Hidden Love

Heart Sizzling Romance that will hit all your feels

This is a 2023 Chinese romantic drama with 25, 45 minute episodes. It is adapted from the web novel entitled “Secretly. Secretly but unable to hide it”.

First I will provide an original synopsis then review

Synopsis

Sang Zhi (Zhao Lu Si) is your typical younger sister who engages in all the standard sibling rivalry but acually looks up to and relies on her older brother a lot. Her older brother, Sang Yan (Victor Ma) brings his best friend, Duan Jia Xu (Chen Zhe Yuan) over a lot to hang out and play video games. The spirited Sang Zhi is immediately drawn to the kind and more tolerant than her big brother, Jian Xu. She asks him to help her with some trouble she is having at school and that sets the stage for a relationship of quasi sibling hood that develops between the two. He becomes like her second brother but the good brother who never torments her. Amd she is like the mischievous amd charming little sister he never had. After all she is five years his junior and a kid still in school while he is in college. As the years go by and their relationship deepens, Sang Zhi is the first to realize the feelings she has are not at all sisterly. As things develop you realize the spark was always there and these two, who have hidden their feelings from long, even from themselves, are unable to force an ending only because of their beginning.

Review

Overall it is one of the best romantic comedy dramas I have ever watched and I am currently at over 270 Asian dramas, mostly romance, watched. There is a reason the majority of reviews are overwhelmingly positive. If you like coming of age, age gap, she falls first but then he falls harder, romances this one is perfect for all of that. If you like a lot of intrigue and plot twists then this may not be as much your ideal. The chemistry between the two leads is so on point it would be easy to understand them dating in real life. Both actors are amazing and you really feel every emotion they go through.
Spoilers*
I read several reviews where people were worried that Zhao Lu Si might be in a role where she suffers as a character, that is how much people like this actress. So for those that worry about that it is not like that. She does have some scenes where she is heart broken but they more than make up for it later. So your favorite actress is not going to be in some Nicholas Sparks like Greek tragedy. It is very heart warming and she plays the role spectacularly as I am sure, if you are a fan, you would expect.
I did not feel like the age gap was large at all. I did wonder how they would transition from their brother/sister like relationship to a romantic one but it actually made sense. It was like he also had hidden feelings for her way earlier than he even admitted to himself. They were very soul mate like so it is not at all hard to envision them gravitating toward each other. Once the brother got over the fact that his best friend was attracted to his little sister it seemed he picked up on just how perfect they were for each other. This was apparent when the brother actually stuck up for them a bit with the parents by going with Jia Xu and nodding his approval in the background.
Personally I identified with the sibling relationship between the brother and sister. My brother is 5 years older than me and our relationship was much like theirs. I did date one of his friends and he dated several of my friends (I called him the friendship killer). The difference was he actually trusted his friends to date me more than someone he didn’t know. He really should not have because his friend was one of the worst people I ever dated and I only dated just that one of his friends. So I could see where it could go either way. Of course I did not date his best friend, the one he trusted acting on his behalf, I dated just a regular one of his friends. It may have been different, and my brother may have felt betrayed more, if it was his best friend. But, because my situation was very similar I could really relate to that sibling relationship and I am sure others would as well. It was a very nice part of the series to explore that relationship.
I did not get the age gap thing being an issue once she was an adult. Five years is not a huge age gap it is within most normal ranges. The girl that played the younger Sang Xi (Zhang Xi Wei) did a fabulous job but did not look 14, she looked much younger. So, it did make the age gap seem a lot larger in their younger years. They did a remarkable job with Zhao Lu Si making her look younger than her actual years by just changing her hairstyle and makeup.
There were no compelling 2nd or 3rd romances and the love triangle was not that persistent. But the romance between the lead characters was so intense none of that was needed. It would have been nice to see the brother with someone and they did drop a hint about something when he knew so much about birthing centers and that never bore out.
I think the second most heart warming and interesting relationship was between the brother and sister. He called her “Little Demon” which was so cute as it reflected that kind of playful rivalry siblings can have for the parent’s affection. She was your typical little sister and he was very much within how most older brothers are. It also reflected what I understand about the shifting view of daughters in China. There were so few females at one point because of the one child policy and favoring boys during those times that daughters actually became precious once the policy opened up. There was a part where she was having a really hard time on her internship and she just wanted her brother. But, it showed he was accepting her relationship and even embracing it when he said you have Jia Xu.
I loved what a warrior to his defense she became when anyone was “bullying” Jia Xu. He had such a hard life because of the horrible incident surrounding his father that I wanted nothing but happiness for him. When the crazy daughter of the man who was hit and killed by Jia Xu’s father threw water at him and she, without hesitation, turned and threw water right back at her I cheered. I also loved that she made it clear to him that she did not all feel the sins of the father were his own. She even was willing to combat her brother when he beat him up. I was a bit angry with her brother for doing that as well and was disappointed when they seemed to lie about him hitting him back. The cut away scene when they showed that he actually did hit him back was a perfect way to wrap that up. I was glad he did not lie to her even to protect her brother.
In other dramas I have been disappointed when the lead would be made to distance themselves because the parents did not approve so I loved that she even took her parents on for him by leaving early when their harsh words drove him away. In really good relationships, the significant other is the first person you can count on being on your side and having your back. The depth of their relationship and connection was apparent in the fact that you could see they were hurt too when the other one was hurt either physically or mentally.
There was a separation, but it made complete sense. He was going back to her hometown to set things up for their future. And neither of them were okay with it but went through it as they knew it was the best in the long run. The scene at the airport where she wanted every last second with him and he indulged her because he actually wanted it too was so cute. I loved that they did not follow the tired trope of I must go away and I am just okay abandoning you in the middle of a deep relationship. And the reason the person is going away is usually inane and you feel like yeah I get you want to do that but why do you insist on doing it now. Or can’t you just do that with the person you love? This wasn’t like that. His going was actually because he knew how important her relationship with her family was to her and there was no reason he couldn’t resettle there as he no longer had a family tying him to his hometown. He also was taking steps to make their financial future more secure. And he wanted to make her parents more comfortable with his ability to provide and take care of her. So all of the reasons he had were good ones.
The proposal scene was just beautiful. I was fully tricked by his surprise as well. It was really sweet and seeing her family there just beaming about it was very heart warming. It was clear that they fully accepted it and that he was now going to be a part of that loving family.

