Love Contractually 2017

Comedy

Romance

Drama

Box Office

$8.6M

Runtime

98 mins

Language

Chinese

Directed by

Liu Guonan

Made by

Sun Entertainment Culture

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Love Contractually Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Love Contractually (2017). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Xiao Bo is a courier who rides a beautifully restored classic motorcycle, delivering packages while scrimping to fund his nephew’s ear implant surgery. He crosses paths with Ye Jin, a driven CEO who has fallen out of love after her fiancé’s betrayal and, as a result, has developed an odd aversion to the color yellow—an affectation tied to a scene she witnessed on a yellow notepad. Her mood and moodswing set the tone for a company-wide purge of yellow items, which stirs up tension and drama in the office.

When Ye Jin contemplates expanding her family through in vitro fertilization and a surrogate, she entrusts her assistant, Jenny, to quietly locate a suitable sperm donor. Jenny arranges a ruse—a fake job interview where several hopeful candidates think they’re vying for a personal assistant position. Among the pool of applicants, Xiao Bo’s interest is piqued not just by money, but by the chance to work with a person he senses is both formidable and fragile.

A dangerous twist enters when a former Ye Jin employee, furious over a dismissal for falsifying information, tries to stab her; Xiao Bo intervenes, saving her, and this act kindles a fragile, dawning connection between them. Ye Jin decides to interview Xiao Bo for the assistant post, and she is won over by his grit, even as his disorganization and chronic lateness threaten the arrangement. Yet a shared moment happens when a traffic jam forces a delay: Xiao Bo’s friend brings his motorcycle to shuttle them to a crucial meeting with a big client who adores classic bikes. Ye Jin, impressed by his ability to improvise and ride, agrees to partner with him, seeing in him a partner she hadn’t expected.

Later, Ye Jin’s father, a man battling Alzheimer’s disease, is found at a care center and wrangles Ye Jin’s mood as she confronts the neglect she’s shown him. Xiao Bo challenges Ye Jin on how she treats her father, and she feels a sting of guilt; he resigns in a flare of anger after she pushes him away, and she contemplates a harsh penalty for breaking the sperm-donation arrangement. Yet the conversation lingers, as Xiao Bo reveals why he’s so determined to earn money: to help his nephew. The two share wine and sleep beside one another, a quiet moment that signals a turning point in their relationship.

The couple heads to Paris for the IVF process, while Ye Jin’s friend notes that both of them share a deep, unspoken love. Ye Jin remains determined to carry a child on her own, even as Xiao Bo’s influence remains strong in her thoughts. The IVF procedure is ultimately successful, and Xiao Bo, watching Ye Jin interact with children at a party hosted by his friend Sophie and her husband, finds himself drawn more deeply into her world.

Xiao Bo’s nephew’s ear surgery goes smoothly, but his mind won’t drift far from Ye Jin and the unborn child. He composes a storybook about their love and ships it to France, where Ye Jin has stayed through the pregnancy—unaware that she has suffered a miscarriage and slipped into a deep depression. When the package arrives, it deepens her pain and she vanishes from her home, leaving Sophie and her husband worried.

Xiao Bo arrives at the same house and discovers Ye Jin’s heartbreak and isolation. In a tense moment, Sophie’s husband finds Ye Jin near a cliff, and Xiao Bo pleas with her, sharing a parable of a fallen soldier who dies skydiving with his older brother, offering that if she wants to die, he will die with her. The two embrace, and Xiao Bo’s parachute opens as they soar into the French sky, landing on a cathedral’s steps and sharing a kiss that marks a hopeful turning point. The epilogue closes on a warm note: Xiao Bo and Ye Jin are shown with two babies, hinting at a future filled with resilience, family, and renewed love.

Love Contractually Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Love Contractually (2017) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Xiao Bo starts delivering to fund his nephew's ear surgery

Xiao Bo works as a courier on a modified classic motorcycle, delivering packages around the city. He is driven by the goal of funding his nephew's ear implant surgery. This motive sets him on a path that will intersect with Ye Jin's world of ambition and opportunity.

