Ever since joining the “Qin Fengfeng” group, Rong Xu had gotten to know Xia Muyan.

Xia Muyan had been in the entertainment industry for many years. She didn’t gain fame at first, but at the age of twenty-five, she shot to stardom with an art-house film, winning the Best Supporting Actress award at the Golden Phoenix Awards that year. From then on, she embarked on a path of collecting awards.

In the entertainment industry, some people’s works are critically acclaimed but not commercially successful, while others’ works are commercially successful but not critically acclaimed. The former, for example, is director Xu Sheng; his films are consistently praised by professionals, but often have low box office. The latter, for instance, is Clemens Holt, who fully pursues a commercial path and was even slammed by critics as “absolute rubbish” in his early years.

Xia Muyan can be considered an anomaly. The box office performance of her films varies; sometimes it’s very high, sometimes very low, but without exception, every one of her films receives excellent reviews. For example, the film “Disciple,” which Qin Cheng and Xia Muyan collaborated on two years ago, is still a classic often discussed by moviegoers.

“3200 Miles” had only been off the screens for a month when Rong Xu took on this new film. In fact, he had originally discussed with Luo Zhentao about taking a short break during this period, not accepting new films, and using the time to manage the affairs of the Rong Yan Foundation. But good scripts came too quickly. When the script for “March Eternity” was delivered to Rong Xu, he studied it carefully for a long time and finally couldn’t resist taking on the film.

“March Eternity,” directed by Qian Changming, starring Rong Xu as the male lead and Xia Muyan as the female lead.

When this cast was officially announced to fans, within just one hour, the Weibo post announcing the cast list from the production team’s official Weibo account had tens of thousands of reposts. Countless fans excitedly confessed their love and screamed in the comments below, and many moviegoers excitedly expressed: [Director Qian, shoot quickly! Shoot, shoot, shoot! We want to see our beautiful Rong Rong and our beautiful Goddess Xia ahhh!!!]

Qian Changming, in his early fifties, might not hold as high a status in the Chinese directing world as Old Liu or Director Xu, but he is still a renowned director in Huaxia. Unlike Old Liu and Director Xu, Director Qian is a true art-house director, only making art films, yet his box office is not low.

Director Qian is very skilled at portraying characters. The films he directs have created many classic roles with distinct personalities. A woman’s every gesture, a man’s boundless spirit, are all vividly depicted through Director Qian’s lens. Even if you play a down-and-out character, as long as it’s a film directed by Qian Changming, they will be uninhibited renegades.

When Rong Xu confirmed that he would be filming “March Eternity” with Director Qian, Rong Xu’s fans eagerly responded, wishing the movie would be released right away.

Of course, it couldn’t happen that quickly. The cast list was finalized and the commencement ceremony was held at the end of September. Although Director Qian had already started preparations half a year in advance, less than a quarter of the story had been filmed by late October.

“March Eternity” is a love story, but despite being a love story, the two protagonists never end up together. Rong Xu plays a young student who comes to Hong Kong to study, with the story set in Hong Kong during the last century.

In this world, there were no so-called two World Wars, and Huaxia never suffered the humiliation of ceding land or power. Hong Kong always belonged to Huaxia, but in the last century, it was suddenly designated as a Special Economic Zone by the country, ushering in a gold rush. What was originally just a small fishing village suddenly became a Special Economic Zone, and the world’s attention immediately focused on it.

At that time, Hong Kong was occupied by countless merchants seeking fame and fortune. They vigorously developed this land, hoping to extract gold from this still barren land. However, just as the waves wash away sand, some achieved success and became rich overnight, while others returned empty-handed or even died in a foreign land.

Today’s Hong Kong is a prosperous metropolis, but everyone knows that in the last century, it was a dreamland steeped in the smell of money. A vibrant nightlife, extravagant living, with money juxtaposed against poverty. Many Chinese films draw inspiration from this setting, and when this environment is placed in a film, it takes on an even more captivating aura.

Filming began at the end of September and officially wrapped in January of the following year.

As soon as “March Eternity” wrapped, Rong Xu didn’t get any time to rest. He immediately returned to Beijing to participate in the Rong Yan Foundation’s first charity auction. The foundation had only been established for half a year, but it had already garnered attention from all walks of society. Both Qin Cheng and Rong Xu were enough to draw media attention to the Rong Yan Foundation.

