The Chinese period drama Pursuing Jade, starring Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei, has been hitting one success after another since its premiere. However, some netizens have raised doubts about the viewership data, questioning whether watching just 1 second of the show is being counted as completing an entire episode, and angrily accusing the numbers of being fake. Frustrated netizens have not only been widely sharing screenshots, but also claimed to have reported the issue to relevant authorities.
Pursuing Jade tells the story of a pig slaughterer girl who accidentally saves a fallen marquis, and the two end up marrying before falling in love. Even before its broadcast, it was called the “most anticipated drama of 2026.” The series is airing on both streaming platforms, Tencent and iQIYI, with reports of its Tencent site popularity breaking 29,000, and iQIYI reaching over 9,500—a big hit by any standard. Data analytics firm “Yunhe Data” stated that the show’s market share on the 7th surpassed 31.4%, making it the first drama in 2026 to break a 30% share on the hot broadcast list.
Some netizens posted app screenshots, claiming they only watched a few seconds of Pursuing Jade, yet the viewing record showed “episode completed.” Others said that even without opening the app to watch the show, a viewing record appeared for Pursuing Jade. These incidents cast further doubt on the impressive numbers, with netizens voicing suspicions of data fabrication.
Tencent responded to the fraud allegations on the evening of the 9th, stating, “Previously, there was an abnormal display issue in the personal center--viewing records on Tencent Video. After investigation, the problem was only a page display error and does not affect any site-wide or external data display.” The platform said that the issue has been urgently fixed and updates are being rolled out. Tencent also expressed “deep apologies” for any misunderstandings caused. However, most netizens remain unconvinced by the explanation, believing that the show's viewing numbers are “clearly inflated.”
News sources: Liberty Times Entertainment + East Money Network