Chinese Drama 2019/2020

In A Class of Her Own (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

• Genre: Romance, Feisty Female Lead, Cross-Dressing, Youth, School, Historical Costume Drama Fiction
• Release Date: 23 July 2020
• Origin: China; Remake of South Korean’s Sungkyunkwan Scandal, which in turn was based on the novel, The Lives of Sungkyunkwan Confucian Scholars
  by Jung Eun-gwol
• Cdrama: 36 Episodes

Cast:

• Ju Jing Yi as Xue Wen Xi/Wen Bin
• Song Wei Long as Feng Cheng Jun
• Bi Wen Jun as Yu Yue Xuan
• Wang Ruichang as Lei Zexin
• Chen Yi Long as Han Zhi Sheng
• Nicole Zhu as Mu Xiao Man
• Zhang Min as Han Shu Min
• Zhang Hao Wei as
• Li Jia Hao as Xue Wen Bin
• Wang Jin Song as Governor Feng (Feng Cheng Jun’s Father)
• Wang Ce as Han Zheng Liang [Han Zhi Sheng’s father]
• Yu Bo as Xue Ding Kun
• Gong Bei Bi as Madam Wen (Wen Xi and Wen Bin’s mother)
• Zhang Shuang Li as (Academy Principal)
• He Liang Hao as Amu Da Mei

 

I am most excited about this drama.  Song Wei Long and Ju Jing Yi are inspired casting.  Yey.

I have to say I have not watched the Kdrama version so it is now next on my list.

I think the story is about women not being allowed proper education and to seek  jobs in a male dominated society.

The female lead character had to cross-dressed as a boy to study side by side with the other guys.  Mayhem ensued as it would of course.

9 August 2019 – it is a wrap.  It is now in full production.  Hope to see this drama this year!  Yey

Episode 1

I love this drama already before even watching it.  What is not to love?  The cast is made up of actors who already play leads in their own previous dramas.

Plenty of eye candy and the female lead always play a feisty intelligent girl without being annoying.  Just my cup of tea.

Anyway, it started really well, it bright, colourful and fun.

Wen Xi is the breadwinner of the family.  Good thing too that she is very resourceful because her family needed a lot of money to keep Wen Bin, her brother in the best health that was possible for his sickly disposition.

Wen Xi has a photographic memory and very imaginative.  She scrolls romantic novels which are very popular with everyone, men and women, common folks and nobles.

The town city centre near Yun Shang Academy was particularly busy because men of all ages were trying their luck, signing in to take the entrance exam.

Studying at the academy would guarantee good government official positions.  It will bring prestige and lots of money to graduates.

It was during this particularly hectic time when Wen Xi bumped into Feng Cheng Jun.  She would have fallen on the ground if FengCJ did not have a good reflex action.  There, supported by Feng CJ arm, Wen Xi looked into his rescuer’s handsome face.  For a minute or two, they stayed lost in each others’ eyes.  Feng CJ was immediately falling in love or rather intrigue by the young boy (Wen Xi was dressed as a boy).  She ran away after picking her stuff which dropped on the ground.

Feng CJ was not the only one who was intrigued with the boy with the face of a beautiful girl.  Because at the Mu Lai Bookstore, Yu Yue Xuan was avidly reading Where Love Begins and was disappointed that it ended in a cliffhanger.  He wanted to know where the next volume was and in walked Wen Xi, the author.

Unfortunately, she lost the book and told them not to worry because she could it all over again and she did.  Yu YueX was mighty impressed.

So impressed that he followed and tried to recruit Wen Xi to work for him.

Back home, Wen Xi is a beautiful girl in her pristine hanfu.

She then found out that her mother had accepted a proposal of marriage for her.  The mother said that it was about time that she gets married and live her own life and get away from their debts.  The Li Family was a good stock.

Wen Xi declined strongly.  She said to return the gifts given to them but her mother said that it was too late as she had already used them up.

Then it got worse.  The loan shark came calling.  Apparently her mother owed them quite a bit of money and when the leader of the scummy loan shark saw Wen Xin, he said that if they cannot pay he will take Wen Xin instead.

