The phenomenal success of The Early Spring has brought enormous popularity to its two leads, Jing Boran and Sun Qian, but it has also created plenty of trouble for them. Even people around the stars have been dragged into the controversy.
According to QQ, The Early Spring, starring Jing Boran and Sun Qian, has been hailed as a drama that “saved the romance genre” thanks to its quality and the irresistible chemistry between its two leads. Their on-screen pairing became so popular that viewers grew intensely invested in them.
However, that extraordinary popularity has also become the source of numerous problems in the actors’ real lives, as some viewers have become overly attached to the drama’s fictional couple, Luke Luan Nian and Flora Shang Zhi Tao.
The controversy began after male lead Jing Boran attended Li Ronghao’s concert in Shanghai on the evening of September 25 with his real-life girlfriend, supermodel Liu Wen. During an interaction at the concert, Li Ronghao referred to Jing Boran by his character’s name, Luke, before introducing Liu Wen as “a very important woman in Luke’s life.”
However, some fans of the drama’s couple argued that Luke Luan Nian should belong only to Flora Shang Zhi Tao. They viewed the decision to connect the fictional character Luke with Jing Boran’s real-life relationship as a “betrayal” of viewers’ emotional attachment to the drama.
“It’s not that he isn’t allowed to date or get married. It’s just that the drama has only been out for exactly a month and has only recently started airing on television. Many people are still rewatching it. Did he really have to rush back to being himself and show off his romance with a supermodel? Couldn’t he stay quiet and tone down the public displays of affection until the end of 2026?” one complaint read.
From there, Jing Boran was presented with a list of 18 supposed “charges” related to his involvement in The Early Spring. They included accusations that he deliberately blurred the line between himself and his co-star, continued displaying affectionate behavior toward his real-life girlfriend during filming and promotions, and allegedly used discussions about former girlfriends and past relationships to generate trending topics.
After being hailed as the “most beloved CEO on screen in 2026,” Jing Boran suddenly found himself facing criticism from some of the drama’s own viewers as well as fans of other female celebrities involved in the controversy. Past disputes involving the actor were brought up again, while critics labeled him “fake” and accused him of “using his private relationships to promote himself.”
However, many of the so-called “charges” were criticized by other netizens as unreasonable and reflective of excessive obsession among certain viewers. Critics of the backlash argued that extreme fans of the “Luan Nian–Shang Zhi Tao” pairing were failing to distinguish fiction from reality and had taken their attachment to the stars too far.
Amid the debate, Jing Boran did not directly address the controversy. However, he liked several comments from fans, including messages that read, “If you hate me, then keep hating me. If you love me, keep loving me. Don’t stop,” and “I hope you won’t be swept away by all the noise around you and will always remain true to your own choices.”
While Jing Boran appeared to ignore the criticism, his girlfriend Liu Wen became a target for some viewers who had become deeply invested in the drama and were looking for somewhere to direct their frustration.
Liu Wen was criticized simply for liking a photo of Jing Boran on social media, with some accusing her of “trying to steal the spotlight” and “seeking attention,” claiming that her behavior affected their experience of watching the drama. Despite reportedly limiting her public appearances with her boyfriend, the supermodel continued to receive hostile comments on her personal social media accounts from some extreme viewers.
On September 28, Liu Wen appeared visibly tired when she was spotted at the airport. After receiving words of encouragement from her own fans, the supermodel was seen shedding tears.
Sun Qian also failed to escape the backlash. Some fans of Jing Boran and Liu Wen accused the actress of benefiting from the growing criticism surrounding her male co-star.
Others accused Sun Qian of behaving too intimately with Jing Boran despite knowing that he had a girlfriend, arguing that such interactions contributed to fans becoming excessively invested in their on-screen pairing. She was even branded a “green tea” by some critics after asking Jing Boran for a shirt.
Sun Qian’s studio eventually posted a message saying, “There are already enough troublesome things going on. Don’t drag this out any further,” seemingly expressing frustration and exhaustion over repeatedly becoming entangled in disputes between fans of the drama and supporters of other celebrities.
According to 163, controversies surrounding The Early Spring have repeatedly dominated Weibo’s trending searches, creating considerable disruption beyond the drama itself.
Opinions remain divided. Some believe that actors starring in romance dramas should consciously limit public displays involving their real-life relationships while a series is airing so as not to interfere with viewers’ immersion in the fictional romance.
Others argue that audiences should not interfere so deeply in celebrities’ private relationships, stressing that fictional characters and real people are fundamentally separate. They believe some viewers have become excessively emotionally invested after watching the drama, leading to extreme behavior and a lack of respect for celebrities’ private lives.
Many viewers have also pointed out that the Chinese entertainment industry is currently facing broad challenges, making a romance drama with the popularity of The Early Spring relatively rare. The production team is also reportedly preparing to film a second season. Yet the extreme enthusiasm of certain viewers and their attempts to interfere in the actors’ private lives have reportedly made the situation increasingly uncomfortable for those involved.
According to Sina, the continued growth of social media has made celebrities more accessible to fans while giving collective audience opinion greater influence. Viewers not only invest time in watching dramas but also spend money to support and promote them, meaning audience sentiment has increasingly developed into a form of soft power capable of placing pressure on celebrities’ behavior.
Extreme behavior and toxic comments from some fan communities have consequently caused harm to the people involved. In the controversy surrounding The Early Spring, Jing Boran, Liu Wen, Sun Qian and even Jing Boran’s former girlfriend Ni Ni have all been targeted.
Chaotic fan culture has repeatedly drawn criticism from China’s internet regulators, which have introduced measures aimed at curbing extreme online behavior. In an effort to improve the online environment, the Cyberspace Administration of China has adopted policies allowing accounts to report the dissemination of false information that could damage the reputation of public figures.
Sources: kenh14