The Douyin trended on Douyin TikTok) less than an hour after it was posted.
The people carrying the loads were faster.
On Weibo, an entertainment marketing account posted a package of videos and screenshots with the caption:
"I Hinata Cheng Che and Ning Qing at a comic convention, both cosplaying Naruto and Hinata, holding hands. If this isn't an official announcement, I'll eat my phone."
This Weibo was forwarded 50,000 times within half an hour.
# Ning Qing # Cheng Che topped the trending searches, followed by a deep red "hot" character.
The comments section below the trending topics is getting increasingly cluttered with material.
Someone dug up a group photo they took at a comic convention, with the caption:
"At the time, I just thought those two cosplayers were really good-looking. Now I know, I was photographing Cheng Che and Ning Qing."
Someone uploaded a full video of a dance performance. The video quality wasn't very clear, but you could see Cheng Che jumping around on stage while Ning Qing laughed beside him. The video quickly went viral, reaching eight million views in two hours.
Someone even managed to capture a photo of them sitting on a bench in front of the Hidden Leaf Village backdrop in the photography area. The angle was tricky, but you could recognize who they were at a glance.
Each post has thousands of comments, but only a few are considered the top comments, which are pushed to the very top.
[Even I, someone who doesn't follow celebrities, think these two are real after watching this video.]
[Holding hands, guys! Is it okay for ordinary colleagues to hold hands while filming a TV show?]
[ Cheng Che's Naruto smile—I've never seen him smile so relaxed in all the roles he's played.]
[ Ning Qing too, she's usually so aloof in front of the camera, but look at her smiling like that, she can't stop!]
So, was " The Realm and Old Friends " a waste of time, and they just ended up making a real-life couple?
[I don't care, this couple is just too good-looking. If it's true, I wish them well.]
The atmosphere in Cheng Che's solo fan community is completely different.
[This isn't an official announcement; it's from a TV program recording. Look at the background; it's clearly a comic convention, and there are cameras around.]
[Can you please stop spreading these rumors? Cheng Che is about to enter the US Open, and you guys are stirring up trouble for him. What are you up to?]
[That hand-holding might have been arranged by the production team; unscripted interactions don't necessarily mean there wasn't a script or outline.]
[Exactly, Ning Qing hasn't responded yet, so why are you all in such a hurry?]
I suggest everyone disperse and wait for official news. Don't scare yourselves unnecessarily.
But these "calm" voices were quickly drowned out by another wave of voices.
[Watch that video yourselves. When Cheng Che called everyone up from the audience, Ning Qing was standing to the side laughing like that. Was that acting?]
[I don't care if it's a TV show or not, I just think these two are a good match when they stand together]
To be honest, I used to be against him dating, but after watching the videos from the anime convention today, I think as long as he's happy, that's all that matters.
[Hey, you've been assimilated, you're a solo stan!]
I'm a die-hard fan, but I also want him to be happy.
The atmosphere in the [ Cheng Quan Yan Huan ] super topic is even more complicated.
[Wait, Cheng Che and Ning Qing? What about Yan Ruanning?]
[I don't believe it. This must be for the show. Cheng Che and Yan Ruanning have even danced together holding hands, that's real.]
[The dancing part was part of the show, you guys need to wake up!]
[I don't care, I ship Cheng Quan Yan Huan, I don't endorse any other pairings]
[To be honest, that hand-in-hand moment at the anime convention was way more impactful than the dancing one.]
[Hey you, could you please stop? My ship seems to be faltering.]
[I'm not listening, I'm not listening. I'll wait for Yan Ruanning's response. I won't believe her until she says something.]
The [ Cheng Pei ] super topic has a slightly sour Korean style.
[Oh my god, Cheng Che and Ning Qing are holding hands? What about Pei Jingshu?]
[ Pei Jingshu is in South Korea, across the sea, how could they be together every day?]
[I watched that video from the anime convention, Ning Qing's smile was so sweet, it made me a little nervous.]
[Don't panic, ladies. Cheng Che and Pei Jingshu's interactions in Seoul were much more intimate than this. Have you forgotten that night at McDonald's's?]
[But those were taken privately; this time it was in a public setting, so the nature of the incident is different.]
