Affinity
Affinity is a 40-episode Chinese modern romance drama from Youku. It aired from January 22, 2026 to February 5, 2026, and all episodes are out. In the US it streams officially on Viki (subscription, episodes 1-10 free), checked October 25, 2026.
Where to watch Affinity
Official services only, checked by hand for your country. Free options come first.
Watching from the US? Did Viki work for you?
Watching from the UK? Did Viki work for you?
Watching from Canada? Did Viki work for you?
Watching from Australia? Did Viki work for you?
We check the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Showing United States.
Is it worth watching?
Final verdict coming soon. It goes up once our editor has seen the ending. How we rate
Viewers who like short episodes, a cold hero learning to feel and a sci-fi romance that favors chemistry over science
The story, without spoilers
What to Expect
We haven't watched this one. This section is based on TVmao's synopsis, Viki's listing, d-addicts and TVmaze entries, Taiwanese and Chinese coverage and Tatler Asia, and we'll replace it with a verdict once we have one.
The setting is sci-fi without much hard science. The story runs on a virus split into two types, with Guides (引, yin) and Sentinels (刃, ren). Chinese articles say a Guide who doesn't bond with a Sentinel by age 25 risks organ failure, and a Sentinel relies on a Guide to keep the virus and their instincts in check. That setup produces the close-quarters, push-and-pull romance the drama is known for. Alongside it runs a thriller thread about the old murder case, a government bureau and a lab accident from years earlier.
The Wu Siyuan and Li Xiang pairing drew much of the fan talk in Chinese coverage, in some pieces more than the leads did. One Sohu article describes a 60-second kiss in a subway car shot in a single take, and Marie Claire Taiwan says the drama topped Youku's chart soon after launch. Tatler Asia called it "one of the weirdest—and most addictive—C-dramas of 2026," while warning that it can read like a pile of tropes and won't satisfy viewers who want sensible science or characters. A content note: the drama includes violence and a murder case, and the romance is built on intense physical dependence.
The Story
In 2051, a space probe finds a record of a love story on an Earth-like planet, according to TVmao's synopsis, and the story it tells starts at a murder scene. Five years before the main plot, Wu Nongyu follows her brother to a crime scene and meets Xie Xinxu, a man the police suspect. Five years later she is a bioengineering graduate student, and Xie comes back into her life disguised as a cold, reserved medical professor. A virus makes them strongly drawn to each other, and neither wants to be tied together by it. Affinity (炽热吸引) is a 40-episode Youku drama starring Fang Jin and Cui Yuxin, directed by Chen Jiajie (陈家杰). Its episodes are short, about 15 to 19 minutes, and it premiered on January 22, 2026.
Release Notes
Affinity premiered on Youku on January 22, 2026. TVmaze lists a daily 09:00 release, and the final three episodes are dated February 5, 2026, which is also the date on TVmao's finale page. Not every source agrees. One database summary gives February 4, and Marie Claire Taiwan, updating on February 7, says 34 of the 40 episodes had aired and describes a paid VVIP package that unlocked the finale early. So regular Youku members may have reached the final episode after February 5, and we couldn't confirm the schedule.
Sohu's early articles are headed with 34 episodes, which looks like the count that had aired then. Almost every database lists 40, and one Japanese blog's 28 episodes looks like an outlier. Episode length also varies by source: TVmaze gives 19 minutes, Tatler 18 to 20, Marie Claire under 17 and a Viki thread 15.
Chen Jiajie directs, and the screenplay is credited to Te Weizuo (特薇佐), Chen Wenyong (陈汶雍) and Zhang Ziwei (张紫微), with one source writing the last name as 张紫薇. We found no credit for a source novel and have treated it as an original script, though we couldn't check the end credits. Viki's page showed a rating of 8.8 from 13,455 votes when we looked. d-addicts credits Gou Shen Ye Ye (狗神爷爷) with the theme song Chi Re Xi Yin (炽热吸引) and with the insert songs Qishui Tang (汽水糖), Tan Er (贪饵) and Shenyuan Huixiang (深渊回响). We haven't seen that confirmed anywhere else.
Does Affinity have a happy ending?
Nothing opens until you ask. The first step shows only the type of ending; the details come after.
Happy, sad or open?Shows only the type of ending, nothing about what happens.Show ending typeHide
We have not finished this one ourselves; this is based on outside sources. Fans disagree about how to read it.
In Brief
Ending spoilerShow the ending in brief
Affinity appears to end happily for the main couple, though the sources disagree on details. After a separation, Wu Nongyu and Xie Xinxu are reunited in the last scene, according to TVmao's finale summary. Chinese coverage also calls the ending open and says a storyline about Wu Siyuan and Li Xiang looked like a double death, which the actors later described as happy.
