I have a persona specifically for acting.

Beauty is hard currency.

A face so handsome that it makes the audience gasp has a promotional effect all on its own.

The production team of the show “King of the Sea” has clipped many solo segments of Wei Zekai and Han Zhi, using them for pre-release promotion on major short video apps and Weibo. The young master, with his short hair highlighted in gold and brown, looks as aloof and proud as a cat, attracting a lot of older sister and mom fans who just want to pull this big boy into their arms and pat his head.

Han Zhi has the purest form of high-level looks and a strong presence.

Many netizens were shocked—

In an era of information explosion, no handsome man or beautiful woman goes unnoticed. As long as someone is good-looking enough, they can instantly become popular, even if they just appear on “1818 Golden Eye.” However, with Han Zhi, they truly know nothing about him. New threads keep popping up on entertainment forums, yet apart from screenshots admiring his looks, there is no other information at all.

How could that be?

This isn’t just some average-looking guy on the street.

Han Zhi’s face, as captured on camera, is filled with a star-like quality and a strong presence. Even when he first appeared exhausted, with water droplets clinging to his hair, it didn’t diminish his dazzling aura in the slightest. He gave the entrance hall the feel of a runway show.

How could he possibly be a nobody?

Netizens began to discuss, and the search terms related to “Han Zhi” kept rising. Even those who do not follow the entertainment industry would be intrigued by posts on their Weibo homepage such as [Ahhh, I need to know everything about Han Zhi within three seconds!], [This batch of netizens is useless; it’s been an entire afternoon, and they’ve only managed to dig out Han Zhi’s name!], and [Waiting eagerly for tonight’s premiere of “King of the Sea”!]…

These kinds of posts have piqued people’s interest in Han Zhi and the variety show.

At this moment, the entire Eastern internet is filled with curiosity about Han Zhi.

…

Tong Zhao’s fans are also passionately speaking up, but their voices are quite divided.

[Ahhhh, she should never have gone on a dating variety show, TVT! Manager, come out and die!]

[Where did this pretty boy come from? Stay away from my Zhao Zhao!]

These are the “boyfriend fans” who are losing it on the spot.

Tong Zhao, who played a noble concubine overflowing with femininity, attracted a group of fans who adored her looks. They are quite resistant to her starring in a “strong female lead” movie like *Countdown: 72 Hours*, hoping she would continue down the path of playing charming, seductive women. But instead of getting what they were waiting for, they saw their goddess getting close to another handsome guy on a variety show—how could they not be devastated?

However, in an era where instinctual variety shows are rampant, this isn’t uncommon.

What happens on these instinct-driven variety shows cannot be taken completely at face value.

So, most male fans remain steadfast: [As long as they don’t officially announce they’re together after the show, she’s still my good wife. Enough said, I forgive you. *[insert meme of wearing a green hat]*.]

While the male fans are going crazy, the female fans are much more composed.

[I think this handsome guy and Zhao are quite a good match.]

[Wait a minute, I remember the rich second-generation heir on the show and the concubine are also good friends. A love triangle is in the works?]

[If you guys keep talking about this, I won’t be sleepy anymore!]

Whether male or female fans, they at least have some vested interest in this.

The most pitiful one, however, is Song Wanzhuo.

The top comment under this trailer’s hot discussion tagged this poor “Emperor”:

[Are you even human if you tag Song Wanzhuo after seeing the concubine kissing someone else? I already told you not to tag Song Wanzhuo, so why are you still tagging him? How do you think Song Wanzhuo would feel seeing this?]

Just as netizens were passionately discussing Han Zhi’s divine looks, they suddenly remembered that in *Legend of Emperor Ming*, Song Wanzhuo’s feelings toward Tong Zhao were rather unusual. Given that it was an instinct-driven drama, it’s impossible to say he didn’t feel anything at all. However, the two of them cut ties after filming, so this CP (couple pairing) didn’t really gain much traction.

But when this was brought up, the main person involved actually replied.

