Chapter 158: A Beauty Like a Fairy

Riding on this wave of immense popularity, and amidst expectant gazes, the last commercial break before the prime-time 9 PM slot finally came to an end.

Following closely behind is the new version of "The Romantic Swordsman," which seems to have been forged and reborn through fire. In the gentle sigh of the male and female voices, it quickly flies by a series of simple and ancient scenes.

The heroic spirit of those heroes and beauties, the vicissitudes of life and the vastness of time, all seem to linger in the interlude of that song, carrying with it the twists and turns of love, hatred, and long-cherished wishes, outlining this destined love story that is both tender and passionate, making it exceptionally moving.

Compared to the original version, which had already achieved phenomenal ratings in Hong Kong, this new remake has already highlighted its distinct differences from the original series and its theme song from the very beginning, starting with the style of the opening theme song.

This version, while focusing on the theme of "love," also adds a touch of "chivalry."

It must be said that Zou Huayan's voice is truly perfect for martial arts theme songs, bold and unrestrained like the unstoppable rolling sandstorm from the northern frontier; and Li Sishi, who sang with him, also used this melodious yet elegant singing style for the first time, singing the series of repeated words in the lyrics, such as "muddled", "vague", and "back and forth", in a very moving way.

After two powerful individuals cooperate to achieve a synergy greater than the sum of its parts, coupled with rapidly flashing scenes, beautiful women, stunning landscapes, and moving music, many viewers glued to their television sets couldn't tear themselves away.

After the song ended, the antique-style, dimly lit scene officially opened the curtain on this wonderful show.

What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for each other?

Every stroke, every dot, meticulously depicts the love, hate, resentment, and grudges of devoted men and women in the world.

The widely circulated story of a thousand-mile revenge journey shattered the tranquility of a manor in Jiangnan. After the bloodshed, the beautiful Taoist nun who had been wronged felt that her great revenge had been achieved and left, leaving behind two close sisters in the manor who were separated by vast distances.

After the violent "resentment" subsided, Huo Sheng and Qing Rong, a well-known couple in the martial arts world, also found Yang Si, the orphaned son of Huo Sheng's old friend, in this unexpected turn of events. Together with their family members, they returned to Taohua Island overseas.

The wooden boat swayed gently on the clear water, as if foreshadowing the turbulent ups and downs of Yang Si's life.

"I never thought that kid LOK would look so convincing in ancient costume..." A middle-aged woman looked at the handsome young man in ancient attire on the screen, and then thought back to the boy she used to see occasionally...

The energetic young man couldn't help but sigh.

Whether it was a hidden gem finally shining brightly or the makeup artists and lighting technicians at the TV station truly brought these familiar faces to life, transforming them into the absolute male leads of a legendary story on screen.

Since Li Sishi became an artist, whenever there is a drama or variety show that will be featured in Good Luck Tea Restaurant, she will immediately promote it to the old neighbors after confirming the news and asking for their support.

Then the news will spread through these connections, reaching out to the old neighbors from Liaojie to Yau Wah Tei, Heung Po Tou, Wong Tou and other places, and eventually covering the entire Yau Heung Wong district.

As the district with the richest port city atmosphere and the largest population, most people here live at the middle and lower levels of society. What allows them to relax and unwind from their cramped living space is undoubtedly the books filled with ink and the movies and TV series that blend light and music.

For many people in this district, Lee Sze-sze, who was born here, ended the myth of Miss Hong Kong winners coming from at least middle-class families and rewrote the legend of ordinary heroes. Therefore, Lee Sze-sze has an absolute home advantage in this district. Even though she may not appear in the first few episodes of the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", those who can afford it all want to support her. So they all chose to start watching the first episode of the TV series to increase the ratings of the TV series she starred in.

Although Li Sishi's "Cloud Cliff Fairy" has not officially appeared yet, we can still catch glimpses of Li Sishi as the female lead through the theme song!

Especially the scene in the middle of the theme song where "Yang Si" gazes deeply into "Yun Ya Fairy" and spins her around in his arms—the two equally stunning beauties combine to create an excessively beautiful image. This scene is sure to captivate a large number of young viewers who haven't yet experienced the classic "male and female leads gazing deeply into each other's eyes and spinning around" trope in period dramas.

It was so exciting and unforgettable!

Amidst such overwhelming popularity, the first-day viewership of the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" undoubtedly reached a peak, directly challenging the most popular drama series at the beginning of the year, "Criminal Investigation Files," and breaking through the 33-point mark.

It's worth noting that "Detective Investigation Files," which was touted as a strong contender for this year's ratings champion, initially averaged around 30 points before finally reaching 34 points in its final week.

While the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" achieved such excellent opening day results, it owes some credit to the combined success of the original TV series and the original novel—however, temporary hype is ultimately fleeting; only solid quality can last.

The true essence of maintaining popularity.

More than ten years later, the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" has tried its best to make up for many of the regrets of the old version due to the limitations of the times in terms of production and plot.

