In those days, there was no flashy foreplay; films got right down to business. The movie opened straight away with handwritten titles and crew credits. Screenwriter: Chen Qi! Listed right at the very top. Director: Wang Haowei! Second.
His mood was rather curious. He had started working on Romance on Mount Lu the previous year and was involved in so many parts of it that it felt like his own child... Well, more like a stolen child, but there was real affection all the same.
Gong Xue pressed her lips tight, dreadfully nervous. One moment her eyes were glued to the screen, the next she was glancing around at the audience.
The audience gave little reaction, completely engrossed from the very start. A sedan drove along a winding mountain road and pulled into the Mount Lu Hotel—a shot lasting roughly ten seconds, not yet revealing the leading lady.
Then the scene shifted. A man pushed open the door to a luxury suite and smiled. "Miss Zhou, this is the room you specifically requested."
Only then did Zhou Yun, played by Gong Xue, step inside.
A fitted white blazer, tailored trousers, high heels, and a chic little western hat. A delicate pearl necklace adorned her slender neck, and an imported leather handbag hung from her shoulder.
"Whoa!"
That single step seemed to stride straight into the hearts of everyone watching. A collective gasp rippled across the auditorium. When had anyone ever seen a movie character dressed like this?
"She's so gorgeous! And her clothes are amazing!"
"Well, she's an overseas Chinese from America! Of course a capitalist's daughter looks stunning!"
"No, look at how she walks in those heels—so graceful!"
Zhou Yun entered the suite, gazing fondly at the familiar surroundings before her expression tinged with sorrow. Staring out the window at the lake, she recalled five years ago... The film then transitioned to a flashback of that time. She was in a new outfit: a purple blouse and red flared trousers, holding a map in search of Pillow Stream Rock.
She produced an instant camera and snapped a photo with a click, eliciting another murmur of wonder from the crowd. Geng Hua, played by Tang Guoqiang, stepped into her frame, initiating an unexpected encounter between them.
The moviegoing routine of that era went like this:
Magazines such as Popular Cinema would introduce upcoming releases. If an audience member took an interest, they noted the release date and gathered a few friends to go watch it together.
Because seeing a film was a momentous occasion!
Every new movie left an impact that lingered in everyday life for a very long time.
The young couple sitting in front of Chen Qi was clearly doing just that, already somewhat familiar with Romance on Mount Lu. The girl stared unblinkingly at the screen and said, "Everyone's saying she changes outfits more than forty times. I'm going to count and see if there are really that many!"
"That's two already!"
"Three! Four! She really does change into a new outfit every single scene. I'm so jealous!"
As the plot unfolded, each of Zhou Yun's appearances provoked fresh squeals of excitement. Her pomegranate-red top, white vest, purple skirt, flowing white dress... It was as dazzling as a fashion show, striking a deep chord with the audience.
For men and women alike, whose hearts in this era of change were both conservative and shy yet stirring with new desires, it felt like an awakening: clothes could actually be this beautiful; a woman could actually be this graceful and lovely.
"So this is what Mount Lu looks like!"
"I've only ever read about it in books. I had no idea it was so breathtaking!"
"Whoa, look at that peak!"
Zhou Yun and Geng Hua agreed to tour Mount Lu together. Following their footsteps, the camera treated the audience to breathtaking vistas one after another. In 1980, when visiting the provincial capital was considered a major journey, being able to see celebrated mountains and rivers thousands of miles away on the silver screen was something a person could brag about for a whole month after returning home.
About a third of the way in, things began pushing the boundaries.
Beneath a small waterfall, the pool was crystal clear.
The camera panned over Zhou Yun's fair, tender bare feet, tracking up along her smooth, slender calves to a sleeveless white minidress. For that era, the hemline was practically shocking—it didn't even cover her knees.
She waded through the water, took a seat on a large boulder in the pool, and waved. "Why don't you come over?"
"No, I'm fine standing here for a bit."