By February, the Rong Yan Foundation had already built over a hundred Project Hope primary schools across Huaxia. This charitable endeavor received widespread attention and support. On the day the 100th Project Hope primary school was established, Rong Xu and Qin Cheng attended the press conference and together cut the ribbon.

Since their Rong Rong was so supportive of charity and dedicated to helping children in impoverished areas, Rong Xu’s fans naturally felt obliged to do their part. Fans eagerly responded, donating money and goods, and some major fan leaders even proactively organized to send fans’ clothes and books to mountainous regions.

When Rong Xu’s fans posted photos of their numerous charity donation activities on Rong Xu’s fan forum, many netizens suddenly remembered: 

[I recall, when Rong Xu just debuted, his fans did the same thing, didn’t they?]

That was when Rong Xu’s first single CD, “Lost Wings,” was released. After Ling Xiao’s manager publicly announced that all proceeds from “Lost Wings” would be donated to charity organizations, Rong Xu’s fans united to organize a “Lost Wings” charity event for their Rong Rong.

At that time, Rong Xu had only filmed “Black Cloud”; “Misty City” and “Flower Brocade” had not yet been released. Through that charity event, many casual netizens learned of the existence of Rong Xu’s fans and developed an excellent impression of Rong Xu.

Netizens discussed the matter, and Rong Xu’s fans also reminisced about the situation at the time.

[Time flies too fast, it’s already two years. Two years ago, I just started liking Rong Rong, I liked him after watching ‘Black Cloud’ then. I didn’t expect to like him for so long.]

[Time has been so good to him, he hasn’t changed at all.]

[Rong Rong is the best, beautiful and gentle. This morning I dug out the DVDs of ‘3200 Miles’ and ‘Flower Brocade’ and watched them again. They’re really so good, Rong Rong is so good, so looking forward to ‘March Eternity,’ it’s still a month away, ahhh I can’t wait!]

[When you mentioned ‘Lost Wings,’ it reminded me of Lotus Paste Orange Filling. That time, Orange Goddess donated a million yuan at once. When I found out she donated a million, my cucumber fell to the ground, it was terrifying. Orange Goddess has been relatively quiet these past few months, so I thought she wouldn’t move this time when it came to donations, but she actually donated another million. I really want to be Orange Goddess’s leg accessory…]

[You think you’re the only one? Every day I wish our beautiful rich Orange Goddess would post a selfie~]

As Rong Xu’s fame grew, his fan base also continuously expanded. Three months ago, Rong Xu’s Weibo followers reached two hundred million, ranking sixth among Chinese male stars on Weibo. Last month, his fan forum also welcomed its ninety millionth official fan.

With more and more of Rong Xu’s fans, the number of people following Lotus Paste Orange Filling also increased. Unbeknownst to them, Lotus Paste Orange Filling had become low-key. She no longer flaunted movie ticket stubs, albums, magazines, or DVDs. She simply honestly confessed her love to Rong Xu, and after that, immediately confessed her love to her boyfriend, Lotus Paste. If she hadn’t just donated another million yuan recently, everyone would have almost forgotten her identity as a super-rich goddess.

As for the nauseatingly sweet love confessions from Lotus Paste Orange Filling, fans found them both cute and a little heartbreaking.

[If you scatter any more dog food, I’ll unfollow you! Unfollow you, unfollow you, unfollow you!]

The next second, Lotus Paste Orange Filling posted on Weibo: [The way you work is so cute, so cute, so cute? (? ???ω??? ?)?]

Rong Xu’s fans: [… ]

Dare you scatter less dog food? Dare you, dare you, dare you?!!!

---

Last November, while Rong Xu was still filming “March Eternity,” Qin Cheng visited the set. In the “March” crew, both the male and female leads were considered Qin Cheng’s friends, and Director Qian had also dealt with Qin Cheng, so his visit to the set was certainly not an issue.

When Qin Cheng arrived at the set, Rong Xu and Xia Muyan were filming a “kissing scene.” A young student was sitting by the window reading, and a seductive and charming bar owner walked past his window.

In the plot of “March Eternity,” the male and female protagonists meet because they live in the same tenement building. The landlady is the bar owner, a mature and charismatic woman. It was only natural for the male student to be attracted to her, especially when she smoked, looking breathtakingly beautiful.

