In Memory of Alan Yu Menglong
To Alan Yu Menglong—actor, artist, and keeper of tales.
You were the Fourth Brother, the young Fox King, Bai Zhen’s devoted shadow, and every role you inhabited carried the weight of invisible wings. Your voice, your gaze, those moments of quiet strength: they shaped the stories we tell and the worlds we imagine.
In my writing, you weren’t merely an actor—you were the breath in Bai Zhen’s sails, the echo of every unspoken longing, the pulse that made magic feel possible. Losing you felt like losing a family member: the direction still remains, but the steady hand is gone.
Thank you for giving me a treasure I could build upon—a myth, a friendship, a love colored in foxfire and memories. Whatever stories lie ahead, they bear your light.
May you rest in peace, Fourth Brother. The realm you touched will never forget you. You will continue to live on eternal in my world and tales.
Edit*
The details of his true death has chilled me to the bone. The details are horrifying: he was subjected to torture, both physical and sexual viciously, with the abuse recorded on video. He was murdered, his body dismembered to retrieve a USB drive containing incriminating footage, and then thrown from a window for a second time. His death is deeply disturbing and makes me question the state of humanity. The atrocities he suffered are unbearable, and I fear for other performers. Justice is essential, and the privileged CCP elites responsible and turn a blind eyes covering up for these depraved crimes must be held accountable. We are losing too many entertainers due to bullying, sexual and physical assault, and exploitative “slave” contracts.
Our Sì gē deserves justice.