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.
Su Xuelou reuters (Miles Wei)https://youtube.com/shorts/pebIXpE4Fso?si=P-JAIez5t4unyq-Dhttps://youtube.com/shorts/hFTHatNoKxc?si=-K0xuP9TGew9BeMwhttps://youtube.com/shorts/PH9o0a2bdbM?si=uVIkELnQ1rrifbVpHow…
If he takes too much time off, they'll start rumors again.
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.
The fact that she does very well in this extremely competitive and shady industry despite having NO backing, a…
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.
7th year would be 2023. There were couple of nasty sexually transmitted disease videos that circulated. I was…
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,
A reviewer on Douban says Tan Songyun is being unfairly attacked by industry forces, but her strong acting keeps…
This is the difference between capital and self-employed As long as Tan Songyun is on a new drama Those capitals began to operate the background to hack her This will be capital smearing and suppressing Songyun But where is their position in the entertainment industry? No one can shake it, because they rely on it Solid acting skills, not capital and backstage Some actors rely on backstage hype non-stop I can't get a decent work This is being suppressed, and people are exploding here and there
Many people complain that the plot of "Xiaoyao" is not in line with common sense I can't understand the emotional line of the male and female protagonists is very chaotic, I want to say Xiaoyao It is the narrative form of the Mobius ring to tell most of the story Everyone feels that the emotional line between Xiao Yao and Hongye is very complicated Then look at it from a different perspective, maybe Xiao Yao, who met for the first time and Hongye are the first generation of Mobius The ring may be the starting point of the female protagonist and the end point of the male protagonist The end of the main character is the starting point of the male protagonist In other words The female protagonist is the main narrative, the male protagonist is a flashback, and there is in the trailer A lot of foreshadowing, let's watch the trailer well, Hongye said I believe in director Xu Jizhou "Getaway" is not as bad as many people say People who watch this drama should not watch it with prejudice and emotions The plot will not disappoint everyone.
A reviewer on Douban says Tan Songyun is being unfairly attacked by industry forces, but her strong acting keeps her successful. Complaints about the plot come from misunderstanding its Mobius‑ring narrative structure. They believe the drama isn’t as bad as critics claim and encourage viewers to watch without bias.
Love it when most Chinese viewers appreciate this kind of drama more than international viewers. Congratulations…
It’s interesting — even though the ending was polarizing that you’d expect it to drag the rating down, something clearly resonated with a portion of viewers and lifted it back up. Hopefully the score stays steady.
Douban’s 6.6 for TUC — based on 14,485 (1/8) ratings and still climbing (updated 15,790 1/9) — carries far more weight than the 1,506 ratings on MDL. For a xianxia, that’s a solid score. Reviews are mixed, as always, but there are plenty of 5‑star responses. Not everyone hates the ending the way MDL comments might make it seem; getting 20% 5‑star ratings suggests it was genuinely well liked.
Does Hou Ming Hao has health issue ? I can barely recognize him between Love in the clouds and this one... Something…
oh, so that's why his face looks so stiff and unnatural in a scene, like it's been painted with heavy makeup, like a doll. So, I wasn't imagining it. He was sick during filming.
lmao how do you reply and ask something then block because you don't want to hear an answer. if a person rates…
On MDL, a 1/10 rating feels way more extreme than a 10/10. Most dramas land in the inflated 7–9 norm, so a perfect 10 fits right into how people usually score for something they love. But a 1 sits all the way at the bottom of the scale — it stands out as a harsh outlier in a place where most people rate high.
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.
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.
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.
My guess is that Xu Kai and Yu Zheng have a professional working relationship that is respectful but not friends,
As long as Tan Songyun is on a new drama
Those capitals began to operate the background to hack her
This will be capital smearing and suppressing Songyun
But where is their position in the entertainment industry?
No one can shake it, because they rely on it
Solid acting skills, not capital and backstage
Some actors rely on backstage hype non-stop
I can't get a decent work
This is being suppressed, and people are exploding here and there
Many people complain that the plot of "Xiaoyao" is not in line with common sense
I can't understand the emotional line of the male and female protagonists is very chaotic, I want to say Xiaoyao
It is the narrative form of the Mobius ring to tell most of the story
Everyone feels that the emotional line between Xiao Yao and Hongye is very complicated
Then look at it from a different perspective, maybe Xiao Yao, who met for the first time
and Hongye are the first generation of Mobius
The ring may be the starting point of the female protagonist and the end point of the male protagonist
The end of the main character is the starting point of the male protagonist In other words
The female protagonist is the main narrative, the male protagonist is a flashback, and there is in the trailer
A lot of foreshadowing, let's watch the trailer well, Hongye said
I believe in director Xu Jizhou
"Getaway" is not as bad as many people say
People who watch this drama should not watch it with prejudice and emotions
The plot will not disappoint everyone.
5 stars20.2%
4 stars22.4%
3 stars31.4%
2 stars18.6%
1 star7.5%