China’s drama industry is in another uproar: screenwriter Yu Zheng has thrown shade at Ren Jialun, claiming his career has declined so much that even three major S+-level dramas couldn’t get investment approval on the top platforms. Yu also said Bai Lu is on the rise while Ren Jialun is on the decline, and threatened to expose screenshots of writers, directors, and actors complaining about Ren Jialun. All this as he fiercely defends his favorite Bai Lu, directly kicking off hostilities with Ren Jialun.
The controversy began when Bai Lu and Zeng Shunxi’s series “Lin Jiang Xian” celebrated surpassing a 10,000 popularity milestone, but was criticized for “inflated data.” Fans of “Wuyou Du,” which aired just before “Lin Jiang Xian,” especially objected. “Wuyou Du” has both high popularity and good reputation, and, as Song Zu’er’s first comeback drama, generated plenty of buzz, but still failed to break 10,000. This led to clashes between Ren Jialun’s and Bai Lu’s devoted fans, with the former claiming “Wuyou Du” outperformed “Lin Jiang Xian.” If “Lin Jiang Xian” could break the milestone, they argued, then “Wuyou Du” should have done so long ago. The two previously collaborated on the successful “One and Only,” raising questions over who truly contributed more—Ren Jialun or Bai Lu? Old grievances have resurfaced, fueling endless battles between the respective fandoms.
Bai Lu’s fans, incensed, complained to her boss Yu Zheng and called for him to sue those defaming Bai Lu online. While fan wars are commonplace, the situation escalated the moment Yu Zheng personally intervened. He publicly provoked Ren Jialun, and onlookers, eager for drama, encouraged Yu to release his alleged industry screenshots showing criticism of Ren Jialun, hoping to see even more chaos ensue. Ren Jialun’s camp has yet to respond to the controversy.
Source: Apple Daily