The mother was really upset but Wen Xin said to give her seven days and she will get the money, otherwise, she will go with him willingly.

Wen Xin was forced to take every job including working for Yu Yue Xuan and Han Zhi Sheng, the president of the student body of the academy.

On the way home, she was ambushed by bandits who took her money.  But a half-drunk handsome guy helped her out.

Episode 2

Feng ChengJ had taken Wen Xin now called Wei Bin under his wing and helped her to take the second part of the examination by giving her good recommendation.

As Feng ChengJ is a noble and the son of the governor, he was highly regarded by the principal and allowed Wei Bin to sit the exam and then the third one was an interview with the school governor.

Wen Bin was aghast as she did not have any intention to actually study at the academy.

But her boss at the bookstore told her that if she becomes a scholar at the academy, she can charge 10 times of what she was getting now.

This made all the difference for Wen Bin because she thought with that money she can get the best medical attention for her brother.

So it was a done deal.  She paid off all the creditors and returned the engagement gifts to the Li Family.

With her big boulder of personal belonging, she entered the academy.

She was rather stressed when she learned that she had to share a room with two other guys.  When she heard that one of dormmates was someone who was pugnacious but was hardly at the school, she chose to share with him. She was surprised when the other guy was Feng ChengJ, who turned down a plush room.

Episode 3

The first day of academy life and Wen Bin was already struggling.  Thank goodness she had Feng ChengJ to cover her back.

I am struggling as well with the names.  So to make it easier I shall just use their surnames with Bro.

Anyway, Bro Yu was to a certain extent looking out for her as well.

And I should thing Bro Lei would too after she helped him hide from his chaser.  Bro Lei was a bit of a renegade. He wanted change and doing everything to make people more aware the discrepancy in the status of the rich and the poor and the nobles and the commoner.

During a welcome initiation to the academy, each of the freshmen had to bring a present to the god of students, which was Bro Han, the president of the Student Council.  Wen Bin’s present was deemed too lowly for the president and one of his minions threw the cakes on the ground.

Wen Bin got really annoyed and asked that someone apologised to her because the biscuits they threw were a food that the poor would appreciate. She then mentioned out a Confucian adage that the poor and the rich should be treated as equals.

Anyway, when it was all sorted the new students were given their mission to accomplish in a limited time.

Wen Bin was given the impossible task of asking Sister Mu, the number one and prettiest musician to perform for free at the academy.  The thing was that Sister Mu never leave the music room to perform outside.  But Wen-Bin so happened to protect Sister Mu from a drunk customer.

The grateful Sister Mu said she would perform at the academy for free.

That was a good thing too because the punishment for not doing the task was to jump naked in a stinky pond where the chamber pots are emptied and cleaned.

Bro Feng got to his mission but declined to finish it because it would sully the reputation of Bro Han’s sister.

So Bro Feng was preparing to jump into the pond but Wen-Bin said that she would use her prize from winning the mission for Bro Feng.

Bro Feng was grateful and said to her that he owed her.

Episode 4

Bro Lei came back to the dorm and was not happy that he was now to share with Wen Bin and Bro Feng.  He said that Wen Bin can stay but Bro Feng had to go as he can’t be mixing with the proletariat.

Wen Bin thought chose to stay with Bro Feng so they camped out or in with Bro Yu.

The next day real lesson began.

Wen Bin was brilliant at Math as long as it was about money.  She did not have to use the abacus.  The math teacher said she should major in math but Wen Bin had made her mind up to take up Medicine instead.

Meanwhile Bro Lei continues to be a bit of a problem with the school. What they did not know was that he was trying to look into the death of his brother who apparently was one of the authors of the band book, A Thousand something. 🙂

Episode 5

The four, Bro Lei, Bro Feng, Bro Yu, and Wen-Bin made a pact that they will be friends and would out for one another. So cute.  Love them all.

Unfortunately, Wen-Bin is now in trouble because she brought in wine for Bro Lei so that he would stop fighting with Bro Feng.

Brother Han found out about the wine and told that Wen-Bin will be punished for it.

