Lighter And Princess Review

Lighter And Princess (点燃我, 温暖你) has been getting rave reviews everywhere that I couldn’t possibly miss it. It is also good to get re-acquainted with the actor as the last time I caught Chen Fei Yu is more than 3 years ago in Ever Night S1. Going by the title alone, I initially thought that this is a fantasy romance drama. I was wrong, of course, but I’m glad I didn’t find out beforehand what the story is actually all about. If I did, I might not have been so keen given that the college romance theme dominates a substantial part of the drama. Anyway, you can scroll down for my Lighter And Princess review for more.

My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 36
Type: College Romance
Aired: November 2022
Images Credit: Youku Official Facebook

The Cast Of Lighter And Princess

• Arthur Chen Fei Yu as Li Xun
• Zhang Jing Yi as Zhu Yun
• Zhao Zhi Wei as Gao Jian Hong / Lao Gao
• Jenny Zeng Ni as Ren Di
• Cui Yu Xin as Fang Zhi Jing
• Qian Di Di as Xu Li Na
• Jiang Zi Xin as Fang Shu Miao / Miao Miao
• Ma Ke as Tian Xiu Zhu
• Tu Song Yan as Zhu Guang Yi
• Zhao Zi Qi as Liu Ai Lin
• Jill Xu Zhi Jing as Li Lan
• Gao Xuan Ming as Hou Ning
• Zhang Xi Lin as Dong Si Yang
• Young Cao as Xiao Liu
• Hu Wen Xuan as Fu Yi Zhuo

Main Characters

Li Xun

Li Xun is a coding prodigy and top scorer. But he has a stained past with a rebellious streak due to his hard life experience. Li Xun is full of self-confidence in his ability to the point of appearing arrogant as he is very direct and blunt towards others. He is not a sociable person but still attracts female admirers due to his good looks and intellect. Li Xun is stubborn and persistent in life.

Zhu Yun

Zhu Yun is a IT student majoring in computer programming and Li Xun’s classmate in university. She is a model student and an obedient daughter. Zhu Yun is smart and a fast learner but can be timid and innocent. She comes from an upper middle class family with a set of loving and protective parents.

Supporting Characters

Gao Jian Hong / Lao Gao

Gao Jian Hong is Li Xun and Zhu Yun’s university classmate. He is also one of the top students in computer programming and has a keen interest in the field. While he is willing to learn and exchange knowledge, he has too much pride in him to always be second best to Li Xun.

Ren Di

Ren Di is a musician and a band member. Li Xun is her band’s investor. Ren Di is also Zhu Yun’s dorm mate for a short while before she quits university to do music full time. She eventually becomes a good friend of Zhu Yun.

Fang Zhi Jing

Fang Zhi Jing is Zhu Yun’s ex-schoolmate but they do not see eye-to-eye. He is also a computer programmer who has won academic awards for his projects. But he tends to use unethical means to achieve his aims.

Xu Li Na

Li Na is a computer programming student and Fang Zhi Jing’s junior in a different university. She comes from a rich family. Li Na is an expressive young lady and has feelings for Li Xun.

Fang Shu Miao / Miao Miao

Fang Shu Miao is Zhu Yun’s dorm mate as well as classmate. She is also studying computer programming and is the class rep. She is a responsible student who wants to maintain her good grades.

Tian Xiu Zhu

Tian Xiu Zhu is Zhu Yun’s childhood friend. Their mothers are old friends. Hence, he is seen as a perfect boyfriend for Zhu Yun. Tian Xiu Zhu is a well-known artist and has his own painting exhibitions. He is a gentle and well-mannered man.

Zhu Guang Yi & Liu Ai Lin

Zhu Guang Yi and Liu Ai Lin are Zhu Yun’s father and mother respectively. They are influential in their own fields given their seniority. Zhu Yun’s mother is a senior official in the education bureau. She is the stricter parent who expects Zhu Yun to listen to her views. Together with her husband, they are very protective of their only daughter.

Li Lan

Li Lan is Li Xun’s elder sister. She is married with a child but her marriage is not a happy one.

Hou Ning

Hou Ning is Li Xun’s cellmate while in prison. He is a hacker who was arrested due to a friend’s betrayal in a hacking scheme.

Dong Si Yang

Dong Si Yang is the owner of a shabby tech company called My Heart Flying Network. He is also an ex-prisoner and a driver. He can be a fierce boss but is more bark than bite kind of person. His employees include Zhang Teng who is in charge of technology, Zhang Fang who oversees HR, and Gui Shi Jie who does the art work.

