Two years ago, *The Boy in the Afternoon*, filmed on location in Lantian County, Xi'an, created a minor miracle in the history of Chinese cinema. At the time, no one could have predicted that this niche arthouse film—shot in just over forty days on a budget of only three million yuan, with a debut director and lead actor—would rake in over ten million at the box office and capture the hearts of the audience. The film not only premiered at the Pingyao International Film Festival, where it won the Feimu Honor for Best Film, but also became a dark horse at a Category B international film festival, securing the award for Best Director.
Later, during an interview, Director Xue Fang admitted he never expected the film to be so successful. He joked that the audience might have all come for Qi Bailu, as Qi’s portrayal of a first-love high school student had become as classic as Takashi Kashiwabara’s in *Love Letter*. When the reporter asked why he had chosen Qi Bailu as the lead, Xue Fang candidly explained that they had visited both the Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama, auditioning hundreds of acting students as well as some amateurs. At the time, Qi Bailu was about to start his sophomore year. Hearing that the film would only be shot during the summer break, he went to the audition after reading the script once. He recorded his segment and left without a word. Initially, Xue Fang thought Qi Bailu was too beautiful, but after watching the audition footage over and over, he finally decided on him.
Back then, though Qi Bailu was already handsome, he hadn't fully matured. He was like a spring tree just beginning to bud; due to early childhood malnutrition, he was somewhat thin, which perfectly fit the image of the small-town youth in the script.
Recalling those days of filming now, Qi Bailu still held vivid memories. It was, after all, his first film, and the director had taught him his blocking and positioning step-by-step. Although it was Xue Fang’s first feature film, he had plenty of experience with documentaries and shorts, and he was relatively kind to the actors, making the shoot far from unbearable.
He had even met Zheng Kunyu during that time, and back then, it hadn't seemed like such a bad thing. Filming began in late June, but since school didn't let out until early July, Qi Bailu took a leave of absence to head to Xi'an early. The female lead, Shen Mo, was a classmate from his year. They booked their train tickets together, two novices who knew nothing but a few scraps of theory. It took ten days of shooting before they finally found their rhythm. Toward the end of the month, Xue Fang told them that a friend of the executive producer was stopping by the set and they might all go out for dinner. He told them not to worry about it, so Qi Bailu truly didn't give it a second thought.
Xue Fang had emphasized "might" because that important figure might not have the time; he might just sit for a moment and leave.
The weather that day was sweltering. Shen Mo was resting at the hotel due to menstrual discomfort, so the crew was filming Qi Bailu’s scenes alone. Qi Bailu stood under the sun for a long time, filming a crying scene after an argument with his parents over and over again. He paid no attention to the people gathered by the monitors. He was on the verge of heatstroke; his white school uniform T-shirt was completely soaked with sweat. Looking down, he could see beads of perspiration pooling in the hollow of his throat and along his collarbones. His face was flushed from the sun, and his eyes were red from crying. At the time, he was a greenhorn, a nobody with no agent and no assistant. When the director called "Cut," he walked over to rest under a purple-leaf plum tree, picking up his sports bottle from a small stool to drink.
The set was a whirlwind of activity as the crew prepared the tracks for the next shot. Everyone was busy with their own tasks; no one came over to attend to him. In the spring, the plum tree would have been covered in pale pink and white blossoms, but now only the lush, dense leaves remained, spreading across the branches. Qi Bailu sat in the shade, fanning himself with a small round fan the makeup artist had given him while looking down at the script on his knees. It was a cheap little blue plastic fan printed with advertisements for local tourist attractions. It barely stirred the air. Since Qi Bailu had long hair, the hair at his temples was already damp and matted, making the heat even more oppressive.
He pulled the collar of his high school T-shirt a bit wider and fanned himself for a moment before going still. He felt as though someone was watching him. Qi Bailu looked up and turned his body slightly, and that was when he saw Zheng Kunyu sitting behind the monitor.
