October 2027
Dylan looked out of his car window as he was approaching the studio and saw his fans camping outside with banners to encourage his upcoming movie project. He got his first break in the filming industry when world-class Director Zhang Yi Mou offered him to be the male lead, in his new movie about Sun Tzu - The Art of War. Director Zhang is famous for his internationally acclaimed movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" which catapulted Zhang Zi Yi to fame.
When he got the phone call from his manager, he ran around the basketball court, screaming with excitement. The first person he called was Shen Yue.
"You wouldn't believe it!"
"What? You sound like a little boy!" she laughed.
"I am the male lead in Director Zhang's new movie next spring!"
"Oh my God! That is fantastic Didi! I'm so happy for you. When are you starting?"
"Script reading starts in 2 months' time so I will be flying to Mongolia."
"You deserve it, Didi. I'm so proud of you!"
"But Yue, I will be away for long periods of time. I will be homesick."
"Baobei, it's not the first time."
"You know how hard it is for me being away too long. I don't want history to repeat itself."
"Didi....don't even go there. It won't happen again. We made a promise to each other, remember?"
Didi clenched his jaw remembering that 2 long years they were apart from each other. A year after they started dating officially, both their agencies had requested them to end their relationship on the basis that they were at the peak of their career and for the sake of their contracts and their fans. They told them to wait for 2 years. Shen Yue broke down in tears during the meeting and he had to be the one reluctantly agreed to protect Yue from further confrontations. Yue eventually quietly agreed but both knew that their hearts still belonged to each other. They maintained their friendship.
However, Dylan was always on the verge of watching out for Yue's co-stars. It happened a few times. The ultimatum came when a photo was released showing in a distance, Yue walking down the street hand-in-hand with Arthur Chen, Ever Night 1 male lead. He confronted her via video call, demanding an explanation.
"You actually believe that photo? Just because the girl is short and has short hair. I'm so disappointed in you, Wang He Di." Yue was raging, he could tell. Immediately, he regretted his action.
"I'm sorry, Yue. I get triggered so easily. It's not easy for me to..." he started explaining but Yue cut him off.
"Do you think it's easy for me to watch you romancing your female co-stars, being playful with them off-cam and telling myself that Wang He Di still loves me?"
"I still love you, Yue! I can't just be unfriendly. That is my job."
"Your actions don't match with your words. I don't know, Didi. I think we should keep our distance for now. Everything about you hurts me so much." Her tears were streaming down her face.
"Yue, listen to me. I'm sorry." he apologized, mentally slapping himself for hurting Yue again.
"I'm sorry too, Didi. The least we can do is be friends but friends trust each other. And you obviously don't. Bye, Didi."
After that, they just stopped talking and drifted apart. It was the worst 2 years of his life. Seeing Yue laughed with her friends and not with him. Seeing her photos, interviews and her BTS videos with her costars. Dylan regretted behaving like a jerk.
He started sending messages to her everyday, which she did not respond. He sent her congratulatory gifts when her new drama was out and for every event she attended and the awards she got. He had been so proud of her achievements. He worked hard in her absence, focusing in dramas, and more endorsements, that eventually he was in the Top 10 male popular actors in China.
Thanks to their lucky stars or rather divine intervention, producer Angie Chai once again paired them up in 2023 for a remake of "You are the Apple of My Eye", a Taiwanese movie produced in 2011 that won many awards. Dylan met with Yue once again. It was awkward at first but when they started working together, it seemed like the old MG atmosphere was back. Dylan was extremely playful with Yue and she was just as feisty as before. Falling in love again with each other was not hard. In fact, they never fell out of love - the feelings were always mutual. After they reunited, they vowed to be honest and open with each other. It had been 4 wonderful years.
Dylan smiled at his fans and waved as he stepped out of his car. He is 29 now, not the kid who used to rap and bounce around. He is still Wang He Di but age and experience had matured him. He looked more sturdy and less hunched (he underwent physiotherapy and Pilates sessions which help him correct his posture after a minor accident).
As he neared the entrance, his fans were screaming. He still have teenager fans and those who have supported him since his debut. They even accepted Shen Yue after the success of their second drama. That year, 2024, they won the most favourite couple for Chinese dramas. They proudly walked the stage together to receive the award.
