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Wei Wuxian rose to fame at a considerably young age and by the time he reached his 20s, he had already become a mainstream celebrity, nominated for multiple awards. Wei Wuxian's movies and TV shows were a staple entertainment for people of various ages for over 10 years, and his face could be seen on countless advertisements on TV and billboards. Wei Wuxian was widely beloved by both, his hardcore fans and general public, due to his cheerful and approachable personality and his hard work.
For thirteen months now, fans of the famous actor and model Wei Wuxian have been wondering - Why did Wei Wuxian disappear from the spotlight and where did he go? That was exactly what I decided to find out, when fate gave me an unbelievable chance - an exclusive interview with the recently returned superstar.
I would be lying if I said I was not nervous when I stepped into the lobby of the hotel we were meeting at. My heart was racing all the way up to the designated suite, and my hand shook as I knocked on the door. It only took a moment for the door to open and imagine my surprise when it was not Wei Wuxian I saw on the other side but someone else - a woman, neatly dressed, with a beauty comparable to what you see in magazine covers.
Who was she? I wondered as I stretched out my hand for a handshake. Before I had the chance to introduce myself, the woman spoke.
"Wei Wuxian is inside and I am leaving."
The strength with which she squeezed my hand was considerable, leaving me wondering if there would be bruises the next day. The way her strict, narrowed eyes looked at me as she stepped out into the corridor made me wish that there would be, to cement this first meeting into my memory.
As the woman left without even mentioning her name, I stood still inside the hotel suite, right at the front doors, for a moment until I remembered what I was there for. "Mr Wei?" I called out as I took a few hesitant steps forward, as if I was a trespasser that was there to steal a precious treasure. And in a way I was, since the information I gathered ended up being nothing less than priceless.
It was not unexpected that I received a warm welcome from Wei Wuxian, that was just how the man was - his personality very cheerful and approachable. I did notice some differences from how he used to be before, he seemed more… subdued, almost lethargic. It was impossible, however, to determine why those differences were there - was it related to his disappearance? Was he always a bit different off camera? Or maybe he was simply feeling under the weather.
It did not take long before the two of us settled at the table in the living room and I had my pre-prepared questions in front of me. The interview hadn’t even started yet, but I already knew that there would be many changes to the questions I will ask.
Maybe it was my curiosity driving me, but the first thing I asked was about the identity of the woman I met briefly at the entrance. Wei Wuxian was visibly surprised to hear my question, a fond laugh following his answer.
“She’s a friend.” He said, the most genuine smile forming on his face before he added. “For a while though, she has been more of a doctor than a friend. Forcing me to do check ups and drink medicine, I’m very close to unfriending her.”
Wei Wuxian had a very exaggerated pout which clearly showed that he was not serious about ‘unfriending’, but it did not pull my attention away from the important things he had said. Only a couple minutes into the interview, and my mind was already adding up the pieces of information I had to draw up conclusions. Was Wei Wuxian’s sudden disappearance from the spotlight health related? Was the reason he returned, the reason why his face showed up on billboard advertisements for the first time in over a year, because he was healthy enough for it now?
My expression must have betrayed my thoughts, because before I had the chance to ask, Wei Wuxian took the initiative to clarify the things I am sure all of us were the most curious about.
“There are 2 main reasons why I accepted this interview.” Wei Wuxian started off, lifting two fingers into the air. “One: because my fans deserve an explanation about my disappearance. The second reason… will be clear enough by the end of the interview.”
At this point I could already feel like I lost most of the control I had over the interview. I was the one with the questions, but Wei Wuxian was always, from the very start, the one in control of the conversation. On one hand, that was a small fail on my part as a journalist, but on the other hand… I gladly let Wei Wuxian take over, as his willingness to talk and explain everything could only be beneficial to me, to all of you, the readers, and to every fan of Wei Wuxian in general. Without specific questions restricting him, I knew Wei Wuxian would end up revealing more than questions could pull out of him, so in a way it was a win.
Once Wei Wuxian started to talk, he did not stop. It did not feel like it, but I sat there for a couple hours, listening intently. I was enchanted, I could not pull my eyes away from the expressions he showed, I could not help but be mesmerised by the story he told. There were many details I could not include in this article without making it too long, so all I can offer you is a summary and, as a little gift from me, the full transcript of the recorded interview will be available on the digital version of the article, which can be found on the main website (Head-Shaker Celebrity News).
So, what was the reason Wei Wuxian disappeared so suddenly, for around 13 months? In summary, Wei Wuxian had an unfortunate accident, a head injury, that caused him to fall into a coma for approximately 5 months. Even once he woke up, it was not over. To quote directly, Wei Wuxian said: “Waking up was maybe the worst thing I’ve experienced in my life. I did not know where I was, or who I was. All I saw around me were unfamiliar faces that I should have recognised, but I did not. All I knew for the next few months were headaches, sometimes bad enough that I wanted to die, just to get away from it all.”
