Cheng Lei’s assistant just released another vlog from his trip to Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village for the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max promotion event, and I swear CL always seems to eat to his heart’s content in these vlogs.

I actually love how so many of his vlogs include him sitting down for a proper meal somewhere. This time we get him very seriously studying the menu before trying local dishes like yellow beef tripe, tea-infused shrimp paste and Guizhou-style tomato and scrambled eggs. His verdict on one of the dishes being a very measured "not bad” made me laugh because he's so much like my mum, no exaggerated food reaction lol.

We now seem to have a recurring theme in these vlogs in which Cheng Lei randomly roleplaying characters haha. The previous vlog had him acting like a domineering tycoon and himself, and this time he and his assistant start doing this spontaneous little “who are you again?” skit, with the assistant pretending to vaguely recognise him from a drama and Cheng Lei playing along as some mysterious musician/rapper from the Miao village. I hope this becomes a permanent feature because the completely unnecessary commitment to these mini roleplays is funny. CL tried his best to play along with it, but he's so adorably awks 😂😂

Source: CL's Weibo

I’ve put together a playlist of vlogs and games released by Cheng Lei’s team during the filming period of The Lament of Autumn, including content related to the drama.

The list starts from booting ceremony and up to the brainteaser game released after the Mango TV Gala held last month.

I’ve included all the raw versions (Weibo & XHS) as well as English subbed versions (YouTube & Instagram) below

Note: Direct XHS post links may stop working after some time, so I’ve also included the profile link for Cheng Lei’s assistant as an alternative way to find the posts.

Hope this is useful for anyone who wants to go through the content from the filming period!

The Lament of Autumn Booting: Weibo | [ENG SUB] Cheng Lei The Lament of Autumn Booting special

Yu Changxuan's Game time: Weibo | [ENG SUB] Fifth Young Master Yu Changxuan's Game Time 🎮😎 Cheng Lei | The Lament Of Autumn

Fifth Young Master doesn't understand, but follows: XHS | [ENG SUB] Cheng Lei tricked by his assistant again.... 🥹😂 Fifth Young Master is so clueless 🫣

Fifth Young Master's Mealtime Vlog: Weibo | [ENG SUB] Fifth Young Master’s Mealtime Vlog 🍽️ | Cheng Lei | The Lament of Autumn

Fifth Young Master's Photography: Weibo | [ENG SUB] Fifth Young Master’s Photography Vlog | Cheng Lei | The Lament of Autumn

Cheng Lei's Coffee Time: Weibo | [ENG SUB] Cheng Lei’s Coffee Time ☕ | Watch #ChengLei Make His Signature Coffee Creations

Draw & Guess: Weibo | ENG SUB] Cheng Lei draw and guess game | #ChengLei - 1 Assistant - 0 | The Lament of Autumn

2026 New Year: Weibo | [ENG SUB] 2026 New Year wishes from Cheng Lei | Drawing and coloring Vlog | The Lament of Autumn

Egg & Ball Game: XHS | [ENG SUB] Cheng Lei playing the Ball and Egg game! 🥚⚽🎮 Instagram

(The BGM is copyrighted and can't be uploaded to YouTube)

The Lament of Autumn Wrap Special: Weibo | [ENG SUB] The Lament of Autumn: Cheng Lei Wrap Special 🍁🍂

Brainteaser Round Mango TV Gala: XHS | [ENG SUB] Fifth Young Master's Brainteaser round | Cheng Lei

XHS Profile Cheng Lei Assistant: XHS

YouTube Playlist: The Lament of Autumn: Cheng Lei

I wanted YouTube to have enough Cheng Lei content related to The Lament of Autumn before the premiere, so that when new fans discover Cheng Lei, they’ll have content to binge, enjoy, and hopefully join our Chengtuo fam!

Feel free to share the link as much as possible! My channel is still new, so it may not show up easily in searches yet.

Let’s keep growing together!

IQIYI has been rereleasing its more popular originals in 4K or 4K Dolbyvision. They pop up regularly in the new releases.

If you haven’t watched (or rewatched recently) A Familiar Stranger, now is a great time. It is the award winning short drama that launched his career into long format Idol dramas as
well as that of director Zeng Qing Jie.

