On January 7, Dylan Wang’s studio revealed the guest list for his upcoming D Party 2 music concert in Macau on January 17. Among the names, the most talked-about was Zhao Lusi an actress often seen as a direct rival to Esther Yu.
While Zhao Lusi and Dylan Wang are reportedly friends, the optics of this invitation were not lost on fans. According to Sina, many were outraged that Wang invited Zhao but made no mention of Esther Yu, his co-star from the massively popular 2022 fantasy romance drama Love Between Fairy and Devil. Supporters of the “Yu-Wang” pairing interpreted this as a betrayal, accusing Dylan of turning his back on someone who helped catapult him to stardom.
In Love Between Fairy and Devil, Esther Yu held the leading billing, yet after the show aired, it was Dylan Wang’s popularity that skyrocketed. His fanbase expanded rapidly, endorsement deals poured in, and his cool on-screen and off-screen persona earned him widespread praise often eclipsing Yu’s contributions. This led to growing tension between the two fandoms, with Dylan’s fans claiming he carried the show, while Yu’s fans insisted she was always the core of the project.
Post-drama, public interactions between Wang and Yu decreased noticeably. Meanwhile, online clashes between their respective fan communities intensified, often laced with harsh language and mutual blame, straining the stars’ own relationship.
Adding fuel to the fire, Zhao Lusi viewed as Esther Yu’s fiercest rival among the post-95 actresses has long been in direct competition with Yu for top “It girl” status. While Yu dominated in 2024 with Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, outperforming Zhao Lusi’s The Story of Pearl Girl, Zhao made a powerful comeback in 2025 with Love’s Ambition, while Yu’s Speed and Love was panned for crude content and dragged down by personal controversies. The reversal of reputations made fans of the two actresses even more hostile toward each other.
Zhao Lusi further escalated tensions by suing multiple Esther Yu fans for defamation following her return to the entertainment scene. Against this backdrop, Dylan Wang’s decision to align himself publicly with Zhao by inviting her to his concert is being seen by many as taking sides and not in favor of his once-cherished on-screen partner.
The move has sparked renewed online wars, with many fans declaring their disappointment and vowing to withdraw support from Dylan Wang. For “Yu-Wang” shippers and loyal supporters of Esther Yu, this moment feels like a painful, public betrayal.
Sources: weibo