Cao made her acting debut in
My World is Beautiful, Because of You (2000), playing a secretary. Cao's first film role was uncredited appearance in the film
Pearl Gown (2002). In 2001, Cao had a minor role as Ding Xiang in the
wuxia television series
Treasure Raiders, which starred
Nicky Wu and
Athena Chu. In 2007, Cao starred in the fantasy television series
The Fairies of Liaozhai, based on the novel
Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio by
Pu Songling. In 2008, Cao participated in
Three Kingdoms, a historical television series adapted from
Luo Guanzhong's classical novel
Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The series reached number one in the ratings when it aired in China. That same year, she received
Huading Award nomination for Best New Actress. In 2009, Cao played the character
Gao Cuilan in
Journey to the West, a
shenmo television series adaptation based on the novel of
the same name. In 2010, Cao starred in the
historical romance television series
Beauty World. In 2011, Cao headlined the hit drama
Wild Duck. Cao was nominated for the
Flying Apsaras Award for Best Actress. In 2012, Cao reprised her role as in the
Wild Duck sequel,
Wild Duck 2, the series was one of the most watched ones in mainland China in that year. ==Personal life==