@Song Wanzhuo: [Haha, my heart feels not the slightest ripple, and I’ll be watching the first episode tonight.]

[Hahahaha, here comes the muddle-headed emperor!]

[Dream crossover/dog head meme]

From the bottom of his heart, Song Wanzhuo genuinely believed that watching this variety show wouldn’t stir any emotional waves in him.

What he loved was the concubine from *Legend of Emperor Ming*, not Tong Zhao herself. Once the drama was over, the feeling wasn’t quite the same. However, he does plan to watch the variety show *King of the Sea*, because he really likes Tong Zhao’s looks. Like some male fans who adore delicate beauties, he also hopes Zhao Zhao will always remain beautiful, avoiding roles like Feng Yanqi’s, where she plays a fierce and dominant character…

In short, he’s confident and staying calm.

The appearance of the “Dog Emperor” (referring to Song Wanzhuo) turned the previously tense atmosphere into a sea of joyful banter and memes.

The first episode of *King of the Sea* premiered right on time.

The holographic screening rooms and online cinemas were packed with viewers.

Some audience members already had Tong Zhao’s fan badge displayed next to their IDs, silently making their presence known.

For the audience, the introduction of the three ordinary participants felt like filler time, and they chatted and joked around in the bullet comments, not taking it seriously. The production team knew how important the beginning was, so they didn’t give them much screen time; after a brief introduction, the progress bar quickly moved to Wei Zekai’s entrance.

Accompanied by the sound effects of jingling coins, Young Master Wei stepped out of a luxury car.

A single line, “Is this it?” made the number of bullet comments surge.

When he later referred to the large room the guests were supposed to sleep in as “a worker’s room,” the audience couldn’t help but sigh that they were not living in the same world as this young master. If this is considered a “worker’s room” in the Wei family, how big and luxurious must the room he actually sleeps in be?

[This second-generation rich kid is too vivid, he’s basically playing himself.]

[Wei Zekai, debut now! If you don’t get famous, you can always go back to your family’s billion-dollar business. *dog head meme*]

[Boohoo, that single “Is this it?” broke me, especially while I’m still paying off my mortgage.]

Some bullet comments explaining the background of Wei Zekai’s wealthy family to viewers who were not in the know.

The thrill brought by the rich, handsome young man sustained the audience’s interest for a while longer.

However, the audience’s biggest excitement was still about when Han Zhi and Tong Zhao would make their appearances.

The waiting time for the guests was fast-forwarded at double speed, with a shortcut inserted of Young Master Wei playing a game. After losing three rounds in a row, he irritably spent four sets of 648 yuan on *Honor of Kings* and mumbled under his breath, “Spending money for good karma, hurry up and give me some decent teammates.”

Until night fell, the manor outside was shrouded in a torrential downpour.

At this point, the editors skillfully played the horror movie soundtrack, as if this sweet dating show was about to turn into a murder mystery in a locked room. In this tense atmosphere of impending storm, there was a commotion at the door. Everyone turned to look—it was the much-anticipated appearance of Tong Zhao.

This was her first time appearing on screen in a sweet and charming modern style.

Tong Zhao has been in the limelight recently, and it’s about time the audience got used to her beauty.

But when she appeared in a pure white little dress, the director proudly gave her several close-up shots. Her slender and graceful figure was accentuated by the fitted waist design, creating beautiful curves. The combination of white socks and leather shoes added a touch of cute innocence—every aspect was soft and delicate…

The audience suddenly realized they still weren’t tired of seeing this face.

Facing the gazes of the other guests, especially the dissatisfied look from Young Master Wei directed at the latecomer, she gave a slight apologetic smile. Her light-colored eyes were filled with a deer-like sense of panic and innocence—so pure, so delicate.

The bullet comments exploded instantly.

For a moment, it was a celebration by Tong Zhao’s fans who adored her looks—

[Ahhhhh, I love this look so much! Give the stylist a full banquet!]

