Short Drama Daily Top 10 — May 26, 2026

The day's defining story isn't a single drama — it's one actor holding both #1 and #2 simultaneously. Chen Si (沉思) now has two concurrent titles in the Hongguo top 10: 《姐，他真是我姐夫》 on day 3 with ~9,300 万 heat, and his older hit 《爱在久别重逢时》 still at ~6,973 万 on day 11. That gap between first and second place — about 2,300 万 — is larger than anything seen on this chart in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, the May 23 premiere cohort (复燃, 亲爱的维多利亚港) is making its weight felt at positions #4 and #6, compressing every title that debuted before May 22 toward or below the bottom of the chart.

★ = AI-animated (漫剧). Heat scores sourced from Hongguo platform via Sina News and industry aggregators; scores for positions #5–#10 are estimated from trajectory data. 1 2 3

#1 — 姐，他真是我姐夫 (Jie, Ta Zhen Shi Wo Jiefu) Office rom-com · 76 eps · Debut May 24

First day heat of 9,453 万 — a record opening for 2026 on the Hongguo platform. By day 3, the score has settled to around 9,300 万 while still holding all three charts (热播榜, 新剧榜, 热搜榜) simultaneously. The premise is a single twist stacked twice: accountant Cheng Qiao (Han Yutong) has shared an office with CEO Qi Huaiyuan (Chen Si) for three years and exchanged fewer words with him than with her houseplants. Then her adult brother bursts in, embraces the CEO, and yells "brother-in-law" — claiming to have time-traveled from ten years in the future where they're married. The brother is the comedy engine; the slow-burn tension comes from the CEO's reaction: he doesn't deny it, he quietly asks the brother how he knew about the tattoo on his lower back. Chen Si plays the reserve and the crack in it, which is a more demanding read than the usual cold-CEO template. 4

#2 — 爱在久别重逢时 (Ai Zai Jiu Bie Chongfeng Shi) Modern romance · 80 eps · Debut May 16

Still at ~6,973 万 on day 11 — well past the typical cliff-drop window — and currently the only title in the chart's recent history to land in the top two alongside a drama by the same lead actor. Cumulative Hongguo plays passed 1 billion within the first week. Shen Yanxin (Meng Na) leaves a suffocating marriage when the affair surfaces; she was once pursued — unrequitedly — by Wall Street banker Sheng Ming (Chen Si), who is now back in Beijing. The narrative engine is less about romance than about Shen rebuilding professional identity while the past reappears. 5

#3 — 山海藏墟，无眼窥天 ★AI (Shanhai Cangxu, Wu Yan Kui Tian) Xianxia AI-animated · ongoing

Three consecutive days atop the all-platform 云合 cross-chart before 姐夫 displaced it at #1. The AI animation quality is drawing direct comparisons to standard live-action production; Hongguo merged its live-action and AI-animated leaderboards in May, and 山海藏墟 has been the AI 漫剧 genre's clearest signal that the format can sustain top-five heat for extended runs rather than spiking and dropping. 2

#4 — 复燃 (Fu Ran) Modern romance · ~80 eps · Debut May 23

Day 4 with heat around 6,300 万, holding the #3 slot on the 云合 cross-platform chart as of May 25. Deng Lingshu and Wang Kaimu are a second-pairing — their first collaboration generated a following, and 复燃's "enemies-to-lovers, five-year separation resolved" structure is designed to keep that base engaged. The performances have been noted for restrained emotional delivery on both sides. 6

#5 — 沉乔未晚 (Chen Qiao Wei Wan) Modern romance · 60 eps · Debut May 22

Entered at #2 on day 2 with 7,542 万, and has settled at ~5,700 万 by day 5. The title is the May 22 cohort's last member still in the top five. Guo Yuxin and Wang Daotie play a media journalist and her long-time unrequited admirer; the drama's appeal is the absence of forced misunderstandings — the delay comes from adult hesitation, not manufactured obstacles.

