{ "id": "ep04kgvezr", "slug": "taming-the-wild", "title": "Taming the Wild (驯野)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z", "label": "Titles Sp to Z", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "China · 2021 and later: East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021", "label": "China · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Taming the Wild (驯野, Xun Ye; also Tamed by Temptation) is a 2025 Chinese 77-episode urban romance micro short drama starring Yang Pengcheng, Wang Xiaoyi, and Zhang Xuan, about a cardiologist and a kept college student who is a lost wealthy heir; a Hongguo platform hit with over 1 billion effective plays.", "snippet": "Taming the Wild (驯野, Xun Ye; also Tamed by Temptation) is a 2025 Chinese 77-episode urban romance micro short drama starring Yang Pengcheng, Wang Xiaoyi, and Zhang Xuan, about a cardiologist and a kept college student who is a lost wealthy heir; a Hongguo platform hit with over 1 billion effective plays.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z", "markdown": "# Taming the Wild (驯野)\n\n**Taming the Wild** (驯野, pinyin Xùn Yě; also released in English as *Tamed by Temptation* and *Tame Wild*) is a 2025 Chinese urban romance micro short drama of 77 episodes, each about 2 minutes long, starring Yang Pengcheng (杨鹏丞), Wang Xiaoyi (王小亿), and [Zhang Xuan](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-xuan) (张旋). It was produced by Guozhou Culture and Media (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Guo'er Media Co., Ltd. and premiered on the Hongguo short-drama platform on August 17, 2025[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [2](https://2025.chinesemov.com/tv/2025/Taming-the-Wild). It became one of the platform's biggest hits of the year, with effective plays exceeding 1 billion[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink).\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | 77-episode vertical micro short drama, 2 minutes per episode; drama, romance, short[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [2](https://2025.chinesemov.com/tv/2025/Taming-the-Wild) |\n| Premiere | August 17, 2025, on the Hongguo (红果) short-drama platform[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |\n| Main cast | Wang Xiaoyi as cardiologist Ji Shuyu; Yang Pengcheng as Qiao Ye; Zhang Xuan as Pei Jingzhi[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [3](https://duanjubaike.org/zh-Hant/drama/393) |\n| Production | Guozhou Culture and Media (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Guo'er Media Co., Ltd.; mainland China, Mandarin[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [2](https://2025.chinesemov.com/tv/2025/Taming-the-Wild) |\n| Peak heat | Second on the Hongguo heat chart the day after release; peak heat value 95.75 million[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |\n| Viewership | Effective plays over 1 billion; 2025 cumulative effective play 2.248 billion, 12th on the 2025 cumulative chart[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |\n| Sequels | *Xun Ye 2* (81 episodes, 2026) and *Xun Ye 3* (77 episodes, 2026), with the same three leads[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [4](https://www.duanjubaike.net/duanju/info-7612681714497768473.html) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and plot\n\nThe story follows Ji Shuyu (季舒语), a cardiologist played by Wang Xiaoyi, who catches her fiancé Pei Jingzhi (裴敬之) being unfaithful and drives off to clear her head. Her car breaks down on a mountain road, and she meets Qiao Ye (乔野), a college student played by Yang Pengcheng who works part-time repairing cars[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink). Because Qiao Ye needs money to treat his seriously ill younger sister and his mentally ill mother, the two enter an unusual arrangement in which he becomes the \"canary\" (金丝雀) in her home, a kept companion[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink).\n\nA central setup is that Ji Shuyu was in fact the doctor who sponsored Qiao Ye as a child, and he has secretly loved her for years[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink). The plot then turns on identity: Qiao Ye is the descendant of a lost heir of a wealthy family and is recognized back into the Ruan family of Beicheng, with a plum-blossom birthmark on his mother's body serving as the key clue[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink).\n\nAfter his identity is revealed, the class gap and outside gossip unbalance the relationship. Qiao Ye leaves to study abroad to win back equal standing, not knowing that Ji Shuyu is pregnant. Five years later he returns as a [Wall Street](https://www.edgepedia.org/wall-street) professional and a family heir, finds her raising their son alone, and is at first refused. He ultimately persuades his family, and the three become a family[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink).\n\n### Sequels and related works\n\nA sequel, *Xun Ye 2* (驯野2, released in English as *Taming the Wild 2* / *Untamed Wildness*), began filming in January 2026 with the original cast returning and over 650,000 reservations on the platform before release[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink). Baidu Baike dates its premiere to March 20, 2026, with 81 episodes, a first-broadcast heat of 63.06 million, and a run at 11th on the Hongguo chart[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink); the Short Drama Encyclopedia database lists its online date as March 2, 2026, directed by Wang Weijiu (王纚玖) and written by Guo'er, with Wang Xiaoyi as Su Li and Yang Pengcheng as Pei Ye in a new story[4](https://www.duanjubaike.net/duanju/info-7612681714497768473.html). A third installment, *Xun Ye 3*, followed on March 26, 2026, with 77 episodes and the same three leads[4](https://www.duanjubaike.net/duanju/info-7612681714497768473.html).