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| The Early Spring Ending Explained & Finale Review: What Really Happened in the Final Episode? |
The Early Spring has reached the end of its 24-episode run, and the Chinese romance drama finishes on a surprisingly hopeful note after putting Shang Zhi Tao and Luan Nian through enough emotional turbulence to make a normal office job look like a holiday. Directed by Chiang Chi Cheng and adapted from Gu Niang Bie Ku’s web novel Zao Chun Qing Lang, the series follows a rookie advertising professional who slowly finds her confidence, falls for her demanding boss, loses him after years together and eventually rebuilds her life on her own terms. The finale brings those threads together through a tense workplace investigation, a painful confrontation between the couple and, eventually, a decision that allows both their careers and relationship to move forward.
The final episode begins with Shang Zhi Tao realising that dealing with Chen Dong is becoming increasingly dangerous to her position at the company. Rather than simply waiting for someone else to solve the problem, she contacts Sun Yuan Zhu for help. He investigates Chen Dong's background and discovers information suggesting that the executive has been abusing his position and misusing company resources.
The discovery gives Zhi Tao something far more useful than office gossip: evidence that can potentially expose a much larger problem inside the organisation. Sun Yuan Zhu nevertheless warns her to protect herself, making it clear that pursuing the truth could come with consequences.
Not long afterwards, Lu Mi unexpectedly appears at Zhi Tao's door. Zhi Tao immediately suspects that Luan Nian has something to do with the visit, and she is right to think that the timing is no coincidence. Lu Mi cannot reveal everything she has discovered, but her presence makes one thing clear: Zhi Tao is not facing the situation entirely alone. She is there because the people around Luan Nian are quietly trying to protect her while gathering enough information to deal with Chen Dong properly.
Chen Dong then invites Zhi Tao to dinner, supposedly for a conversation but clearly with his own agenda. He wants to know why Lu Mi suddenly appeared and whether Luan Nian is behind the investigation. Zhi Tao refuses to give him anything useful.
Chen Dong attempts to remind her that if the Hangzhou project collapses, she could be among the first people blamed, but Zhi Tao finally pushes back, making it clear that her future at the company is not his personal decision. When she tries to leave, however, the situation becomes intimidating and she is forced to fight her way out.
There is even a darkly absurd visual detail afterwards: Zhi Tao manages to escape but loses one of her shoes in the process. It sounds almost like something from a workplace comedy that has accidentally wandered into a thriller, but the missing shoe becomes a small reminder of just how frightened and exhausted she is. Zhao Xinqi later finds it and returns it to her, giving Zhi Tao the final push she needs to leave rather than pretend everything is fine.
The finale then reveals that Zhi Tao's decision to confront Chen Dong was not impulsive. She had already heard Zhao Xinqi's account of what happened to her and understood that Chen Dong had previously used intimidation and threats against another employee.
Zhi Tao therefore entered the dinner meeting prepared, recording the conversation so there would be evidence rather than simply her word against his. Before escaping, she also made the emergency call she had arranged with Zhao Xinqi, allowing Zhao and her friends to intervene before the situation became even worse.
When Zhi Tao returns, Luan Nian immediately notices that something is wrong. She is visibly shaken, and instead of demanding an explanation, he simply holds her. It is one of the finale's most effective moments because the scene does not need a long speech. After everything that has happened between them, Luan Nian understands that she is frightened and exhausted, and for once his instinct is not to analyse the problem but to give her somewhere safe to stop.
The workplace consequences arrive soon afterwards. During a company meeting, Luan Nian proposes withdrawing the Hangzhou team and consolidating operations in Beijing, but Chen Dong strongly objects. Then an email arrives from Shang Zhi Tao, formally reporting Chen Dong and attaching the recordings she made.
The meeting changes instantly. Luan Nian is already furious after seeing how badly Zhi Tao has been affected, and when he hears Lu Mi confronting Chen Dong in the corridor, his anger finally boils over. Tu Ming has to stop him from making the situation worse.
The company cannot simply brush the matter aside. Liang Xin is particularly affected because the workplace has a large number of women who have built much of the company's success, making the situation feel like a profound failure of the environment they were supposed to trust. She supports taking the matter seriously and contacting the authorities rather than quietly allowing the problem to disappear.
