Huayu Entertainment: The Birth of a Succubus Top Star

As we entered 2026, the biting north wind in Hengdian during the deep winter perfectly complemented the atmosphere of the final episode of "Chasing Jade".

The film crew cleared the Forbidden City gates in advance to close the final filming location, and the set design team spent the whole night restoring the imperial city.

The vermilion palace walls are faded and mottled, and a thin layer of artificial snow covers the bluestone pavement. The long street is deserted and there is not a single person. The palace lanterns on both sides have gray and white tassels hanging down, swaying gently in the wind. The whole scene is desolate and lonely, with the prosperity gone and the golden age over.

This is the last scene of the entire series: Xie Zheng's life of military campaigns and political maneuvering has come to an end. With power returned to the court and worldly affairs settled, he stands alone in front of the imperial city gate, gazing at the vast land, and finally reconciling with his tumultuous life.

The entire crew remained silent, devoid of the usual hustle and bustle of starting work. The stagehands, lighting crew, and camera crew all held their breath and stood by, ready to go.

Filming took place from early autumn to deep winter, spanning several months. Everyone knew that with the end of this scene, Xie Zheng's life and the entire story of "Chasing Jade" would come to a complete end.

Inside the dressing room, Gu Zhiyan applied makeup to Xie Zheng for the last time.

Shedding all his ornate court robes and brocade robes, he wore a plain white robe with gray trim. The fabric was thin and worn, and he had no jade belt or gold ornaments, no official rank accessories. His black hair was simply tied up, showing no sharpness or fierceness.

The makeup artist gently swept away all the sharpness between his brows and eyes, removing the coldness of a powerful court official and the sharpness of a battlefield general, leaving only the weariness, indifference and emptiness after half a lifetime of ups and downs.

Tian Xiwei, Kong Xueer, and all the main actors stood quietly to the side, watching without saying a word.

We've accompanied this character through countless days and nights, witnessing his youthful days in fine clothes and his court intrigues, his framed imprisonment and his patient planning, his solitary journey through wind and snow and his unjust suffering. Now, we've finally seen his story come to a peaceful end.

After the styling was completed, Gu Zhiyan did not go over her lines, move around, or adjust her state as usual.

He walked alone to the city gate, turned his back to the crowd, and stood quietly for three minutes.

He was saying goodbye to Xie Zheng.

The director raised his hand and lowered his voice: "One last shot, all departments ready, action!"

The clapperboard clicked softly, echoing across the silent film set.

The cold wind swept through the long street, stirring up the fine white snow on the ground and fluttering the hem of his wide, white robe.

The camera slowly zooms in from a distant view.

The entire main street of the imperial city was deserted. The once bustling imperial city, filled with carriages and horses, officials, and power struggles, now only had him left.

He spent half his life meticulously planning and scheming, surviving framing and betrayal, life-or-death situations, and political infighting. In the end, he held immense power and retired gracefully, only to be left with a solitary figure.

Gu Zhiyan's back remained straight as usual, a spirit etched into the very bones of Marquis Wu'an, unyielding even in the face of utter defeat.

Only those eyes have completely changed.

All the anger, resentment, obsession, and defensiveness that had once been hidden in his eyes—eyes that were usually reserved, calculating, and patient—have vanished.

There was no ecstasy, no regret, no sorrow, only the peace of having seen all the sails pass by, the emptiness of having all things come to an end, and the relief of reconciling with oneself.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked towards the vast horizon.

His gaze swept across the vast land, over the vermilion palace walls, and over the entire imperial city that had imprisoned him, made him, and also betrayed him for half his life.

There were no lines, no crying scenes, and no explosive action sequences.

He stood there quietly, his clothes fluttering in the wind, his figure solitary yet not desolate.

He closed his eyes very lightly for half a second, as if sighing softly at the turmoil of his life.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, concealing a lifetime of hardships unknown to anyone.

Her lips relaxed slightly, as if she had let go of her obsessions, her scheming, and the lingering resentment of half a lifetime.

The long shot steadily captures his profile, the cold winter light falling on his eyebrows and eyes, both gentle and desolate.

This shot is a full seven seconds of silence.

Seven seconds to tell the story of Xie Zheng's dramatic and extraordinary life.

The director behind the monitor hesitated to call "cut."

No one on set moved or made a sound; they even breathed very softly. Everyone was subdued by this silent acting, and their hearts ached.

After a long silence, the director, his voice slightly hoarse, solemnly concluded the final chapter:

"Cut! Perfect! Filming wrapped!"

The moment the words were spoken, the silent film set erupted in cheers.

"Filming for 'Chasing Jade' has wrapped up!!"

"Xie Zheng has wrapped filming! Gu Zhiyan has wrapped filming!"

The stagehands fired celebratory cannons, sending confetti flying everywhere, covering the snow-covered streets and Gu Zhiyan's pristine white robes.

At this moment, the last trace of emptiness that once belonged to Xie Zheng in Gu Zhiyan's eyes completely disappeared.

He lowered his eyes slightly, exhaled very softly, his shoulders completely relaxed, and his back, which had been straight for so long, finally began to loosen.

He turned around, shed his role, returned to himself, and had a gentle smile in his eyes.

Tian Xiwei was the first to rush forward, her eyes filled with laughter: "Filming has finally wrapped up, our Lord Xie Zheng's story has come to an end."

Kong Xueer followed suit, sincerely exclaiming, "The last scene was absolutely stunning; it spoke volumes without words. I choked up while watching it."

Amy, who had come all the way to the set of "Chasing Jade" to see Gu Zhiyan's final scene, presented him with a bouquet of flowers, her eyes crinkling with joy: "Brother Yan, you've worked so hard! Xie Zheng's story has come to a perfect end!"

All the main creators and staff gathered around, and flowers, applause, and cheers filled the entire Imperial City film set.

Months spent in Hengdian, day and night, countless all-night shoots, snowstorms, court intrigues, and solitary walks in the rain—all the late nights, polishing, and repeated refinement have come to an end.

Gu Zhiyan accepted the flowers and bowed deeply to all the staff members present, her attitude sincere and gentle: "Thank you all for your companionship and hard work over the past six months. Thank you all for supporting Xie Zheng and for making 'Chasing Jade' a success."

The landscape has come to a close, the story has ended. May we meet again at the summit someday.

The warm winter sun pierced through the clouds and fell on the vermilion palace walls, dispelling the chill of the past few days.

Confetti filled the air, the air was filled with the lively chatter of people, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting.

With this, the historical drama "Chasing Jade," which has been filmed for more than four months, has officially wrapped up production.

The final scene on the Imperial City Street is set, and the colorful confetti falling from the sky has faded, leaving Xie Zheng feeling lonely and desolate for half his life.

The entire crew composed themselves, changed out of their period costumes, and drove away from the desolate filming location to a high-end hotel in the city to hold the long-awaited grand wrap party for "Chasing Jade".

On the bustling journey home, no one mentions the lonely figure in the imperial city anymore, but that glance at the empty city and the blank fate of the rest of one's life has become the most unforgettable final scene in everyone's heart.

Filming from early autumn to the depths of winter, we spent over 100 days and nights together, and the tense nerves of everyone on and off screen finally relaxed completely.

The banquet hall was brightly lit, filled with the clinking of glasses and a warm, lively atmosphere. Everyone shed the pressure of filming and raised their glasses to celebrate the successful conclusion of the series.