City streets

Ye Jin's heartbreak and color ban

Ye Jin is a CEO who falls out of love after her fiancé's affair. The betrayal makes her hate the color yellow, and she forces her employees to remove yellow items from the office. This personal turmoil shapes her later decisions and attitudes.

Ye Jin's office

Ye Jin plots IVF and a surrogate donor

She reveals to her assistants that she wants a baby via IVF with a surrogate sperm donor while staying unmarried. She asks her assistant to quietly handle the donor search. This secret plan sets things in motion behind Ye Jin's public life.

Ye Jin's office

Fake interviews begin for sperm donor candidates

An assistant creates a sham job interview process, where donors think they are applying to beYe Jin's personal assistant. Among the hopefuls is Xiao Bo, who sees the advertisement and becomes curious because of his need for money. The deception pulls Xiao Bo into Ye Jin's orbit.

Office

A former employee's attack and Xiao Bo's intervention

A dismissed former employee tries to stab Ye Jin in retaliation for being fired for falsifying information. Xiao Bo intervenes and saves her, proving his bravery and drawing Ye Jin's attention. This event marks a turning point in their relationship.

Office

Xiao Bo is interviewed and hired as Ye Jin's assistant

After the incident, Xiao Bo tells Ye Jin that he wants to work as her assistant to earn money and stability. Ye Jin interviews him and sees potential beyond his initial disorganization. She hires him, starting a fragile working relationship.

Ye Jin's office

Xiao Bo's lateness strains the boss

Xiao Bo is often disorganized and late, which irritates Ye Jin. She threatens to fire him if his performance doesn't improve. The friction reveals a chemistry that neither of them can ignore entirely.

Office

Traffic delays unlock a surprising partnership

En route to a meeting with a big client, Xiao Bo is stuck in traffic twice. He borrows his motorcycle from a friend, and Ye Jin rides with him to the meeting. The client, who loves classical motorbikes, is impressed by her willingness to ride a bike, and they seal a business partnership.

City streets; client meeting location

Care center visit exposes family tensions

Xiao Bo takes Ye Jin to a care center for her Alzheimer's-stricken father, criticizing how she treats him. The confrontation leads to Ye Jin's anger and Xiao Bo quitting his job. Ye Jin's resolve to manage the sperm-donation contract grows more fragile.

Care center; Ye Jin's house

Wine-fueled reconciliation and a quiet night

The two share a heartfelt conversation where Ye Jin questions her hostility toward her father and Xiao Bo explains his money-need to help his nephew. They drink wine and end up sleeping side by side, marking a fragile emotional closeness. The night softens the tension between them.

Ye Jin's home

Paris IVF journey begins; pregnancy follows

They travel to Paris for the IVF process, and the attempt culminates in success with Ye Jin's pregnancy. The moment also shows Xiao Bo's lingering thoughts of Ye Jin and their unborn baby. Ye Jin's friend notices the growing bond between them, though Ye Jin resolves to carry the baby herself.

Paris, France

A storybook travels and a devastating miscarriage

Xiao Bo creates a storybook celebrating the imagined love between him and Ye Jin and ships it to Paris where Ye Jin stays during the pregnancy. Unbeknownst to him, Ye Jin experiences a miscarriage and slides into depression as a result. The package from home intensifies her emotional collapse.

France

Ye Jin vanishes; a worried circle searches

Sophie's husband and friends worry when Ye Jin disappears from her home in France. Xiao Bo arrives to the same house and learns about Ye Jin's miscarriage and the depression that followed. The revelation pushes them toward a perilous emotional crossroads.

Ye Jin's home, France

A cliffside mission ends in a cathedral kiss

Sophie’s husband finds Ye Jin near a cliff and Xiao Bo tells her a tale of a fallen soldier to urge her on. They leap and their parachute opens, carrying them across the sky to a cathedral where they share a kiss. The epilogue shows that Xiao Bo and Ye Jin have two babies.

Cliff and cathedral, France

Love Contractually Characters

Explore all characters from Love Contractually (2017). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Xiao Bo (Joseph Chang)

A courier who rides a modified classic motorcycle. He works to fund his nephew's ear implant surgery, and his practical, often disorganized nature masks a deeply caring, protective side. His growing affection for Ye Jin becomes a determined effort to build a life together.

