Dear C-drama fangirls (and anyone still single because of a drama), stop crying over men who leave you on “read,” send mixed signals, or act like liking your Instagram story equals romance.

If he isn’t as whole‑hearted as Xie Zheng, then what are we even doing?

Hot off the news that Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan announced Zhang Linghe’s official invitation to Manila on June 4, fandoms across the Philippines are tumbling back into the Pursuit of Jade rabbit hole — and honestly, we get it.

The 28-year-old stole hearts worldwide as the devoted Xie Zheng opposite Tian Xiwei, and the show delivered everything we came for: epic chemistry, lines that haunt you, and a male lead whose love language wrecks entire sleep schedules.

Ready to learn romance the Pursuit of Jade way? Take notes — here’s your new emotional dictionary:

• We don’t say “I love you.”
  We say: “I will butcher pigs to raise you.”
  It’s blunt and borderline comic on the surface, but in this world it’s the purest promise: I will work. I will provide. I will shoulder hard things so you don’t have to.

• We don’t say “I’m heartbroken.”
  We say: “I’ve awakened from a dream in a rain‑soaked pavilion.”
  This line doesn’t just state pain; it paints it. The pavilion, the rain, the dream you can’t go back to — it all hits like memory and loss wrapped together.

• We don’t say “I want to kiss you.”
  We say: “Do you want tangerine peel candy?”
  A tiny, ordinary offer becomes an intimate test. Tenderness disguised as sweetness — and suddenly a piece of candy is a whole confession.

• We don’t say “Will you marry me?”
  We say: “I’ll take it as you agree.”
  No grand gesture, no shaky knees — just quiet certainty from someone who’s already decided. It’s love that’s survived storms and no longer needs permission..

So next time you wonder what the most romantic line could be, don’t chase something short or trendy.

Look to the wuxia hit ‘Pursuit of Jade’: “I will butcher pigs to raise you.”