Although some adaptations were inevitably made to make the plot easier for film and television adaptations, the core framework of the main storyline remained unchanged. Watching young Yang Si on the screen go from his longing for a home and family, to being sent to Chaoyang Palace on Zhonglan Mountain again due to an accident, and then being deliberately tricked by his vengeful master—this kind of plot-driven, satisfying setup deeply attracted young viewers who had only a superficial understanding of the story.

As for other viewers who had read the original novel, they gradually came to accept the original view of "slick-haired and powdered" after watching these episodes.

Luo Xuan – Although the original novel describes the male protagonist Yang Si as a handsome young man, the current aesthetic in Hong Kong still leans more towards dark-skinned, muscular men…

In addition, the male lead in the old TV series was played by the dashing and handsome Hou Beihua; and the male lead in the movie version, Rong Juezhang, although handsome and refined in appearance, was also dark-skinned when he starred in the movie version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes"... So, with such excellent predecessors, Luo Xuan, whose appearance was clearly more in line with the original description, was innocently implicated and criticized for his occasional immature acting skills, which sparked a lot of controversy.

Despite the controversy, the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" has faithfully followed the adage that "even negative publicity is still publicity." Amidst the heated debate, it has once again reached a new peak, tying the 34-point ratings record of "Detective Investigation Files" in the fourth episode, which depicts the Chaoyang faction's storyline.

However, after joining Zhonglan Mountain and becoming a disciple of the Chaoyang Sect, Luo Xuan's portrayal of Yang Si, who was repeatedly subjected to prejudice, exclusion, and conspiracies within the sect, finally managed to wash away much of the criticism with his increasingly immersive performance and the tragic storyline of his character.

In the play, Yang Si is about to defect from Chaoyang Palace and rush to the top of Yunya to rewrite her life. In real life, Luo Xuan has also gradually gained the audience's recognition. This fusion and interweaving of life in and out of the play makes Li Sishi sigh that he is really too perfect for the role of Yang Si.

While sitting in the conference room reviewing the viewership statistics with the rest of the crew, Li Sishi, seeing the person next to her practically dancing with joy, knew that he was moved because he knew he had been recognized and liked. However, knowing in her heart just how popular this drama could become, she still tried her best to remain calm.

"Sigh, if only I had half your composure..." Luo Xuan turned his head and saw...

Li Sishi, with her nonchalant demeanor, couldn't help but make a self-deprecating remark.

This was his first time playing a leading role, and it was a remake of a classic martial arts drama.

The journey from setbacks to resistance to acceptance and finally to recognition has been incredibly moving. Even though I try to calm myself down, my heart is still dancing with uncontrollable joy...

“I’m already very pleased that you’ve done this much.” Upon hearing his words, Li Sishi adopted the posture of a pleased elder. “From the first day I met you until now, seeing you like this… nothing could make me feel more complicated than this.”

Unlike the kinship of her uncle's family, her old friends Luo Xuan, Cheng Erjian, and Wan Jiamei were acquaintances she had known since she was a nobody, and they shared a unique bond of friendship.

As for why the fact that we met around the same time in the early morning wasn't included in this count?

The main reason is that when Li Sishi first met him, this guy was already a rising star, a hot commodity, which was very different from theirs when they were still ordinary people...

"Thank you... thank you." Unlike the male and female leads of last year's controversial new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," he was the only one in this version who received the most criticism.

In contrast, Li Sishi is widely recognized by the original author, the original lead actress, and the general public.

But Li Sishi didn't resent him for being a burden to her; on the contrary, she and producer Li Xuansheng always supported him to persevere—without their support, he might not have made it to this day.

Looking into those slightly upturned smiling eyes, my heart stirred, and I couldn't help but want to draw that same warmth from the fair and delicate skin on the back of her hand placed on the table...

My hands wanted to move—but in the end, I went against my will and forcibly suppressed it.

In fact, the two did engage in more intimate actions while filming, but without the excuse of "acting," even a simple handshake seemed like a distant luxury.

Perhaps he truly embodies the life of the character "Yang Si": once the boundary is crossed, it is the beginning of loss.

However, life off-screen is not the same as life on screen. The hope of finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is too slim, so it's better to stay put to avoid falling into the abyss.

Only that unknowing feeling of excitement remained, which, upon looking back, extended from outside the play back into the play as she gazed at the graceful figure walking in from outside the stone chamber.

“This is the mistress of Cloud Cliff. You can call her ‘Miss Cloud’ just like I do.”

Grandma Xuan's aged, hoarse yet gentle and kind voice guided Yang Si in the play, and also guided him and all the viewers in front of the screen to look together—

With light, graceful steps, her slender figure seemed to be shrouded in a light mist. The candlelight on the stone walls on both sides reflected her silhouette, making her seem both real and illusory. The faint, hazy light made one subconsciously think of the phrase "beautiful as a fairy."

The fantasies created by pen and ink are always different from person to person, but in the seemingly overwhelming beauty, there is also a chance moment when those different fantasies and illusions can be unified.

Ultimately, the interplay of ink and light gently settles on the most moving aspect of emotion, composing yet another stunning poem in the history of a legendary beauty.