Full Ending Explained
Full spoilersShow the full ending
This account comes from TVmao's episode 40 summary and a few Chinese and English recaps, not from watching, and most details rest on a single recap.
The villain falls. Director Xia (夏局长), the antagonist of the later story, wakes up and is arrested by the police, who make her crimes public, according to TVmao and an English episode 40 recap.
The missing ingredient. Wu Nongyu finds that Xie Xinxu's blood holds the component the cure was missing. TVmao says he remembers events from a village called Xiaoshan (小衫村) but can't find the gas cylinder that mattered. He offers his blood to make a drug, and Wu Nongyu refuses because it could leave him in a long coma. The two make up and have a sweet stretch together.
The "business trip." Xie then tells her he is leaving for a long business trip. TVmao says the trip is a cover meant to push her to search for the component in earnest. The episode's title, Xie Xinxu Su Xing (谢辛序苏醒, "Xie Xinxu wakes up"), suggests he spends that time unconscious, but we couldn't confirm it. An English recap describes the same trip.
The cure and the last scene. TVmao says the drug is made from Wu Nongyu's blood and the people around them recover, which sits oddly with the earlier search for Xie's blood, so the summary may compress several scenes. It adds that Lin Juan is scouted for acting and decides to debut with her support. Wu Nongyu writes an account of what happened and publishes it, and TVmao says readers in 2051 recognise the missing component as helium and offer to send it. The last scene has her walking the street and mistaking strangers for Xie, before he walks towards her and they embrace. A Sina blogger's post, which hides the character names, describes a heartbreaking parting, a reunion two years later and the pair ending up together. It matches this shape but may not be about this drama.
Wu Siyuan and Li Xiang. An English recap says Director Xia kills Li Xiang in episode 29, and that Wu Siyuan asks for a joint burial after striking a deal with Xia that keeps Xie safe. A Sohu article says the "double death" caused a wave of online debate and that the actors said in a livestream that it ends happily. We couldn't find what they meant, and a Sina piece headlined as an "open ending" has since been removed. Sohu also lists unsolved questions: a lab accident 13 years earlier, where the virus came from, and a possible link to an alien civilization.
Change what opens automatically in .
Did you finish it?
Anonymous. One vote per device. We never show a score from these.
Finished Affinity? Watch next
Picked by our editors for the same feel. Finished dramas first.
The Vanishing BeautyAll 28 episodes outHappy EndingHappy EndingA pampered heiress learns her perfect marriage is a con and quietly turns investigator, in a modern revenge drama about marriage and money.
WeTVWeTVWeTVWeTV
The Early SpringAll 24 episodes outHappy EndingHappy EndingA Harbin girl in a Beijing ad agency and her sharp-tongued star director keep a secret office romance for six years, then have to grow up.
YoukuNetflixNetflixNetflix
DazzlingAll 30 episodes outHappy EndingHappy EndingA fallen heiress is sent to a seaside town and clashes with the local school bully in a warm, slow-building youth romance across high school and after.
VikiVikiVikiViki
Cast and characters
- Wu Nongyu (Fang Jin): a bioengineering graduate student and a Guide in the virus system. She is portrayed as independent and quick, and the story starts when she meets Xie Xinxu at a murder scene.
- Xie Xinxu (Cui Yuxin): a Sentinel diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, who returns as a cold medical professor. Chinese articles say he learns emotion through living with Wu Nongyu. Listings also credit the role as Gu Yanqing.
- Wu Siyuan (Wang Yijun): Wu Nongyu's brother, a high-ranking Guide in a special management bureau. Sohu describes him as intensely protective of her and jealous of Xie Xinxu.
- Li Xiang (Gao Weiman): a top-ranked Sentinel and Wu Siyuan's partner. Sohu calls the bond mostly transactional on the surface, with possessiveness and quiet devotion underneath.
- Lin Juan (Wu Fei): a capable fighter who is devoted to Wu Nongyu. A Sohu article says he is trained by Wu Siyuan and feels discarded, and that he later sides with the leads.
Identity Reveals
Ending spoilerShow identity reveals
Xie Xinxu's disguise as a professor is part of the premise rather than a reveal. Sohu says Wu Nongyu once healed him in childhood, and the finale summary points to an old incident in Xiaoshan village. We couldn't find a reliable account of when the drama discloses its other secrets, so we haven't listed any.
Words and customs you'll hear
Sentinel and Guide
Sohu says the drama's setup follows the shao xiang (哨向) pairing, a Sentinel–Guide genre popular in Chinese web fiction. A Sentinel has heightened senses and instincts that can overwhelm them, and a Guide calms them. Here the idea is wired into a virus, which Chinese articles use to justify the forced closeness. We know the genre label from that one article, not from the credits.
