# Forever Was a Lie
**Forever Was a Lie** is the English title of a Chinese-language vertical short drama whose original title is given as 出走后，两个竹马悔疯了, distributed on the DramaBox micro-drama platform.[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913) • [2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie) The two main databases that document the title describe different plots, casts, and release years under the same English name, so the details below are stated with attribution rather than as settled fact.[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913) • [2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Native title | 出走后，两个竹马悔疯了, original language Chinese[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913) |
| Format | 50-episode DramaBox vertical short drama, released 2025 per MicroDramaList[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie) |
| Premiere | Season 1 premiered December 10, 2024, status Ended, per TMDB[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913) |
| Genre tags | CEO, Strong Female Lead, Family Intrigue[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie) |
| Cast | Shi Yueyue (Qiao Nian), Yan Haoyuan, Wang Yige per TMDB; Yige Wang and Yueyue Shi per MicroDramaList[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913) • [2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie) |
| Production attribution | StoryMatrix (grp. Dianzhong), Singapore marker, per Vertical Clap[3](https://index.verticalclap.com/en/serie/73/) |
| Audience rating | 8.8/10 from 19.8K votes on the DramaHype aggregator[4](https://dramahype.net/ko/series/forever-was-a-lie) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and format
**TMDB premise.** The plot follows Qiao Nian, who is framed by Zhao Man Man and drifts from the Xie brothers; after being hurt again and again she becomes discouraged and decides to marry the prince of the Lu family and leave the place that caused her pain.[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913)
**MicroDramaList premise.** The same English title is attached to a story in which Nicole Quinn moves in with her mother's best friend, the Smith family, after her family goes bankrupt; her situation deteriorates when the nanny's daughter [Mandy Moore](https://www.edgepedia.org/mandy-moore) arrives and turns the Smith brothers Colin and Abel against her.[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie) DramaBox's own editorial critique of episode 5 frames the series this way as well, describing Nicole ensnared in Mandy Moore's schemes and exploring her connection with Colin.[5](https://www.dramaboxdb.com/content/critique/2261_forever-was-a-lie-chinese-drama-episode-5-in-english)
MicroDramaList tags the series as CEO romance, Strong Female Lead, and Family Intrigue, and notes that the DramaBox release is offered dubbed in English.[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie)
## Identification and native titles
The English title "Forever Was a Lie" attaches to a DramaBox vertical drama. TMDB records the original name as 出走后，两个竹马悔疯了 with Chinese as the original language.[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913)
*A complication affects the identity*: MicroDramaList describes a 2025 DramaBox series under the same English title with an entirely different cast of characters, Nicole Quinn, the Smith brothers Colin and Abel, and Mandy Moore, and a different cast listing.[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie)
## Production and credits
Cast credits differ between databases. TMDB credits Shi Yueyue as Qiao Nian, with Yan Haoyuan and Wang Yige also credited.[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913) MicroDramaList lists the cast as Yige Wang and Yueyue Shi.[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie)
Vertical Clap attributes the series to StoryMatrix, part of the Dianzhong group, with a Singapore origin marker on the DramaBox platform.[3](https://index.verticalclap.com/en/serie/73/)
## Release and availability
The release record is itself one of the disagreements. TMDB dates Season 1 to December 10, 2024, with the series listed as Ended.[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913) MicroDramaList gives 2025 as the release year for the 50-episode DramaBox run.[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie) The DramaBox listing carries ID #41000112723 and an English dub, and was still active as of October 13, 2026.[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie)
A full compilation of the series, running about 1:22:45, was posted on BiliBili on March 21, 2025 by the uploader JMCOllection, with 13.6K views at retrieval.[6](https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/4794798614515712)
## Reception
An aggregator audience rating of 8.8 out of 10 from 19.8K participating votes is recorded on DramaHype.[4](https://dramahype.net/ko/series/forever-was-a-lie)
## By the numbers
The quantitative profile of the title, as documented:
- 50 episodes in the DramaBox release[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie)
- About 1 hour 22 minutes 45 seconds for the full series as a single BiliBili compilation, implying an average of roughly 1.7 minutes per episode[6](https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/4794798614515712)
- 8.8/10 audience rating from 19.8K votes[4](https://dramahype.net/ko/series/forever-was-a-lie)
- 13.6K views on the BiliBili compilation at retrieval[6](https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/4794798614515712)
## What has changed since 2023
The series belongs entirely to the post-2023 wave of vertical micro-dramas: the recorded release dates fall in December 2024 or 2025, and the BiliBili compilation appeared in March 2025.[1](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913) • [2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie) • [6](https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/4794798614515712) The DramaBox listing remained active as of October 13, 2026.[2](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie)
## References
1. [Forever Was a Lie (TV Series 2024), The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/286913)
2. [Forever Was a Lie Short Drama (50 Episodes) – Where to Watch, MicroDramaList](https://microdramalist.com/drama/forever-was-a-lie)
3. [Forever Was a Lie — review, tropes & where to watch, Vertical Clap](https://index.verticalclap.com/en/serie/73/)
4. [Forever Was a Lie, DramaHype](https://dramahype.net/ko/series/forever-was-a-lie)
5. [What a Tangled Web of Emotions! Forever Was a Lie Chinese Drama Episode 5 in English, DramaBox](https://www.dramaboxdb.com/content/critique/2261_forever-was-a-lie-chinese-drama-episode-5-in-english)
6. [Forever was a lie, BiliBili (JMCOllection upload)](https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/4794798614515712)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles Cr to In*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license