Xiao Liu

Xiao Liu is Ren Di’s band member. He is in love with Ren Di but the feelings isn’t reciprocated.

Fu Yi Zhuo

Fu Yi Zhuo is Li Xun’s ex-schoolmate and good friend. He comes from a rich family but his father is against his wish to be a dancer. Fu Yi Zhuo is friendly and flamboyant.

Synopsis

Li Xun is a computer programming student in university with a capability that far surpasses his peers. While he is a prodigy, he is also stubborn and rebellious. Being an anti-social who doesn’t care about others’ feelings, he ends up getting on Zhu Yun’s nerves. Zhu Yun is his classmate who is tasked to get him to attend group study sessions. After numerous encounters and working together on projects, they begin to get drawn to each other. Zhu Yun also understands Li Xun and his life attitude better after she learned of the tough life that he had to endure.

Zhu Yun and Li Xun are together for 3 years until they graduate despite her parents’ disapproval. Li Xun has opened a tech company called L&P to start his business with Zhu Yun deciding to stay to help him rather than furthering her studies. But when a tragedy struck, Li Xun pushes Zhu Yun away and they break up. Li Xun eventually ends up in jail and Zhu Yun goes abroad to study. Due to a friend’s betrayal, Li Xun also lost control of L&P while being imprisoned.

3 years later, Zhu Yun is back for a short trip and bumps into Li Xun who has just been freed. Will the couple rekindle their romance after a painful breakup as they work together to regain L&P?

Lighter And Princess Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Lighter And Princess has a happy ending. Li Xun and Zhu Yun register their marriage and move into a house by the lake that he has bought. The drama ends with colleagues and friends turning up for a gathering to celebrate their marriage at their house. As Li Xun stares at a happy Zhu Yun, he is contented about married life as the scene switches to a flashback from the present to the time they first met to end the story.

There is no proposal and wedding ceremony. Zhu Yun simply asks Li Xun if she could take his reply that he is happy being with her as a marriage proposal. They are then shown to be at the government bureau to get their marriage registered. There is also no resolution to Zhu Yun’s mother’s objection to their relationship. While her father is more accepting, her mother still doesn’t approve of Li Xun. However, Zhu Yun makes it clear to her mother that Li Xun is her choice and it is non-negotiable. Li Xun also assures Zhu Yun that they will have a whole life ahead of them to make her mother come around.

Ren Di and Xiao Liu are engaged. Fang Shu Miao is still single and enjoying life as a lawyer. Gao Jian Hong has taken a break from his business operations and recuperating from his brain surgery with Li Na by his side. Fang Zhi Jing is arrested for embezzlement.

When Did The Couple Get Together?

Li Xun and Zhu Yun get together as a couple in Episode 18. They also share their first kiss then. Zhu Yun takes the initiative to look for Li Xun to confess as she is afraid that another girl, Li Na, will beat her to it. She asks Li Xun to choose her as she will never betray him.

In fact, the couple has been drawn to each other early on with Li Xun showing signs of jealousy in Episode 11 when a volleyball player is also after Zhu Yun. In Episode 16, Zhu Yun tells Li Xun to include her in his future plans and she will be there to help him. Li Xun already indirectly confesses his feelings for Zhu Yun in Episode 17 when he openly declares that he went against Fang Zhi Jing because of love. Fang Zhi Jing is someone that Zhu Yun hates for blaming her best friend to save himself when caught dating while in high school. Zhu Yun’s best friend ended up committing suicide through drug overdose.

When Zhu Yun asks Li Xun about his definition of princess in the same episode, he is also clearly referring to her in his description.

Is There A Breakup?

After getting together in Episode 18, Zhu Yun and Li Xun dated for 3 years until their graduation year in 2015. As Li Xun has made an enemy out of Fang Zhi Jing in Episode 17, the latter gets back at him by indirectly causing Li Lan’s death. Li Lan is Li Xun’s elder sister who happens to be in the city for a minor eye surgery. Fang Zhi Jing convinces her to move to a cheaper but remote hotel with the intention to scare Li Xun. But Li Lan ends up being hit by a truck and dies in Episode 21.

As Li Lan’s death is due to an accident, Fang Zhi Jing is let off the hook. Li Xun wants revenge and is willing to go to jail for it. Hence, he makes plans to break up with Zhu Yun who will be better off without him. He purposely antagonizes Zhu Yun’s parents which leads to a quarrel. Then, Li Xun gives Zhu Yun the impression that he is hooking up with Li Na with the excuse that her father is willing to invest in L&P. Hence, they break up in Episode 22.

