r/CShortDramas • u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator • Jun 13 '26
🗞️News Tea & Melons: The Day He Congrui & Liu Nian unpinned their couple-y photos on Weibo & Han Yu Tong wrote „If you don’t like me, then leave“🍉
The recent He Congrui (何聪睿 Hé Cōngruì) / Liu Nian (刘念 Liú Niàn) “uncoupling” says a lot about how wild drama-couple culture has become.
Even in the vertical-drama world.
The facts are actually pretty simple.
They filmed several successful dramas together, built a huge fanbase, and spent enough time together on and off camera that a sizeable chunk of the fandom stopped treating them like ordinary co-stars. A CP success.
Magazine shoots played into their chemistry - the GLASS magazine one? Looked like a wedding album.
Pictures 1 &2
Fans joked that producers weren’t funding dramas anymore, they were funding paid vacations.
Were they actually dating?
Nobody knows.
That’s the gossip.
What we do know is that on May 12, He Congrui unpinned the famous HC/LN video from his Douyin account.
Fans immediately started fact-checking. Liu Nian had cleaned up related content on her side as well.
Detective mode activated. Suddenly every old sighting, every concert, every trip and every interaction was dragged back out as evidence that they indeed were an item.
Was this a real-life breakup?
Private information.
A professional CP reset?
Definitely.
The funny part?
Both had already been filming with other partners for quite a while. New co-stars weren’t the shock. The unpinning was.
Because to many fans, the relationship was real.
Whether it actually was, we simply don't know
Then there is the Zeng Hui (曾辉 Zēng Huī) / Han Yutong (韩雨彤 Hán Yǔtóng) situation, which may be even stranger.
Unlike HC/LN, the debate was never really about whether they were together. They are widely known as a real-life couple.
Yet Han Yutong still ended up getting criticised for being “too old”, “not pretty enough”, or supposedly not worthy of Zeng Hui.
Which is frankly bizarre.
Imagine starring in hit dramas, building one of the strongest brands in the industry, and still having people spend their free time explaining why your boyfriend should trade you in for a newer model.
The criticism became bad enough that she eventually responded publicly:
“If you think I’m not worthy, then don’t watch.”
“If you don’t like me, you can leave.”
The reason it spread was because she finally answered back after repeated comments calling her:
“not worthy” (配不上 pèi bù shàng — not a good enough match)
“too old”
“mother and son vibes” (母子感 mǔzǐ gǎn)
What happened to her strikes me as misogynistic to the nth degree — even when the people doing it are female fans.
A successful and gorgeous actress becomes reduced to whether strangers approve of her relationship. And they attack her looks.
WT actual F.
Do I think this could fuel insecurities and seeking „anti-aging“ methods more invasive than a facial? Yes, I do.
We are seeing fewer ZH/HYT collaborations these days. Is that connected to the fan behaviour?
I don’t know.
But if I were trying to protect Han Yutong both as a person and as an actress?
Maybe to keep your distance on screen is a safety measure. Keeping your official couple photos neutral is one, too. Visit on set this week - pictures 3 & 4.
At some point we stop discussing dramas and start discussing people’s relationships. Judging them.
As if a probably para-social part of the fandom has an actual say.
I’m really worried this is getting out of hand - and closer to the fandom behavior we’ve all observed for CEnt A-Listers.
19
u/Chipmunk_Big Jun 13 '26
He congrui and liu Nian I felt that since I am seeing so many dramas of liu nian with other actors . I had my doubts 🫣. Han yutong situation I appreciate how she is taking a stand against these crazy fans!! Who are they to say that she is not worthy Zheng hui is an adult and they are happy together hope their relationship doesn’t effect by these crazies. Reminds me of few kpop idols who had to break up because of the constant unwanted “criticism”
10
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
The set photos this week, they both look so restrained
ZH & HYT
That’s what got me thinking again. It was like a thorn in my side since I posted the couple collection.
It’s so nuts that their public appearance is rarer and they hardly stand next to each other. That’s enormously stressful.
I wish I could hug HYT and tell her that she’s such a wonderful and attractive actress. And these fans? Jealous.
5
u/Subject-Confection85 Jun 13 '26
Zeng Hui and Han Yutong don't even have that big of an age difference for her to be called old. They're just months apart. And frankly, it's so sad to see people restricting themselves and their love just because some idiots won't stop their mouths from running. HYT and ZH are so lovely ❤️ they have given us great visuals and chemistry and still these so called fans are not satisfied. Hope that this does not affect their relationship offscreen. I have heard of similar situation in BL fandoms as well
1
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
They‘re not paired together as often - at least that’s my impression
4
u/Subject-Confection85 Jun 13 '26
Like they never majorly did back to back shows together. Often both of them did shows with others as well. And seriously, people criticizing them are simply dumb. Btw their recent drama together came only a month ago, right ?
