I just don’t understand why He Rui Xian isn’t getting leading roles. She can genuinely act and brings so much personality to her characters. I’ve seen her in Xu Kai’s dramas like Royal Feast, Court Lady, and ABAY, showcasing her range. Each character is so different—when I watched Court Lady, I didn’t even recognize her from Royal Feast. I felt disappointed that her role in Feud didn’t give her the space to shine the way she clearly can.
Chen Hui’s character infoSpoilers ahead read if only you want to be spoiled关于《方圆八百米》的陈辉01-16…
I just hope the emotional scenes are given more time. One of my favorite moments was the big fight he had with the FL in ABAY — it felt like a movie rather than a drama. The dialogue was longer than usual, the tension kept building, and there was this rhythm to the scene that pulled you in.
I’m hoping this new drama, even though it’s short, will still include moments like that: longer dialogues, close‑ups from different angles, and enough space for us to really feel his emotional state. Those extended conversations are what let you fully experience what his character is going through.
Hye,So... What Rating Do You Give For This Drama...
Based on how other dramas are rated on MDL, this would land around an 8.5. Lighter feel‑good shows inflate to that range easily, while deeper or more polarizing ones get dragged down — but this definitely deserves to sit with the hype titles.
MDL scores reflect how people felt, not how well a drama was made. Plenty of really good dramas end up in the 7.5–8.1 range simply because they’re polarizing, niche, unique storytelling, have endings that don’t land for everyone, or get dragged by haters and fan wars, who see opportunity to down‑vote and drive negativity under the cover of a mixed ending. Even a “happily ever after” where the couple reunites in heaven can feel bittersweet to some viewers, and that emotional mix alone can pull the rating down, since people don’t always agree on how to interpret it. In contrast, lighter, feel‑good series with minimal conflict and crowd‑pleasing tropes often inflate to 8.5+ because they appeal to a broader audience looking for comfort viewing. Ultimately, a 7.5–8.1 on MDL can be a badge of honor for dramas that dare to be different, provoke thought, or evoke strong (mixed) emotions. It often means the show affected people deeply, even if not everyone walked away happy.
A good example is The Double. WXY was 21 and WJY was 34 — a 12 to 13‑year age gap — but WXY carries a very mature on‑screen presence. Because of that, the discussion quickly shifted from the age difference to how impressive such a young actor is and how strong their chemistry feels.
Just my thoughts on the ongoing age discussions pre-air... People are making too much out of the age issue when the drama hasn't even aired. There was a time in Chinese films and dramas when they cast 16- and 17-year-old girls in romance stories. Liu Yifei (Crystal Liu) was only 16 when she played opposite Hu Ge who was 21 in Chinese Paladin. As long as the romance is innocent—no kissing or anything beyond handholding—and the acting is convincing, focused on emotional connection, adventure, and intrigue, then people will be talking about their acting, not their age gap (even if it's larger). Back then, viewers didn't ask about 'when's the first kiss' because there was no kissing. Today, so many viewers equate romance with kissing or physical scenes, so they think a 17-year-old is 'underage' for that—even when there may not be any kissing at all. If she pulls off a mature presence playing a young girl, that will really stop people from discussing her age—or the gap—altogether.
Even if he waits until 1.) he re-signs or 2.) signs with someone else, he's got plenty of projects that will be…
Your bias leads you to assume Xu Kai needed an apology to get high‑budget projects or male‑centric roles. That isn’t supported by his career. The lawsuit you mentioned is two years old, filed during Moonlit Reunion, and it didn’t slow him down. Producers clearly didn’t hesitate to hire him. Budgets are set based on business strategy, market analysis, and investment planning, often before casting is even locked.
Since then, he’s filmed Fire Investigator, 800 Meters in Radius, A Cup of Love/Spring, and is now filming Tian Du Yi Wen Lu. Three of those four are male‑centric roles, which shows he wasn’t limited by reputation or waiting for an apology to get strong projects. Xu Kai took on Fire Investigator (fire‑crime investigative thriller), 800 Meters in Radius (crime/mystery/thriller), and now another costume investigative drama because he wants to expand his range — these are deliberate career choices.
And why assume Xu Kai has lost popularity? He’s always had strong screen presence, regardless of whether a drama is considered ‘better.’
No one knows unless they announce it. His schedule will be announced by his team . Without any info about the…
You’re making assumptions and trying to devalue a drama that hasn’t even aired yet, and you’re planting doubt about both the project and Xu Kai without having any actual information.
Why are you so happy that it is ‘finishing early.’ The production schedule does not impact you. I don't think filming has wrapped yet.
Even if he waits until 1.) he re-signs or 2.) signs with someone else, he's got plenty of projects that will be…
Why are you connecting the apology to xu kai being "offered a good high budget male centric drama?" Are you implying that he needs this apology to “qualify” for big projects? That without it, he can't get a "male centric" role? That’s a pretty negative assumption about Xu Kai’s standing in the industry.
Yu Zheng co‑founded Huanyu Entertainment in 2012 after merging his previous company into it. Most comments about Yu Zheng tend to be negative. He’s been involved in plagiarism disputes, he’s outspoken online, and he often ends up in controversies, which I think he does it for publicity.
