LayarHijau — The costume drama Zhi Jin Chai (执金钗) has been described as a companion project to Where the Mask Ends (嫁金钗). According to Sohu Entertainment, it is already in development and was announced through Youku’s 2027 slate. The news comes just as Where the Mask Ends has wrapped up, with its ending still being debated by viewers in China.
Sohu noted that some viewers found the open ending of Where the Mask Ends satisfying because the main storyline and its villains were resolved. Others felt the political plot was weak and rushed, and that the ending left too many questions unanswered. A hashtag asking whether the drama’s ending fell apart briefly made it onto Weibo’s trending list. According to Sohu, the debate has not damaged the drama’s reputation, but it has chipped away at the goodwill the show built up from the start.
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The media suggested the impact on Zhi Jin Chai could be more complicated, since that project is still in development. It is being made by the same team as Where the Mask Ends: director Yang Long and screenwriter Zhou Mo. Zhou Mo also wrote the screenplay for Story of Yanxi Palace.
Unlike the usual approach of testing the market before ordering a follow-up, Zhi Jin Chai was already on Youku’s 2027 slate, released on September 16, 2026, a month before Where the Mask Ends premiered on October 16, 2026. Sohu said the project has entered the development stage. It is not yet known when filming will begin or when the drama will air.
Zhi Jin Chai is not a continuation of Where the Mask Ends. Based on the synopsis in circulation, its story stands alone with a new lead character. Where the Mask Ends itself is adapted from the novel Jia Jin Chai by Xiao Jiaren, and the companion drama does not continue that story or its characters.
In the synopsis, Jing Zhu, a female beggar, wishes never to be reborn and trades that wish for one year of life in luxury. After waking up, she becomes the principal consort of Prince Zhuang, Liu Xiang. Jing Zhu soon discovers that the prince has two faces, that his two previous consorts died suddenly, and that strange incidents keep occurring in his household. Jing Zhu has to face off against Liu Xiang until she finally manages to smash the “golden cage” that has trapped her.
Sohu pointed to the growing number of serialized projects, multi-season dramas, and follow-ups announced before the original has aired on the 2027 slates of Chinese video platforms. The cast of Zhi Jin Chai has not been officially announced.
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