WBSGVS Chapter 224 V1

After the short teaser was released, it quickly made its way onto the trending charts, thanks to fans of the original novel.

For die-hard book fans, nothing is more satisfying than seeing a faithful adaptation, especially in terms of casting and cinematography. And even though the teaser was brief, the incredible visuals of the male and female leads were more than enough to pique their interest.

Even those unfamiliar with the original couldn’t help but watch it over and over again, hearts full of fluttering pink bubbles.

Once the initial excitement died down, everyone started asking the same question:
[Who are the male and female leads? They look like newcomers!]

[Excuse me! Ning Xi isn’t a newbie! He’s a pop singer—nicknamed the “Goofy King of Pop”! He’s the guy who lost his shoe at the airport recently!]

[LMAO, Ning Xi is seriously amazing. He’s swept all the major music awards over the past five years. Even people who don’t listen to music have heard his songs!]

[Just looked him up—OMG he’s such a hilarious goofball, I love him! He’s perfect for the male lead in the novel!]

[What about the female lead? Who is she?]

[Just searched—her name is Kong Li. A low-tier actress, not very famous, but honestly solid in her performances.]

[Two not-so-famous leads? I don’t get why the production dropped Su Yan and chose these two. ‘Phoenix Slaying’ is ruined!]

[Uhh, did everyone forget that Su Yan voluntarily left the project? I think these two are a much better fit!]

After a buzz-filled afternoon, at 7:30 p.m., the official Phoenix Slaying Weibo account released the official character stills for the lead roles, formally tagging Ning Xi and Kong Li and introducing them as the new male and female leads.

There were three photos: one of each lead individually, and one of them together.

Had the production released only the stills without the teaser, people might’ve been more resistant, especially since Su Yan and Zhao Muyun’s previous character stills had already gained traction.
But since the teaser dropped first and established some convincing chemistry, the response to the photos was overwhelmingly positive:

[OMG! It is Ning Xi! He’s such a baby face! Can you believe this guy is 27?!]

[Kong Li, you’re finally getting your big break! I’ve been a fan for seven years—so happy you’re finally getting good opportunities!]

[They look so good together—even in the stills, they’re giving off sweet vibes. What a god-tier casting choice!]

[Ugh seriously? Another singer is invading the acting world. Can’t wait to see what kind of train wreck this turns into.]

[Are you blind?? That teaser wasn’t enough proof that our beloved goofy boy is just being himself on screen? What are you even worried about?!]

[LOL—Ning Xi has no fans, only antis!]

Just like that, the controversy around the casting change vanished without a trace.

Zhao Muyun didn’t have a huge fanbase, and her supporters clashed evenly with Kong Li’s. As for Su Yan’s fans, they were about equally matched with Ning Xi’s—but since Ning Xi came from the music scene, his fans were actually even more combative, holding their own without issue.

There was no longer any need for PR teams to handle public opinion.

That night, Producer Zhang returned to his hotel room, checked the online buzz, and couldn’t help but sigh—Director Su knew what he was doing.

Despite seeming like an outsider, as a screenwriter, he knew all the industry tricks.

He first used the “Will He Stay or Go” drama around He Tianzhuo to deflect attention from the cast changes, then dropped the teaser to hook the audience emotionally, and finally released the lead cast photos to cement the shift, perfectly sidestepping any backlash while drawing in a whole new wave of attention.

Zhang’s confidence in the show soared.

Meanwhile, Zhao Muyun, who was also watching the trending topics, felt a chill run through her heart the moment she saw who had replaced her.

After all the scheming and maneuvering… it was still Kong Li who landed the role.

She’d gone through so much, only to end up with a script that didn’t even come close to the caliber of Phoenix Slaying.

Yes—she knew about Imperial Power.

In her previous life, it had been played by another actress, and the director hadn’t even been He Tianzhuo.

When Imperial Power aired, it was slammed by critics. The marketing had hyped it up as the next Phoenix Slaying-level court drama, but the execution was nowhere near that level. Poor attention to detail, weak plot twists, and dumb villains—it was a mess.

And yet, that was now the best script she could get her hands on.

Su Qingli’s maneuver, while seemingly unrelated to her, had a ripple effect. Zhao Rongrong was her biological aunt. Then He Tianzhuo quit because of her. Then Su Yan left as well. As a result, Su Yan’s fans flooded over to her page to curse her out, and even random netizens started pointing fingers.

Her fanbase, already shaky, took a massive hit after the incident.

He Tianzhuo intended to set Imperial Power up as a direct rival to Phoenix Slaying. If it flopped, the biggest loser would be the lead actress, especially one like her, with no solid footing.

Zhao Muyun grew increasingly anxious and even started considering doing variety shows to save her public image.

At that moment, she received a message from He Tianzhuo:
[I’ve been thinking—‘Imperial Power’ might not be able to match ‘Phoenix Slaying’ in script quality, but we can amp up the romance. You and your co-star both have solid fan bases. If we can attract some CP fans, the impact would be even better. What do you guys think?]

Zhao Muyun’s eyes lit up.

Fake a romance!

She hadn’t originally planned to get tangled in dating rumors so soon—it could hurt her career in the long run. But given the current situation, it might help. She knew full well how lucrative faked CP hype could be. Once the show aired, they could just declare their “partnership” over and move on.

She typed back with a smile:
[I’m fine with it—whatever the director decides, I’ll fully cooperate!]

Fans were still riding the high from the teaser, eagerly awaiting the show’s premiere.

But Phoenix Slaying was a high-budget TV drama slated for a satellite network broadcast, which meant it wouldn’t be airing anytime soon.

The crew was busy shooting, but the frenzy had died down, almost as if the earlier chaos had all been a dream.