Chapter 124: Lethal Beauty (30% Forum Format Commentary)
Everyone knew that Xie Xizhao was incredibly good-looking.
This statement applied to everyone—from Qi Yin to all the employees at Yaoxin Entertainment.
They had all seen Xie Xizhao in person.
Even though he usually appeared before them barefaced, casually switching between different-colored T-shirts and jeans, this was a fact that the entire Yaoxin effortlessly agreed upon.
His beauty was not just in his facial structure and skin but also in the effortless confidence that came with fame and prestige.
However, what they had never expected was…
In a xianxia drama, dressed in historical attire, Xie Xizhao could still look this stunning.
On the screen, the young man was clad in an ethereal white robe, made of a fabric so light that it accentuated the contours of his shoulders, neck, and waist. Due to the character setting, his collar was fastened securely, revealing only his slender, fair neck.
And then, there was his face—completely devoid of expression.
Delicate yet distant eyes, a high and well-defined nose, and pale lips—all coming together to form a beauty as breathtaking as a painting.
Such an exquisitely beautiful person carried a faint sense of arrogance in his demeanor. Yet, this arrogance was controlled just right, making him appear proud rather than overbearing.
And considering what he was doing at that moment—
Even though everyone present knew what was coming in the later plot, at this moment, not a single person could bring themselves to dislike him.
There was only one thought in their minds:
The most beautiful person in the world.
This—this was the level of beauty that the novel had described as the most beautiful person under the heavens.
On the screen, the story continued. The young man in white robes, though usually aloof and distant, could not ignore an act of bullying when he saw it. As the chief disciple of his sect, he had a responsibility. He instructed his attendants to carry up the water and took the young boy back to the mountain with him.
Off-screen, aside from Qi Yin, all the staff had already sprung to their feet.
Qi Yin was still immersed in the scene between senior and junior disciples. When he turned around and saw that everyone else had vanished, he was bewildered. “Huh? Qingqing? Xiao Li? Where are you all going?”
No one answered him.
The drama had only aired for thirty minutes, but the public relations team already looked manic, as if they were determined to market their company’s biggest asset—Xie Xizhao’s beauty—to the entire world. The trending topic list was being engineered to be as dramatic as possible. Meanwhile, the business department had begun fantasizing about lucrative beauty endorsements.
And Fang Qingqing?
Fang Qingqing was already on the phone with the production team.
By tonight, she was determined to see a beauty-focused behind-the-scenes special circulating across the internet.
In reality, they were already a step behind.
—
Almost the moment Xie Xizhao appeared on screen, the comment section exploded.
Bullet comments flooded the screen, densely packed, rolling past at lightning speed. In the small display window, countless incoherent screams and exclamations filled the screen in just a few seconds, surging like an unstoppable wave.
The impact of beauty was always direct.
Especially when it was a kind of beauty that transcended gender, preference—so straightforward and overwhelming that it felt nearly perfect, almost unreal.
Those who knew Xie Xizhao were spamming “AAAAHHHHH,” while those who didn’t were frantically asking, “WHO is this?!”
And by the time Yaoxin’s employees caught the scent of trending potential and sprang into action, those few seconds of Xie Xizhao’s close-up had already been clipped into a looping GIF, spreading like wildfire on Weibo.
Fans, casual viewers, and even book readers were sharing it with unrestrained excitement.
[Oh my… god…]
[This level of beauty is absolutely insane!!! What the hell!!! Xie Xizhao in historical costume looks this good?!]
[This is so f*ing unreal—I’m screaming expletives with my bestie right now. This—THIS—is Jing Yin, my obsessive, paranoid, stunning little villain?! WIFEY, SOMEONE ACTUALLY BROUGHT YOU TO LIFE! I swear, I—I’m going to pass out! AAAAAAH!]
[Wait, weren’t y’all confidently claiming under Director Hong’s Weibo post that Xie Xizhao was just ‘average-looking’? I even thought, ‘Wow, they’ll let anyone play a top-tier beauty these days.’ But THIS is what you called ‘average’?! Tell me, what the hell are your standards for a celestial being?!]
