If we compare him with the DJX era, he could stay acting on the idol drama like this but he didn't, he explore many opportunity to star in various role with the limited of resource and trash agency. so the role of DJX might be one of his iconic even after 3 years, it is still the hit tweet on X yesterday. https://x.com/bxxkoflove/status/2106006052814930156?s=12
But personally, I would rather see him choose more diverse roles, even if some of those dramas may not be as commercially popular.
He has already done that before with Dark Night and Dawn. Whatever people want to say about him, it’s much harder to dismiss an achievement like its CVB ratings 2+. To me, that kind of recognition is much more meaningful than simply comparing which popularity drama reached 10,000 or 30,000 heat index on a streaming platform.
And the fact that DNAD could also have its name associated with major national-level television awards such as the Feitian/Flying Apsaras Awards says something about the type of project it is.
The Feitian Awards are not platform awards from Tencent, iQIYI or Youku. They are government backed national television awards in China, recognized alongside other major national awards such as the Golden Eagle Awards and Starlight Awards.
For me, that distinction matters because these awards are not simply about which drama has the biggest fandom or the highest online heat. Recognition at this level also considers things such as the value of the acting skill, production quality and storytelling.
That is why I would rather see CZY continue taking different kinds of roles even projects that may attract less online hype if they allow him to grow as an actor and build achievements that cannot simply be reduced to fandom popularity or platform heat numbers.
Popularity can come and go, but having different kinds of work on your résumé from idol dramas to serious television productions is something much more valuable for his long-term career.
From y'all comments below, I think we’re better off just ignoring them. We already know that CZY isn’t simply…
And from today’s booting ceremony, I really like how CZY already seems to embody the look of a policeman so naturally with his broad shoulders, slim waist, long legs, short haircut and barely any makeup on. He already looks so composed and convincing for the role
The ceremony itself seemed quite private but there were still so many fans who went there to support him. And this isn’t even one of those famous filming locations like Hengdian, it’s a location much closer to where the real events happened, near China’s southern border. Yet the fans still made the effort to go there and cheer him on.
It's again those Bailu fans.. I don't know why they are so toxic and don't mind their own business.. if they don't…
Bai Lu herself is a good girl, but unfortunately she has some very toxic fans who attack almost every male actor she works with. C-ent fandom culture can honestly be just as exhausting as K-pop fandom culture 😂 There are toxic and irrational people everywhere.
And the funny thing is, many of these people may eventually leave their own idol the moment that idol no longer meets their expectations. To me, that’s not what being a real fan is about. A real fan can stay with their fave through both the highs and the lows, instead of constantly attacking co-stars or so-called rivals just to elevate their own idol and make them seem superior to everyone else.
At the end of the day, they’re all working in the same entertainment industry. No celebrity is somehow “above” everyone else in terms of human value just because they are more popular, have better resources or have louder fans.
If we’re talking about people who truly contribute something extraordinary to society, then yes, I can understand why people deeply admire athletes who bring honor to their country, real-life heroes who sacrifice themselves to save others, or people whose work genuinely creates a lasting impact for the country and its people.
But celebrities? They are entertainers doing their jobs. You can love your fave as much as you want but acting as if your idol is somehow beyond everyone else while constantly putting others down? Nope. I’ll never understand that mentality.
From y'all comments below, I think we’re better off just ignoring them. We already know that CZY isn’t simply chasing popularity. Otherwise, he could easily keep accepting the same kind of idol romance roles again and again, staying within the same type of character just to attract female audiences to stay in the popularity. No offense, but that’s simply the reality.
And honestly, this role should be considered an honor for any actor. It’s a serious story based on a real-life police hero who risked and sacrificed his life to protect innocent people in the fight against drugs. CZY was chosen by the Yunnan police department to portray this role as a tribute to these officers and their sacrifices. Yet somehow, what these people choose to mock is the appearance of the real-life police officer he is portraying.
Like seriously, who the hell is supposed to be wearing perfect makeup and maintaining spotless white skin while doing that kind of work in the field? 😅 Are they dump or super dump for real?
What they don’t seem to understand is where the real value lies. CZY was selected to portray this person and he accepted the responsibility of taking on such a meaningful role. That matters far more to me than whether he looks glamorous in every scene.
