Serendipidade (2025)

A Love Triangle That Doesn’t Leave a Bad Taste

At first glance, Serendipity might seem like your typical trope-heavy drama - love triangle, amnesia, fake siblings-to-lovers, dramatic cliff falls, all that. But here's what makes it special: the way these familiar elements are woven together creates something fresh and engaging. The Chinese title 榜上佳婿 "Top Scholar Son-in-Law" has a totally different meaning, providing a different vibe. It's currently rated below 8/10 on MDL, and I want to explain why this hidden gem deserves more love.

Why the Low Ratings?
First, there's the cultural context. In Chinese tradition, marrying someone you were raised with as a sibling (but aren't blood-related to) was completely acceptable. Many Chinese families especially in ancient times, adopted children who later married their sons and daughters. Many historical dramas feature this setup as well, but international viewers often find it uncomfortable. That cultural gap likely contributed to the mixed ratings - while Chinese platforms give it a solid above 8/10, some international viewers could have marked it down for this reason alone.

Then there's the dreaded Second Male Lead Syndrome. Song Qing Zhao is everything you'd want - noble, kind, gentle and hopelessly devoted. With a wealthy and powerful family related to the royal family, it's easy to root for such a charming man, and many viewers were so disappointed when he didn't get the girl that they could have tanked the ratings. But love stories aren't always about who seems perfect on paper.

Another reason for the low ratings is the chemistry debate. Lu Chang’s initial coldness toward Jian Ming Shu does create an interesting dynamic—but for some viewers, it also makes their eventual romance feel less convincing. At first, Lu Chang rejects Ming Shu so firmly that it turns off many viewers. This is why many argue the couple lacks natural chemistry, compared to Ming Shu’s warm, easygoing dynamic with Song Qing Zhao.

Song Qing Zhao, with his gentle humor and open affection, seems like the more natural match for Ming Shu’s lively personality. Their scenes together radiate comfort and playfulness, while Lu Chang’s lingering emotional walls make his romantic shift harder to buy—at least at first.

That said, the story does plant subtle clues that Lu Chang’s feelings run deeper than he lets on. His protectiveness, lingering glances, and quiet sacrifices for Ming Shu suggest his coldness is more about self-control (he's supposed to be her brother) than indifference. For viewers who prefer slow-burn tension over instant sparks, this makes their eventual love story rewarding. But if you’re someone who values overt warmth in a pairing, it’s easy to see why Song Qing Zhao feels like the better fit.

Ultimately, whether you ship the main couple or prefer the second lead comes down to what you value in a love story: gradual emotional thawing, or effortless compatibility. Both perspectives are valid—but they’re also why this love triangle sparks such passionate debates!

The Story
The Chinese title 榜上佳婿 ("Top Scholar Son-in-Law") refers to a fascinating historical tradition. When imperial exam results were posted, wealthy families would literally camp out at the bulletin board to "catch" the top scholars (like Lu Chang, who becomes the valedictorian) as potential husbands for their daughters. These scholars were guaranteed prestigious government positions, making them the ultimate catches.

This is exactly what Jian Ming Shu, who’s been in love with Lu Chang since childhood, does at the start. When Lu Chang becomes the top scholar, she fights to claim him first. But Lu Chang is reluctant and resents her for forcing him to marry her.

After her family is murdered, Jian Ming Shu escapes but loses her memory after a cliff fall. Rescued by Lu Chang, she's passed off as his sister "Lu Ming Shu" for protection. Their investigative partnership brings them closer, even as Song Qing Zhao enters the picture, unaware they're not really siblings.

The love triangle develops beautifully - there's humor (the guys' jealousy is hilarious—Lu Chang even gifted Ming Shu a puppy named Zhao Zhao, a homophone of Qing Zhao), tension (Ming Shu's guilt over loving her "brother"), and genuine emotion. The dynamic between the three is sweet and funny. Meanwhile, they're unraveling political conspiracies, with Prince Yu as the clear but untouchable villain as Lu Chang lacks the evidence to expose him. Every witness he finds ends up dead, making his mission even harder.

Acting & Characters
Lu Chang (Wang Zi Qi) – At first, he’s cold and focused only on his goals, rejecting Ming Shu’s advances. But as they spend more time together, he slowly falls for her. Wang Zi Qi nails the transition from indifferent scholar to a man deeply in love. His subtle expressions—especially when he’s pretending not to care while Ming Shu gets close to Song Qing Zhao—are gold.

Jian Ming Shu (Lu Yu Xiao) – Smart, compassionate, and a talented jewelry maker, Ming Shu has loved Lu Chang since childhood. Even with amnesia, her heart still pulls her toward him. Some viewers criticize Lu Yu Xiao’s posture (she slouches next to more elegant actors), but I wonder if that was intentional to make Ming Shu feel more relatable. Either way, her performance is heartfelt by portraying a spirited yet vulnerable Ming Shu.

Song Qing Zhao (Wang Hong Yi) – Noble, kind, and hopelessly in love with Ming Shu, he’s the perfect second lead. Wang Hong Yi plays him with so much charm that it’s no surprise fans were devastated when he didn’t end up with the girl.

Final Verdict
Serendipity has its flaws (like Lu Chang getting paddled on the butt but somehow lying on his back afterward), but it's a wonderfully executed historical romance. This is one of the best love triangles I’ve seen. The title 榜上佳婿 is the key to understanding Lu Chang and Ming Shu's entire relationship. From reluctant "caught scholar" to genuine love, their journey is what makes this drama special.