\n\nThe title 驯野 has also been used by unrelated works, including the 2025 costume drama *Shuse Xunye* (殊色驯野) and a 2026 AI animated drama *Guo Qianjin Xunye* (乖千金驯野)[6](https://duanjubaike.cn/drama/14650) • [7](https://www.duanjubaike.net/manju/info-7667154451651644478.html).\n\n## Style and themes\n\n**A female-led reversal.** Industry commentary described the drama as built around \"older woman, younger man\" (姐弟恋) romance and \"taming\" (训狗) emotional dynamics, with a clear-headed, self-reliant heroine who holds the upper hand in the relationship rather than waiting to be rescued, in deliberate contrast to the dominant-boss (霸总) formulas common in short dramas[5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31474097). The male lead combines the innocent dependence of a \"puppy\" type with the possessiveness of a \"wolf\" type, and the heroine keeps her position in the relationship even after his status rises above hers[5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31474097).\n\nThe script also pushes back on the \"chasing wife crematorium\" (追妻火葬场) trope, in which a male lead wins forgiveness through a grand return and sweet gestures. In episodes 51 and 52 Ji Shuyu sharply rejects Qiao Ye's overtures, calling out the five years he was absent and framing his self-improvement as self-flattering rather than accountable[5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31474097). The drama also incorporates social topics including human trafficking and sexual violence against women, and has the heroine reject victim-blaming after a childhood assault[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31474097).\n\n## Reception and performance data\n\nThe drama was an original work, not an adaptation[5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31474097). It reached second place on the Hongguo heat chart the day after release and first place on the Hongguo short-drama chart within days; by August 24, 2025, its Douyin native cumulative play count was 78.597 million, with 2.583 million favorites and 4.854 million likes[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink) • [5](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31474097). Its peak heat value was 95.75 million, and within three days of release its heat reached 86 million, briefly displacing the reigning short-drama star Li Keyi's titleholder from first place[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink). Effective plays eventually exceeded 1 billion, and the drama ranked 12th on the 2025 cumulative effective-play chart with 2.248 billion effective plays[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink).\n\n**Performances drew attention online.** Wang Xiaoyi's crying scenes spread widely on social media, and clips of the two leads' interactions gained high play counts on Douyin; commentary credited Wang Xiaoyi with consolidating her position in the \"big heroine\" track and Yang Pengcheng with attention for playing a character who shifts from docile to forceful[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink). The premise also drew some criticism from viewers, while anti-trope lines such as \"I bought you as a vase, not as a kept man\" attracted attention[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink).\n\n## Production background\n\nThe topic came from fan feedback: fans had said they wanted to see stories about working women[1](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink). The series was shot and released in 2025 in mainland China, in Mandarin, as a vertical-format web series[2](https://2025.chinesemov.com/tv/2025/Taming-the-Wild).\n\n## References\n\n1. [驯野（2025年杨鹏丞、王小亿、张旋主演的短剧）, Baidu Baike](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A9%AF%E9%87%8E/66723042?fromModule=lemma_inlink)\n2. [Taming the Wild (2025), ChineseMov](https://2025.chinesemov.com/tv/2025/Taming-the-Wild)\n3. [馴野, 短劇百科](https://duanjubaike.org/zh-Hant/drama/393)\n4. [短剧《驯野2》, 短剧百科](https://www.duanjubaike.net/duanju/info-7612681714497768473.html)\n5. [大女主\"训野狗\"，双穿换命致富，反套路逆袭｜本周短剧红榜, 澎湃新闻 (娱乐资本论)](https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31474097)\n6. [殊色驯野, 短剧百科](https://duanjubaike.cn/drama/14650)\n7. [AI漫剧《乖千金驯野》, 短剧百科](https://www.duanjubaike.net/manju/info-7667154451651644478.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles Sp to Z*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/taming-the-wild", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/taming-the-wild.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Taming the Wild (驯野)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/taming-the-wild. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Taming the Wild (驯野)](https://www.edgepedia.org/taming-the-wild)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/taming-the-wild](https://www.edgepedia.org/taming-the-wild). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Taming the Wild (驯野)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/taming-the-wild. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Taming the Wild is a 2025 Chinese 77-episode urban romance micro short drama starring Yang Pengcheng, Wang Xiaoyi, and Zhang Xuan, about a cardiologist and a kept college student who is a lost wealthy heir; a Hongguo platform hit with over 1 billion effective plays." }