Behind the scenes, Liang Xin also warns Zhi Tao that Chen Dong's ability to survive so many previous problems suggests he has influential connections. She tells Zhi Tao that she and Luan Nian intend to keep pushing.
The company then attempts to resolve the matter internally, but Zhi Tao refuses to settle simply for the sake of protecting the firm's reputation. Lu Mi contributes the information she has gathered, although the investigation initially concludes that the available evidence is insufficient.
That changes when Tu Ming produces additional investigative material. Suddenly, the case has considerably more weight, and Lu Mi is surprised by what has been uncovered. The finale makes an important point here: Zhi Tao's victory is not achieved by Luan Nian swooping in and fixing everything. She creates the initial evidence herself, other employees contribute what they know, and the people around her gradually build a case strong enough for the company to act.
Luan Nian, however, is not entirely pleased with how Zhi Tao handled the situation. His frustration is not really about her decision to report Chen Dong; it comes from the fact that she kept the danger from him. He had already asked whether Chen Dong had caused trouble, yet Zhi Tao had denied it because she believed Luan Nian already had enough pressure surrounding him and did not want to make his situation harder.
That explanation only makes Luan Nian more emotional. He accuses her of continuing to treat him like an outsider despite their relationship, while Zhi Tao is simply too drained to keep arguing. Their disagreement captures one of the drama's central relationship problems: both characters care deeply about each other, but both have developed a habit of carrying difficult things alone. Zhi Tao thinks protecting Luan Nian means hiding her problems from him, while Luan Nian believes loving someone means being allowed to stand beside them when things become difficult.
After Zhi Tao leaves the office, Lu Mi embraces her and takes her home. Luan Nian watches them leave, visibly conflicted. But rather than letting pride win, he later goes to see Zhi Tao himself. When she realises he has arrived, she rushes downstairs to him, and the confrontation becomes much softer. Luan Nian tells her that she should have treated him as her partner, while Zhi Tao holds his hand and promises she will not shut him out in the same way again.
The conversation takes another turn when Zhi Tao discovers that Luan Nian intends to resign. She immediately asks him not to leave because she genuinely wants him around, both as the person she loves and as someone she respects professionally. It is a small but important reversal from the earlier stages of their relationship. Zhi Tao is no longer simply the inexperienced newcomer trying to survive under Luan Nian's expectations. She is now someone capable of telling him directly what she wants.
The company eventually approaches Luan Nian and asks him to continue managing the business, particularly as the crisis begins affecting its financial position. Luan Nian uses the opportunity to demand meaningful changes. He wants compensation for employees affected by the situation, stronger protections in the workplace and, crucially, no pressure placed on women to withdraw their reports simply to protect the company's image.
The leadership eventually accepts his conditions because stabilising the business has become more important than protecting the people responsible for creating the problem in the first place. Zhi Tao and the other affected employees therefore receive what they are entitled to, while Luan Nian's position is effectively secured.
The final note is deliberately understated. Liang Xin calls Luan Nian to tell him that he can return to work. Instead of delivering some grand speech about destiny or career triumph, he smiles, plays with the dog and casually says he will return the following week. After everything the characters have endured, that ordinary little moment feels almost radical. Life is finally allowed to become normal again.
The ending is ultimately about Shang Zhi Tao and Luan Nian learning that love cannot function properly when both people are constantly trying to protect the other by keeping secrets. Their relationship has already survived years together, separation and the misunderstandings that caused Zhi Tao to leave. The final episode gives them another opportunity, but this time they approach each other with greater honesty.
Zhi Tao's journey is particularly important. At the beginning, she enters the advertising world as a complete rookie and is immediately told by Luan Nian to leave. She stays, learns, makes mistakes and gradually becomes someone who can stand in the same room as the people who once intimidated her. By the finale, she is not waiting for someone to rescue her. She gathers evidence, makes a difficult decision and formally challenges someone with considerably more power.
That does not mean the drama argues that she should handle everything alone. Quite the opposite. The final episode makes the distinction between independence and isolation. Zhi Tao proves that she is capable of standing up for herself, but she also learns that allowing people she trusts to support her is not a weakness. Luan Nian learns a similar lesson from the opposite direction: caring for someone does not mean taking control of their problems.