Since Xu Kai is signed under Huanyu, Yu Zheng has a say in which projects he takes. His priority is the overall benefit to the company, so project approvals are usually based on what aligns with Huanyu’s business interests — whether that’s promoting other artists, strengthening partnerships, or maintaining industry relationships.
There are rumors about whether Xu Kai has renewed his contract, but nothing has been confirmed publicly. If his contract is ten years, it would end around August 2026. Going independent in C‑ent isn’t easy — it requires resources, connections, and time. Based on Xu Kai’s interviews, he seems more focused on family than chasing fame, so it’s hard to predict what direction he’ll choose. For now, no one really knows his plans.
I think it’s reasonable to assume Yu Zheng react negatively if Xu Kai leaves, simply because a departing top artist becomes direct competition. Given Yu Zheng’s personality and how he handles public conflicts, it will get messy. I wouldn't be surprised if YZ smears Xu Kai.
Rumoured around 2/9 If this is true then definitely filming till the end of this month . See this 👇 copy paste…
I went to Douban, there's no discussions on the book. I only see positive comments: "This is my father's stand-in literature" "Oh huh, the series I chased during the high school magazine period came out" "When I was in junior high school, I was fortunate to watch several issues of the mystery world, and several cases left a deep impression, which belonged to the relatively early national style reasoning detective novels, and I hope they can be well adapted" "This is really a childhood memory killing. The green mountains and green levels of An County, dreaming of the Tang Dynasty case always feel emotional."
It’s probably not as interesting for reuters to film two guys talking compared to the ML and FL teasing each other in BTS. And with so many action scenes, that’s naturally what reuters are focusing on.
2 
1 
I’m hoping this new drama, even though it’s short, will still include moments like that: longer dialogues, close‑ups from different angles, and enough space for us to really feel his emotional state. Those extended conversations are what let you fully experience what his character is going through.
People are making too much out of the age issue when the drama hasn't even aired.
There was a time in Chinese films and dramas when they cast 16- and 17-year-old girls in romance stories.
Liu Yifei (Crystal Liu) was only 16 when she played opposite Hu Ge who was 21 in Chinese Paladin. As long as the romance is innocent—no kissing or anything beyond handholding—and the acting is convincing, focused on emotional connection, adventure, and intrigue, then people will be talking about their acting, not their age gap (even if it's larger). Back then, viewers didn't ask about 'when's the first kiss' because there was no kissing.
Today, so many viewers equate romance with kissing or physical scenes, so they think a 17-year-old is 'underage' for that—even when there may not be any kissing at all. If she pulls off a mature presence playing a young girl, that will really stop people from discussing her age—or the gap—altogether.
Since then, he’s filmed Fire Investigator, 800 Meters in Radius, A Cup of Love/Spring, and is now filming Tian Du Yi Wen Lu. Three of those four are male‑centric roles, which shows he wasn’t limited by reputation or waiting for an apology to get strong projects. Xu Kai took on Fire Investigator (fire‑crime investigative thriller), 800 Meters in Radius (crime/mystery/thriller), and now another costume investigative drama because he wants to expand his range — these are deliberate career choices.
And why assume Xu Kai has lost popularity? He’s always had strong screen presence, regardless of whether a drama is considered ‘better.’
Why are you so happy that it is ‘finishing early.’ The production schedule does not impact you. I don't think filming has wrapped yet.
Yu Zheng co‑founded Huanyu Entertainment in 2012 after merging his previous company into it. Most comments about Yu Zheng tend to be negative. He’s been involved in plagiarism disputes, he’s outspoken online, and he often ends up in controversies, which I think he does it for publicity.
Since Xu Kai is signed under Huanyu, Yu Zheng has a say in which projects he takes. His priority is the overall benefit to the company, so project approvals are usually based on what aligns with Huanyu’s business interests — whether that’s promoting other artists, strengthening partnerships, or maintaining industry relationships.
There are rumors about whether Xu Kai has renewed his contract, but nothing has been confirmed publicly. If his contract is ten years, it would end around August 2026. Going independent in C‑ent isn’t easy — it requires resources, connections, and time. Based on Xu Kai’s interviews, he seems more focused on family than chasing fame, so it’s hard to predict what direction he’ll choose. For now, no one really knows his plans.
I think it’s reasonable to assume Yu Zheng react negatively if Xu Kai leaves, simply because a departing top artist becomes direct competition. Given Yu Zheng’s personality and how he handles public conflicts, it will get messy. I wouldn't be surprised if YZ smears Xu Kai.
"This is my father's stand-in literature"
"Oh huh, the series I chased during the high school magazine period came out"
"When I was in junior high school, I was fortunate to watch several issues of the mystery world, and several cases left a deep impression, which belonged to the relatively early national style reasoning detective novels, and I hope they can be well adapted"
"This is really a childhood memory killing. The green mountains and green levels of An County, dreaming of the Tang Dynasty case always feel emotional."
Here are some bts of Xu Kai and Miles. Xu Kai looks happy.
https://x.com/i/status/2011011249958764589
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sy_GRsT6MLI?feature=share
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BPcKerwBD1U
https://x.com/i/status/2013161117892108420
https://x.com/i/status/2013189592451776787
https://x.com/i/status/2013322605105754422