When Dylan stepped inside the studio, he was greeted by He Jiong and Na-jie.
"Wang He Di! Good to see you! Are you ready for tonight's Happy Camp?" Na-jie beamed at him.
"Of course! It's my most favourite variety show."
"I guess this will be the last one for you this year before you get busy with Director Zhang's movie project. Congrats on that!" He Jiong patted his back.
"Yes, I will be travelling to different places for shooting and promotion in the next one year." Dylan nodded.
"What about Shen Yue?" asked Na-jie, cheekily.
Dylan blushed and touched his nape of the neck. "What about her, Na jie?"
She laughed. "Relax, Didi. I was just teasing you."
He Jiong nudged Na-jie. "Leave the poor boy alone. He's not 19 anymore, he's 29!"
"Stop reminding me that we are old, He Jiong!" Na-jie scolded him.
Dylan laughed and responded "Na-jie, you still look gorgeous."
"You get nothing from me for apple polishing, Wang He Di. But I can help you keep an eye on Shen Yue when you are gone" she winked and walked away.
"Wait Na-jie! Shen Yue and I..." he drifted off when Na-jie disappeared into the make-up room. "...are just friends." He muttered.
"Save your breath, Didi. You don't need to explain yourself. It's your life, remember? Let's get ready!" He Jiong nudged Dylan on his elbow.
It's my life. Teacher He is right.
I want to let the whole world knows about us. No more hiding. No more white lies in front of reporters. I want everyone to know I am crazily in love with Shen Yue.
Shen Yue, my girl, when will you have the courage to stand up for what you want?
His mind did a flashback of their conversation one month ago, after he got the movie offer.
********
"Shen Yue, I want our relationship to go public."
"What? Now? You just got a movie offer, Wang He Di. I don't think its the right timing."
"Baobei, it's always not the right timing. When is it right, then?"
"I dunno. But not now. You might affect the film ratings."
"Director Zhang is a professional. And my personal relationship has nothing to do with the film itself."
"Why don't you talk to your agency or Hao-Ge?"
"I changed agency because we want to be in a relationship. They know about us. So, Yue what are you afraid of?"
"Didi...." She trailed off. He could see her in deep thoughts.
"The fans? They don't hate you anymore."
"You don't know about that."
"Then, you can't be worry about something you don't know. Don't you want to be with me anymore?"
"Go to hell, Wang He Di. Why do you think I wasted the last 4 years with you??" She lashed.
Dylan laughed. "I love you, baobei. Do you know that? You never fail to amuse me."
"You never fail to annoy me." She pouted.
"Yue, I want the world to know that you are mine. Please think about it. It is time we do something FOR US."
"Didi, please give me time."
"I will be in Happy Camp next month. When we meet after that, if you are ready, you wear this for me."
He took out a box and showed her a ring. Yue gasped. It was his grandmother's ring. His mom had showed her once when she was visiting his parents a year ago. "This ring was meant for Didi's future wife," she said. "I hope she were you."
"No, Didi. I cannot take this."
"Only when you are ready. I love you. I belong to you only. You know that, don't you?"
Yue started crying and he hugged her. They have both grown over the years but there was still a small little doubt in her that needed affirmation and encouragement.
"You are a fighter, Yue. We can do this together."
**********
Dylan checked himself one last time after his make up and hair artists left. After tonight, he would get an answer. What if she says no? I will still love her and wait for her. The answer for him had always been the same. His love for her had never changed. He would continue to wait even if she said no. If there was one lesson in relationship, it is this- 100% responsibility, zero expectations.
He smiled at himself in the mirror and did a gun-pointing gesture with his forefinger and thumb "You got this, Wang He Di. You are the luckiest man on earth to have Shen Yue." He was ready to rock Happy Camp tonight.
__________
"Welcome everyone to Happy Camp tonight! Our theme is "OUR FIRSTS" 我门的地一 which explained the baby dance earlier!" The audience was laughing in tears when the guests and hosts appeared in baby costumes, giant pacifiers and baby pillows.
