Chinese drama Yun Xiuhang, starring Li Yitong and Zeng Shunxi, recently premiered but received poor reviews at first due to significant changes from the original novel and childish plotlines, prompting advertisers to pull out the very next day. Although ratings for Yun Xiuhang have since been on the rise, the show has sparked widespread anger among viewers due to two actions by the production team. Firstly, the drama repeatedly used Deng Wei’s name in promotions prior to airing, but his actual screen time in the show is very limited, leading fans to accuse the team of false advertising. Secondly, the male lead Zeng Shunxi had three important scenes cut from episode 6. As of episode 8, there have already been several notable issues, casting doubt on the show's future prospects.
Deng Wei plays a dual role as “Zheng Shi” and “Lou Qiyan,” and even before the show aired, these characters were extremely popular, generating much more buzz than Zeng Shunxi’s lead character “Qi Zheng.” As a result, the production team published multiple publicity pieces featuring Deng Wei’s name and used him as the focus of related trending topics. The official merchandise for “Zheng Shi” and “Lou Qiyan” was even released early and sold out instantly.
However, when Yun Xiuhang finally aired, Deng Wei appeared for less than 20 minutes combined in the first 6 episodes. Fans discovered that Deng Wei’s scene meeting the female lead, Li Yitong, at the market in episode 1 was cut, as well as the scene where he throws a medicine box in episode 6. Originally, this plotline was supposed to show Deng Wei’s character getting injured while gather rare herbs, persevering through pain to deliver the medicine, only to find his painstakingly-prepared remedy was of no use—prompting him to smash the medicine box in frustration. In fans’ eyes, this was meant to be a key scene highlighting the actor’s nuanced performance.
Aside from Deng Wei, Zeng Shunxi’s fans also pointed out that three of his highlight scenes were deleted by the production team: Qi Zheng’s childhood, where he was frequently poisoned and developed resistance, allowing him to drink poisoned wine to save the female lead while enduring agony; another scene where Qi Zheng, traumatized and afraid of the dark due to childhood bullying, nonetheless rescued someone on a rainy night; and the previously popular scene of the female lead putting a flower in Qi Zheng’s hair while shopping together. Fans argue that the removal of these crucial scenes not only undermines character development but also disrupts the narrative’s coherence.
Source: Up Media Pop Culture