During the most intense hours following the drama’s premiere, no one mentioned the pre-release controversy anymore. Most people weren’t even paying attention to the plot or acting—they were completely consumed by the villain’s entrance.
This was an outcome that no one outside of Yaoxin and the Seeking Immortality production team had expected.
But for Yaoxin and the production team, once the initial shock passed, they weren’t all that surprised. By the time Yaoxin’s PR department coordinated with the production team, they were even able to calmly issue the clearest and most strategic directives.
Ironically, the most not calm person in all of Yaoxin was Qi Yin, who had been completely forgotten in the meeting room.
—
Why weren’t they surprised?
Because they understood Xie Xizhao.
And they also understood where the recent controversy had truly originated and how certain people had deliberately tried to steer the narrative.
Was Xie Xizhao a controversial figure? Yes.
But compared to his character, talent, and sheer influence, those controversies were insignificant. If anything, Director Hong’s past incident was the only real stab in the back.
Even so, after the official drama announcement, discussions weren’t overly focused on his background as a supporting-role actor. Instead, the majority of the attention was on the drama itself.
Fang Qingqing’s so-called concerns were, in reality, more about the stability of Xie Xizhao’s fanbase.
Fans were the most invested in Xie Xizhao’s public image. If his performance didn’t meet expectations or received a poor response, it would inevitably cause anxiety within the fandom.
But—
During the PR coordination, Fang Qingqing had a thought.
Was Xie Xizhao really as bad as the so-called “casual viewers” claimed? No, he wasn’t.
Even she had once been momentarily swayed by the negative discourse. But the truth was, ever since his debut, Xie Xizhao had never made a single misstep.
Setting everything else aside—was he visually fit to be an actor?
For the longest time, so-called “casual viewers” had picked him apart in every way possible, yet they either avoided discussing his looks altogether or brushed over the topic vaguely, dismissing him as “average.”
The reason was simple.
Deep down, they knew that when it came to appearance, there was nothing to criticize.
In a situation where the initial skepticism was already flimsy at best, his strong performance only amplified the contrast, making casual viewers’ surprise—and even amazement—completely natural.
Not to mention…
Xie Xizhao hadn’t just performed well—he had exceeded expectations.
Fang Qingqing suddenly recalled that when he had filmed this particular scene, it had been a relatively ordinary shot. Yet, his script had been densely marked with meticulous notes. Before filming, he had even taken the initiative to discuss the final presentation with Lu Yong.
This included everything from hand movements to actions and, ultimately, how his face would be framed in the closing shot.
Of course, it was also thanks to Lu Yong’s favoritism that Xie Xizhao had such a significant say—even influencing the editing process. But there was no denying that the version he chose was the best possible presentation.
In a drama, a character’s first appearance often determines how the audience perceives them for a long time—especially for supporting roles with limited screen time.
Jing Yin’s early appearances were sparse and fragmented.
For the male lead, this was just another ordinary scene. But for Xie Xizhao, this was his longest and most complete appearance in the early episodes.
He had to seize this moment.
And he did.
Those few seconds felt like the final, killer ending of a stage performance.
He executed it to perfection.
The result? Countless breathtaking stills and a single GIF that went absolutely viral.
—
Xie Xizhao’s team didn’t hesitate.
To them, he was the top priority. It didn’t matter which numbered male role he played—if there was a viral moment, they had to capitalize on it. As for the production team’s official promotions… sure, they’d cooperate, but their primary focus would always be on Xie Xizhao.
When it came to him, the entire Yaoxin team was ruthlessly pragmatic, showing no regard for anything else.
That attitude came straight from the top—because their boss, Qi Yin, was just as shamelessly biased.
However—
The Seeking Immortality production team had their own considerations.
They had taken note of some insightful voices amidst all the screaming.
And those voices weren’t coming from just anyone—they were from Seeking Immortality’s original novel fans.
