Not Your Mainstream Watch: Well Intended Love, an intriguing Chinese romance drama

While the world has been going gaga over the K-dramas for the past two years, one fine day I stumbled across a Chinese drama. And, oh boy, it opened a different world! Well-Intended Love was the first Chinese drama I saw and I couldn't wait to explore more of this world. Chinese dramas, like their Korean counterparts, rarely have second seasons, but this one does and is a good choice for beginners to get a feel of their dramas.

The first season revolves around a struggling actress Xia Lin (Wang Shuang), who is diagnosed with leukaemia and in order to survive, she needs a bone marrow transplant. Her search for a donor lands her in the arms (quite literally) of a young, handsome CEO, Ling Yi Zhou (Xu Kaicheng).

The two end up getting into a contract marriage, but like expected fall for each other later. But, the CEO has a secret — a secret that Xia stumbles upon — threatening to break them apart? Not just this, there's also a person trying to bring the CEO down by harming the love of his life... Where would the two lovebirds, who had just confessed their feelings, land at the end? The second season is a new story with the main cast reprising their roles — Xia Lin now is an established actress and Ling Yi Zhou is still the CEO.

To escape a scandal, the two end up getting married. But a blast from — this time Lin's — past is making their life hell. Well, I ain't giving spoilers, but it's worth your patience and time. The stories of both seasons, barring the main cast and a few from the supporting cast, have no relation, they can be watched independently. 

Where to watch: Netflix, Viki Rakuten