*contains spoilers*
Zhang Sinian (Miles Wei) and Yun Shu’s (Xu Ruo Han) love was a progression in Perfect and Casual, which was sweet from beginning to end.
Stage 1: Differences
When they first encounter each other, they get off on the wrong foot. Because Sinian does not allow her to present her thesis, Yun Shu is unable to graduate on time. As a result, she is unable to start her job. At the same time, Yun Shu is scammed by her cousin and the person living in the apartment that she thought she had purchased was no one other than Sinian. He is a perfectionist and hardcore researcher by nature with specific goals to achieve while she is a casual and easygoing graduate trying to figure out life.
Stage 2: Stimulation
Sinian’s grandfather is diagnosed with Stage 4 of cancer. Sinian promises to introduce his girlfriend to him. To encourage his grandfather who is about to undergo a procedure, by coincidence, Yun Shu is the one he finds roaming the hospital. They enter an agreement for a marriage to last for one year, to please his grandfather. In the contract, Sinian spells out they should not have any skinship. He even fines himself RMB 100 every time he accidentally touches Yun Shu. This starts their marriage, on the basis of a contract rather than on the foundation of love. As they live under the same roof, Yun Shu tries to go by Sinian’s rules, as she is staying in his apartment.
Stage 3: Admiration
As they start to interact more, Yun Shu sees the gentle and caring side of Sinian and starts to have a secret crush on him, obvious to her sister and her friends, but Sinian does not get it. She is a little heartbroken when he treats her coldly and leaves the apartment. But he is only distancing himself from her, not wanting their contractual marriage to affect her later in the future. Sinian is even willing to explain to her future boyfriend or husband if needed. Sinian starts to miss Yun Shu’s presence at home. When he realizes that she does not mind, he lets her know that he does not mind either and invites her back home. He welcomes her with new curtains, bedsheets and chest drawers, all indicating he pays attention to her in details.
Stage 4: Competition
Meng Ran (Hank Qi), who is Yun Shu’s boss at the law office, and also Sinian’s former classmate declares to Sinian that he has fallen in love with Yun Shu and wants to court her. Meng Ran knows why Sinian is attracted to Yun Shu. The two men have indirect showdowns to win Yun Shu. Meng Ran serenades Yun Shu with a love song on her birthday, but, at the end Yun Shu rejects Meng Ran’s love because she only loves Sinian. Meng Ran’s presence worked as a catalyst for Sinian to realize his true feelings quicker and finally confess to Yun Shu, as he is mostly focused on his work and research studies.
Stage 5: Confidence
Lin Chuchu (Joy Sheng), who is Sinian’s college classmate and former research buddy also comes back. Chuchu is shocked to learn that Sinian is married, as she previously had a crush on him, but he openly declared he would not think about love until he received the Fields Medal by age 35. In her mind, she thought they would eventually end up together, it was just a matter of time. Chuchu becomes friends with Yun Shu prior to knowing she is Sinian’s wife. But when she does find out, she challenges Yun Shu, telling her that she is too different from Sinian to make things work. Yun Shu proudly exclaims that she is Sinian’s wife now. Chuchu does not give up and requests an answer from Sinian, who presents her with the statistical data that he has come up with that indicates he is most happy when she is with Yun Shu. Sinian refuses to give Chuchu a goodbye hug and instead kisses Yun Shu in front of Chuchu with no sense of shyness, indirectly encouraging Chuchu to move on.
Stage 6: Happiness
The two love rivals Meng Ran and Lin Chuchu realize that Sinian and Yun Shu’s love has only grown stronger and cannot be easily broken apart after they have built trust within each other. Sinian is attentive and caring, only wanting the best for Yun Shu. At the same time Yun Shu has her own thinking and knows she cannot bear to leave Sinian for 3 years. They decide to move in with Grandpa to accompany him for his last days. Grandpa (Kefa Cui) coyly admits that he knew they entered a contractual marriage from the very beginning, but without them having to explain the truth, he knows that they are really in love this time. Sinian tells Yun Shu that without her casual outtake next to him, his life would not be perfect.