whoissilmoy

yu zheng is a producer, not a director

Does he look a little different to you because I read a few comments on MDL and Viki they said they didn't recognize him?

This is just my impression based on my search. Hesong originally wanted Xu Kai and Zhou Ye for another drama, but that didn’t work out for whatever reason. Instead, Xu Kai ended up in SEL with the other Hesong actress because Yu Zheng secured Zhou Ye for Wang Xing Yue. To balance things out, he needed to offer Xu Kai to Hesong, and SEL was the project available at the time. The thing is that Hesong really wanted Xu Kai (top tier), not Wang Xing Yue, because Zhou Ye is rising. I dont' think they wanted Xu Kai and Zhou Ye for Scent of Time, that was for Wang Xing Yue and Zhou Ye. Well, they finally got him in Cup of Love. Hopefully, it works out since they been eyeing cp since 2022, and Zhou Ye has risen even more since 2025. Well, it's female centric drama and people say Xu Kai has limited screen presence, but whatever, I think Xu Kai will still be amazing. Every one of his dramas, his presence is undeniable.

Someone said that Xu Kai might have gotten role in Lost You Forever if not for Snow Eagle Lord, not sure if that's true. It was the role in LYF that went to Tan Jian Ci, his big breakthrough.

Just my musing…

It’s very plausible Xu Kai took Moonlit Reunion because Yu Zheng encouraged him to. When the casting happened, The Double hadn’t blown up yet, so Yu Zheng couldn’t rely on its success to secure his relationship with Lü Hao Ji Ji. Strengthening that connection early would’ve been the strategic move. The Double aired June 2024 as Moonlit Reunion was wrapping up.

Xu Kai is Yu Zheng’s top male actor, and directors can only reach him through Yu Zheng. If Lü Hao Ji Ji showed interest in casting him for his next project after The Double—which Yu Zheng produced—Yu Zheng would immediately see the opportunity to invest in that alliance and steer Xu Kai toward the role. Xu Kai would still have to agree, of course.

In the end, the relationship paid off. The Double became far more successful than Moonlit Reunion, though Moonlit Reunion still performed well. Yu Zheng built the connection first, and the benefits arrived later. Now he’s been able to secure roles for Wu Jin Yan, Zhang Nan, and Liang Yong Qi in Jiang Shan Wei Pin (produced by Lü Hao Ji Ji). I also think he’s trying to promote Liang, since he’s talented and rising quickly, and this connection proven beneficial.

Produced by Lü Hao Ji Ji, the director of The Double, this is his first project where he also takes on the role of producer. It makes sense that he’s starting to produce his own dramas, given his background. That likely gives him much more creative control than in his previous works. I really enjoy his style — even when a drama isn’t a huge hit like The Double, his projects always have a special quality. And in this one, he’s even working with some of the cast he’s collaborated with before.

She's a good actress but her agency doesn't seem to do anything for her
They've used their female actresses to pair up with WXY to promote him
2021 - OAO, Bai Lu (he was 2ML)
2022 - DD, He Rui Xian (ML, 2nd billing)
2025 (filmed in 2022) - SD, Wu Jia Yi (ML, first billing*)
2023 - SOKP, Bai Lu (2ML)
2024 - TD, Wu Jin Yan (ML, 2nd billing)
2026 - U, Bai Lu (ML, 2nd billing)

Many of his past dramas are produced by his agency, since he started at young age of 17, but he's been taking on dramas outside his agency. *It doesn't make sense to me, he would be first billing in 2022 against Wu Jia Yi who has done a lot of dramas by 2022, but this aired 3 yrs later, he's starting to rise to top tier, maybe that's why his name is listed first.

Wanda Li (aka Vanda Margraf or Li Wanda) is a rising German‑Chinese actress. In this drama she plays Ning Yao, a strong and complex swordswoman with a real ‘heroine on the battlefield’ presence. She’s also starring in The Days of Seclusion and Love as Guan Feng Yue, a battle‑hardened heroine who faces injustice, fights for her family, and grows through love and purpose.

Both roles showcase her as a dynamic, action‑oriented female lead. LW brings established seniority and huge popularity, while WL brings fresh energy as a rising talent. Both are lucky to be working together on a major Tencent S+ production. It's a breakout opportunity for her alongside a veteran.

I think the very fast 10‑day release might have hurt its viewership, because once people heard different things about the ending, some may have been influenced not to watch instead of experiencing the story for themselves.

I could be wrong, but I think there's such an ancient kingdom in China all run by women

Why do I keep seeing so many patterns between Xu Kai and Wang Xing Yue?
Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but the links keep popping up. Both of them have worked on multiple Hesong‑related collaborations, and now there’s another overlap: Xu Kai filmed Fire Investigator Jun–Sep ’24, and now, Wang Xing Yue is finishing Bao Hu Oct ’25–Jan ’26 set to air 2028 according to Douban (makes sense drug crime dramas take a long time to release), with the same director, practically back-to-back projects for the director.

It makes me wonder if this is just coincidence or if it’s part of normal industry deal‑making. Sometimes agencies recommend another actor when a director has already worked well with someone from their circle. So I’m curious whether, in order to get Xu Kai, Yu Zheng might also put forward Wang Xing Yue for the director’s next crime project.

When a director has a smooth, productive experience with an actor, the relationship doesn’t stop with the actor. It naturally extends to the actor’s agency, especially if the agency is powerful, organized, and has a deep talent pool. Xu Kai doesn’t just elevate his own profile — he strengthens his entire agency by building trust with directors.

And now there are rumors that Xu Kai might work with this director again, which could give Yu Zheng even more influence if the director wants to continue that partnership.

