Investor who cast herself as lead demanded 60 kissing scenes, sparking co-star backlash

A wealthy Chinese woman reportedly turned her dream drama into a highly unusual production after funding the series herself and taking the lead role. What made the project stand out was her reported demand for more than 60 kissing scenes with the male actor she personally chose.

According to Mothership, the unnamed investor paid for a customized short-form drama running for more than 50 episodes. She reportedly cast herself as a princess and selected actor Zhong Yufei as her love interest, a down-on-his-luck prince.

The production reportedly became controversial when the investor insisted on filling the series with intimate moments. Director Meng Xing said she tried to reduce the number of kissing scenes, but the investor refused. Crew members reportedly joked that the pair seemed destined to kiss every few steps.

Cutting 20 scenes for being too explicit and then refusing to pay the $4,200 production fee is pure drama

Zhong later spoke about the filming in a video and accused his co-star of repeatedly crossing his boundaries during intimate scenes. His complaint focused on her alleged behavior while filming their kisses. “Don’t stick out your tongue when filming kissing scenes. Don’t keep sending saliva into my mouth.” This comes after Courtney Stodden also opened up about an uncomfortable on-set experience years later 

He also reportedly told her not to keep putting saliva into his mouth. The comments sparked attention online as viewers questioned how intimate scenes were handled during the production.

According to 8world, the streaming platform later removed more than 20 kissing and intimate scenes because they were considered too explicit. The cuts reportedly created gaps in the storyline. Some viewers even believed the two actors had developed a real-life relationship.

Meng later clarified that she was hired only to produce the customized series. She said she was not the wealthy investor some viewers had assumed her to be. Difficult experiences with co-stars are hardly unique to this production, as Molly Ringwald has also opened up about the project she considers the worst of her career. 

According to Lianhe Zaobao, Meng also claimed the investor refused to pay the remaining 30,000 yuan production fee. That is around $4,200 USD. The dispute reportedly followed the removal of many kissing scenes from the finished drama. The investor has not publicly responded to the allegations or the payment dispute.

The production company has since apologized to Zhong. It also pledged to create clearer contracts that better protect actors and define responsibilities during future productions.