Chinese Drama
Almost Lover (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)
Almost Lover poster
- Genre: Modern Romance; Unrequited Love, One-Sided Love
- Release Date: 26 October 2022
- Origin: China
- Cdrama: 36 Episodes
Cast
- Victoria Song as He Xiao Ran
- Timmy Xu as Xiao Shang Qi
- Chen He Yi as Sui Ming Wei
- Gao Rui Fei Er as Li Hui
- Gong Wan Yi as Chen Fei Er
- Gao Ren as Zhao Ming Xin
- Ren Bin as Xiao Xian
- Lu Dong Xu as Xiao Feng
- Hu Ke as Zhou Li Li
- Zheng Xiao Ning as Xiao Zhen Yun
Quick Precis
He Xiao Ran had a one-sided love for Xiao Shang Qi for eight years which she kept secret as Xiao Shang Qi was in love with Chen Fei Er, who treated him like dirt.
After college, they went on their separate ways until one day He Xiao Ran and Xiao Shang Qi met again in Shanghai.
Episode 1
It has a cute start. I love that the female lead is so feisty. Looking forward to the next episode.
He Xiao Ran had had a crush on Xiao Shang Qi for the longest time and decided to make a video confession for him just before college graduation.
At the last minute, she chickened out and did not give him the SD card reader she prepared. But the confession was taken out of her hands when a college schoolmate accidentally played her confession video on her laptop instead of the video she made of schooldays for the graduation exercise.
She was embarrassed because Xiao Shang Qi ran out in the middle of the confession and her schoolmates started whispering about how embarrassing the situation was for her.
Three years later….
Xiao Ran still dreams of making it big as a news journalist and covering war-torn cities instead she is a late-night DJ in not so popular radio show.
Meanwhile, Shang Qi is back and the first thing he did was go and dig the time capsule he buried with Xiaoran seven years ago. They made a promise that wherever they were in the world they had to come and dig up the capsule. It has been three years since they had seen or had any contact with each other.
He knew that it was her birthday, but he cannot contact her because of that fateful. She had blocked him therefore he can’t call her.
But it seemed fated that they should meet again because Shang Qi was tasked to save a failing hotel in Wuyu where coincidentally was were Xiaoran was now working.
Shangqi was really concerned that Xiaoran was working in a sleepy village rather than traveling the world to report current events as she had always dreamed about.
When he mentioned this to Xiaoran, she told him not even go there. She admitted she failed the test because of her upset and embarrassment at that time.
Anyway, they went out to dinner and Xiaoran got rather drunk. At it was a birthday, she snogged Shangqi. Though he was taken aback, he did not push her or complained. In fact the next morning he was patiently waiting for her on the street near where she lived.
She told him that she doesn’t want to see him anymore and if he keeps bugging her, she will kiss him each time.
You go, girl.
Episode 2
Xiaoran had to make a turnabout about Shangqi because of work. Her boss said that listeners became intrigued about Shangqi and wanted him to guest at her show.
Shangqi said that he will under some conditions and then he put Xiaoran through some tests like bartering for produce in the market but after it, he still said no to Xiaoran and said that that was he felt when she blocked him and can’t contact her.
So that evening show, Shangqi used an edited conversation with Shangqi to pretend that he was with her at the studio.
Shangqi can’t help but admire her, still, he told her to resign from her job as it was really beneath her. He reminded her that she always wanted to become a war correspondent.
Xiao Xian complained to their father, Xiao Zhen Yun, that Shangqi was overspending on the hotel renovation at Wusu.
The father said that he promised Shangqi three months to show what he can do.
Anyway, the reason why Shangqi hurried out during the graduation night was that he received an SOS from Fei’er who he later found bruised and battered.
Episode 3
Xiaoran kept blurting out how much she liked Shangqi for eight years but she was over it. I don’t think she was over him because she just kept talking about it with him.
Anyway, despite not telling her whether it was a mutual crush thing, he was always helping her to the point that he even sabotaged her chance to shine during a company-trending party. He told her that he wanted her to resign and try to realise her true dream.
Apparently, they became best friends since elementary school and his most treasured possession was a fish radio she gave him when he got banished to one of his family’s hotels so that his brother who was limping would not be upset to see him all hale and hearty. Poor Shangqi was so sad especially when his father remove the basket ring at their mansion because it would upset Xiao Xian.
Because of the banishment, the brothers are estranged and are more like strangers to each other.
Episode 4
Sui Ming Wei has a crush on Xiaoran and was glad when she moved in with him and Li Hui in a sharehouse.
But he became rather possessive of Xiaoran and was jealous to see that she had a history with Shangqi.
So during a team building for the staff of Jifeng Hotel which was a happy occasion as Shangqi managed to turn the company’s rating over. It is now nominated for the best hotel.
Sui Ming Wei gatecrashed the shindig and announced to everyone that the hotel is being sold.
Everyone was aghast and Shangqi had to confess that a sale was on the card. Everyone left including Xiaoran who was being ushed by Ming Wei.
But then she turned around and told Ming Wei to go home first. She then went to see Shangqi who was entranced to note that once again she stayed with him when he needed company the most for moral support.
Later on, he told his father that he doesn’t want the hotel sold because he will run it himself.
Episode 5
They were almost lovers in this episode because Shangqi confessed to Xiaoran that he loves her but this was drowned out by the arrival of Sui Ming Wei in his noisy motorcycle.
Sui Ming Wei is doing everything to prevent Shangqi and Xiaoron to get together because he likes Xiaoran for himself.
Episode 6