That particular scene involved Xia Muyan walking past the window, teasing Rong Xu and calling him a bookworm. After they chatted for a while, Xia Muyan asked Rong Xu if he had ever had a girlfriend. Rong Xu immediately shook his head, saying no, looking very shy. Then, under the warm setting sun, Xia Muyan curved her lips and smiled: “Then… you haven’t kissed anyone either?”

Rong Xu’s cheeks turned even redder.

Next, there was a kiss that almost connected. The student was so startled he nearly fell backward, but the bar owner laughed: “Little friend, you’re too naive.”

When Qin Cheng arrived, this scene had already begun filming. 

He stood beside the cameraman, calmly watching the scene on set, and also watched as Xia Muyan raised Rong Xu’s chin with her right hand and suddenly lowered her head to kiss him. 

As their lips almost touched, Qin Cheng’s eyebrow twitched, and he pursed his lips. On the other side, Director Qian immediately called “OK.”

After filming this scene, Xia Muyan exclaimed, “It’s a good thing I wasn’t too familiar with you before; otherwise, Rong Rong, I might have actually had an NG (No Good) take.”

This scene was passed in just one take, and the effect was excellent. Xia Muyan was also glad that although she was in the “Qin Fengfeng” group, she hadn’t had much contact with Rong Xu due to her busy filming schedule. If it had been a very familiar friend, it might have been difficult to film well due to their familiarity.

Listening to her words, Rong Xu also deeply sympathized. If he had to film such a near-kissing scene with Lin Xuan… Ugh, it would be too awkward, probably requiring several NGs.

The two talked as they walked out of the set. 

Not long after, they both saw a certain man standing beside the camera crew. 

Rong Xu had known since yesterday that Qin Cheng was coming to visit the set today, but Xia Muyan was caught off guard by his presence. The beautiful and gentle actress was slightly stunned, standing in place. After a moment, she smiled and walked closer with Rong Xu, greeted Qin Cheng, said a few words, and then left again.

During lunch, Rong Xu took both lunchboxes from Luo Xi, smiling: “Qin Cheng and I will go over there.” 

Luo Xi was startled, then nodded, watching her artist and his good friend leave the set.

After walking to a small courtyard not far from the set, Rong Xu handed the lunchbox to the man: “I told you to visit, but the set’s lunchboxes aren’t good. You can have lavish meals at home, but here we only have two meat and two vegetable dishes.”

Qin Cheng calmly took the lunchbox, and as he opened his chopsticks, he said calmly, “And vinegar too.”

“Cough cough cough…”

Rong Xu, who had just taken a sip of water, immediately choked. Realizing what the other person was saying, the young man’s lips twitched slightly, and he said helplessly, “To be fair, that was in the script. And it wasn’t a real kiss scene. We were filming Sister Xia teasing me, but she didn’t want me to actually fall in love with her. She wanted me to study hard and not be with someone like her.”

“Still the same.”

Rong Xu: “…”

The handsome man lowered his gaze, silently staring at the sweet and sour fish in his lunchbox, picking up a piece with his chopsticks: “Mm, if it wasn’t written in the script, I wouldn’t have let her get close.” 

With that, the sweet and sour fish went into his mouth.

Rong Xu: “…”

A deep, magnetic voice slowly sounded: “Xiao Xu, I’m jealous…”

Rong Xu lowered his gaze to his lunchbox, ignoring him.

“Xiao Xu…”

Rong Xu turned his head, saying exasperatedly, “What do you want? There’s no sweet and sour fish in my bowl. If you want to be jealous, be jealous yourself, mmm…”

A hot, passionate kiss suddenly descended, directly sealing the young man’s next words. Qin Cheng raised his left hand, slowly cupping the back of Rong Xu’s head, his tongue skillfully probing into his mouth. After a moment of surprise, Rong Xu gradually closed his eyes and gently kissed back.

In the quiet, deserted courtyard, this kiss was like a painting, serene and beautiful.

Qin Cheng stayed on the set for two more days. Every time Rong Xu and Xia Muyan had to film an emotional scene, this young master would calmly watch from the side. He wouldn’t say a word, just stared intently, which made Rong Xu’s lips twitch. On the third day, he packed Qin off to Xu Jin.

“Isn’t ‘Limit’ about to be released? You’d better go promote it!”

