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| A Beautiful Destiny Controversy: Li Landi vs Ding Yuxi Billing Dispute Heats Up |
The upcoming fantasy romance A Beautiful Destiny/Canghai Huakai (滄海花開), formerly known as Yuedu Hualuo, hasn’t even started filming yet but is already caught in a full-blown controversy.
Reports from multiple Chinese entertainment outlets claim that actress Li Landi has allegedly exited the project after disagreements over the billing order, which reportedly shifted in favour of her co-star Ding Yuxi.
🔹 What Happened Behind the Scenes?
According to insider chatter, both Li Landi and Ding Yuxi were originally promised equal billing — meaning they’d share the same level of credit as co-leads.
However, an internal production sheet leaked online last week seemed to tell a different story.
The new version reportedly lists Ding Yuxi as “first lead”, while Li Landi’s name has been moved down to “special guest star”, placing her third, even below the second male lead.
The sudden change quickly ignited backlash among Li Landi’s fans, who accused the production team of “breaking their promise” and prioritising Ding Yuxi’s market value over fairness.
Some claimed the drama’s male lead was initially meant for Yang Yang, but after he declined, producers offered it to Ding Yuxi — allegedly with a few added perks, including a new drama title and upgraded lead status.
🔹 Fans and Industry Reactions
Li Landi’s fanbase has been vocal online, defending her professionalism and criticising what they see as “unfair treatment” from the studio.
“She’s already proven herself. She doesn’t need to fight for credit,” one fan commented on Weibo.
This dispute is only the latest in what fans have dubbed “billing wars” (番位争议) sweeping through the Chinese drama industry.
ICYMI: C-Drama's Top Billing Controversy Explained
Just recently, another Xinli Media production — The Poisonous Empress of the General Family (将门毒后), rumoured to star Dylan Wang (Wang Hedi) and Meng Ziyi — made similar headlines after fans of both stars clashed online over the top billing order.
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Interestingly, Canghai Huakai is also produced by Xinli Media, the same company recently embroiled in controversy following a leaked audio clip allegedly featuring director Wong Kar-wai and screenwriter Qin Wen making offhand remarks about several well-known stars.
The company’s reputation has been under scrutiny ever since, and some insiders even joke that Xinli’s “bad luck streak” hasn’t ended yet.
🔹 Li Landi Moves On, Ding Yuxi Under Pressure
Whether Li Landi truly walked away from the project remains unconfirmed, but she doesn’t seem short on opportunities.
The actress has been riding high following her breakout performance in Coroner’s Diary (朝雪录) opposite Ao Ruipeng, which cemented her as one of the leading post-95 generation actresses.
She’s currently filming Take a Nap (海岛舒服日誌) alongside Liu Haoran, suggesting she’s hardly affected by possibly losing this project.
For Ding Yuxi, however, the timing couldn’t be worse.
His currently airing drama Fight for Love (山河枕) with Victoria Song Qian has struggled both in viewership and reception, with reports claiming some advertisers have already pulled out early.
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Insiders note that A Beautiful Destiny was meant to be his major comeback — a chance to remind audiences why he was once dubbed a “fantasy romance favourite” after Love Game in the Eastern Fantasy (永夜星河).
But with Li Landi’s reported withdrawal, the production’s start date now looks shaky, and the project’s buzz — instead of being about its story — has turned into an online debate about billing fairness and agency politics.
🔹 About A Beautiful Destiny
The series, adapted from the fantasy novel Yuedu Hualuo, Canghai Huakai, follows the ancient tale of Yin Ze, a high water god who, after the divine war, builds a floating city called Suzhao to please his beloved.
Centuries later, a water spirit named Luo Wei is born in that city.
She and her adopted brother Fu Chen Zhi both train under Yin Ze’s guidance, leading to an emotional story that blends divine fate, love, and the delicate balance between gods and mortals.
If Li Landi’s departure is confirmed, it could force producers to recast a female lead worthy of the complex role of Luo Wei — and possibly delay filming altogether.
Source: Upmedia