#HiddenLove
#ZhaoLuSi
#VictorMa
#ChenZheYuan

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Hearts in Harmony: The Tale of Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu

This story is about love in its many forms. It's about the love between Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu. Their loving and pure relationship didn't happen immediately; both heroes had to go through a lot to find their way to each other. Then there's the unique love between a brother and sister. Although the siblings tease each other, they support one another, and brother Shang Zi would do anything to protect his little sister. There's also the love between children and their parents, where in this case, the whole family functions very harmoniously and respects each other. In this love story, of course, there are many challenges that the protagonists must go through. The main heroine transitions from a little girl into a woman and becomes a great support for her Duan Jia Xu. Raised in a harmonious environment, she becomes his protector, support, and other half when she encounters the hardships faced by her boyfriend. These fragments are always very touching, and her sincerity and purity often bring tears. However, there are also very comedic moments, as is typical for actress Zhao Lusi, and these are precisely the parts that I can watch over and over again. Like when Sang Zhi is carried on the back to her dormitory, or many funny moments with her brother.

For me, it's one of the nicest modern Chinese dramas, which never has a dull moment and, at least for me, is one you'll return to from time to time.

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Must watch due to Actors and director

This is a simple story of a girls crush on a boy. What makes it great is the actors and directors magic.
ML- his acting was simply superb. He can portray every emotion on this face and communicate through eyes without saying a word. He made emotional scenes look real and surreal.
FL- she’s well known for her acting skills in the roles she’s done. Whether it’s long ballad or who rules world can display varied emotions on her face. Her high schools girl to college transformation was classy.
Director- has made story heart warming and the transitions are smooth during the times of their childhood to adulthood.

Only thing I missed is both FL and ML were good at showcasing the emotions when they looked at each other. The way it’s said a kiss can tell hundreds of things but theirs was lacklustre one. It lacked passion and was cold when it came in last three episodes. Their chemistry was cool but kisses showed lack of passion.
It’s not the case for ZL if you watch who rules world or love like galaxy.

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It was all I ever wanted from a romance plot

