Chen Xin (Mainland China)
Third Prize
Author Bio:
I am Chen Xin from Mainland China, a literature enthusiast. Before attempting screenwriting, I experimented with short stories and long-form historical fiction on Zhihu, but due to limited free time, these projects were put on hold for a long time. Fortunately, nothing can extinguish my love for literature. I hope that in the future, I can continue pursuing this passion without dwelling on the past or fearing the future.
Award-Winning Work: My Merman Husband (70 Episodes)
Synopsis:
Due to changes and pollution in the ocean, the merfolk are experiencing reproductive problems. To maintain genetic stability, some groups are forced to come ashore in search of more stable genes for mating. Adres, chosen to come ashore for his exceptional genes, is unexpectedly caught in a storm and knocked unconscious against the rocks by the waves. He is rescued by Smalley, who happens to be visiting the coast for research. When Adres wakes up, he realizes that Smalley possesses the ideal genes he has been searching for.
Still retaining his primal instincts and unaccustomed to human life, Adres initially tries to force himself on Smalley, who resists strongly. Under Smalley’s care, however, Adres gradually learns how to love. From Smalley’s perspective, their social statuses are worlds apart, and he is not yet ready to accept Adres’s intense courtship. Despite this, their feelings grow stronger, hormones rise, and both begin to fall for each other unconsciously. To pursue the possibility of being together, the determined Adres chooses to leave and return under a new identity, while Smalley believes he left because of her and falls into regret. Thus begins their most improbable and unequal romance.
After Adres departs, Smalley struggles to balance her academic and personal pressures while suppressing her longing for him. After graduation, her friend takes her to a male-model bar to relax, and Smalley drinks to the point of intoxication. Unbeknownst to her, Adres, under his new identity, has been observing her and even shares a brief “fling” with her while she is drunk. This leads Smalley to suspect that Adres has been near her all along. Clever and determined, she begins searching for him.
Thinking his identity is perfectly concealed, Adres nearly gets exposed during a masquerade ball. At the same time, Smalley faces trouble: her studio, co-managed with her friend, runs into problems caused by her stepsister and fiancé, who have long conspired to sabotage her career. Fortunately, Adres, hiding in the shadows, helps resolve the situation. Smalley now becomes certain that the man she saw at the bar and the masquerade is indeed Adres.
To force Adres to appear, Smalley and her friend set up a “life-or-death” situation. At the crucial moment, Adres finally shows himself. Once relieved that it was a false alarm, he kisses Smalley in front of everyone. After confessing their feelings in private, they begin to truly face their love. Adres explains that he initially avoided appearing publicly because rivals in the criminal underworld were competing with him for business, and he needed to stay hidden to protect her. Later, Smalley exposes her fiancé and stepsister’s affair to high society, publicly breaking off the engagement, severing family ties, and reclaiming her biological mother’s inheritance with a lawyer. Together, she and Adres eliminate his business rivals and resolve the merfolk genetic crisis. After all these trials, they finally marry. In the end, Smalley undergoes genetic assimilation and gives birth to a son and a daughter.
Professional Review:
This series cleverly blends a fantasy setting with real-world emotions, using the “merfolk coming ashore” premise as a catalyst for cross-species romance. It incorporates high-stakes dramatic elements such as genetic crises, mistaken identities, sexual tension, and workplace revenge. The narrative balances suspense with emotional depth, maintaining a tight pace and dense conflicts. It is a contemporary fantasy mini-series with both commercial appeal and emotional resonance.
