The plot deviates significantly from the original story. Notable differences include: Ren Yingying appearing much earlier in the series than her first appearance in the novel; Ren Woxing is killed by Yue Buqun instead of dying from a stroke; an additional subplot on a romance between Tian Boguang and Lan Fenghuang; Dongfang Bubai is given a greater role in the series as the ultimate villain as opposed to his role as a minor antagonist in the novel, in which he only appears in one chapter.
Ann Kok was initially selected to play Yue Lingshan but she rejected the offer. Jacelyn Tay also turned down her role as Dongfang Bubai initially, but retook her role after a telling-off by Steve Ma in the Singaporean media.[1]
