Dear Enemy (亲爱的仇敌)

When Friendship Turns Into a War of Wills

English Title: Dear Enemy
Original Title: 亲爱的仇敌 / Qin Ai De Chou Di
Genre: Metropolitan, Drama
Episodes: 24
Broadcast Network: Tencent
Broadcast Period: May 7, 2025

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Plot Synopsis

What happens when best friends turn into each other’s greatest rivals?

Dear Enemy explores the dark underside of female friendships and the quiet intensity of envy, pride, and ambition. Set in the bustling, competitive world of modern-day urban life, this Tencent drama paints a poignant picture of how success, marriage, and personal desires can transform once-close friends into bitter adversaries.

Luo Man and Chen Kaixi were once inseparable during their college years—laughing, dreaming, and leaning on each other through life’s struggles. But after graduation, the two drift apart and follow starkly different paths. Luo Man struggles to climb the ladder in the entertainment industry as a screenwriter. Chen Kaixi, meanwhile, marries into wealth and seemingly lives a life of luxury as a high-society housewife.

Ten years later, fate brings them face to face once more—but the warmth of friendship has long since cooled. What remains is a simmering competition where neither wants to see the other suffer… yet neither wants the other to thrive.

As Luo Man grapples with her stalled career and sees marriage as a shortcut to the life she’s always wanted, Chen Kaixi faces her own demons—trapped in a marriage that looks perfect on the outside but feels suffocating within.

Their unspoken rivalry intensifies with the arrival of the stunning and spirited Zhong Qingcheng, a younger woman who inadvertently becomes the axis on which both women’s lives begin to spin. Is she a threat, a pawn, or the catalyst for change?

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Main Cast & Characters

• Gao Ye as Luo Man
  A talented but frustrated screenwriter who’s tired of being second best. Luo Man craves both creative success and social status, and she’s willing to fight hard—whether in the workplace or in love. Gao Ye delivers a restrained, layered performance that captures ambition tinged with vulnerability.
• Michelle Chen as Chen Kaixi
  Once the golden girl of campus, now the poised yet emotionally distant wife of a successful man. Chen Kaixi seems to have everything, but as her perfect world crumbles, we see just how fragile her foundation really is.
• Wan Peng as Zhong Qingcheng
  A young woman caught in the crossfire of two powerful personalities. Beautiful, confident, and unpredictable, Qingcheng becomes a symbol of freedom—and temptation.
• Yuan Hong as Zhou Musun
  A key male figure whose past and present entanglements with the women influence the emotional battleground they’re navigating.
• Lu Fang Sheng as Chen Mian
  Chen Kaixi’s husband. Polished on the surface, complex underneath. His relationship with his wife becomes one of the show’s most intriguing storylines.
• Lu Dong Xu as Fang Chi
  A rising industry figure who becomes professionally and emotionally entangled in Luo Man’s ambitions.

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Why You Should Watch Dear Enemy

💄 A realistic take on female friendship and rivalry.
This isn’t your usual catfight drama. Dear Enemy explores the slow erosion of trust and love between friends as their paths diverge. The tension feels earned, not dramatized.

🏙️ Modern urban drama with bite.
From boardrooms to cocktail parties, from marriage counseling sessions to scriptwriting deadlines—this series reflects the quiet power plays of contemporary city life.

🎭 Strong female leads.
Both Gao Ye and Michelle Chen give standout performances, delivering powerful monologues and subtle expressions that show how women grapple with aging, ambition, and loneliness.

🧠 Psychological depth.
Beneath the designer clothes and glossy apartments lies a deep exploration of identity: Who are we when we’re not winning? Who are we when those closest to us succeed while we feel stuck?

💔 A story without easy answers.
There are no clear heroes or villains—just flawed people trying to navigate messy emotions and survive in a world that constantly measures them by external success.

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Viewer Ratings

⭐ 0.00 (Still awaiting audience reviews)
As a fresh release, Dear Enemy is still under the radar—but early viewers are already praising its mature storytelling and relatable characters. Watch this space for rising popularity.

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Behind the Scenes

• Original Author: Ni Yi Ning (倪一宁), from the novel Dear Enemy (亲爱的仇敌)
• Director: Huang Tian Ren
• Screenwriter: Bai Bang Ni
• Producers: Fang Fang, Li Xing
• Production Company: Xin Guang Pictures

Filmed in high-contrast, warm-toned visuals to match the emotional mood, Dear Enemy uses minimalist aesthetics and ambient music to great effect. The director takes a less-is-more approach, allowing dialogue and body language to do the heavy lifting.

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Final Thoughts

Dear Enemy is a slow-burn drama that rewards patient viewers with moments of emotional clarity, sharp social commentary, and character-driven tension. It’s not just a story about rivalry—it’s about longing, dissatisfaction, and the deep complexities that come with knowing someone too well.

If you’ve ever had a best friend who turned into a stranger—or a competitor—you’ll find Dear Enemy hauntingly familiar.

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💬 Have you watched Dear Enemy yet? Who do you relate to more—Luo Man or Chen Kaixi? Share your thoughts and favorite scenes in the comments below!