say he wants to move out. She says now that his house renovation is about to finish, she worries he’ll move out and she’ll be stuck to pay ¥70K. He says he already paid his share ¥40K. She says he’ll leave when he finds a gf. She realizes she has become dependent on Sang Yan. She worries that one day Sang Yan will leave her, like when she lost her father and mother.
I love the drama detour with Hao An and Qiao Qiao! Hao An’s grandpa suddenly shows up at his grandson’s place looking for Qiao Qiao, since Hao An lies he lives together with her. Hao An frantically calls Qiao Qiao for help. Although she’s busy she comes after work. Grandpa has a private chat with Qiao Qiao. When he finds out his grandson lied about them living together, he says since they’re about to get married, they get to know about each other when they live together. Qiao Qiao realizes, unlike before, that Hao An’ house is no longer messy.
Yay, Yi Fan decides that she wants to be independent and strong, so she refuses the porridge made by Sang Yan the next morning. She also defends herself at work when there is a rumor about her past in the newspaper company where she worked. But she still sleepwalks and even enters Sang Yan’s bedroom! He’s worried about her so he strengthens everything in the house for Yi Fan’s safety. Sister Sang Zhi comes over and tells Yi Fan about her brother, including his broken heart after being dumped by his first love.
Episode 14
Can’t let go of my feelings for you
In the morning, Yi Fan wakes up and finds herself sleeping next to Sang Yan on his bed! Before she can leave, he wakes up. He wants an explanation. She says it was because of her sleepwalking she couldn’t control herself. Sang Yan says he’s always at a loss.
Hao An’s Grandpa disappears after his butler takes him to the hospital since he forgot to take his meds. Qiao Qiao happens to be at the hospital, so she helps Hao An look for his grandfather. They find him at a sick lady’s house taking care of her. She is Grandpa’s square dance group friend. Hao An is angry because he feels sorry for his Grandma. Qiao Qiao takes him for a ride to relax. She hears his story, that he’s the only family member left. His parents and brother died in a car accident at the same time. He feels lonely. Qiao Qiao gently advises him to be more open to his grandparents. He hugs her to thank her. Later Grandpa becomes confused about the car accident and thinks Hao An gets into an accident. Grandpa still mourns and feels guilty about it. After comforting both Grandpa and Hao An, Qiao Qiao comes home and feels grateful for her big family.
Yi Fan is reluctant to come home after finding herself on Sang Yan’s bed this morning. She stalls with eating out with Qian Qian and going to the mall with Cheng Yun. After all, she has to come back home. When she returns home, Sang Yan happens to be in the shower and she is shocked to see him semi-naked. But Sang Yan drank alcohol so Yi Fan ran into her room, but not after Sang Yan reprimanded her not to be close to other guys. In her room, Yi Fan ponders over everything. She doesn’t seem uncomfortable when Sang Yan touches her and she treats him differently. Does she still have feelings for him?
“You already kissed me and touched me. Does it even matter whether I’m wearing clothes now?”
Episode 15
Marks left by love
Yi Fan is so confused about her feelings, as well as what Sang Yan has been thinking about her. She asks her colleagues about men and women sleeping together besides love. The most concentrated opinion is that the man is indifferent to the girl after holding her all night and doesn’t do anything. When Sang Yan goes on a business trip (most likely he is avoiding Yi Fan), Qian Qian sleeps over and is shocked to find Yi Fan sleeping on Sang Yan’s bed. She accompanies Yi Fan sees her doctor for sleepwalking then looks for a place to rent. Qiao Qiao heard from Hao An that Sang Yan goes on blind dates set up by his parents. Since Sang Yan doesn’t have feelings for Yi Fan, Qiao Qiao advises her friend to look for another man.
Qiao Qiao sees Grandpa Su wander around lost at the hospital and doesn’t recognize her. His butler takes him to the Neurology Department at the hospital. She calls Hao An and accompanies him talking to the neurologist. Hao An’s grandpa is in the early stages of dementia but there is no cure. Hao An decides to spend more time with his grandpa.
Sang Yan’s mom stops by with a girl she sets up for a blind date with Sang Yan. She recognizes Yi Fan from high school and advises Sang Yan to chase her if he still likes her. Sang Yan leaves with them. He doesn’t attend the meal, instead, he returns home bringing a late-night snack for Yi Fan.
Episode 16
Happy Birthday! Get what you wished
This episode explores the philosophy of life that consist birth and death.
During work break at Nanwu, Su Tian, a colleague who is pregnant, suddenly feels that her amniotic fluid is broken. Her colleagues rush her to the hospital, but she needs C-section that needs mother and father’s consent. The colleagues are at lost since Su Tian is single. A guy from the Finance Dept. rushes to the ward and he is Sun Tian’s bf. Although the baby is not his but Sun Tian’s ex-husband, the bf is willing to claim the baby and raise it as his. Yi Fan is very moved and shared her joy to Sang Yan.
On the other hand, Woodie, Su Family’s pet dog died at 16 years old. Hao An and his grandfather are very sad because it had been with them a puppy. The family, Yi Fan, and Qiao Qiao send Woodie for the last journey. Hao An feels pain because Grandpa didn’t let him see his parents and his brother for the last time. Yi Fan once had to say goodbye this his father who was only 44 years old when died.
Today is Frost’s Descent Day and it’s also Yi Fan’s birthday. He buys her a birthday cake and they eat it together. He also gives her a birthday gift, a perfume called First Frost, that is actually the English name of her name Shuang Jiang. When Qiao Qiao calls her to wish a happy birthday, Yi Fan wants to meet her right away and she declares to Qiao Qiao that she wants to pursue Sang Yan! Qiao Qiao supports her and gives her some advice. Yi Fan then thanks Sang Yan and says she will give him a birthday gift back, which is in 3 months. She asks him to text her reminder everyday.
“What did you wish for? I though you wanted me to be your boyfriend.”
Conclusion
Now that we got Wen Yi Fan moving with her decision to pursue San Yang, romance-wise the drama should become more interesting. With San Yang who is already in love with Wen Yi Fan, it shouldn’t take long for the couple to get together, right? But we are only halfway through the drama, there are still 16 more episodes to go. It means there are more issues to tackle, especially from Wen Yi Fan’s personal life, because she needs to be stronger and more mature in her character growth to create and maintain a balanced romance. I’m also excited to see how the romance between Su Hao An and Zhong Si Qiao develops. Let’s continue to the third part of the article series: The First Frost: Drama Recap Episodes 17 to 24.
