Editor | Human Observation Small Shop
Can you imagine? A boy who was once popular enough to be a regular on “Happy Camp” is now at the filming site in Shandong, looking as thin as a stick, holding an umbrella to shield Guo Degang from the rain, standing in the center position.
At that moment, I couldn’t tell if I felt heartbroken or impressed.
On August 18, the new play of Deyun Society started filming in Shandong’s Leling Film and Television City. Normally, such a launch ceremony is meant to be lively, but this event concealed too many subtleties within the excitement.
The stars lined up, with Guo Degang’s smiling face in the center. To his right stood not Yue Yunpeng, not Shaobing, not Taoyang, but—Qin Xiaoxian.
He is the one who was recently exposed by his ex-girlfriend as being “flawed in every way.”
Honestly, I thought he would be finished for life. Even if Guo Degang didn’t say anything, even if Deyun Society didn’t overtly abandon him, the entertainment industry is cold, and the audience’s memory is short.
But look at that scene.
It was raining in Leling that day, and everyone was wearing plastic raincoats for photos, except for Qin Xiaoxian, who quietly stood behind Guo Degang holding a black umbrella. The look in his eyes and his posture didn’t seem like he was trying to please; it felt more like, “I’m not leaving; I’m here to protect you.”
His legs were so thin that I initially didn’t recognize him.
Wearing jeans, his legs looked so thin they seemed edited, unable to even fill the seams. Yet his body was surprisingly agile; as soon as he saw Guo Degang about to get wet, he sprang into action like a spring, holding up the umbrella without a moment’s pause.
At that moment, I felt a bit overwhelmed.
Do you think he really wants to be famous? Of course he does. But he also knows that it’s not just about being famous anymore; it’s about not falling off the radar. The entertainment industry is a place where a fall can lead to a bottomless pit, and him standing there is already a situation that Guo Degang has fought hard to maintain.
And what about Yue Yunpeng? He has lost quite a bit of weight, standing aside, as low-key as a passerby.
In a white T-shirt and black hat, I almost didn’t recognize him. The once funny face that gained popularity now looks smaller. Yet in front of the camera, he remains silent, not stealing the spotlight, even standing at the edge in group photos.
Is he not popular anymore? No, he is too popular, so much so that he can be mocked by the audience during the Spring Festival Gala, and even during concerts, his partners can tease him backstage.
But he is also very clear-headed.
He knows that today’s protagonist is not him. Not even Guo Degang, but—his brother who was almost buried by public opinion.
I truly did not expect the scene of Qin Xiaoxian holding the umbrella for him.
You could say this is all an act or a publicity stunt. But which actor would be willing to stand in front of the national media, looking like a bag of bones, facing controversy, and holding an umbrella in the center position?
He doesn’t speak, but the audience can see—he is trying hard to survive.
Ultimately, this is not just Qin Xiaoxian’s battle.
Taoyang is also there, and Zhang Jiunan has come too. The one once called the “child prodigy of Peking Opera,” Taoyang still has the same face from childhood, but his voice has changed long ago. After losing his voice, his path in opera was halved, but Guo Degang didn’t let him fall.
During the incident with “Painting the Fan Surface,” Taoyang managed to stabilize the situation alone—who wouldn’t cry in such a situation?
He no longer performs crosstalk; he sings in the Qilin Theatre, taking a different path to survive, and he is doing well.
And what about Zhang Jiunan? He is still confronting the audience in small theaters.
While others are being funny, he confronts people, and in doing so, he became popular. Even though his private life has also faced controversies, his fame isn’t as great, which ironically helped him survive.
In group photos, he squats in the front row, his face almost out of the frame; who still remembers a few years ago when he was arguing on stage?
But Guo Degang remembers.
So he still lets him come to film, still gives him a place. Even if it’s an inconspicuous position, it’s still his.
This generation of Deyun Society disciples has those who are popular, those who are obscure, those who have fallen, and those who are “mad dogs,” but Guo Degang hasn’t truly lost any of them.
You could say he is biased or protective. He stands in the center position, smiling like a proud father.
At that moment, I suddenly understood.
It’s not that Qin Xiaoxian is standing in the center; he is desperately seeking forgiveness; it’s not that Yue Yunpeng is standing aside; he is enabling his brother’s revival; it’s not that Taoyang is singing; he is preserving the light of childhood in another way.
Do you think Deyun Society’s new play is a bad film? I don’t know.
But I know that some people are doing their utmost to stay in the spotlight; some are silently telling you: “Don’t worry, I’m still here.”
The rain has stopped, the cameras have been put away, and the umbrella has also been closed.
But the obsession under that umbrella supports not just the comeback of a variety show star, but also the silent master who has exchanged his entire life for—“You all must be well.”
Alright, I won’t say more; you’ll understand when you see it yourself.