An unusual story from China’s short-drama industry has caught people’s attention. A wealthy woman reportedly paid for an entire drama series. Her reason? She wanted to kiss the young male lead, Zhong Yufei, many times. She also gave herself the female lead role. The 50-episode project featured more than 60 kissing scenes, which has since sparked a serious debate about boundaries on set .
The Investor’s Conditions Shocked the Production Team
Director Meng Xing said her company was hired to make a custom short drama for a rich woman. The woman had two strict rules for putting up the money. First, she would play the lead female role. Second, she would have the final say on the script .
The woman selected Zhong Yufei, a 23-year-old rising actor, to play her love interest. The drama was set in ancient times. She played a princess and he played a fallen prince .
The crew said the investor’s demands did not stop there. She wanted the script to include more than 60 kissing scenes across roughly 50 episodes . The director and writers told her this many romantic scenes would hurt the story and lose the audience. Her reply was reportedly: “I’ve seen more short dramas than you’ve ever made” .
Actor Zhong Yufei Speaks About Uncomfortable Moments
Zhong Yufei later shared his experience on social media. He said some intimate scenes went beyond his comfort level . During the first romantic scene, he claims the investor forcefully kissed him. When he pulled back, she allegedly grabbed the back of his head and held him there .
In his video, he made a direct request:
“As for kissing scenes and intimate scenes, I can accept them, I can cooperate. But could you please not stick your tongue in my mouth when filming my scenes?”
He also said the kissing was sometimes so forceful it left visible injuries on his lips . Zhong Yufei explained that he did not speak up at the time because she was the investor. He was a newcomer and worried that complaining might end his career. He said he felt he had no room to negotiate .
The Drama Was a Commercial Failure
After filming, the project faced more problems. The streaming platform cut more than 20 kissing scenes because they were too explicit . The heavy edits hurt the story’s flow. Some viewers were confused and even thought the two leads might have a real relationship .
The drama reportedly got bad reviews and did not perform well . The investor then refused to pay the remaining production fee. The amount was 30,000 yuan, which is about $4,100 USD . She was reportedly unhappy that so many kissing scenes got cut .
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Director Meng Xing Clarifies Her Role and Issues Apology
Meng Xing later clarified that she was not the wealthy woman. Her production company was just hired to make the drama . She said she tried to persuade the investor to reduce the number of kissing scenes but did not succeed .
She also revealed that the crew had almost no say during the entire production. The investor made all the decisions . After the story became public, Meng Xing’s production company apologized to Zhong Yufei. The company promised to add clearer protections for actors in future contracts . They aim to better define what investors can and cannot do on set .
Zhong Yufei used his experience to warn other actors. He advised them to say no to things that go beyond professional acting work. He told them to always protect their personal boundaries .
This is just one example of the challenges within China’s booming short-drama market. For more entertainment news from around the world, keep reading VvipTimes.
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