Pretty Man is a Chinese romance drama of 28 half hour+ long episodes. Viki also includes two "special" episodes which consists of cut scenes and clips, some of which would have helped storytelling in my opinion.

The story revolves around Lu Jin Nian (Xiong Zi Qi) and Qiao An Hao (Li Xi Rui/Sierra Li; supporting role as lead female's best friend, The Interpreter, 2016). The series starts in media res so it's a bit confusing what's going on, then we go back to the beginning in high school when the two met. Qiao An Hao is the pretty girl from a rich family. Lu Jin Nian is the transfer kid who turns out to be the ostracized half-brother of Qiao An Hao's best friend Xu Jia Mu (Jerry Yu).

They both are attracted to each other but the whole series is about them never telling each other how they really feel until maybe episode 24 to 26. One sees the other hanging out with a member of the opposite sex and then thinks the other is in a relationship. Or something said is misinterpreted. Jia Mu's mom Han Ru Chu (Tien Hsin) keeps scheming against Jin Nian because he's the son of her husband's dead mistress. It is quite frustrating that 90% of the series' hurdles could have been avoided if the two had been more forthcoming to each other.

Anyway, after a lengthy high school segment they go to separate colleges for a few episodes then finally graduate into the real world. Lu Jin Nian becomes a heartthrob movie star, believing that Qiao An Hao and Xu Jia Mu will eventually marry. Meanwhile in college Xu Jia Mu fell for Song Xiang Si (Zhao Yao Ke) who was bought off (and threatened) to leave the country by Han Ru Chu. Years later Song Xiang Si comes back and takes up acting as an up and comer opposite Lu Jin Nian and then Xu Jia Mu starts chasing after her again.

After being rebuffed by Xiang Si yet one more time Jia Mu is hit by a car and ends up in a coma. To save the family business Han Ru Chu convinces Qiao An Hao to marry her son but it'll actually be a temporary fake marriage and Lu Jin Nian will play the part of her son. So that gets An Hao and Jin Nian living together for like 10 episodes slowly becoming more attached to each other yet still thinking the other doesn't feel the same way.

Xu Jia Mu finally wakes up and some plot threads start getting resolved, including An Hao and Jin Nian finally finding out how the other feels and becoming a couple. And then everything ends in a cliffhanger because there is a Pretty Man 2:

• Jin Nian proposes to An Hao who says yes but a bit later she mentions a childhood incident that IIRC led to Jin Nian's mother's death so he dramatically flings her on the ground and she's starting up with "why" in her eyes the credits roll.
• Song Xiang Si became pregnant from Xu Jia Mu but when she said she had an abortion he pushed her down, cursed her, and angrily stormed off. Later he returns to find her very pregnant but apparently married. It's not exactly explained but I think the "abortion" was a test which Jia Mu failed and the "husband" is an actor friend playing the part. Xiang Si still loves Jia Mu but lots of trust was lost.
• Jin Nian's business partner of 9 years finally confesses her love for him but he's sorry he can't return it so she leaves to join the competitor with the aim of ruining Jin Nian's acting agency.

I looked at Pretty Man which was released the next year. All the female parts (except Han Ru Chu who only guest stars) were recast, even An Hao's agent/friend Zhao Meng (Mo Xiao Weng) and Lin Qian Qian (Wang Yue Ting) who chases after Jia Mu in high school and late in the series. Our two male leads remain, although it looks An Hao's younger brother Qiao An Yi (Xiong Wen Wen) who has lots of scenes disappears in PM 2.

In general I felt the story was a bit confusing at times. Sometimes characters are introduced, used for a few episodes, then they disappear. There's a whole e-sports team Jia Mu is building that An Yi manages and keeps alive when Jia Mu is in a coma but once he wakes up they disappear (maybe returning in PM 2).

The romance is ok though once again them not really talking and clearing things up is rather annoying.

Eventually we come down to Li Xi Rui/Sierra Li is the only good thing in this series. She acts well enough. She's very pretty. Once out of college she's always wearing short skirts with open-toed high heel shoes so you can often admire her very thin legs.

And thinking back I guess the best part is when they're doing the fake marriage. There's something about the beginner actress An Hao (who goes by a stage name but I forgot) getting bullied and sexually harassed and having the big movie star lead actor continually rescuing her in secret or more overtly. That part is very charming.

Anyways, it's watchable but hesitate to recommend since it ends in a cliffhanger and then change all the female actors in Pretty Man 2.