Liu Yifei
Xu Hongdou
Overview
Grieving the premature death of her closest friend, a despondent young Chinese woman quits her job to fulfill the friend's dying wish of visiting an area in southern China. What began as a three-month recuperative stay in a village far from the madding crowd gradually reveals the potential of life-changing camaraderie, romance, and purpose.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min read AI-generated editorial review
The Village That Healed the Internet
I didn’t expect to cry over a pair of slippers.
Not the kind of cry that leaves you gasping, but the slow, quiet kind—the kind where your throat tightens and your vision blurs just enough to make the screen swim. That’s what happened in Meet Yourself when Xu Hongdou (Liu Yifei) loses her shoes in the rain and a stranger—tall, quiet, with the kind of patience that feels like a rebuke to the city’s rush—hands her a pair of woven straw slippers. No grand speech. No meet-cute music swell. Just the sound of rain, the squelch of mud, and the unspoken understanding that some gestures don’t need words.
This is a show that believes in the healing power of small things: a shared meal, a walk through misty fields, the way sunlight hits a stone bridge at dusk. It’s also a show that, for all its gentleness, has left a trail of online chaos—plagiarism accusations, dating rumors, body-shaming backlash, and a tourism boom that turned a real-life village into a pilgrimage site. How did something so quiet become so loud?
The premise is simple: a grieving woman quits her job in the city and moves to a rural village in Yunnan, fulfilling her late best friend’s wish to visit the place. What follows is 40 episodes of slow-burn romance, found family, and the kind of emotional labor that doesn’t involve spreadsheets or deadlines. It’s the opposite of the high-stakes, high-speed dramas that dominate streaming—no amnesia plots, no evil in-laws, no terminal illnesses (well, except the one that sets the story in motion). Instead, there’s time. Time to sit with grief. Time to learn how to make rice noodles. Time to fall in love without anyone saying “I love you.”
That last part is key. The romance between Xu Hongdou and Liu Yanzhi (Li Xian) is so understated it’s almost radical. There’s no grand confession, no dramatic kiss in the rain. Just a series of moments: him teaching her to fish, her watching him from a distance as he works, the two of them sharing a bowl of noodles in silence. It’s the kind of love story that feels like a rebuke to the performative passion of most dramas. (I’m looking at you, every K-drama where the leads spend half the runtime screaming at each other.)
I didn’t expect to cry over a pair of slippers.
Not the kind of cry that leaves you gasping, but the slow, quiet kind—the kind where your throat tightens and your vision blurs just enough to make the screen swim. That’s what happened in Meet Yourself when Xu Hongdou (Liu Yifei) loses her shoes in the rain and a stranger—tall, quiet, with the kind of patience that feels like a rebuke to the city’s rush—hands her a pair of woven straw slippers. No grand speech. No meet-cute music swell. Just the sound of rain, the squelch of mud, and the unspoken understanding that some gestures don’t need words.
This is a show that believes in the healing power of small things: a shared meal, a walk through misty fields, the way sunlight hits a stone bridge at dusk. It’s also a show that, for all its gentleness, has left a trail of online chaos—plagiarism accusations, dating rumors, body-shaming backlash, and a tourism boom that turned a real-life village into a pilgrimage site. How did something so quiet become so loud?
The premise is simple: a grieving woman quits her job in the city and moves to a rural village in Yunnan, fulfilling her late best friend’s wish to visit the place. What follows is 40 episodes of slow-burn romance, found family, and the kind of emotional labor that doesn’t involve spreadsheets or deadlines. It’s the opposite of the high-stakes, high-speed dramas that dominate streaming—no amnesia plots, no evil in-laws, no terminal illnesses (well, except the one that sets the story in motion). Instead, there’s time. Time to sit with grief. Time to learn how to make rice noodles. Time to fall in love without anyone saying “I love you.”
That last part is key. The romance between Xu Hongdou and Liu Yanzhi (Li Xian) is so understated it’s almost radical. There’s no grand confession, no dramatic kiss in the rain. Just a series of moments: him teaching her to fish, her watching him from a distance as he works, the two of them sharing a bowl of noodles in silence. It’s the kind of love story that feels like a rebuke to the performative passion of most dramas. (I’m looking at you, every K-drama where the leads spend half the runtime screaming at each other.)
Audience Opinions
AI summary of viewer review patterns
Audience 8.2/10 AI
"A heartfelt and visually stunning drama that resonates with its exploration of healing and self-discovery."
The series is praised for its emotional depth and the lead performances, particularly Liu Yifei’s portrayal of a woman navigating grief and personal reinvention. The scenic beauty of Dali adds a therapeutic quality to the storytelling, making it a soothing watch. However, some find the pacing slow, and the narrative occasionally meanders without clear direction, which may test the patience of viewers seeking more urgency.
What viewers praise
- Emotional depth The series effectively captures the nuances of grief, healing, and personal growth, making it deeply relatable.
- Strong lead performances Liu Yifei and Li Xian deliver compelling performances that anchor the story and draw viewers in.
- Scenic cinematography The visuals of Dali are breathtaking, enhancing the series’ calming and introspective tone.
- Unique character perspectives Each character offers a distinct viewpoint on life’s challenges, adding richness to the narrative.
