China's Mainland Drama Industry Focuses on 'Second Pairing' Phenomenon, Releases Top 10 Strongest Second Pairing CP Rankings

In recent years, the mainland drama circle has seen a rise in the 'second pairing' trend. Actors who have left a mark in popular works, either through regret or high popularity, reunite to play new roles, often sparking heated discussions even before the broadcast. This article compiles the 'Top 10 Strongest Second Pairing CP Rankings in Mainland Dramas' by analyzing Weibo hot topics, Douban reviews, and Chinese netizen comments, based on role fame, the contrast between two collaborations, post-second pairing discussion heat, and audience acceptance.

10th Place: Song Yi, Guo Qiulin 'Parasite' Song Yi and Guo Qiulin first collaborated in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' playing Fan Ruoer and Fan Sizhe, siblings who often quarreled in the drama. In 'Parasite', they directly play a married couple, with Guo Qiulin portraying Ning Yi, who accidentally time-travels and marries into the Su family, and Song Yi playing Su Taner, who wants to manage the family's textile business. The two start their relationship with a contract marriage and gradually become business partners who support each other.

Initially, many netizens thought the two 'still looked like siblings' and even pointed out the lack of romantic atmosphere. However, after the drama aired, the evaluations gradually turned into 'the more you watch, the more suitable they are', 'sister and brother turned into a couple and they actually suit each other'. The audience felt that Guo Qiulin's cleverness and Song Yi's gentleness formed a natural complement, and the daily life of Ning Yi and Su Taner managing the textile business together brought a sense of 'really living together'.

9th Place: Liu Shishi, Wu Xiong 'Love and Destiny' Liu Shishi and Wu Xiong played Maltai Ruoxi and the Fourth Prince Yongzheng in 'Love and Destiny', going from knowing each other to separation, becoming one of the most representative tragic couples in time-travel dramas. The two reunited in the modern sequel 'Love and Destiny', with Liu Shishi playing Zhang Xiao who returns to the modern world, and Wu Xiong transforming into Yin Zheng, the vice president of the Shentian Group. The two are drawn into a family business war and the entanglements of the previous generation.

The editing, plot logic, and character settings of 'Love and Destiny' received a lot of negative reviews, but many viewers still followed through to the end for the 'Fourth Prince and Ruoxi's continued romance'. The most commonly quoted promotional line is 'You can't come to my world to find me, so I'll go to your world to find you'. Fans felt that just Liu Shishi and Wu Xiong appearing together again could bring back the fateful atmosphere of 'Love and Destiny'. The advantage of this CP is not the sequel's reputation, but the memory of their roles remains vivid even years later.

8th Place: Xu Ke, Bai Lu 'Blazing Youth' Xu Ke and Bai Lu played Li Chenlan and Lu Zhaoxiao in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes', one a silent and deep-feeling son of the Demon King, the other a flamboyant and domineering master of the Wanlu Door. Their love line was filled with misunderstandings, sacrifices, and a sense of fate. In 'Blazing Youth', they switched to another era, with Bai Lu playing Xie Xiang, who disguises herself as a man to enlist, and Xu Ke playing Gu Yanjing, who is playful on the outside but loyal and righteous on the inside. The romantic atmosphere also changed from a tragic love story to a bickering, happy, and quarrelsome couple.

Netizens often describe the two dramas as 'past and present': in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes', they loved each other with wounds, and in 'Blazing Youth', they can finally bicker, be jealous, and fight side by side. Many viewers believe that their on-screen chemistry doesn't need a long buildup; a glance or a retort can create sparks. 'Shake Lan CP' and 'True Fragrance CP' are also Bai Lu's most representative on-screen pairings.

7th Place: Zhao Lusi, Liu Yuning 'Pearl Curtain and Jade Screen' Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning played Princess Le Yan and the cold-faced guard Hao Du in 'The Longest Day in Chang'an', gradually moving from fear and misunderstanding to trust. Although their roles were not the main storyline, the popularity of 'Hao Yan CP' quickly spread. In 'Pearl Curtain and Jade Screen', the two were promoted to the main leads, and their relationship changed from princess and cold-faced guard to the owner of a merchant caravan and a pearl diver. After Duanwu joined the Yan merchant caravan, the two constantly tested each other amidst interests, secrets of their backgrounds, and revenge plans, and their relationship went through trust, betrayal, and renewed understanding.

Netizens described this collaboration as 'supporting roles finally becoming the main leads', and some believed that the two's restraint and eye contact in 'The Longest Day in Chang'an' were more natural. The romantic line in 'Pearl Curtain and Jade Screen' received mixed reviews, but Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning's upgrade from supporting roles to leading roles in a big production itself proves that 'Hao Yan CP' had accumulated a strong audience base. Supporters believe that the difference in their body types, vocal contrast, and antagonistic scenes still have a distinct recognition.

6th Place: Ren Jialun, Bai Lu 'One Life, One World' Ren Jialun and Bai Lu first played the young Prince Zhou Shengchen and the daughter of a noble family Qi Shiyi in 'Zhou Sheng Like Before'. The two were restricted by status, oaths, and court politics, and could not truly be together by the end. 'One Life, One World' moves the story to the modern era, with Bai Lu playing the voice actress Qi Shiyi, and Ren Jialun playing the introverted chemistry professor Zhou Shengchen. The two go from reunion, engagement, to facing family struggles together, providing a more complete ending to the previous life's tragedy.

