LayarHijau – The short drama Yield to You (折腰), a mini adaptation of The Prisoner of Beauty (折腰), has become a heated topic on Chinese social media. Starring Yue Yuting as Xiao Qiao and Wu Xize as Wei Shao, the series premiered on the Hongguo platform at 10 a.m. on October 15, 2025 — only to be removed from all platforms that same night.
The hashtag #短剧折腰尺度好大 (meaning “the short drama Zhe Yao is extremely bold in its scenes”) surged past one billion views on Weibo within hours. Viewers complained that the drama contained overly explicit content, including several intimate moments that clearly pushed the limits of short-drama censorship guidelines.
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The incident quickly reminded fans of Liu Yuning’s old joke during the promotion of the full-length version of The Prisoner of Beauty, which he starred in alongside Song Zuer. At the time, fans had asked whether the team would faithfully recreate the novel’s more sensual scenes. Liu Yuning laughed and replied:
“Some of the scenes in the novel are far too bold. If we really filmed all of them, the drama would probably be banned immediately.”
Back then, his comment was taken as a playful exaggeration, WZ Gossip Boy wrote on Baijiahao Baidu. But now, with Yield to You disappearing less than half a day after release, netizens say Liu Yuning’s words turned out to be prophetic.
On Weibo, many left amused remarks such as:
“果然刘宇宁没被打脸！” (“Liu Yuning was totally right!”) and
“刘宇宁说的话太权威了，拍了真的会出事啊！” (“Liu Yuning’s words carry authority — he knew it would cause trouble if filmed!”).
Some viewers also pointed out that the short drama misunderstood what made the original so compelling. While Liu Yuning and Song Zuer’s version balanced sensuality with restraint and emotional depth, Yield to You crossed the censorship line deliberately in pursuit of shock value and viral fame.
Now, many in the industry see Yield to You as a clear warning: “boldness without restraint” may grab attention — but it can also kill a drama before it truly lives.