Too bashful to look straight at her, Geng Hua let his gaze wander, his face blushing crimson.
Zhou Yun scooped up water to wash her arms, giggling. "They say Confucius has been dead for over two thousand years, so why do I still see him standing right there?"
Geng Hua had no choice but to step forward, though he still kept his distance. Zhou Yun scooted aside on her own and patted the stone. "Sit down! If I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of? My father once told me the story of Su Dongpo and Master Foyin—whatever you have in your heart is what you see. In my eyes, this is the scenic beauty of Mount Lu, a wondrous waterfall and spring, and I'm enjoying nature with you, my good friend. So what do you see in me? Or do you harbor some..."
"No, not at all! I'll sit, I'll sit!"
Geng Hua gingerly sat down beside her. Zhou Yun smiled radiantly, her eyes dancing, and kicked the water with her fair feet. With a splash, droplets sprayed into the air, creating a faint hint of a rainbow.
Chen Qi had added this scene himself.
He had conceived the female lead to be the unattainable dream—the "white moonlight"—in the hearts of male compatriots nationwide, an unforgettable first cinematic crush that would stay with them for life.
The effect was striking. In the massive auditorium, virtually every male viewer stared wide-eyed without blinking, transfixed by the screen as though bewitched, burning Zhou Yun's image into their memories.
The women in the audience couldn't help yearning for it too. When had any of them ever lived such a life?
"That came out nicely!"
Watching it for the first time, Chen Qi thought it was quite well done. Leaning toward Gong Xue, he whispered, "If I remember right, there's a swimsuit scene coming up, isn't there?"
Tsk!
Gong Xue nudged him with her elbow. Heavens, the swimsuit! Even now, the memory made her cheeks burn. How had she ever worked up the nerve to shoot that?
The feelings between the leads heated up rapidly as they learned more about each other, gradually unveiling their family backgrounds: one was the daughter of a Nationalist general, the other the son of a mainland general.
Because they grew too close, Geng Hua was brought in for investigation, and his elder sister, Geng Ying, intervened to break them apart.
"If you really want what's best for him, stay far away from him!"
"My brother has a bright future ahead of him! He can't be ruined by a woman like you! Hurry back to America and find some capitalist brat to match up with!"
When writing this dialogue, Chen Qi had deliberately used the harshest, most stinging language typical of the era. The more lovely Zhou Yun had seemed before, the more deeply the audience sympathized with her now as she suffered this blow.
"How can Geng Ying act like this? She's awful!"
"I hate that woman!"
"Don't leave, Zhou Yun! Look how hard she's crying!"
"I think the sister has a point, though. That's just how the climate was back then. If Zhou Yun didn't leave, Geng Hua's family would've faced serious trouble. She was only protecting her family."
The star-crossed lovers were torn apart, bringing the flashback to an end and returning to the opening timeline: five years later.
Zhou Yun returned to Mount Lu. As it happened, Geng Hua had been admitted to Tsinghua University and was visiting for an academic exchange. Reunited after five long years, they were positioned at opposite ends, running toward each other in slow motion, waving and calling out:
"Geng Hua—Hua—Hua!"
"Zhou Yun—Yun—Yun!"
Chen Qi could barely watch the melodrama, but the audience was utterly spellbound. Overcome with emotion, several women were openly wiping away tears.
Reunited, passion flared like dry tinder meeting a spark, pushing the boundaries even further. And so, over a thousand spectators watched Tang Guoqiang bare-chested in swimming trunks, and Gong Xue in a swimsuit, swimming together in Dragon Pool.
Where had audiences ever seen exposed arms and legs on screen like this?
Packaged as a lyrical landscape film, it was in truth a romance where the leads were madly in love. Later deemed "daring in scope," it caused a massive sensation in its day.
Right now, the reaction was no less intense. The theater of over a thousand fell completely silent. Men and women stared wide-eyed, as if wondering whether what they had just seen was an illusion. Then, like a pot of boiling water bubbling over, the hall erupted into an uproar.
