Chinese Drama 2021
Lover or Stranger (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)
Lover or Stranger poster
- Genre: Modern Romance, Mystery, Amnesia, Thriller
- Release Date: 12 July 2021
- Origin: China
- Cdrama: 29 Episodes
Cast
- Victoria Song as Luo Qian Yi / Song Xiao Dong
- Oho Ou as Huo You Ze
- Ryan Zhang as Yu Hang (Doctor)
- He Du Juan as Sun Lei
- Dai Jing Yao as Qi Fan (Violin Teacher)
- Wang Yi Zhe as Mei Zi
- Fan Jin Yi as Huo You Xi (Youze’s sister)
Quick Precis
A rising violinist met an accident which caused her to have amnesia.
She can’t remember her fiance.
Episode 1
There are a couple of future events at the beginning of this drama.
First, Qianyi was running away from a car being driven by You Ze. When he caught up with her, she stabbed him with a broken bottle.
And then, another scene was in Hokkaido, Japan where Qianyi was standing on a mountain edge. Below, You Ze was looking for her. But it was too late there was an avalanche and she got buried.
You Ze next saw her in the hospital almost like a mummy; bandaged from head to foot.
She was a completely new woman, not really, she looked the same, not a scar or anything. But she was missing her memory.
Looking at her, You Ze remembered when they first met. It was raining hard and she was trying to make sure her violin doesn’t get soaked. Then an umbrella was being held over her by You Ze.
He gave her the umbrella and left quickly.
As luck would have it, she saw him at the bar where she plays the violin. From then on they had become inseparable especially when they found an abandoned puppy which they adopted and called Mozart.
You Ze was a multi-millionaire, CEO of his own company.
They were in Hokkaido, Japan when they came upon a music store.
Qianyi took fancy to a violin but alas it was not for sale as it was apparently a family heirloom according to the shopkeeper.
But money talks. You Ze bought it for a million dollars which shocked Qianyi as it was not even a Stradivarius.
Anyway, instead of a ring, on his knees, You Ze used the violin to ask Qianyi to marry him.
She happily agreed and then she had the accident.
From the hospital, they went back home to China in a modern, if rather souless, mansion.
As she had lost her memory, You Ze showed her around the house. There was one room that he would not show to her. He said that it was too dusty as they keep it as their storeroom.
But what is forbidden makes it more desirable.
One morning, a dog came bounding in which frightened Qianyi.
The dog was Mozart who was being looked after by Sun Lei a beautiful woman who had been a long-time friend of You Ze.
As Qianyi seemed frightened of Mozart, YouZe asked Sun Lei to look after the dog a few days more.
Qianyi found an anonymous note in her bathroom saying to meet up.
I like this drama. Very stylish, though a tad slow.
Episode 2
Qianyi climbed out of the bathroom window because she was locked in the house. She went to the Lavender coffee shop to see who would turn up.
It was Youze who turned up which annoyed her because she felt like she was living in prison. He controls her too much.
Chao barged into the mansion asking to see Qianyi.
Qianyi did not recognise him but he introduced himself to her saying that he was her manager.
Still, she was clueless, she did not know what he was talking about.
He told her that she is a famous violisnist.
She did not believe it because there is no sign of even a string in the mansion.
YouZe led them to the secret locked room. It was lovely and airy with a cupboard of trophies and awards plus her violin collection.
Chao opened the cabinet and took out the million-dollar violin and gave it to Qianyi who tried to play it but couldn’t; she doesn’t know how to.
When Chao was leaving, Qianyi overheard him telling YouZe that his relationship with Qianyi was unhealthy. Youze does not love her, he was obsessed with her.
Anyway, Youze later got a call from Sun Lei telling him that their client had turned up. The client was expecting Qianyi to be the major talent in their Colour Gala but Youze had to explain the situation to the client.
While Youze was out, Qianyi sneaked out to go and speak to Chao.
Chao tried to take back everything he said. He was saying that he was stressed.
When Youze got home, he heard someone playing the violin.
Episode 3
It was Qi Fan who was playing the violin. Chao hired him as Qianyi’s teacher.
Qianyi was not pleased and told Qi Fan to go.
He then had a go with Qianyi for breaking the promise not to go out of the house.
Qianyi had had enough of Youze controlling ways, she threatened to leave but Youze grabbed her and pushed her against the counter where she found a knife.
She pointed the knife at him.
He apologised and told her that it was his fault.
He then explained that he could not bear losing her again like in the avalanche.
He promised to tell her everything when she dropped the knife.
He took her to the music room and told her that he was going out of his mind because of the stress and worry of losing his fiancee. She not remembering him was excruciating.
She understood and they made up. She requested that she wanted them to live like normal people and she hated the expensive takeout he gets.
So he made them noodles with a tahini sauce which she did not know she was allergic to. She was allergic to sesame.
You Xi, Youze’s young sister came home from abroad.
Qianyi got another lavender in her bathroom. She rushed outside looking for the one who had been chucking a sprig of lavender in her bathroom window but she collapsed with anaphylactic shock.
She was rescued by a jogger who happened to be a doctor.
When she quizzed Dr Yu Hang later who brought her in, Dr Yu Hang denied knowing anything about it.
Getting more intriguing.
Episode 4
What is going on?!!!
