This post includes a brief plot summary and a review of the 2025 Chinese drama “Love’s Ambition”. Beware of spoilers.
Directed by Chen Chang, the modern romance drama stars Zhao Lusi as Xu Yan and William Chan as Shen Haoming.
Genre: Romance, Drama
To be honest, I’m not really a melodrama type of gal, but Zhao Lusi made me interested in watching “Love’s Ambition”. The first time I ever watched Zhao Lusi’s acting was in “Love Like the Galaxy”, and I fell in love with her acting. In the sea of emotionless actresses that Chinese dramaland is known for, Zhao Lusi stands out in the crowd.
Short Review: “Love’s Ambition” is an entertaining watch but lacks a certain sophistication that would have made it more memorable. Zhao Lusi does not disappoint and delivers a heartfelt performance as Xu Yan. Meanwhile, William Chan was able to match his co-star’s energy, creating the chemistry and tension needed in this drama.
“Love’s Ambition” tells the story of a woman who creates a seemingly perfect web of lies to marry a wealthy man.
Xu Yan is a smart and ambitious young woman, but life was never easy on her. Shortly after she was born, her parents “abandoned” her, leaving Xu Yan to the care of her paternal grandmother. Despite coming from a more humble background, Xu Yan is relentless when it comes to her dreams.
At the moment, Xu Yan is trying to move upwards in her career, from being a cooking show planner to a news anchor. However, Xu Yan lacks a couple of things: human resources (the right connections) and a prestigious background (rich parents).
But Xu Yan’s luck is about to change. One day, she meets Shen Haoming, a powerful businessman. And surprise, surprise, they fall in love. Things run smoothly for Xu Yan until she has to meet his parents. To get Haoming’s mother’s approval, she invents a whole new identity for herself and her parents.
Xu Yan succeeds and is able to marry Shen Haoming. But her “fairytale” doesn’t last long. Shortly after the marriage, Xu Yan finds out about Shen Haoming’s “dark secret”: he has a child, Shen Haochen, the kid she thought was her little brother-in-law.
At first, Xu Yan is hesitant to leave Shen Haoming. Being married to a wealthy man does come with certain benefits. But Xu Yan seems to genuinely love Shen Haoming, hence her hesitation to leave. Just when Xu Yan hit rock bottom in her relationship, Shen Haoming “uppercuts” her with another heartbreaking revelation: “He never loved her.”
Turns out, Shen Haoming was just using Xu Yan as a “tool”. He just wanted a pretty and capable wife to make him look good, essentially, to build his reputation. This was, of course, the nail in the coffin for their marriage. And inevitably the two drift away and initiate the process of getting a divorce.
Ironically, breaking up was what the couple needed to “get it together”. During their own self-discovery journeys, they find themselves and “fall in love” with each other again. This time is for real…
“Love’s Ambition” digs a bit deeper than your average rom-com drama. The love story is just a setup to unveil broader cultural issues and social problems in China.
One of the most obvious social problems is classism: discriminating against people based on their socioeconomic status. It’s not Xu Yan’s fault for having poor parents. Her talent and work ethic shouldn’t be overlooked because of something that she cannot control. Also, it’s this vicious system that prevents people from accumulating wealth, because it strips people of certain economic opportunities.
Seeing a job form where Xu Yan had to fill in their parents’ occupations was just disgusting to watch. Classism is a direct blow to meritocracy. And it can also hold back progress, because it’s not about choosing the best for the job but the ones who have the most connections. Personally, I don’t think it’s a recipe for success.
Xu Yan’s arc embodies the struggles of the underprivileged in China. She is educated and hard-working and yet, her workplace seems to cap her. To make matters worse, she is a woman in a society that doesn’t necessarily grant this gender a lot of freedom.
But Xu Yan is not a damsel in distress, and that is what makes her character remarkable. She is a young woman learning her self-worth beyond marriage and validation from others. Breaking up with Shen Haoming was also pretty symbolic. In a broader picture, it signals the rise of independent women who don’t want secondary characters in their own lives.
Both Xu Yan and Shen Haoming are flawed characters in their own way.
I think one of the most interesting aspects of “Love’s Ambition” is that both its leads are imperfect. They are both deceiving and manipulating at times, but for very different reasons.
Xu Yan can be manipulative, calculating and sometimes even deceptive. However, she is a woman who is a victim of her own circumstances. Our female lead lies not because she wants to, but because she feels she has no other choice. In other words, Xu Yan’s “ugly side” became her survival tactic against a merciless world for the underprivileged.
