Ulterior Motives

So… could you ever like me? When the person you love finally loves you back, what is your first reaction? Should you leap for joy, or simply accept it as the natural conclusion to a long-awaited romance? In her youth, Shen Xin had imagined countless scenarios of being with Xu Bie, but all she got in return was a tearful farewell and a bitter parting. Now, standing in the very moment she once dreamed of, she feels none of the anticipated joy or heart-pounding excitement. If he had spoken those words just a few days earlier, she might have felt the thrill of her wish finally coming true. But time has shifted, and Shen Xin suddenly realizes that her years-long obsession with him no longer holds the same weight. She can finally say that it is all in the past.

Years after their acrimonious split following the college entrance exams, fate brings them together again. Shen Xin, now a veterinarian, finds herself plagued by a streak of misfortune. After being dragged into a legal scandal by an ex-boyfriend and facing workplace disputes, she repeatedly crosses paths with Xu Bie in her most vulnerable moments. To escape the awkwardness, she pretends to have amnesia. Meanwhile, Xu Bie, a law graduate who has joined the police force, is assigned to a local precinct. Their unexpected reunion stirs long-buried memories within him. As they navigate their tangled past and present circumstances, unspoken feelings resurface. Some encounters are simply beyond explanation, and some affections, once quietly given, never truly fade.