Lovely Zhao Li Ying Cameos in Return of the Condor Heroes with Rumored Boyfriend Chen Xiao

There is finally something easy on the eyes coming out of the set of the upcoming nth drama version of the wuxia novel Return of the Condor Heroes. While C-actress Zhao Li Ying’s name was never mentioned as in the running to play the leading lady Xiaolongnu, seeing her in costume on the set of RoCH makes me wish she was because I don’t even care that she’s tiny and pixie and is more a Huang Rong character in Legend of the Condor Heroes than a cold icy goddess like Xiaolongnu. At least she fulfills the basic fundamental requirement of that character – she’s so so pretty, and for once I’m all about the shallow in this likely hot mess of the drama because if the storyline is getting butchered left and right at least give my eyes a reprieve with something pretty to glom onto. Zhao Li Ying showed up last week to join her recent co-star Chen Xiao, who is playing leading man Yang Guo in RoCH, in doing a cameo appearance as Yang Guo’s mommy Mu Nianci (the second female lead in LoCH).

Originally C-actor Li Chen was supposed to cameo as daddy Yang Kang, but he dropped it like a hot potato last week when news broke that his girlfriend Zhang Xing Yu (who is playing second female lead Li Mo Cho in this RoCH) dumped him after hooking up with Wallace Huo. Oh the never ending scandal and gossip and drama in C-entertainment. So stepping in at the last moment is male lead Chen Xiao doing double duty and playing Yang Kang as well. Always works for me when the same actor plays daddy and son, here especially since everyone keeps saying Guo Er is the spitting image of his handsome daddy. Zhao Li Ying’s arrival on the set of RoCH wasn’t without its share of generating scandal, as footage has leaked of her and Chen Xiao chatting between filming all chummy and stroking each other’s hand. I would have squeed over this expression of affection between these two chemistry-laden and gorgeous co-stars but for the fact that it smells of Yu Zheng orchestrated public outing to mask the stench of his version of RoCH. Read on for more news from the set of this rage-inducing drama production.

I think the pictures of Chen Xiao and Zhao Li Ying being all chummy on set reeks of intentional exposure for publicity sake. That doesn’t mean they aren’t dating in real life, just that this particular convenient timing display doesn’t look spontaneous to me. I don’t blame either of them, I see the demon hand of Yumama orchestrating this all. It doesn’t annoy me since his pimping means I get to see Chen Xiao and Zhao Li Ying playing the doomed OTP of Yang Kang-Mu Nianci in RoCH.

Now that you’ve seen the pretty of the latest official stills of Chen Xiao and Zhao Li Ying in RoCH, are you ready for the seriously fugly? Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Behold the miracle of PS (photoshopping)! I think by taking this role, Michelle Chen is singlehandedly destroying whatever goodwill she’s been coasting on since You’re the Apple of My Eye and ruining the select sliver of the male viewing population that saw her as a goddess next door after Apple. If a leading lady needs to be photoshopped to this degree to make her palatable to play the role, then someone is seriously wrong in the casting choice to begin with.

Yu Zheng has also gone completely nutso and crowing about his mad rad awesome photoshopping skills by releasing pictures of him doctoring up Michelle Chen as Xiaolongmu. He continues to backtrack on his initial talk about Michelle being his ideal Xiaolongnu by writing that he only selected her because she was Chen Xiao’s first pick. To which point – I can see Chen Xiao giving Yumama the double middle finger and stink eye behind his back for saying such ridiculous bullshit. As this drama continues filming, I continue to turn to it for much needed LOLing.

Then behold the miracle of the cheapest animatronic giant condor in the history of film making. Even the first Godzilla in 1954 looked better than this tool shop reject. Maybe it’ll fall on Yumama during the filming and smush him. But I doubt he’ll bite the dust, he’s like the indestructible NYC subway rat.