And honestly, it reminds me of some Reddit users who seem to judge actors almost entirely by appearance, while constantly praising actors with heavily altered, plastic-surgery looks who just stay in their comfort zone playing the same type of role over and over again, as if that automatically makes them the better actor. Come on... 😅 If they can completely transform their appearance for a role the way CZY did in Light the Dark and in this drama, step outside their comfort zone, and genuinely challenge themselves as actors, going without makeup, appearing completely barefaced and even allowing themselves to look less conventionally attractive for the sake of the character then okay, I’ll give them credit. Otherwise? Nope. I’m not convinced 😂
This is not an idol drama where everyone has to look perfectly styled in every frame. If you’re mocking CZY for looking like an ordinary, tired, sun-exposed police officer while he’s portraying a real-life policeman doing dangerous work, then you’re completely missing the point of both the role and the real person behind it.
Anti-drug crime drama #Rivals starring #ChenZheyuan held its booting ceremony.https://x.com/ForCdrama/status/2106236322532991142?s=20
Thank you for sharing! 🥹 I honestly thought we wouldn’t get many Reuters from this drama since they probably want to keep the filming more private, especially because it’s a serious crime drama based on a real-life police hero.
So I really hope this project will help our CZY grow even more as an actor and show that he doesn’t have to rely only on idol dramas 😊 I’m really looking forward to seeing him challenge himself with this kind of role.
I think CZY’s character will meet both BL characters, while LULU might not remember their first meeting. But…
Yes, YZ always claims beforehand that his dramas are going to be huge hits. 😂 But if he wants to make a proper Season 2, he also needs to set it up properly from Season 1, including an ending that naturally leaves room for the story to continue.
If the drama wasn’t originally planned as a two-season story from the beginning, then suddenly trying to create a Season 2 afterward can easily turn the plot into a mess 😅 I’d rather they focus on making Season 1 genuinely good and complete first instead of already talking about a second season before the first one has even been filmed 😂
I’m afraid too because I heard the first half will be focused more on the FL and the other MLs, and then CZY’s…
As far as I can recall, he didn’t talk about the project with Bai Lu, but anyone can correct me if I’m wrong. And honestly, I’m not even sure he would dare to mention her on his livestream right now because he might get scolded to death by some of her fans lol 😂 They’d probably say he was trying to ride on Bai Lu’s popularity or use the drama to gain attention 😅... some fans you know...
that how it is in C-ent with the fan culture sometimes, it can feel like being surrounded by hyenas 😭 Even when you just want to casually talk about your friend or co-star, you have to be so careful because people can twist every little thing you say, take it out of context and somehow turn it into another completely unnecessary fan war 🤦♀️ So CZY really doesn’t talk much on social media about the dramas he’s about to film.
I’m afraid too because I heard the first half will be focused more on the FL and the other MLs, and then CZY’s…
Yes! Bai Lu and CZY have known each other for such a long time. They were such a fun pair on Running Man together and their interactions always felt so natural and genuinely funny 😂
That’s actually one of the reasons why I’ve always liked Bai Lu, her personality is so fun and easygoing. She and CZY also have a good friendship and they’ve interacted in each other’s Weibo comments a lot too 😊
I think CZY’s character will meet both BL characters, while LULU might not remember their first meeting. But…
Thank you so much for this! At least now I have some hope that I’ll get to see CZY’s character interact with both of Bai Lu’s characters 🥹
And forget about Season 2 for now lol 😂 YZ should stop having such a big mouth on social media and focus on actually producing the great drama he keeps claiming this will be. Please just prove it through the final product! 😭
I really want this drama to turn out well too, especially for both of our beloved FL and ML. I want both Bai Lu and CZY to get good characters, good material and a drama we can actually enjoy 🥹🤞
I’m afraid too because I heard the first half will be focused more on the FL and the other MLs, and then CZY’s…
Of course, you know Bai Lu and WXY were under YZ’s agency while ZLH was under YZ’s friend’s agency. They all had strong backing behind them while CZY basically has none.