The doctor did not know her previously.
She confessed to him about her condition that 6 months ago she had an accident in Japan which caused her to have amnesia.
He told her that if she gets into trouble he will help her.
Meanwhile, Youxi was a bit wary and rather unfriendly towards Qianyi but they sort of made up after Qianyi asked her how different she was from before.
Youxi was very vocal about what she thought of Qianyi. She said that she thought Qiangyi was very uppity, rather fake.
They further bonded when Youxi saw Qi Fan. She was crushing on him, she followed him later and saw him in the coffee shop looking very upset.
Meanwhile, Qianyi went to the music room and found that there was a hidden camera hidden in one of the sockets.
That night she went back to the music room because she was curious about the locked set of drawers.
She put a cup in front of the camera and proceeded to open the drawer where she found an external hard drive.
She hid the curtains when Youzhe came in drunk and rather emotional.
He was talking to her photo, apologising and saying he should have not pushed her.
Episode 5
Youzhe told Chao to terminate his contract with Qianyi.
Qianyi found out about this and it made her more curious about her past when she saw videos of her playing the violin in a club.
While out and about, she ran into Dr Yu Hang. She asked him if he knew the place in the photo.
He gave a location where to search.
She found the bar and learned as well that Qi Fan was her boyfriend.
There is more information about what happened in Japan.
Qianyi found out that Youzhe knew that she was still seeing Qi Fan because he had her followed. She asked him to break up in that snowy mountain but Youze said he will not allow it.
Qianyi was so upset by Youzhe who was raving mad again, she escaped to the window but he followed her in his car.
When he got to her, she stabbed him with a broken bottle, the same scene as the start of the drama.
Episode 6
Youzhe was bleeding in the rain. He asked Qianyi if they are now ok now, she’s got her revenge.
Dr Yu arrived as he was texted by Qianyi.
When they got to the hospital, he was operated. Sun Lei and Yun Xi and asked what happened.
Qianyi said that she hurt him,
Sun Lei was going to call the police but Youzhe woke up and told him not to. Though Qianyi stayed in the hospital she would not go near Youzhe,
Qianyi went to Qi Fan and found out more things about her, Qi Fan and Youzhe.
Qi Fan said that they were dating but the moment she knew Youzhe they were history.
She realised that she has more chemistry with Youzhe than with Qi Fan who was the Lavender boy.
Episode 7
When Youzhe got better and came back from the hospital, he had a serious talk with Qianyi.
He told him that he had been so wrong towards her. He more or less gave her her freedom. He said that if she wanted to reconcile with Qi Fan, she can or if she just wanted to leave then he can.
But she actually thought that Youzhe was hot so she was staying put and trying to make the situation between her and him and Yunxi as well better.
Meanwhile, she has become firm friends with Dr Yu who became so curious when she said that she feels like she was living another life.
He asked another doctor in the hospital about amnesia. He was told that even if you have amnesia you don’t necessarily forget your tool of the trade if you have practised it for long like playing the violin. The exception was if that part of the brain was injured then…
Dr Yu called Japan about Qianyi and was told that she did not have that kind of brain damage.
Episode 8
More and more are thinking that Qianyi was not quite Qianyi.
Qianyi inadvertently agreed to attend the Colour Gala.
Everyone was worried but as such, they prepared as much as they can.
She is getting closer to Youzhe.
Episode 9
She did well during the gala but still it did not end well because she overheard a man saying that she was a loose woman and that she would sleep with anyone.
She went to the toilet and proceeded to beat the one spreading the rumour.
Youzhe turned up and beat up someone taking photos.
He then grabbed Qianyi and left together.
Dr Yu is not leaving any stone unturned in finding out what was the matter with Qianyi and the nature of her amnesia.
Episode 10
Qianyi met up with Dr Yu who pulled strands of hair from her for DNA testing.
The result was that she was Luo Qianyi. It was a match.
Qianyi told Dr Yu she was glad she was really Qianyi.
Dr Yu asked her if she would let go of the other questions in her mind.
Episode 11
Despite having a better relationship with Qianyi, Youzhe continues to be sad and introspective. He was also asking the Japanese Authority if there were any more news of the avalanche about recovered bodies or survivor.
Hmmp Does it mean there real Qianyi was missing?
Does You zhe loved Qianyi obsessively that he had cloned or rather had someone have a massive plastic surgery to make her look like Qianyi?
Episode 12
Qianyi was beginning to be convinced that she was not Qianyi because of her flashing memories that do not corresponds to what she has been told by people who knew the real Qianyi including Youzhe and Qi Fan.
She noticed that her phone was bugged and that Youzhe knew everywhere she goes to so she threw her phone away and went to Dr Yu.
Qianyu told Yu Hang that she was not Qianyi because the other Qianyi was not known to be allergic to sesame, etc.
Dr Yu took her immediately to a dentist friend who surprisingly found the old Qianyi’s medical records which was different from present Qianyi.
Youze was very worried that Qianyi did not come home. Yunxi was already worrying and so was Sun Lei.
And then strolled Qianyi who told them that she had remembered everything.
When she was alone with Youzhe, she more or less told him that she was not the real Qianyi but she said she will never leave him and that she loves him. She tried to kiss him but it repelled Youzhe.