Ambition can be both a strength and a flaw. In Xu Yan’s case, she wants success, recognition and, most of all, independence. Her marriage to Shen Haoming was a nightmare disguised as a blessing. During that time, Xu Yan lost her identity and began to question her self-worth. On top of that, she was drowning in guilt because of the web of lies she created.
Meanwhile, Shen Haoming is a traditional man, confident and assertive. While he is super successful in his professional endeavours, his personal life suffers a bit because of his old-school masculinity, characterized by authority and control.
Shen Haoming is a man who can love deeply, but those feelings can only “exist” under his rules. On the surface, he is ambitious and arrogant, but behind those traits, there is a man who is afraid of losing status, power and ultimately, his own identity.
Xu Yan’s decision to leave revealed Shen Haoming’s most vulnerable side. We witness the man’s pride being hurt, because for the very first time in their relationship, Haoming feels that he has no control over it. In the second part, where he chases Xu Yan back, Haoming has to reevaluate his own notions of strength and dignity.
The relationship between the leads of “Love’s Ambition” is not sweet or easy. Both individuals have very strong personalities, and that is what makes them clash. However, what binds them, ironically, is that both are chasing the same thing — validation — just through different means.
In terms of execution, “Love’s Ambition” is competent but not exceptional.
Let’s talk about the visuals of the show first. The cinematography gets the job done, but it’s not beautiful nor mesmerizing.
The first part of the show (pre-divorce era) is a bit difficult to watch because it’s more emotionally heavy. Personally, I almost quit the show, because I wasn’t vibing with the contrived ambience and almost sinister aura of Xu Yan. But I’m glad I “stayed” because the second part of the show (post-divorce era) is so much better. It flows more smoothly.
Although “Love’s Ambition” has an interesting story, the plot itself is not consistent all the way through. For instance, the show doesn’t really explain how Xu Yan and her mother-in-law started getting along. It basically jumps them from being almost enemies to besties. Second, Shen Haoming’s arc is not the best. I don’t get how he went from being cold and controlling to falling head over heels for Xu Yan.
If you’re able to ignore these “small” details, then you’ll find the show more enjoyable. But overall, the show has a good pacing that keeps the viewers engaged.
Zhao Lusi and William Chan were able to bring Xu Yan and Shen Haoming to life and create a believable connection between them.
If you’ve been following Zhao Lusi’s work, you’ll know that Xu Yan is a departure from her usual bubbly and comedic roles. In “Love’s Ambition”, Zhao Lusi explores a side of her acting that is more raw and mature.
The reason why the audience won’t hate Xu Yan despite her manipulative nature is because of Zhao Lusi. She makes us empathize with a flawed character, because even if we don’t agree with her choices, we understand her motivations.
I wouldn’t say that Zhao Lusi as Xu Yan is her best character ever, but it’s definitely her most “mature” role. The actress was able to bring Xu Yan to life by portraying her as a flawed character but also showing the best side of her.
Meanwhile, William Chan is the perfect counterpart. The role needed someone older, with both charm and a commanding presence, and Chan fits the bill. Chinese dramas tend to cast young actors in domineering CEO roles, and personally, I think they should stop doing that. It just doesn’t work.
Instead of pretending that he is Shen Haoming, William Chan actually manages to make the audience believe that he is that guy.
The chemistry between Zhao Lusi and William Chan is not evident at first, but the second part of the show proves that they are a perfect pair. The two actors made Xu Yan and Shen Haoming’s reconciliation era extremely satisfying to watch.
Final Thoughts
“Love’s Ambition” is not the most unique or groundbreaking drama out there. However, if it was a marathon, it definitely made it to the end of the race decently. The first part was kind of “meh” for me. I thought the depiction of elite life was a bit childish. There were scenes where I found Zhao Lusi’s makeup and fashion choices just terrible.
But the second half redeems everything. Once Xu Yan and Shen Haoming part ways, the show truly finds its heart. Watching Xu Yan rediscover herself was extremely uplifting to watch. By the finale, you come away with a quiet sense of closure, not because everything is fixed, but because both characters have grown. They are now able to face themselves and each other with honesty.
And then there’s the soundtrack. I rarely comment on soundtracks, but Love’s Ambition OST is a banger. It’s filled with contemporary and soulful music — a delight for the ears. I almost never watch drama intros, but the opening track of “Love’s Ambition” became an exception. It’s bittersweet but addictingly good.
Overall, “Love’s Ambition” is a good watch, with some minor hiccups. It’s an emotionally satisfying journey. It’s hopeful, humorous. Most importantly, there is warmth in the storytelling, especially in the post-divorce era. It is almost therapeutic.
Final Rating: 🍎- (Good, but Has Flaws)
