The moment news of “Zeroth Law” broke, it immediately caused a global sensation.

Before the film’s official announcement, no one had expected it to be a robot movie. The official movie Weibo account had made it very clear, mentioning Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics and adding a line almost like a confession at the end, strongly implying that one of the protagonists must be a robot.

With the development of film technology, in recent decades, the world of cinema has seen many classic sci-fi films. Taking Lance Holt as an example, this great director is an indispensable milestone in the history of film special effects, having made dozens of classic masterpieces revered by sci-fi fans.

Thinking this way, it was only natural for Lance Holt to return to the film industry with a sci-fi movie.

As long as the special effects technology was up to par, sci-fi films wouldn’t pose any viewing difficulty for the audience; they could even create a unique world, allowing film enthusiasts to truly experience an independently existing life within the movie.

For an entire day, film enthusiasts discussed the content of this film. First, it was definitely a sci-fi film; second, it should be a romance film, and then perhaps an action film.

A sci-fi action film, with explosive fight scenes, followed by a very Hollywood-esque blonde beauty, and after defeating the evil forces, the male and female leads passionately kiss, ending the entire film with a happy ending. This is a common Hollywood commercial film formula, and many commercial films cannot escape this framework because countless films have personally tested it with box office results, proving that audiences fall for this formula.

Just a simple official announcement generated heated discussion among fans. However, just as fans had already started imagining the twelfth possible movie plot, a fan suddenly discovered: 

[Hey, why did the movie promotions only tag God Qin and Rong Rong, and the director, but no female lead?]

Once the first person discovered it, this strange phenomenon finally caught the attention of fans.

[Yeah, where’s the female lead? Shouldn’t there be a female lead? What’s going on now?]

[Rong Rong was already in the US yesterday, now they might be preparing to start filming. It’s impossible that the female lead hasn’t been cast yet.]

[Exactly! God Qin also flew to the US the day before yesterday. I saw leaked photos from passersby; they were both seen at the US airport with their assistants. The male leads are confirmed, but the female lead isn’t… I’m in the US myself, and I haven’t heard of Director Holt casting a female lead recently.]

The fervent discussions among fans led to Zeroth Law receiving even wider attention. The film had already topped China’s trending lists online, and now it consistently held headlines on European and American websites. Many news outlets reported on the film, speculating from various angles about why the female lead had yet to be announced.

Among all possibilities, the one that most convinced film enthusiasts was: 

[This film has two male leads and no female lead at all.]

But many fans still opposed this, saying:

[“My love for you is written deep within my chip.” Seriously, you call this having no female lead? This is a romance plot, and it’s a romance plot directly written by the crew in their first promotional post. If there’s no female lead, are you planning to have the two male leads fall in love?]

As soon as these words came out, all the fans fell silent.

…Two male leads falling in love?

Qin Cheng and Rong Xu… falling in love?

Qin Cheng and Rong Xu, Qin Cheng and Rong Xu, Qin Cheng and Rong Xu…

Qin Cheng and Rong Xu falling in love!!!

Film enthusiasts who saw this Weibo post immediately blushed, rushing to type condemnations of the netizen who proposed the hypothesis: 

[How can you be so perverted! How could Rong Rong and God Qin act in a romance scene, how could they act in a kissing scene, how could they act in a bed scene, how could they do it… Ahhhhhhhhh, I can’t take it anymore, you’re too perverted!!!]

[Exactly! Them kissing, them doing it… Ouch ouch ouch, I can’t take it, it’s too much! You’re not allowed to imagine that!]

The innocent netizen who was condemned: 

[…]

She merely offered an opposing view, stating that it couldn’t be a purely two-male-lead drama, that there couldn’t be no romantic scenes. What kissing, bed scenes, doing… It’s clearly you guys who are too dirty, okay!!!

Once the cat was out of the bag, fans began to fantasize.

