A Confucian Confusion

Molly is the optimistic manager of a two-project entertainment company in 1994 Taipei. She juggles her engagement to Akeem with navigating rivalries at work, balancing friendship with Qiqi and creative conflicts with Birdy. Beneath her cheerful persona, she guards secrets and faces pressure to preserve control over her business and relationships.

Akeem is the wealthy, status-conscious fiancé who funds Molly's company. On the surface he appears blasé, but he is deeply unsettled by rumors and secretly wary of losing control.

Birdy is the playwright and Molly's friend who provided the original play concept; his works get tangled with plagiarism accusations and competition for attention.

Qiqi is Molly's secretary and confidant who aspires to acting and attempts to navigate the IP issues around Birdy's work. She is practical, loyal to Molly, and often the voice of reason.

Ming is a hopeful bureaucrat whose romantic and career life collides with the others; he grapples with harassment by a contractor and the pressures of forgery allegations affecting his future.

Liren is Ming's colleague who helps navigate the bureaucratic world; he faces harassment by a contractor and is ultimately fired for forgery, underscoring the pressure to compromise.

Larry is Molly's auditor who schemes to reclaim the company and expose secrets; his manipulative friendship with Molly's fiancé amplifies the plot's tension and drives the power struggle.

Feng is the new employee who plays a key role in the backstage web of relationships; she has a complicated dynamic with Larry and interacts with Birdy and Akeem as the plot unfolds.

Auntie is the family-connected figure who arranges opportunities and pushes for lucrative deals; she is pragmatic and self-interested, guiding Qiqi toward a more ambitious path.

Molly's sister is betrothed to Akeem and is a catalyst for the relationships; her romance with the author adds tension and drives some of the project conflicts.

The brother-in-law is the author who co-authored the old bestseller and navigates fear of being seen as a charlatan; his work is central to the plagiarism subplot within the narrative.