A reserved, flirtatious dance student (Li Junheng) x an uninhibited, straightforward art student (Ji Ruanqing)
Ji Ruanqing was a little painter, until he became an infatuated fan of a red-crowned crane.
The Crane King (Li Junheng) was like a god. He rarely met with people, hardly ever spoke, had few friends, and quietly got things done.
[The first time he saw him] (Ji Ruanqing was 15, Li Junheng was 13)
It was during an escape through an ancient town. Ji Ruanqing suddenly glimpsed a young man in gauzy robes dancing in a courtyard through a small bamboo door.
Ji Ruanqing felt as if he were drowning.
The young man had given him a dance. He ought to return the favor with a painting.
[The third time he saw him]
In a little alley on his way home from school, Ji Ruanqing spotted Li Junheng in the crowd, being harassed. With his sharp tongue, he sent the troublemakers packing, and the Crane King slipped away without a word.
"Hey, don't rush off, junior. Let's be friends. Your big brother will protect you from now on."
Ji Ruanqing put an arm around the Crane King's shoulders, making trouble just for the fun of it.
Given the Crane King's icy persona, he would have shrugged Ji Ruanqing off without hesitation, then strode away without looking back.
[The Nth time he saw him]
Ji Ruanqing took the initiative and sent someone to intercept the Crane King after school.
"Junior, skip dance practice. Big Brother will take you fishing."
The red-crowned crane, admired by everyone, went off to fish in the lake in style and returned in a miserable state.
That day, they managed to exchange a few words, though Ji Ruanqing did most of the talking.
[Many, many, many encounters later, the tables turn.]
Li Junheng wasn't good at expressing himself. He kept his love hidden in the little things.
He practiced dancing diligently every day, and Ji Ruanqing's admiration and affection gave him a vital source of motivation.
Of course, his love of dancing mattered most.
Rainy day
Ji Ruanqing confessed his feelings with a painting, fidgeting like an idiot. The Crane King said:
"Ji Ruanqing, did the rain make you stupid?"
[Ji Ruanqing, I've been chasing after you for so long. How did you only just catch on?]
Sunny day
Ji Ruanqing was relaxing in a tree's shade.
Li Junheng climbed a tree for the first time. In response, he offered a kiss.
Unfortunately, the Crane King made a fool of himself afterward when he slipped and fell.
Everyone laughed at him.
1v1 + happy ending
Easygoing plot + melodrama, a slow-burn romance.
Early on: the shou keeps pestering the gong
Later on: the gong can't stop thinking about the shou
They are different. They have age ranges:
[13, ∞)
[15, ∞)
Theme: Passion is a perpetual motion machine
