For Love Please Ring Bell Twice

For Love Please Ring Bell Twice is a 2011/2012 Taiwanese production, currently (as of December 2011) broadcasting on CTS Network.

The story begins in 2003, during the height of a influenza epidemic. Zheng Xiao Xiang gets trapped in a broken elevator with a mysterious man. He calms her nervousness, and ultimately helps her out of the elevator. Since they are both wearing masks, and did not exchange names, neither knows who the other one is. In the confusion after being rescue, Xiao Xiang faints, causing a bystander to rip off his mask and peform rescue breathing. Next thing you know, she is quarantined in the local hospital after contracting the CIV virus from her would-be rescuer.

An intrepid reporter, Ren Jia Kai, has entered the quarantined area with the task of documenting the human cost of the epidemic. He meets up with Xiao Xiang and recognizes her from the elevator. He is, of course, the guy from the elevator, but, fully gowned and masked, she doesn't recognize him.

They fail to follow up on the sparks in elevator and go their separate ways.

Eight years later, she is a single mom (her long-term boyfriend, who was the one who infected her with the CIV virus, has broken up with her and moved out). Kai Jia has become the CEO of a high-end public relations firm. Through a series of fateful mishaps and events, they meet up again. Can lightning strike twice?


 * Contrived Coincidence: While in the officee, Xiao Xiang overhears two interns making fun of her. Of course, the boss/love interest hears too, and fires them on the spot.
 * My Beloved Smother: Xiao Xiang's mom tries to coerce Ke Jie into marrying her daughter, then, when that didn't pan out, showed up at Kai Jia's office with a fruit basket and some histrionics to get him to give her a job. When he publically confesses to Xiao Xiang, she throws an engagement party even though they aren't engaged, and tries to push them both into marriage as soon as possible.
 * Shout-Out: The PR firm wants to use top model Tang Ai Wei. The name refers to a character Drunken to Love You where the model gave up on love to pursue her career. The two series share scriptwriters.
 * Time Skip: Twice. The first gap is between when Xiao Xiang is quarantined and when she is released, a matter of weeks. The second is seven-plus years, when they finally meet again.
 * White Collar Crime: Two interns were spying in Kai Jia's firm to steal proposals for another PR firm.
 * Wrong Guy First: Xiao Xiang met Jia Kai first, but kissed Ke Jie first..