The Early Spring wrapped up its 24-episode run on September 9, 2026, and the finale delivered a deeply satisfying resolution for the turbulent love story of Luan Nian and Shang Zhi Tao. After six years of hidden romance, four years of painful separation, and a decade of emotional push-and-pull, the couple finally found their way back to each other. But the path to that happy ending was anything but smooth. The final episodes revealed buried truths, delivered one of the most elaborate proposals seen in recent C-dramas, and left viewers with a mix of joy and bittersweet emotion.
The Truth Behind the Breakup
The seeds of the couple’s split were planted long before Shang Zhi Tao walked away. In Episode 21, Shang Zhi Tao was on the verge of receiving the specialist title of the year at Lime, a milestone she had worked incredibly hard for. Luan Nian, her secret boyfriend and the company’s general manager, was proud of her growth and wanted her to keep advancing.
Everything fell apart when a whistleblower sent photos of the couple to Tracy, the HR manager. Company rules strictly prohibited colleagues from dating and taking advantage of their positions, and despite Shang Zhi Tao never using her relationship for personal gain, the violation cost her the title.
Shang Zhi Tao broke down in front of Luan Nian, accusing him of not giving her enough points to win. The argument escalated, and Luan Nian said something he could never take back: “It’s only been six years, if it wasn’t you it would have been someone else.” Those words shattered Shang Zhi Tao completely. She packed her things, took their dog Luke, and left Beijing for her hometown of Harbin without saying goodbye. The death of her close friend Sun Yuan Zhu, who struggled with depression, added to the weight that made staying impossible.
Luan Nian’s Long Road to Winning Her Back
Luan Nian did not take the breakup well. In Episode 22, the usually composed and sharp-tongued boss broke down upon learning of Shang Zhi Tao’s resignation. He began traveling to Harbin repeatedly, showing up at her door with an excuse that became a running joke among fans: he wanted to see the dog.
“Luan Nian is the type who can’t even say ‘I miss you’ without wrapping it in something else,” one fan wrote on Weibo. “He asked to see Luke, but everyone knew he was there for the dog’s owner.”
The truth about their relationship’s beginning emerged in a quiet but devastating moment. Luan Nian had always told Shang Zhi Tao that their first meeting was a mundane office encounter. During a trip to Tibet just before their breakup, he finally admitted the truth: he remembered every detail of seeing her in the hotel lobby for the very first time, six years earlier. He had lied for years, hiding his feelings behind a wall of pride and deliberate teasing.
“What hit me hardest about the Tibet scene wasn’t a big confession,” a viewer shared on Toutiao. “It was that he’d been holding onto that memory all along and just couldn’t bring himself to say it.”
The Time Museum Proposal
The finale’s most talked-about scene took place in Episode 24, when Luan Nian orchestrated a proposal that became an instant classic among C-drama fans. He built what the show called a “Time Museum” for Shang Zhi Tao, a space filled with carefully collected memories from their years together: old movie tickets, messages, the brooch he had given her, and the scoring sheets from her failed evaluation.
Their dog Luke appeared wearing a sign that read “Marry Dad,” and Luan Nian knelt down in front of Shang Zhi Tao’s family and friends to ask for her hand. The moment became the drama’s most iconic scene, with viewers calling it one of the most romantic proposals in recent Chinese television.
“The Time Museum was such a smart way to resolve everything,” a fan posted on Weibo. “Instead of just talking about their past, they built it into something tangible. Every misunderstanding had a physical place to be put to rest.”
Shang Zhi Tao said yes. The couple shared a passionate kiss, and for the first time in their relationship, they stood as equals, no longer burdened by secrets or power imbalances.
What the Drama Left Out from the Novel
The drama’s ending brought the main love story to a satisfying close, but readers of the original novel by Gu Niang Bie Ku noticed several significant omissions.
In the novel, Luan Nian and Shang Zhi Tao have a daughter named Nian Tao—her name combines his “Nian” with her “Tao.” The story explores how Luan Nian, a man obsessed with cleanliness and control, softens completely after becoming a father. The drama ends at the proposal and never shows their married life or their child.
Another missing piece is the will Luan Nian prepares for Shang Zhi Tao. The age gap between them made him think seriously about protecting her future, and he sat her down to explain it gently. Shang Zhi Tao initially recoiled at the association with death, but the gesture represented a new level of tenderness and commitment in their relationship. That entire storyline was removed from the drama.
A third difference involves Shang Zhi Tao’s emotional response to Sun Yuan Zhu’s death. In the novel, she questions Luan Nian in a raw, grief-stricken moment about how he feels, given that he had always been jealous of Sun Yuan Zhu. That scene, which added depth to both characters, never made it to screen.
Fan Reactions and a Bittersweet Goodbye
The finale dominated social media in China and among international viewers. “Luan Nian’s proposal” and “The Early Spring finale” trended on Weibo within hours of the episodes dropping. Many viewers praised the emotional payoff after such a long, often painful journey.
“I cried during the sad parts and then cried again during the happy parts,” one fan wrote. “The Time Museum tied up every loose end without just saying ‘they talked it out.’ That’s rare.”
“They walked through the scene and I was already crying,” another viewer commented. “The emotional intensity in those last two episodes was unmatched.”
Not all reactions were purely celebratory. Some fans of the original novel felt the drama’s reduced episode count—24 episodes compared to the novel’s longer arc—made certain emotional shifts feel rushed. Others pointed out that the drama softened Luan Nian’s character considerably compared to the novel, where he was far more difficult and arguably harder to root for.
“The last four episodes tried to squeeze everything together,” a MyDramaList reviewer noted. “It’s a good drama, but they missed a chance to deepen the meaning of the story.”
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Where to Watch The Early Spring
The Early Spring originally premiered on August 26, 2026, on Youku in China. International audiences can stream all 24 episodes on Netflix. The final four episodes (21-24) were released on September 9, 2026, for Youku VIP members first, with Netflix following its regular release schedule.
The series stars Jing Boran as Luan Nian and Sun Qian as Shang Zhi Tao, alongside Liu Xiao Bei as Sun Yuan Zhu, Qi Tian Qing as Sun Yu, Zhang Ye Zi as Lumi, and Peng Yang as Tracy.
Also Read: The Early Spring on Netflix: Why This Chinese Drama Keeps Dominating India’s Top 5
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