When a novel is adapted into a drama, fans fear two things: first, that the story will be butchered; second, that the characters won’t be faithfully portrayed.
The production team was fairly confident about the first point—that would even become a major marketing angle later. But no matter how assured they were, only a few episodes had aired so far. They had to keep this ace hidden for now.
Aside from the plot, the next biggest concern was character accuracy.
Amidst the overwhelming praise, many original novel fans were raving about how faithfully Jing Yin had been portrayed.
What did that mean?
It meant that Xie Xizhao could carry this role. It meant the casting choices were on point. It meant the costume and styling team respected the original work.
The production team, suddenly connecting the dots—
!
They didn’t hesitate either and immediately joined forces with Yaoxin.
Just like that, a mix of organic hype and coordinated efforts from both sides turned what had initially been a scene that merely stunned casual viewers into the trending topic with sky-high engagement.
—
The ones happiest about this development? The fans.
Xie Xizhao’s fanbase had already prepared for battle before the drama aired. But truthfully, they had been nervous.
An idol’s fan demographic is shaped by the idol himself. Since debut, Xie Xizhao had followed the talented idol route, attracting mainly career-focused fans and strength-admiring fans. These fans were well aware that if he got mocked, they wouldn’t stick around to defend him—they’d more likely jump ship.
Now, that concern had been completely obliterated.
For the moment, the forums were nothing but pure celebration.
—
In the dedicated discussion thread for Seeking Immortality after its broadcast, fans and casual viewers were passionately talking about the sudden surge in popularity.
[Another marketing account just posted the GIF, and it’s already hit ten thousand shares. Our Zhaozhao is literally a traffic goldmine.]
1L: No one could have predicted this level of hype before the premiere. Truly, you and I both underestimated Zhaozhao.
2L: Ah… I did see this coming.
He’s always been suited for historical costume dramas. You could tell just from his competition days.
But I didn’t expect his first appearance to obliterate all those rumors with sheer beauty. Guess humans really are visual creatures, huh? HHH.
3L: It’s mainly the combination of the period costume + that shot. The framing was just so good—it had that one glimpse, a lifetime of awe kind of effect. Even as an old fan, I was stunned. Let alone people who didn’t even follow Zhaozhao before this.
4L: YES, YES, keep the new fans coming!
5L: Damn, I just have to say—both Yaoxin and the Seeking Immortality team are really treating Zhaozhao well. The promo is absolutely on point. Especially the production team—right after the trending topic exploded, they immediately dropped three solo behind-the-scenes clips.
Who would’ve thought our Zhaozhao was just a small supporting role? [collapses backward]
6L: It’s a win-win for the production team too, right? Since the male lead isn’t the idol-type (btw, I love Xiao Dou, this isn’t shade at all).
But Yaoxin though…
Seriously, comparing an organic agency to an idol management company is like night and day. Shenghong hasn’t said a single damn thing so far. If you knew, you knew. If you didn’t, you’d think Zhao had already left the group.
So what, individual promotions suddenly have nothing to do with the agency now?
7L: Didn’t someone leak that Zhao’s contract terms were probably very different from the others’?
Honestly, I kinda believe it.
Tbh, even though Shenghong is technically the management company, these idol groups usually have their entire first five years locked down under full company control. But Yaoxin’s involvement is way too frequent—it’s always Sister Qing following the crew instead of Brother Cheng.
Hmm… very interesting.
8L: Tbh, this is basically common knowledge at this point.
All of Zhao’s individual resources are handled by Yaoxin, while Shenghong hasn’t given him a single damn thing for group promotions. It’s been especially obvious lately. I remember Panpan even mentioned in a livestream that he wanted to invite Zhao to his music variety show if possible. That was basically a direct hint.
Like, if the members were really on good terms, they wouldn’t just forget something like this. But in the end, Zhao never went, while two external artists got invited instead. So…
Honestly, unless they’re just bitter they can’t leech off his popularity anymore, I don’t see why they’d be so salty.