[Sweet and soft little Loli, I’m in love! I declare that from now on, I’m a dad fan of Zhao Bao! *heart emoji*]

[Wait a minute, so my wife is going to kiss other men while looking this cute?]

A quick-handed fan excitedly swapped Tong Zhao’s innocent expression from her entrance onto the body of Yao, the Deer Spirit hero from *Honor of Kings*, and found it to be a perfect match—it was as if she was the real Yao Princess.

Before the “face-licking” fans could settle down, the narrator introduced the identity card Tong Zhao had drawn for the variety show—

[“The King of the Sea” – “Female Student” Tong Zhao: It’s often said that women are made of water, and she is certainly the sweetest femme fatale. Skilled at disguising herself, she can transform into any appearance you desire, like a black lotus flower drifting among men. At school, instead of focusing on credits and exam rankings, the male classmates care more about where they stand in Tong Zhao’s heart. To win the top spot, they do everything they can to shower her with attention…]

[Can Tong Zhao achieve her goal, win this competition, and secure the prize money to treat her critically ill family member?]

The camera freezes right on the look in her eyes as she gazes at the male guests on set.

Hidden within is a desire to conquer.

…

Ah, Princess Zhao Zhao truly is a “black lotus.”

At this moment, fans who started following her because of *Legend of Emperor Ming* went wild with excitement.

They love this kind of character setting so much!

Everyone is quite delighted.

Especially for Song Wanzhuo, who was watching in the holographic screening room, he was astonished to discover that when he saw Tong Zhao in *King of the Sea*, his once lifeless heart seemed to be called back to life, beating wildly—

What is this…

Is this the feeling of being moved?

It was clearly the same person, the same face, but when he met Tong Zhao in private, apart from appreciating her beauty, he never had this kind of heart-pounding feeling.

While confused, Song Wanzhuo was even more overjoyed.

It was like seeing his idol make a comeback.

He thought he would spend the rest of his life only watching edited clips of the concubine from *Legend of Emperor Ming* to get his “sugar rush,” but unexpectedly, he found that same feeling again in *King of the Sea*. Even though he couldn’t figure out why, he couldn’t help but post on Weibo.

@Song Wanzhuo:

Haha, my youth is back!

Although he didn’t explicitly say what he was referring to, considering he had mentioned earlier in the day that he was going to watch *King of the Sea*, and this happened to coincide with the time just after Tong Zhao’s appearance, fans and onlookers immediately guessed that he was quite fond of Tong Zhao’s new look this time. Ever since finishing *Legend of Emperor Ming*, he had gradually transitioned from being an idol to purely being an instinct-driven actor, and this kind of comment was still within his fans’ tolerance range…

After all, there really wasn’t any concrete evidence about the two of them.

Not even staged interactions for publicity; it was clear they were just a “plastic couple” who went their separate ways after filming.

However, the comments from female fans below his post were tinged with jealousy, gently reminding him—

[Brother, don’t go crazy. Think about the preview content.]

[Brother Wanzhuo’s reaction is exactly like a boyfriend fan from our fandom.] This comment was from a fan of Tong Zhao.

Some more mischievous and sarcastic netizens gave him a blunt reminder: [Your Majesty, your beloved concubine is about to date another man!]

Song Wanzhuo was happily watching the variety show when he saw this highly upvoted comment from a random viewer, and his smile instantly froze on his face.

Just then, Han Zhi made his appearance in *King of the Sea*.

Song Wanzhuo was watching with bullet comments turned on.

As soon as Han Zhi appeared, aside from the excited shrieks from fans admiring his looks, there were a bunch of green bullet comments playing on a meme:

[Hats are being handed out, everyone, put them on in advance.]

What made things worse was that Song Wanzhuo’s earlier Weibo post had made it to the lower end of the trending list and was being reposted by numerous marketing accounts with laughter, which then synced up with the bullet comments from those watching at the same time—

[Dog Emperor, I know you’re watching. Make sure to keep your hat on.]

Song Wanzhuo’s mindset instantly shattered.