Over the past few years, Rong Xu and Qin Cheng’s “good friend” relationship had already become globally famous. The whole world knew they were good friends; even at the Golden Bear Awards, host David used it as a running gag, constantly teasing and joking. Fans of both sides had always accepted this relationship, and CP fans were even more imaginative, openly making suggestive jokes within their small circles.

At this point, many netizens couldn’t help but exclaim: 

[If it really were a two-male-lead romance film, once you accept it, it actually seems quite exciting…]

However, it all remained just a beautiful fantasy for fans. Even CP fans could only think about it in their minds, at most praying with clasped hands towards the other side of the ocean every day, hoping Director Holt would actually let Rong Xu and Qin Cheng act in a romance. That is, until a week later, when Zeroth Law held its start-up press conference in New York.

For the past seven days, Rong Xu and Qin Cheng had been on set, learning the latest special effects filming techniques. Sr. Holt had been preparing for years, and now that it was finally revealed, this new type of film special effects technology was something neither Rong Xu nor even Qin Cheng had ever seen, requiring practice and adjustment.

The two learned quickly, so Sr. Holt decided to start filming earlier. Entertainment reporters from around the world came to the start-up press conference with a huge pile of questions, also wanting to see who the hidden female lead was; fans had already been sitting in front of their computers, waiting to see the female lead appear live.

Then, they saw Lance Holt walk onto the stage, Qin Cheng walk onto the stage, and Rong Xu walk onto the stage.

And then… there was no “then.”

Global film enthusiasts: “…”

Please don’t tell us this movie really has no female lead!!!

Lance Holt: “I heard from my staff that many film enthusiasts have sent private messages to the crew, asking us about the female lead of this film. Indeed, we are a sci-fi film and also a romance film, but this film truly has no female lead.” 

Sr. Holt, with his silver hair, turned to look at the two young male actors beside him and laughed heartily: “Strictly speaking, Rong is our female lead.”

The wide-mouthed reporters present: “…”

The live audience, so shocked their small melon seeds fell everywhere: “…”

Under the bright, dazzling lights, the handsome young man listened to the director’s words and smiled helplessly, saying, “Mr. Lance, why am I the female lead? I think Qin Cheng is more like the female lead.” 

He paused, then Rong Xu turned to look at the man beside him, “Am I right?”

Qin Cheng’s lips subtly curved: “I think after watching the movie, everyone will know the answer.”

As soon as he said this, even Rong Xu chuckled. The camera focused on these two top Best Actors, watching the harmonious atmosphere of their crew. Film enthusiasts around the world finally snapped back to reality and understood what Sr. Holt’s words truly meant.

[Gay film! Gay film! Gay film!!! Ahhhhh, important words said three times, Rong Rong and God Qin are going to star in a romance film, they’re going to kiss and hug and do!!! I’m sending Director Holt a hundred bags of dried fish, please let there be bed scenes, bed scenes, bed scenes in the movie!!!]

[In this lifetime, I actually get to see Chengrong star in a romance film, in this lifetime! I can die without regrets now!]

[Am I really not dreaming, Chengrong CP, really! Going to! Act! In! Romantic scenes!!!]

At this very moment, no matter which country’s live streaming website you opened globally, you could see various rolling bullet comments on the Zeroth Law live video page. The dense bullet comments completely blocked the screen, making it impossible to see faces, but you could feel the immense excitement of the film enthusiasts.

---

The reporters at the press conference also never expected that the biggest news they intended to uncover would be announced at the very beginning of the press conference. And after the announcement, the crew actually gave them another huge headline.

Having been battle-hardened, the reporters, after a brief shock, immediately accepted this reality and began asking questions enthusiastically.

“Director Holt has never filmed a gay movie before. What made you consider making one?”

Sr. Holt laughed heartily: “Because of my son.”

Clemens Holt, sitting in the audience, instantly had a dark expression: “…”

After being momentarily stunned, a reporter tentatively asked: “Does this have anything to do with Mr. Clemens Holt?”

To promote the film, Sr. Holt didn’t hesitate to reveal his son’s sexual orientation: “He’s gay. It was my first real contact with this community, and after getting to know it, I found it very interesting, so I wanted to make a different kind of romance film.”

