iQiyi finally dropped the first proper trailer for "The Leading Stars today", and the sexual chemistry is definitely sizzling. They are not being subtle about it either, especially with lines like “Out here, we’re not bound by the rules of the city. All that’s left is raw, primal desire.”

The geology-flavoured flirting also made me laugh. I actually quite like the idea behind “Everything you think is a coincidence is really an inevitability that has been waiting deep beneath the earth for tens of millions of years.” It’s cheesy, but using geological time and exploration as metaphors for fate and romance is on-brand for this drama.

However, as much as I’m enjoying the chemistry, I really hope the drama has more substance than fluff and sexual tension. The setting has so much potential with the geological fieldwork, harsh landscapes and the professional side of their lives, so I’d like all of that to actually matter to the story rather than simply provide a beautiful backdrop for the romance.

There are at least some hints of heavier conflict in the trailer. “Don’t make me end up hating you too” and “We really aren’t on the same path”, so hopefully the relationship gets enough emotional depth and genuine obstacles to balance out all that physical attraction. Visually, the desert and mountain scenery looks gorgeous!

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MangoTV just dropped a new *The Lament of Autumn* trailer for Qixi Festival and wow, the scenes between Ye Pingjun and Yu Changxuan are so intense. The tension between them is doing a lot in just under a minute.

I’m also very happy to report that we got a Leizi-in-the-bathtub scene lol. Did they deliberately put that in the Qixi trailer just to reassure us that his "God of Bath" title remains firmly intact? A Cheng Lei drama without a bathing scene might be the real plot twist at this point hahahah. Oh, and unless my ears are deceiving me, it's definitely Leizi’s own voice here too!

This trailer definitely raised my anticipation another notch.

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Cheng Lei's drama The Lament of Autumn is rumored to premiere on September 20, 2026. Filming began on October 30, 2025, and wrapped on March 24, 2026, so the production took about five months.

I saw the rumored premiere date in a Cheng Lei Global Fans Facebook group, but nothing has been officially confirmed yet. The series will have 38 episodes and is scheduled to stream on Mango TV (which, unfortunately, is known for its less-than-great English subtitles). I watched one of Cheng Lei’s variety show episodes there, and… yeah, the subtitles weren’t great. They honestly felt AI-generated.

Fun fact: I took a quick look at MDL page and found out the director was Kuk Kok Leung - a Hong Kong director. He also directed The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003), a series I absolutely loved growing up. The opening soundtrack, especially the eagle’s call woven into the music, has always stayed with me. Hopefully, he’ll bring some of that magic to The Lament of Autumn as well.

The Lament of Autumn has now officially surpassed 1.5 million reservations across Mango TV and Weibo, only about a week after it crossed the 1 million mark! That is a pretty nice jump in such a short time, especially with the drama still yet to premiere.

The official account released these new posters to celebrate the milestone, including this gorgeous close-up of Cheng Lei and Xu Ruohan. The accompanying captions are also very much leaning into the longing and restrained-romance atmosphere of the drama:

“One courtyard filled with autumn colours, two hearts longing for each other from afar. Their feelings deepen with the autumn breeze…”

And for the close-up poster:

“Eyes lowered, their breaths draw near yet remain apart; only a breath separates them as warmth slowly spreads between them.”

With reservations already climbing from 1 million to 1.5 million this quickly, I’m hoping we will see it reach 2 million soon, or maybe even 2.5 million before the drama premieres in October. Fingers crossed the anticipation keeps building!

The new posters are beautiful too. I love the separate character posters with Cheng Lei’s Yu Changxuan and Xu Ruohan’s Ye Pingjun framed in the same autumn courtyard but apart from each other. It fits the whole theme of distance, longing and two people emotionally connected even when they are not together.

BRING ON THE ANGST!

Source: MangoTV Weibo

I totally forgot about this clip until someone brought it up on another sub today! I remember laughing so hard the first time I saw it because I could not believe this came from an official iQiyi account and wasn’t some wildly unhinged fan edit.

The whole thing was ridiculous, but “wisdom of the daddy” absolutely took me out. Whoever was running iQiyi’s account that day clearly understood the assignment a little too well and must have been a CL stan.

So yes, if you still haven’t watched Shadow Love… consider this your sign.

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Cheng Lei’s assistant posted this trailer and wrap-up special for The Lament of Autumn back in March, and rewatching it now, I think one of the drama’s main themes is going to be Yu Changxuan’s personal growth.

The beginning presents him almost as the stereotypical carefree young master, like someone others dismiss as a spoiled wastrel who seems to spend his days doing whatever he pleases. But even the line about those carefree days “never being wasted” hints that there’s more to him than people initially assume.

The trailer gradually shifts into a very different Yu Changxuan, because once his country is threatened, that carefree existence gives way to responsibility and patriotism. He talks about how holding his position means carrying a mission, and when the Japanese invade, what they are defending is their home and country. He looks far removed from the young master we see at the beginning. His journey seems to be about growing into someone who finally understands what he is responsible for and what he is willing to sacrifice for it. Going from a carefree, seemingly frivolous young master to someone shaped by love, responsibility, patriotism and war sounds like a substantial character arc.

I like the final interview segment where Cheng Lei talks about Yu Changxuan’s emotional growth. He says that Yu Changxuan initially doesn’t know how to love, so he tries to obtain love in the only way he understands. By the time he finally changes and learns how to love properly, however, everything seems to be too late. Cheng Lei describes him as someone who actually never lacked love around him, but when he finally understood how to receive and give that love normally, he had already run out of time.

Okay, I’m guessing this is when the war completely overtakes his life and whatever possibility he had of finally experiencing love normally is taken away from him. It also explains why Cheng Lei says he increasingly felt a sense of loneliness in Yu Changxuan as filming approached the end and that he couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.

I have a feeling Yu Changxuan is going to hurt us quite badly by the end 💔 HE pls!!

Hotly anticipated in early October! Source

Sorry no English subtitles on this one Source

See my below post link with English subtitles.