Xiao Shun Yao and Naran’s Yan Zhi Huang wraps filming, drops character visuals
Now this is an interesting main cast, as upcoming Chinese drama Yan Zhi Huang (aka 烟之凰, with no English title as yet) 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.
The Chinese drama (which could be translated as Phoenix of Smoke) 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 Yan Zhi Huang character visuals, YOUKU also commented about the C-drama’s plot:
#Yan Zhi Huang 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, Yan Zhi Huang (aka 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.
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 Yan Zhi Huang 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 Yan Zhi Huang character visuals (which, although they are definitely dark and mysterious, I would prefer them if you could see each character a little closer up), and we’ll update you here on Leo Sigh as more information about Yan Zhi Huang (aka Phoenix of Smoke) drops.
