I have a persona specifically for acting.

How did these two end up together?

Viewers who have watched this TV series and the movie may feel puzzled. In “The Legend of Emperor Ming,” the favored consort has always ignored same-sex affections. Although part of this is due to the assumption that same-sex individuals in the harem are competitors, it is true that the consort has never shown tenderness towards women.

Mu Yingchen is a character who is completely the opposite.

She is exceptionally gentle with girls and shows no interest in men.

Even when treating her male disciples, her kindness is limited to not drawing her sword…

In “The Heartless Tribulation,” there is a segment questioning Yingchen Fairy about only accepting female disciples, highlighting her obvious favoritism towards them.

Mu Yingchen coldly replied:

“Isn’t the favoritism that men receive in this world enough? Family businesses, ancestral lines, and achievements are all inherited by men. In the mortal realm, respect is given to the ruler, the father, and the husband. Given that they enjoy so many benefits yet still feel insufficient, they cannot tolerate my favoritism towards women and come to dispute it with the term ‘fairness’? My actions do not require outside opinions. If you have anything to say, take it up with my sword.”

The hall fell silent immediately.

Who would dare take on her sword and then talk about fairness?

So no one dared to speak.

If we must talk about the commonalities between the two, it’s that they are both domineering, portrayed by the same actress, and are both female.

No matter how hard you think about it, you just can’t understand how they got paired together.

It’s okay not to understand.

Perhaps those in the know might not get it, but many fans take pride in creating a shipping vibe between two people who had no connection, watching the audience evolve from “Wait, how is this possible?” to “Once I accepted this pairing, it’s actually kind of cute,” and finally to “What is this random pairing? This AE is real!”…

Among them, the thrill of distorting facts and manipulating hearts is like a god holding great power.

Once the first shipper video hit the charts, other shippers eagerly followed suit—

“[Mu Fei] The Correct Way to Open the Palace and Immortal Realm”

“[Mu Fei] The Girls She Loved Were Fake”

“[Mu Fei] The Wind Rises”

It’s like the classic scene of Bucky falling from a train off a cliff, frequently used in Marvel edits; this couple also has a scene that gets recycled over and over—

Coincidentally, the luxurious palanquin that the female supporting character Li Qiaoqiao rides in “The Heartless Tribulation” shares the same modeling code as the one used for the favored consort in “The Legend of Emperor Ming” when she is brought into the palace. The production team didn’t think much of it; they simply bought a set for the popular data and that was it, which resulted in solid evidence that “this cross-drama couple is real.”

Thus, with injuries all over and looking utterly disheveled, Mu Yingchen leans against the tree once again, only daring to silently gaze at the magnificent palanquin on the main path, inside of which sits the girl she loves, about to be taken into the imperial palace…

Meanwhile, the actress playing Li Qiaoqiao, Ding Jiao, tweeted a complaint.

@DingJiaoV:

I shouldn’t be inside the palanquin; I should be underneath it.

[Mu Fei CP Screenshot]

The comments below are hilarious.

[Poor sister became a tool/dog head emoji]

[I’ve really been brainwashed by these edits and have rewatched “The Heartless Tribulation” three times, always wanting to see where the favored consort is…]

[Mu Fei Szd!!! I recommend everyone to watch “[Mu Fei] A Thousand Years of Tears,” the lyrics fit perfectly; it’s so heartbreaking!]

“[Mu Fei] A Thousand Years of Tears”

This video topped the Bilibili film and television editing hot list, ranking fourth overall, showing just how many netizens it touched.

Due to the numerous close-ups of their one-sided conversations, they edited it into a shippy dialogue.

—You gaze at the horizon, I gaze at your face [Note 1]

In the masterful editing of the canola flower creator, the favored consort says, “This dance, the person I wanted to perform it for is no longer here.” It’s actually about her regretful sister, the queen, but it was interpreted as referring to Mu Yingchen.

Mu Yingchen once danced with a sword on the Sword Peak, accompanied by the favored consort playing the guzheng for the emperor.

When the background music changes, it feels like one person plays the zither while the other dances.

Favored Consort: “I want the riches of this world.”

Mu Yingchen: “Wealth and power are nothing but dust.”

There’s a close-up of Mu Yingchen holding her sword, her cold voice stating, “My golden core has been shattered, and my spiritual power is nearly depleted; today is my day to die.”

“I’ve come to seek justice for myself, to settle the past grievances.”

