Cherry Red

This film (drama)Also known as樱桃正红，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2005Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating7.1(For reference only)。

College student Meng Xing is set to pursue a master's degree abroad, but her father, who holds a high-ranking position, is suddenly taken in for questioning by the prosecution. Consequently, the family becomes distraught and deeply impacted by the event. Meng's father is detained on suspicion of bribery, the Meng family faces a search, and their assets are frozen, turning Meng Xing’s study abroad plans into a dream shattered. Meng's mother is overwhelmed with grief and falls seriously ill. Meng Xing asks her family friend Yuan Zheng to look into her father’s situation, but the news he brings back is grim. Meng Xing believes that it is people like Yuan Zheng who led her father down a path of no return, creating a rift between them. In order to pay for her mother's hospital bills, Meng Xing borrows money from her father’s friends but is met with humiliation, prompting her to resolve to become self-reliant. However, her lack of a diploma continues to hinder her job applications, forcing her to take up tutoring in the evenings. The evidence against her father is solid, and the prosecution has filed a public lawsuit. Her father's actions have undermined his position in the eyes of his two children. Meng Qi quietly tears up his college entrance application, feeling pessimistic and disappointed about his future. One night, on her way home, Meng Xing accidentally runs into Shi Yifei, and they develop a mutual affection. Yuan Zheng settles Meng's mother's medical bills and takes her home from the hospital. Meng Xing is shocked to learn that Meng Qi has given up on his chances for college, and in a fit of anger, she strikes him, leading the siblings to weep in each other’s arms. On the eve of her father's public trial, he suffers a heart attack and passes away, leaving the Meng family with a significant uncertainty. The Meng family moves to an old apartment building, where Meng's mother becomes increasingly upset, while Meng Qi often stays out late, leaving Meng Xing to silently endure and cope with the changes. Shi Yifei unintentionally discovers Meng Xing’s true identity and is taken aback, resolving to help the Meng family through their crisis. Meng Xing, suffering from a high fever, braves the rain to repay Yuan Zheng, allowing them to resolve their previous grievances, and Meng Xing promises to work at a company. Clothing entrepreneur Pan Daqing recognizes Shi Yifei's talent and continually persuades him to join his business, but Shi Yifei is dedicated to journalism and stays uninterested in commercial temptations. Meng Xing works diligently but faces exclusion from secretary Qi Xiaohui at the company. Yuan Zheng’s deputy Dong Senlin is engaged in a significant project, injecting substantial funds into the company. Meng Qi, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed by his mother's harshness, ultimately runs away from home. Cherry red, Shi Yifei and Meng Xing quickly fall in love, but Meng's mother targets Yuan Zheng, putting Meng Xing in a quandary. Meng Qi is trapped in a scheme and ends up with a huge debt, with creditors demanding payment. At a crucial moment, Yuan Zheng appears like a savior, and Meng Xing sheds tears of grievance in front of him for the first time. Yuan Zheng's deputy Dong Senlin fails in a project, putting the company in crisis. Yuan Zheng decisively fires all employees, including Meng Xing, while Qi Xiaohui vows to stand by Yuan Zheng through thick and thin. Meng Xing decides not to add to Yuan Zheng's burdens and seeks her own path. Xia Lengqing and Pan Daqing have a dispute when they cross paths but end up making a deal. After leaving the company, Meng Xing can't stop thinking about Yuan Zheng. Shi Yifei understands her worries and earns some money through Pan Daqing. Yuan Zheng, feeling complex emotions, accepts Meng Xing’s repayment, but when he learns that she is about to get married, he is engulfed in deep pain. Yuan Zheng gifts Meng Xing an heirloom jade carving as a wedding gift but drowns his sorrows in alcohol, collapsing in a bar and being dragged back by Qi Xiaohui. Qi Xiaohui facilitates Yuan Zheng's cooperation with the American side, turning his crisis into a safe situation. With no way to repay Yuan Zheng, he hastily marries Qi Xiaohui. Shi Yifei helps Meng Qi register a photography studio, and Meng Qi begins to regain confidence, wanting to make a significant impact. After the wedding, Meng Xing takes on all household responsibilities and also works as an English teacher at a private school. Shi Yifei frequently finds himself in trouble due to his reporting. Meanwhile, Yuan Zheng lives under the domineering and temperamental nature of Qi Xiaohui, and their marital relationship begins to deteriorate. Three years pass swiftly, and Meng Xing unexpectedly encounters Yuan Zheng. Seeing her still as pure as ever, Yuan Zheng is filled with nostalgia. After facing multiple setbacks at work, Shi Yifei considers changing jobs. Ignoring Meng Xing's objections, he resolutely joins Pan Daqing's company, while Xia Lengqing also turns her attention to the charismatic Shi Yifei. With the sharp instincts and connections of a reporter, Shi Yifei secures several major contracts, earning Pan Daqing's praise and trust, and impresses Xia Lengqing as well. Meng Xing watches as her husband changes drastically and becomes increasingly egotistical, leaving her worried, leading to escalating conflicts about their values. Classmate Yu Xiaoyu returns from the south with emotional scars, and Meng Xing eagerly helps her find a job, but Yu Xiaoyu chooses Meng Qi’s small photography studio. Qi Xiaohui soon realizes that Yuan Zheng still has feelings for Meng Xing, and to vent her frustration, she flies to the United States alone. After Pan Daqing releases a solo dance album with Xia Lengqing, they go on a trip