Viewer Reactions in China to the Special Episode of Fangs of Fortune

Hou Minghao's popularity has soared thanks to his success in several dramas, including Back from The Brink, I Am Nobody, and Dashing Youth.

His latest drama, Fangs of Fortune, co-starring Chen Duling, just concluded. In the final episode, Hou Minghao's character sacrifices himself for the sake of the world, dying at the hands of his friend, as previously promised. Ultimately, he is separated from his love interest, played by Chen Duling. This sad ending (Bad Ending/BE) left many viewers in China disappointed.

To address this, the production team released a special episode. In this episode, the surviving characters reflect on Hou Minghao's character, and those who died also appear in their memories.

While this special episode was meant to comfort the grieving audience, many viewers were outraged and disappointed to find that Tian Jiarui had more screen times than Hou Minghao—not just in the special, but throughout the entire series.

Some netizens even calculated the screen time for each character across the 34 episodes of Fangs of Fortune. According to their findings, Hou Minghao appeared for 690 minutes, Chen Duling for 600 minutes, while Tian Jiarui had 660 minutes—almost as much as Hou Minghao, and even more than the female lead. This revelation shocked many online.

In the special episode, Wen Xiao (played by Chen Duling) is seen sitting on rocks by the seaside. Zhao Yuanzhou, portrayed by Hou Minghao, appears in flashbacks, sitting beside her as they watch the sunrise and sunset.

Wen Xiao holds a bracelet given to her by Zhao Yuanzhou before his death. Chen Duling’s voice narrates, “Zhao Yuanzhou once told me that he loved sitting on the quiet beach and daydreaming because the sea didn’t care about his loneliness and sorrow. The sea has many things to do, and ten thousand waves are born every day.”

Suddenly, the scene shifts to show a man with white hair riding a horse in the wilderness, accompanied by a voiceover: “Every day, ten thousand souls fall to the bottom of the sea, and their spirits sink into slumber.” Initially, viewers think the figure is Hou Minghao, but it turns out to be Tian Jiarui.

Zhuo Yichen (played by Tian Jiarui) sadly reflects, “After he (Zhao Yuanzhou) left, I finally understood that this sadness was etched into his bones, like a broken piece of music—vast and enduring.”

After the horseback riding scene, there’s a close-up of him crying, and he delivers a monologue about his reluctance to let Zhao Yuanzhou go. This left viewers confused about who the actual male lead was.

In the second half of the special episode, the gray-haired Zhao Yuanzhou appears in the memories of many characters, and past figures also resurface. Ultimately, Zhao Yuanzhou, dressed in black, watches as his companion, Goddess Bai Ze, slowly fades away. He sheds tears of sorrow, and embarrassingly, the scene shifts back to a close-up of Zhuo Yichen riding a horse once more.

Initially, viewers hoped to see a happy ending for Chen Duling's and Hou Minghao's characters in this special episode, but they were disappointed as it focused more on the supporting actor, Tian Jiarui.

Some netizens commented, “It’s too obvious that director Guo Jingming wants to support Tian Jiarui,” and “The special episode should be renamed Tian Jiarui’s photo shoot.” Others expressed frustration, saying, “Forget about the main drama; even the extra episode praises Tian Jiarui. Is this fair to the audience?”

In fact, during the airing of Fangs of Fortune, some netizens criticized Tian Jiarui for having more screen time than the female lead, Chen Duling. His screen presence was nearly equal to that of the main actor, Hou Minghao, and this issue has continued into the special episode.