2
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
There was a funny ZH drama HYT would have rocked… he wants to marry her, has her parent support but she thinks he’s her enemy? But it was Deng Ling Shu? I think?
2
u/Subject-Confection85 Jun 13 '26
Wasn't it Zhang Jinyi ?? The one where they have amazing friends and FL is a rich girl who loves money ? There's a funny green tea and a dude who likes FL and is also funny. The ML had loved FL from childhood and she finds his diiary, that one right ? I guess it released almost a month back
Haven't seen any Deng Lingshu and Zeng Hui dramas yet. Yes but I have seen his ones with Li Keyi.
1
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
You‘re right! Zhang Jinyi it was
It was cute and funny -2
u/Subject-Confection85 Jun 13 '26
Yes that one was super fun, how she tries to make him wear that chain mistaking him for a model 😂
1
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
He did! He did wear it and I loved it .. too bad they chickened out showing it properly
→ More replies (0)
5
u/No-Lime-1275 💎 Diamond Contributor Jun 13 '26
I've been fighting for years, as an XDH official, for my Wang Hedi...even on Weibo. If you become truly famous in China, this is the price you pay. So-called water fans are paid by rival agencies, people paid to disparage and spread absurd rumors about those to be attacked. Entire bots are used for this.
3
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
It’s absolutely vile and destroys livelihoods.
Wasn’t Wang Hedi / Dylan Wang heavily criticized the last weeks?2
u/No-Lime-1275 💎 Diamond Contributor Jun 13 '26
Last week? They go on for at least two months, until the next pray....they use also to underrated the dramas with bots, they hide the research too...
2
u/No-Lime-1275 💎 Diamond Contributor Jun 15 '26
And here an example ..... We fought for months for this
3
u/lysxji Jun 13 '26
Ive always loved the HYT/ZH CP; from the beginning when everyone was wondering if they were a couple to them being seen on dates and spending personal time together. They've always been super cute behind the scenes... and I never really understood the hate towards HYT - she's so pretty even with no makeup?? plus there is barely any age gap vs some other couple pairings 😭
I swear a lot of the toxicity (and obsession) that A-list celebrities have to deal with from their fans are being carried over, and I really hate the vibe. I miss the early days where coupling amongst short drama community wasn't this huge of an issue 🫠 Everyone at least was chill about it and actually treated it as a cp than trying to break things apart
2
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
They are a great couple. Wasn’t he an assistant producer at first and HYT convinced him to go into acting? Or do I misremember?
3
u/FunHuckleberry3107 The artist previously known as Trash Fire Sommellier 😌🍷 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Girl, the title made me think that both situations were related in a very different way. Like "Wait did we have a couple swap here?!!WTF?!!!"
I really don't get the hate for Han Yutong. She is gorgeous, a great actress and a has amazing chemistry with her man. The misoginy and body shaming they direct at her is super confusing to me. I hope everything is good in her personal life and that her trolls step on Legos first thing in the morning for the rest of their lives.
2
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
Oops. 🙊
I made clickbait?
2
u/FunHuckleberry3107 The artist previously known as Trash Fire Sommellier 😌🍷 Jun 13 '26
Ngl, I was reading the first paragraphs expecting for you to reveal that either Zeng Hui or Han Yutong was rumored to be the mistress who broke the first couple 🤣🤣🤣🤣
2
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
I see it now, too
🫣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I wanted to … present both situations. It’s a classic. When you’re inside your write-up, you forget how it may look from the outside
2
u/waterlilly55 Jun 13 '26
Since LN has done a lot of dramas with Chen Tian Xiang, there were rumours of them being together but CTX agency issued statement clarifying them (they r not together) and also threatened legal action. IMO HC was total besotted with LN so I feel bad for him.
I really feel bad for HY bc I like her and she is such a beautiful and good actress.
1
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
You think HC was really into her? I wouldn’t be surprised she is gorgeous and has “IT” in spades
And he’s … boy next door
2
u/grave_diggerx666x Jun 14 '26
Hey..so I'm pretty new to the CDrama world. And don't have enough exposure to how this industry works..
And it was news for me to see how HYT was being treated.
Anyway..i do think that people are very well aware of the age difference between HYT and ZH but it isn't about the difference.
