DramaFeedWhen We Pretended Not to Love
Synopsis
In an empire where the throne passes through a single bloodline and the empress's health is watched as closely as the harvest, Ava Sadler is told by her physician that she has six months left to live. She decides not to tell her husband, Emperor Ash Stanton, the truth, afraid that losing her outright would break him. Instead she starts pushing a woman named Cindy Moore, who arrived in the palace from another time, into his path, arranging for the two of them to be seated together at court dinners and sent on the same errands. She grows cold toward Ash on purpose, cancels their evening walks, answers his letters in a few lines, tells him plainly to spend more time with Cindy. Ash has loved her since before he took the throne, and within days he notices the change and works out what she is doing. Rather than confront her, he goes along with it, letting the court believe his affection for her has cooled. Ava spends the months she has left settling the empire's accounts, writing letters marked to be opened on specific dates, and arranging positions for the people who depend on her. Ash keeps his own record of what she does each day, and after the household staff have gone to bed he still comes to her rooms.
Where to watch
View in app
DramaBox WATCH NOW“When We Pretended Not to Love” (60 EPS) is available on DramaBox. Checked 2026-09-09.
CAST
Chen Si
Qu Xing
Shao Pei
Song Yize
Yao Hui
Chen Xueze
Lin Qiunai
Lin Xiangru
Wan Wan
Wang Yinuo
Yin Xuanyi
Xiao TaiyangMore shared-cast dramas
Ratings & Reviews
A 2026 release. The overall story is sad and individual scenes are shot beautifully, but a lot of similar scenes and beats repeat. The sweet flashbacks of the two of them help. Still, it's his period drama, so I watched happily. Both leads are filmed beautifully.
The male lead is so good at the desperate stuff..... my tear ducts never stood a chance......
Released April 28, 2026. I thought I'd already reviewed this — it really is worth recommending. Above all it's his first time doing a period drama, and he plays an emperor. Everyone hesitates because they hear it's sad, but watch the reunion at the end and it doesn't quite feel like a sad ending. He's beautiful crying, beautiful everywhere. She's terminally ill and, before she dies, brings in a concubine and acts like they don't love each other so he'll let her go. Sad, but I enjoyed it. Not leaving because they stopped loving, but having to lie to each other because they loved too much. There's another version of the same story too. You'll tear up together, so keep tissues nearby.
Her: let's stop this now Him: (knows exactly why, pretending he doesn't)
The way the funeral turns into a wedding — I can't take it.. It's not a sad ending but it's so sad.. He needs to do more period dramas.
Episode 1 might make you go "what IS this lunatic" and bail. He's my favorite short-drama actor and even I hesitated. Please stay with it!! The acting is unreal, the way his eyes go, the way he smiles, each one gets me >_<
Details
SAME CAST
Similar Short Dramas
Live-Action Short Dramas
