LayarHijau – Ren Jialun has long been known for his strong performances in dramas such as One and Only and The Demon Hunter’s Romance, which earned him widespread praise. However, his latest project with Peng Xiaoran, the costume drama Love and Crown, has instead drawn harsh criticism from viewers. The storyline filled with excessive suffering and repetitive clichés has led to disappointment and lower-than-expected performance.
What draws even more attention is the fact that Ren Jialun, the male lead, has been completely absent from the drama’s promotional activities. In contrast, only Peng Xiaoran has appeared several times, even creating TikTok content with an influencer to help with promotion. Many netizens have expressed disappointment in Ren Jialun. Yet rumors state that the production team didn’t invite him to participate in promotions at all. Harsh comments surfaced online: “No notice… The male lead is being sidelined.”
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According to various reports on Weibo, Love and Crown was one of the last dramas Ren Jialun completed before ending his contract with his former agency, Huanrui Century. It is said that he accepted this project—together with another drama, Fate Chooses You—as part of a peaceful agreement to end their partnership. Rumors even suggest that Ren Jialun did not receive any payment and acted for free in this drama, leading many fans to believe he had already fulfilled his obligations fully. However, there has been no official confirmation regarding these claims.
Comparisons soon surfaced with the promotional activities of The Demon Hunter’s Romance. While that drama, which he starred in alongside Song Zuer, was airing, Ren Jialun was visibly active in promoting it. Rumor has it this was because Ren Jialun’s former manager invested in the project. Additionally, Song Zuer had just cleared her name from a tax controversy, so both leads reportedly felt the drama needed stronger promotional support.
Meanwhile, Love and Crown has reportedly already recouped its production costs thanks to early distribution deals. Thus, the agency allegedly no longer prioritizes the drama, resulting in minimal promotion.
In the latest plot developments of Love and Crown, Ren Jialun’s character, Emperor Xiao Huan, is in the midst of exposing traitors in the palace through a large-scale scheme. Ling Taifu (Gao Shuguang) and the imperial adviser Du Tingxin (Chen Yihan) are revealed to be conspiring in a rebellion. They secretly cooperate with Lu Qi (Song Wenzuo), a deputy commander who engages in a fierce battle before being killed by Du Tingxin in an attempt to save himself. The scene once again triggered intense reactions on social media.
Interestingly, despite the show nearing its final episodes, neither Ren Jialun nor Peng Xiaoran has attended any offline promotional events. Only a few TikTok videos from Peng Xiaoran have appeared, leading to further questions since main cast members are typically involved in promotions together.
According to information circulating within fan communities in China, Love and Crown is a production of Huanrui Century. Peng Xiaoran had previously signed a short-term contract with a subsidiary of Huanrui. Now that both Ren Jialun and Peng Xiaoran are no longer tied to Huanrui, the company is believed to have little motivation to invest additional promotional funds—essentially letting the drama “live or die on its own.”
Peng Xiaoran, whose career has been rising through Blood River, has shown more initiative. When the original novel’s author criticized the adaptation, she stepped forward quickly to calm the situation. Meanwhile, Ren Jialun is currently focused on filming a new project titled Abyss. When Love and Crown premiered, he only had time to hold a special screening event for fans and could not continue promotional activities. This eventually led to misunderstandings, with the public accusing him of deliberately ignoring the drama.
Many fans argue that criticism should be directed at the production management—not the actor. Ren Jialun continues to face backlash over the promotion issue, but his supporters hope the public will consider the behind-the-scenes circumstances before passing judgment.
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