The month of May is turning out to be Xiao Zhan month for fans of Chinese dramas as, not only is the Chinese actor currently starring in the hit drama The Legend of Zang Hai, it has just been announced his upcoming drama Spying (谍报上不封顶) has also begun filming.
Locations announced include both Shanghai and Chongqing so far.
Along with boosting ceremony photographs released (see below), we also got beautiful Spying character posters of each of the C-drama’s main characters, and confirmation Zhou Yutong (Young Blood and Me and My Family) is the historical C-drama’s female lead.
Something I am thrilled about, as I think this one will be an interesting pairing. Especially as both actors seem to give such deep introspection to every role they play.
In this case, however, it appears the C-drama doesn’t feature romance between the two. So, if dramas that must feature romance between the leads are your thing, Spying may not be for you.
The 40-episode Spying is produced by Noon Sunshine and YOUKU and directed by Zhang Kaizhou (Ode to Joy, Season 2 and The Story of Ming Lan), who is one of Xiao Zhan’s favorite directors.
The actor himself spoke at the C-drama’s booting ceremony recently, commenting how much he is looking forward to working on Zhang’s latest project.
After all, it is a quite different role than what we are used to seeing Xiao Zhan star in.
The Chinese drama is based on the popular web novel ‘Die Bao Shang Bu Feng Ding‘ (谍报上不封顶) by Sang Zhizhi (桑栀栀).
The just-released Spying posters feature Xiao Zhan, Zhou Yutong, Gu Zhixin, and Zheng Jia Bin among others, all dressed in period costumes.
According to Baike Baidu, the drama takes place towards the end of the Chinese Republican Era, and soon after World War II ended. It was one of the most unstable periods in modern Chinese history, so the story should be intriguing.
The Spying plot goes like this:
In 1948, Ren Shaobai (played by Xiao Zhan), an underground Communist Party member embedded in the Ministry of National Defense, has been in hiding for years after his sole contact was killed.
When another underground operative, Qiao Mingyu, is exposed, Ren Shaobai risks using the ministry’s radio to save the entire intelligence network.
Later, while investigating a military payroll embezzlement case, he reconnects with his new handler, Peng Yongcheng (Gu Zhixin), and is reactivated.
After being “awakened,” Ren Shaobai begins climbing the ranks within the Ministry of National Defense, eventually becoming a trusted aide to the director of the Intelligence Department.
Meanwhile, Qiao Mingyu’s widow, Lan Youyin (Zhou Yutong), a mathematics prodigy, is secretly plotting assassinations of military intelligence officers for unknown reasons.
The Spying booting ceremony took place earlier this month, with photos of the main cast released a few days ago.
As for the C-drama’s premiere date, with filming going for at least 90 days if not longer, and then the usual checking by governmental agencies before a distribution license is approved, it’s likely we won’t see Spying dropping on YOUKU until at least the first quarter of 2026.
I will give you a heads up as soon as it appears on YOUKU’s release schedule.
Until then then, if you haven’t begun watching Xiao Zhan’s latest C-drama The Legend of Zang Hai, that is now streaming on YOUKU for VIP subscribers, on YOUKU’s YouTube channel with its first 12 episodes free-to-watch, and via Viki for its subscribers.
It is already one of YOUKU’s biggest hits of 2025.
Enjoy the photos!
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