As Drunken to Love You winds to a close, I’ve discovered what makes this drama refreshing and easy-to-watch is that it’s very straightforward. The characters don’t go in circles rehashing the same issues over and over again, and plot points are always dealt with quickly and sanely. Even if the plot is oftentimes the silly stuff we see in many TW-dramas, DTLY approaches it in a way that feels very direct and sincere.

Sometimes people are silly or do stupid things, like attempting to run away from the world’s most perfect man, but the rationale is properly explained and the situation is resolved in a way that I can accept as logical even if misguided. I genuinely adore this drama to pieces, and am actually finding my love for it rekindled by these final few great episodes.

Cup 17 recap:

Xiao Ru decides to start over again and find a new hope. Daniel teases that he wanted to be the white knight in a drama and come and protect her, but he’s late again because she’s taking care of things herself. Xiao Ru tells Daniel that she can’t stay with Jie Xiu because her presence will continue to bring him pain. The right thing to do is for her to quietly disappear from his life.

She knows that Jie Xiu would rather be in pain then allow her to leave, so she needs to go somewhere he can’t find her. Daniel asks her to go to the US with him then. His mom is sick and he needs to go back. The US is far enough, right? He won’t take advantage of her, but he’ll be the angel that she can hitch a ride with, taking her where she wants to do. Xiao Ru agrees to leave with him tomorrow. She tells Daniel that she has some things to return to Jie Xiu before she leaves – namely the happiness that she borrowed from him.

Xiao Ru heads back to the hospital and reminds herself not to cry before going in. She’s already gotten so much happiness she needs to be satisfied already. She walks in to find Avril helping Jie Xiu off the bed. She explains Tony told her that he was sick but she had to work so could only come now. Avril says she’s disappointed in Xiao Ru for putting work ahead of Jie Xiu’s well being. Jie Xiu tells Avril it has nothing to do with Xiao Ru.

Xiao Ru says she was so busy she didn’t have time to make his lunch box today, so maybe they can go out to eat. Avril agrees that they should go out and offers to watch over Samantha. At the restaurant, Xiao Ru suggests they order the couple’s lunch. Jie Xiu says next time, he doesn’t feel like it right now. She says they have to order it because there won’t be a next time. She amends that to mean this meal is seasonal and won’t be here next time.

Xiao Ru and Jie Xiu wolf down their food. She goes outside to make a call and we see Jie Xiu immediately put his fork down and sit back, cracking his knuckles. The waiter comes by with a dessert that Xiao Ru asked them to prepare. It contains a surprise inside. Jie Xiu smiles and says that his wild boar girl stole his idea. He eats the ice cream while Xiao Ru, standing outside watching from the window, snaps a picture of him.

Jie Xiu doesn’t find any surprise inside and calls the waiter over asking where the surprise is. The waiter says the surprise is no surprise at all. She thinks to herself that she just wanted to watch him eat without any worry today and didn’t mean to pull a prank on him. Xiao Ru gets a call from the orphanage director, who asks Xiao Ru if she can take a young boy to the amusement park for his birthday.

Xiao Ru and Jie Xiu takes the little boy to the amusement park. Xiao Ru thanks Jie Xiu for taking the time to accompany her. Jie Xiu says he’s never been to an amusement park before, because his mom was never around to sign any permission slips for school trips. Jie Xiu says their little wild boar won’t be as sad, because they will be the world’s best parents. The three of them go and play games and thoroughly enjoy their day.

As they are walking past the bumper cars, a lady ropes Jie Xiu and Xiao Ru in to participate in a bumper car contest for couples and the prize is a pair of mini-cars. The little boy says it’s his birthday wish for them to enter the competition. All the couples entered are fierce and ready to win. Jie Xiu says he will make sure they win and he will protect Xiao Ru. He says when they are together, there is nothing they can’t overcome.

