Internet users have not had the opportunity to uncover more information about the nominated film "Divergence," when another piece of news dropped.
The film "Same or Not" officially released its trailer, announcing the movie's premiere on the first day of the lunar new year.
This day falls on Christmas Eve, with 30 days remaining until New Year's Eve.
As a derivative of movie marketing strategy, the essence of a trailer is to ensure successful financing for the film or to enhance its promotional activities, rather than possessing independent artistic value.
With the backing of the S·D Group, the film "Same or Not" does not require financing; with the collaboration of an award-winning actor and a rising star, the production team is more than willing to entrust all promotional work to these two male leads. However, as a production team with professional integrity and conscience, they naturally would not do so.
Under the directives and negotiations of Big Boss and the production team, the promotion of the trailer was decided to focus 40% on the explosive elements and 60% on the artistic aspects of the film.
—— When you are surrounded, I will stand behind you with the unwavering strength to sweep away the millions of enemy troops.
Undoubtedly resounding, the premiere of the trailer for "Same or Not" was set with the declaration of Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng.
This was Yu Yue's instructions to Ji Chen, as well as their pledge as immigration enforcement officers to all citizens of the planet.
The trailer lived up to expectations, shouldering the responsibility of connecting the plot and showcasing the independent artistic value of the film, while also being extremely captivating.
With no leaked set photos, readers who already had confidence in the creative team were now even more eager in anticipation.
Song Chunuan reposted the trailer, subtly revealing without a word.
@Nuan: "The universe is vast, and so is our love."
Following Song Chunuan's repost, every subsequent repost carried the message "The universe is vast, and so is our love."
If bystanders did not understand this statement, how could the fans not understand? This was the public declaration of love by their beloved "Crucian（JiYu）CP"!
Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng reposted and commented on the official movie Weibo account around midnight on the 25th, just after landing in New York.
Before the age of fifteen, this was where Zhong Shao lived.
From the green spaces of the Bronx to the trendy Williamsburg in Brooklyn, to the iconic Manhattan and Queens, and finally to the coastal Staten Island. Amid the grand celebration of Christmas and New Year, Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng strolled nonchalantly through the streets and alleys of the five boroughs of New York City, casually revealing the hidden past stored in their hearts. They watched the sunset on Little Island, overlooked Manhattan from the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, enjoyed the New York skyline from The River Café beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, delved into the world of theatre on Broadway, and experienced the romance of New York nights at Rockefeller Center.
They spent a good part of the day strolling through Central Park, reading the stories written on benches about the passage of time, and then sat on the bench inscribed with "My hand in yours, may we grow old together," contemplating their ordinary yet romantic life, envisioning decades ahead, and recording their love story in this way.
—— The universe is vast, and so is our love.
This might be the epitaph they leave behind.
Upon arriving in City A, the golden light had just breached the skyline.
Tan Ye and Miaomiao finally landed on the ground after receiving a breath of air in mid-air. No one could have imagined these two individuals would become a couple and occasionally go on overseas trips without prior notice!
Their impromptu trip to New York was a decision made by Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng. Luckily, Yu Cheng had a valid visa. The reason for returning today was due to a scheduled event tonight that they had to rush back for.
It was December 31st.
For media personnel and artist friends, this was a busy and glamorous night. However, the festive atmosphere had nothing to do with the "Crucian CP". They were also attending the New Year's Eve celebration, but it was more of a youthful and diverse "New Year's Dialogue."
Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng were invited to the New Year's Eve event hosted by the website L in city A. Unlike traditional TV stations' music and dance-focused New Year's Eve programs, website L's event focused on "speeches and dialogue." They were not giving speeches but, in a mix of old and new interactions, they would hold the first roadshow of the movie "Same and Different" with several other main creators, directors, and screenwriters of the film at L's New Year's Eve event.
This segment, titled "Towards Together," was the final twenty minutes of the event and the last program in this Chapter.
On the large screen, a starry scene appeared in the interstellar space above the surface named "Darwin Planet," where two young individuals in work uniforms sat back to back along the equator, holding communication devices.
"To all interstellar citizens, I am the outbound executive officer, Yu Yue."