After saying this, she strikes down with her sword.

This section cuts from some unfortunate period drama where the palace gets destroyed.

Next is the scene where the favored consort coughs up blood and dies in the emperor’s embrace.

A close-up of Mu Yingchen’s astonished expression follows.

A tear falls from the favored consort’s eye, sliding down her delicate cheek.

—Your tears are not the only thing teetering on the edge.

—The mocking wind sings a farewell. [Note 2]

Here begins a series of hard cuts showcasing memories, accompanied by suggestive lines that could easily confuse viewers who haven’t seen the original version:

Favored Consort: “The first time I saw her, I thought to myself, how could there be such a woman in the world? She is beautiful and noble, has a good background, and the man she marries is…” Her voice trails off, a hint of mockery evident in her tone.

It transitions to Mu Yingchen’s debut at the Dao Companion Ceremony, dressed in white, untainted by dust.

The creator who used “A Thousand Years of Tears” as background music has a dirty mind. At the end, they splice in the “Sea King Kill” along with the real-life “Tong Zhao,” crafting a yuri version of their reunion a thousand years later. This edit is much easier since Tong Zhao has recently become popular due to Mu Yingchen’s role, and during promotional events, she would pose with a cold expression that matched everyone’s imagination, thus…

Cold and aloof actress X manipulative green tea, modern CP is now a thing.

“The rise of the Mu Fei CP, and the biggest victim should be my brother, Wan Zhuo.”

Song Wanzhuo really has it hard.

He was dragged out to be beaten down again.

Wasn’t it supposed to be a duet for the New Year’s Eve party? Considering the timing, it was about right, so he posted on Weibo again, cueing Tong Zhao. The tone was very businesslike, almost bureaucratic, clearly written by his agent. However, the comments section completely backfired.

[Break up my Mu Fei CP, the dog emperor, come out and face death!]

[But I want to see the consort and Mu Yingchen sing love songs together. How about you take responsibility for playing the guzheng, Your Majesty?]

This comment immediately sparked a rebuttal from Wanzhuo’s fans: [No way, our brother can only play the electric guitar. Can Yingchen rock out?]

Although Tong Zhao and Song Wanzhuo had a very casual friendship, they maintained ongoing collaborations in public.

Their relationship was known to be pretty good, and when others commented on it like this, fans would inevitably start arguing.

The new generation of young stars were all avid surfers on the internet, and Song Wanzhuo was no exception. He loved browsing Bilibili to watch video edits. During the middle of “The Legend of the Ming Emperor,” the romantic plot between the dog emperor and the favored consort sparked a wave of videos, and he had saved a special compilation of moments with his goddess in his favorites.

Song Wanzhuo complained to Tong Zhao on WeChat: [Why am I the dog emperor again? I clearly pamper you!]

Tong Zhao: [Because in the fan edits, you killed the favored consort.]

Song Wanzhuo was taken aback: [Why would I kill my beloved consort?]

Tong Zhao: [The plot needs a villain; just accept your fate.]

Song Wanzhuo: [I must be the most resentful person regarding this CP in the world.]

Tong Zhao found it amusing and wanted to say, “No, you’re not.”

The most resentful person in her mind was—

Concubine Chen: [Help! Spare me, even if all the men in the world die, I will never have the thought of being with her!]

Concubine Chen: [If I have committed any offenses, the palace rules would punish me, not let me see this kind of thing.]

Concubine Chen’s intense output: [Even if I were paired with He Shun, at least that would make sense. Have we ever appeared together? It’s impossible. Let go of that thought; the person edited in is not me at all.]

Duan Ge (brother) accurately strikes: [You guys are serious.]

[Back in the palace, could the palace rules do anything to you?] Lu Yingchen said coolly, with a tone full of exhaustion from seeing the fickleness of the world: [It’s quite nice; finally, there’s something that can sanction you, the calamity-bringing concubine.]

Tong Zhao: [I really enjoy watching these videos. I didn’t expect that we could have this side in the eyes of the audience. They all praise your portrayal of Mu Yingchen as the most ethereal cultivator! In “The Legend of the Ming Emperor,” you were a flower of wealth and nobility, but in “The Heartless Tribulation,” you have that disenchanted look that seems above the mundane.]

Concubine Chen: [What disenchanted look? I see her as a retired security guard.]

Tong Zhao: “…Pfft.”

