LayarHijau – Rising Chinese actor Zhou Keyu has been attracting attention after starring alongside Michelle Chen in the drama Sniper Butterfly (狙擊蝴蝶). His popularity has soared, gaining over 340,000 new followers on social media within the past 30 days, marking a major turning point in his career. However, recent reports indicate that Zhou Keyu was unable to attend the prestigious Tencent All Star Night 2025, a major annual event that serves as a key exposure opportunity for celebrities.
The production team of his new drama, Shadows of Desire (金吾不禁), reportedly prevented him from attending. Producer Yu Zheng stated that taking a day off would cause significant losses for the team, as Zhou Keyu’s scenes are heavily concentrated, potentially costing anywhere from 350,000 to several million yuan. Unlike iQIYI’s Screaming Night, Tencent does not provide financial compensation for absences.
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While the official reason cited production costs and scheduling conflicts, many netizens speculate that the real motive was to avoid Zhou Keyu appearing alongside Michelle Chen on the red carpet. Rumors suggest that Yu Zheng may want to strengthen the on-screen chemistry between Zhou Keyu and Zhao Qing in the new drama, especially since Zhao Qing was previously involved in a high-profile scandal with Xu Kai.
Other supporting actors, such as Chen Tianxiang and Ma Qiuyuan, reportedly were allowed to request leave for the event, while the lead actor was restricted, raising questions about a double standard within the production team.
Shadows of Desire tells the story of Shen Qingwu (played by Zhao Qing), a woman who rejects her family’s traditional expectations to pursue freedom in love. She later joins the military, grows into a female general, and teams up with Zhang Xingjian (played by Zhou Keyu), a conscientious official, to quell rebellions, defeat bandits, and take on corrupt officials.