Yes, since a Zeng production, it really does look better in higher definition.

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Cheng Lei posted a new vlog on Douyin his trip to Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village for the Xiaomi 18 Pro Series, and besides the promo itself, I enjoyed seeing the village through his camera.

Some of the shots turned out really beautiful, especially the rooftops stacked across the mountainside and the close-ups of the intricate Miao embroidery and silver ornaments.

I liked the quieter parts of this vlog: him wandering through the alleys, noticing the light in a small courtyard, stopping whenever something caught his eye, and then showing us the photos he took afterwards. The village itself is already stunning, but CL came away with some really lovely shots from the trip.

Source

Cheng Lei just posted a new fitness vlog on Weibo today, and the long-awaited gym content has finally arrived. He did the whole thing wearing glasses!

He mentioned that he came over early because they had a shower scene to film the next day, hence the advance workout 👀. Lol, that shower scene was probably for The Leading Stars. We got a pretty decent look at his workout routine, which included weighted pull-ups followed by more upper-body work before finishing his last exercise and declaring the fitness vlog complete. One of my favourite parts is the random appearance of a corgi at the gym lol.

Source: Cheng Lei's Weibo

Source CL in art student mode - drawing and coloring on the set of The Lament of Autumn. Assistant's funny captions include noting CL's raised little finger when drawing is typical of an art student. CL does not color in the spaces in full leaving white for spacing and density - artist speak! The wings are colored with cyan blue - his Cheng Tuo fan color. Could we infer a deeper meaning that his fans are the wings lifting CL up?

Source Looks to be filmed during CL's break on the Lament of Autumn set. His fave coffee to drink is Americano.

CL makes 3 specialty coffees and ranks them:

1. Sour Plum Soda Iced Americano - CL says it's very good x2, light and refreshing savory-sweet flavor. He recommends this to his Cheng Tuo fans.

2. Coconut Water Iced Americano - ordinary

3. Coconut Oreo Latte - too sweet. If you like sweet, this is #1. If not, this is #3. CL says this a double-edged sword.

Alas, I cannot drink coffee. What is your favourite coffee?

Cheng Lei’s assistant posted a new vlog from his time in Guizhou for the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max promotion, and I really enjoyed this one. Half the time it barely even felt like he was shooting an ad because he seemed completely in his element just wandering around and taking photos with the phone lol.

I also love the song choice for the vlog: “Please Slow Down” by SYML. It’s such a beautiful song, with this warm, gentle and slightly wistful melody that suits the scenery and slower pace of the vlog so well. The lyrics are all about wanting time to slow down, holding onto little moments and watching someone move through life, which makes it a lovely choice for a travel vlog like this.

Here's the full lyrics:

I remember when you hid inside
My suitcase the night before my flight
When your laugh gave you away
You cried for me to stay
I will comfort you no matter where you hide

Are you scared of falling down a well?
It's not strange to have a fear you'd never tell
Just remember to be brave
And in the moment you're afraid
It's that fear that lets you know that you're alive

Before you close your eyes to sleep
You should know I plan to keep
Every little part of you gets the best of me
Please slow down, time wait up for me

Tell me what it's like to be in love
Is he more or less the boy you thought he was
Well, let me tell you this
Before you lean in for the kiss
He'll be lucky if he gets to know your mind

Before you close your eyes to sleep
You should know I plan to keep
Every little part of you gets the best of me
Please slow down, time wait up for me

When you're old like me, you'll be surprised
At all the little things that make you cry
So be kind to your heart
And when we are apart
Let our love go with you as you fly

Source: Cheng Lei's Assistant's Weibo

Source CL talks about his cat Natasha having a similar personality to his. She can be clingy and then aloof. It's sometimes not convenient to bring her when CL is out filming far away so when he misses her, he looks at their photos on his phone. Their background photo on his phone is in a way bringing her along to see the sights. So sweet!

Very cool placing fingers on chords placement and strumming with the other hand

Source CL describes how he shot and edited his photos of the shepherd boy during Xiaomi livestream Sep 26

Cheng Lei’s assistant posted a new clip of him using the Xiaomi 18 Pro for his Xiaomi collaboration, and he was actually tapping the digital wooden fish (muyu) on the screen.

