LayarHijau – The controversy surrounding the short drama Hidden Love for You has finally reached a resolution. On July 4, 2025, Horgos Wajijiwa Entertainment Culture Co., Ltd. (Wajijiwa) officially announced that the short drama would be permanently removed from streaming platforms.
In a joint statement released by Wajijiwa, Beijing Jinjiang Original Network Technology Co., Ltd. (Jinjiang Literature City), and the original author Zhu Yi (pen name Xiao Zhu Yi), all three parties agreed to end the dispute over the adaptation rights of Secretly, Can’t Hide. The short drama, titled Hidden Love for You, had sparked heated discussions among readers and viewers since its announcement.
Wajijiwa expressed its appreciation for its longstanding partnership with Jinjiang and the author. The company also issued a formal apology to Jinjiang, Ms. Zhu Yi, and the readers and audiences who love Secretly, Can’t Hide, acknowledging its negligence during the promotion of the film and television adaptation. Wajijiwa promised to strictly fulfill its contractual obligations in the future to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
As a result of amicable discussions, Wajijiwa decided to permanently remove the short drama starting from July 3, 2025. Going forward, the company pledged to continue producing high-quality content and contribute to the development of the cultural industry.
As previously reported, the dispute began when Jinjiang Literature City accused Wajijiwa of breaching their contract by producing an unauthorized short drama adaptation. According to the original contract and a 2024 supplementary agreement, Jinjiang emphasized that the authorized adaptation rights only covered regular online dramas, not short dramas, which have since become a distinct category under China’s broadcasting regulations.
According to a report by Sohu, legal expert Zhao Hu from Beijing Zhongwen Law Firm explained that the original contract signed in 2019—when short dramas were not yet mainstream—left room for interpretation. However, the 2024 supplementary agreement clearly restricted adaptations to formats officially registered with the broadcasting authorities. Since short dramas became an independent category in 2024 and were not included in the authorized scope, Wajijiwa was likely at a legal disadvantage.
Wajijiwa’s decision to withdraw the short drama marks the end of a dispute that had stirred intense debate among fans of the novel and viewers of the 2023 drama adaptation starring Zhao Lusi and Chen Zheyuan.