Following the break up, Li Xun aggressively attacks Fang Zhi Jing onstage during an event. By the time Zhu Yun realizes what Li Xun could be up to, it is too late. Li Xun is then imprisoned for the attack. In Episode 23, Zhu Yun visits Li Xun in prison. She wants to help him but gets rejected instead. He breaks her heart further by insisting that it was his ploy all along to get close to her due to her influential parents who could help him to develop his business. Zhu Yun subsequently leaves for further studies abroad to mend her broken heart.

When Did They Reconcile?

Li Xun and Zhu Yun meet again 3 years later in 2019. He has just been released from prison while she happens to be back for her visa application to work abroad. Zhu Yun decides to stay back in the country in Episode 24 after finding out the Gao Jian Hong has taken over L&P and included Fang Zhi Jing as one of the shareholders. She wants to regain L&P and follows Li Xun to work for a small tech company to gain a foothold in the industry again. Li Xun tries to push Zhu Yun away initially but when he learns that she has been on anti-depressant for the last 3 years due to the breakup, his attitude softens in Episode 27.

Li Xun and Zhu Yun officially reconcile in Episode 35. This is after Zhu Yun willingly sacrifices her reputation to proceed with a lawsuit against Gao Jian Hong. The latter has threatened to release a video clip to insinuate that he and Zhu Yun are having an affair in order the get Li Xun to back off from suing him for copyright infringement. Li Xun has decided to drop the lawsuit to protect Zhu Yun’s reputation but Zhu Yun posts the clip herself as she doesn’t want to be threatened.

More importantly, Zhu Yun doesn’t want Li Xun to lower his head in defeat but to be a proud man that he has always been. He is moved by her actions and impulsively kisses her. They spend the night together. In Episode 36, Zhu Yun already wants to have a baby with Li Xun as she feels that they are of the right age to start a family. He is immediately agreeable to her suggestion.

Is There A Love Triangle?

No, because Li Xun and Zhu Yun only have feelings for each other. Although Li Na likes Li Xun initially and rejects Gao Jian Hong in Episode 19, her love is a one-sided one. Li Xun rejects her in Episode 22 after she asks for a chance to be with him following his breakup with Zhu Yun. He does so again in Episode 26 after his release from prison. Li Na is already married to Gao Jian Hong then but she did so because her father needed money for his business at the time.

Tian Xiu Zhu also has feelings for Zhu Yun. He has been there for her during her heartbreak and depression following her breakup with Li Xun. He is supportive of Zhu Yun and never pressures her to make a decision. Tian Xiu Zhu even helps her to lie to her mother so that she can see Li Xun. He asks her to consider following him to France in Episode 30. But Zhu Yun only regards him as a friend. She tells him that she has decided to stay in Episode 34 while he has also made up his mind to stop waiting for her and will leave for France. They parted as good friends.

Li Xun’s Past

Li Xun’s past is revealed by Li Lan to Zhu Yun in Episode 12. Their mother had cancer and needed money for treatment. Li Xun’s friend, Fu Yi Zhuo, wanted to change his exam results to please his father. Hence, he asked Li Xun to hack into the school server in exchange for money. But they were caught as Fu Yi Zhuo changed his low marks to very high numbers which raised suspicion. As a result, they were expelled and the person who meted the punishment was Zhu Yun’s mother.

Just after their mother died, Li Xun got into a fight with his brother-in-law who was unwilling to spend money for her urn. Li Xun banged against the edge of a table and injured his spine which is why he has a weak back.

In Episode 13, Li Xun reveals to Zhu Yun about the lighter that he always has with him. It belonged to his late father who was a truck driver and heavy smoker. To avoid smoking at home with the kids around, he had asked Li Xun’s mother to hide away his lighter. His father subsequently died in a road accident. When the family ran out of money and needed to move house, Li Xun found the lighter hidden in a wardrobe. Hence, he feels connected to his father through the lighter. He also made a promise to look after his mother and sister on his father’s behalf which he feels he failed to do when they died.

Gao Jian Hong’s Envy

Gao Jian Hong starts off as an idealistic and friendly young man. But envy builds up and gnaws at him when he couldn’t keep up with Li Xun’s intellect and talent. He couldn’t tolerate being told that his work is not good enough in a very blunt way which hurt his self-esteem. Neither can he accept that his views are not sought at times. Unfortunately, that is how Li Xun is as he is a man of few words who doesn’t care to express himself in a nicer way. Even the girl that Gao Jian Hong likes, Li Na, rejects him in Episode 19 because she has feelings for Li Xun instead.