The hint from YZ’s Weibo about the FL/ML is that Bai Lu will play two characters. One character will be 6 years older than CZY’s character while the other will be 6 years younger than him 🤔 So does that mean the story will be divided into two timelines with the younger Bai Lu somehow traveling through time and meeting the other version of herself? 🤔 I’m also curious whether CZY’s character will be involved in both timelines or only one of them.
But... does China allow time-travel plots now? I thought this kind of storyline was restricted before, especially in costume dramas. Or maybe they’ll use some other plot device instead of actual time travel? 🤔
I’m afraid too because I heard the first half will be focused more on the FL and the other MLs, and then CZY’s…
In SOKP, they couldn’t really do anything that would harm ZLH’s character because he’s under an agency run by YZ’s friend, and she has quite a lot of influence in the industry. No offense, but CZY’s agency is honestly trash when it comes to protecting him. They don’t seem to have much bargaining power to fight for his interests or make sure his character is treated properly.
To be honest, if it weren’t for Bai Lu, I’m not even sure CZY would have accepted this project, especially since he wants to focus on filming Red Heart first. That’s just my own thought, we don’t really know what happened behind the scenes or what influenced his decision.
Anyway, let’s see how it turns out. I just hope he will get more screen times with Bailu and don't waste or skip their times together.
Are you sure? 😂 Some Reddit users call him ugly, and I’m just like… okay, sure. He’s ugly then lol. I…
Actually, beauty is in the eye of the beholder 😊 I personally would never look down on anyone or insult their appearance because no one gets to choose how they were born. And honestly, this kind of bullying and constant judgment over looks is probably one of the reasons why so many actors feel pressured to get plastic surgery just to look “god-like” on screen. It also means he’s relevant enough for them to care. Otherwise, why would they even bother? 😂😊
News 
so the role of DJX might be one of his iconic even after 3 years, it is still the hit tweet on X yesterday.
https://x.com/bxxkoflove/status/2106006052814930156?s=12
But personally, I would rather see him choose more diverse roles, even if some of those dramas may not be as commercially popular.
He has already done that before with Dark Night and Dawn. Whatever people want to say about him, it’s much harder to dismiss an achievement like its CVB ratings 2+. To me, that kind of recognition is much more meaningful than simply comparing which popularity drama reached 10,000 or 30,000 heat index on a streaming platform.
And the fact that DNAD could also have its name associated with major national-level television awards such as the Feitian/Flying Apsaras Awards says something about the type of project it is.
The Feitian Awards are not platform awards from Tencent, iQIYI or Youku. They are government backed national television awards in China, recognized alongside other major national awards such as the Golden Eagle Awards and Starlight Awards.
For me, that distinction matters because these awards are not simply about which drama has the biggest fandom or the highest online heat. Recognition at this level also considers things such as the value of the acting skill, production quality and storytelling.
That is why I would rather see CZY continue taking different kinds of roles even projects that may attract less online hype if they allow him to grow as an actor and build achievements that cannot simply be reduced to fandom popularity or platform heat numbers.
Popularity can come and go, but having different kinds of work on your résumé from idol dramas to serious television productions is something much more valuable for his long-term career.
The ceremony itself seemed quite private but there were still so many fans who went there to support him. And this isn’t even one of those famous filming locations like Hengdian, it’s a location much closer to where the real events happened, near China’s southern border. Yet the fans still made the effort to go there and cheer him on.
https://x.com/ployysrpld/status/2106247084450127974?s=12
And the funny thing is, many of these people may eventually leave their own idol the moment that idol no longer meets their expectations. To me, that’s not what being a real fan is about. A real fan can stay with their fave through both the highs and the lows, instead of constantly attacking co-stars or so-called rivals just to elevate their own idol and make them seem superior to everyone else.
At the end of the day, they’re all working in the same entertainment industry. No celebrity is somehow “above” everyone else in terms of human value just because they are more popular, have better resources or have louder fans.
If we’re talking about people who truly contribute something extraordinary to society, then yes, I can understand why people deeply admire athletes who bring honor to their country, real-life heroes who sacrifice themselves to save others, or people whose work genuinely creates a lasting impact for the country and its people.
But celebrities? They are entertainers doing their jobs. You can love your fave as much as you want but acting as if your idol is somehow beyond everyone else while constantly putting others down? Nope. I’ll never understand that mentality.