"To all interstellar citizens, I am the inbound executive officer, Ji Chen."
"...If we cannot even attain gender equality in the Galaxy, how can marriage be considered a fundamental human right? What is the significance of our existence here today? Have you ever thought about it? I have, and it is a heap of ruins, a post-apocalyptic world that is beyond salvage."
"A century ago, we named the virus that could induce the differentiation of a second gender in humans as 'kuraci', a word in the world language meaning 'cure'. Scientists could not cure the kuraci virus, but regardless of your second gender, there is always a cure that transcends gender, skin colour, and race."
Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng facing each other turned around, their eyes meeting with understanding as they solemnly declared, "The universe is vast, and so is our love."
This declaration from the original work was brought to life by two outstanding voice actors in the radio drama. On stage, Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng, through their voices, brought the characters and story to the audience, somewhat compensating for the regret of not being able to present the original phrase "The universe is vast, and so is our love" in the film.
As the soft white spotlight gradually dimmed, another beam of light shone from above. Song Chunuan stood in the light, saying, "The universe is vast, and so is their love. Setting aside the bizarre inspiration behind their story, the reason why their story in 'Same or Not' is so is because 'Heaven and Earth are divided, yet their affairs are the same; man and woman are divided, yet their aspirations are shared; all things are divided, yet their affairs are similar, not different.'"
The light and shadows shifted in intensity, and in another direction, director Lu Cheng stood under the beam of light.
"As a filmmaker who leans towards realism, honestly, I never thought I would one day direct a sci-fi film, but it seems to be quite enjoyable," Lu Cheng paused for a breath before continuing, "From a director's perspective, my narrative approach to it is a mix of camera perspectives."
The chasing light dimmed and brightened again, forming a circle, as the lead actors followed the director, taking turns to speak.
At the centre of the stage, amidst cascading lights, stood Zhong Shao. Holding the microphone, he paused before speaking, and a moment later, his crisp voice filled the microphone.
"I am actor Zhong Shao, also known as Yu Yue. Similar to Lu Cheng, this is not the type of movie I usually take on, but the fellow actors are truly excellent. This role... is refreshing and thrilling. When you are surrounded, I will stand behind you with the unwavering strength to sweep away the millions of enemy troops. This is Yu Yue, and also is Zhong Shao."
Following this, the preview of the "Bright Edition" movie premiered live.
As the preview ended right on cue, the New Year began with the chiming of bells, and amidst the transitions, fireworks named "Happy New Year" bloomed in the vast night sky.
Zhong Shao tilted his head downwards, his right shoulder conveniently blocking his head, amidst the festive atmosphere. In the midst of the jubilation, Yu Cheng managed to catch Zhong Shao whispering "Happy New Year" to him behind his ear.
This was the first "Happy New Year" of the year, coming from the one he loved, on the stage.
"Happy New Year."
As Zhong Shao turned around, still locked in eye contact with Yu Cheng, the latter uttered the second "Happy New Year" of the year, his gaze falling on Zhong Shao's cuff.
The first utterance was directed at the audience.
Tonight, Zhong Shao did not wear a suit. Instead, he had on a white dress shirt he picked up casually at his New York apartment, with two pairs of cufflinks adorning the cuffs. One pair was a large bee design crafted from 18-carat yellow gold, princess-cut diamonds, and sapphires. The other pair was a limited edition 18-carat white gold cufflinks featuring a hoop clasp.
Zhong Shao acquired both pairs of cufflinks during his recent holiday in London, where he strolled alone and found them at Deakin & Francis.
Though Zhong Shao couldn't quite articulate the reason behind purchasing these cufflinks at the time, it all became clear to him now. The moment he laid eyes on them, he thought to himself: "These are perfect for Zhong Shao."
The day after wrapping up filming for the movie "Same or Not" the day they reaffirmed their relationship, Zhong Shao received this gift from Yu Cheng.
What did he say at the time?
Oh, a wrap-up gift.
After the show ended, they did not linger in the studio.
On the relatively empty overpass, a black sedan and a matching SUV cruised within the speed limit. The two cars on the two lanes were separated by just a car's length. Whenever one car pulled ahead, the trailing one honked, accelerated to pull alongside, and then fell back a car's length. The two vehicles continued this playful exchange, akin to adult whimsy yet reminiscent of the peculiarities of a couple in love.
