43-Year-Old Man ‘Breaks Up’: Age Gap Not a Problem, But Class Is
The finale of the popular drama “Perfect Relationship” has been disappointing, as much of the show focuses on ‘crisis management’ in the workplace, with many details being underwhelming. The female lead, Jiang Dalin, is also not a likable character.
But today, it’s not primarily about criticizing the script, but rather about discussing the relationship between Chen Shu, who plays Stella, and Ye Donglie, a recent graduate.
Last night, this sweet pairing announced their breakup.
“It’s okay not to watch the sunrise and sunset together, it’s okay not to watch the sunrise and sunset together,”
Stella’s immediate and blunt breakup declaration left Ye Donglie completely bewildered and unable to accept it.
The story should start from the beginning, Stella is a partner at DL Communications, a core figure in the company, and highly respected in Shanghai’s PR industry.
And Ye Donglie? He came from a small place and worked as a programmer in Shanghai, with limited experience, but he was capable and responsible, and dreamed of starting a business.
They met through work and developed mutual feelings.
Ye Donglie liked Stella’s maturity, thoughtfulness, and calmness.
Stella appreciated Ye Donglie’s self-discipline and ambition, and even introduced him to a friend at a top internet company.
After a series of twists and turns, they became a couple.
Stella tried to slow down and enjoy the small joys of love; Ye Donglie enthusiastically painted a vision of their life together as a large-scale programmer.
However, as they were two people from different worlds, it was inevitable.
And their friends’ gatherings, Stella worried about the hygiene of little dragon shrimp and their heavy metal content, while the youngsters thought she was too “upper-class”.
They had a completely awkward conversation.
At the birthday party for the elite in Shanghai, lawyer He, who was fond of Stella, publicly mocked Ye Donglie’s social status in front of everyone:
“Compared to the people here, you are still a huge gap… you’re basically her little pet who eats soft food.
This sentence made Ye Donglie realize that he was just an ordinary person, while Stella was a high-ranking social elite.
Actually, the biggest obstacle to their relationship wasn’t age or the brother-sister relationship, but an insurmountable class gap.
What was even more frustrating for Ye Donglie was not the economic and tangible differences, but the difference in their thinking patterns – a ‘monolithic’ approach versus a ‘tolerance’ approach.
When Ye Donglie felt unfairly treated and needed encouragement, Stella didn’t comfort him, but calmly revealed the truth of the adult world:
“In the workplace, in some social settings, people are divided into different ranks… you can complain, but venting your anger won’t help. That’s the reality of my life. You may not like it, but you shouldn’t criticize it. Criticizing others is narrow-minded, and you shouldn’t be narrow-minded yourself.
Later, they broke up, and Ye Donglie tried to persuade Stella, but Stella showed a ‘ruthless’ attitude:
“A relationship should also have beautiful friendships and family relationships, not like ours now, where we’re estranged. Let’s break up.
Ye Donglie was always a step behind, and the age and professional experience gap made it difficult for him to keep up with Stella’s thinking.
In the final scene, Ye Donglie’s tears didn’t just come from sadness about the breakup, but also from confusion and inability to accept it emotionally.
Shouldn’t a breakup be painful? Why didn’t she show much emotion? Why was she so unemotional and rational?
It should be possible to rationally analyze the problem, find one’s own response strategy, and work hard to become a better person, avoid wasting each other’s time, and express their position with respect.
Stella could do this effortlessly, but it was something Ye Donglie couldn’t bear.
Besides Ye Donglie and Stella, there were several other romantic relationships in “Perfect Relationship,” all of which came from different worlds.
One side was from the ‘small places’ and had experienced hardship, while the other side came from wealthy and privileged families.
Tan Xin Kai, who specializes in business espionage and black PR, is from the ‘small places’;
Bonnie, who strives for success and plays her own role;
Bangni , came from a wealthy Chinese family, who loved freedom and romance;
Shuiyi, who transferred from a Wall Street executive to a North American consumer goods manager,
And Shen Yingjie, a Shanghai family, her mother is a famous writer, family atmosphere is democratic and free.
In summary, the screenwriter didn’t really write about love, but about the gap between different worlds, the class gap, and the ideological gap.
This is understandable, but it’s surprising that ‘good people’ – kindness, rationality, justice, courage, persistence – are mostly given to the upper class, while ‘bad people’, ‘obsessive’, ‘black-hearted’ and ‘low-quality’ people are all from ‘small places’ – this is a realistic portrayal?
In the real world, people with more wealth and social resources also have more positive qualities.
It’s not necessarily so.
Each class, whether rich or poor, has good and bad people, and everyone has light and dark sides. This is the real world.
“Perfect Relationship” shows that the romantic relationships between several couples from different worlds ultimately failed.
It seems to be sending a signal that love must be compatible in terms of class and background to last long.
For ordinary people to become professional and successful, they need to have a strong foundation in their careers and lifestyles, in order to have more control and freedom in love and marriage.
But in reality, even if you choose someone who is ‘equal’ to you, it doesn’t guarantee a lifetime of happiness.
There’s no synchronization between two people in love, let alone synchronization on two aspects – wealth and mental synchronization.
Ultimately, the essential lessons in love and marriage are the same for everyone.
To build a long-lasting relationship and achieve happiness in love and marriage, any class needs to start on the same starting line. “
“”