And yes, many viewers were too busy rooting for the SML to notice all the hints that the main leads were meant to be—like sharing wedding wine (even at the beginning), matching bracelets, and accidental love bites. The cultural elements, engaging love triangle, and political intrigue make it far better than its ratings suggest. If you enjoy dramas where the leads actually earn their happy ending, don't miss this one.

Serendipity isn’t a blockbuster, but it’s a well-told, enjoyable story with great chemistry and just enough drama. Don’t let the ratings scare you off—this one’s worth watching.

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Amnesia-dragging for 30+ Episodes with Decent Small Case Solving & Love of Friends

I think I added this to my watchlist for the SML and TML. It sounded interesting at the time. It's a good thing I go into all dramas without any expectations; saves from disappointment. This drama had a lot of potential but the main plot was literally the first two episodes and the last maybe 6. The rest was amnesia-dragging for 30 episodes with decent small case solving and love of friends.

Pros: The second couple stole the show even if they didn't get that much screen time. YSZ or Prince Rui (PR) was sexy as hell especially when he smiled and showed his dimples and his eyes could melt glaciers. Paired with SK, they were the cutest couple out of the 3.5 we had (the .5 was for mom with Marshal as we never found out how they ended up). Story is basically a fight for the throne with good prince vs evil prince that involves multiple people whose entire family gets wiped out as they learn of the conspiracy and try to tell the emperor but are intercepted. This happens to both FL and TFL. However, FL learns of this and is chased by assassins so she falls off the cliff and gets amnesia for over 30 episodes. The ML being her childhood crush who rejected the creepy groom snatching and was drugged to boot for an impromptu wedding to FL, cruelly rejected her thinking she was just some spoiled little rich girl. He had tunnel vision of vindicating his master posthumously as he and his entire family got slaughtered by bandits working for the creepy prince under the assumption of corruption which was a frame job; he was also TFL's father. But when he found FL at the bottom of the cliff, he rescued her and made her believe she was his younger sister as they headed towards the capital. After learning of her family's slaughter as well, he promised to himself to keep her safe no matter what, now he had to find out and vindicate two families but refused to tell her. He fulfilled that promise but feelings obviously grew between them and it was getting creepy sometimes.

The SML was a great character though sadly the third wheel. I really liked the character because not only did he help in anyway he could with all the villains running around but he saved the FL many times and after her rejection, he didn't become obsessed though it broke his heart. He considered the ML his good friend and sworn brother. Rivals in love but absolutely no animosity otherwise. People may disagree with me but his ending was appropriate. No, he didn't get the girl but why should he forget her? He made peace with it and continued his duties as our prince took the throne; he was content with his life.

What I liked about the show was also one of the things I disliked; it involved many cases of getting women out bad relationships or away from other hardships. FL ever the smart one opened up a jewelry business in the capital and what was equivalent to a day care center and a shelter for abused women was also part of the store. Though she lost all of her memories including her own name, she hadn't forgotten how to run a jewelry business or apparently solve cases either. She was whip smart and could figure things out almost immediately.

Other characters that were good were ML's mom, the marshal, ML's friend and guard YX, the three women she became sworn sisters with, one being SFL and married to the prince and later became the empress, all with FL's help. Even ML's father though seemingly useless, just ass kissing whomever in power, made up for it by sacrificing his life to save his son and FL. The creepy evil prince was a great antagonist as this actor proves time and time again. He has a way to make your skin crawl.

Sets were ok, nothing amazing. Same went for costumes and OSTs.

Cons: As I mentioned above the story made me like it and not so much because the main plot of vindicating two sets of families went on the back burner after the second episode and was only picked up in the last 6 something episodes. Now while I liked the mini subplots, I wish they remembered the main plot in the middle too. The amnesia arc dragged on for far too long. And it seems that each time she got hit on the head and was unconscious, she'd start remembering something. It was kind of ridiculous and unbelievable.

Both leads had an issue with emoting. It seemed like they were stone faced most of the time. Though the FL did smile, everything was tempered down and felt rather dull. You get second lead syndrome here a lot; despite the fact that ML was destined to end up with the FL, the chemistry; to me at least didn't have the same level as she had with SML, who basically wore all of his emotions on his sleeve.

The third couple were so unnecessary and I didn't like TFL at all; she wanted to get revenge for her father but the way she went about was just cruel and crazy. At times I thought she was crazier than the creepy prince. She did seem to pull it together the end but her death was weird after she herself killed said prince; I have no idea how she ended up stabbed also. Their relationship was one of the creepiest ever; he had mommy issues so when she dressed up in similar clothing, he fell for her meanwhile she had Stockholm like syndrome. It was all very bizarre and nuts. First he would beat her up for failing to carry out his tasks, then he would tend to her wounds wanting her to be his wife and all this other shit. Like it was so revolting, you wanted to ffw.

A lot of characters didn't have proper endings but just disappeared like ML's mom, the Marshal, that Qi bodyguard who it looked like had a thing for TFL; there seemed to be 3 love triangles going on in the show. The ending was very anticlimactic in general. Honestly, I have forgotten probably half of the bad things because I couldn't write for 4 days.

Would I recommend it? Only if you have nothing else to watch. It's a good in between drama. It's not bad, it's decent plus most of the actors did pretty well.

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