Parked side by side in the garage, Yu Cheng unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for his phone in the central armrest box, catching a glimpse of the velvet box beside him. He could guess what was inside the box and who had placed it there.
Without haste, he got out of the car with his phone and the velvet box in hand.
Zhong Shao had not changed out of his evening shirt, just thrown on a coat over it. Standing at the back of the car, he sent a message to Tan Ye and then heard the sound of Yu Cheng getting out of the car.
Yu Cheng, with a faint smile and his black eyes adorned with diamonds, fixed his gaze on Zhong Shao.
"Do you know what giving someone a ring symbolises?"
Zhong Shao asked with the same expression and posture, "Sure."
Then he asked, "Do you know what giving cufflinks symbolises?"
Yu Cheng was taken aback, as he had never thought about it when he bought them, let alone when he gave them away.
"What does it symbolise?"
Zhong Shao took a few steps towards Yu Cheng, grabbed the velvet box from his right hand, maintaining eye contact, and said, "It is said that cufflinks are only given when one wants to spend a lifetime with someone. Is that what you think?"
Before Yu Cheng could reply, Zhong Shao added, "That's what I think."
He raised his left hand, wearing a simple platinum ring on his ring finger.
Although the parking garage was not brightly lit, the sincerity, composure, and certainty in Zhong Shao's eyes did not escape Yu Cheng's notice.
Yu Cheng smiled and replied, "That's what I think too."
The black velvet box landed in Zhong Shao's hand, he faced Yu Cheng and opened the box, took out the ring, closed the ring box, and put it in his pocket.
The surroundings fell silent, leaving only the sound of the box being closed with a click. Zhong Shao took Yu Cheng's left hand, slid the ring onto his ring finger. His movements were deliberate, filled with emotion, all expressing love. Like a key fitting into a lock, the ring snugly hugged the base of his finger.
Before Zhong Shao could retract his hand, Yu Cheng firmly grasped it, intertwining their fingers and bringing their hands to his eyes. In the centre of the platinum band was a discreet blue diamond, clear and adorned with natural starlight, resembling their love.
The two of them walked towards the elevator, hands tightly clasped, unwilling to let go.
"What's engraved on the other side?" Yu Cheng inquired.
With their fingers intertwined, he finally felt the other side of the ring in his palm, engraved with what seemed to be some Arabic letters, but he couldn't make out what they were.
"Yours is TUIV, mine is SIOL."
TUIV, SIOL.
Yu Cheng pondered the connection between these two strings of letters, then heard Zhong Shao say, "The universe is vast, and so is our love."
Yu Cheng was momentarily stunned by these words, then everything suddenly became clear to him.
"The universe is vast, and so is our love.."
These were the lines they recited together, encapsulating their love story.
After a simple wash-up, the two men headed into the kitchen together, where one was cooking noodles and the other was tossing salad.
The broth was made from soup base packets and the toppings included pre-heated lobsters. The noodles, however, were a special New Year gift sent from Pingcheng. When Yu Cheng was serving the noodles, he discovered a few dumplings inside. "When did you put these in?" he asked.
Zhong Shao glanced over and replied, "I put them in when you were at the steamer." While looking for lobsters in the fridge, Zhong Shao found a packet of dumplings too. Yu Cheng took two boxes of lobsters to the steamer, checked the date on the packaging without much thought, and added half a box in.
Despite wanting to have a nice meal for New Year's Eve, they were careful not to waste any food.
The dumplings were a bit hot, and Zhong Shao took two sips of air before biting into half a dumpling, saying, "The pork shank soup with flounder dumplings is quite good."
Yu Cheng thought to himself, Why is this person so childish?
Zhong Shao then handed the remaining half of the dumpling on his chopsticks to Yu Cheng's mouth, saying, "Try it."
As the clock approached three, they placed the bowls in the dishwasher, feeling far from drowsy.
The bedroom was dimly lit with only a warm lamp, as Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng lay on their sides, chatting about the upcoming year until they drifted off to sleep.