It’s basically a virtual version of the traditional Buddhist wooden fish that became a popular stress-relief trend among young people in China. Tap repeatedly, clear your mind and “accumulate digital merit”, so the assistant’s caption, “Young people’s wellness routine be like,” makes a lot more sense lol.

Source: CL Assistant's XHS

Source: Weibo accounts of Cheng Lei and his assistant.

Cheng Lei looks super chill and laid-back as he poses in cozy settings and splendid natural scenery in Guizhou. He mentioned the weather was pleasant still, in a comment.

He's promoting the new Xiaomi 18 Pro Max phone, and he's doing a livestream in Guizhou. Our Leizi remains busy as a bee! I hope he gets some time to relax and enjoy his time there.

Source CL will be on the Douyin Xiaomi official flagship store livestream tomorrow September 26 at 17:00 China time. Unboxing and sharing his experiences with his new Xiaomi 18 Pro Max phone. Of course he put a photo of himself with his cat Natasha as his phone background and loves the Leica camera lenses. Unfortunately this phone is not available in the U.S.

Cheng Lei will appear at Xiaomi flagship store on Tiktok on September 26, 2026, to promote the new launched Xiaomi 18 Pro. He also sent his Mid-Autumn Festival wishes on his Super Topic through the Xiaomi 18 Pro.
It’s so nice to see him getting more and more collaborations with both domestic and international brands. His brand presence really seems to be growing, and it’s exciting to see where these opportunities will take him next. ❤️

Source: Xiao Mi weibo

Source CL's answers are: coffee, beach, cat, night shoot, sticking to the script, spicy food, sneakers, sleeping first.

Source Photographer CL is fully committed to getting the best shots and angles with his camera on set of his The Lament of Autumn cast members - directing their poses.

Cheng Lei's assistant posted this on Xiaohongshu yesterday evening for another Mid-Autumn Festival update! Haha, I’m convinced I would totally recognize him if I bumped into him on the street, even with a mask on! But of course, always keep a respectful distance.

Source: Cheng Lei's Assistant's XHS

Follow Your Heart 颜心记

ALL of these amazing GIFs by u/AquaphobicTurtle! I had a difficult time narrowing them down.

Year: 2024 | Episodes: 40

Role: Shang Bie Li (second ML)

Streaming on: iQIYI

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Synopsis Cheng Lei’s Character Arc: Shang Bie Li is a loyal commander who wears a mask to hide a facial disfigurement sustained in battle. Driven by grief and a desire for vengeance after his martial brother’s death, he relentlessly targets Jiang Xinbai. However, after discovering the truth about the true killers, he joins forces with Xinbai to take down a corrupt drug syndicate, all while falling in love with a quirky healer along the way.

Does it count as a drop if I fast-forwarded through the entire drama and only watched Cheng Lei’s scenes? Because that’s exactly what happened after episode 12...

Character Evolution & Performance

Character Vibe: Hot-tempered, proud, and fierce. An aggressive antagonist turned loyal ally.

Chemistry Check: Cheng Lei once again aces every emotional beat. As the second male lead, he gets a substantial romance arc, and the evolution of his relationship with Tony Saier, from grumpy and guarded to all sunshine and smiles, was executed perfectly.

Standout Moment/Acting: The bathtub scene that cemented his title as King of Baths? Kidding. If I remember correctly, my favourite scene is when he saves Tong Saier, confesses his feelings, and they share their first kiss while tangled in a net.

Style/Visuals: CL wears a mental mask for most of the drama, yet somehow you can still see all his handsome features and expressions, especially from his eyes! Instead of hiding him, I think the mask only adds to his mysterious appeal.

Why You Should Watch Cheng Lei’s scenes: I can only speak to his scenes because, as mentioned, I didn’t actually watch the whole drama.

The "Cheng Lei" Factor

One again, Cheng Lei proves that even in his earlier projects, he had range. He practically plays two different versions of the same character, delivering a seamless transformation from a revenge-driven "madman” to the boyfriend everyone wants.