Short-form drama
Viki calls Affinity a short-form drama, and Sohu calls it a weiduanju (微短剧), a "micro short drama." The term covers series built from short episodes, many designed to be watched on a phone. Other listings, including TVmao, file it as an ordinary 40-episode television drama, and the labels aren't consistent across sources. In practice that means episodes of about 15 to 19 minutes, so the whole series is roughly ten to thirteen hours.
Affinity FAQ
What is the Affinity Chinese drama about?
Affinity is a 2026 sci-fi romance set in 2051. Bioengineering student Wu Nongyu once met Xie Xinxu at a murder scene, where he was a suspect. Five years later he returns disguised as a cold medical professor. A virus draws the two together, and they set out to find a way to get rid of it.
How many episodes does Affinity have?
Affinity has 40 episodes, according to TVmao, TVmaze, d-addicts and Viki. They are short, roughly 15 to 19 minutes each depending on the source. Some Chinese articles mention 34, which seems to be how many had aired in early February. The series has finished, so you can watch all the episodes straight through.
Where can I watch Affinity?
Affinity premiered on Youku in China. From the US on October 25, 2026, Viki had all 40 episodes with English subtitles, with episodes 1 to 10 free and the rest for Viki Pass members. One listing also shows it free with ads on Viu in Singapore. We found no iQ.com or WeTV listing.
Is Affinity on Netflix?
We found no sign of Affinity on Netflix. The platforms we could confirm are Youku in China and Viki internationally, plus a Viu listing in Singapore. In the US, Viki has the first 10 episodes free. We'll update this page if a Netflix listing appears.
Who is in the cast of Affinity?
Fang Jin plays the female lead, Wu Nongyu, and Cui Yuxin plays Xie Xinxu. Wang Yijun plays Wu Siyuan, Wu Nongyu's brother, and Gao Weiman plays Li Xiang. Wu Fei plays Lin Juan. d-addicts also lists Ding Ming and several others in smaller roles, but we haven't checked those credits elsewhere.
Who is the actress in Affinity?
The female lead, Wu Nongyu, is played by Fang Jin (方瑾). Gao Weiman (高维蔓) plays Li Xiang, a top-ranked Sentinel and Wu Siyuan's partner. Cui Yuxin plays the male lead, Xie Xinxu, opposite Fang Jin. Viki, TVmao and d-addicts all list these three, and their character names match across the sources we checked.
When did Affinity episode 1 air?
Episode 1 aired on Youku on January 22, 2026, according to TVmao, d-addicts and TheTVDB. TVmaze lists a daily 09:00 release in China. The final three episodes are dated February 5, though Marie Claire Taiwan says a paid VVIP package unlocked the finale early, so regular members may have reached it later.
Is there a trailer for Affinity?
Viki's page for Affinity includes a trailer next to its episode list, so that is the easiest place to look. We haven't watched it and can't say whether it is an official Youku upload. We also didn't check whether Youku has posted a trailer on YouTube.
Is Affinity good? Is there a review?
We haven't watched it, so we don't have our own review. Viki's page showed 8.8 from 13,455 votes. Tatler Asia called it among the weirdest and most addictive C-dramas of 2026, but noted it can feel like a trope generator. Chinese viewers praised the chemistry, and some of the biggest fan talk was about the side couple.
How does Affinity end?
SpoilerShow the answer
Minor spoilerReveal how it ends
According to TVmao's finale summary, Wu Nongyu and Xie Xinxu end up reunited after a separation, with the villain arrested. Chinese coverage also calls it an open ending. A storyline for Wu Siyuan and Li Xiang looked like a double death, which one article says the actors called happy. We haven't watched it.
Do Wu Nongyu and Xie Xinxu end up together?
SpoilerShow the answer
Minor spoilerReveal whether the leads get together
Probably yes. TVmao's finale summary says Xie Xinxu leaves on a long "business trip" and, in the last scene, walks back towards Wu Nongyu as they embrace. A Sina blogger describes a two-year gap and a reunion but hides the names. We found no second full recap.
Who dies in Affinity?
SpoilerShow the answer
Ending spoilerReveal who may die
Sources point to Li Xiang. An English episode 29 recap says Director Xia kills her and Wu Siyuan then asks for a joint burial. A Sohu article calls his fate a "double death" that fans debated, with the actors later calling the ending happy. We couldn't confirm what that means for Wu Siyuan.
Still have a question about Affinity?
Ask us anything: an episode, a character, where to watch it. We answer the common ones on this page.
If you liked Affinity
More modern romance our editors rate.
