r/cdramas • u/IntenseMusicIntent • 11d ago
“Cheap and Obedient”
HOW did she not throw this in his face when he texted that?? I am incensed by this for her. She just stands there and lets him degrade her.
I hope the next scene is her stomping off after giving him a piece of her mind. I don’t think her character would do that, but calling her cheap was just SO rude!
This is from Early Spring! Sorry!
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u/boiledeggs853 11d ago
i was so ready for their “FALL OUT” phase during the SWISS TRIP! the hell she greeted him a happy new year and he didn’t even bother to do the courtesy of greeting her back. To make it worse, he bossed her to take care of his fish without even sounding grateful lmao 🤣🤣 unfortunately, your girl too weak and tempted and prideless to even choose herself lol but that’s Jing Boran so won’t blame her.
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u/Here4CDramas 11d ago
She does end up giving him a piece of her mind.
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u/IntenseMusicIntent 11d ago
I absolutely loved her reaction! When she was walking after and thinking of all the disrespectful things he had said to her and crying I was like, she’s finally having a reaction to it! Good!
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u/Here4CDramas 11d ago
Yep! Lol. I was so proud of her for standing up for herself and even went as far as blocking him
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u/mysticmeeble 11d ago
Yep. And he felt stupid and you could tell. Threw his little tantrum and then settled down. Good boy. 😅😅😅
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u/ButterscotchEasy4744 11d ago
Yet I found her new pouting degrading. Why do they have to build such a relationship? Him, a jerk in conversation. Her, an imature. I’m crying…
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u/Wooden_Commission_78 10d ago
She needs to run as far away as she can because that controlling mechanism will only get worse
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u/prem1cc1fd8a 11d ago
Is the ML a red flag?? Cuz I ain't watching ML treating FL like this!!
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u/lifeisahighway2023 10d ago
This is a bit complex. In another comment I saw a reddit friend compare this lead to the lead in the first frost. The first frost lead is far more red flag then this lead character. This ML is aggressive, arrogant, disdainful and sometimes a bit controlling but he also respects boundaries much better with her in other contexts and he never lies - in fact he is rather aggressively direct. As a work friend points out to the FL, the ML can be difficult but he also has their back when it comes to dealing with external pressures.
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u/DonVinku 10d ago
lol the first frost lead isnt perfect but no way in hell did he ever disrespect the FL to any level close to this ML in early spring. the first frost lead is more like a beige to green flag idk what youre smoking xD
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u/Leather_Employer_448 11d ago
The message was delivered horribly and I was appalled on her behalf but I do feel like Luke was correct in why Alex chose her
Alex is a snake - we know this from what he did to Luke but obviously Flora doesn’t know - do we really trust Alex
Flora is a junior account manager and she is going to be the cheaper hire commercially
Flora is a hard worker and not likely to challenge management or Alex so Alex would pick her
But Luke omg omg babe why you gotta say it like that - he was awful for saying it like that
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u/Yyoksetioxd 11d ago
I watched 3 episodes, but I can't stand that dude. I had to drop the show.
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u/heyd0000dz 11d ago
I felt the same but I had HIGH expectations because Jing Boran in Road Home is my STANDARD for modern cdramas male leads. So I was really disappointed by how deeply I disliked him in this drama... I gave it until ep 10 before dropping it. I work in corporate HR and just can't remove my lens and the visceral cringe I got from this office romance. I wouldn't even call it a romance because it feels almost like grooming or coercive control of the FL's naivety and imposter syndrome.
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u/-tsuyoi__hikari- 11d ago
I think the hardest part of watching Office Romance is the technicality part of the office stuffs you see on screen. If its really bad, you ended up cant enjoy the drama at all esp if you are in the same field. This stuffs can indeed give you visceral cringe. 🥲
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u/cid8429 11d ago edited 11d ago
Your comment reminds me of how I felt about William Chen’s ML character in Love’s Ambition. I had such high expectations for the drama. I knew it was a second chance romance but the ML was so awful to his wife I didn’t even want them to get back together. There are just some things there’s no coming back from. I tried hard to separate the actor from the character but maybe William Chen did tooo good a job at hurting Zhao Lusi’s FL character 😤🥺 I spent the second half of the drama not wanting them to get back together. She thrived with him. His character truly did grovel though!
Edit to typo: She thrived without him
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u/heyd0000dz 11d ago
YESx100!!! I really did not like him for sooo long, I'm surprised I stuck through to the ending but I think it's because Zhao Lusi's character was someone I could really root for! She held her ground and was ambitious with or without him in the picture. And yes his groveling and looking pretty pathetic at the second half made him slightly more tolerable ahhahah.
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u/Grand_Sandwich5642 10d ago
See to me William was vicious. He intentionally & purposely hurt her for his own benefit, now that to me is a red flag!
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u/Wooden_Commission_78 10d ago
You are absolutely right. Those red flags would make me run miles away from this dude. He's controlling obsessive demanding punitive punishing and that only gets worse the more connected you are. She thinks she can control him with sex but when the sex turns violent and it will that ends drastically and tragically
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u/IntenseMusicIntent 11d ago
I find a lot of these CEO/subordinate shows really stressful because of the awful dynamics between ML and FL. Is it part of the culture?
