Actress Li Meng (李夢), whose brilliant performance shines in the Chinese period drama "Lanxiang Rugo," recounted how she personally worked to obtain the role.

"Lanxiang Rugo," starring Tan Songyun (譚松韻) and Liu Xueyi (劉学義), began broadcasting and streaming on the 11th. On the video streaming service Tencent Video (騰訊視頻), it recorded a popularity index comparable to past mega-hit works, and updated the highest drama record for 2026.

In this much-talked-about work, Li Meng plays Zhao Xingtang, the first wife of the scion of a prestigious family, portrayed by Liu Xueyi. In the 2024 hit "Moyu Yun Jian: The Beautiful Revenge" (墨雨雲間～美しき復讐～), she played a princess with a hidden madness and gained high praise, and in "Lanxiang Rugo" as well, she vividly portrays a woman who appears cool and strong-willed, yet harbors sorrow as she is toyed with by family and power, supporting the hit of the work.

In an interview, Li Meng revealed that she proactively worked to secure this role herself. Although the original novel describes the character as "the most beautiful woman in the capital," she believed she was not typically beautiful, and the production side was reportedly hesitant to cast her for that reason. At that time, Li Meng was not affiliated with an agency or manager, and had to handle the casting negotiations herself. Later, after teaming up with a new manager, she conveyed her passion for "Lanxiang Rugo," stating, "There's a work I definitely want to win a role in," and her manager negotiated with the production side. As a result, she finally managed to secure the role.

As dramas utilizing AI rapidly spread, viewers who watched Li Meng's performance have raised voices saying, "AI cannot replace live actors" and "Emotional expressions cannot be reproduced by AI," and on the internet, voices praising her acting skills are once again spreading. (Mathilda)