Luan Nian's decision to remain at the company also gives his ending a broader meaning. He initially considers resignation after feeling that the organisation has failed both him and the people working under him. But rather than simply walking away, he uses his position to demand structural changes. His return is therefore not a simple career victory. It represents his decision to stay and help build the kind of workplace he believes the company should have had in the first place.
The final episode also brings the romance full circle. Zhi Tao once left without saying goodbye because she believed separation was the only way to protect herself from further disappointment. Years later, she has built a life independently, and Luan Nian has changed as well. Their reconciliation works because neither character needs the other to complete them anymore. They choose to be together after learning how to stand independently.
So, is the ending happy or sad? It is firmly a hopeful ending. There are painful moments throughout the finale, but the central characters come out stronger, their relationship is restored and the workplace conflict finally leads to tangible changes. The show does not pretend everything that happened can simply be erased. Instead, it allows the characters to acknowledge what went wrong and move forward with a better understanding of themselves and each other.
Jing Bo Ran plays Luan Nian, the demanding advertising executive whose sharp professional standards initially make him an intimidating presence in Zhi Tao's life. Beneath that controlled exterior, however, he is deeply invested in the people around him. His final storyline is about understanding that leadership requires responsibility, not simply authority.
Sun Qian plays Shang Zhi Tao, the graduate who begins her career as a nervous newcomer and gradually develops into a confident professional. Her romance with Luan Nian forms the emotional centre of the series, but her personal growth is arguably the more important journey. By the finale, she is willing to make difficult choices without abandoning her own values.
Liu Xiao Bei appears as Sun Yuan Zhu, who assists Zhi Tao when she begins gathering information about Chen Dong. Qi Tian Qing plays Sun Yu, while Zhang Ye Zi takes the role of Lu Mi, an important figure in the investigation who quietly supports Zhi Tao. Ning Xin plays Kitty, with Zhang You as Zhang Lei and Zhao Zhen Yu as Tan Mian.
The wider ensemble includes Peng Yang as Liang Xin, Cristy Guo as Zang Yao, Li Chuan as Alex, Yu San as Jack, Vicky Wang as Yao Bei, Ma Zi Wei as Lucy and Wen Xiang Ji as Li Tian Ran. Stuart Forbes plays Long Zhen Tian, Liu Chang plays Wiinl, Liu Yong Xi plays Du An Ni and Qu Gao Wei appears as Chen Kuan Nian.
The supporting cast also includes Mu Rui Ni, Zhu Jia Qi, Yang Zhi Ying, Xiao Han, Zheng Wei Li, Sean Zheng, Zheng Qi, Pang Han Chen, Zheng Jia Bin, Zhao Qian, Hu Tian Yi and Dong Mu Sha, whose characters help flesh out the professional and personal world surrounding the leads.
The Early Spring understands that romance works best when it is allowed to collide with ordinary life. The series may begin with the familiar setup of a demanding boss and an inexperienced newcomer, but its strongest moments arrive when the characters stop behaving like genre archetypes and start making messy, recognisably human choices. Jing Bo Ran gives Luan Nian a restrained intensity, while Sun Qian gradually turns Shang Zhi Tao from an uncertain graduate into a woman who can challenge the room without losing her warmth.
The workplace storyline gives the finale genuine weight, although the drama occasionally pushes its conflicts further than necessary before finding its footing again. Still, the 24 episodes reward viewers who stayed for the character development rather than simply the romance.
The ending is particularly satisfying because it does not confuse reconciliation with forgetting. These people have changed, and their relationship survives because they finally understand what went wrong. It is warm, occasionally frustrating, sometimes surprisingly funny, and ultimately more interested in emotional maturity than easy fantasy.
The Early Spring follows Shang Zhi Tao from advertising rookie to confident professional as her complicated relationship with Luan Nian survives separation, misunderstandings and a major workplace crisis.
The finale sees Zhi Tao stand up for herself, while Luan Nian chooses to stay and push for better protections at the company. Their relationship gets another chance, making the ending hopeful rather than tragic. It is a warm 24-episode romance with plenty of workplace drama, character growth and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.
Season 2: Is The Early Spring Getting a Sequel?
