LayarHijau – Rumors surrounding the sequel to the Chinese drama The Early Spring gained traction on Weibo on September 22, 2026. The sequel, titled Midsummer Clear and Bright (盛夏晴朗), has already been officially announced by Youku, while the latest rumors claim that Jing Boran and Sun Qian will return as their respective characters, Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao.
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One widely circulated Weibo post claims that Jing Boran and Sun Qian will reunite for Midsummer Clear and Bright, which the post refers to as Summer Sunny. Filming is reportedly scheduled to begin in December. The post also claims that the story will focus on marriage, work, their relationship, and the personal growth of the two characters as they build a life together.
A poster has also been circulating online, allegedly showing the production schedule and lead cast for the sequel. The poster lists Jing Boran and Sun Qian as the stars and names December as the reported start of filming. Several Weibo accounts have since reposted the material and claimed that the two actors have been confirmed to return.
The same claims have also appeared across Chinese platforms and in coverage from outlets including Sina and 163.com. However, there is an important distinction between the information currently circulating online and what Youku has actually announced.
What has Youku officially announced?
The existence of Midsummer Clear and Bright is not a rumor. Youku officially announced the project on September 16, 2026, as part of its 2027 content lineup.
In its official Weibo post, Youku wrote:
“喧嚣予我，偏爱予你。盛夏有风，人间晴朗。《早春晴朗》优酷千予工作室原班主创续作——《盛夏晴朗》概念海报正式释出！优酷全网独播，敬请期待！”
The statement can be translated as:
“Let the clamor be mine, and the special affection be yours. There is wind in summer, and the world is clear and bright. The sequel to The Early Spring, produced by the original core creative team from Youku’s Qianyu Studio, is here—the concept poster for Midsummer Clear and Bright has officially been released! It will stream exclusively across Youku. Stay tuned!”
The announcement establishes three things. First, Midsummer Clear and Bright is a sequel to The Early Spring. Second, the project is being developed by the core creative team from Qianyu Studio that worked on the previous drama. Third, Youku will exclusively stream the series.
The announcement does not name Jing Boran or Sun Qian as cast members. Youku also does not disclose when filming will begin, who else will star, what the storyline will be, or how many episodes the sequel will have.
Did Youku say the sequel is an original screenplay?
Not in its September 16 announcement.
This distinction matters because, even before the latest Jing Boran and Sun Qian rumors began trending, several Chinese bloggers and entertainment outlets had already described Midsummer Clear and Bright as a new or original story written by members of The Early Spring’s writing team.
A September 17 Sina report, for example, described the project as an “original screenplay” and said Gao Xiaoxian would return as the screenwriter. The report also provided details about the story, describing it as focusing on Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao as they continue their relationship, including married life and work.
However, that information does not come from the wording of Youku’s official announcement.
In its announcement, Youku uses the phrase “原班主创续作”, which refers to a sequel made by the same core creative team.
The phrase describes the continuity of the creative team. It does not, by itself, mean “original screenplay.” The description of the project as an original story came from subsequent reports and online discussions rather than from Youku’s initial announcement.
Where did the Miss Chatterbox claim come from?
Another claim began circulating alongside the sequel rumors: that Midsummer Clear and Bright would be adapted from the novel Miss Chatterbox (话痨小姐).
The claim is connected to the author of The Early Spring, who writes under the pen name 姑娘别哭 (Girl, Don’t Cry) and is known on Weibo through the account @晋江姑娘别哭 (Jinjiang Girl, Don’t Cry).
The same author did write Miss Chatterbox. Both novels belong to the same body of interconnected works, which led some fans to connect the novel with the upcoming drama sequel.
However, Miss Chatterbox is not a direct continuation of Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao’s story. It focuses on different characters, Lumi and Tu Ming, also known as Will, who belong to another storyline within the same fictional world.
For that reason, Miss Chatterbox is better understood as a related novel in the same series or story universe rather than a second novel directly continuing Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao’s story.
That connection appears to be the basis for speculation that Midsummer Clear and Bright might use Miss Chatterbox as its source material.
Has the author confirmed Miss Chatterbox as the source?
No such confirmation has been found on the author’s Weibo account.
The account @晋江姑娘别哭 (Jinjiang Girl, Don’t Cry) does discuss the author’s works, including Miss Chatterbox. However, there is no post found on the account confirming that Midsummer Clear and Bright is an adaptation of that novel.
In other words, two separate pieces of information have become mixed together in the online discussion.
The first is the confirmed information that Youku is producing a sequel to The Early Spring with the core creative team from the original drama.
The second is the fan speculation that the sequel might adapt Miss Chatterbox because it was written by the same author and belongs to the same body of works.
The second claim has not been confirmed by the author.
Reports discussing the project have also not confirmed Miss Chatterbox as the source material for Midsummer Clear and Bright.
What about Jing Boran and Sun Qian?
The names Jing Boran and Sun Qian have resurfaced because of the latest September 22 rumors, not because of an official casting announcement from Youku.
Speculation that Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao would return had already emerged after Youku announced the sequel on September 16. Posts from accounts associated with the two characters also fueled discussion about whether their story would continue.
The latest rumors became more specific by claiming that Jing Boran and Sun Qian will return and that filming will begin in December 2026. The circulating poster has further fueled those claims on social media.
As of September 22, however, Youku has not released an official cast list for Midsummer Clear and Bright. The claims about the two actors returning and filming beginning in December therefore remain rumors.
What is confirmed so far?
As of September 22, 2026, several pieces of information can be clearly separated.
Officially confirmed: Youku is producing Midsummer Clear and Bright as a sequel to The Early Spring, with the core creative team from Qianyu Studio returning. Youku has also released the concept poster and confirmed that the drama will stream exclusively on its platform.
Not yet announced by Youku: the lead cast, filming start date, production location, episode count, and detailed storyline.
Reported or rumored: Gao Xiaoxian’s return as screenwriter, a December filming start, and the return of Jing Boran and Sun Qian as Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao. Chinese media outlets have discussed these details, but Youku has not officially announced the cast.
Not confirmed: that Midsummer Clear and Bright is an adaptation of Miss Chatterbox, or that the author of The Early Spring has confirmed such an adaptation.
So, the Weibo trend on September 22 is not about whether The Early Spring will get a sequel—the sequel has already been officially announced. The uncertainty concerns who will star in it, when production will begin, and what story the sequel will tell.
For now, Youku has confirmed that the story of The Early Spring will continue with Midsummer Clear and Bright. Further details about the cast and production remain pending an official announcement.
