Zhao Miao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhao Miao (赵淼)
Alias(es)	Zhao Er Miao; Xiao Miao
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zhao Miao Studio (founder); formerly Star Entertainment 385
Occupation/Role	Actor, producer, investor, and studio owner 385 391
Status	Active in the entertainment industry 659 661
First Appearance	Autumn Dew White production, Chapter 25 25

Background

Zhao Miao was raised by his grandparents after his parents divorced. His grandfather worked as a film-set prop master, allowing Zhao to grow up around productions; a director noticed him at age four and cast him as a child actor. His early entry into the industry left him with little formal education and little parental care. 50

After Zhao became profitable, both parents sought custody without prioritizing his welfare. His father was nearly persuaded to lure him into gambling, an incident that hospitalized Zhao’s grandfather after their confrontation. Zhao later hired a lawyer, formally severed ties with both parents, and continued living with his grandparents. 50

His childhood experience shaped a sharply defensive public persona. He became a highly marketable child star, but his popularity also made Star Entertainment treat him as a resource to be exploited rather than an actor whose career required long-term planning. 78 208

Career

Production / Period	Role / Capacity	Significance
Autumn Dew White	Young Cen Qiubai	Joined as the young version of the male lead; his casting drew media attention because he had initially declined Fang Kaizhi’s invitation before accepting the cameo. 25 26
Investiture of the Gods	Jiang Ziya	His first major attempted image transformation. Zhao studied the original novel, historical etiquette, and screen martial-arts movement, but the $100 million production failed critically and commercially. 113 137 139
Flower and Sword	Yu Xiaobai	Earned the lead after an audition that overturned the panel’s low expectations. The role successfully transformed his reputation as an actor. 208 210
Golden Crow Awards	Best Actor	Received a Best Actor trophy for his post-transformation work, confirming that he could carry a literary film as its lead. 481
Kung Fu Hero	Lead actor, investor, producer	Invested three million in the costume comedy, which earned over eighty million at the box office and helped launch performers signed by his studio. 391
Sword Ban	Investor / producer	Invested thirty million in the wuxia film and sought Lu Heng’s help after the second male lead was forced to leave the production. 431
Havoc in Heaven	Nezha	Accepted the role after initially hesitating because of his disastrous experience playing Jiang Ziya; underwent foundational Peking Opera movement training for the production. 659 661

Star Entertainment and Failed Transformation

At the height of his child-star fame, Zhao was Star Entertainment’s most heavily promoted young actor. He had substantial box-office appeal and a devoted fanbase, but his familiar “lively, goofy, cute” screen image limited his ability to transition into adult roles. Sun Shuliang repeatedly urged the company to prepare a tailored transformation project, but management refused to risk changing a profitable formula. 78

Motivated in part by Lu Heng’s rapid rise, Zhao demanded a major transformation project with a large budget, prominent director, and top-tier cast. He played Jiang Ziya in Investiture of the Gods, abandoning his usual persona and investing heavily in research and training; however, his stiff performance and unsuitable image contributed to the film’s failure. 111 113 137

Afterward, Star Entertainment assigned him low-quality but lucrative projects, endorsements, and appearances, reducing his sleep to roughly four hours a day. Despite his exhaustion, Zhao initially refused Lu Heng’s suggestion that he leave for Huaxia Imperial Entertainment, viewing Star as a second home and rejecting the idea of becoming “a second Lu Heng.” 195

*Flower and Sword* Comeback

Lu Heng refused to abandon Zhao after the failure of Investiture of the Gods and persuaded Fang Kaizhi to grant him an audition for Yu Xiaobai. Zhao prepared in private, repeatedly studying performances in front of a mirror and confronting the formulaic habits that had overtaken his acting. 199 200

For Yu Xiaobai’s climactic confrontation with his adoptive master, Zhao drew on his own history of abandonment, exploitation, and resentment. His performance was so raw and convincing that the previously skeptical audition panel recognized him as the most suitable candidate. 208

After securing the role, Zhao openly accepted Lu Heng’s help and challenged the production’s assumption that he had not earned a fair audition. Flower and Sword became his professional turning point and enabled his lasting transition beyond child-star roles. 208 209 385

Zhao Miao Studio

After separating from Star Entertainment, Zhao chose not to sign with another company. He instead established Zhao Miao Studio with Sun Shuliang, signing promising newcomers and using his own money to invest in film and television projects. 230 385

The studio became a successful business due to Zhao’s eye for investment and his willingness to support its artists. He later proposed providing the studio’s performers for Heng Xuan Studio’s historical television projects and sought priority consideration for their auditions. 385 391

Personality

Zhao is blunt, willful, and confrontational. During his early career, he was notorious for his bad temper, high-profile entourage, poor self-care, and tendency to retaliate immediately against people who provoked him. He does not reliably soften his words for the sake of public image, even when doing so would be more politically useful. 25 26 389

He is also intensely chatty and generous toward people he likes. Upon meeting Lu Heng, Zhao immediately offered to exchange acting lessons for martial-arts instruction, gave him access to his own makeup resources, and treated him with instinctive familiarity. 25 26

Beneath his arrogance, Zhao is deeply sensitive to genuine kindness. Once he accepts someone as family or a true friend, he becomes fiercely loyal, receptive to their guidance, and eager to repay them. His later restraint at work comes not from becoming naturally diplomatic, but from valuing his hard-won second chance as an actor and studio owner. 200 389