This director has strong past work like Under the Skin, so I’m hoping some of that quality shows up in Fire Investigator. And honestly, I think it’s great for Wang Xing Yue to take on a drug‑crime drama since he’s done so many costume roles.

Another overlapping pattern, WXY is also paired with Ancy Deng from 800 Meters in Radius for a 2027 modern romance, Gao Bai.

Filming of 800 Meters in Radius (wrapped Feb 2025) likely revealed strong on-set chemistry and hit potential between Xu Kai and Deng Enxi—so that could be why they're pushing Deng Enxi to pair with Wang Xingyue in Gao Bai (modern romance, filming Jan 2026) to capitalize on it. If Radius airs and becomes a hit, hype from Xu Kai/Deng CP carries over, drawing fans to the new pairing, elevating Deng as a "proven" FL with a top Huanyu male (Xu Kai), makes her a safe, buzz-worthy FL for Wang's modern shift, while giving Wang's modern romance extra buzz

Gao Bai seems to me to mark a milestone, a deliberate career pivot for Wang Xing Yue.
His first modern main role, First Love 2022, he was ML but not first billing, and the drama was only a stepping-stone, not a game changer for him, and Scent of Time (which he got due to Xu Kai being offered for SEL) was his turning point. His second modern main role AASOL 2024, he was 2ML. Gao Bai 2027, marks his first modern romance he is the ML and first billing and at a time he is still rising into the top tier due to his breakout role in TD.

"certified" in this context means definitely, treating it as if it were official

I always wonder about that. Do they have jobs?

Malicious media campaigns don’t need to prove an actor is guilty — they only need to create enough doubt for casting directors, brands, and fans to hesitate. They tried to damage Xu Kai’s trust‑based foundation, but his audience metrics never collapsed, his core fans stayed fiercely loyal, he continued securing roles, and brands didn’t pull away from him. My perspective is that because he didn’t rise on hype but on real staying power and consistent work that audiences connect with, those efforts to undermine him — though they keep chipping at his image — still haven’t derailed his career. They underestimated Xu Kai's staying power. They targeted him like a typical hype-dependent star — create doubt, watch the house of cards fall. But they didn't account for his real, work-built foundation and loyal base.

hope it's not romance focused either. clearly there is romance, but I hope the story is bigger than that.

Tan Songyun is a much stronger actress than many of the currently popular female leads. She has real acting credentials and serious awards to back it up—she got where she is because of her skill, not hype. Her next two dramas look promising, and I’m especially excited about her pairing with Liu Xueyi. I liked him ever since Ancient Love Poetry; he has a quiet charm, so I think they’ll make a great CP. And the drama after that seems like the kind of role where she can really shine.

Tan Song Yun in TUS reminds me of how people made fun of Zhou Dongyu in Ancient Love Poetry. She played a child‑like character before her growth, but that innocence was meant to reflect Shanggu’s purity. Haters complained she didn’t look like a “conventional goddess” or said she seemed too naïve, immature, or comedic—but that was literally the point of the character at that stage. She was born from pure essence energy; she wasn’t supposed to act like a typical, worldly deity.

So honestly, I’ve learned to ignore that kind of criticism. A lot of people don’t dive deeply into the story—they nitpick surface details. It’s fine not to like a drama, but when someone is clearly a skilled actress, it’s strange to mock them for doing exactly what the role requires.

The Unclouded Soul received a genuinely solid Douban score, especially when you compare it to other xianxia dramas led by very popular actresses. Those shows might pull huge viewership numbers, but the acting often doesn’t translate into stronger, more serious ratings.

On Douban it's called Dangerous traitors (2027)
Director: Xing Jianjun (also the director of Xu Kai's Fire Investigator)
Screenwriter: Ding Jia
Premiere: 2027 (TBD)
Episodes: 26
Also known as: Wangbei Tower

Adapted from the novel "Wangbei Tower" written by Ding Jia.
In 2004, the real estate economy picked up, and the flashy and noisy Guangzhou was full of gold. Ye Shiwen, the illegitimate son of a wealthy family, who is both good and evil, competes for control of family property and expands his business territory in Vanity Fair. The incognito down-and-out daughter, bar waitress Cheng Zhen, survives in the midst of multi-party wrestling and struggles for a small place to live at the bottom of society. A multi-party real estate transaction makes the two people who never intersect meet by chance, fall in love and kill each other, and uncover old business cases, collusion of interests and family grievances that have been hidden for eight years. Secrets, lies, temptations, betrayals...... Affection turns into a dream in an instant. Ye Shiwen thought that living this life was bound to fight for interests to the end. However, after half a lifetime of ups and downs, what he longed for most was only three meals and one night, with her by his side. Cheng Zhen believed that everything outside of money was just a floating cloud. However, at the last moment of this game of sinking, she decided to give up everything and run towards him with all her might.

there's actually an MDL page and Douban page for it and on Douban, there is one comment asking for Xu Kai. On your weibo link, it mentions collaboration Xu Kai + Zhou Ye. I wouldn't be surprised if it's her again, given Hesong been trying to get Xu Kai and Zhou Ye since 2022. You'd think they wait until after Cup of Love airs. This could be true since it is the director of Fire Investigator. Since the story takes place in Guangzhou, where Cantonese is the main local language, Xu Kai’s slight Cantonese accent would be appropriate.

Xu Kai's journey has always intrigued me. I saw a Douban comment during airing of one of his dramas that Xu Kai told Huanyu if you want me, you have to take her too. I think it was Zhang Nan. They were both models, working together at the time. There are YT clips of them doing photo shoots together back then. So, what you said matches.

My guess is that Xu Kai and Yu Zheng have a professional working relationship that is respectful but not friends,

it's kinda long rambling

If he takes too much time off, they'll start rumors again.