quynhqng

A few months ago, Zhang Linghe was probably not expecting that one scene from *Zhu Yu* would follow h im everywhere. It was supposed to be a heroic horseback-riding scene. He played Xie Zheng, a powerful military commander, dressed in dark armor, carrying the image of a man who should have belonged to the battlefield. Dust, blood, wind, hardship — that was the feeling audiences expected. But when the close-up appeared, everything changed. His face looked too fair, too polished, too clean for a warrior. In just one night, the internet gave him a new nickname: the “foundation general.” The jokes came fast and harsh. Some people said, “He has to fight at six, so he wakes up at four to do his makeup.” Others joked, “General, your foundation is falling off. Let’s fight another day.” At first, it sounded funny. But when the same joke was repeated again and again, it became a label. And once a label is placed on a public figure, it is never easy to remove. That was probably one of the most un...