The last straw is when Gao Jian Hong lost an offer from an overseas university in Episode 20. Fang Zhi Jing has the influence to make Gao Jian Hong lose the offer. To exact revenge for humiliating him in Episode 17, Fang Zhi Jing wants Li Xun to apologize to him in exchange for not causing trouble to Gao Jian Hong. But Li Xun refuses to bow down to his threat. Hence, Gao Jian Hong lost the offer to go abroad and something in him snaps.

As much Gao Jian Hong hates Fang Zhi Jing, he also sees in him an opportunity to get back at Li Xun despite their friendship. Thus, he purposely lets slip that Li Xun’s sister is around to Fang Zhi Jing who then indirectly causes her death. Gao Jian Hong knows Li Xun will not let Fang Zhi Jing off given his personality. True enough, Li Xun entrusts L&P shares to Gao Jian Hong in Episode 22 before exacting revenge over Fang Zhi Jing and going to jail for it.

What Happened To Gao Jian Hong?

After taking control of L&P due to Li Xun’s misplaced trust in their friendship, Gao Jian Hong sells off the medical system software that Li Xun has been working on and changes it to become a game developer. He knows it is Li Xun’s dream to build a system that enables the public better access to medical services and reduce the cancer death rate. That is the foundation of L&P. But gaming is a better profit maker. He also does so out of spite.

Hence, Gao Jian Hong thinks he has finally defeated Li Xun and feels smug when he visits him in prison in Episode 23. Li Xun is livid when Gao Jian Hong also tells him that he was the one who revealed Li Lan’s whereabouts to Fang Zhi Jing.

After his release from prison, Li Xun begins to develop a game that could rival L&P. Not wanting to lose to him again, Gao Jian Hong becomes obsessed over defeating Li Xun to the point of stealing his source code in Episode 33. But it is a trap that Li Xun has set and Gao Jian Hong is sued for copyright infringement. He refuses to admit his mistakes during negotiations with Li Xun who pushes him to state his regret in Episode 35.

Gao Jian Hong collapses during their heated exchange as he is suffering from a malignant brain tumor. He has been refusing to do surgery especially with Li Xun breathing down his neck. He only agrees in Episode 36 after speaking to Li Xun who tells him to go on living if he still doesn’t want to admit defeat. His risky surgery is successful and he ends up taking a break from work to recuperate with Li Na accompanying him.

The Meaning Of L&P

When Li Xun established the company, he named it L&P which he says stands for Lucky and Power. However, Zhu Yun has a different take on it and sees it as Lighter and Princess. Li Xun only smiles at Zhu Yun’s suggestion although it is implied that that is what he possibly had in mind when he came up with L&P. Lighter refers to the lighter that he always fiddles with which used to belonged to his late father.

Princess is the nickname he gave Zhu Yun. She is like a princess to him as she is innocent, fragile, and protected. The first time he laid eyes on her is during her 17th birthday. Li Xun had gone to her house to see her mother to ask for reconsideration of his friend’s expulsion. Through the window, he saw her birthday celebration and her happiness which seemed like a fairy tale to him.

Hence, the name L&P has a special meaning to them apart from their dream to create a useful medical system software that could benefit the masses. When Li Xun decides to withdraw the suit against Gao Jian Hong due to the latter’s illness, one of the conditions for settlement is the transfer of ownership of the name L&P. Li Xun then renames the small tech company they are working for to L&P and plans to open up another division to develop medical softwares.

Lighter And Princess Review – Well-Developed Love Story

Lighter And Princess is one of the rare romance dramas that has a well-developed story and characters. It is not often that I can watch a romance drama without skipping scenes or fast-forwarding especially a college one. This is one of those that I could sit through and watch every minute of it all the way to the end. It is such a change from the the usual cookie-cutter contract marriage romances like Time To Fall In Love and Nothing But You.

Right from the beginning, the drama will draw you in due to its intensity and the mysterious aura surrounding the male lead. Your curiosity will be evoked from the get-go as you will want to know what happened to him and why he was jailed. You will also be able to feel the tension between the 2 protagonists and that will naturally make you interested in what happened to them in the past. To me, it is a strong start that is not exactly a norm for a romance drama. The intensity dies down during the flashback which lasted from part of Episode 2 to 23.