🧭 Practical 💪 Determined 🎯 Loyal

Ye Jin (Sammi Cheng Sau-Man)

A successful CEO who hides vulnerability behind a sharp, confident exterior. She initiates an IVF plan with a surrogate, driven by a desire to become a mother after a betrayal left her wary of love. Her journey explores love, loss, and eventual healing.

💼 CEO 💕 Romance 🧭 Strong-willed

Ye's Father

An elderly man living with Alzheimer's who anchors Ye Jin’s reflections on family care and responsibility. His condition and presence prompt Ye Jin to reassess what truly matters to her and how she treats loved ones.

👴 Family 🧠 Memory 💖 Caring

Sophie

Ye Jin's best friend who hosts gatherings that reveal the network of relationships surrounding Ye Jin. She supports Ye Jin through her trials while juggling her own life and loyalties with grace.

🎭 Friendship 🤝 Support 🧭 Loyalty

Love Contractually Settings

Learn where and when Love Contractually (2017) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Modern day

Set in contemporary times, the film explores medical technology, corporate life, and romance. The characters navigate career pressures, family responsibilities, and personal trauma. The Paris sequence anchors a tale of hope, loss, and reconciliation.

Location

Paris, France

The story largely takes place in Paris, France, where Ye Jin and Xiao Bo pursue the IVF journey. The city’s romantic ambiance frames their evolving relationship and the final dramatic sequence atop a cathedral. Paris serves as the backdrop for personal transformation, celebrations, and Ye Jin’s emotional revelations.

🏙️ Urban 🗼 Paris setting

Love Contractually Themes

Discover the main themes in Love Contractually (2017). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💞

Love & Sacrifice

Love drives the central choices: Ye Jin’s wish to become a mother and Xiao Bo’s willingness to help despite financial strain. Their evolving relationship involves vulnerability, risk, and shared commitment as they navigate medical plans and personal doubts. The journey tests loyalty, generosity, and the meaning of family.

💼

Career vs. Family

Ye Jin’s role as CEO clashes with intimate needs and the longing for connection. The corporate world’s urgency intersects with medical dreams and personal vulnerability, highlighting how ambition can protect or isolate. The IVF arrangement pushes boundaries between professional power and private happiness.

🫶

Resilience & Healing

Ye Jin’s depression and miscarriage set the emotional tone, while friends like Sophie offer support. The film traces recovery, forgiveness, and the hope of rebuilding a life and family after loss. The finale emphasizes renewed purpose and the possibility of happiness after trauma.

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Love Contractually Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Love Contractually (2017). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a bustling modern city where sleek boardrooms sit side‑by‑side with the hum of motorbikes weaving through traffic, a determined CEO grapples with the idea that genuine love can only be found in parenthood. Ye Jin has built an empire on practicality, and after a painful betrayal she is convinced that the only authentic connection worth pursuing is the bond she might create with a child of her own. She sets a meticulously planned course to become a mother through in‑vitro fertilisation, seeking a donor who can provide the genetic spark without the complications of romance.

Enter the world of a modest delivery man who rides a vintage‑styled motorcycle, his daily routes driven by a singular goal: to gather enough money for his nephew’s urgent medical needs. Xiao Bo answers an unexpected job posting, hoping the position will help him achieve that aim. When his path crosses with the CEO’s, the meeting is initially business‑like—an interview disguised as a routine hiring process—but an undercurrent of curiosity and subtle chemistry begins to surface. Their contrasting lives—her polished corporate rigor and his grounded, street‑wise perseverance—create a dynamic tension that hints at possibilities beyond the original arrangement.

The film balances a light, witty tone with moments of quiet introspection, painting a portrait of two individuals navigating the blurred lines between duty, desire, and the unexpected ways affection can emerge. As they spend more time together, the professional façade slowly gives way to a deeper, unanticipated connection, prompting both characters to reconsider what they truly value. The story invites viewers to wonder whether a plan forged from practicality can evolve into something far richer than either imagined, all set against the vibrant backdrop of a city that never stops moving.