The new Chinese drama "Nine Heavens," starring Zhao Liying, has enlisted several well-known actors for "cameos," but many have likened it to an ensemble piece. Chen Xiao, who was once rumored to be romantically linked with Zhao Liying, also takes part, although both have drawn clear boundaries both on and off screen. The male lead, however, is played by Liu Haoran, who is ten years younger than Chen Xiao.
Rumors of the filming of "Nine Heavens" emerged as early as mid-last year, but it wasn't until the end of the year that shooting quietly began. The major production, starring Zhao Liying and Liu Haoran, brings together over 20 top celebrities, including Dilraba Dilmurat, Ni Ni, Xin Zhilei, Huang Xiaoming, Yu Shi, Chen Xiao, Zhou Yutong, Zhang Jingyi, and Chen Duling, among many others. The drama is shot in anthology format, depicting legendary tales set against the backdrop of turbulent times from the Xinhai Revolution to the War of Resistance Against Japan. Although the cast has been described as representing "half of the Chinese entertainment industry's major names," some netizens worry that having so many big stars may result in insufficient screen time for each, similar to the "Jiangyuan Lane" film series and the xianxia drama "Fox Spirit," with actors only making brief appearances and not having much room to shine. Furthermore, with so many big names, every individual story reportedly costs as much as 12 million RMB (approximately 6.8 million MYR) to produce. There have also been recent negative claims from extras alleging disrespect and low pay, resulting in ongoing controversies before the series has even wrapped.
Zhao Liying and Liu Haoran are expected to be the thread running through the entire series, but what draws additional attention is that Chen Xiao, who was previously rumored with Zhao, will also appear in one of the anthology episodes as the last scholar of his era. Reportedly, in order to avoid awkwardness, the two have been given no scenes together, and even stayed at different hotels and arrived on set at separate times, acting like strangers—being called an "alternative reunion of a regretful CP (couple pairing)."
In fact, Zhao Liying and Chen Xiao often interacted closely when they starred together in the drama "Legend of Lu Zhen" years ago. Even after Chen Xiao began filming "The Romance of the Condor Heroes" with his ex-wife Chen Yanxi, where they reportedly grew close, he would still visit Zhao Liying's set. This "love triangle" persisted for some time, but after Chen Xiao and Chen Yanxi went public with their relationship, Zhao Liying unfollowed Chen Xiao. When Chen Xiao announced his divorce last year, netizens flooded social media suggesting he and Zhao Liying get back together, but Zhao remained unmoved—her dedicated fans assert that she is no longer "love-brained" and now focuses solely on advancing her career.