The couples have to toss ball into the opponents car and the couple who toss the most balls into others basket wins. When it’s just our couple and another couple left, they heave their balls in the air and it’s a WIN for Xiao Ru and Jie Xiu. Xiao Ru watches as Jie Xiu is genuinely thrilled with the win. She thinks to herself that starting tomorrow his life will change, and perhaps he’ll be sad. But it’ll be temporary and one day the smile will return to his face just like today.

They walk back to the hospital, and Xiao Ru runs up to lace her fingers through Jie Xiu’s. He looks down and then holds it tighter. Avril is wiping Samantha and Jie Xiu thanks her for taking care of Samantha all day. Xiao Ru offers to stay but Jie Xiu says she stayed last night so she needs to go home now and rest. Avril hears all this and turns to leave, reminding Xiao Ru to take care of Jie Xiu’s health as well.

Rickie picks up the bad guy who tried to rape Avril in college and the dude decides to play hard ball with Rickie. He doesn’t want to take money to leave Avril. Rickie tries to subdue him but unfortunately the man’s thugs arrive and beat Rickie unconscious. Avril calls but Rickie can’t answer his phone.

It’s morning time and Jie Xiu sits next to Samantha and asks if she wants to wake up on such a beautiful day. He needs her to wake up because Xiao Ru feels such tremendous guilt. If she doesn’t wake up, he doesn’t know if he can still be with Xiao Ru. Suddenly he sees Samantha’s eyes twitching and runs to get a doctor. The doctor checks out Samantha and says she’s still unconscious, but perhaps she can hear their voices and the stimuli will help her wake up. Avril offers to head to the house and pick up Samantha’s favorite CD to play for her.

Xiao Ru is finishing packing her luggage, not forgetting to take her wild boar carvings with her. With two hours to go before Daniel arrives to pick her up, Xiao Ru decides to clean the entire house. She leaves a recipe for bread on the fridge so that Jie Xiu can make it himself after she leaves. She looks around the living and goes to sit on the sofa. She flashes back to having slept on Jie Xiu all night on that sofa, and all of their tender and sweet memories together. She gets herself together and walks out of the house.

Xiao Ru runs into Avril at the front door. Xiao Ru says she’s leaving to stop Jie Xiu from hurting anymore. Avril is impressed with her strength, and apologizes to Xiao Ru for dragging her into this fake marriage mess. Xiao Ru says there is nothing for Avril to apologize about, these past three months have been the happiest she’s ever experienced. Xiao Ru takes off her ring and hands it to Avril to return to Jie Xiu. She tells Avril that she needs to go catch a flight. Daniel arrives, reminding Xiao Ru that she can still change her mind.

Avril wants to call Jie Xiu, but remembers that Xiao Ru overheard her conversation with Jie Xiu at the hospital and is making this decision of her own accord. Avril runs to Samantha’s room to look for the CD. She sees the red shoes in the bag and takes it out. She notices that the heel is broken but there is glue inside, which means something tampered with it. She tries to call Jie Xiu but is accosted outside the house by the bad guy’s thugs and taken away.

Jie Xiu answers the call from Avril but there is no voice on the other line. Samantha wakes up and tells him to bring Xiao Ru over. She needs to tell Xiao Ru that she fell down because of her high heels and it has nothing to do with Xiao Ru. Suddenly he hears the voice of the thugs over the phone saying that they are taking Avril to the back mountains where she used to go with that guy back in college.

Xiao Ru asks Daniel to take her to the hospital first, but she just sits in the car. They drive off just as Jie Xiu runs out of the hospital, missing each other. Jie Xiu gets into his car and drives off to save Avril, unaware that Xiao Ru is in the car right next to his stopped at the light.

Rickie is getting beaten up by the bad guy. He stops when Avril is delivered and he goes to over to torment her. Rickie screams for him to let Avril go or else he’ll kill him. The guy says that Rickie tried to pay him off to stay away from Avril. Jie Xiu arrives and first calls the cops. The he goes to take out the lackeys.

Commence beat down session where we see Jie Xiu in action. Rickie struggles free of his restraints and goes outside to help Jie Xiu, telling Avril to run away. Rickie comes out and acts as Jie Xiu’s back up. Before the fighting starts in earnest, the cops arrive and the bad guys are subdued.

