When veteran producer Yang Xiaopei was shooting the fantasy series Ancient Love Poetry in Zhejiang province in June 2020, she came across Lang Lang's online novel Shuang Xi (Double Joy).

The tale about an unlikely friendship between two women quickly prompted her to adapt it into Alliance, a 36-episode TV series directed by veterans Teng Huatao and Wang Wei.

Starring actress Zhang Xiaofei — best known for Hi, Mom, one of the highest-grossing Chinese blockbusters — the series has had a prime time slot on CCTV-8 and been exclusively streamed by Tencent Video since Sept 19.

Alliance tells the story of Lin Shuang, played by Zhang, who sacrifices her career aspirations and becomes a housewife despite an impressive educational background, only to have her trust shattered when her husband betrays her by having an affair with a younger colleague. Instead of succumbing to anger, Lin remains composed and forms an unexpected bond with the subordinate to fight for the fair resolution she deserves in the aftermath of her broken marriage.

Yang explained that the series explores how women from different backgrounds handle crisis and overcome obstacles to bravely defend their interests.

The drama has won acclaim online, with most viewers commenting that it resonates with them and that it shows the real struggles faced by urban women of different identities, professions, and backgrounds, as well as their hesitation, awakening, and growth in the face of these challenges.