Pursuit of Jade (逐玉) has drawn a lot of buzz lately, and if you’re watching, you may have noticed something off about the actor playing Song Yan, the heroine’s ex-fiancé in the drama. The character had very stiff and unnatural expressions and it’s not without reason because it’s actually two actors!
Former UNINE member He Changxi, was originally cast in the role of Song Yan but his scenes have been digitally replaced using AI-face swap with that of The Untamed actor Zhu Zanjin. Online speculation suggests the change may be due to He Changxi’s starring role in the BL drama Sammy’s Children’s Day.
With the ban on BL dramas in China, some productions have found a loophole by planning releases overseas. Despite airing outside the mainland, it’s catapulted some Chinese stars to fame even domestically. However, there are ongoing rumors that actors continuing to take on such projects could face industry restrictions. While this remains to be a rumor, it appears production wasn’t wiling to take any risks with the cast. He Changxi’s studio deleted a promotional post from April 2025 celebrating the completion of filming for Pursuit of Jade, which many fans interpret as an indirect confirmation that the actor was indeed replaced.
Meanwhile, He Changxi and his co-starHe Yanchao briefly went “Weibo official” for their “couple pairing” by tagging each other to promote the March 13, 2026 premiere of their BL drama. Both posts are no longer visible, sparking speculation that their “marketing” was shut down for being too aggressive for a genre that’s facing restrictions. He Changxi previously shared a longer message about his character He Chusan in Sammy’s Children’s Day, emphasizing that as an actor, he approaches every project with dedication, regardless of genre.
