It’s hard to witness the passage of time so viscerally in events that remind you of certain nostalgic past events. One such drama watching memory is the back-to-back period C-dramas in 2005 and 2006 starring Tangren Entertainment’s three treasures – Hu Ge, Liu Shi Shi, and Yuan Hong. They did The Young Warriors followed by a remake of Legend of the Condor Heroes. After that they never did another full drama together as Shi Shi would act opposite either Hu Ge or Yuan Hong in a few more dramas. Three years ago it was Yuan Hong who left the agency first, and last year Hu Ge formed his own workshop that is still under Tangren but not direct control anymore.

This week comes news that the youngest of the original three is also leaving – Shi Shi’s contract is up at the end of this year and she will not be renewing, instead joining her actor-producer husband Nicky Wu in his own agency as a co-president. This appears to be an amicable and understandable parting and Tangren released a wistful statement wishing Shi Shi well and confirming that it will always be her “home” (niang jia – home before the woman gets married). I wish Shi Shi all the best in the second stage of her career, she’s forever in my soft spot and her exquisite beauty that continues to improve with age certainly doesn’t hurt, as seen in these flora backdrop pictures from Bazaar China.