Episode 6

Wen Bin was trying to be an underachiever so she will be expelled.

She has such cute chemistry with Bro Lei.

Episode 7

Wen Bin was really determined to get expelled so overnight she turned into a delinquent.

Poor Bro Feng was trying to reason to her but she won’t listen.

She started following and copying everything that Bro Lei was doing until one night they went drinking in town and got involved in a brawl.

Wen Bin was rather happy about it because she was going to get expelled for sure.

Then Bro Feng made her realised that getting expelled would mean she will never be an official or even a secretary to an official because she will be blacklisted.

She realised that she had ruined the chances of the real Wen Bin, her brother, to a career one day.

Now it is a race to remedy the situation which was not looking good.

Her and Bro Lei’s expulsion had been put into a vote from students and teachers.

Episode 8

Bro Feng was able to find a witness for Bro Lei and Wen Bin that they intervened because they were carrying out justice.

The witness was Sister Han, who has a massive crush of Bro Feng.  She is the sister of Bro Han.

Bro Lei and Wen Bin are allowed to stay but under probation.  They have to behave and catch up with the lesson and one of these was the flute.

They were both hopeless and it was left to Bro Feng to mentor Wen Bin, who then passed everything she learned to Bro Lei.

In the end, they were wonderful.  From their caterwauling, they now sounded professional that their school mates wanted to learn as well.

Wen Bin said that it was all due to the amazing talent of Bro Feng, who refused to teach anyone.

When Wen Bin asked him why he was willing to teach her not the others.  He just said that she was different. Ahhhh

Episode 9

They had the flute test and Wen Bin’s performance during the practical test was deemed excellent but the one that surprised everyone, especially the teacher was Bro Lei.  Apparently his playing the flute was heavenly.

Wen Bin needed more money but Bro Yu told her that they hold on to releasing volume 5 as it had become so popular,it had now reached the academy.  The faculty is currently investigating the book.

What Bro Yu told her to do was to write love letters and he has already a client lined up.

It was Sister Han wanting to send a love letter to Bro Feng.

Bro Feng sent back a letter saying that he had no time for love.

But Bro Yu convinced Sister Han that Bro Feng was only playing hard to get.

On the other hand, Wen Bin told Bro Feng that discouraging Sister Han unceremoniously will make the girl embarrassed and hurt.

So the letter exchange continued for a while until Bro Feng followed Wen Bin who kept disappearing from the academy.

He was very surprised when he overheard her conversation with Sister Han.  She had been encouraging Sister Han to hang in there because Bro Feng would be hers in the end.

Bro Feng confronted Sister Han telling her that she just doest rock his boat and that he wanted tp concentrated in his studies.

Wen Bin tried to apologise to Bro Feng but he was not listening.

Episode 10

Bro Feng had been secretly copying the Love novel 1V  for Wen Bin so she has time to study.

I have just to mention that Ju Jinyi was an excellent choice as Wen Bin because she is stunning, As the three lead men are so gorgeous a less stunning actress would have been fare on the actress herself as she would have been compared to the good looks of the male leads.

Episode 11

Wen Bin received a letter from her brother asking for more money so she was easily persuaded by Yue Xuan to write Volume 5 of When Loves Begins.

Both Bro Feng and Bro Lei knew the main male characters were based on them.

Episode 12

It was Mu Xiao Man’s birthday, the day when she holds her Embroidered Ball Party annually.

It looks like Mu Xiao Man and Han Zhi Sheng had a history.  When they were younger, they pledge to buy a house where they can both live happily.

Unfortunately, their union was cut short by Han Zhi Sheng’s father who threatened to cut him off of his inheritance if he does not abandon Mu Xiao Man.

Despite Mu Xiao Man begging Han Zhi Sheng not to leave her, he followed his father’s instruction to the letter and left without looking back at Mu Xiao Man.

But over the years, Han Zhi Sheng guarded Mu Xiao Man against other suitors and admirers.  He was thinking that she will be his one day as his mistress.

Mu Xiao Man had hardened her heart against tHan Zhi Sheng and had actually fallen for Wen Bin.