- Comforting tone The series provides a sense of warmth and solace, making it ideal for viewers seeking an uplifting experience.
Common complaints
- Slow pacing The deliberate pace may feel sluggish to some, particularly in the middle episodes where momentum lags.
- Lack of urgency The story occasionally lacks a strong narrative drive, making it feel aimless at times.
- Underdeveloped side characters While the leads shine, some supporting characters lack depth and feel underutilized.
Recommended for
Fans of introspective dramas Liu Yifei admirers Viewers seeking emotional healing Lovers of scenic storytelling Slow-burn character studies
Buzz & Rumors
Public reports AI-researched entertainment notes
The Windy Place Was Spicier Than You Thought: Real-World Gossip Behind Meet Yourself (2023)
When a so-called “healing drama” quietly sweeps awards and hearts, you just know there’s hotter tea brewing off-screen. From plagiarism outrage to romance whispers and body-shaming backlash, Meet Yourself’s real-world story is a lot messier than that peaceful Yunnan village.
Scandals & Controversies: The Plagiarism Storm
- The biggest bombshell? Meet Yourself walked into the 18th Seoul International Drama Awards, grabbed the Best TV Series trophy… and immediately got hit with accusations that it had copied K‑drama darling Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
. - Viewers pointed out suspiciously similar elements:
- A successful city woman retreating to a picturesque small town.
- A dependable local male lead who magically appears every time she’s in trouble.
- Even a slipper-centric meet‑cute where he gives her slippers after she loses her shoes — a beat fans say mirrors Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha almost frame-for-frame [1][3].
- Netizens also dragged the opening logo and overall village vibe as looking way too familiar [1][3].
- The Seoul Drama Awards organizers basically shrugged and said: there’s controversy, sure, but no legal dispute, so the trophy stays put [1][3]. Translation: “You can yell on the internet all you want, we’re not taking it back.”
- Online reactions were savage: comments ranged from “How could such a drama receive an award?” to “Everyone already knew it plagiarized Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” [1]. Healing drama, meet rage tweeting.
Romance Rumors: Liu Yifei & Li Xian, From Windy Place to Love Nest?
- Fans started shipping Liu Yifei and Li Xian the second they saw those soft glances in the fields. But the rumor mill went into overdrive in late 2024, when the pair showed up at an ultra-chic party hosted by Vogue China editor-in-chief Rocco Liu .
- They posed in the same group photo, with Liu Yifei in sleek black and Li Xian in a relaxed, casual look — understated, but enough for the internet to scream “COUPLE VIBES” [2].
- Fuel on the fire: a paparazzi video from around October reportedly showed Liu Yifei getting into a car known to belong to Li Xian, which gossip outlets cited as “evidence” of something more than co-worker carpooling [2].
- Chinese entertainment coverage and social posts cited “insiders” who claimed Li Xian had ended another relationship and been pursuing Liu Yifei, casting them as a “dream pairing” with a four-year age gap [2].
- Official status: 100% unconfirmed. Neither star has admitted anything. But between the drama’s chemistry, the party photos, the alleged shared car and “insider” whispers, fans are treating it like a slow-burn real-life sequel to Meet Yourself.
Body-Shaming, Backlash & Liu Yifei’s Quiet Clapback
- While Meet Yourself was busy healing viewers, some corners of the internet were busy tearing down Liu Yifei’s appearance. On Reddit and other platforms, fans discussed how she was bizarrely labeled “fat” by online trolls when the drama aired
. - One thread notes she ended up posting photos that showed off her toned, athletic figure, essentially letting her body do the talking against the hate [4].
- The whole mess sparked discussion among drama fans about how brutally thin many actors have to be, and how wild it is that someone as conventionally gorgeous as Liu Yifei could be considered “fat” by anyone [4].
- Outcome: she unintentionally became a quiet symbol of “healthy is beautiful,” while the trolls got roasted in comment sections.
On-Set & BTS Tea: Sweet Chemistry, Freer Kisses
- Chinese social media clips from the Meet Yourself set show the mood was a lot more playful than the calm, reflective tone of the show.
- In one widely shared BTS moment, the director casually tells Li Xian and Liu Yifei that kissing on the cheek or lips are both fine, and Li Xian leans right into the moment, turning the kiss into something fans described as “too real” .
- Another clip that fans can’t stop replaying shows Liu Yifei hugging Li Xian during filming, with netizens swooning over how natural and affectionate they looked between takes [5].
- Far from icy professionalism, the BTS footage paints a picture of a set that felt more like a low-key couples’ retreat: joking, teasing, and the kind of easy chemistry that only makes those dating rumors harder for fans to ignore [5].
Wild Trivia: How a “Calm” Drama Caused a Tourism Frenzy
- Off-screen, Meet Yourself turned Fengyangyi Village in Yunnan from a sleepy stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road into a tourist magnet.
- After the drama aired, visitors “lined the roads” of the once-quiet village for selfies at filming locations, according to Chinese media coverage .
- The surge brought money and attention, but also the usual double-edged-sword drama: concerns about overtourism, overcrowding and the village losing the peaceful vibe that made it perfect for the show in the first place [6].
- The series has since been cited in reports and research as a textbook example of how one hit TV show can reshape an entire region’s tourism economy almost overnight [6]. Healing for audiences, chaotic for local infrastructure.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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