# My Fated Boy (我的邻居长不大)
**My Fated Boy** (我的邻居长不大, Wo De Ling Ju Bu Zhang Da) is a 2021 Chinese urban romance streaming drama about a 31-year-old careerwoman and the 24-year-old neighbor boy she helped raise, who returns from studying abroad and pursues her as an adult. It was produced by Youku and Leo Fish Culture Media (狮子鱼), directed by Sun Chengzhi, written by Hu Meng, and stars Li Xi Rui and [He Yu](https://www.edgepedia.org/he-yu).[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) • [2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chinese title | 我的邻居长不大; also known as Love Me Like A Child and My Neighbor Isn't Growing Up[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) |
| Broadcast | Youku, 12 July 2021 to August 2021, Monday to Thursday at 12:00; 29 episodes[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) |
| Genre | Comedy and romance; an older woman/younger man story with cohabitation and entertainment-industry settings[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [3](https://www.cpophome.com/my-fated-boy-sierra-li-he-yu/) |
| Series position | Second installment of the "My Neighbour" series, following My Neighbour Can't Sleep (2019)[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) |
| Leads | Li Xi Rui as Lin Yang (31, secretary to the CEO at Ruiye Advertising); He Yu as Lu Zheng An (24, rookie singer-songwriter at Yunlang Music)[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) |
| Production | Director Sun Chengzhi; screenwriter and chief producer Hu Meng; filmed in Chengdu from 1 September to 23 November 2020[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) |
| Performance | Youku in-site heat reached 9853; Weibo topic reads exceeded 1.5 billion and Douyin main-topic plays reached 1.8 billion[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Lin Yang is accomplished at work but owns little else; even her two-bedroom apartment is rented, and her life has settled into a routine without expectation or excitement.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) • [4](https://www.tvsou.com/show/94d11d6b/) Into it reappears Lu Zheng An, the neighbor boy seven years her junior who grew up alongside her and has now returned from studying overseas.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) • [2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
As a hot new singer, Lu Zheng An signs with Yunlang Music, the only music company in his hometown, and sets out to advance career and love at the same time.[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink) He works his way into Lin Yang's life, eventually moving into her apartment and intruding into her work.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) Lin Yang keeps reminding herself that he is a younger brother, but ultimately falls for him, and her sleeping heart is awakened.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) The romance does not advance by sweetness alone: the age gap produces differences in how the two handle matters, and the nature of their work creates practical conflicts that the script presents directly.[5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13751083) The finale, aired in August 2021, ends with Lu Zheng An's debut stage performance and a guest appearance by the pianist Xi Song from the previous series entry.[6](https://www.maoyan.com/news/5812228)
### Cast and characters
The main pairing is Li Xi Rui as Lin Yang and He Yu as Lu Zheng An, with Wang Yan Shuang playing Lin Yang at 12 and Zhu Zi Nuo playing Lu Zheng An at 6.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) Supporting roles include Zhou Xiao Chuan as Ma Le, director of Yunlang Music; Zhao Yuan Yuan as Cao Ling, Lin Yang's college mate; Lu Xiao Lin as Yao Dan, finance director at Ruiye Advertising; Tian Xi Wei as Li Tian, Lu Zheng An's college mate; and Shang Bai as the lawyer Xie Nian Ke, Lu Zheng An's cousin.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) Pei Jiang Tong plays Hua Ye Ting, CEO of Ruiye Advertising, and Wang Zi Xin reprises Xi Song from My Neighbour Can't Sleep.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy)
## Production
Filming began on 1 September 2020 in Chengdu and wrapped three months later on 23 November 2020; the final trailer and character posters were released on 9 July 2021.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) Hu Meng served as both screenwriter and chief producer, with Xie Ying and Liu Huabo as executive supervisors.[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
In an interview, Hu Meng and Sun Chengzhi said that although the premise fits the "sweet pet" (甜宠) formula, they positioned the show closer to an idol drama, one that also addresses workplace survival and the situation of single women over 30 living alone.[5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13751083) They cast three actresses whose real ages match the characters of Lin Yang and her two close friends, rather than twenty-something performers playing older roles, and the male and female leads do not even meet until the end of the first episode.[5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13751083)
## Reception
The drama premiered exclusively on Youku on 12 July 2021 and reached an in-site heat score above 9800 within 24 hours, topping Youku's hot-search drama list, its sweet-pet drama chart, its surge-interest chart, its Pet Theater chart, and its overall drama heat chart; Weibo topic reads passed 900 million with over 500,000 discussions in that period.[5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13751083) Over the full run, in-site heat peaked at 9853, Weibo topic reads exceeded 1.5 billion, and the main Douyin topic reached 1.8 billion plays.[2](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink) The series also placed on Maoyan, Cloud Data (云合), and Datawin (德塔文) drama ranking lists.[6](https://www.maoyan.com/news/5812228) User ratings on aggregator sites have been favorable: DramaWiki readers gave it 4.56 out of 5 from 9 votes, and CPOP Home lists 7.9 out of 10 from 16 ratings.[1](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy) • [3](https://www.cpophome.com/my-fated-boy-sierra-li-he-yu/)
## References
1. [My Fated Boy, DramaWiki](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Fated_Boy)
2. [我的邻居长不大（2020年李溪芮、何与主演的爱情剧）, 百度百科](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E7%9A%84%E9%82%BB%E5%B1%85%E9%95%BF%E4%B8%8D%E5%A4%A7/53485200?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
3. [My Fated Boy – Chinese Drama 2021, CPOP Home](https://www.cpophome.com/my-fated-boy-sierra-li-he-yu/)
4. [我的邻居长不大电视剧剧情介绍, 搜视网](https://www.tvsou.com/show/94d11d6b/)
5. [“邻居”的诞生｜专访《我的邻居长不大》主创, 澎湃新闻 (The Paper), 27 July 2021](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13751083)
6. [李溪芮何与《我的邻居长不大》会员收官 另类甜宠强势出圈, 猫眼电影, 11 August 2021](https://www.maoyan.com/news/5812228)
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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 Iv to My*
*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