What Is This Is Not What I Expected About?
The premise of This Is Not What I Expected in 280 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the bustling heart of Shanghai, the Rosebud Hotel stands as a polished stage for high‑stakes business and refined hospitality. Within its elegant corridors, Lu Jin reigns as a fastidious hotel executive, his reputation built on an almost obsessive devotion to perfection—especially when it comes to cuisine. He approaches every dish, every service detail, and every decision with the precision of a master craftsman, constantly seeking the flawless experience that matches his lofty ambitions.
Across the kitchen, Gu Shengnan bursts onto the scene with the energy of a street‑market chef who has turned her passion for flavor into an art form. As a sous‑chef, she wields bold ingredients and daring techniques, infusing each plate with a vibrant personality that often clashes with Lu Jin’s exacting standards. Their first encounter sets the tone for a spirited rivalry, where each sees the other as a challenge to be met rather than a threat to be avoided.
The film unfolds as a light‑hearted romantic comedy that celebrates the sensuous world of food. Its tone balances witty banter with the comforting aromas of a bustling kitchen, inviting viewers to savor both the humor and the heartfelt moments that arise when two strong wills collide. The Rosebud’s polished façade provides a contrasting backdrop to the chaotic creativity of the kitchen, highlighting the tension between commercial expectations and artistic expression.
Against this flavorful backdrop, the story explores how mutual respect can simmer beneath sharp exchanges, hinting at a deeper connection that may develop when rivalry gives way to collaboration. As the characters navigate their differences, the audience is treated to a delightful blend of humor, romance, and culinary intrigue that promises both laughter and lingering appetite.
What Happens in This Is Not What I Expected?
The complete story of This Is Not What I Expected, from the first scene to the last, in 592 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
26-year-old Gu Sheng Nan is a chef at a hotel. One day, Lu Jin leaves a business meeting and spots Gu Sheng Nan vandalising his car, mistaking it for a different vehicle. Lu Jin heads to a hotel where he has his next buyout plan and discovers that Gu Sheng Nan is also employed there as a chef. To persuade Lu Jin to buy the hotel, the manager has each of the chefs prepare a dish for him. He’s dissatisfied with all of them until the manager asks Gu Sheng Nan to cook a special dish for Lu Jin. When the dish is served, Lu Jin responds with genuine delight and decides to keep the hotel afloat, but only if the chef continues to cook for him.
The next night, Lu Jin spots Gu Sheng Nan on the roof, drunk, and she accidentally falls onto his balcony. He confronts her, unaware that she’s the chef who cooked for him. Over the following weeks, Lu Jin keeps crossing paths with Gu Sheng Nan, growing convinced that she bears him a personal vendetta. Eventually, he concludes that Gu Sheng Nan is the secret chef who has been cooking for him all along.
While Gu Sheng Nan takes time off, Lu Jin tracks down where she lives and shows up, asking her to cook for him. He ends up falling asleep on Gu Sheng Nan’s couch after a meal, turning this into a daily ritual where he visits her apartment to eat and sleep on her couch. One night they share puffer fish together—unbeknownst to Lu Jin, the fish was bad and had been given to Gu Sheng Nan by a “rich friend” who is a fellow businessman trying to keep his boss satisfied with good food. The toxins make them both hallucinate while roaming the city, but the effects wear off for Lu Jin before Gu Sheng Nan, and he eventually carries her home. The next day, Lu Jin does not show up at the hotel.
Gu Sheng Nan goes to Lu Jin’s house and discovers he has his own personal chef, a woman, while Lu Jin explains that he stayed at the hotel and ate her cooking because his own personal chef was on leave. Gu Sheng Nan leaves in anger. Soon after, Lu Jin’s company informs him that the hotel will not meet standards and will be repurposed for a different business. All workers are fired, and Gu Sheng Nan confronts Lu Jin, who admits there is no choice but to terminate staff. He even reflects on a hard lesson: to succeed in life, he once fired a worker who had worked twenty years for the company when he was only nineteen.