The stunned global audience: “!!!”

Although the world now has a high degree of acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community, is it really okay for you to sell out your son like this?!

Clemens Holt is very handsome and a world-class director, but he is, after all, just a director, and not many fans follow him. After being “sold out” by his father, this news only received attention for a while before everyone quickly became drawn to the news of “Qin Cheng and Rong Xu starring in a gay film.”

“Mr. Qin, you’ve been in the industry for many years and have made dozens of films, but never this genre. By taking on this film, are you looking to break new ground and try different film types?”

The handsome, tall man chuckled at this, not directly answering the question, but instead turning to look at the young man beside him. After they exchanged glances, he turned back and replied, “The films I’ve made have already covered many different genres, but this time I decided to take on Zeroth even more so because Lance incredibly managed to persuade my good friend Rong Xu.”

This statement was half-true, for the sake of the film’s promotional effect.

The reporter then asked, “Did you decide to make this film for Rong Xu?”

At this point, Sr. Holt appropriately revealed: “Inviting Qin was a very troublesome matter. You know, he has absolutely no professional dedication. He even once told me that he would never kiss a man in his life, unless that man was Rong Xu. Since he’s not even willing to kiss, he’s certainly even less willing to do bed scenes. So I had to shamelessly contact Rong. Compared to Qin, Rong is truly a lovely angel. He’s much more professional than Qin, and our negotiations were very pleasant.”

Fans who had just been saying there must be kissing and bed scenes: “!!!”

Holy crap, happiness came too fast, Mom, am I really not dreaming?! Not only are there kissing and bed scenes, but God Qin also said he’d only kiss Rong Rong! Only kiss Rong Rong! Only kiss Rong Rong, ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Fans had no time to verify if they were dreaming. Because in the following time, Qin Cheng and the already open-minded Director Holt simply chatted directly, complaining about each other, making Rong Xu laugh and cry as he tried to mediate between them.

Neither the reporters present nor the audience in front of their computers could ever have imagined a film crew operating this way. There was no need for reporters to break news or dig for dirt; they simply revealed each other’s secrets on their own. In the end, Sr. Holt even indignantly declared: 

“Damn it, you two are good friends, the whole world knows, so you teamed up to bully me. When we start filming tomorrow, I will definitely get my revenge on you. I’ve decided, the first scene we shoot tomorrow will be a kissing scene, and I’ll make you do 20 takes, to let you know that the director is the person you can least offend on the whole crew!”

The reporters, holding their microphones and not needing to ask any questions: “…”

Fans, almost choked by the sheer amount of “sugar”: 

[Mr. Holt, GJ! You are the biggest “big shot” in the Chengrong circle, no one can compare to you, Chengrong reigns supreme! Mr. Holt will give out candy for ten thousand years!!!]

The start-up press conference for Zeroth Law concluded in such a joyful yet peculiar atmosphere. After leaving the stage, Mr. Sr. Holt was not as jovial as he had been on stage. He immediately went with the props team to discuss the color of an important prop.

His performance at the press conference was, after all, mainly for promoting the film. Sr. Holt himself was not a particularly joking person. 

Rong Xu had only spent a week with this director and had already discovered that Sr. Holt was rigorous and serious, meticulous about details, and also a bit irritable – though this is a common trait among directors; a director who doesn’t yell a couple of times on set isn’t really a director.

After leaving the stage, everyone took a car back to the hotel. Upon reaching the hotel, Luo Xi and Qin Cheng’s assistant went to confirm the next day’s filming schedule, while Rong Xu returned to his room with Qin Cheng to rest. 

However, just as they reached the door of his room, Rong Xu suddenly reached out, grabbed a certain man’s tie, quickly opened the door with his other hand, and with extreme speed, pulled the man into the room.

Caught off guard and pulled into the room by his beloved, Qin Cheng’s upper body leaned slightly forward, his tie still clenched in the other’s hand. This state looked quite disheveled, but on Qin Cheng, it seemed to have a certain ease about it.

