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| Hidden Love Returns as Youth Romance Film in 2026 With New Cast and Yan Renzhong OST (Photo: Weibo) |
The youth romance film Hidden Love (偷偷藏不住) has officially locked in a summer 2026 cinema release, placing its premiere around June to August this year. Alongside the release announcement, the production team revealed the film’s youth-version theme song Cang Bu Zhu, performed by singer Yan Renzhong, instantly setting the tone for a soft, emotionally driven big-screen adaptation.
Adapted from the hugely popular web novel originally published on Jinjiang Literature City, Hidden Love is no stranger to massive attention.
The original story once ranked second overall on the platform and went on to rack up over 50 billion topic reads across multiple social platforms.
Its appeal lies in its quiet storytelling, focusing on emotions that feel familiar to anyone who has experienced youthful admiration and growing up alongside unspoken feelings.
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The film is directed by Zhang Yudi, a rising filmmaker previously recognised for her work on The Midsummer’s Voice. The screenplay is co-written by Zhao Yue, known for Go Brother!, together with Jiang Youyou, who reshaped the story specifically for a feature film format.
With three female creators at the helm, the project leans firmly into a gentle, observant perspective that highlights emotional growth rather than dramatic spectacle.
Released alongside the announcement, the theme song preview offers a delicate visual journey through Sang Zhi’s long-held feelings.
The clip captures small, everyday moments that quietly build into something powerful.
Sang Zhi is seen writing two dreams side by side in her diary: getting into Yi He University and Duan Jiaxu. She carefully keeps the milk bottle he once gave her, folds her feelings into paper stars, and pauses repeatedly over a familiar chat icon, typing and deleting words she never quite sends.
ℹ️ | #HiddenLove (#偷偷藏不住) ganhará uma versão para cinema.
— Drama Observer (@dramaobs) January 2, 2026
O filme será estrelado por #ZhuLuoning e #ZhouHaoqi, com previsão de lançamento para o verão chinês de 2026 (entre os meses de junho, julho e agosto). A versão cdrama é estrelada por #ZhaoLusi e #ChenZheyuan. pic.twitter.com/q14Ha9ARWz
These silent scenes paint a clear picture of how a hidden affection can slowly become the emotional centre of one’s youth.
One of the biggest talking points surrounding the film is its bold casting choice.
Hidden Love introduces a completely new lineup, with Zhu Luoning starring as Sang Zhi and Zhou Haoqi taking on the role of Duan Jiaxu.
The story follows Sang Zhi’s quiet admiration for Duan Jiaxu, who happens to be her older brother Sang Yan’s university roommate. Because of their age gap and circumstances, her feelings remain carefully tucked away, becoming the most private chapter of her teenage years.
As time moves forward, Sang Zhi grows into a confident young woman, and fate brings her back into Duan Jiaxu’s world.
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What was once a one-sided crush slowly shifts into something mutual, built on understanding rather than words.
The film focuses less on dramatic confession moments and more on emotional timing, showing how feelings mature naturally when two people finally meet at the right stage of life.
Many viewers will inevitably compare the film to the 2023 drama adaptation starring Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan, which sparked a major viewing craze at the time.
However, the movie takes a very different route. By introducing an entirely fresh cast, the production aims to offer audiences a renewed emotional experience rather than recreating familiar scenes. The unpolished, youthful energy of new faces is expected to better reflect the story’s slow-burn progression from distance to closeness.
Produced jointly by Wajijiwa and Dama Entertainment, with Wushuweimen Film Studio handling production, Hidden Love positions itself as a sincere, emotion-first youth romance designed specifically for the big screen.
Rather than chasing trends, the film leans into the quiet intensity of feelings that are often hardest to express.
Are you curious to see how a brand-new cast reinterprets this beloved story? Do you prefer fresh faces or familiar ones when it comes to adaptations?