Chinese dramas and films

The drama «The Leading Stars» (许你星河千里) wrapped filming on September 7, 2026.

Cheng Lei («The Lament of Autumn», «Footprints of Change») and Shen Yu Jie («Double Fugue», «Hard to Find») star in the lead roles. The director is Chen Zhou Fei («Shine on Me», «Whispers of Fate»).

Production on the project began on May 26 and lasted 105 days. The series is expected to consist of 36 episodes and will air on iQIYI.

The story follows Cheng Zhuo (Cheng Lei), captain of a rescue service team, and Ba Yun Ye (Shen Yu Jie), an expedition leader who previously served in the special forces. They meet during a rescue operation. The body they recover is linked to a road accident that occurred 16 years earlier. In that incident, the father of Cheng Zhuo and the sister of Ba Yun Ye, both geologists, lost their lives. The protagonists join forces to investigate the long-ago tragedy and prevent secret geological data from falling into the wrong hands.

To ensure an authentic portrayal of rescue operations, the production team was advised by professional rescue specialists.

A key feature of the project was its extensive location shooting: approximately 70% of the material was filmed in actual natural settings in northwestern China. Shooting took place in Xinjiang and Gansu Province, including Dunhuang and the Lenghu Lake area.

In one interview, Cheng Lei said he had grown deeply attached to the desert landscapes and missed them after returning to the Hengdian studio pavilions. According to him, the shoot allowed the cast and crew to witness unique natural phenomena. On one occasion, they made a special trip to film the night sky in order to capture the stars and the lunar scenery.

The actors faced physical demands tied to the nature of their roles. After receiving the script, Shen Yu Jie immediately took driving lessons so she could handle an off-road vehicle on camera. Both actors noticeably tanned while working under the open sun.

One of the most talked-about details from the set was the «whirlwind kiss» scene set against the Gobi Desert backdrop. According to witnesses, the sequence was shot in an open area where wind and sand were blowing. Director Chen Zhou Fei insisted on filming in real conditions, without the use of a green screen.

In the scene, Ba Yun Ye confesses her love to Cheng Zhuo, after which he swiftly turns her toward him and kisses her. The sequence came to be known as the «whirlwind kiss» because of the abruptness and decisiveness of the hero's movement, leaving no room for hesitation. Viewers noted that the scene lacks the saccharine quality often found in dramas – it comes across as raw and passionate, which fits perfectly with the desert atmosphere.

However, the real talking point was not the staging itself but a detail that was impossible to miss – during the kiss, Cheng Lei's ears and neck turned noticeably red. This could not have been faked, and it was precisely this, in the opinion of viewers, that made the scene highly convincing and demonstrated the «live» chemistry between the characters.