Hidden Love (Chinese: 偷偷藏不住) is a 2023 Chinese television drama starring Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan. It is based on the Chinese novel Secretly, Secretly; But Unable to Hide It by Zhu Yi. The series aired on Youku from June 20 until July 6, 2023 and on Netflix, starting from June 29, 2023.[1][2][3]Hidden Love achieved popularity both domestically and overseas, receiving praise for its storyline and chemistry between the lead characters.
Synopsis
The series revolves around the life of Sang Zhi (Zhao Lusi), a young girl who develops a crush on Duan Jiaxu (Chen Zheyuan), who happens to be her older brother Sang Yan's (Victor Ma) bestfriend.[4] Despite the initial infatuation, their relationship takes a natural progression as time passes.[5] As the story unfolds, Sang Zhi's feelings for Duan Jiaxu deepen, transcending her initial crush and blossoming into genuine love.[6][7]
Nicknamed "Zhizhi". Sang Yan's younger sister and Duan Jiaxu's love interest. She likes drawing and eating crispy duck with taro paste. When she was in 8th grade, she mistook Duan Jiaxu for her brother for a moment. She then asked Duan Jiaxu to pose as her brother to go to see the teacher instead of her parents. The difference in age between the two is 5 years. Later, when Sang Zhi was in high school, she gradually fell in love with Duan Jiaxu. She misunderstood that Duan Jiaxu had a girlfriend, so she tried hard to forget him. She later went to Yihe for university and met Duan Jiaxu again, and they eventually became a couple.[8]
Sang Yan's college roommate and Sang Zhi's love interest. His dream was to become a video game designer. Because of his father's hospitalization, he started working part-time to earn money when he was a university student in Nanwu, Sang Yan and Sang Zhi's hometown. When Sang Zhi was in high school, he tutored her in physics. After graduating, he returned to Yihe to work and lost contact with Sang Zhi. Two years later, he reunited with Sang Zhi in Yihe, where she was attending university. As he grew closer to Sang Zhi, he slowly developed feelings for Sang Zhi.[9]
Sang Zhi's elder brother, with a sharp tongue and a tofu heart. He and Duan Jiaxu were college roommates and are close friends. He is supportive of Sang Zhi, though the two bicker often. He is five years older than Sang Zhi.[10]
People around Sang Zhi
Actor
Role
Introduction
Zeng Li
Li Ping
Sang Zhi and Sang Yan's mother.
Qiu Xinzhi
Sang Rong
Sang Zhi and Sang Yan's father.
Wei Xiao
Ning Wei
Sang Zhi's college roommate. A vlogger with a lively personality. Chen Qiang's girlfriend.
Qi Tianqing
Yu Xin
Sang Zhi's college roommate. A career oriented girl with gaming passion.
Wang Yilan
Wang Ruolan
Sang Zhi's college roommate. A conservative and not very confident girl who has a crush on Jiang Ming.
Gu Shuqi
Yin Zhenru
Sang Zhi's middle school and high school classmate. Later transferred to another school.
Zhang Jiongmin (young: Gao Lin Yu)
Fu Zhengchu
Sang Zhi's middle school and high school classmate. He liked Sang Zhi.
Lu Dongxu
Jiang Ming
A student in the Department of Physical Education. He liked Sang Zhi.
Song Peize
Chen Qiang
Jiang Ming's college classmate. Ning Wei's boyfriend.
Xu Shiyue
Shi Xiaoyu
Jiang Ying's friend. Sang Zhi's boss in internship company who mistook her for robbing Jiang Ying's boyfriend and disliked her everywhere.
People around Duan Jiaxu
Actor
Role
Introduction
Li Jia Wei
Xu Ruoshu
Duan Jiaxu's mother.
Wang Wei Hua
Duan Zhi Cheng
Duan Jiaxu's father. He's in coma after falling from terrace. He killed Jiang Ying's father in traffic accident after driving drunk.
Guan Zijing
Li Xun
Duan Jiaxu's colleague. Jiang Siyun's husband.
Wang Yang
Jiang Si Yun
Duan Jiaxu's boss.Li Xun's wife. Sang Zhi mistook her for Duan Jiaxu's girlfriend.
Zhang Haolun
Chen Junwen
Duan Jiaxu and Sang Yan's college roommate.
Hu Yuxuan
Qian Fei
Duan Jiaxu's college roommate. He was the first of the four roommates to get married.
Xu Shixin
Jiang Ying
Duan Jiaxu's high school classmate, whose father was killed in a traffic accident caused by Duan Jiaxu's father. She has an obsession with Duan Jiaxu. Over the years, she has troubled Duan Jiaxu persistently and was later warned and persuaded to stop bothering him. At one point, she even slandered Sang Zhi, falsely claiming she stole Duan Jiaxu from her
Others
Wang Yi Tian as Xiao Taimei
Chang Hai Bo as Chen Mingxu
Ji Hao as Jia Yang
Guo Zi Xin as Zhang Hui
Zhang Bo as Zhang Sen
Wang Sheng Yun as Wan Zhe
Original soundtrack
No.
Title
Singer
Length
1.
"I just want to hide you secretly" (opening theme)
Ayushi Agrawal of Pinkvilla wrote "the shows vibrant storyline, along with the well-crafted characters, undoubtedly played a pivotal role in the show's success, and it successfully delivered a romance narrative celebrated for its simplicity and relatability, gracefully navigating the age gap without causing discomfort".[11]India Today stated
"netizens are hooked on the mushy Chinese drama with positive reviews", adding: "It is on the trending list of shows in several countries and it seems certain that after the popularity of K-dramas, Chinese dramas are all set to become the next big thing".[12]
