Chinese Title: 美人余 (Mei Ren Yu)
English Title: The Vanishing Beauty
Also Known As: Lady’s Yu, Mei Ren Yu
Genres: Urban, Family, Drama, Romance, Melodrama
Episodes: 28
Director: Wang Ying (王迎) and Wu Huihui (毋辉辉, co-director)
Screenwriter: Zhang Jia (张佳)
Based On: The novel Mei Ren Yu (美人余) by Yi Bei (伊北)
Production Companies: Tencent Video, Haohao Entertainment (浩瀚娱乐)
Filming Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang Province; Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
Original Network: Tencent Video (全网独播)
Release Date: Expected early to mid 2026 ; filming wrapped January 12, 2026
The Vanishing Beauty plot synopsis
Yu Meng, an only child from the Yangtze River Delta region and a popular online blogger, is considered a “lucky woman” envied by the people around her. On the occasion of her fifth wedding anniversary, however, her seemingly perfect and happy life collapses.
Not only does her marriage to her supposed “perfect” husband begin to unravel, but she also faces numerous crises, including being exploited and financially drained by her in-laws.
A drama about a woman being taken advantage of by others, but breaking free.
The Vanishing Beauty Cast
Main Cast
Li Yi Tong (李一桐) as Yu Meng (余梦)
Wang Jia Jia (aka Esther Wang) (王佳佳) as Lu Hui (卢蕙)
Chang Hua Sen (常华森) as Jiao Xu (焦旭)
Zeng Meng Xue (曾梦雪) as Liu Zi (刘姿)
Special Appearances & Extended Cast
Qiao Zhen Yu (乔振宇) as Di Li Ren (狄立人)
Peter Ho (He Rundong / 何润东) as Han Guang (韩广)
Cheng Hong Xin (程泓鑫) as Harry
Zhou Da Wei (周大为) as Kang Long (康隆)
Huo Qing (霍青) as Yu Jianguo (余建国)
Special Guest Appearances
Wu Yu Fang (吴玉芳) as Lu Lizhen (陆丽珍)
Yi Meng Ling (易梦玲) as Wen Xiaoxiao (文晓晓)
Ma Wen Yuan (马闻远) as Liu Bai (刘白)
Episodes & Airing
Total Episodes: 28
Episode Length: 45 minutes
Filming Period: September 30, 2025 – January 12, 2026 (approximately 90-105 days)
Original Release: Expected early to mid 2026
Original Network / Platform: Tencent Video (腾讯视频) – exclusive online streaming
Where to Watch The Vanishing Beauty
The Vanishing Beauty will stream exclusively on Tencent Video (腾讯视频) in China, including via their TV app Extreme TV (极光TV).
International audiences can check Tencent Video’s international platform WeTV for availability with English subtitles upon release. The drama is expected to premiere in early to mid- 2026. It received its distribution license in April, 2026.
Why It’s Worth Watching
The Vanishing Beauty arrives as one of the most anticipated modern family melodramas of 2026, and here’s why it deserves a spot on your watchlist.
A Stellar Creative Team. Director Wang Ying brings decades of experience, having worked on iconic Chinese dramas like Struggle (奋斗), one of the most influential dramas about young people navigating career and love in modern China. Screenwriter Zhang Jia penned Women in Beijing (北京女子图鉴), a sharp, realistic look at women chasing dreams in China’s capital. Together, they promise a drama that balances emotional depth with sharp social commentary.
Source Material by a Master of Female-Focused Stories. Yi Bei (伊北), the author of the original novel, is best known for A Little Mood for Love (小敏家), a critically acclaimed drama about second marriages and family reconciliation. His works consistently explore the inner lives of women with empathy, nuance, and unflinching honesty. The Vanishing Beauty brings his award-winning novel (runner-up in Douban Read’s first long-form fiction competition) to the screen .
Li Yi Tong in a Dramatic Transformation. Li Yi Tong, best known for period dramas and lighthearted romances, takes on the meaty role of Yu Meng, a woman whose “perfect life” is exposed as a gilded cage. The role demands a journey from naive “lucky girl” to a hardened, self-determined woman. A performance arc that could showcase new depths to her acting range .
A Timely, Unflinching Look at Modern Marriage. At its core, The Vanishing Beauty tackles the phenomenon of “live-in sons-in-law” (上门女婿) – men who marry into wealthy families and the families’ assets – and the financial exploitation that can occur. The drama pulls back the curtain on the dark side of seemingly perfect unions, exploring issues of financial control, infidelity, and the erasure of a woman’s identity within her own marriage .
Quick Turnaround, High Hype. From its September 2025 production announcement to its January 2026 wrap, the drama moved efficiently through production, landing on Tencent Video’s major 2025-2026 slate presentations and building significant anticipation among fans of modern female-centric dramas .
If you enjoyed other Yi Bei adaptations like A Little Mood for Love, or modern marriage dramas like or Delicious Romance (爱很美味), The Vanishing Beauty could be essential viewing.
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