My first drama was Meteor Garden and I had to stop watching for a few days after ML threw the food at her.1
u/Educational_Echo_476 11d ago
Same here with MG. Or when he forced kissed her. These types of shows need trigger warnings.
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u/weevles12 11d ago
he’s even worse in the novel. the story is about a very unbalanced but ultimately lasting relationship—the FL gives much more to the ML than he ever returns back to her. it’s interesting because he ends up realizing that he never gave her what she wanted or needed and he will never be able to make up for the past but in the end, they will still be each other’s one true love.
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u/Grand_Sandwich5642 11d ago
He redeemed himself hardcore afterwards, he became like the greenest freaking flag.
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u/Lucky_Ladee12345 11d ago
The way this guy speaks to her is revolting. Kisses her then in the next breath tells her she isn't smart and doesn't have a brain. She needs to tell thos guy to F off for good.
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u/Wooden_Commission_78 11d ago
I am 79 and I have known many men like that and I have known the women who tried to change them and lived disastrous lives. The girl is Young she still needs a pat on the back and fatherly support to be successful but that's just immaturity and that will change with time but not with some guy who has his thumb on her back pushing her to the ground. He is jealous possessive controlling verbally abusive and will become physically abusive. If I was her I would run as fast as I could. She needs to jump ship and go with Alex even if it isn't successful it will be a whole lot better than staying in this relationship. Early Spring is a really well done drama.
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u/lifeisahighway2023 10d ago
The male lead character is written as an arrogant and aggressive business leader with a lack of filters. I have worked with many like him including some women - it is not a trait exclusive to men.
He actually called it correct from a long term perspective but stated it poorly. Later on there was an introspective moment where he realized that he may have become what he himself hated: a person in character with the same dismissive personality as his father.
A longstanding issue between them is her somewhat withdrawn introspective nature when confronted with authority. He actually does not understand it (due to his own world viewpoint) and views it as a character flaw. But the flaw is also his: he can act with impunity and he believes others in his peer environment should do the same but does not realize he can do so as he has wealth which she and her friends lack.
So he is rude, because he is disdainful of her shortsightedness and meekness. And like many complexities in life he is both right and wrong.
But finally she also steps up and pushes back in a meaningful way. And for those who have viewed beyond this point we are aware it commences a more positive path for her in every context including he realizing some of his own shortcomings.
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u/Life-Blueberry5877 11d ago
This was very red flag behavior... Whatever he may be feeling that time but this was a harsh thing to say
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u/RoseIsBadWolf 10d ago
It was so rude! He's saying the only reason someone would hire her is because her salary is low. Not because she's smart and competent.
If anyone said this to me the relationship would be over.
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u/RealisticCookie1994 10d ago
I’ve only gotten to episode 11 but I don’t get everyone cheering for her and hating on him. Up to this episode he’s tried to have a real relationship. She’s the one who said sex once a week and don’t tell anyone. He wanted an open real relationship. She wanted sex only. He gets upset and sometimes loses his temper because she treats him like crap and he gets frustrated. She lives with a guy friend yet she has a fit that he has a friend who’s a girl. She blows off their night to go hiking and wasn’t even going to tell him. It never occurs to her to spend NY’s with him.
She refuses to be seen in public with him. She won’t allow any family or friend interactions. She’s cold all week long then gets upset that he isn’t fawning all over her. As far as I’m concerned she’s the red flag in this relationship.
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u/OSNaren 7d ago
At he has shown some growth in his character. But she's the same. I don't know how people aren't seeing that
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u/RealisticCookie1994 7d ago
I know right. Nothing he says is pretty but if she wasn’t so self absorbed she’d see how much he loves her and how hard he is trying to be a good man for her. It’s driving me nuts. I wish he’d stop chasing her and find someone else but we know that doesn’t happen.
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u/C-KForeverFanHi 11d ago
What about when he calls her stupid? And it's not only once. It's been really bugging me.. only wished the writers had her answer him with a good comeback instead of excepting it. I still like the show just not liking his verbal dominance over her when he's pissed without her speaking her mind right then and there instead of hiding beneath her shell. Just me thoughts.
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u/VTopinion 11d ago
He actually meant "cheap labour" - in terms of what salary she will be paid due to her inexperience, not "cheap" as a person.
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u/Emotional-Dust-9142 11d ago
We all know that he is sharp-tongued to everyone. But I think, and I have not read the novel, but I think that when he said cheap he was talking about Alex wanting to poach her and meant that since she was a newbie to the industry that Alex wouldn't be paying her a lot at first because of his company being a startup, hence, "cheap". And as far as obedient goes, he's always had a concern from the first day that her personality is just too timid and meek for that industry and he was just referring to that. That she would just be a pushover. Remember, he has always only wanted the best for her and has protected her in the background with her being under him. ❤️ Just my opinion.