As of now, The Early Spring Season 2 has not been officially confirmed. There are rumours that a sequel could happen, and fans have understandably started speculating about another chapter after spending 24 episodes with Zhi Tao and Luan Nian. Those reports should still be treated cautiously, though, because a rumour about future plans is not the same thing as a formal renewal announcement.
There is at least enough story potential to make a second season possible. The production team would ultimately have to decide whether the characters have another meaningful chapter ahead of them rather than simply bringing everyone back because viewers miss them.
Previous hints have suggested that there is a particular ending in mind for the wider story, but that does not necessarily mean another season is already being prepared. The first season also provides a substantial run for a streaming Chinese drama, so there is a perfectly reasonable possibility that the creators intended this to be the complete story.
If Season 2 were eventually approved, the most interesting direction would probably be to avoid simply repeating the original romance formula. Zhi Tao and Luan Nian have already overcome their biggest relationship barrier, so another season would need to challenge them in a different way.
Their professional lives could become more important, particularly with Luan Nian returning to a company that has been forced to confront serious internal problems. Zhi Tao could also continue developing as an independent professional rather than remaining defined primarily by her relationship with him.
A sequel could also explore whether the changes demanded by Luan Nian actually last once the immediate crisis has passed. That would fit the series' broader interest in growth: making a promise is easy, while maintaining that promise when the headlines have disappeared is considerably harder. And if the writers want to bring back some romantic tension, there are certainly enough colleagues, clients and career complications in this world to cause trouble without dragging the couple through another six-year misunderstanding.
For now, however, fans should take the Season 2 rumours with a pinch of salt. There is no confirmed sequel, and the first season's conclusion works perfectly well as a complete ending. If another chapter eventually arrives, it should ideally add something meaningful to Zhi Tao and Luan Nian's story rather than undoing the growth that made the finale work in the first place.
FAQ: The Early Spring Ending and Season 2
Is The Early Spring based on a novel? Yes. The drama is adapted from the web novel Zao Chun Qing Lang (早春晴朗) by Gu Niang Bie Ku.
How many episodes does The Early Spring have? The series consists of 24 episodes, taking viewers through Shang Zhi Tao's professional development and her complicated relationship with Luan Nian.
Does The Early Spring have a happy ending? Yes. Zhi Tao and Luan Nian reconcile, while the workplace conflict leads to meaningful changes rather than being quietly swept aside. The finale is best described as hopeful and satisfying.
What happens to Shang Zhi Tao at the end? Zhi Tao successfully stands up for herself during the company investigation and refuses to let the situation be quietly settled. She also reconciles with Luan Nian and encourages him to remain at the company.
Does Luan Nian resign? He intends to resign after becoming frustrated with the company's handling of the situation, but the leadership eventually asks him to stay. He uses his position to demand better protections and compensation for affected employees before agreeing to return.
What happens to Chen Dong? The finale focuses on the investigation into his conduct and the evidence gathered by Zhi Tao and those helping her. The company's response becomes much more serious once additional investigative material is presented.
Has The Early Spring Season 2 been renewed? No, Season 2 has not been officially confirmed. There are rumours and fan expectations surrounding a possible sequel, but nothing should be treated as definite until the production team makes an official announcement.
What could happen in Season 2? A potential sequel could focus on Zhi Tao's continuing career development, Luan Nian's attempt to rebuild the workplace, and how their relationship changes now that they have learned to communicate more openly. The challenge would be creating a new conflict without undoing their growth.
Could Season 2 be the final season? It is possible. There have been hints that the series has a specific ending in mind, and the first season already provides a substantial story arc. If a second season happens, it could potentially serve as the final chapter rather than opening an endless cycle of misunderstandings.
The Early Spring finishes by giving its characters something more valuable than a perfectly tidy romantic fantasy: the chance to grow up, admit where they went wrong and choose each other again without sacrificing their independence. Shang Zhi Tao proves she no longer needs to be the rookie waiting for approval, while Luan Nian learns that being the person she loves also means being someone she can trust when life becomes difficult.
Whether the rumours of The Early Spring Season 2 eventually become reality remains uncertain, but the first season has already delivered an ending that feels complete on its own. Now the real question is whether viewers would rather leave Zhi Tao and Luan Nian exactly where they are, or open the door for another chapter — tell us which side you're on and what you would want Season 2 to explore if it ever happens.