Avril tells Jie Xiu that he has to rush to the airport now and get Xiao Ru before she leaves. She returns the ring to him and tries to explain Xiao Ru did not cause the accident. Jie Xiu says he knows and is headed back to get his wild boar girl back.

Avril chides Rickie for doing things for her that got himself in trouble. Rickie says he’s hurt. Avril asks if he needs to go to the hospital. Rickie hugs Avril and says this is what he needs. She hugs him back and thanks him for saving her. Awww, that was nice, and very very pretty.

Daniel and Xiao Ru check into their flight. She hears someone call Xiao Ru but it’s another girl with her same name. Daniel again asks her if she wants to change her mind. He doesn’t want to decide something she will regret forever. Daniel says he actually feels sorry for Jie Xiu, because just like Xiao Ru dumped Daniel when they were kids without explaining, she’s doing the same thing to Jie Xiu. Xiao Ru says it all worked out for Daniel, and will work out for Jie Xiu as well with time.

Jie Xiu runs through the airport looking for Xiao Ru but cannot find her. He crouches down next to a wall and starts to tear up. A little boy walks over asks if he missed his flight. The little boy is holding an ET doll, and he says that when his flying saucer returns, he can send his ET to kidnap the plane. Jie Xiu says he doesn’t need the plane kidnapped. When the kid asks what Jie Xiu wants to kidnap, he starts to tear up and says he wishes to kidnap Lin Xiao Ru’s heart, so that she will never be able to leave him.

Which is when Xiao Ru walks up holding a toy flying saucer, which she has gone to wash for the little boy after accidentally dirtying it. Jie Xiu walks over to Xiao Ru with the most god-awesome determined expression on his face, and pulls her in for a tight embrace, all the while sobbing. He thought Xiao Ru had left already. She says she needs to go, but he tells her that Samantha woke up.

She asks him not to lie to her, but he says he’s not lying. He kisses her on the forehead and hugs her again, telling her to come with him. He puts her ring back on and tells Xiao Ru to never ever take it off again. He kisses her hand with the ring, and I swear every male in dramaland needs to come and bow at Song Jie Xiu’s feet right about now. We are not worthy, Song Jie Xiu.

Jie Xiu strokes Xiao Ru’s cheek and then pulls her in for another forehead kiss and another hug. I can watch these two forever. They turn to leave when Daniel walks up, holding two drinks. He asks what he will do if she leaves with Jie Xiu. Jie Xiu says Daniel is free to stay, but he’s never letting Xiao Ru go. Daniel asks Xiao Ru if she needs to hitch a ride with him still?

Xiao Ru says she’s sorry. Daniel tells her not to say sorry, because it feels like he’s been dumped twice. He tells them to be happy, because he doesn’t want Xiao Ru running to him in the US should something go wrong. He walks forward and hands the two drinks to Jie Xiu. He turns to walk through customs. He stops to tell Xiao Ru that he ought to have taken advantage of her rather than be her guardian angel.

He stops before going through customs, but finally he smiles when he remembers Xiao Ru saying he’ll always be her most treasured friend. Daniel walks forward and leaves. Okay, Daniel got a totally awesome ending. I heartily approve. Xiao Ru turns towards Jie Xiu and they hug again.

Back at the hospital, Samantha tells the lovebirds not to do something like this again. Jie Xiu wonders if perhaps he needs to put handcuffs on her pig feet, which is when Xiao Ru steps forward and kisses Jie Xiu into silence. Sweeeet. Samantha coughs to get their attention and pretends she can’t see anything. She offers to give them her bed. AHAHAHA.

Meng Jun arrives at the hospital with flowers for Samantha (who she calls Ah Ma – grandmother) and Samantha calls Meng Jun her usual insult of pregnant fat lady. Kelly also arrives, escorted by two police officers. She confesses to trying to pull a prank on Xiao Ru by tampering with the shoe, and she had no idea it would hurt Samantha. She’s been eaten by her conscience until she went to the police station to turn herself in. She finally is at ease. She hands Samantha a brochure for a famous rehabilitation facility in the US, and offers to pay for all the treatment.