[I don't care, I won't give up until I see Pei Jingshu and Cheng Che in the same frame.]
However, the comments section under Ning Qing's Weibo was far less mild.
The comment section of the latest Weibo was flooded with tens of thousands of comments, with the top comments being full of inflammatory questions.
What exactly is your relationship with Cheng Che?
[Are you doing this on purpose? You know he's a top star, yet you still get so close to him.]
[For entertainment purposes? Do we need to hold hands for entertainment purposes?]
I advise you to stay away from Cheng Che; he's not from your world.
Ning Qing, you sing really well, can't you just keep singing?
Some people spoke up for her, but their voices were quickly drowned out.
Can you guys stop being so disgusting? They're just recording a TV show.
What kind of nonsense is this in the comments section? Is this the kind of quality Cheng Che's fans have?
[She got yelled at like this just for recording a show, Ning Qing you anything?]
But in the studios of those celebrities, the atmosphere is a completely different story.
Shen Du sat on the sofa in his studio, his phone screen displaying the video from the comic convention.
After reading it, he handed his phone to his agent beside him, saying in a calm tone, "If Cheng Che really dares to make it official, then things will get interesting."
The agent took the phone, glanced at it, and asked, "Do you think he will?"
"I don't know." Shen Du leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "But if he really did what Lu Han did back then, going public with his relationship at the peak of his popularity, his fans would flee even faster than Lu Han did. Half of his current fanbase is made up of his female fans."
Gu Yan's side reacted the most directly.
He saw this trending topic while he was in his dressing room, waiting to go on the show.
He put his phone on the table, turned to his agent excitedly, and said, "Look at this. If Cheng Che really admits it, then things will get interesting."
The agent leaned over for a look. "Do you think he'll admit it?"
"Whether he admits it or not is his business." Gu Yan picked up a powder puff and pressed it against his face twice, his tone carrying a clear sense of schadenfreude. "But if he doesn't admit it, his fans will explode sooner or later. His female fans are saying 'I hope he's doing well' now, but when the day comes for the official announcement, they'll be the first to run away. Those fans will need somewhere to go then, and I happen to be short-handed."
Lu Heng didn't say anything in the group chat, but only sent a message in his own studio's internal group:
"You guys saw Cheng Che's trending topic, right? Don't rush to take sides, and don't blindly follow the gossip accounts. Let him handle it himself. If he handles it well, we'll watch the show; if he doesn't, we'll help him out."
Someone in the group replied, "Looking for someone?"
Lu Heng sent a very faint emoji. "His fans need somewhere to go."
Yi Yangfan's agent replied in the group chat:
"Don't join in the commotion. If he really makes it official, it might not be a bad thing for us. His female fans will need to find new idols eventually."
Just as the argument in the comments section was getting heated, the official Weibo account of " The Realm and Old Friends " posted an update.
The accompanying photo is a behind-the-scenes shot of the production crew. In the picture, Director Zhou is sitting in front of a monitor, next to the filming location of the comic convention, and staff members are carrying equipment.
The caption was written in a very formal style:
""The Realm and Old Friends and A Chat with Old Friends" is a spin-off variety show created by Tengda Video for the TV series "The Realm and Old Friends". This episode was filmed at the Rongcheng Century City Comic Convention, with lead actors Cheng Che and Ning Qing participating as their characters. Thanks to the organizers of the comic con for their support, and also to the audience for their cooperation. The broadcast time will be announced later, so please stay tuned."
After this Weibo was published, the comment section fell silent for a moment.
So it really is for a TV show recording?
[The official statement has been released; those who were criticizing Ning Qing can shut up now.]
But that hand-in-hand gesture looked too natural; it didn't seem like they were recording a TV show.
[They already said it was unscripted interaction, so it's all improvisation. The fact that they acted like this shows they have good acting skills, right?]
Anyway, I'm hooked. Whether it's real or fake, I've watched that video a hundred times.
Rongcheng, 16th floor of an apartment building.
Director Zhou sat on the sofa in the living room, looking at the comments section of the official Weibo account on his phone screen. He breathed a sigh of relief, then revealed an excited expression.
It's already a hit before it even airs!