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| Tencent Video |
Liu Yuning’s back at it again, and this time, he’s not just serving face and charisma—he’s serving sheer bloody grit. Fresh off his buzzworthy roles in A Journey to Love with Liu Shishi and The Story of Pearl Girl alongside Zhao Lusi, the actor-musician has taken centre stage once more in The Prisoner of Beauty, co-starring Song Zuer.
Hmm, that's another scene that is 🔞 in the novel😆😅. They handle it like a massage (the "massage" in the novel was different😆). But I like it. It's really romantic.🥰 #LiuYuning #SongZuer #ThePrisonerOfBeauty #ThePrisonerOfBeautyEp17 pic.twitter.com/TDMof3oy3x
— vєรรץ ♒️ 🙅🏼♀️ (@Vessy_nv) May 19, 2025
The drama’s just entered the ring against Legend of Zang Hai, starring mega-star Xiao Zhan, which dropped on 18 May. While the new release briefly knocked The Prisoner of Beauty off its momentum, Liu Yuning’s series quickly bounced back—smashing through the 30,000 mark on Tencent Video’s popularity index and sliding comfortably into the trending zone.
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And let’s be real—part of that buzz is thanks to Liu Yuning himself.
In the series, the 189cm-tall man plays Wei Shao, a cold-as-ice military commander with a haunted past. After a brutal betrayal by the Qiao family that cost him his father and brother, Wei Shao’s been running on rage and revenge.
That is, until Xiao Qiao (Song Zuer) enters the picture. What starts as a political marriage of convenience turns into a slow-burn love story, packed with inner turmoil, quiet tenderness, and the kind of on-screen tension that makes fans swoon.
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Their chemistry? Off the charts. With a height gap of nearly 30 cm (yes, we measured), their dynamic has been dubbed a “classic historical drama couple.” One scene, where a wounded Wei Shao swoops in to save Xiao Qiao, has gone viral—earning him serious heartthrob points and landing Wei Shao the title of fastest-rising male character on Tencent this year, hitting 400 million views in just six days.
Every scene I loved of them from ep 16 onwards 😩😩😩.
— - 𝙖𝙥𝙞 🎀 (@dramaxthetics) May 19, 2025
{ #ThePrisonerOfBeauty #SongZuEr #LiuYuning } pic.twitter.com/2PPLEj2yva
But here’s the kicker: Liu Yuning did all that while injured.
According to reports, he fractured his right leg during an action sequence while filming A Journey to Love—but rather than taking it easy, he rocked up to The Prisoner of Beauty set in January 2023 without waiting for a full recovery. No drama, no diva behaviour. Just pure professionalism.
He rode horses, carried Song Zuer around like it was nothing, and threw himself into fight scenes—even as his face turned red from the pain.
And let’s not even get started on the icy water scene: he soaked in freezing water for three days straight, aggravating his injury just to get the shot. Not once did he ask for a break. That’s some next-level dedication right there.
And it doesn’t stop when the cameras do. Co-star He Hongshan (Da Qiao) shared that Liu Yuning would stay on set during her emotional scenes just to help her get into the right headspace—even when he wasn’t in the scene.
So yeah, The Prisoner of Beauty isn’t just another period drama. With its heavy mix of political plotting, slow-burn romance, and top-tier performances, it’s earned every bit of its growing fanbase. And with Liu Yuning giving it his all—injury and all—it’s easy to see why he’s quickly becoming one of Chinese drama’s most beloved leading men.