"Tonight, we are celebrating our guests for their 10th anniversary entering the entertainment industry. Let's welcome Lin Yi, Wan Peng, Dai Si, Justin Huang and Wang He Di!"
The crowd cheered the loudest when He Jiong said his name. Dylan waved and pretended to suck the giant pacifier. The crowd laughed.
"You got quite some fan girls out there, Didi."
"I think they are cheering for Justin," he smiled looking at Justin. They high five each other. "For us, bro!"
"Okay, let's get started! For the first segment, we will be playing charades. So, we have Baby Na team led by Na-jie and Baby Xin team led by Xin Xin. The team that gets the most correct answers in 5 minutes wins! Let's go Baby Na Team!"
Dylan, Lin Yi and Dai Si were in Na-jie's team and they quickly breezed through the game and got the most correct answers, while the other team got stuck halfway and wasted a lot of time trying to make the right guess.
"The winner for round one is Baby Na team! We will have one more round before going into short break."
Short break for studio filming was about 10 minutes when they changed the setting and moved the props. Dylan felt excited tonight, not knowing why. He wished Yue could watch this live instead of waiting for months later.
"Welcome back to segment 2! This segment is a quiz about any "firsts" - it can be events, food, anything in general. To answer this question, you need to first finish that bottle of milk, waddle through this pool of balls, climb up this tower, and press the buzzer on the top."
Na-jie exclaimed "Wah! That is so tough! Is this the American Ninja Warrior show or what?"
"I can guarantee you the questions are easy so we made the obstacles hard. So Team Baby Na and Baby Xin, are you ready?" He Jiong asked.
"Ready!!!"
"The first question is what is the name of the astronaut who first walked the moon?"
Dylan's legs ran first before he processed the question and he grabbed the milk bottle and started drinking. After a few sips, he stopped and scrunched his nose. "What is this stuff?" Justin, on the other side, was choking.
He Jiong laughed,"It's better than milk. It's milk with wasabi." The audience laughed watching both of them swallowing the nasty liquid.
Na-jie closed her eyes. "I can't see this. It's so gross!!" Xin Xin nodded.
Hai Tao asked "Who set up this obstacle challenge?"
He Jiong laughed "We did!"
Both boys finished their 'milk' and went for the pool. They both waddled through the balls easily and started climbing the tower.
"Justin, I will beat you to it!" Dylan shouted.
"Over my dead body, Wang He Di!" he responded.
When they reach the top, Dylan's hand pressed the buzzer.
"Didi, answer the question, please!"
"It's an American. Errr...Neil Arm- something. Arm-Zhuang, nope that's Chinese, is it Arm-stung? Why did I answer this question? My English is no good-ah!" He scratched his head. "Can my team help me?" He Jiong shook his head.
Justin waved his hand, "Can I answer, please?!"
"What's the answer, Justin?"
"Neil Armstrong!"
"Correct! One point for Baby Xin team!"
Dylan exclaimed, "Aiya! I'm so close!"
He Jiong laughed,"Wang He Di, after so many years, you really need English lessons!"
Dylan's ears turned red. "I'm going to get an English teacher right after this," he vowed.
Everyone in the audience laughed. After a few rounds of questions, finally Baby Xin team won this round.
"We have a tie! Pretty exciting night. We will be taking a break for the next round. Stay tuned!" He Jiong announced.
During the break, Dylan decided to check his phone for messages. Shen Yue still had not texted him yet. He wanted to confirm meeting her once he got back. He messaged her.
Yue, I'm on a break now. Can we meet tomorrow right after I come back? I miss you. Have you thought about it?
He waited for a minute for response but there was none. Finally, it was time to go in, so he put his phone back into the locker. He would wait.
—————-
"And for our third segment, we will be getting up close and personal with our guests. Each of you got a set of questions on your board. When I say go, you write down the answers and show them to the audience. Ready? Go!" He Jiong motioned his hand to the guests.
Dylan frowned. He quickly scribbled the answers and looked up.
"Wang He Di, are you done already? That was fast."
"Teacher He, are these prank questions? The answer is almost the same for each one." Dylan said sheepishly.
"Interesting. Let's take a look at the questions, shall we?"
It turned out that everyone got the same set of questions:
1️⃣Who is your first on-screen kiss?
