Chapter 276: Popularity climbs another level

For Jiang Heng, the drama Daughter Country should be considered a rushed work, purely a temporary production to make money during the summer vacation, while also targeting the Huayi version of Investiture of the Gods.

But thanks to its high-quality special-effects fight scenes, lighthearted and comedic story style, plus a slightly touching 'love regret,' it instantly won the audience's affection.

Especially for the teenage boys and girls watching in theaters, who could resist the line 'Not betraying the Tathagata, not betraying you'!

And at the film's end, the stunning shot of Da Tian Tian's Scorpion Spirit in tears also earned unanimous approval from the audience in the theater.

As for her personally, she was already tearful at this meeting.

Actually, during the internal screening a while ago, she had seen this scene; she just felt that Jiang Heng had filmed her more beautifully, making her more charming than Liu Yifei's portrayal of the Daughter Country King, and she didn't feel anything particularly special.

But after experiencing these past few days, she suddenly couldn't hold back.

If not at the premiere venue, she would definitely have burst into tears.

Zhao Liying beside her quickly hugged Da Tian Tian and whispered, 'Don't cry, or your makeup will be ruined and you won't look good!'

'Even if it's ruined, it still looks good!'

'Yeah, it looks good, Da Tian Tian is the most beautiful; the problem is we have to go on stage soon!'

Jing Tian finally stopped crying; the assistant waiting nearby saw this, hurried forward to hand over a tissue, and as Da Tian Tian took it and wiped her face, the host had already invited all the main creators onto the stage.

Da Tian Tian rose to her feet and gracefully ascended the stage.

The beautiful host Tu Jingwei said, 'I just noticed that Miss Jing Tian, who played the Scorpion Spirit in the film, had just been crying; that and the film's final scene are truly complementary.'

'What I want to ask is, did you get too into character while filming, and now the scene has stirred your emotions?'

As soon as these words were spoken, the members of the Daughter Country crew couldn't help but chuckle.

'Getting too into character? What kind of joke is that?'

'Da Tian Tian often can't get into character, okay? That's because Jiang Heng personally taught her, over and over!'

'If we're talking about how the film turned out this way, the biggest credit still goes to Jiang Heng's good direction.'

'As for why Jing Tian ended up crying just like in the movie, everyone was also puzzled.'

'Some with ulterior motives speculated, "Is she not trying to steal the show?"'

'It's very possible; crying like that will definitely get written up by all the entertainment media afterward.'

On the contrary, Liu Yifei's performance in the film was bland, and her performance at the premiere was also bland; aside from her being beautiful and her dress beautiful, there's nothing much to say.

Thus, the reporters who had returned with their camera equipment all turned their lenses toward Da Tian Tian.

'Well, I just feel that life always has regrets! You think the other person did something huge for you, but actually they just did it casually. You think you should repay them with a lifetime of companionship, but they only care about their future, and they don't even want to glance back at you!'

Da Tian Tian spoke fluently, and the media reporters nodded silently while wondering: 'Isn't it said she's unlearned, her acting is terrible, and she relies entirely on Jiang Heng's direction?'

'What a great insight! It doesn't sound like she memorized it beforehand; it seems she truly understood this role, no wonder she's become popular!'

After Da Tian Tian finished speaking, her mood finally calmed considerably, and she returned to the group.

After the interview ended, she went to find her Yingbao.

The two of them held each other's hands, like little children.

Da Tian Tian delighted: 'I just gave him a subtle implication, how was that?'

'That's great, Tian Tian! How did you come up with those lines? Combining yourself and the role, it was seamless; I definitely couldn't have said that!'

'It just came from the heart!'

'Awesome, awesome, awesome, I'm giving you a thumbs-up!'

'Then I'll treat you to something delicious!'

'Ah, not going to the banquet?'

'With so many people and all kinds of toasts, what's there to eat?'

'Oh!'

Zhao Liying still somewhat wanted to go, after all, the company's big boss, numerous guests, and the company's senior executives were all there.

But considering Da Tian Tian's current state, she felt loyalty was more important, so she accompanied her out to eat, and then the two sneaked away.

At the scene, with many people and much going on, Jiang Heng, Yu Dong, Du Huan, and others also didn't notice.

When they arrived at the banquet hall of the five-star hotel to eat, everyone only then noticed, 'Hey, why is the most outstanding Scorpion Spirit from the film missing?'

Some staff said they saw Jing Tian and Zhao Liying leave together, and assumed they had taken leave.

Jiang Heng heard this, laughed heartily, and didn't really mind.

Because Jing Tian has always given him the impression of being lively and unrestrained, not someone who follows rules strictly.

Furthermore, at previous premiere banquets, not all guests and main creators attended.

After all, many of them are earning 'hundreds of thousands per few minutes,' with schedules packed full.

Jing Tian naturally hasn't taken that many roles, so she probably has her own busy matters.

As for how she lured Zhao Liying away, we'll have to look into that later.

On the other hand, Liu Yifei beside them looked puzzled, feeling that Da Tian Tian has been acting strangely lately.

However, being busy with eating, drinking, and socializing, she didn't have time to think about it in detail.

The next day, various domestic entertainment media outlets widely reported the news of the Daughter Country premiere.

As expected, they all gave it extremely high praise.

They said the film's special-effects fight scenes were on par with those of Lion Camel Ridge and Flat Top Mountain.

In terms of style, they broke away from the previous dark tone; the visuals are warm and gorgeous, with beautiful mountains, water, and even more beautiful people—so much so that even a woman in her sixties looks extremely beautiful.

According to producer Du Huan, Director Jiang Heng used a brand-new technique that can make people look more beautiful on film, and it will reform the photography market in the future.

The film's story style is also extremely cheerful, with Tang Seng and his disciples frequently spouting golden lines, a solemn kind of comedy.

And what moves people most is the romance between Tang Seng and the Scorpion Spirit; although their storyline doesn't take up much space in the Daughter Country story, it runs throughout.

Especially the final farewell, with the line 'In this world, there is no way to have both—without betraying the Tathagata, without betraying you!' causing countless teenage boys and girls in the audience to tear up.

And Jing Tian's remarks in the post-screening interview were also cited by many media outlets, earning recognition from a large number of viewers.

On Douban website, major film/TV forums, everywhere people are discussing these topics.

With the Daughter Country film crew's preview activities rolling out in major box-office cities nationwide, the movie and Da Tian Tian, who played the Scorpion Spirit, became increasingly popular.

On July 13, the day the film opened, it surprisingly took in 65 million yuan of first-day box office.

Not to mention the media being shocked, even Jiang Heng was dumbfounded.

Speaking frankly, for this Daughter Country film, Jiang Heng didn't put much thought into it, and it can't be compared to Lion Camel Ridge or Flat Top Mountain.

Like the story structure of Lion Camel Ridge, it was very ingeniously crafted.

By comparison, Daughter Country is more like a skit, with comedy, beautiful women, and special-effects fights as the 'highlight', ending with a melodramatic segment.

After ten or twenty years, audiences will go 'heh—tui'.

But at this point, it feels incredibly good to watch.

Surprisingly, boys and girls repeatedly went to see this film, and Da Tian Tian, because of her role as the Scorpion Spirit, became another goddess in the hearts of countless male viewers.

Furthermore, the popularity and fans brought by her previous role as Bi Yao only made her even hotter!

(End of chapter)