“What’s wrong?” The manager, who was discussing the variety show details with Tong Zhao, looked over with concern as she suddenly burst into laughter.

Tong Zhao covered her mouth with her hand and pulled out a versatile reply: “I just thought of something happy.”

She really couldn’t help it; she wanted to laugh out loud.

“Seeing you laugh makes me happy too,” Sister Chu said. “Come and take a look at the flying guest spoilers prepared by the production team.”

@OneLifeSurvivor:

#OneLifeSurvivor# Guess who the flying guest is for the next episode.

[Silhouette]

The figure in the silhouette is tall, and the long sword at their waist is a recognizable feature.

At first, no one recognized it as Tong Zhao; they didn’t dare to guess it was her. She has been quite popular lately. Would she really come to this kind of grueling variety show? It seemed unnecessary for her to participate; it would be much more comfortable to join lighthearted shows filled with food, drink, and entertainment while still maintaining her fanbase.

Tong Zhao’s fans often say that their idol works too hard and hope her manager can arrange some easier gigs for her.

“Stop scheduling activities that involve losing limbs or digging for bullets all the time.”

The manager felt quite wronged.

After the spoiler tweet was posted for a while, some sharp-eyed netizens thought the silhouette looked familiar. They compared it with screenshots from “The Heartless Tribulation,” and surprisingly, they lined up perfectly. This netizen posted the comparison in the comments, and it was quickly shared on forums. Other netizens were skeptical but also felt there was some logic to it—

[Not to mention, this variety show really has that girl’s style.]

[Fan: My heart aches for my sister QAQ. Tong Zhao: Is there any other way to torture me? Hurry up.]

[#The last female celebrity who doesn’t need fans to feel sorry for her#]

[What is she doing on this variety show? If she goes, is there still a way for others to survive?]

“In One Life Survives,” there are twenty contestants each episode.

They form groups of four and must survive on a deserted island for fifteen days. They face not only the challenges of hunger and thirst but also the potential dangers from wild animals. The production team will periodically drop limited supplies to encourage conflict and competition among the teams, leading to mutual elimination.

It’s essentially a real-life, team-based version of PUBG.

If a guest is attacked by a beast, there will be a struggle period. If there are no teammates to defeat the beast or escape successfully, the system will directly determine them as dead, without any additional physical pain or gruesome scenes of being bitten.

The firearms issued have real lethal force when hitting wild animals, but when they hit other contestants, they are simply paintballs. Depending on the area hit, there will be corresponding negative effects—for example, if a contestant is hit in the knee by a paintball, they won’t feel any pain aside from a slight jolt, but they will be deemed hit and thus unable to move that leg.

Therefore, aiming for the legs to incapacitate them is a viable strategy in “In One Life Survives.”

After the holographic technology matured, this type of survival variety show sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

However, there aren’t many stars willing to participate, especially idols.

Those who are delicate and precious will get teary-eyed with just a slight bump; if they endure even a little hardship, they’ll buy marketing campaigns to maintain their image. Participating in such a variety show would be self-inflicted suffering and ruin their reputation. Fans also don’t want to see them suffer, so this type of show is generally reserved for tough-guy male stars, who can come in, dominate the competition, and immediately gain a large male audience’s favor.

Long Jue, the top rising star, became an instant sensation in “In One Life Survives.”

Originally a young man working on a construction site while dealing with family debt, Long Jue had trained in martial arts before his family fell on hard times. He stepped in at the last minute for a missing contestant due to illness. His ability to endure hardship and fight was fully displayed on the show, particularly in a scene where he was wearing a black tank top, washing off sweat and blood under a waterfall, which left countless viewers breathless.

His chest and biceps were incredibly impressive.

When he dove into the water and raised his head, slicking his hair back, his handsome and strong face caught the audience’s attention, revealing him as a hidden gem. After the show ended, he was immediately signed by an entertainment company, and his experience on “In One Life Survives” made him successful during auditions for tough-guy roles.

[Those who got into “Countdown 72 Hours” are really looking forward to seeing Tong Zhao’s strong “true self” again.]

[72 Hours 1]

Tong Zhao’s strong subconscious is evident in “Countdown 72 Hours.”

Initially, netizens were quite surprised that a rising female star would be willing to participate in a survival variety show. As discussions went on, they began to feel excited about it, though there were also male users on a male-dominated forum who were openly mocking her—

“Seriously, are there really female stars who think they can thrive in a survival variety show?”