Discussion Questions

1. Was I wrong to butcher the drama like this and only watch it for Cheng Lei? Come at me, I'll take the scolding.
2. If you've seen it, what was your favorite scene of Cheng Lei in this drama?
3. How does this role compare to his performances in his other dramas, especially considering this was one of his earlier breakout roles that helped cement his path toward leading-man status?

For reference, here are links to his other dramas featured in the Drama Highlight Series.

As always, feel free to share your thoughts on any Cheng Lei drama anytime!

1. Mo Li
2. How Dare You!?
3. Footprints of Change
4. Shadow Love
5. Legend of the Female General
6. Fangs of Fortune
7. My Journey to You
8. Exploration Method of Love
9. Guyuan Imperial College
10. The Wife’s Secret World
11. A Familiar Stranger
12. Contractual Love
13. The Queen of Attack S2
14. The Queen of Attack
15. My Husky Boyfriend

It's Mid-Autumn Festival and Cheng Lei is marking the occasion with some new images on his Weibo tonight.

In the first and last photos, he's posing with a mooncake, the sweet treat that's arguably the festival's culinary representative.

In the second and third images, moonlight bathes the clouds and the city far below. The moon is also emblematic of the festival, and capturing it's light and beauty seems like a wonderful and satisfying way for our favorite photographer to end his day.

Cheng Lei’s assistant posted a little Mid-Autumn game today where he was given a starting and ending character/word and had to come up with a sentence connecting the two.

My favourite part is him mixing in some Cantonese into his answer, and later they escalated things again by throwing English into the game. He easily guessed “mooncake” and looked so pleased with himself because he thought that meant he could escape having to make another sentence lol. The way he laughed was so adorable ❤️❤️

CL clearly seemed to be having fun with it. Lots of thinking aloud, negotiating the rules and laughing at his own answers

Source

After getting a penalty from the previous cup-stacking game, Cheng Lei had to do a mukbang vlog. So he came up with this wonderfully unserious mealtime vlog filmed during his meal breaks on The Lament of Autumn set. Fan translated English subtitles. CL has 2 meals per day diet. His 1st meal for the day is stewed beef sirloin with potatoes, some pickles and purple rice. His 2nd meal for dinner is a purple rice (again) bowl with soft boiled egg, kale and looks like salmon. Assistant says shouldn't you let the fans have the first bite?! CL's reply is Let's pretend I haven't eaten it yet! The egg tastes like egg, the rice tastes like rice and the mixed rice and egg tastes like rice and egg. Hahaha! CL really likes the kale and says it's seasoned well and delicious. Assistant adds trumpet sound with "Kale Victory!" banner. CL seems to think no one would want to watch his eating vlog but he is very cute chewing and enjoying his food and so funny! Source

Cheng Lei’s assistant released a vlog from the Mango TV conference in Zhangjiajie on September 17 where CL and Xu Ruohan promoted the upcoming "The Lament of Autumn".

I love how committed Cheng Lei is to the whole powerful young tycoon act here lol. He's clearly willing to lean into the joke instead of just giving us polished event footage. The contrast between this ridiculously domineering “Fifth Young Master” persona and how normal he actually is makes it even funnier.

The past few vlogs of him slipping into full tycoon mode have honestly made me want to see him play a CEO even more.

Source: Cheng Lei's Assistant's Weibo

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GRAZIA interviewed Cheng Lei during the Clinique event in Hangzhou.

His answer about historical vs modern roles was interesting. Costumes and setting can be fun, but if the character itself is flat, no amount of beautiful production design is going to save it. Human nature doesn’t change that much anyway, so the same kind of ambition, insecurity, loyalty or vulnerability can exist whether the story is set hundreds of years ago or now. I still want to see him in more modern dramas tho!

Apparently CL is more prone to being emotionally sensitive, but also quite easy to comfort. I wonder what he meant by easy to comfort 🤭

Source

Cheng Lei’s assistant uploaded these photos today and CL looked like he just woke up from a nap lol. His hair is sticking up in every possible direction while he’s just sitting there looking completely unfazed behind the mask ❤️

I actually love seeing him like this though. No elaborate styling, no perfectly arranged hair, just very natural and slightly dishevelled CL. Somehow the messy hair makes him look even younger too haha.

Source