"They... they... How could they dress like that in broad daylight?"
"So improper!"
"Good heavens!"
The young people on blind dates or just starting to court each other blushed scarlet. Some young men hardly dared to breathe, while bolder ones sneakily reached out to hold the girl's hand...
Just as Zhou Yun and Geng Hua were head over heels and discussing marriage, another major obstacle emerged: their fathers had once been enemies on the battlefield!
Facing a second separation, Zhou Yun wrote a farewell letter, intending to return to America alone, only to be stopped by Geng Hua's family. Geng Hua's father accepted Zhou Yun and then began his United Front outreach:
"Write a letter to your father. Tell him that achieving the Four Modernizations requires national reunification, unity, and stability. I welcome him to return and take a look at our motherland in this new era!"
"Uncle Geng..."
"You shouldn't call me Uncle anymore."
"Then what should I call you?"
"You should call me Dad."
"..."
Gong Xue's Qiong Yao-style weeping made its debut. Looking up, she appeared hesitant and bewildered like a startled rabbit, before a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. In her eyes, teardrops gathered like distinct pearls, trembling along her lashes before rolling free.
There was no messy bawling, no exaggerated anguish. The tears rolled down without even smudging across her cheekbones—pure, unadulterated aesthetic beauty.
Hiss!
The men and women leaned back in unison, holding their breath once more.
In the end, while Geng Hua's father embraced Zhou Yun, his sister still held prejudices. And so came the scene Chen Qi had specifically added to elevate the film's themes:
"I don't just want to see Mount Lu. I want to see the Five Great Mountains, the Yangtze River and the Great Wall, Mount Huang and the Yellow River... I want to travel everywhere! I want to visit Tiananmen!
"This is my motherland too!
"I want to stay not just for Geng Hua, but because I feel this land is bursting with great vitality. I want to feel the spirit of this new era here, and I want to dedicate my own strength to building a wonderful future together..."
Clap, clap, clap!
"Well said!"
At this point, the entire audience couldn't help bursting into applause. If before Zhou Yun had simply been a passionate, innocent, and educated overseas Chinese youth, these thematic lines instantly endowed her with intellectual depth.
The character stood crystal clear.
An absolute white moonlight!
Applause thundered across the room.
As the film drew to a close and the music swelled, the two families took a group photo together in a joyous, grand reunion. The audience felt as though they had undergone a spiritual mass. Excited murmurs were already spreading, and people continued to clap.
Watching a great movie was like savoring a sumptuous feast; it filled people with a distinct sense of happiness.
The young couple in the front row was even more excited, the girl chattering non-stop. "I have to watch it again! It's so good! I've fallen in love with Zhou Yun and Geng Hua—they're exactly what I dreamed love would be... Ah, look at everyone, they feel just like me... Look!"
She glanced back, turned away, and then snapped her head around again, her eyes going wide. "Y-You—!"
"Run!"
Seeing that things were going south, Chen Qi grabbed Gong Xue's hand and bolted. Gong Xue gave a few futile tugs to pull away, but finding she couldn't break free, she let him hold it. Whatever she had said that night was completely thrown to the wind—a man's words couldn't be trusted, but a woman's words could be trusted even less.
"Tickets for the next showing are sold out!"
"The one after that is sold out too! Get tomorrow's!"
"Can't you just screen it overnight?!"
"Easy for you to say! Where are we going to get that many film prints? Buy 'em if you want 'em, or get lost!"
Outside the cinema entrance, the ticket seller was already beside himself with frustration, snapping at anyone within earshot. Yet people sheepishly bought tomorrow's tickets anyway. Everyone was saying Romance on Mount Lu was incredible; if you hadn't seen it, you wouldn't even be able to hold your head up at work.
In the sweltering heat of July, the fever for Romance on Mount Lu had only just begun!
Chapter 113