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| “Love’s Ambition” Debuts at No.1, Yet Fan Shiqi Controversy Casts a Shadow |
Chinese actress Zhao Lusi has officially stepped back into the spotlight with her highly-anticipated comeback drama Love’s Ambition, co-starring William Chan.
The series premiered on Tencent Video on 26 September and instantly rocketed up the trending charts, securing top spots across multiple popularity rankings.
For many, it was seen as Zhao Lusi’s strong return after a break from the small screen.
But the glow of success hasn’t come without turbulence. The drama has been dragged into a boycott storm due to one of its cast members – Fan Shiqi.
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Fan Shiqi, who rose to fame through the Super Boy talent show much like the late singer-actor Alan Yu Menglong, has found himself at the centre of speculation.
After Yu’s sudden passing, old clips resurfaced online claiming that Yu had called out “Fan Xiaohua help me” moments before his fall – “Fan Xiaohua” being a nickname long associated with Fan Shiqi.
Adding to the pile, Fan ShiQi has also been linked to chatter about the so-called “17-person gathering”, which further fuelled online suspicions.
With his role as Jiang Liang in Love’s Ambition, sharing several on-screen interactions with Zhao Lusi, fans of Yu Menglong quickly mobilised on social media.
ICYMI: Zhao Lusi Brings Back the Era of Cunning Heroines
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On Weibo, angry comments rolled in: “Just seeing Fan Shiqi makes me upset” and “Don’t give him exposure.” The sentiment snowballed into calls for a boycott, with hashtags circling that overshadowed the drama’s otherwise glowing debut.
For Zhao Lusi’s supporters, the backlash feels particularly unfair.
After all, the controversy doesn’t stem from her choices or actions – yet her big comeback is being clouded by a co-star’s troubled public image.
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Many fans voiced sympathy, writing that Lusi is “innocent in all this” and deserves for her project to be judged on its own merit.
Despite the online noise, Love’s Ambition continues to draw strong viewership, and industry watchers are waiting to see if the boycott chatter will dent its long-term performance.