We already know that CZY isn’t simply chasing popularity. Otherwise, he could easily keep accepting the same kind of idol romance roles again and again, staying within the same type of character just to attract female audiences to stay in the popularity. No offense, but that’s simply the reality.
And honestly, this role should be considered an honor for any actor. It’s a serious story based on a real-life police hero who risked and sacrificed his life to protect innocent people in the fight against drugs. CZY was chosen by the Yunnan police department to portray this role as a tribute to these officers and their sacrifices. Yet somehow, what these people choose to mock is the appearance of the real-life police officer he is portraying.
Like seriously, who the hell is supposed to be wearing perfect makeup and maintaining spotless white skin while doing that kind of work in the field? 😅 Are they dump or super dump for real?
What they don’t seem to understand is where the real value lies. CZY was selected to portray this person and he accepted the responsibility of taking on such a meaningful role. That matters far more to me than whether he looks glamorous in every scene.
And honestly, it reminds me of some Reddit users who seem to judge actors almost entirely by appearance, while constantly praising actors with heavily altered, plastic-surgery looks who just stay in their comfort zone playing the same type of role over and over again, as if that automatically makes them the better actor. Come on... 😅
If they can completely transform their appearance for a role the way CZY did in Light the Dark and in this drama, step outside their comfort zone, and genuinely challenge themselves as actors, going without makeup, appearing completely barefaced and even allowing themselves to look less conventionally attractive for the sake of the character then okay, I’ll give them credit. Otherwise? Nope. I’m not convinced 😂
This is not an idol drama where everyone has to look perfectly styled in every frame. If you’re mocking CZY for looking like an ordinary, tired, sun-exposed police officer while he’s portraying a real-life policeman doing dangerous work, then you’re completely missing the point of both the role and the real person behind it.
So I really hope this project will help our CZY grow even more as an actor and show that he doesn’t have to rely only on idol dramas 😊 I’m really looking forward to seeing him challenge himself with this kind of role.
If the drama wasn’t originally planned as a two-season story from the beginning, then suddenly trying to create a Season 2 afterward can easily turn the plot into a mess 😅 I’d rather they focus on making Season 1 genuinely good and complete first instead of already talking about a second season before the first one has even been filmed 😂
that how it is in C-ent with the fan culture sometimes, it can feel like being surrounded by hyenas 😭 Even when you just want to casually talk about your friend or co-star, you have to be so careful because people can twist every little thing you say, take it out of context and somehow turn it into another completely unnecessary fan war 🤦♀️ So CZY really doesn’t talk much on social media about the dramas he’s about to film.
They were such a fun pair on Running Man together and their interactions always felt so natural and genuinely funny 😂
That’s actually one of the reasons why I’ve always liked Bai Lu, her personality is so fun and easygoing. She and CZY also have a good friendship and they’ve interacted in each other’s Weibo comments a lot too 😊
And forget about Season 2 for now lol 😂 YZ should stop having such a big mouth on social media and focus on actually producing the great drama he keeps claiming this will be. Please just prove it through the final product! 😭
I really want this drama to turn out well too, especially for both of our beloved FL and ML. I want both Bai Lu and CZY to get good characters, good material and a drama we can actually enjoy 🥹🤞
One character will be 6 years older than CZY’s character while the other will be 6 years younger than him 🤔
So does that mean the story will be divided into two timelines with the younger Bai Lu somehow traveling through time and meeting the other version of herself? 🤔 I’m also curious whether CZY’s character will be involved in both timelines or only one of them.
But... does China allow time-travel plots now? I thought this kind of storyline was restricted before, especially in costume dramas. Or maybe they’ll use some other plot device instead of actual time travel? 🤔
To be honest, if it weren’t for Bai Lu, I’m not even sure CZY would have accepted this project, especially since he wants to focus on filming Red Heart first. That’s just my own thought, we don’t really know what happened behind the scenes or what influenced his decision.
Anyway, let’s see how it turns out. I just hope he will get more screen times with Bailu and don't waste or skip their times together.
It also means he’s relevant enough for them to care. Otherwise, why would they even bother? 😂😊