• He remains impulsive and childish in private, including bickering with Wei Linxuan over QQ Farm crops and demanding housewarming gifts from his guests. 447 647
• His apparent recklessness masks practical intelligence: he survived the industry from childhood, rebuilt his career after a major failure, and turned his studio into a profitable operation. 385 491
• He has a strong desire for belonging and parental affection, which led him to ask Lu Heng’s parents to become his godparents. 420 659

Abilities & Skills

Acting

Zhao’s foundation is more than a decade of screen experience beginning in childhood. His early popularity made him highly effective in commercial roles, though it initially trapped him in exaggerated performance habits. 78 208

• Prepared extensively for Jiang Ziya by reading the original novel, studying historical etiquette, and training with a martial-arts choreographer. 137
• Reworked his approach for Yu Xiaobai, delivering a restrained and emotionally authentic audition performance that surprised Fang Kaizhi and the investors. 208
• Proven capable of carrying prestige productions after Flower and Sword and receiving a Golden Crow Best Actor award. 481
• Can perform demanding wire-work sequences, though he struggled with the physical demands of winter filming early in Flower and Sword. 213

Production and Investment

Zhao developed into a capable producer and investor after founding Zhao Miao Studio. 385

• Invests personal funds in projects and uses productions to provide opportunities for performers signed to his studio. 385 391
• Personally invested three million in Kung Fu Hero, which earned over eighty million and raised the profile of his studio’s newcomers. 391
• Invested thirty million in Sword Ban and actively sought a replacement actor when the production faced a casting crisis. 431
• Reviews scripts and advocates for revisions that improve characterization, such as supporting expanded martial-arts material for Chen Mengyi’s role. 440

Public Confrontation

Zhao is adept at using directness as a weapon when confronting rivals, hostile reporters, or industry pressure.

• Publicly challenged Yue Sennan’s standing and exposed the weakness of his claims to Star Entertainment’s resources. 49 50
• Forced the Flower and Sword production to acknowledge that he would have received an audition even without Lu Heng’s intervention. 209
• Protects Lu Heng in public and redirects provocations toward himself rather than allowing reporters to manufacture a scandal around his friend. 450

Relationships

• Lu Heng — Close friend and benefactor. Zhao rescued Lu Heng from a drugging incident, while Lu later supported Zhao through his career crisis and secured his audition for Flower and Sword. Zhao regards Lu Heng as chosen family. 200 208 681
• Wei Linxuan — Friend and frequent rival. The two often compete and trade insults, largely over their respective closeness to Lu Heng, but they also cooperate professionally and support one another against outside threats. 140 432 492
• Sun Shuliang — Longtime manager and professional partner. Sun advised Zhao through his early career, advocated for his image transformation, and later helped establish Zhao Miao Studio. 66 78 385
• Chen Mengyi — Wife and fellow actor. Their relationship began after repeated collaborations, became public amid fan backlash, and culminated in their wedding on May 6. 433 487 659
• Father Lu and Mother Lu — Godparents and chosen parental figures. Zhao asked them to accept him as their godson because he did not recognize his biological parents as elders in his life. 420 659
• Yue Sennan — Former Star Entertainment colleague and sworn rival. Their conflict intensified over competition for company resources and Yue’s insults toward Zhao’s upbringing. 50 137
• Zhao’s grandparents — His primary caregivers during childhood. His grandfather’s work as a prop master introduced Zhao to film sets and indirectly began his acting career. 50

Major Arcs

Conflict with Yue Sennan

Zhao’s rivalry with Yue Sennan began when Yue joined Star Entertainment and was positioned as another major male star. Zhao recognized Yue’s attempts to use him as a shield, publicly rebuffed him, and eventually reacted violently when Yue attacked his family background. 25 49 50

Collapse of *Investiture of the Gods*

His attempt to mature beyond his child-star image ended in public failure. Zhao was devastated by negative reviews and the loss of overseas distribution opportunities, becoming unusually silent in the face of Yue Sennan’s mockery. 138 139

Return Through *Flower and Sword*

Lu Heng’s support gave Zhao an opportunity to prove himself when the industry had largely written him off. His audition for Yu Xiaobai became the decisive proof that his poor reputation as an actor did not reflect his full potential. 208 209

Chosen Family

Zhao spent the New Year with the Lu family in Lu Family Village, where he was overwhelmed by their warmth and formally asked Lu Heng’s parents to become his godparents. They later stood as his elders during his wedding to Chen Mengyi. 419 420 659

Relationship Controversy

Zhao impulsively revealed his relationship with Chen Mengyi to the media after a conflict involving her. The disclosure triggered backlash from fans, including a suicide attempt by a young fan; Zhao was later attacked by the fan’s family and hospitalized. 487 488

Notable Quotes

“I came here today only to prove to everyone that Lu Heng’s judgment was not wrong. I, Zhao Miao, am qualified to stand here and audition for the role of Yu Xiaobai.”
— Zhao Miao 208

“Straighten your back!”
— Zhao Miao to Lu Heng 391

“Jiang Ziya had nearly driven me out of the entertainment industry back then. Now that I’m playing Nezha, Heaven clearly wants me to ride my invincible Wind-Fire Wheels straight into the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun!”
— Zhao Miao 659