Wen Yifan strikes a chord with women journalists
Strong women can be vulnerable. Yifan’s strength and vulnerability coexist beautifully, and that is a message every woman in journalism needs to hear.
Daily TribuneStrong women can be vulnerable. Yifan’s strength and vulnerability coexist beautifully, and that is a message every woman in journalism needs to hear.
WEN Yifan in 'The First Frost.’
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NETFLIX
When I first watched The First Frost, the 2025 Chinese romantic drama starring Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan, I saw more than just a love story. I saw Wen Yifan, a news reporter, and understood why so many journalists — especially women — connect with her character so deeply.
As a lifestyle and entertainment journalist based in the Philippines, covering concerts, celebrity events and cultural features for the Daily Tribune, Yifan’s journey mirrors the everyday realities of women who navigate the demanding world of media.
Wen Yifan is a former ballerina who reunites with her high school sweetheart six years after a painful and misunderstood rejection. She shares a cramped apartment with a family of three and another man, while working long hours as a reporter. Sleep is difficult for her due to trauma and the noise of a nearby train track. She carries unresolved psychological wounds from high school that surface as sleepwalking and nighttime distress. Still, she functions with visible strength, even stepping in to save someone from a car crash while struggling internally. Her nickname, “Wen Shuangjiang,” meaning First Frost, was given by her father and later tied to Sang Yan, referencing the Frost’s Descent season in the Chinese calendar.
Double burden of women in journalism
Women in journalism relate to Wen Yifan because she reflects the double burden many carry. She is expected to remain composed and professional at work while dealing with personal struggles and difficult living conditions in private. In the drama, she is questioned by a Yihe Daily reporter about why she did not return to her hometown after graduation, but she avoids giving a clear answer. Women journalists face similar questioning in real life — why choose entertainment over hard news, why stay in one country instead of another, why cover certain beats. The reality is often shaped by personal history, family ties and career circumstances that cannot be reduced into simple explanations.
Yifan’s exhaustion is also familiar. She works irregular hours, struggles to sleep, and carries the mental load of emotionally demanding work. Women journalists attend late-night events, cover concerts and premieres, and file stories under tight deadlines. The fatigue is not only physical but emotional, shaped by constant output and public scrutiny.
Her trauma adds another layer. Women in journalism often carry their own invisible burdens — whether from workplace harassment, high-pressure environments, or the expectation to perform flawlessly in a field where they are frequently judged more harshly. Journalism requires emotional exposure, yet also demands control. Yifan’s journey through trauma and gradual healing reflects how many journalists rely on community — colleagues, mentors and readers — to stay grounded.
Strength, vulnerability and everyday realities
Yifan’s character embodies a paradox many women in journalism recognize: appearing strong while carrying internal vulnerability. The profession often demands neutrality, composure, and resilience, even in emotionally charged situations. Yet journalists are not separate from the stories they cover. They live through their own challenges while reporting on others.
Her living situation further reflects the realities of many young professionals. Shared housing, financial constraints, and the pressure to sustain a career in media are common experiences, especially for women balancing independence with family responsibilities and safety concerns in urban environments.
At its core, The First Frost is about love, trauma and healing, but also about endurance. Yifan’s journey shows that professional identity does not erase personal pain, and that strength does not require emotional detachment. Healing becomes possible not through isolation, but through connection and support.
As someone working in lifestyle and entertainment journalism, I recognize pieces of Yifan’s resilience in my own work — covering K-pop, Asian dramas and cultural stories while navigating deadlines, events, and editorial demands. Many women in journalism share this experience of pursuing passion-driven work while managing unseen pressures behind the scenes.
Wen Yifan’s story ultimately reminds us that journalists are not just observers of life — they are living it, too. Even after The First Frost ended its 32-episode run on 10 March 2025, her character continues to resonate with women in media who balance professionalism with personal healing.
For anyone who has ever felt strong on the outside but overwhelmed within, this drama offers something quietly affirming: your experiences are valid, your resilience is real, and your story matters.