together. Unfortunately, Pan Daqing's car encounters an accident, resulting in injuries and fatalities, and Xia Lengqing is severely injured. The company is taken over by the Pan family, and Shi Yifei leaves empty-handed. Xia Lengqing encourages Shi Yifei to start his own company and invests her savings in it. As they embark on their entrepreneurial journey, their passion ignites an affair, crossing ethical boundaries. Shi Yifei's betrayal of Meng Xing fills him with guilt, and he finally confesses everything about his relationship with Xia Lengqing to his wife and asks for her forgiveness. In a fit of anger, Meng Xing resolutely files for divorce. When Xia Lengqing hears that Shi Yifei and his wife are separated, she becomes more aggressive instead of regretting it. Yuan Zheng learns about Meng Xing's situation and confronts Shi Yifei, leading to a conflict between the two. Shi Yifei mistakenly believes that Yuan Zheng has an affair with Meng Xing and proposes a divorce. Qi Xiaohui also issues the final warning about their marriage to Yuan Zheng, while Meng Xing blames Yuan Zheng for raising his hand against Shi Yifei, putting Yuan Zheng in an awkward position. Meng Xing sorrowfully signs the divorce agreement. After the divorce, Shi Yifei feels unmoored; Xia Lengqing is about to leave for a Southeast Asia performance tour, and she proposes to hold a wedding before she leaves, but on their wedding night, Shi Yifei gets drunk. Meng Xing realizes that Shi Yifei will never return, so she moves out of the home they built together and stays with her mother. After Xia Lengqing goes abroad, Shi Yifei is struck by a truck while driving and answering a business call, losing consciousness and being rushed to the hospital. Meng Xing arrives at the hospital recklessly. Shi Yifei survives but is left with a spinal injury that may result in lifelong paralysis. To care for Shi Yifei in the hospital, Meng Xing gives up all her jobs and becomes haggard. After regaining consciousness, Shi Yifei feels deep gratitude and anxiety. Dong Senlin is exposed for failing to repay a huge debt, impacting Yuan Zheng, who is arrested by the authorities. Qi Xiaohui, in despair, takes her son and leaves this painful place. Yu Xiaoyu resigns from Meng Qi’s studio as she cannot accept a relationship with him, and Meng Qi, who is in love, can’t control his emotions and suddenly faints. At the hospital, Meng Qi discovers he has a brain tumor; the doctor suggests surgery, but the risks are immense, leading Meng Qi to despair, wanting to escape with his camera. To save Shi Yifei, Meng Xing has no choice but to pawn the jade Buddha Yuan Zheng gave her on their wedding day. She did not expect the jade to be an antique worth over a hundred thousand yuan, which solves her immediate financial crisis. After leaving Meng Qi, Yu Xiaoyu is not happy. She unconsciously goes to Meng Qi's photography studio, only to find it deserted. Unable to restrain herself, she goes after the departing Meng Qi, who finally gains the courage to confront his illness. He agrees to undergo surgery. However, the hospital states that Meng Qi's tumor is growing too fast and that surgery is no longer possible, causing their mother to desperately seek divine blessing. Shi Yifei regrets the mistakes he made. To avoid burdening Meng Xing and their daughter with a useless body, he decides to starve himself to death. Meng Xing, while scolding Shi Yifei, reveals Meng Qi's condition, making Shi Yifei uneasy, and he eventually agrees to eat; the food he requests is red cherries. The police capture Dong Senlin, and Yuan Zheng's case is clarified. Meng Qi knows his life is coming to an end; he tells his mother that he doesn’t want to lie in a hospital bed, wanting to use his precious time to see more of the world. Thus, he and Yu Xiaoyu embark on a journey together. By this time, Meng Xing is able to balance tutoring. She hires a masseur to give Shi Yifei daily massages and implements a planned exercise regimen. Qi Xiaohui officially divorces Yuan Zheng, transferring most of the company’s assets abroad, leaving Yuan Zheng with a shell company and their four-year-old son. Yuan Zheng, knowing that Meng Xing is caring for Shi Yifei, feels conflicted but still wants to help her out of financial struggles. Shi Yifei, with immense willpower and adherence to treatment, overcomes various hardships, miraculously showing signs of recovery. Shi Yifei sincerely hopes to rekindle his relationship with Meng Xing, but she firmly rejects him. At this time, Xia Lengqing sends word that she is returning to the country, forcing Shi Yifei to leave Meng Xing and their daughter to return home. After returning to the country, Xia Lengqing sees her husband looking healthy and radiant and is unable to believe the story of his return from the brink of death. She, influenced by Qi Xiaohui, sues Shi Yifei and Meng Xing for illegal cohabitation, deeply hurting Meng Xing. To protect Meng Xing's reputation and goodness, Yuan Zheng gathers evidence from various sources. His support provides Meng Xing with great comfort during her ordeal. Meng Xing discovers Yuan Zheng cherishes a photo of her, and feelings for him flow from her heart, leading them to embrace each other passionately for the first time. Meng Xing and Xia Lengqing prepare for a court showdown, but Meng Xing does not attend because Meng Qi’s condition worsens. She accompanies him on his final journey, and Meng Qi’s retina is successfully donated as he wished. Upon realizing her wrongful accusations are harming a good person, Xia Lengqing withdraws the lawsuit in court. Meng Xing's mother watches as her son regains his sight, feeling that life has been extended and hope has returned to her heart. Meng Xing and Yuan Zheng finally confront their emotions. Together, they establish a seedling kindergarten, and as music fills the air, Shi Yifei sends unexpected red cherries from the South to Meng Xing. Yuan Zheng understands that these cherries symbolize more than just love…