So during the party, as she dances she threw the embroidered ball at Wen Bin, who immediately threw it back on the ground.

Wen Bin was told that what she did was an insult to Mu Xiao Man and after that no one will ever marry her.

Wen Bin picked the ball up and apologised for dropping it.

Episode 13

Wen Bin managed to convince Bro Feng that it was ungentlemanly to ignore Sister Han who was currently suffering from depression due to unrequited love.

So Wen Bin and Bro Feng went to town and met up with a very cheerful Sister Han.

We Bin was very put out because Bro Yu had told her that Sister Han was almost suicidal.

Then they also bumped into Mu Xiaoo Man who would not take no for answer when she invited Wen Bin to go for a drink with her.

They all went drinking.

When Bro Feng mentioned that Wen Bin and Mu Xiao Man must marry soon, Wen-Bin gave Bro Feng a killer look and dragged him back to the academy.

Bro Lei was upset that Wen-Bin went drinking with Bro Feng rather than with him.

Episode 14

Wen Bin is popular at school and protected as the little brother.  When they saw her upset everytime she was near Bro Feng they thought he was bullying her.

The next time they say him holding Wen Bin’s arm in what looked like a threatening manner, they told him to stop bullying Wen Bin.

Both Bro Feng and wEn Bin were shocked at the accusation of bullying.  Wen Bin immediately threw her arm around Bro Feng’s shoulder declaring that they were the best of friens.

It took a lot of convincing for the scholars to believe Wen-Bin that she was not being bullied.

Anyway, Wen-Bin told Bro Feng that she was going out again for personal reasons.

She went to see her mother to give her money.  Her mother was such a hypocrite. She said that she was worried that Wen Xia was losing a lot of weight at the academy.  She completely disregarded that they relied too much on her to get the money for the expensive medicine of her brother.

Anyway, when Wen-Bin tried to get back to the academy President Han’s men were already waiting for her and ready to punish her breaking the rule once again.

Those who sided with her got punished too until Bro Feng turned up with the Principal and complained that President Han and his Student Council were abusing their power.

It was agreed that a debate about exacting the rules of the Student Council will to take place that evening.

Episode 15

The closeness of Bro Feng and Wen-Bin was being gossiped about.  This was stressful for Bro Lei because he does not like Wen-Bin to be associating with Bro Feng.

The gossip was that Wen Bin was kiss-assing Bro Feng because she wanted to have a connection with a noble  So she was using Bro Feng.

Bro Feng genuinely like Wen Bin as a young brother (really?) so he frogmarched her to the sage temple and swear brotherhood with Wen Bin.

This new brotherhood got back to President Han who was not happy.  He asked Bro Yu to make sure Wen Bin is expelled.

Bro Yu sad that kicking Wen-Bin out of the academy was most unfair.

President Han however, was beyond reasoning. He threatened Bro Yu that he will reveal him as a fake noble if he does not do what he was told.

Episode 16

Bro Lei and Bro Feng would not stop bickering after Bro Feng had made Wein Bin his brother.

Wen Bin did everything she could to get them friendly to one another but they are really so different and jealous of one another because of Wen Bin.

Wen Bin bought pouches to give to Bro Lei, Bro Feng, and Bro Yu.

They the three boys started teasing her that she looked like a girl after she changed into an oversized hanfu.

I must say Bi Wen Jun is turning into such a good actor.

Bro Yu was looking for Wen-Bin when he found her preparing to take a bath.  He knew that she was a girl.  He helped her to hide from the other students who were looking at the warehouse.

Knowing that Bro Yu was dithering in making Wen-Bin be expelled from the school, Bro Han issued a warning to him by way of posting a notice that one of the students was pretending to be a noble.

Bro Yu is troubled.  It was him or Wen Bin.  He asked Bro Lei if Wen-Bin or he is drowning, who would her rescue?

Bro Lei is puzzled by the question.

Episode 17

Bro Lei relayed the strange question that Bro Yu asked him about the drowning.  Wen Bin did find it strange.  Bro Lei said that it was probably because Bro Yu will have a birthday in the next day.