It was a complete stranger, someone who seemed to have been sitting there during the shoot. The small blue fan in Qi Bailu’s hand slowly lowered. He sat up straight, and the half of his face that had been hidden by the fan was fully revealed to Zheng Kunyu—first his forehead, then his shimmering eyes, and finally the bridge of his nose, his lips, and his neck.
Zheng Kunyu watched him from a distance with a deep, focused gaze. The production manager whispered something into Zheng Kunyu’s ear with a smile. A moment later, the director stood up and beckoned Qi Bailu over.
What Qi Bailu would never know was that the production manager had said to Zheng Kunyu: "Beautiful, isn't he? Only nineteen, from the Film Academy. This is his first time acting. We picked this one out of hundreds of students." His tone held a hint of mystery, as if he were unveiling a treasure at an auction. The manager paused intentionally before adding with emphasis: "His name is—Qi Bailu."
Because Zheng Kunyu had to return to Beijing that night, the core creative team held a dinner in the afternoon. The production manager, being quite perceptive, arranged for Qi Bailu to sit right next to Zheng Kunyu.
Attending such a dinner for the first time, surrounded by "old foxes" of the industry, Qi Bailu was visibly stiff and nervous. He relaxed slightly once the food was served, but he still appeared quiet and aloof. When someone teased him, he merely looked up, giving them a polite glance to show he had heard.
Zheng Kunyu remained mostly silent until the production manager began egging Qi Bailu on to drink. Qi Bailu said he didn't know how to drink, but the whole table joined in the clamor, acting as if they wouldn't let him off the hook. Qi Bailu was in a tight spot, staring at the glass in front of him, unable to pick it up. But with everyone's eyes on him, he steeled himself to reach for it. Just then, Zheng Kunyu reached out, took the glass from him, and said indifferently, "You drink this."
He placed the wine glass in front of himself and handed Qi Bailu a can of Coca-Cola that no one at the table was drinking. Qi Bailu froze for a second, looked up at his face, and took the can, murmuring "Thank you" with pressed lips. The soda had just come out of the cooler and was icy to the touch; for a moment, that chill reached all the way to his heart. Zheng Kunyu asked, "Your name is Qi Bailu?"
Qi Bailu gave a soft "Mm."
Zheng Kunyu added, "A name as beautiful as the person."
The table fell silent as they spoke, as if their voices were being amplified. Qi Bailu couldn't help but feel awkward and constrained; his face and ears turned red. Not knowing how to respond, he looked down to pull the tab on the Coke. With a "pop," the pressure made his palm tingle slightly, and the carbonated bubbles hissed out.
The production manager looked at Zheng Kunyu and said with a grin, "President Zheng, you're playing favorites. That's not how you show concern for someone. If you're going to drink for him, you have to drink the whole thing."
Zheng Kunyu didn't decline. He picked up the glass and drained it in one go. The whole table laughed. Qi Bailu found the production manager's words improper and felt a flicker of dislike for him, though he didn't let it show.
The production manager stood up to pour more for Zheng Kunyu, and soon everyone at the table was taking turns trying to ply him with alcohol. Seeing him drink so much, Qi Bailu couldn't help but feel a bit worried, glancing at him several times. Zheng Kunyu quickly noticed his gaze; while raising his glass, he used the peripheral vision behind his lenses to steal a look at Qi Bailu's face.
Qi Bailu met his eyes and gave a very slight tug at the corner of his mouth—a smile of acknowledgment. There wasn't much mirth in it, and it vanished the moment he turned away, but it was a smile nonetheless, like cautiously peeling back the corner of a yogurt lid. Zheng Kunyu was stunned for a second, because Qi Bailu looked even better when he smiled than when he didn't.
Qi Bailu usually dealt with rougher types on the crew, so seeing the refined and cultured Zheng Kunyu today naturally left him with a very favorable impression. The restaurant wasn't far from the hotel, so they all walked back after the dinner ended. Qi Bailu was still wearing the school uniform from the day's shoot, looking quite conspicuous walking among a group of burly men.