Wei Wuxian then continued in explaining how he spent the other months up until this day, working hard towards recovering his memories. “What helped me the most was the familiar faces surrounding me and then, once I could return home, various mementos and keepsakes I had. Sometimes I would hold them in my hands for hours, until memories related to them returned, one by one, slowly.” Wei Wuxian said and then showed me a white bunny plush toy that he kept by his side, explaining that he had many fuzzy memories related to it. From the sound of it all, Wei Wuxian had not yet been able to get back all of his memories, but he was doing his best while hoping that one day… he could feel whole again.
At that point, Wei Wuxian reminded me of what he had said at the very start of our meeting, when he had mentioned having 2 reasons for the interview. The second reason was a lot clearer to me at that point, but Wei Wuxian’s words were what put everything into perspective.
“At this point, I have most of my memories back, but some are fuzzy and some are still just blank spaces within my mind.” He had said, his hands fiddling with the bunny he still held in his hands. “Most of them are related to one specific person, but… I can’t even remember his face, or his name. I only know… what I feel towards him, and the fact that I haven’t seen him since I woke up from the coma can only mean that… whatever we had did not turn out well. It can only mean that maybe, my feelings were one sided and that the existence of those feelings was what pushed us apart.”
Despite Wei Wuxian not mentioning the ‘L’ word, I am sure that all of us know what type of feelings he was talking about. It is very sad and unfortunate that our beloved actor Wei Wuxian had to go through so much, without us knowing anything. An accident, coma, amnesia, vague memories of a relationship not working out. Even one of these things sounds hard to deal with, but having so many together… could break a person, change them completely. Wei Wuxian, however, was strong enough to endure everything and still stay his positive and cheerful self, which I am sure many of us will be thankful for.
Having a conclusion for this article seemed quite unfitting, so instead of that I will be leaving you with the words Wei Wuxian asked me to include, so that the person they are meant for could, hopefully, see them and decide what they wanted to do.
“For the person who gifted me the bunny, I want to say that I can’t remember how it all happened, how our paths separated. Maybe you hate me, even if I try to convince myself every day that you do not. Maybe you do not want to see me ever again, which would be hard considering the billboards, but I can accept that as well. But… If you are still willing to see me, I would appreciate it very much. I wouldn’t ask for a lot, only a couple hours of your time, which would hopefully help me regain the time that I lost, the memories that have left me.
I know that maybe it would be easier to just give up and forget, but I cannot do that. I want to remember, to know the reason for why I feel what I feel and to whom those feelings are meant. I hate feeling as confused as I am, having clear feelings that are meant to someone I cannot remember. I want to remember. I want to feel whole again.
I will not pressure you into meeting up with me, I could not pressure you even if I wanted to, but if you are willing… I am sure you would have a way to reach me.”
***
A little extra (because I would feel bad leaving the story with an uncertain ending):
A few weeks after the article was published, Wei Wuxian was starting to give up on ever having his full memory back, on ever figuring out who that faceless man from his vague recollections was. Instead, he was starting to slowly return to his usual routine, one he had before the whole accident.
His days were filled with practice and shoots for a movie he would be starring in, a couple modeling or advertisement gigs in-between. During his free time, he wandered around the city, visiting various places he knew he must have visited before, hoping that something there would become a trigger for more of his memories returning.
No matter how much he tried, however, he just couldn’t forget that one man, whoever he was. His mind kept replaying what little memory he did have and unconsciously he always tried to connect the dots, to solve the mystery of what happened. It must have been his fault, whatever it was. He must have ruined the friendship they had by developing those feelings he still had, even with his memories as messed up now as they were.
Wei Wuxian knew he should move on, just like the man from his memories did. He should accept that he would never remember, he should… do his best to forget about the feelings too. To maybe… fall in love again.
It would be hard, it already was, but Wei Wuxian had done even more difficult things, he survived an accident, he woke up from a coma that many believed he would not wake up from. Despite everything, he managed to deal with the headaches, he managed to get back many things that he had lost. Wei Wuxian was certainly not weak, but at that moment… he felt weak. The helplessness, the pain that he felt at the thoughts of forgetting, of moving on… they made him feel weak.
“Excuse me.” Wei Wuxian murmured as he bumped into someone, too lost in thoughts to be aware of where he was or what was around him.
He only managed to walk a few more steps forward when his arm was grabbed, holding him back.
‘Was I recognised?’ Wei Wuxian thought in resignation, preparing to deal with an over-excited fan. And here he thought that his disguise was perfect, that no one would ever recognise him.
“Wei Ying.” An unfamiliar voice said.
Wei Wuxian’s mind could not recognise the voice, but it seemed that his heart could, with the way it seemed to want to jump out of his chest. Could it be? He had time to wonder, his head dizzy with how fast his thoughts were spinning out of control.
Could it be? He dared to hope, as he hesitantly turned around to look at the man, as his eyes met the golden orbs that seemed so… full of emotions he could not put a name to.
“Lan… Zhan?” Wei Wuxian said, as a wave of memories washed over him, as one single name rang clearly in his head.
The one standing in front of him was definitely Lan Zhan, Lan Wangji, the love of his life.