LayarHijau – Zhang Linghe’s studio has suddenly made public a performance report for the historical drama Pursuit of Jade (《逐玉》), which had previously been kept private. The report was reportedly completed when the drama wrapped up in late March 2026, but it was only made public on August 14, nearly five months later.
The delayed release quickly sparked discussion on Chinese social media. Instead of simply celebrating the drama’s achievements, many of Zhang Linghe’s fans questioned why the studio waited so long to release the report.
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According to information circulating online, the report had already been prepared when Pursuit of Jade, starring Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei, concluded in late March. However, the post was not made public at the time and was set to be visible only to the account itself.
On August 14, Zhang Linghe’s studio changed the visibility settings of the Weibo post, making the previously hidden report available to the public.
The timing immediately drew attention, particularly because Zhang Linghe’s latest drama, Overdo (《这一秒过火》), has recently been at the center of controversy and heated discussion online.
Pursuit of Jade Posted Strong Numbers
The report itself highlights a number of impressive achievements for Pursuit of Jade.
During its run, the drama reached a peak popularity index of 31,248 on Tencent Video. Its peak score on iQIYI also surpassed 10,000, reaching 10,604.
Based on those figures, Pursuit of Jade was described as the first and only drama to surpass 10,000 on both platforms. The drama also averaged more than 65 million views per episode across platforms and ranked as the highest-rated costume drama on television during the first quarter of 2026.
Its commercial performance was also strong. The drama reportedly secured more than 120 million yuan in advertising deals before its premiere.
Throughout its broadcast, Pursuit of Jade appeared on Weibo’s two trending lists 1,876 times. It was also described as the first drama to surpass 100 million on the Weibo Index.
On paper, the report contains plenty of achievements worth celebrating.
For many fans, however, the main question is not about the numbers. It is why the studio chose to release the report only now.
Fans Question the Timing
Some Zhang Linghe fans believe the report should have been released while Pursuit of Jade was still airing or immediately after it ended.
They pointed out that Zhang Linghe faced considerable criticism and online controversy during the drama’s run and around its finale. In their view, the drama’s strong performance data could have been used at the time to highlight the success of the production and Zhang Linghe’s role in it.
Instead, the report remained hidden for months and was only made public long after the drama had finished airing.
The timing has raised even more questions because Overdo, Zhang Linghe’s current drama, has recently been caught up in controversy over its storyline. Some fans have therefore wondered whether the release of the old performance report was connected to the current situation.
Some questioned whether the studio was simply giving Zhang Linghe’s character, Xie Zheng, a belated send-off, or whether the report was being used to shift attention away from the controversy surrounding Overdo.
However, these remain fan speculations, and there is no evidence that the studio released the report specifically to divert attention from the newer drama.
Why Was the Report Kept Private?
Amid the criticism, some bloggers have offered a different explanation for why the report was not released earlier.
According to one explanation circulating online, the studio may have deliberately kept the report private because public opinion surrounding Zhang Linghe and Pursuit of Jade was particularly heated at the time. Releasing the figures during that period could have resulted in the data being taken out of context, misinterpreted or used to fuel further online arguments.
That explanation, however, has done little to calm some fans.
For them, the issue is not whether Pursuit of Jade performed well. The figures clearly show that the drama had several notable achievements. Their frustration lies with the studio’s decision to remain silent for months before finally making the report public.
Some fans have even described the report as a “knife hidden for four months,” expressing their frustration that positive results from Zhang Linghe’s project were only brought to light long after its momentum had passed.
Others have been more supportive of the studio’s decision, viewing the report as a belated celebration of Xie Zheng and Zhang Linghe’s work in Pursuit of Jade.
Ultimately, the controversy is less about the drama’s performance than about the timing of the report’s release. After keeping the document private for nearly five months, Zhang Linghe’s studio chose to make it public while Overdo was facing its own wave of discussion.
That has left one question dominating the conversation among Zhang Linghe’s fans on Chinese social media: Why only now?
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