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| Wealthy Investor's 60 Kissing Scenes Spark Chinese Microdrama Scandal as Actor Speaks Out. (Douyin) |
Sometimes reality produces a plot twist that even scriptwriters would probably reject for being too unbelievable. A customised Chinese microdrama has become one of the entertainment industry's biggest talking points after reports claimed a wealthy investor cast herself as the female lead opposite rising actor Zhong Yufei, reportedly filling the series with more than 60 kissing scenes before the production descended into allegations, payment disputes and an online storm.
What began as an unusual vanity project has quickly turned into a wider discussion about actor protections, investor influence and whether having deep pockets should also come with creative control. While self-funded productions are nothing new in China's rapidly expanding microdrama market, this case has raised eyebrows for reasons that go far beyond the storyline itself.
According to director Meng Xing, whose production company handled the project, the investor approached her team to create a tailor-made romantic microdrama starring... herself.
Rather than hiring an established actress, the investor reportedly took the leading role and personally selected 23-year-old Zhong Yufei, one of the fast-rising faces in China's booming short-form drama industry, as her romantic co-star.
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Chinese media reported that Zhong Yufei played a prince who had fallen on difficult times, while the investor portrayed his princess. On paper, it sounded like another fantasy romance. Behind the cameras, however, things allegedly became far more complicated.
Crew members reportedly joked that the script contained so many kissing scenes the characters barely had time to finish a conversation before another romantic moment arrived.
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According to those involved in production, the investor insisted on including more than 60 kissing scenes across just over 50 episodes, creating what some jokingly described as a romance operating on permanent fast-forward.
The jokes eventually gave way to more serious concerns. After filming concluded, Zhong Yufei uploaded a video alleging that his personal boundaries had been crossed repeatedly during production.
He claimed the growing number of intimate scenes made him increasingly uncomfortable and suggested that the situation became more difficult as filming progressed.
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Ironically, audiences never even saw the full version of what had been filmed. Reports claim the streaming platform later removed more than 20 kissing scenes, deciding several sequences were simply too intimate for release.
Those edits reportedly disrupted the narrative, leaving some viewers confused about the relationship between the lead characters and even prompting rumours that the pair were romantically involved away from the cameras.
As the story spread across Chinese social media, another rumour quickly emerged. Some internet users began claiming that Meng Xing herself was actually the wealthy investor behind the production.
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The director has firmly denied those claims, explaining that her company had simply been hired to produce the customised series.
According to Meng Xing, the real dispute only became public after the investor allegedly refused to pay the remaining 30,000 yuan in production fees because she was unhappy that the streaming platform had removed many of the romantic scenes she had requested.
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Meng Xing also alleged she attempted to persuade the investor to reduce the number of kissing scenes during production, believing the volume of intimate moments was excessive.
She claimed those suggestions were rejected, and after the drama later received poor audience reviews, responsibility was allegedly shifted towards the editing team rather than the creative decisions made during production.
Following the controversy, the production company apologised publicly to Zhong Yufei and announced it would strengthen future contracts by introducing clearer protections for performers while more clearly defining responsibilities in customised productions.
The move has been welcomed by many observers, who argue that independent investors should not be allowed to blur professional boundaries simply because they are financing a project.
Beyond the immediate controversy, the incident has also reignited discussion about the rapidly growing microdrama industry. The sector has exploded in popularity over recent years thanks to low production costs and enormous online audiences, but critics argue that the industry's rapid expansion has sometimes outpaced the development of consistent production standards and clearer safeguards for actors and crew.
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Many viewers believe this latest controversy highlights why stronger professional guidelines are needed regardless of who pays the bills. Others point out that customised productions can still succeed creatively when experienced producers maintain editorial independence rather than allowing every personal request to make its way into the final script.
For older Chinese entertainment fans, the entire episode also felt strangely familiar. Countless cnetz compared the story to the infamous 1998 Taiwanese drama Ximen Wuhen, where investor Yang Jungjun, affectionately nicknamed "Auntie Ximen", famously cast herself opposite much younger leading men. That production became legendary for its awkward romantic scenes and has remained a lasting pop culture reference whenever wealthy investors decide they would also quite like to become the star of the show.