Meng Jun says that when someone did something wrong, if they sincerely apologize, they should be forgiven. Xiao Ru walks up to Kelly and bends down and cleans Kelly’s shoe (like Kelly made her do when they first met). Xiao Ru says that Kelly should brush herself off like she can brush her shoes clean when it gets dirty. Samantha says that she has retired already, and is happy to visit the US and the rehab facility. Kelly leaves with a sincere apology again. Samantha tells Kelly to forgive herself, and says that Kelly is very brave. Oh yeah, three good endings for three story lines in a row. Oh DTLY, why are you so awesome!

A few months have passed. Jie Xiu is watching Avril perform at the improv theater. Rickie runs in late and joins Jie Xiu. The performance ends and the audience heartily applauds. Jie Xiu watches as Avril basks in the audience appreciation. He thanks Rickie for fixing something he could never fix in all his time with Avril. Rickie initially wanted her to regain her confidence, but now she’s flying into higher territory. She practices during the day, performs at night, and thinks about the script all day long.

Rickie says they haven’t dated in three days! Jie Xiu says Rickie is worrying about nothing. He gave Avril back her smile, and now she only has eyes for him. Avril turns to smile at Rickie and Jie Xiu says “I told you.” Jie Xiu rushes to buy something for Xiao Ru.

Turns out he asked Tony to buy infant presents, and Tony chafes at doing gopher work when he’s an interior designer. Turns out Boss is in the US with Samantha and is totally head over heels for her. Tony wonders when Jie Xiu is going to get married. They’ve gone through three private eyes and still nothing about Xiao Ru’s birth mother. Jie Xiu says he doesn’t want to wait, but it’s Xiao Ru’s biggest wish and he wants to endure for her.

Suddenly Jie Xiu gets a call from Xiao Ru that the baby is coming, and he needs to hurry up and get to the hospital. Of course it’s Meng Jun giving birth to Er Bao (Second Treasure, since her older son is called Da Bao – First Treasure), with Xiao Ru accompanying her because Meng Jun’s husband has fainted. Er Bao is born, and he’s a chubby gigantic adorable baby. The nurse introduces Er Bao to mommy, Jie Xiu and Xiao Ru.

Xiao hears about Er Bao’s birth weight and chimes in that when she was born, she was so huge she apparently broke a record at the hospital. Meng Jun asks Jie Xiu to take Xiao Ru outside. The nurse interrupts and asks Xiao Ru if she was born on March 10, 1984. Xiao Ru confirms that is her birthdate and wonders how the nurse knows? The nurse looks stricken.

Thoughts of Mine:

While DTLY admittedly lost some steam on plot during the middle episodes, subsisting solely on OTP interactions and chemistry, it’s really picked itself up for the final hurrah. I LOVED how all the loose threads (Avril, Daniel, and Kelly) were wrapped up in this episode, with everyone getting a realistic and honest ending. It felt like closure I can accept and appreciate, probably more than when the plot threads were being developed. Which is not a bad thing. I always prefer going out with a bang rather than a whimper. Which leaves one final plot thread – Xiao Ru’s search for her birth mom – to anchor the final episode and pave the way for the wedding we’ve all been waiting for.

I can’t give enough accolades to Rainie Yang and Joseph Chang for bringing it in these last two episodes, conveying genuine angst even if we knew it would be temporary. The airport reunion scene may have been done a million times before in dramas, but it worked so well here I forgot to snigger at the dramatics and instead melted into a puddle of goo at Jie Xiu’s desperation when he thought he lost Xiao Ru, and his joy when he found her. I don’t think I want Rainie and Joseph in another drama playing different characters, because they were so suitable as Jie Xiu and Xiao Ru, I’m loathe to watch them angst elsewhere. After next week, I just want to imagine them happily ever after making wild boar babies and bickering during the day and making up (and out) during the night.