Chapter 75: The Filming Begins Soon

Chapter 75: The Filming Begins Soon

[Is Explosive Wen the only popular young actress who became famous purely by looks without any notable works?]

[Nowadays, anyone can claim to have popularity? Does Explosive Wen have impressive magazine sales or strong endorsement purchasing power from fans? Trying to climb to the top as a popular young actress just by buying Hot Search and marketing?]

[I feel like because of the incident in Country N, Explosive Wen has pretty good public favor now.]

[Undeserved fame. The better the marketing, the harder she’ll fall when Ding Qian Kun comes out. A wooden beauty acting for the first time at 15.]

[Breaking news: Explosive Wen’s Weibo followers have surpassed 7 million! Do you think she bought fake popularity?]

[Don’t you think Explosive Wen’s appearance on that running show made her more popular than Xia Jin?]

[Let’s take a vote: Will Explosive Wen lose all her public favor after the drama airs?]

In this poll, over 3,000 people voted "yes," while only 56 chose "no."

Regardless of the mixed opinions, An Wen’s online popularity is immense. She even surged to first place on the Celebrity Power List, with Xia Jin in second.

Being overtaken by an unknown with no works to her name, Xia Jin’s fans, the Little Whales, felt uncomfortable. Some fans subtly mocked An Wen, calling her a marketing star who overdid buying Hot Search and fake popularity.

No matter how bitter fan circles and forums were, the general public remained oblivious to the drama, simply admiring An Wen’s beauty, searching for her videos and pictures, and quietly waiting for the drama to air.

As Hua Luo Chang An’s filming approached, An Wen joined the crew early to learn ancient court etiquette. She had studied these rituals in her past life and had acted in at least six or seven palace dramas, so the lessons felt like a refresher.

The etiquette instructor was highly satisfied with her. After teaching her everything required for the role, the instructor said, "An Wen, we have many people to teach. Since you’ve already mastered it all, why not help us instruct others later?"

An Wen was the first to arrive for etiquette training. Thanks to her strong foundation, she mastered everything in just two days, astounding the instructor with her memory and performance.

The half-month before filming was dedicated to the actors learning court etiquette, though some lead actors had already practiced for months in preparation. After An Wen, the rest of the cast gradually arrived on set.

Hua Luo Chang An was Tang Zhiming’s magnum opus, two years in the making. From the meticulously designed sets and interiors to the historically accurate costumes, makeup, and even footwear, no expense was spared.

The cast was equally impressive. The male lead, Li Hongyuan, was played by the talented actor Zhao Xuyao.

At 30, Zhao Xuyao was strikingly handsome, dubbed by forums as "the top good-looking but hard-to-popularize male star." Despite his looks, skill, and a decade of high national recognition, his career remained mid-tier. Yet, everyone believed he would eventually break through, and Hua Luo Chang An was the opportunity he’d been waiting for.

The female lead, Shangguan Xuan, was portrayed by the top-tier talented actress Lin Weiwei, who enjoyed high national recognition and a massive fan base.

The second male lead, Li Hongle, was played by the first-tier talented actor Yang Fan, while the third female lead, Li Qingyi, was assigned to the 26-year-old top-tier actress Meng Ziqi. Despite her young age, Meng Ziqi had debuted early and had ten years of experience, starring in numerous dramas and earning widespread acclaim.

All other key roles were filled by well-known, talented actors—except for the second female lead, Lin Wanting, played by the popular young actress An Wen.

Her name being listed alongside these people seemed utterly out of place no matter how one looked at it.

But Tang Zhiming's productions were notoriously inflexible when it came to casting—even if someone with strong backing managed to squeeze in, they would never land a significant role.

Lin Wanting's character was the most striking aside from the male and female leads, requiring an actor with substantial acting chops to portray its dramatic transformation.

Handing such a demanding role to a mere Traffic Flower left everyone baffled.