Available co-exclusively on Viki, Tencent’s most recent hit C-drama, “Love’s Ambition,” has arrived, and it is captivating every drama enthusiast out there! Starring Zhao Lu Si and William Chan, this show depicts a modern romantic story, but with an interesting and unconventional twist that not only questions human relationships, but also the boundaries between right and wrong. They say all’s fair in love, but how much would you sacrifice to get it? And once you have it in your hands, will it be worth it?
If you are wondering what is making everybody go crazy over this story, here are some reasons why you shouldn’t miss it for the world!
Warning: spoilers ahead!
1. The intriguing and edgy story
In a highly competitive world, everyone is in a constant battle for money, power, or love. Xu Yan (Zhao Lu Si), a young, beautiful, and ambitious woman, is not that different from others. She may not come from riches, but she has never lacked in talent and ability and has worked very hard to achieve her dream of becoming a news anchorwoman. On the other hand, her fiancé, Shen Hao Ming (William Chan), is everything Xu Yan has ever dreamed of: handsome, rich, and head-over-heels in love with her. However, when she meets his family for the first time, her poor background becomes a liability for her right away.
So far, this resembles a typical modern Cinderella story where the poor girl gets to marry the rich man and live happily ever after. But how exactly did the princess enter the castle in the first place? She lied! And that’s exactly what Xu Yan does to convince her future mother-in-law, Yu Lan (Wen Zheng Rong), that she is worthy of being with Hao Ming. They want rich, cultured in-laws? She can make that happen. Hiring some extras and carefully crafting a web of lies, she transforms her pitiful family into an average upper-class household. Lie after lie, she builds a persona around the image of the ideal wife that both Hao Ming and his family want. Not without difficulty, as it seems that with every step she takes, there’s a new threat to get exposed.
Nonetheless, the fairy tale can only last so long, and soon enough, Xu Yan discovers that Hao Ming isn’t exactly the man she thought he was, nor is his love as honest as she expected. On the contrary, he has been scheming from the beginning to use her in his favor, turning a blind eye to her lies and even helping her to hide her true background. But when a scheming woman meets a cunning man, things are bound to become a little messy. Once her house of cards crumbles, she begins to question every decision in her life. However, Hao Ming isn’t that willing to let go of his control over her. It becomes a fierce fight between the mind and the heart. In an intricate, thrilling, and emotional story, they take us on a journey where they have to face the consequences of their actions and rebuild their lives, with or without each other.
2. The characters’ complexity
With a story this tangled up, it is only natural that its characters would be equally complex and intense. Deceiving others may seem easy, but living while trying to deceive herself is the hardest part for Xu Yan. Being overlooked and neglected since birth, she knows very little about what unconditional love is. Although her grandmother and older sister, Qiao Lin (Wan Peng), have given her all their support and care, they could never heal the lifetime of wounds her parents have inflicted upon her. From abandoning her at an early age to denying her the right to a higher education, the grievances are too many to count. And yet, she has found the strength to overcome her difficulties, even if she has had to cheat a little to make it.
What nobody understands about Yan is that even when she fakes her family, she has never been cynical or ill-intended about it. On the contrary, she has always been conscious of her circumstances. By inventing a different life story, she has been able to protect herself from people’s discrimination and mistreatment. Although it is ultimately her decision not to be honest, it is mostly out of her wish to love and be loved. And nobody can deny her underlying sincerity. Whether it is to help Hao Ming in a business or for personal gain, she pours her heart into everything she does, winning everyone’s favor in the process. However, after a while, her guilt starts to eat her up, making it impossible for her to be fully happy.
Opposed to her, Hao Ming does pose as more calculative and manipulative. At first, he seems like a straightforward and noble person, but later on, he reveals his true colors. Being born with a silver spoon hasn’t stopped him from being ambitious and aiming to get even more power. That doesn’t make him someone evil, but having grown up in a place where everyone is trying to get a piece of you does mess up his perspective on people, turning him quite biased and contemptuous. In his mind, Yan is trying to use him as much as he is using her, leaving no place for true love in their relationship, only for mutual benefits.
As the story progresses, it is more and more clear how intentional Hao Ming is with his every move, driving Yan further away from him. Interestingly, once they take off their masks and show their true selves, that’s when their true relationship begins. With every episode, you can see their slow character development, which isn’t that easy to convey, given that they are deeply layered people. In the end, their journey of self-discovery and redemption will have you rooting for them more than anything!
3. An undeniable and exciting chemistry
It is rare to find a couple that can be so fundamentally wrong and, at the same time, right for each other. But from the very first moment, Xu Yan and Shen Hao Ming strike you with their steamy and brilliant chemistry. Whoever thought of casting Zhao Lu Si and William Chan for this show is pure genius. They can pull off the lovey-dovey scenes naturally, create a spiking tension, make you laugh with their crazy banter, and even showcase a cold and heartbreaking indifference with each other.
There’s a reason why Zhao Lu Si is called the queen of chemistry. Her sweet, sexy, and elegant aura complements perfectly the strong and domineering presence of William Chan, who is a powerhouse on his own. Both are well-balanced in their image and style, which gives off the vibe of couple goals at every moment. Even when they hate each other, they are doing it with great chemistry and charisma. In a sense, they are giving every trope there is: enemies to lovers, second chance lovers, lovers to strangers to lovers again. They can be anything they want.
4. The beautiful cinematography and ambience
Aside from the unique story and the marvelous acting, this show is a gift in itself for its brilliant camera work, soundtrack, and styling (fun fact: Zhao Lu Si took care of her own wardrobe and makeup for this drama). Every scene can be saved as a postcard or a landscape to decorate a room. The way the director captures the beauty of Zhao Lu Si not only does it justice, but also enhances it to a new level. William Chan’s masculinity and handsomeness is highlighted at every chance, making you swoon every time he is on screen.
The ambience that goes from the tranquility of a small village to the full energy of the city, the intimacy of Yan and Hao Ming’s place before, during, and after their marriage, or the lavish elegance of the Shen family’s household, everything can portray the personality of every character and the mood they want to convey. In short, this show is absolute cinema. Every piece has gathered at the right moment and place to create a well-deserved organic success, both domestically and internationally, that everyone can enjoy in their own accord.
If these reasons aren’t enough for you, then this is the moment to tune in and see for yourself why this C-drama is definitely the must-watch of the season!
Watch “Love’s Ambition” here:
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Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “Ms. Incognito,” “Love’s Ambition“
Plans to watch: “Mobius”
