Under the Power's Ren Jialun Back in Wuxia in Love a Lifetime Opposite Zhang Huiwen

Love a Lifetime 慕白首 which was previously Revenge and Sacrifice in earlier posters and had a longer Chinese title 美人暮白首 finally announces its main cast with new posters of its two couple parings – Allen Ren Jialun with Zhang Huiwen and Li Yitong with Guo Haojun.

Filming for this drama has wrapped since early last year. I’m not really sure why it took so long to unveil the cast, but the timing couldn’t be better given lead actor Ren Jialun’s recent success with Tan Songyun in Under the Power. Under the Power felt like a cliched story in many ways but had so much charisma to give that I’m not at all surprised that it did well. With a trailer that’s barely over a minute, Love a Lifetime seems to bring some of the same appeal with several cutesy moments between leads Ren Jialun and Zhang Huiwen and a romance amidst a martial arts story.

Ren Jialun plays a complex character as a man with two identities. He appears happy-go-lucky when he is actually perceptive and has many burdens to bear. Zhang Huiwen’s leading lady sounds like the typical likeable heroine. She’s smart, mischievous and kind. To help her father Rong Jingfeng, she leaves home to search for a healing relic that has been missing for years. Things go south but she receives the help of a young man named Nalan Yue. Lan Yue has a second identity. Furthermore, their two families have a long-running feud.

If the previous title was Revenge and Sacrifice, I just hope it doesn’t turn too angsty. With promotions starting up over a year after filming, can we hope that this will air soon? I think I may have raved about Ren Jialun a little too much but before I go, a birthday shoutout to Ren Jialun who turned 31 today!

Update: The premiere date has been announced for Jun 18 on iQIYI and Youku! Coincidentally, it will air around the same time as Tan Songyun’s new drama The Eight. The cast also includes Lin Yuan, Shao Weitong, Zhang Yanyan and Lu Xingyu, Wu Jiani.