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| Zhao Lusi Finally Explains Why Her Drama “Lovers” Was Put on Hold |
After the huge success of Love’s Ambition (许我耀眼) starring Zhao Lusi and William Chan, fans naturally started looking forward to her next project.
All eyes turned to Lovers (恋人) or Almost Lover, her much-anticipated drama with actor Peng Guanying.
But instead of following up her momentum, the project has now fallen into a cloud of uncertainty—with some even saying it might never air at all.
The Drama That Stopped Midway
Filming for Lovers kicked off in late 2023 under director Deng Ke but reportedly hit pause halfway through production.
Rumours of script trouble and management disputes surfaced months later, though nothing was confirmed at the time.
The situation only became clearer after Zhao Lusi addressed it herself in a livestream on the Red Note platform—recorded in August 2025 but recently re-uploaded by a Weibo user, quickly going viral among fans.
Zhao Lusi’s Candid Response
In the video, Zhao didn’t hold back when answering fan questions about Almost Lover.
“At first, I said it wasn’t finished, right? So of course it wouldn’t air! Then it was just cut, cut, and aired again. So if the story ends up not making sense, who will be blamed? The actors? Me again,” she said bluntly.
She went on to comment on the possible losses the team might face if the show is scrapped:
“If you have to take the loss, that’s fair. Because the loss I suffered this year is far greater. And none of this is my fault.”
Her tone made it clear she wasn’t happy about the situation—and fans quickly sensed that Almost Lover may not be making a comeback anytime soon.
@tonboriday 𝗭𝗵𝗮𝗼 𝗟𝘂𝘀𝗶 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 “𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀” 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝘁𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲’𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗺! #zhaolusi #lovesambition #lovers #almostlover #恋人 ♬ original sound - Tonboriday
The Alleged Script Chaos
Online chatter claims the script went through several rounds of rewrites during filming.
Zhao Lusi reportedly agreed to star after being invited three times by director Deng Ke, but when shooting began, the story allegedly shifted drastically—adding a few scenes that weren’t part of the original draft.
These so-called “last-minute creative changes” supposedly changed the tone of the drama and left the actress feeling uneasy about her role’s direction.
Some netizens believe that creative differences, combined with Zhao Lusi’s hectic schedule and health concerns, led to the break in production.
Back in December 2023, Zhao was rumoured to have been hospitalised due to exhaustion and emotional stress.
Although she’s previously opened up about her mental health struggles, neither Zhao Lusi nor her agency has commented on the Lovers situation since the livestream clip went viral.
New Contract Rumours
There’s also speculation about Zhao Lusi renegotiating her management deal with Tiger Whale Entertainment—the parent company of Youku, which produced Lovers.
Industry insiders hint that Tiger Whale is planning to create a dedicated team just for her following the massive success of Love’s Ambition.
However, there’s been no official confirmation on this front either, leaving fans to piece together fragments from online discussions.
Still a Star, Even Without “Almost Lover”
Despite all the uncertainty, Zhao Lusi’s career remains unstoppable.
Beyond acting, she’s been diving into music too.
Her two newest singles, Black Veil Bride and Don’t Wanna Know, are currently holding top spots on QQ Music’s charts—first and third, respectively—showing that her star power extends well beyond the screen.
As for Almost Lover, the question still hangs in the air: will it be reworked and released properly, or will it quietly vanish into production limbo? Whatever happens, Zhao Lusi’s status as one of China’s brightest talents isn’t in doubt. Even with one drama on hold, her momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
Source: Sohu/Weibo