“There are people coming and going in the hallway,” the man said, looking down with a smile. “Aren’t you afraid of being seen?”

Rong Xu raised an eyebrow and retorted, “I’m going to be filming kissing and bed scenes with you, and tomorrow we’ll have 20 NGs. Are you afraid of being seen rehearsing the ‘night-light script’?”

The “night-light script” was a term Rong Xu used in his previous life that Qin Cheng had never heard. Now, hearing it, he found it quite interesting: “Night-light script, very vivid. So, you pulled me in here, are you planning to rehearse the night-light script with me?”

Rong Xu said crossly, “You and Lance didn’t even tell me and just hyped it up like that at the press conference. Aren’t you afraid of really being discovered?”

Qin Cheng felt very innocent: “Lance probably didn’t discover our relationship; he didn’t tell me beforehand. Most Hollywood directors are quite open-minded. Look, at the press conference today, wasn’t Clemens’s sexual orientation exposed by his father? I remember Clemens had a press conference last year where he made the male and female leads kiss on the spot, right?” 

As he spoke, he lightly stroked his lips.

Rong Xu’s mouth twitched: “What are you trying to do?”

A certain shameless man immediately hugged him: “Xiao Xu, when the premiere ceremony comes, let’s kiss too. To help the movie gain exposure and promote it, you need to have the professional dedication to contribute to your career, mmm…”

After a cold laugh, Rong Xu pulled back his fist and said with a smile, “Today, Director Lance also said, Mr. Qin, you have no professional dedication at all. Please always remember your persona and don’t break character, or you’ll tarnish our movie.” 

Saying this, Rong Xu opened the door, adding, “Mr. Qin, who lacks professional dedication, probably isn’t interested in rehearsing the night-light script. Please leave now. If you really have 20 NGs tomorrow, you won’t be worthy of your Best Actor trophy.”

Qin Cheng, pushed out the door: “…”

You pulled him in, and you pushed him out.

As if sensing the man’s helplessness, Rong Xu raised an eyebrow lightly: “Hmm?”

Qin Cheng helplessly raised the corner of his lips: “Because I spoil you.”

Mr. Qin’s answer was the abruptly closed door.

Qin Cheng naturally understood that his beloved was always a bit shy, not as uninhibited as Westerners. At the press conference, for the sake of promoting the film, Rong Xu could still smile relatively calmly and let Sr. Holt and Qin Cheng joke around, occasionally joining in himself. But privately, when it came to serious matters, he had to be serious, especially at such a crucial time; there could be no mistakes.

Since two years ago, Rong Xu had never returned to the Rong family, but he had arranged for a private financial advisor to manage all the dividends he received from the Rong Corporation. This money, after the Rong Yan Foundation was established, was entirely transferred into the foundation’s assets by Rong Xu and never used a single cent.

Rong Xu owned 20% of the Rong Corporation’s shares, which was undoubtedly an astronomical sum, yet he gave it all to the foundation without batting an eye. Qin Cheng admitted he could never be that generous.

Regarding this matter, on one occasion when Rong Xu was cooking, a certain man, with his arm around his beloved’s slender waist, asked about it. Rong Xu’s answer made him somewhat puzzled, but he didn’t ask further. At the time, Rong Xu said: 

“That money never belonged to me anyway, so I’ll use it to do good deeds.”

This money and these shares originally belonged to you, as per Old Master Rong’s will. How did they not belong to you?

Qin Cheng didn’t ask too much about this. His beloved also needed his own private space and small secrets. If Rong Xu didn’t bring it up, he certainly wouldn’t press him, nor would he secretly investigate.

Moreover, Rong Xu also said: “If I ever donate all my income, won’t I still have you?”

This sentence put Mr. Qin in a great mood. He immediately nodded, wishing he could sign a written agreement right then and there, have Rong Xu press a red handprint, frame the sentence on the wall, and read it a hundred times a day.

Indeed, his young man had him behind him. Even if Rong Xu truly lost everything one day, no one could bully him.