Love Like the Galaxy

Love Like the Galaxy is a 2022 Chinese television series. It stars Wu Lei and Zhao Lusi. The series is split into two parts, with first part starting on July 5, 2022. The second part premiered on July 27, 2022.

Plot
The story revolves around Cheng Shaoshang, who was left behind by her parents when they went to war. As a result, she was raised by her scheming aunt and ignorant grandmother. In order to protect herself from the constant abuse and mistreatment, she honed herself to be extra diligent.

The plot starts with the return of Shaoshang's parents. At first, she hopes that her life will improve after reuniting with them. However, years of estrangement have made it difficult for them to become a family. As she lacked love her whole life, Cheng Shaoshang is both pragmatic and insecure when it comes to opening up her feelings to others.

She soon meets the Emperor's foster son, Ling Buyi, whom she views as a cold and ruthless person. However, that notion changes as she continually finds herself involved with him. Through her interactions with Ling Buyi, she unintentionally becomes involved in the mystery surrounding his family and his identity.

Main cast

 * Wu Lei as Ling Buyi / Zisheng / Shiyilang
 * Wang Hanzhe as young Ling Buyi
 * Emperor Wen's foster son, and the son of Huo Junhua and Marquis Chengyang. A powerful and ruthless general who is highly favoured by the Emperor. Plagued by the massacre of the Huo clan during the siege of Gu City that happened 15 years prior, he is resolute in finding and punishing the perpetrators.


 * Zhao Lusi as Cheng Shaoshang / Niaoniao
 * Li Zhimo as young Cheng Shaoshang
 * The only daughter of Cheng Shi and Xiao Yuanyi. Abandoned as an infant by her parents due to their participation in the impending war and the prophecy of an old sage, she grew up neglected by her grandmother and aunt. She lacks proper etiquette and ladylike demeanour, but is smart and vigilant.

Supporting cast

 * Li Yunrui as Yuan Shen / Shanjian
 * Huangfu Yi's disciple and the best student of the Bailu Mountain Academy. Due to his parents unhappy marriage, he grew up into an arrogant and jaded young master.


 * Yu Cheng'en as Lou Yao
 * The timid second son of the second branch of the Lou family and He Zhaojun's childhood fiancé.


 * Estelle Chen as He Zhaojun
 * The spoiled youngest daughter of General He Yong and Luo Yao's childhood fiancée.


 * Zhang Yue as Wan Qiqi
 * Daughter of General Wan and Niaoniao's close friend. Having accompanied her father to the battlefield, she is adept at martial arts.


 * Cui Enci as Commandery Princess Yuchang
 * The granddaughter of Prince Ruyang. Enamored with Ling Buyi since childhood, she is willing to resort to unscrupulous tactics to marry him, but Ling Buyi outrightly rejects and shames her.

Cheng family
 * Guo Tao as Cheng Shi, Marquis Quling
 * Cheng Shaoshang's loving father and the eldest son of Old Mistress Cheng. He is a respected military commander with a humble background.


 * Zeng Li as Xiao Yuanyi
 * Cheng Shaoshang's mother and a strict matriarch who has accompanied her husband to the battlefield. She is firm in disciplining her daughter, often resolving to punishments rather than talks.


 * Xu Jiao as Cheng Yang / Yangyang
 * Cheng Shaoshang's cousin. She grew up in her maternal grandparents' household and has a ladylike personality, unlike her ill-natured mother.


 * Xu Di as Old Mistress Cheng
 * Cheng Shaoshang's greedy and vulgar grandmother. She favors her sons and grandsons over daughters-in-law and granddaughters.


 * Mickey Zhao as Cheng Shaogong
 * Cheng Shaoshang's twin brother.


 * Jiang Yiming as Cheng Song
 * Cheng Shaoshang's second brother.


 * Zhang Tianyang as Cheng Zhi
 * Cheng Shaoshang's third uncle.