When 'Zhou Sheng Like Before' was broadcast, netizens lamented, 'If we had known it would be this torturous, we should have waited for the modern arc to come out together', and someone described 'One Life, One World' as 'the sugar owed in ancient times, all returned in the modern era'. The audience likes that the two portray different textures for their past and present lives: the ancient arc relies on restrained eye contact and the distance of etiquette to build emotions, while the modern arc uses mundane interactions and small body movements to show familiarity. 'Sheng Qi Couple' thus becomes the representative combination for the theme of past and present lives.

5th Place: Yang Zi, Li Xian 'National Color, Fragrant Flowers' Yang Zi and Li Xian played the lively and straightforward Tong Nian and the outwardly cold but inwardly warm e-sports team leader Han Shangyan in 'Dear, I Do'. The 'Child-Faced Couple' sparked a sweet drama craze. Years later, the two switched to the Tang Dynasty in 'National Color, Fragrant Flowers', with Yang Zi playing He Weifang, who escapes a failed marriage and builds a business by cultivating peonies, and Li Xian playing Jiang Changyang, who appears carefree but is actually scheming behind the scenes. Their relationship changes from a girl's pursuit of love to two adults testing and supporting each other.

After the news of the second pairing was released, many netizens shouted 'Chun Yuan CP is back in the entertainment industry', and also described their interactions as 'acquaintances, maximum relaxation'. The two have known each other for many years, and during their performances, they don't intentionally create sweetness, but instead build chemistry through banter, pauses, and eye contact. The audience felt that after transforming from the 'Child-Faced Couple' to He Weifang and Jiang Changyang, the CP feeling lost some of the dreamy quality of youth idol dramas, but gained a more mature atmosphere of working together on a business.

4th Place: Yu Shuxin, Ding Yuxi 'Eternal Night, Star River' Yu Shuxin and Ding Yuxi played the new editor Chi Li and the arrogant writer Zhongchuan in 'Moonlight Sonata', developing from workplace rivals to sweet lovers. In 'Eternal Night, Star River', Yu Shuxin transforms into Ling Miaomiao, who enters a novel world, and must woo Ding Yuxi's half-demon boy Mu Sheng. The male role is cute on the outside but sensitive and obsessive on the inside, while the female uses her bright and direct personality to gradually open his defenses.

After 'Eternal Night, Star River' was broadcast, netizens exclaimed 'the second pairing effect is too strong', even bringing the completed 'Moonlight Sonata' back to the platform's rankings. Fans believe that the two can accurately catch each other's comedic rhythm and quickly switch emotions when entering heart-wrenching segments. Ding Yuxi once expressed hope for a future collaboration on a childhood sweethearts theme, also prompting fans to urge a third pairing, with comments like 'please weld Yu Zhou Zhong Xin together', 'acquaintances are better at acting'.

3rd Place: Dilireba, Gao Weiguang 'Three Lives Three Worlds: The Pillow Book' Dilireba and Gao Weiguang played the Qingqiu Imperial Princess Bai Fengjiu and the Heavenly Lord Donghua in 'Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms'. Bai Fengjiu followed Donghua to repay a debt, but Donghua was restricted by fate and status, leaving their love with regrets. 'Three Lives Three Worlds: The Pillow Book' promoted them to the main characters, reweaving their meeting, trials, and love process, giving Bai Fengjiu and Donghua Imperial Lord a complete ending.

Netizens called 'The Pillow Book' an 'effective second pairing', believing it truly caught the emotional gap left by the previous work. Dilireba and Gao Weiguang both have three-dimensional and distinct heavy-faced appearances, standing together in a balanced manner, and the height and body type difference further added contrast to the interaction scenes. Many viewers felt 'the tears shed back then were not in vain', even if the drama's reputation did not fully surpass 'Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms', Donghua and Bai Fengjiu are still highly recognizable classic CPs in fantasy dramas.

2nd Place: Luo Yunxi, Bai Lu 'Long Month, Burning Bright' Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu played the high-ranking investment banker Yuan Shuai and financial analyst Jiang Jun in 'Half Sugar Half Hurt', childhood sweethearts who reunite in an investment bank, with Yuan Shuai becoming Jiang Jun's strict boss. The two confirm their feelings through workplace adjustments and mutual testing, accumulating popularity through bickering, misunderstandings, and a large amount of sweet interactions. In their second pairing 'Long Month, Burning Bright', Luo Yunxi plays roles such as Tantai Yin and Mingye, while Bai Lu plays Li Susu, Ye Xuming, and Sang Jiu, transitioning from modern sweet dramas to cross-multiple identities fantasy tragic love.

Netizens summarized the two collaborations as 'one is responsible for giving sugar, and one is responsible for collecting debts', and someone called them the 'successful model of second pairing'. Luo Yunxi is good at portraying suppression, fragmentation, and obsession, while Bai Lu's emotional performance is more direct and outward. The collision of the two acting styles forms a strong pull. Even if the plot and production of 'Long Month, Burning Bright' received mixed reviews, many viewers still felt that the two 'can catch each other's acting', and from Yuan Shuai, Jiang Jun to Tantai Yin, Li Susu, they can establish completely different CP atmospheres.

1st Place: Zhao Liying, Lin Yun 'With Phoenix' Zhao Liying and Lin Yun played Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue in 'The Legend of Chu Qiao', developing deep feelings from master and servant, teacher and student,