Chapter 16: Joining the Crew—Da Sweetie Asks Her Senior Sister to Take Care of Her Little Darling!
The next evening, at a certain cinema.
Shen Lang and Da Sweetie walked in and bought tickets for Operation Red Sea. On a whim, Da Sweetie declared that today would be a full day of dating—shopping, strolling, watching movies—everything young couples do.
They had stayed up too late the previous night role-playing and only fell asleep past five in the morning. By the time they woke up in the afternoon, Da Sweetie clung to Shen Lang like a lovestruck girl, none of yesterday’s “crazy princess” energy left.
After an hour of cuddling, they finally left the hotel, had dinner, and headed to the cinema.
The 2018 Spring Festival movie season was considered the most competitive yet.
Originally, Monster Hunt 2 was the frontrunner—backed by a massive promotional campaign, even appearing on the Spring Festival Gala. Theaters allocated 35.6% of screenings on opening day, and it raked in 547 million yuan in box office revenue.
But its reputation tanked, and by the second day, ticket sales plummeted, along with its screening share.
Had Monster Hunt 2 been the only major release, it might’ve still done well.
However, the second-tier contender, Detective Chinatown 2, while not as well-received as its predecessor, still fared better than Monster Hunt 2. Its screenings gradually increased in the following days.
But if you thought Detective Chinatown 2 was the biggest winner of the 2018 Spring Festival season?
Operation Red Sea wasn’t initially favored—even The Monkey King 3: Kingdom of Women had more industry confidence. But thanks to strong word-of-mouth, Operation Red Sea staged a box office comeback.
It was precisely because of its buzz that Da Sweetie and Shen Lang chose to watch it.
After the two-hour film ended, Da Sweetie mused, “This is an ensemble piece—actors don’t get as much individual boost compared to last summer’s Wolf Warrior 2. But the director will definitely gain industry recognition.”
One second, she was analyzing seriously. The next, she turned to Shen Lang and asked, “Xiao Lang, I heard the sci-fi movie you’re starring in, The Wandering Earth, is set for next year’s Spring Festival… My gut tells me it’ll be like Operation Red Sea—high praise and a box office dark horse!”
Ever since his rebirth, Da Sweetie’s instincts kept surprising him.
“What? Don’t believe me?” She pinched his nose and whispered, “I trust your choices. It’ll be a hit. And even if it flops, don’t worry—I’ve already got you covered. As long as I have food, you’ll have a bite.”
There we go—classic lovestruck logic.
But this lovestruck girl also had her moments of madness.
“Sigh, it’s just that I’ve been called ‘box office poison’ too often. Otherwise, I’d totally co-star with you and dominate! But hey, your Uncle Teng has serious box office pull—you can ride his coattails for now.”
She wasn’t wrong. He nodded. “Uncle Teng’s already negotiating for me. He’s the lead in Han Han’s Pegasus, and I’ll have a supporting role.”
“Can you take me along?” she blurted, then immediately shook her head. “Never mind. I’m not a draw. I’ll wait until you blow up as a heartthrob—then you can carry me!”
“The Untamed is a BL drama starting next month. I’m betting big on you skyrocketing to fame with it. Just don’t forget about me when you do!”
“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the set!”
“Which set?” Shen Lang was confused.
“Joy of Life, of course!” Da Sweetie grinned. “It started filming before the New Year, almost a month ago. Your role’s a special guest appearance—your scenes aren’t scheduled yet. But I’ll talk to the director about condensing your shoots in March, since The Untamed starts in April.”
“You’re still a rookie—no juggling multiple projects yet!”
“What about variety shows?”
“Uncle Teng’s recommendation?”
“Then you’ll need to ask the director for leave. He’ll give Uncle Teng face.”
As they chatted, they left the cinema and strolled down the street like any ordinary couple.
Back at the hotel, Da Sweetie flashed a mysterious smile. “Your Majesty, tonight, this concubine shall serve you~”
“Your Majesty, allow this humble consort to attend to you!”
Her voice whispered in his ear. Shen Lang braced for battle.
Tonight’s role-play? Emperor and Concubine.
Out of all their recent scenarios, this was the one Shen Lang enjoyed most.
As the “Emperor,” he indulged in his “Concubine’s” devoted service.
If Shen Lang were an ancient ruler, he’d undoubtedly be labeled a tyrant—at least where women were concerned.
Sure, emperors were expected to produce heirs, but one who lingered in the harem and neglected court? That’s exactly the kind of king history books condemned.
When they woke up, it was already mid-afternoon again.
“Xiao Lang, let me hold you a little longer. Later, we’ll head to the Joy of Life set. Don’t worry—with me around, no one will bully you.”
Da Sweetie had zero desire to get up. Nestling into Shen Lang’s arms, she murmured:
“It’s not a lead role, but don’t dismiss it. Use this to get comfortable. Our real focus is The Untamed anyway…”
Around 5:30 PM, Da Sweetie and Shen Lang arrived on set.
Joy of Life was a male-centric drama, and New Classics Media took it seriously. Zhang Ruoyun, their go-to leading man, had the role locked down—no amount of industry connections could shake that.
Da Sweetie introduced Shen Lang to the producers, director, screenwriter, and main cast, presenting him as her “junior brother.”
The actors might’ve bought it, but the crew saw right through it—especially after Da Sweetie had secured the role of “Yan Bingyun” for him.
Though Yan Bingyun wasn’t central in Season 1, his importance would grow in later seasons.
“Senior Sister, long time no see~”
After the rounds, Da Sweetie spotted her senior colleague, dashed over for a hug, and quietly asked her to look after Shen Lang on set.