MACAO — A wave of early-2000s nostalgia washed over audiences Friday night as Cantopop veteran Leo Ku, actress Ruby Lin, and singer-actor Alec Su reunited on stage for a surprise performance of the classic theme song “Romance in the Rain” at the Galaxy Arena in Macau. The trio, starring in the beloved 2001 Taiwanese drama of the same name, delivered a heartfelt medley that sent fans into a frenzy, both in the venue and online.
The performance, part of the star-studded film and music gala “The Greater Bay Area Rising Moon,” saw Ku, Lin, and Su reprise their iconic roles from the hit Qiong Yao series. Their duet of the title track—a song every Mandarin-speaking household once hummed—instantly triggered a collective sense of shared youth and memory.
Visual Flashbacks: Costumes and Character Recreations
Adding an extra layer of surprise, Ku and Su not only sang but also resurrected their characters’ signature looks. Ku, channeling his role as the earnest and romantic He Shuhuan, wore a vintage three-piece vest and carried his jacket over one arm, a posture that fans instantly recognized from the drama’s most melodramatic moments. Meanwhile, Su donned the distinctive round glasses and a fake mustache, recreating Du Fei’s famous disguise as a restaurant waiter—a scene that remains a fan favorite.
The attention to detail was not lost on attendees, some of whom reported a lump in their throats as the two actors struck their classic poses.
Fans Flood Social Media
The performance clip quickly spread across Chinese social media platforms, sparking an avalanche of comments. “This is the story of our youth!” one netizen wrote. Another commented, “Ku’s look really hasn’t aged a day—he’s still Shuhuan!” A third noted, “The moment the music started, I burst into tears. It’s pure memory.”
A Broader Legacy of Classic TV Soundtracks
This reunion is more than a momentary trip down memory lane; it underscores the enduring cultural footprint of early 2000s Taiwanese television across Greater China and Southeast Asia. For a generation, “Romance in the Rain” was a summertime ritual, and its music remains a powerful emotional anchor. The performance in Macau serves as a reminder of the deep connection audiences hold for the series’ characters—and the strength of the shared experience of appointment television before the streaming era.
As the final notes faded and the trio shared an embrace on stage, it was clear the event had achieved its goal: for a few magical minutes, time stood still, and a large part of the Chinese-speaking world tuned in to relive the rain-soaked romance of their past.
