Michelle Topham 
Chinese Title: 一梦如初 (Yī Mèng Rú Chū)
English Title: A Dream Like the True Love
Also Known As: Yi Meng Ru Chu
Genre: Historical, Romance
Episodes: 24
Director: Lu Tian
Plot Synopsis
A Dream Like the True Love follows Chen Pan’er (also referred to as Chen Bao Yin), a young woman from an impoverished rural family whose life takes a tragic turn when she’s nearly sacrificed to appease a river god. Escaping that fate, she adopts a new identity and becomes a servant to survive.
Meanwhile, Wen Su, the nobleman who once rescued her, falls on hard times and becomes the favored consort of the powerful Elder Princess. Reuniting under difficult circumstances, the two join forces to survive palace intrigue, resist corruption, and reclaim their dignity.
Along the way, their shared struggles draw them closer, turning admiration into love against the backdrop of injustice and social barriers.
Main Cast & Characters
- Liu Xu Wei as Wen Su
- Na Yi as Chen Baoyin / Chen Pan’er
- Qi Yi as Elder Princess
- Sheng Gang Shuai as Luo Teng
- Peng Si Qi as Chen Bao Zhu
- Pan Yun De as Father Wen
Production Details
Original Work:
Adapted from the web novel Yi Meng Ru Chu (一梦如初) by Xing Zhi (行之).
Production Company & Platform:
The series was produced for Tencent Video, where it premiered as a short-format historical romance.
Format:
This is a short-form series, with each episode running approximately 17 minutes, designed for quick yet engaging storytelling.
Episodes & Airing
- Total Episodes: 24
- Episode Length: 10 minutes each
- First Aired: June 24th, 2025
- Final Episode: July 4th, 2025
- Original Network: Tencent Video
The compact episode format helped the series tell a full, emotionally resonant story in a condensed run.
Where to Watch
China:
- Tencent Video — The original streaming platform that aired the series in 2025.
International Platforms:
- WeTV – international streaming.
Why It’s Worth Watching
- Short & Sweet: With bite-sized episodes, this series is perfect for quick binges that still deliver a complete emotional arc.
- Underdog Story: The drama explores class disparity and resilience, focusing on two protagonists defying fate and social barriers together.
- Palace intrigue: The mix of political scheme, identity reinvention, and romance offers layered historical storytelling.
- Character Growth: Both leads evolve significantly through adversity — a theme that resonates with fans of both historical and romance genres.
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