 * Peng Yang as Sang Shunhua
 * Cheng Zhi's wife. She is a kind person who often supports and shields her niece.


 * Cui Peng as Cheng Cheng
 * Cheng Yang's father and Cheng Shaoshang's second uncle. He is a cripple who is often bullied by his wife.


 * Chen Sisi as Lady Ge
 * Cheng Yang's mother and Cheng Cheng's scheming wife.

Imperial Family
 * Bao Jianfeng as Emperor Wen
 * A benevolent and just monarch who favors Ling Buyi even over his own children. Ling Buyi's maternal uncle, General Huo Chong, was a confidante who helped him in establishing a peaceful country.


 * Tong Lei as Empress Xuan
 * A timid, kind and meek empress who becomes a maternal figure to Niaoniao. She is the foster daughter of Prince Xian'an, and mother of the Crown Prince and Fifth Princess.


 * Cao Xiwen as Consort Yue / Empress Yue
 * Emperor Wen's childhood sweetheart and first wife, and mother of the Second Princess, Third Prince, and Third Princess. She is an upright and impartial matriarch who wants to lead a peaceful life.


 * Wang Zhuocheng as Crown Prince Yuan
 * Empress Xuan's son. He is considered too soft-hearted and weak-willed to be able to lead the country.


 * Wang Ziwei as Fifth Princess
 * Empress Xuan's daughter. She was spoiled and pampered due to being the only child born to the Emperor after the establishment of the current dynasty.


 * Gao Han as Third Prince
 * Consort Yue's son. Ambitious and decisive, he is often referred to as the rightful heir.


 * Wang Zhen as Third Princess
 * Consort Yue's daughter. She grew up under Marquis Yue's tutelage, and prioritises wealth and prestige.


 * Kobe Liu as Fifth Prince
 * Emperor Wen's son who was born to a concubine. He is a playboy considered unfit to help with any official issues.


 * Fang Xiaoli as Princess Consort Ruyang
 * Commandery Princess Yuchang's grandmother. Her husband is Emperor Wen's paternal uncle.

Ling family
 * Sha Baoliang as Ling Yi, Marquis Chengyang
 * Ling Buyi's father and the former husband of Huo Junhua. He comes from a humble background.


 * Candy Zhang as Huo Junhua
 * Ling Buyi's mother and the sister of General Huo Chong. She became mentally unstable after the massacre of Gu City.


 * Zhao Ziqi as Lady Chunyu
 * Ling Buyi's stepmother. She took advantage of the absence of Huo Junhua and Ling Buyi to begin an affair with her cousin, Ling Yi, eventually marrying him.

Others
 * Gu Kejia as Qing Cong
 * Xiao Yuanyi's sworn sister.


 * Zhang Chen as Liang Qiuqi
 * Ling Buyi's subordinate.


 * Sun Kai as Liang Qiufei
 * Ling Buyi's subordinate.


 * Hu Jiaxin as Wang Ling
 * Empress Xuan's niece.


 * Melody Tang as Lou Li
 * Lou Yao's cousin and the daughter of the first branch of the Luo family.


 * Xing Minshan as Grand Tutor Lou
 * Lou Yao's eldest uncle and Luo Li's father.


 * Sheng Guansen as Heir Xiao
 * Prince Yong's son.

Reception
The highest single-day streaming viewership of the first part of Love Like the Galaxy exceeded 200 million views.

As of August 2, 2022, the second part of the series had a single-day streaming viewership of 300 million views.

Differences from the novel

 * 1) In the source material, Wang Ling marries into a noble family in Jiangxia, Jingzhou, and is regarded as a "good wife" by the locals. In the series, she marries Peng Kun who lives far away from the capital; later on, Peng Kun is murdered by Ling Yi, causing Wang Ling to become a lonely widow.
 * 2) In the source material, Lady Chunyu is sentenced to death, but commits suicide by poison alongside her son. In the series, she is childless and suffers a nervous breakdown, surviving only by pretending to have lost her mind.