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Red绒花 is another masterpiece by Zhao Baogang, following "Never Close Eyes" and "Like Mist, Like Rain, and Like Wind." This pioneering emotional drama was planned and acted in by renowned director Zhao Baogang. It's also a television work showcasing the acting talent of supermodel Chu Ying. The series reveals the intricate and bizarre realities of the entertainment industry while narrating the touching and tear-jerking emotional stories of several generations that leave much unsaid.
The jealousy fire burns fiercely; at this point, Ye Lingmei has already lost her mind. Thinking about Ji Wei's nude photos being published to an extreme degree, she can't help but laugh. Ji Wei, Ye Lingmei, and Song Gang are three close childhood friends who all entered the entertainment industry after graduating from the Film Academy. Famous Beijing director Wu Fan decided to cast Ji Wei as the lead actress in his new play, relegating Ye Lingmei to a supporting role, which strains their relationship.
To achieve her goals, Ye Lingmei goes so far as to seduce Wu Fan's son, Wu Ke, but he remains unmoved. In a desperate move, Ye Lingmei hires someone to rape Ji Wei and takes nude photos. Ji Wei's acting career plummets, Song Gang accidentally injures the perpetrator out of anger and is imprisoned. While waiting for Song Gang's release and marriage, Ji Wei is informed by a doctor friend that they might be siblings. Feeling utterly hopeless, Ji Wei grabs a bottle of sulfuric acid and rushes out of her home.
In a coastal city of moderate size, high school girl Ji Wei learns that a film crew is shooting a movie on campus. Her classmate Ye Lingmei plans to take the entrance exam for the Film Academy, so Ji Wei encourages her to visit the filming site. There, she meets director Geng Lin, a teacher at the Film Academy. Wu Fan is dissatisfied with the actresses' performances, so Geng Lin introduces Ye Lingmei to him, but Wu Fan instead takes a liking to Ji Wei. Ji Wei has a boyfriend named Song Gang, whose presence increasingly draws the attention of Ji Wei's mother, Yin Qiulan. After investigating his background, she begins to interfere with their relationship.
Ji Wei starts acting and gets acquainted with Geng Lin, Wu Fan, and Wu Fan's son Wu Ke, who has no fixed occupation and often spends time on set, showing interest in Ji Wei. Ye Lingmei also likes Song Gang and wants to act more than Ji Wei, but the opportunity goes to Ji Wei, creating a rift between them. Song Gang's father, Song Baoyi, is a regular worker, while Ji Wei's mother is a biology expert. Ji Wei's father, Ji Hanzhang, was labeled a spy during the Cultural Revolution and sent to the countryside where he became seriously ill. At that time, Song Baoyi risked punishment to save Ji Hanzhang's life. Yin Qiulan developed feelings for Song Baoyi, leading to an impulsive conception of Ji Wei. Both regretted the incident deeply afterward. Ji Wei knows none of this, only that her parents divorced, and her father took her brother abroad.
After failing the Film Academy entrance exam, Ye Lingmei returns to the small city. Song Gang's mother strongly promotes his romance with Ye Lingmei, leaving Ji Wei in pain. Among Song Gang's acquaintances is a rogue named Liu Zi, who defiles the innocent Ji Wei. To avenge Ji Wei, Song Gang severely beats Liu Zi and ends up in prison. After being victimized, Ji Wei's relationship with her mother becomes strained, and with her lover self-surrendering to prison, she decides to go solo to Beijing.
In Beijing, Ji Wei experiences an unpleasant period of homelessness until she fortuitously meets Wu Ke. Wu Ke and Geng Lin introduce her to the Film Academy's training program. Ji Wei studies very diligently, and her appearance sows the seeds of divorce between Geng Lin and his wife, who lack emotional connection. Wu Ke frequently meets Ji Wei at Geng Lin's house and develops romantic feelings for her. After being released from prison, Song Gang goes to Beijing to see Ji Wei. His parents fail to dissuade him and reveal the truth. In Beijing, Song Gang proposes breaking off their relationship without revealing the reason. Meanwhile, Wu Ke continues pursuing Ji Wei. Ye Lingmei, unsuccessful in her second attempt at the Film Academy, seeks Ji Wei's help to start her acting career.
Under Wu Ke's persistent pursuit, Ji Wei accepts him. Ji Wei is serious about both art and life and resolves to love Wu Ke wholeheartedly. Song Gang helps Ji Wei like an older brother and reminds her not to disclose her past humiliation. Yin Qiulan's son, Ji Xiaolin, returns from the United States to Beijing, primarily to find his mother and sister. He hopes for a family reunion someday, yet his father still resents his wife's betrayal. Li Tong, Geng Lin's wife, meets Ji Xiaolin and breaks up with Geng Lin before going abroad through Ji Xiaolin's connections. Urged by his son, Ji Hanzhang finally returns to China, reuniting the family but not recognizing each other.
Wu Ke loves Ji Wei but clashes with her personality-wise, whereas Ye Lingmei is a playful and carefree girl, making them quite compatible. When Song Gang's father falls critically ill and passes away, he requests to meet Ji's father and sincerely apologizes before dying. The long-standing conflict between the Ji and Song families is finally resolved. However, at this moment, Ye Lingmei tells Wu Ke about Ji Wei's past humiliation, causing him great distress and deep emotional wounds.