“Friendly reminder: in a survival variety show, no one gets special treatment like in movies.”

“Click to see confident comments from Chinese female fans.”

Since her debut, Tong Zhao has had a group of male haters.

Her PR team and manager analyzed that it’s mostly born from love turning to hate.

The character she portrayed, the imperial concubine, can be considered a heartthrob killer, attracting a significant number of male fans. Many on that forum refer to her as their wife, believing that having her makes them feel like emperors. Given that the survival genre often depicts a character’s journey from being a newcomer to facing life-changing experiences…

Tong Zhao has chosen to play Feng Yanqi.

Her portrayal of a cold and fierce woman shattered some male fans’ delicate hearts.

At first, they criticized her manager for taking on too many roles.

But when they realized Tong Zhao was willingly accepting these roles, they felt she wasn’t listening to advice.

Tong Zhenming’s patriarchal mindset reflects the sentiments of many men—

You have to listen to me; I understand a lot, and I am the truth of the world. If you don’t listen to me, something bad will happen.

However, Tong Zhao didn’t run into trouble; instead, everything she acted in became a hit, and her new film ‘Heartless Tribulation’ had a great box office success, showcasing a cold demeanor that didn’t rely on men.

This instantly triggered those male fans, turning them into die-hard haters, hoping she would fail.

Seeing her take on a highly challenging role in the male-dominated survival variety show In ‘One Life Survives’, they immediately got excited. On one hand, they felt their masculinity was being insulted, while on the other, they were relieved that she dared to take on anything, giving them a chance to mock her.

“Rational Discussion: What Gave Tong Zhao the Confidence to Venture into Survival Variety Shows?”

Original poster:

“From randomly taking on post-apocalyptic films to hitting it big, someone has tasted the sweet fruit of a fierce woman image. After listening to her fans’ uncritical praise, she feels like she can take on five at once, forgetting how she got here—wasn’t it by flattering men as the imperial concubine?

Seeing Tong Zhao makes me think of those soft support girls I encounter when I’m playing ranked matches…

Getting carried to diamond rank by the wild king brother and occasionally winning MVP, they start to think they’re really at that level.

It’s not that I’m misogynistic; let’s let the data speak.

Survival variety shows generally lack female guests; even if they go, they’re just dragging everyone down. Tong Zhao’s fans shouldn’t be too quick to curse me. Your sister has such a beautiful face; do you really want to see her ruin her image? Isn’t it better for her to be a beautiful little fairy or a little princess? She could do great in shows like ‘Sea King Kill’.”

The provocative original post, which wore the guise of a rational discussion, quickly became a hot thread that represented the mainstream voice of this forum.

At first glance, it seemed to make a lot of sense.

Tong Zhao is indeed beautiful, and some fans hope she maintains a delicate and beautiful image, participating in leisurely and fun variety shows.

The original poster felt that their comments were quite reasonable.

Tong Zhao’s fans, unable to accept this, were labeled as mindless defenders who couldn’t grasp the situation.

Data analysis also showed that after Tong Zhao took on ‘Countdown 72 Hours’, the male percentage in her fan base slightly decreased.

However, some male users held a different opinion: “I admire Tong Zhao for being willing to take on various challenging roles, which is why I became her fan. Why do you insist on demanding that an independent and strong woman fit your idea of a delicate flower?”

The same argument had different responses in different places.

On Weibo, Tong Zhao, who severed her father-daughter relationship, was met with sympathy from netizens.

The mainstream opinion felt she was strong, unaffected by her weak mother, and impressively independent.

On the cat forum, however, this was seen as a black mark against her.

There were plenty of posts expressing that if their daughter were a fan of Tong Zhao, they would break her legs to stop her from emulating an idol who easily disowns her father like an ungrateful wolf.

Bias often shapes perception; one’s position determines their thoughts.

This topic intensified, fueled by some who wanted to bring Tong Zhao down, creating a spectacle for their competitors while causing more trouble, spreading to Weibo.

They claimed that fans were resisting Tong Zhao appearing on ‘In One Life Survives’.

The fans looked completely bewildered.

They immediately went to check the original post that was shared and felt even more wronged than Dou E.

[… We don’t want Zhao Zhao to suffer, but we never thought of her like that!]

[Please, straight male cancer, if you can’t handle a female actress being tough, don’t drag us into it, okay?]

[I’m a male fan, and I feel really wronged; I suggest removing this brain-dead person from the male ranks.]