Lu Jin travels to London for a time and, while there, asks his personal chef to join him for dinner. She replies that she cannot because she has always cooked for just one person. That night, she texts him that she can no longer be his chef because she senses he wants more than just food—someone to share life with. Lu Jin returns to Shanghai, using a prior alarm system to locate Gu Sheng Nan and avoid her, but she escapes him. He eventually finds her again and tells her he has a place by his side, not in another job. They meet again on a balcony to watch the sunset, and even as credits roll, they linger, hungry, while he promises to cook for her. In the quiet of the night, Lu Jin suggests they watch the sunrise together.
This Is Not What I Expected Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Vandalism misidentification sparks a confrontation” to “The chase ends on a balcony at sunset”. 12 events name a place, across 12 locations.
- 1
Vandalism misidentification sparks a confrontation
Gu Sheng Nan vandalizes Lu Jin's car after mistaking it for another vehicle, setting off a tense first interaction. Lu Jin leaves a business meeting and notices the damage, which hints at the clash between their worlds. The incident foreshadows the coming hotel buyout and the role Gu Sheng Nan will play in it.
Where:Street outside Lu Jin's business meeting
- 2
Lu Jin discovers Gu Sheng Nan is the hotel's chef
Lu Jin visits the hotel for his next buyout and is surprised to learn that Gu Sheng Nan also works there as a chef. He samples dishes as part of a test, while the hotel's kitchen becomes a stage for his business plan. This discovery links his fate as an investor to her culinary world.
Where:Hotel kitchen / lobby area
- 3
Manager's dish challenge to win him over
The hotel manager assigns each chef to prepare a dish for Lu Jin in hopes of persuading him to keep the hotel open. The challenge highlights Gu Sheng Nan's culinary skill and determination to stand out. The best dish becomes the turning point toward Lu Jin's decision to support the hotel’s future.
Where:Hotel kitchen
- 4
Gu Sheng Nan's dish seals the deal
Gu Sheng Nan cooks a signature dish that resonates with Lu Jin, swaying his opinion about the hotel's viability. He decides to keep the hotel running on the condition that she continues to cook for him. The moment strengthens their uneasy connection as the professional meeting transitions into something personal.
Where:Hotel dining area
- 5
Rooftop encounter sparks questions
The next night Lu Jin sees Gu Sheng Nan on a rooftop, where she is drunk and accidentally falls into his balcony. He confronts her without realizing she is the chef behind his meals. The incident plants questions about their true relationship and identity.
Where:Rooftop and balcony
- 6
Weeks pass and mounting suspicion
Over the following weeks, Lu Jin keeps encountering Gu Sheng Nan and suspects she is targeting him in some way. He begins to suspect that she is the secret chef behind the hotel’s meals. The recurring meetings deepen their tension and mutual curiosity.
Where:Various locations around the city and hotel
- 7
Chasing Gu Sheng Nan to her home
Gu Sheng Nan takes time off, and Lu Jin tracks down her residence, showing up at her apartment with a request to cook for him. He ends up eating and sleeping on her couch after dinner, beginning a personal routine that blurs boundaries between work and attraction.
Where:Gu Sheng Nan's apartment
- 8
Puffer fish dinner leads to a citywide haze
They share a puffer fish that was poorly sourced, and the toxins cause them to hallucinate as they roam the city at night. Lu Jin's effects wear off on the bus, but Gu Sheng Nan remains under the influence. The episode deepens the odd, intimate bond between them.
Where:City streets and bus
- 9
Gu Sheng Nan discovers his other chef
Gu Sheng Nan travels to Lu Jin's home and discovers he has a personal female chef. Lu Jin explains that his own chef was on leave, and the revelation strains their dynamic as she confronts his lifestyle and the hotel’s fragility.
Where:Lu Jin's home
- 10
Hotel in jeopardy and a harsh firing
Lu Jin learns from his company that the hotel will be repurposed and all workers will be fired. Gu Sheng Nan confronts him, and he admits that he has to fire a long-time employee to make the business viable. The stakes rise as loyalty and livelihood collide with profit.
Where:Shanghai hotel
- 11
London stint and return to search
Lu Jin travels to his London office, where his personal chef reveals she cannot stay due to his expectations of more than just good food. She messages that she can no longer be his chef, prompting him to return to Shanghai in search of Gu Sheng Nan. The journey marks a turning point in their relationship.