This happened when Rong Xu was filming “March Eternity.” After this play wrapped, the eight members of the “Qin Fengfeng” group, unusually, all had time off, so they went on a vacation to Hawaii together. There was a small interlude in between: when Rong Xu was packing clothes at home, Qin Cheng learned about it and frowned slightly, “I’m going too.”

Rong Xu raised an eyebrow: “Oh? I thought ‘Limit’ was nominated for several Oscars, and you’re supposed to start your global promotional tour tomorrow?”

Qin Cheng: “…”

The young man smiled faintly: “Be good, work hard, earn money, and I’ll bring you souvenirs.”

Qin Cheng lowered his gaze: “Souvenirs aren’t enough.”

Rong Xu was slightly taken aback by this. After a moment’s thought, he used his finger to lift the man’s chin, and in the other’s surprised gaze, he leaned in and gave a kiss: “Souvenirs aren’t enough, then a kiss… is that enough?”

His dark, deep eyes trembled slightly. The next moment, the man unhesitatingly picked up his young lover and walked directly towards the bedroom. So the next day, when Rong Xu arrived at the airport to meet the “Qin Fengfeng” group…

Xia Muyan: “Rong Rong, are you hot?”

Wen Xuan pulled down her sunglasses: “With that turtleneck and scarf, aren’t you afraid it’ll be too hot in Hawaii?”

Chu Qi nodded seriously: “I think you’ll get heat rash.”

Lin Xuan immediately raised his hand: “If you get heat rash, come find me, I specially brought baby powder~ Hahaha, clever me.”

Rong Xu: “…”

Under the clear blue sky and the vast, endless ocean, Rong Xu, having a rare vacation, naturally wanted to enjoy it thoroughly. The eight members of the “Qin Fengfeng” group reunited in Hawaii and continued to play for several days, causing Chu Qi, the oldest member of the team, to repeatedly wave his hands: “No more, no more, I’m old, I can’t play anymore.”

But did the team members pay him any mind? James and Lin Xuan each grabbed an arm and a leg, throwing Chu Qi off the ten-meter diving board, eliciting laughter from three beautiful women by the pool.

On the second day after arriving in Hawaii, Rong Xu finally untied the scarf from his neck.

Jennifer chuckled: “The other day, Clemens and I happened to meet at an event, and we talked about you. Rong, he said you plan to collaborate with Mr. Holt Sr.?”

Rong Xu was diligently getting cocktails for the three beautiful women from the bar counter. Hearing Jennifer’s words, Wen Xuan and Xia Muyan also turned their attention to him. Wen Xuan curiously asked: “You’re going to collaborate with Old Mr. Holt? What kind of play is it?”

Rong Xu shook his head: “Qin Cheng mentioned it last year. Brother Luo has been in talks with Mr. Holt, but it’s not confirmed yet.”

Wen Xuan was surprised: “What does this have to do with Qin Cheng?”

Lin Xuan, passing by, suddenly stopped: “Qin Fengfeng? What about him?”

Chu Qi also climbed out of the pool at this moment, and James and Hugh walked over laughing. All seven pairs of eyes were fixed on Rong Xu.

Under the bright Hawaiian sunshine, the handsome young man gently sighed, saying helplessly, “It does have something to do with Qin Cheng, because Mr. Holt Sr.’s movie… well, it’s a gay movie.”

The seven members of the “Qin Fengfeng” group: “…”

Lin Xuan was the first to react: “Traitor! Traitor, traitor, traitor! Rong Rong, you’re actually going to film a romance movie with Qin Fengfeng? I really misjudged you! You betrayed our organization!”

Rong Xu spread his hands innocently: “It’s not finalized yet. Maybe it won’t be filmed in the second half of the year?”

Lin Xuan snorted coldly, not replying.

However, even Rong Xu didn’t expect his words to become a prophecy. 

A few days later, Luo Zhentao brought news from Mr. Holt Sr.: “Xiao Xu, I think this play is worth signing; it’s very good for you and could become a classic representative work. But there’s a problem: Mr. Holt himself said that filming can’t start in the short term. He still has several technical difficulties to overcome. So, Xiao Xu, this play might not start filming until next year. What do you think?”

__

Author’s Note:

Qin Chengcheng: What, what, can’t Rong Rong film a romance with baby (┙＞∧＜)┙へ┻┻!!!

Rong Rong: This chapter, truly, time flies, the days and months rush by…