LayarHijau.com — Rumors of a second collaboration between Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan in the drama adaptation Doomsday Ten Days (《十日终焉》) have stirred both anticipation and controversy. While the prospect excited fans who appreciated their chemistry in The First Frost, conflicting reports about Zhang Ruonan’s alleged involvement quickly escalated into online disputes.
A Drama Adapted from a Popular Suspense Novel
The rumor began in early April 2025, when online sources reported that the popular suspense novel Doomsday Ten Days would be adapted into a drama. The novel, published on Tomato Novel by a member of the writing group known as the "Insecticide Team," gained significant popularity and was even included in the 2024 China Good Novel list issued by the China Novel Society.
The drama adaptation was reportedly to be produced by Dadi Century and would stream on iQIYI. Soon after the adaptation announcement, speculation spread that Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan had been cast as leads, drawing both excitement and concern from netizens.
Official Denial or Just Fan Claims?
Some media outlets reported that Zhang Ruonan’s studio issued a formal denial on April 30, 2025, via Weibo, calling the rumors “false” and denying her involvement in Doomsday Ten Days.
However, LayarHijau's investigation found no official statement on Zhang Ruonan’s verified Weibo account that explicitly mentioned or refuted the Doomsday Ten Days project. Instead, the post from that date focused on addressing ranking manipulation accusations and billing order errors related to the dramas The First Frost (《难哄》) and Zhan Zhao Adventures (《雨霖铃》).
Moreover, the denial of her involvement appears to have originated from various fan accounts, rather than from Zhang Ruonan or her official representatives. This casts doubt on whether the rejection came from an authoritative source or was merely fan speculation that was picked up by the media.
Conflict Between Fanbases
According to a report by Upmedia on Thursday (June 12), the controversy also reignited tension between some fans of Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan. When rumors emerged that Zhang Ruonan’s side was the first to “reject” the project, some of Bai Jingting’s fans felt this cast their idol in a negative light—as though he had been rejected by his former co-star.
Meanwhile, some of Zhang Ruonan’s fans were frustrated that her name had been dragged into the controversy again, even though there had never been any official announcement of her involvement in the project.
It is important to note, however, that this conflict involves only some fans and does not represent the opinions or attitudes of all supporters of either actor. Many other fans have called for calm and urged people to wait for official confirmation from the production team before making assumptions.
As of now, iQIYI and the production team have not officially announced the cast for Doomsday Ten Days. Whether a second collaboration between Bai Jingting and Zhang Ruonan will happen remains uncertain and speculative until an official statement is made.