Where:London office
- 12
The chase ends on a balcony at sunset
Back in Shanghai, Lu Jin uses alarms to locate Gu Sheng Nan and tells her there is a place by his side. They climb to a balcony and watch the sunset together, a quiet moment that hints at a shared future. During the credits, they are still hungry, and Lu Jin says he'll cook for her, hoping for a sunrise together.
Where:Balcony, Shanghai
Who Are the Main Characters in This Is Not What I Expected?
3 characters, among them Gu Sheng Nan (Zhou Dongyu), Lu Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Lu Jin's Personal Chef (Lin Chi-Ling): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- GS
Gu Sheng Nan (Zhou Dongyu)
Played by Zhou Dongyu
A 26-year-old chef at a hotel who uses cooking as a voice to express ambition, resilience, and warmth. She is bold, impulsive, and highly skilled, capable of turning a simple dish into an emotional statement. Her growing attraction to Lu Jin is tempered by professional pride and a guarded heart.
- 👩🍳 Chef
- 💪 Determined
- 🌆 Urban
- 💖 Romantic
-
Lu Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro)
Played by Takeshi Kaneshiro
A powerful hotel magnate whose sharp pragmatism rules the business world. He is driven by success but becomes unexpectedly drawn to Gu Sheng Nan’s artistry, blurring the line between client and confidant. His actions reveal a capacity for vulnerability beneath a commanding exterior.
- 💼 Businessman
- 🧭 Strategic
- 💖 Romantic
- 🏨 Hotel owner
- LJ
Lu Jin's Personal Chef (Lin Chi-Ling)
Played by Lin Chi-Ling
A seasoned, discreet professional who sustains Lu Jin with precise, high-end cooking. She represents Lu Jin’s private, domestic world and the discipline behind his public persona. She is calm, expert, and a steady presence in the high-pressure hotel ecosystem.
- 👩🍳 Personal Chef
- 🧊 Composed
- ⭐ Expert
Where and When Is This Is Not What I Expected Set?
This Is Not What I Expected is set in Shanghai, China, London and United Kingdom (Present day). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Present day
The events take place in a contemporary setting, with fast-paced city life and modern dining culture. The narrative centers on corporate maneuvering, high-end cuisine, and personal relationships in today's global metropolis.
Where
Shanghai, China, London, United Kingdom
The story unfolds primarily in Shanghai’s bustling hotel world, a setting of luxury, high-stakes deals, and culinary competition. It also features Lu Jin’s London office, underscoring the global reach of his business. The urban backdrop highlights the contrast between public success and private longing as two strangers navigate fate through food.
- 🏙️ Urban Shanghai
- 🏨 Luxury hotel
- ✈️ London business scene
What Are the Themes of This Is Not What I Expected?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Love & Food, Power & Ambition and Identity & Deception.
-
01
Love & Food
Food becomes the language that forges a connection between Lu Jin and Gu Sheng Nan. The special dish that wins him over marks a turning point where romance and culinary craft intersect with business. Their relationship deepens through shared meals, subtle gestures, and the vulnerability that great food invites. The film uses cuisine to explore desire, care, and companionship beyond ambition.
-
02
Power & Ambition
Lu Jin’s hotel empire and the buyout pressure drive the narrative, showing how corporate success hinges on tough, sometimes ruthless decisions. The manager’s demand for culinary excellence becomes a test of loyalty, standards, and control. Layoffs and restructuring reveal the cost of keeping an empire intact. The story frames ambition against human relationships, challenging what constitutes true success.
-
03
Identity & Deception
Gu Sheng Nan hides her role as the secret chef who fuels Lu Jin’s appetite, while Lu Jin conceals aspects of his personal life behind his public persona. The tension arises from mistaken beliefs and the revelation of hidden motives. Trust is forged in moments of vulnerability, when two people finally see each other beyond the masks. The film uses deception and recognition to explore authentic connection.
What Kind of Film Is This Is Not What I Expected?
Light in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Light
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- Low
- Ending
- Happy
A charming and light-hearted romantic comedy set in a hotel kitchen, offering a gentle journey of unexpected connection and culinary delight between two contrasting personalities.
- romantic
- whimsical
- uplifting
- playful
- comforting
- lighthearted
- opposites attract
- professional rivalry
- culinary arts
- personal growth
Quiz
How well do you remember This Is Not What I Expected? Test yourself on the story.
