Why Shang Zhi Tao might be the real red flag in The Early Spring

The Early Spring has put on our screens a very specific kind of man whom we love to hate. Luan Nian, or Luke, played by Jing Boran, is receiving both love and hate for his unbelievable charm and being terrible with his words. He outright dismisses Shang Zhi Tao, aka Flora, when she joins his company, telling her to put in her papers. But let me argue why he is not the only red flag in this show; Flora is an equally disastrous character.

Luke, a red flag?

The first time we see Luke as a red flag is when he tells Flora that she deliberately created a situation where he would be forced to reach out to her. This happens the very next day after they offer the viewers a lesson in chemistry at Luke's apartment (IYKYK). She drops all thought of being pursued by Luke and invests all her energy into her work.

All the green things he does

Luke risks his own life to save Flora when she gets stuck in the mountains. He gives her an apology gift for the way he acted the day after (but tackles it poorly), asks her why she was shifting to another department, gives her the files she asks for, treats her to breakfast, teaches her the nuances of advertising, drops her home in the rain, and shares his dream of opening a bar on the mountain with her.

Also Read: The Early Spring is proof not everyone can talk about their real feelings, and it is perfectly OK

Later, after they start their secret relationship, he goes to extreme lengths to shut down the rental agency that harassed Flora and her flatmates, goes all out to keep her at Lime, and even resigns to get the headquarters to take action against Dony after he sexually harasses Flora and other women. He tackles Dony in the office and even takes care of her dog for weeks despite being extremely averse to his namesake pet.

Flora's actions also raise some questions

Her initial step to try and maintain distance from Luke seems valid, considering she believes he is pushing her away and is not interested. She also wants to protect her job. Again, fair. Flora takes care of Luke when he throws up while she is at his apartment for the ad campaign files. Once she gets them, she again pushes him away (to keep the rumours at bay). Everything is understandable till this point.

But later, once they start their relationship, she continues to treat him like a stranger when he clearly wants to be more involved in her life. When the people at the rental agency hit her and she is threatened with eviction, she tells Luke nothing. For some bizarre reason, she tells him that she fell and hurt her face, even when Lu Mi knows the truth. Luke openly shows that he is upset about being left out.

When she gets the job offer from Alex, she again decides not to tell Luke. He knows anyway and comes down harshly on her. Yes, the words he chooses are definitely hurtful. But why she keeps the news from Luke is a mystery.

The biggest of all is when Dony sexually attacks her at the offsite. Despite being clearly asked by Luke, she does not tell him. He learns about it through the email to HR, which would have reached him anyway. So why would she not tell him? He confronts her, and she tells him something about not bothering him because he was under scrutiny. Later, he apologises to her for his harsh words.

Why is Shang Zhi Tao a red flag?

Luke clearly wants to be involved in all parts of her life, and he makes it very clear all the time. Meanwhile, Flora continues to act aloof even when Luke is being extremely open about everything. One might argue that maybe she was still unsure about their relationship, given it was a secret from the world. But then he calls himself her boyfriend, which should have pretty much put to rest all her worries.

However, when she needs him to take care of her dog and let him stay at his home, she butters up Luke with cuddles and kisses. What's really going on by this point in time?

Being a red flag is all about unhealthy relationship dynamics, and Shang Zhi Tao is equally guilty of them. So maybe The Early Spring is a story of two red flags and not just one.