It’s just that these contracts are probably locked behind NDAs, so no one can say it outright.
9L: For real? If that’s true, I’m breaking out the fireworks.
But please, some of you need to not be naive about this. Just because of this one thing, don’t go thinking Shenghong is justified in anything. They fully deserve the backlash.
Different contract terms aside, Zhao’s group contract is still under Shenghong.
He’s already done so much for the group. He wrote their songs, planned the entire debut album, and even if you ignore all that, just the sheer traffic he brought to the group is more than enough to offset every resource they ever gave him and then some. The members get along, so solo stans aren’t kicking up a fuss.
But that does not mean Shenghong is in the right for cutting his group resources, reducing his screen time, and constantly suppressing their biggest moneymaker.
10L: They’re just petty.
They think they’re not profiting enough. They want a cut of everything. But if you actually think about it, without Zhao’s songs, this group wouldn’t even be at its current level. It’s really that simple.
But hey, that’s capitalism for you. Those who know, know. Greedy bastards always want more.
11L: [This message has been deleted.]
12L: AAAAAA this makes me feel so much better!
God, Zhao is such a genius. His foresight is insane…
13L: Wait, what was said?
14L: Basically, it’s confirmed that all of Zhao’s individual activities are handled by Yaoxin. The OP’s friend works in the industry and has coordinated projects with Zhao’s team before. According to them, it was always Yaoxin staff handling things, and apparently, Zhao himself has a lot of decision-making power. They also provided some proof to back it up.
PS: The friend also shared a little gossip—back when Zhao was signing contracts during the competition, he personally attended every negotiation. Considering Yaoxin’s unique company structure, it’s highly likely that Zhao negotiated his contract himself.
This is especially interesting since, at the time, no one had ever signed a special contract like his in a survival show setting.
Anyway, take it with a grain of salt. His individual career is already taking off, and moving forward, everything will be focused on him anyway. Just keep this in mind.
15L: …Wow. That’s actually insane.
But honestly, speculation like this can spiral out of control real fast.
Let’s switch topics and go back to talking about Seeking Immortality!
Seriously, even if I weren’t a fan of Zhao, I’d still love this kind of morally complex character. He’s got very obvious strengths and weaknesses—he’s a villain, but he’s gorgeous, and his obsessive personality just hits all the right notes for me…
16L: ! +1
The show itself is great, but compared to the protagonist’s more conventional character arc, I definitely prefer the ones with stronger personalities.
Even though Senior Brother has barely had any screen time, I’m already hyped for his dark arc. I will be watching with great judgment and intense appreciation. If he gets a battle-damaged look later? Even better.
17L: You’re evil.
…But same, hehehe.
18L: Ahhh, I love puppy-like characters, QwQ.
Yun Jue is such a little puppy. Dou Fei’s acting is so expressive—no wonder he’s Director Lu Yong’s favorite young actor.
Feels like this drama is definitely on track to blow up. It’s already trending big.
19L: As long as they avoid weird gimmicks and focus on solid casting and filmmaking, this drama is bound to blow up. I trust Director Lu. And honestly, Zhao has great taste in picking projects.
Most idols transitioning to acting start with cheesy idol dramas, but Seeking Immortality? Even though he’s just a supporting character, the role is unique, and the production quality is top-tier. If the show becomes a hit, it’s a win-win situation.
Plus, everyone in the cast can actually act. I have high hopes for this drama.
20L: +1. But since we’re on the topic of acting…
21L: Uh-oh…
22L: FINALLY, someone brought it up! I was starting to think you were all too dazzled by his face to notice anything else (honestly, even the general audience seems too stunned to process it properly…).
But anyway—
IF YOU WON’T SAY IT, I WILL!!!
ZHAO’S ACTING IS INSANELY GOOD!!!
Can someone explain to me how this is his first time acting, yet he looks so natural on screen?! He’s completely in his element!
MY BABY!!! YOU’RE MAKING YOUR MOM SO PROUD!!!
