Now this is an interesting main cast, as upcoming Chinese drama Phoenix of Smoke (aka Yan Zhi Huang or 烟之凰) stars Russian actress Naran alongside not-stereotypically-handsome-but-incredibly hot Xiao Shun Yao.
A pairing you don’t see every day, and one I am fully on board for as she is gorgeous and he is ruggedly beautiful. (Isn’t he, though? I mean, he’s not the type of man you would necessarily call “handsome” but, man, is he sexy!)
The Chinese drama wrapped its filming yesterday, September 7th, 2025, and almost immediately a series of character visuals introducing the show’s main characters were released.
Alongside the new Phoenix of Smoke character visuals, YOUKU also commented about the C-drama’s plot:
#Phoenix of Smoke Ends Filming# | #Youku2026Lineup#
“An orphaned girl who lost her family at eight—now the leader of an assassination organization?”
Dark vengeance × Political intrigue—every strike of the blade is a move in a deadly game!
Wrapping filming is not the end – it’s the beginning of the storm in the Eastern Han dynasty’s darkest night!
Stay tuned for the drama’s exclusive premiere on YOUKU – get ready for this gripping tale of revenge.
And, as they mentioned, Phoenix of Smoke, which is now heading into post-production, is currently scheduled to premiere on YOUKU’s streaming platform next year.
As long as the C-drama gets a distribution license, that is.
RELATED: Spring Festival posters drop of Naran and Xiao Shun Yao from Phoenix of Smoke drop
Alongside Naran (Creation of the Gods movie) and Xiao Shun Yao (Mysterious Lotus Casebook), the Yan Zhi Huang cast includes Dai Gao Zheng (Lost You, Found You), Gao Jia Yan in her first C-drama role, Du Yu Sen (Scout Hero) and Zhao Qi (Drifting Away).
The Phoenix of Smoke plot is typical of a Chinese historical romance, although that isn’t necessarily bad, as Baidu Baike describes it like this:
Dou Ling (played by Naran) is the beloved granddaughter of the late General Dou Wu.
At the age of eight, her family fell victim to a conspiracy orchestrated by eunuchs, resulting in the execution of the entire clan and the confiscation of their assets.
The young Dou Ling is then forced into exile among the common people. Unwilling to accept her fate, she adopts the alias Yan Huang and infiltrates the “Caiyi Fang,” an organization controlled by the eunuch Cao Jie (played by Liu Jun).
With exceptional courage and intelligence, she rises through the ranks to become a resourceful and skilled Black Dress Agent, while also forming genuine friendships with Tong Que (played by Chai Bi Yun) and Chen Xiao (played by Xiao Shun Yao).
While carrying out missions assigned by Cao Jie, Yan Huang repeatedly risks her life to cleverly rescue loyal officials framed by the eunuchs, punish corrupt eunuchs, and collaborate with Chen Xiao to locate the Black Dress Register, freeing numerous controlled Black Dress Agents.
Yep, that sounds interesting, right/
The Chinese drama is set to run for 24 episodes, and will stream exclusively on YOUKU when it premieres.
Enjoy the new Phoenix of Smoke character visuals (which, although they are definitely dark and mysterious, I would prefer them if you could see each character a little closer up, wouldn’t you?), and I will keep you posted as more information about Phoenix of Smoke drops.
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