Professor Xie is Too Direct, Miss Jiao Jiao Can’t Handle It

Su Wanwan is a dedicated cardiothoracic surgeon who recently returned to China from studying abroad. Despite her exhausting schedule and lack of personal time, she is pressured by her department director to date his nephew, Chen Heting. The arrangement begins awkwardly when Chen Heting’s mother, Xiao Rujuan, conducts a harsh interrogation of Su Wanwan’s background and financial status during a lunch meeting. Su Wanwan, feeling insulted by the transactional nature of the encounter, deliberately lists exorbitant material demands, including a massive bride price and luxury gifts, to ensure the match fails. The meeting ends in hostility, with Xiao Rujuan dismissing Su Wanwan as unsuitable.

Complicating matters, Su Wanwan unexpectedly reunites with her high school classmate, Xie Yanning, a brilliant associate professor of computer science. Their past is marked by unspoken feelings and a broken promise regarding their university choices; Su Wanwan had chosen to study medicine abroad rather than attend the same university as him. Upon reuniting, Xie Yanning appears cold and distant, seemingly indifferent to her presence, especially when he is seen with Zhang Yunqing, a woman he appears close to. Su Wanwan convinces herself that Xie Yanning has moved on and that she should remain indifferent as well.

A significant misunderstanding occurs when Su Wanwan is mistaken for the fiancée of her friend’s husband, Shao Chenghua. Xie Yanning overhears this and becomes visibly distressed, later drinking heavily and nearly falling into a river in a moment of despair. Su Wanwan rescues him, leading to a series of interactions that force them to confront their past. Xie Yanning learns that Su Wanwan is not married and begins to pursue her with a persistence that contrasts with his earlier aloofness. He offers her rides home and invites her to meals, gradually breaking down the barriers between them.

As their relationship develops, Su Wanwan discovers that Xie Yanning lives in the same residential complex as her. Their neighbors, including Xie Yanning’s mother, Gu Ruyi, notice the growing closeness and subtly encourage it. Meanwhile, Chen Heting remains persistent in his romantic interest in Su Wanwan, unaware of her lack of interest. The story explores the tension between Su Wanwan’s professional ambitions and her personal life, as well as the lingering emotional baggage from her high school years with Xie Yanning. The narrative sets the stage for a deeper exploration of their rekindled connection, with Xie Yanning determined to rectify past misunderstandings and Su Wanwan slowly opening herself to the possibility of love again.