Even though she insisted she didn't want to promote anything, Roy still couldn't help but want to do something for her.
But what could he really do?
As he looked at Laila's profile—sitting gracefully with a teacup in hand—he couldn't resist snapping a photo with his phone. After hesitating for a moment, he posted it to his newly opened Weibo account.
#Isn't she adorable?#
Roy might not have Laila's professional-level photography skills, but he certainly wasn't one of those guys who just blindly tapped the shutter without knowing how to capture a flattering angle.
In the photo he posted, Laila sat at a small round table on the balcony, holding her teacup, eyes half-closed—seemingly savoring the aroma of the tea, or perhaps fully focused on the laptop screen before her.
It was a beautiful shot—one that perfectly highlighted Laila's elegant, intellectual charm. It wasn't technically perfect, but it was overflowing with tenderness. It was the kind of photo even the best photographers might struggle to produce—because it was taken through the lens of love.
By now, Roy's Weibo followers had surpassed 14 million, all gained within the last two days. The number continued to rise steadily. So the moment he posted the picture, it was flooded with comments and shares.
And with the current hot topic being "disaster photos boyfriends take of their girlfriends", Roy's post showing off his stunning fiancée stood out like a beacon.
Many users screamed that he was "shoving PDA down their throats," but still ran over to "get abused" willingly.
Since most of his fans were female, they couldn't help but start comparing.
"Why can Roy take such a gorgeous photo of his girlfriend? Is making your girlfriend look ugly a natural-born skill for Eastern men?"
Someone even directly asked Roy:
"How did you manage to take such a good photo of Laila? Is there some kind of secret?"
To everyone's surprise, Roy actually replied:
"That's just how she looks through my eyes. I just used my phone to capture it."
That one sentence immediately triggered a fresh wave of wailing.
"Is it even legal to be this romantic? Why are you abusing us single folks like this?"
"Single dogs are innocent! Why must you hurt them like this?"
One user commented:
"Maybe the reason your boyfriend can't take a good photo of you… Is it because he doesn't see what's cute about you to begin with?"
#Ugly photos = not true love?#
And just like that, a brand-new round of heated debate took off under Roy's post.
Roy, scrolling through the increasingly off-topic replies, couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.
What he really hoped for was for someone to ask:
"What is Laila looking at?"
That way, he could say she was reading reviews and box office updates for The Avengers, and sneak in a bit of subtle promo.
But alas, netizens' ability to derail threads far exceeded his expectations, leaving him at a loss.
Fortunately, after digging through the replies, he finally found a comment that made him want to hug the person:
"What's Laila looking at so intently?"
Roy almost wanted to kiss the screen. His fingers—still a bit clumsy with typing in Chinese—hurriedly tapped out a reply:
"She's looking at the reviews and box office numbers for The Avengers."
Someone followed up:
"Is she feeling regret that she couldn't break the record?"
Roy glanced at Laila, who was still focused on the screen, her eyes burning with determination. That look told him everything—she wasn't someone who'd give up so easily.
"No. Until the very last moment, she'll never give up."
"Oh my god. That's so sweet. I bet Roy had a soft smile on his face when he typed that, looking at Laila with eyes full of affection!"
Fans immediately melted under the imagined scene.
Sure, it was a lot of PDA—but they wanted more!
Roy laughed when he saw the reactions. Then someone asked:
"Having such a powerful fiancée—do you ever feel pressure as a man?"
He thought seriously for a moment before replying:
"If you love someone, you love everything about them—every strength, and every weakness."
Someone quickly pointed out the typo:
"You mean 'every strength and every flaw,' right?"
Roy cheekily replied:
"In love, even flaws are just more lovable strengths."
"This 1982 vintage dog food? I'll drink it all right now."
"We know it's going to hurt, but we just can't stop coming back for more."
"Single and ready to mingle—please let me find someone who will love even my 'flaws' like that!"
Weibo was buzzing.
As more people realized Roy was actively replying to fans, even more users flocked to the post.
"Do you think Laila will succeed?"
It was the question on many fans' minds.
Sure, there were only twenty million left to reach the record. It seemed like nothing compared to Laila's massive box office haul—but even if it were just a single cent short, failure was still failure.
People who looked at her with skeptical eyes would never accept excuses. Unless she crushed them with an undeniable victory, she would always be seen as the woman who almost made it.
Roy responded simply:
"I believe in her."
Whether she succeeded or failed, his focus was always Laila herself—not her achievements.
"But why would she come to the East at such a critical time instead of staying in Hollywood to promote the film?"
Roy turned to Laila.
"Can I tell them about your upcoming promo schedule?"
Laila finally looked up from her screen.
"You're on Weibo? Sure. Even if you don't say it now, it's not like people won't find out soon anyway."
Roy nodded.
Now that he had permission, he typed with clumsy fingers:
"After our wedding, she'll immediately begin promoting her new film. This trip is our only chance to go on a honeymoon. She didn't want the most important moment of her life to be overshadowed by anything else."
"Even if she's just this close to breaking the record?"
"Yes, even then. Her movies are a part of her, but so is her life. She wants to honor both. It's a difficult path—but I believe she'll walk it well."
Once again, Roy's words sent fans swooning.
This Oscar-winning actor with the handsome face, perfect body, smooth words, and deep love for his fiancée… he was like a romantic drama's dreamboat second male lead—too perfect to be real.
Why the second lead and not the main lead? Simple:
The main lead belongs to the heroine. The second lead belongs to us.
Before long, someone compiled a "Roy's Quotes on Love" post, listing out all the sweet lines he'd said that day. Each one was tooth-achingly sweet, and fans joked:
"It's a crime that he's not a romance god."
"With that face and that mouth, what woman wouldn't fall for him?"