[Ugh, I can’t take it. I really hope Tong Zhao survives until the end and slaps those self-confident boys in the face.]

Normal male fans felt unjustly treated and couldn’t understand this group’s mindset.

In ‘Countdown 72 Hours’, Tong Zhao was indeed fierce, yet she remained beautiful; when she was shooting with the gun, she was undeniably sexy—especially for otaku who loved mobile games like ‘Girls’ Frontline’, who all referred to her as the gun girl of their dreams, feeling as if she had stepped out of the 2D world as a Valkyrie.

Different strokes for different folks.

But these haters didn’t feel the same way; they adored Tong Zhao’s performance in ‘Emperor Ming’ and believed she had gone astray, criticizing her for her own good. Couldn’t the fans see how many boyfriend fans she had when she performed in ‘Emperor Ming’?

For these haters, seeing Tong Zhao was like watching their delicate wives go to work as a strong woman.

Tong Zhao’s fans were infuriated, but looking at the data…

It seemed that survival variety shows really had very few female guests!

And even fewer had outstanding performances.

However, some fans countered with solid arguments—

Although the physical fitness of female guests may be lacking, their emotional stability is quite high, unlike what some male netizens say about them easily breaking down. They also move very cautiously and carefully. There was a winning team that managed to survive because one female guest remembered to erase their traces in the jungle.

Haters:

[Oh, so your sister plans to survive by avoiding confrontation?]

[Then we’re not wrong; she might as well go to a relaxing variety show where she can shine. If she spends the whole time avoiding confrontation without getting a single shot, isn’t that just a waste of time? How long is a female actor’s golden period? Isn’t it a waste for her to spend it avoiding confrontation like a coward?]

…

It seems there’s some truth to that.

Some more influential fan leaders advised fans not to get too worked up. If someone made a claim like, “Tong Zhao will lead the team to victory in the variety show,” and a screenshot was taken by someone with ill intentions, only for her not to deliver in the end, that would be quite embarrassing.

Isn’t it unfair to raise expectations for sister?

Don’t give the haters attention; let them go crazy. Zhao Zhao is a woman they can never have.

With such a big uproar, Tong Zhao naturally knew about it.

The production team was thrilled; the natural buzz surrounding her made other variety shows that didn’t invite Tong Zhao jealous. Some with darker minds were already hoping she wouldn’t perform as well as the haters claimed.

The female journalist humorously commented: “Is this the power of the national disaster beauty? Little Chen should reflect on this.”

Concubine Chen spoke more harshly than the fans defending Tong Zhao against the haters: “All I can say is that there have always been such fools in every era. They don’t consider that if it were an era of imperial authority, my beauty would be something they could only covet. Everyone thinks they could be the emperor; I should be their beloved concubine. But if we were to dream back to ancient times, their only chance to interact with me would be to enter the palace as eunuchs.”

Tong Zhao found it hilarious and was in a great mood.

No one could ruin her mindset; it was all related to her.

Duan Ge: “Alright, don’t be upset. I’ll find a way to support you.”

Concubine Chen: “I’m not upset; men can’t get to me. The only one who can truly anger me is that cultivator.”

Female journalist: “Do you know how many people are going to comment ‘I’m shipping this’ after you say that?”

With Duan Ge backing her up, Concubine Chen was happy again.

Duan Ge: “As long as you’re not angry, that’s good. But I’m a little upset.”

Online, some of Tong Zhao’s fans couldn’t stand the backlash and secretly sent her encouraging messages in private and comments, hoping she could lead her teammates to victory and slap the haters in the face. In situations like this, the best response is not to engage, and the fans understood that.

However, Tong Zhao’s response shattered their hopes—

@Tong Zhao v:

“I’m sorry, but it’s impossible to lead my teammates to victory in #OneSurvives#.”

[?????]

[Why is sister saying such pessimistic things????]

Just as the haters were about to celebrate, the production team of “One Survives” retweeted.

@OneSurvives v:

“Because @Sister Tong Zhao is serving as the hunter for this episode of survival!”

An external trial officer for a group of twenty.

Unlike other teams that can muddle through to victory, the hunter’s only winning condition is to eliminate everyone. They have no teammates, and for every person they eliminate, they receive supplies for one day. Theoretically, there’s no need to search for food; they only need to find people.

Lead teammates to victory?

Impossible, because Tong Zhao has no teammates.

Both the haters and the fans were stunned.