LayarHijau – Zhang Ruonan is once again in the spotlight after her popularity surged following The First Frost. She now stars in Live Up to Your Youth alongside Bai Yu, which is currently airing and drawing strong public attention. In the latest episodes, her character Zhuang Zhuang faces an intense confrontation when her ex-boyfriend Kang Shunyin, played by Ren Zhong, pressures her into marriage.
Warning: This article contains spoilers.
Next articles
In the scene, Kang Shunyin insists that they are already engaged. He says, “My family has already given gold bracelets, gold necklaces, and other jewelry. We’re engaged—you can’t just say you don’t want it anymore.” Zhuang Zhuang is visibly stunned but quickly pushes back. She responds firmly, “That was your family’s one-sided decision. Everything has already been returned—don’t say you didn’t receive it.” Her eye-roll and blunt reaction immediately earned approval from viewers.
Zhang Ruonan’s rise in popularity can be traced back to her performance in The First Frost with Bai Jingting. The drama became a major hit and was even praised as a benchmark for pure romance, marking a high point in her career. Soon after, she took on Live Up to Your Youth, directed by Zheng Xiaolong, which came with high expectations from the start.
Since its release, the drama has shown strong performance and is shaping up to be one of the year’s standout hits. Its story about young people pursuing their dreams in a big city resonates with many viewers.
In the storyline, Zhuang Zhuang travels to Beijing to pursue her dream of singing under the guidance of a vocal teacher. However, Kang Shunyin follows her there and tries to force her to return to Wenzhou with him. When she refuses, he becomes angry and claims that her opportunity to study in Beijing came entirely from his family’s connections.
Zhuang Zhuang immediately rejects that claim. She explains that the teacher had clearly said many people wanted to become his student, and she was accepted only after proving herself in an audition—not because of anyone’s connections. This moment further highlights her independence and determination.
The conflict escalates when Kang Shunyin brings up their “engagement” again, insisting it cannot be undone. Zhuang Zhuang firmly fires back, “That engagement was arranged unilaterally by your family.”
She also reiterates that all the gold jewelry had already been returned. Despite this, Kang Shunyin stubbornly claims that the items “already carry your scent.” Zhuang Zhuang immediately shuts him down, pointing out that she never even wore them, making his claim absurd.
The confrontation reaches its peak when Zhuang Zhuang finally loses patience and throws Kang Shunyin out of her apartment.
The scene quickly sparked strong reactions online. Many viewers criticized Kang Shunyin’s behavior, with some commenting, “If you meet a man like this in real life, run as fast as you can.” Others praised Zhuang Zhuang’s firm stance, while another remark joked, “When Zhang Ruonan meets Ren Zhong, it really becomes ‘impossible to appease.’”
