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| “The Prisoner of Beauty” spin-off Yield to You pulled from P Platforms — Fans recall Liu Yuning’s “Too Bold to Air” remark |
The short drama Yield to You (折腰), a mini adaptation of The Prisoner of Beauty (折腰), just became the latest hot topic on Chinese social media — and not for good reasons.
The series, starring Yue Yuting as Xiao Qiao and Wu Xize as Wei Shao, dropped on Hongguo platform at 10 a.m. on October 15, 2025, only to vanish from all major streaming sites that same night.
By evening, searches for the show led to blank pages and confused viewers wondering what had just happened.
A Drama Too Bold for Its Own Good?
Within hours of its release, the hashtag #短剧折腰尺度好大 (“the short drama Zhe Yao is extremely bold”) skyrocketed past one billion views on Weibo.
Comments poured in accusing the production of pushing the boundaries of short-drama censorship, with some scenes described as “visibly too daring” for current regulations.
While the short-drama format in China is known for its fast pacing and eye-catching moments, viewers said Yield to You went too far, with several sequences that clearly crossed the line of what online platforms consider acceptable.
Liu Yuning’s Old Comment Resurfaces
The sudden takedown instantly reminded fans of Liu Yuning’s tongue-in-cheek remark from 2024, when he promoted the full-length version of The Prisoner of Beauty alongside Song Zuer.
When asked whether their version would include the more sensual chapters from the original novel, Liu joked:
“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.”
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At the time, people laughed it off as typical promo banter.
But with Yield to You disappearing less than half a day after its debut, fans now say Liu Yuning might have unintentionally predicted the future.
Weibo comments summed up the collective reaction perfectly:
“Liu Yuning wasn’t lying — turns out he knew!”
“He said it would get banned if they filmed those parts, and… well, here we are!”
Critics and industry watchers have since pointed out that the short drama missed what made the original story shine.
While Liu Yuning and Song Zuer’s adaptation found a balance between emotional depth and restraint, Yield to You seemingly leaned into provocative moments for pure viral appeal — and it backfired fast.
Entertainment insiders now see this as a clear cautionary tale: when storytelling takes a back seat to shock value, even a few hours of fame can end in a total blackout.
As one popular Weibo comment put it, “Being bold might get you trending, but it can also get you deleted before anyone finishes episode one.”
And honestly? Liu Yuning probably saw it coming all along.