Wen Bin immediately organised a surprised birthday party for Bro Yu.  He was overwhelmed by the friendliness and generosity of his classmate.

The Bro Han and his posse turned up and ruined it all by forcing Bro Yu to reveal the noble pretender of the school.

Bro Yu admitted that it was him and expecting everyone to shun him but he was surprised that his core group stayed and continued celebrating his birthday as if nothing happened. Ahhh

Now, there was a meteor shower to happen and Wen Bin set up poor Bro Feng to ask their teacher to allow the to stay out and watch the meteor shower.

Wen Bin was looking forward to seeing the shower with her classmates but Bro Feng invited her to go with him in an island where the shower would be more visible.

Sister Han heard about the trip and asked the boatman to wait for her before he set sail.

She was late because Wen Bin turned up instead with Bro Feng.

Episode 18

Wen Bin and Bro Feng had a nice time on the island.  They saw meteorites and Wen Bin encouraged Bro Feng to make a wish.

At first, he laughed it off as being girlish but he was persuaded easily enough by Wen Bin.

The next morning, the boatman came to get them. Sister Han was there waiting for them.  She was extremely annoyed and blamed Wen Bin for playing dirty.  She said that Wen Bin knew she was intending to go with Bro Feng to the island and she was the one who arranged the transport.

Wen Bin denied any knowledge of it.  But it seems Bro Feng was unconvinced.  He told Wen-Bin to go to the academy first as he carried the fainted Sis Han in his arms to the doctors.

He stayed with Sis Han until she regained consciousness.

She was so happy to see him and again told him that they belong to the same status in life and should be together.  She said that she is from a noble family, she continued that she was not the prettiest girl but she certainly is not ugly.

Bro Feng said that when he gets himself a wife, his criteria would someone he could discuss current events as she would have an independent mind.

He further added that she should not waste any more time with him because she just doesn’t rock his boat.

She asked him if he had already given his heart to someone.

He did not reply but left.

When he returned to the dorm, he saw Wen Bin and he more or less told her that he was suspicious her not knowing about the boat and Sis Han.

She denied knowing it but Bro Feng can’t be convinced easily.  They started having a war of silence which tickled Bro Lei.

It was open day at the academy and the scholars asked Bro Feng to go drinking with them. He declined as he does drink.

Then they saw Wen Bin and asked her to go which she agreed to.

Bro Feng ended up going with them.

Bro Feng tried to tell Wen Bin to slow down with the drinking but this had an opposite effect. So Bro Feng said he will be drinking as well.

Bro Feng was so drunk that Wen Bin had to hire a carriage to bring him back to the academy.

Unfortunately, Bro Han’s minions were waiting and then locked the door.

They then threatened Wen Bin for contravening the academy rules once again.

Bro Lei turned up and kicked the minions who immediately reported the incident.

Wen Bin and Bro Lei were punished because they are both habitual offenders.

Episode 19

Their punishment was paddling. 30 paddling each. Bro Lei said that he will take all We Bin’s 30 paddling as well as but Teacher Li said that a human body could only tolerate 30 beatings.

Bro Feng turned up and said he will take Wen Bin’s beating but Teacher Li said the rule was that if someone takes the punishment of another, the punished will be increased and therefore the 30 will be increased to 40 and as 30 is the maximum beating, there is still 10 to be received.

Bro Yu volunteered to take the 10.

Wen Bin was so grateful she served the three boys except when applying the ointments to their bums.

Bro Yu said that Wen Bin is scared of blood so she won’t be able to do the ointments.  He will be the ministering angel instead.

Wen Bin became in charge of getting their food, washing their clothes and even reading the lectures to them.

Because of overwork, Wen Bin got ill and was cared for by Teacher Ding who found out that she is a girl.

He told her that it was most dangerous for her if it gets found out that she is female.  He convinced her to leave the academy.  He will give her a sick note.

But Wen Bin had other plans.

Episode 20

Archery

Episode 21

Finally Bro Lei agreed to be the fifth member of the archery team 2.  Unfortunately, he got injured during the night that he was prowling the night street.

Teacher Ding found him and looked after his injury.

 

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