I'm not a big fan of C drama or K drama. I have watched only a few of them during my 6years of following TV shows. So, I almost don't know any Korean or Chinese actors/actresses by name. I'm telling this to make it clear I didn't like “Hidden Love” this much because I'm a fangirl of the cast members or whatever (as some people may assume).
I watched this 2 months ago on my 18th birthday completely by accident. I wanted to cheer myself up on this so called “big day”, and it was recommended on some app, so I started watching it with the expectation of a very ordinary romantic series which is fun for one day or two, and will be forgotten the next week with lots of cliché. HOWEVER, I can tell without a doubt it was one my best experience of watching a series or a movie. It was all I ever wanted from a romance plot. This series is literally a proof that a romance can be engaging and lovable without any stupid unnecessary drama which are only in the story to waste time because the writers don’t have any better ideas. It was pure joy for me.
The plot is pretty simple and not new, but the way it is processed, is absolutely a breath of fresh air.
Although including some cliché, the series broke a lot of norms in romance plots and can be called subversive; The story didn’t include a love triangle; It didn’t have an evil character who would destroy the main leads’ relationship; It didn’t have a bad boy ML who is arrogant about other people’s feelings and depressed and half naked all the time. It didn’t break up the main couple over stupid BS which are unrealistic as hell; It didn’t have unnecessary filler plot only to kill time and have more episodes.
We have a teenage girl, SANGZHI, who’s got a crush on his brother’s friend; she makes every excuse to be around this young man. She does some very stupid things like going to another city all by herself with made up excuse to see him, but at the end she is very realistic about the fact that she can’t be with him and keeps all of her feelings to herself for years (such a big burden for a girl at that age) and moves on which shows her growth despite how hard it can be. When she is actually close to her dream, she acts very mature and careful. quite Opposite from some other female leads, she understands that the male lead can’t be at her service 24/7 (referring to episode 16); instead of nagging or breaking up, she asks about his feelings, make sure if he’s ok, and tries to make him happy and secure.
And there’s our male lead, JIAXU (definitely my new fictional crush lol), who has gone through the worst; He was shammed by everyone for his father’s action; He had to watch his mother slowly dying; He was forced to pay debts at a very young age; but this didn’t turn him to an asshole/bad boy. Instead, it made him more responsible. He is very respectful; He cares about people; He loves to help others. When he becomes sure of his feelings about SANGZHI, He doesn’t hesitate to confess his love for her. And we can’t talk about him without mentioning his flirting ability. It is in another level. Never seen a character being this flirty and respectful at the same time. I know it’s a little cringe, but I want to gush over his appearance for hours. I mean just look at him (SANZHI, sister, you had every right to have a crush on him). His physical look really blesses the eye.
And I adored ML’s performance. His eyes are very expressive. He is surely talented, so is SANGZHI’s actress.
SANZHI and JIAXU as a couple, are definitely one of the best in all kinds of medium I have seen. Their chemistry is out of this world, thanks to the main leads’ acting. The way JIAXU’s actor plays with his eyes and looks at SANGZHI is just amazing (made me want to pause the series and just look at his eyes for minutes). The way they position their bodies shows a deep intimacy and very natural affection. These two will give you gallons butterflies every episode.
Everything about this show, from plot simplicity to actors’ performances and chemistries, really made my 2023 summer. I will remember the time I spent watching it as a memorable birthday “gift”. I will definitely come back to it every once in a while.

P.S. sorry for the bad English. It’s not my first language.

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It is a nice slow romance. Loved it all!

I loved this drama. It was light and fluffy and perfect for me. It had a bit of drama in it but not to the point I wanted to stop watching it. Everything was resolved perfectly and not in a huge drug out dramatic way… thank goodness. If you are looking for a good romance… This is it!

Storyline - very predictable but I honestly LOVE this drama. It was well written and well done! It flowed great and the ending… thank you writers for giving me a happy satisfying ending! I loved how the FL protected the ML. She was bold and did not back down. She was no push over and I loved that! I loved that there was no stupid breakup and everything was resolved in an adult manner. ML’s life was sad due to his fathers mistake and not wanting to own up to it. I loved that the wife and son would not allow him to run from it. Too bad he (the father) took the chickens way out and left his huge burden and failure for his wife and son to shoulder. I hated the way the girl made him feel the guilt of what his father had done all those years. She was a manipulative little brat that needed psychiatric help! I loved how the FL told her friend that if she really cared about her friend then get her some mental help. She so needed it!

Acting/Cast - first off the ML…He was perfect for this role (and really cute. Lol)! I loved how he showed the emotions and everything. I have a new actor to watch more of…I hope! As for the FL, Zhao Lu Si, she is one of my all time favorites to watch! When I saw the advertisement for this drama I knew it would be a favorite of mine! And I was not disappointed! She is amazing!

Music - loved it all! Hope to find the OST but I am finding that they are hard to come by in the states. But I will keep hoping they will release it here.

Rewatch - YES! Most definitely 💯!

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The best modern cdrama ?

Their chemistry is to die for 😭 I hope that they will do an another cdrama together (and that they will end up dating🤭)
I have almost seen all of Zhao Lusi's dramas and she does not disappoint. Chen Zheyuan is also an amazing actor with a promising career and I really hope that they will collaborate in an another drama!

I just love how the characters cared for each other and how they resolved misunderstanding's almost immediately. I have smiled throughout all episodes like an idiot and this drama is totally worth your time and patience! I guarantee you that.

The OST is also to die for, especially two of them where the FML sings. I will most definitely rewatch this drama in a couple of years and get reminded of one of the happiest time of my life - which is when I watch this drama 🥰

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