Not A Typical First Love College Romance

Not everyone enjoys a college romance drama as they tend to have recycled plots with immaturity and shyness being the expected tropes. While the college romance part takes up more than 20 episodes of Lighter And Princess, it is really not a typical youthful love story. It has a business slant to it as the characters are computer programming students who are also involved in commercial projects in collaboration between the university and private enterprises.

So, the student and dorm life actually takes up minimal screen time. Instead, the attention is dealing with unsavory characters who want to profit from other people’s hard work. Through these situations that the romance develops and the personalities of the main and supporting characters are flushed out. There is a gradual development in the protagonists’ love for each other rather than an abrupt transformation from enemies to lovers. Together with the guy’s back story that is slowly revealed, the viewers will be able to feel the girl’s love for him as she learns of his past and understands him better.

Basically, a good romance drama is one where it could move your emotions along with the story. It is not just sweetness and fluff like Falling Into You and My Little Happiness but one with a well-developed plot and well-written characters. This is where Lighter And Princess succeeded to entice viewers.

Plot & Character Development

Unlike Almost Lover where the plot isn’t really convincing, Lighter And Princess is better written in terms of story development and execution. Everything stacks up in the couple’s love journey. Some romance dramas will have flimsy excuses for misunderstandings but not this one. Even the villain’s reason for turning evil has a strong basis to the change. As a result, the whole story is more compelling and the romance more touching.

In terms of the main characters, I can feel the effort done to make them far from perfect but relatable especially the male protagonist, Li Xun. Realistically speaking, it should be easy to hate Li Xun’s character as he is pretty insensitive towards others with a personality that borders on narcissism. He is proud and stubborn. In the real world, I think it would be hard having such a boyfriend! But packaged him nicely in a well-written story, and it becomes romantic which is what the production team has done.

So, Li Xun is a very rough-edged character unlike more sensitive lovers such as Gu Wei in The Oath Of Love. Perhaps what makes him acceptable to the viewers is the expectation that the female lead will be able to tame him and soften his heart. This creates an anticipation of a fairy tale romance. Together with Li Xun’s own talent and harsh life experience that is poignantly told, the character becomes special in the viewers’ mind. Of course, the chemistry between the pair also helps to stir our feelings as we watch.

Flammable Chemistry

I think the partnership between Chen Fei Yu and Zhang Jing Yi is one of the best for romance dramas for 2022. Their chemistry is very obvious in Lighter And Princess throughout the 36 episodes. They look very compatible and comfortable with each other onscreen and the couple vibes being emitted is very strong. As a viewer, it is easy to root for them and feel their laughter and tears. Just like You Are My Glory, the chemistry helps to add value to the drama in a significant way that you can’t picture anyone else playing the roles of Li Xun and Zhu Yun apart from the 2 leads.

Chen Fei Yu’s portrayal of Li Xun is commendable with his eye expressions that convey a lot of emotions. You can feel his yearning, pain, and love through the way he stares at the female lead. The rebelliousness and toughness in spirit inherent in Li Xun are clear to the viewers as the actor seems to have successfully grasped all aspects of the character’s personality and fully immersed himself into the role.

Zhang Jing Yi also has the sweet look that perfectly fits the the goody-goody Zhu Yun. She also did well with Oliver Chen in Fall In Love but I think her chemistry with Chen Fei Yu in Lighter And Princess is more sizzling overall.

My Verdict – Don’t Miss It!

It’s not easy to find a serious romance drama that makes you crave for more. Lighter And Princess is one of the rare few whereby you will get the feeling of not wanting it to end when the last episode comes. The story and couple will leave an impression on you unlike many romance dramas that are immediately forgettable once you are done watching. Apart from the blazing chemistry between the leads, there is also a good plot and well-developed characters to provide a complete package for a quality production.

The romance is a case of opposites attract as the guy is a bad boy while the girl is a model student. The drama begins in the present for a short while before it switches to a flashback on the couple’s undergraduate days which takes up close to two-thirds of the 36 episodes. So, do stick around even if college romances is not your thing because this is not your usual first love story but one with more maturity involved. I tend to think that the term princess given by the guy to the girl automatically evokes sentimentality and the feeling of a fairy tale which heightens the romance.

For this Lighter And Princess review, I would rate it 8/10. I’m not going to give it any higher like most fans because there is also this nagging thought that we shouldn’t be romanticizing a guy who couldn’t care less about trampling on other people’s self-esteem. His hard life may blunt that imperfection somewhat but not every viewer will be as forgiving. Personally, he strikes me as flawed but not to the point of being toxic. Just beware that if you find him unacceptable, then this drama will lose its attraction. Otherwise, this would be one great romance to savor.