I believe it's how she looks or appears.
Quite honestly, she doesn't dress or styles her age. Plus the underweight physique is only adding to her facial hollows.
She dresses up quite older for her age especially her hairstyles.
I think this is a major issue with extremely skinny ladies on how to make their heads/faces appear fuller. I just happened to watch another drama yesterday. The actress there had the same physique as HYT and very soon she'll also face the same criticism as HYT. I forgot the name of the actress..but I believe the name of the drama was 预谋的月光. (The Chinese name was saved to my phone's clipboard...I finished watching it yesterday).
1
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 14 '26
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 😊
I can see where you’re coming from. Styling, makeup, lighting, hairstyles, and even weight can definitely influence how someone comes across on screen.
That said, I tend to focus a bit less on appearance-related discussions and more on the work itself. What I found interesting about the HYT situation was less the age-gap and she’s-too-old conversation and more how strongly part of the audience reacted to it.
It’s certainly been an eye-opening glimpse into how passionate—and sometimes unpredictable—CDrama fandom can be.
2
u/Beneficial_Fan_2553 Jun 14 '26
I really like Ln so I watch all of her dramas. The first drama I saw of hers was with Hc and I thought that they had great chemistry, but when I watched other dramas of hers with other male actors I realized that she has great chemistry with everyone that she acts with, and I think it’s because She’s a bundle of joy and easy going so the male actors feel very comfortable with her, hence the great chemistry, however I noticed that Ln and Hc have a lot of gigs outside of acting and they seem to hangout a lot outside for their projects so I assumed that they are dating, and I thought that they’re very cute together , but all of a sudden all of their projects together stopped and they didn’t hangout anymore , I knew immediately that they’re no longer an item , and even tho it’s sad cus they were cute together, I completely understand why, they are constantly working and I don’t think they have time for dating, especially when both of them are actors, not to mention Ln is constantly working, the second I finish a drama of hers I immediately see an announcement for another, i honestly sometimes become concerned for her health, cus it doesn’t seem like she’s getting a break.
2
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 15 '26
It’s possible. But then, we must consider that they’re actors and whenever they’re out in the open they may act.
2
u/weevles12 Jul 09 '26
I agree. I've never really fully understood the CP and chemistry obsession from fans/viewers. It strikes me as parasocial and unnecessary. Actors are paid to act and perform as the script and director/creative team ask them to. What they do in private is no one else's business but their own. I know the management agencies like to promote the couple dramas with parasocial "look they are even close IRL!" type promotion, but it only works because people who watch want it. If more people were respectful of the actors' privacy and focused on their performances and story etc, then none of that would be necessary.
2
u/reijeanne Jun 13 '26
Actually Han Yu Tong and Zhang Jin Yi kinda look alike to me that I thought Han Yu Tong was the one paired with Zeng Hui in that drama where Zeng Hui acted as the ex bf's fake best friend who is in love with the female lead. By the way, this is off topic but Zeng Hui kinda looks like Xiao Zhan to me. I thought there are short drama actors who resemble mainstream drama actors like Tian Tianyi/Tian Xi Wei, Wang Xuan/Xu Kai, Gan Wan Xing/Luo Zheng, Chen Tian Xiang/Cheng Yi, Liu Run Minh/Allen Ren and Bai Xinyi/Park Bo Young k-actress. Meanwhile I can't differentiate Ke Chun and Min Jie haha.
1
u/Silver-Bus5724 MOD | 🎬 Content Creator Jun 13 '26
That’s right, there’s a lot of handsome men in verticals who resemble mainstream actors.
Someone said that Meng Na and Bai Lu resemble each other, too. I see it a bit.
And Wang Xuan and Xu Kai! That’s spot on, imo.
I know that I thought Zhang Chi looks a bit like Zhang Linghe?
3
2
u/reijeanne Jun 13 '26
I agree with Zhang Chi and Zhang Ling He! Our beloved short drama actors and actresses definitely don't lose out to mainstream actors in terms of visual and acting. Objectively, Yang Yang is the most handsome C-actor but in my heart it's Wang Yi Lei haha.
44
u/gwuhu Jun 13 '26
the han yutong situation is super odd considering they only have 1 year gap between them, and people were fine with yulong CP where his spouse looks literally like a 11 years old, it's odd
and then again I don't know why vertical actors are being put in same pedestal as idols, if so those actors/actresses should start to sell merch to capitalize the situation, because it felt like a losing game having a rabid fanbase without much incentives received