They had eaten at an "agritainment" farmhouse, a place with a courtyard full of wisteria trees. They weren't in bloom in June; it would have been more interesting to visit in the spring. Zheng Kunyu stood on the stone steps smoking, his suit jacket draped over his arm, wearing only a thin white shirt. As Qi Bailu walked out, Zheng Kunyu happened to turn around, looking as if he had been waiting specifically to walk with him. Qi Bailu found that they were walking together before he knew it. Zheng Kunyu seemed to deliberately slow his pace, accommodating Qi Bailu as they trailed behind the others.
It was pitch black outside. A summer breeze blew through, making the wisteria leaves rustle. Only a few small lamps stood on the ground to light the path. They walked under a long wisteria trellis, strolling slowly. After a while, the laughter ahead grew more distant. Zheng Kunyu suddenly asked, "Do you smoke?"
Qi Bailu looked at the cigarette in his hand and said, "I don't know how."
"So you've never tried?"
Qi Bailu hesitated, then said, "I tried it once in secret during high school."
"You didn't like it?"
"No, it's just that getting caught would have been a lot of trouble."
Zheng Kunyu seemed to chuckle. Qi Bailu couldn't see his face clearly or hear him distinctly, but he felt there must be a smile on his face. Wisps of smoke drifted in the night air; Qi Bailu actually liked the scent.
Then they continued talking. Zheng Kunyu casually asked about the filming and about his life at school. Qi Bailu had initially felt a sense of pressure from him, but perhaps because of the darkness, or because Zheng Kunyu wasn't putting on an air of superiority, his body gradually relaxed. They spoke quite a bit that night; though it was just idle chatter about work and school, the atmosphere was easy.
Since Zheng Kunyu had to return to Beijing that night, they said their goodbyes at the hotel. When they stepped under the lights, the production manager's eyes kept darting between the two of them. Qi Bailu disliked his gaze and quickly moved away.
The memory of that night wasn't particularly special to Qi Bailu at the time. The filming schedule was tight, and he had no time to dwell on things. It was only later, when the pressure of the film got to him and he went to a supermarket to buy his first pack of cigarettes, that he thought of Zheng Kunyu again while lighting up.
After that one meeting, Zheng Kunyu didn't return to Lantian County for the rest of the shoot. But in August, shortly after Qi Bailu returned to Beijing, an unknown number called him. Qi Bailu hadn't expected Zheng Kunyu to remember him, let alone ask him out for dinner. After thinking it over, he agreed.
When he arrived, it really was just a simple dinner. Zheng Kunyu seemed very busy; he left halfway through the meal to take a call. And so there was a next meeting, which was also just a simple dinner. Later, when Qi Bailu desperately tried to recall the few beautiful moments between them, he still couldn't remember what they had talked about. He only remembered that he had ordered Christmas pudding twice. Zheng Kunyu knew he liked it, and every time they went to that restaurant afterward, he would order it for him. But by then, no matter how much pudding he ate, he always suspected the sweetness was laced with bitterness.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 《午后的少年》 | *The Boy in the Afternoon* | The title of the film Qi Bailu starred in. |
| 费穆荣誉 | Feimu Honor | An award at the Pingyao International Film Festival named after director Fei Mu. |
| 平遥国际电影展 | Pingyao International Film Festival | A major film festival in China. |
| 薛放 | Xue Fang | The director of the film. |
| 沈沫 | Shen Mo | The female lead and Qi Bailu's classmate. |
| 农家乐 | Agritainment / Farmhouse restaurant | A style of rural tourism/dining in China. |
| 紫叶李 | Purple-leaf plum | Prunus cerasifera 'Pissardii', a common ornamental tree. |
| 蓝田县 | Lantian County | A county under the jurisdiction of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. |
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