#6 — 亲爱的维多利亚港 (Qin'ai De Weitou Gang) Modern romance · ~70 eps · Debut May 23

Opening heat of 5,539 万 on debut day, now day 4 and holding top-10 despite the strong field. Hong Kong atmosphere as visual aesthetic, with a doomed-romance ("BE") structure that sits against the grain of this chart's usual guaranteed-sweet-ending preference. Zhao Zhendong and Yu Ling's on-screen restraint — no manufactured scenes, no villain — has earned unusually committed viewer commentary. 6

#7 — 将军请自重 (Jiangjun Qing Zi Zhong) Ancient costume · 80 eps · Day 10

Steady presence in the top half of the chart for ten days. Cai Xinyang plays a general who returns from war intending to marry the widow of his elder brother — she has been running a tofu stall for three years supporting the household. The narrative depends entirely on earned warmth rather than conflict, which keeps churn low even as newer titles push from below.

#8 — 鱼群跟着游向陆地 (Yuqun Genzhe You Xiang Ludi) Modern romance · ~70 eps · Day 8

Opening heat 5,874 万, peak 6,095 万, now tracking around 5,200 万 in extended run. Zhao Xixi and Heize play mature adults — a teacher and a construction project manager — in a low-register drama without the class-gap or revenge framing most of the chart relies on. The slow pacing is an unusual bet on this platform and it is paying off with steady, low-churn retention.

#9 — 帅气女人最好命 (Shuaiqì Nüren Zui Hao Ming) Modern comedy · 80 eps · Debut ~May 20

Time Kang (时康) leads — the same actor playing the time-traveling brother in #1, active in two chart entries simultaneously. 帅气女人最好命 is a cross-dressing comedy with a boss-and-nanny framing; effective play count on Hongguo has passed 1 billion. The simultaneous presence of 时康 at #1 (as supporting lead) and #9 (as lead) is an unusual chart anomaly for a single actor. 6

#10 — 今天裴总和月亮谈恋爱了吗(Jintian Pei Zong He Yueliang Tan Lian'ai Le Ma) Modern rom-com · 63 eps · Day 14

Heat down from a peak of 8,808 万 on day 8 to around 4,800 万 on day 14. The title has held a top-10 position for two weeks — a long-tail run by current platform standards. Li Keyi and Zhang Chi's contract-marriage office setup created substantial social media momentum in the first week, but the newer entries have narrowed the gap to the bottom of the chart. Likely to exit within two to three days as the May 23 cohort consolidates.

1. The one-person vertical. Chen Si (沉思) holds #1 and #2 with two different leads, two different premises, and a 2,300 万 heat gap between them. This hasn't happened on this chart this month. His #1 (姐夫) is a comedy; his #2 (爱在久别重逢时) is a career-revival drama. The range demonstrates that platform retention — as opposed to a single explosive debut — is what sustains a long run at the top of the Hongguo chart.

2. May 23 arrivals compressing the mid-table. 复燃 (#4) and 亲爱的维多利亚港 (#6) both debuted May 23, and together they bracket the now-fading May 22 title 沉乔未晚 (#5). Three of the bottom four positions in today's chart belong to titles launched before May 22, all experiencing continued decay. Unless the chart sees a strong premiere in the next 72 hours, positions #8–#10 are likely to turn over entirely by the end of the week.

3. Two genres at the margins — AI animation and "BE" — are testing the chart's tolerance. 山海藏墟 (#3) has now proven that a pure AI-animated xianxia title can occupy the top three for more than a week after Hongguo merged its leaderboards. 亲爱的维多利亚港 (#6) offers a "bad ending" romance — structurally rare in this format. Both are holding their positions without conceding to the format's dominant sweet-ending, revenge-comedy, or contract-marriage templates. Whether they set a lasting precedent or remain exceptions depends on whether their respective niches spawn follow-on productions this quarter.