2️⃣Who is your first female co-star?
3️⃣What is the name of your first drama?
4️⃣When was your first Happy Camp?
5️⃣Who did you first make cry on screen?
"I will let each of you share. Let's start with Lin Yi and Didi, you go last, okay?"
It was a light moment as guests revealed the answers. Lin Yi's first debut was a contestant in a fashion variety show called Crazy Wardrobe and he got popular filming the drama "Put Your Head on my Shoulder". Wan Peng's debut drama was also a youth drama "When we were young," and Dai Si had a supporting role in the blockbuster drama with the longest title "Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossom".
The audience started cracking up when Justin talked about his work in The Great Escape, with veteran actor Deng Lun, who was afraid of little things or sounds. He and Da Xun would laugh at him when he jumped and grabbed them. Throughout the sharing, the production team showed videos of the dramas and pre-recorded interviews with their co-stars.
"Ok, for our last guest, Wang He Di. I can see he is anxious. Please show us the answers on your board."
1️⃣Who is your first on-screen kiss? 沈月
2️⃣Who is your first female co-star? 沈月
3️⃣What is the name of your first drama? 流星花园
4️⃣When was your first Happy Camp? 2018
5️⃣Who did you first make cry on screen? 沈月
"Can you see why I think these are prank questions, Teacher He?" he grinned sheepishly.
"Well, you can't run away from the truth. We all know that Wang He Di and Shen Yue acted in Meteor Garden 2018 as Daoming Si and Dong Shancai. That drama made them household names in the international arena too." The crowd cheered.
Dylan chuckled, "You are exaggerating, Teacher He."
"So, can you share with us how it was acting with Shen Yue. Some of us in the audience have yet to know her."
"I was a rookie, with zero experience. Shen Yue was very professional and patient with me. She taught me how to squeeze out tears for the crying scenes. I had fun filming with her and F4." Dylan swallowed his saliva and licked his lower lip, hoping he did not sound overly excited when he mentioned Shen Yue's name.
"Oh, we know how much fun and how much you bullied her too. Let's take a look at their BTS." The video came up and showed Dylan and Yue wrestling with each other on the beach. Dylan watched with amusement and blushed even more. He had almost forgotten about that beach wrestling session.
After the video, Dylan said, "Teacher He, did you bring me up today just to embarrass me? I was just 19 and super playful."
"A leopard cannot change its spots, Wang He Di。 江山易改， 本性难移。 You are still playful. What do you remember most about her during the filming?"
"She fainted in the set once and we were all very worried. But Yue rested and came back the next day. She was worried that the drama could not deliver on time without her. As a first time actor, I thought "Wow, I wanna be as dedicated as her!"
"She is very committed and serious about her job. Even when she was an intern at Hunan TV." He Jiong said thoughtfully. "Didi, what are you most grateful for that first time acting experience?"
"Everything. Without Meteor Garden, there is no Wang He Di. If Shen Yue is watching today, I really want to thank her for being my first co-star." He said, looking directly at the camera.
"Well, I think you should thank her personally." He Jiong smiled.
"What? She's here?" Dylan panicked suddenly.
"We were supposed to have a few mystery guests tonight but unfortunately only one is able to make it. Let's welcome our mystery guest, Shen Yue!!"
Dylan's jaw dropped immediately. Shen Yue gracefully walked out in a mustard yellow dress and a pair of purple heels. Their fandom colors. Her hair framed her face up to her shoulder, emphasizing her big brown eyes and almond-shaped face. As Yue approached where he was standing, she caught his eyes and smiled. That smile. Wang He Di mentally melted to the ground.
To be continued.....
************
Author's notes:
I MISS DYLAN AND SHEN YUE!!! So, this is a result of my out-of-control emotions 😂
I have fun writing my version of Happy Camp. Sorry I did not elaborate more on the other guests as I don't really know them that well! And I know this story is a little too long and slightly disorganized too. Just dumping out my emotions.
Shen Yue's outfit is inspired by Zendaya but it will be a shorter skirt to fit Shen Yue. Do you like it? 😀
Anyways, what do you think will happen next? I would like to hear your thoughts!
Love
Hsien