The crew for this film was mostly the same as the Feng Sha team.
Zhang, the producer, was also back.
Everyone got along well, and if things didn’t need changing, she didn’t see the point of replacing them.
Because they’d already worked together before, things went even smoother this time. Although most films run approximately 120 minutes, the shooting process still took three to four months. With more time to work, Su Qingli shot the movie with even greater precision.
By November, the production wrapped, and they moved into post-production.
At the same time, He Tianzhuo’s crime drama Major Crimes Unit, which was also eyeing a summer release, wrapped just three days later.
Only three days apart.
In the same month, within just three days, two dramas wrapped filming—both directed by Su Qingli and He Tianzhuo.
Although Qingli typically kept a low profile and the end of filming was meant to go quietly, the gossip-hungry media didn’t let it slide. As soon as they caught wind of this, they blasted the news everywhere:
[He Tianzhuo and Su Qingli’s new projects wrap filming together!]
Netizens immediately reacted:
“Whoa! Are they stirring the pot again?”
“Wasn’t Huangquan’s loss humiliating enough? He’s got guts!”
“Honestly… I’m a little worried. ‘Adult Men and Women’ sounds like a modern romance, very realistic. Not my thing at all.”
“I still trust He Tianzhuo when it comes to crime dramas—he might have the upper hand this time.”
“I don’t care, even if it’s not my genre, I’m watching it for writer Liuli!”
“Wait, did you all forget? The male lead in ‘Adult Men and Women’ is film emperor Shen Shen! Who’s worried about box office now?!”
“Damn, I almost forgot—Shen Shen’s in it. He never misses. I love modern realism now, too!”
While the fan wars raged, the audience was the real winners—because when people compete hard, they create better work, not just cash-grab content.
The netizens were thrilled, but Su Qingli was a bit puzzled.
He Tianzhuo pulled it off???
That was unexpected, but she only spared it a moment of thought. Her full focus was now on her film!
After two months of editing and a quick New Year break, Qingli rested for a month and then began negotiating release slots.
The summer blockbuster season runs only in July and August. Since most films only run a little over a month, her film was scheduled for release on July 7th.
Based on the summer release lineup—which included one foreign film and several domestic ones—this was the hottest release window outside of the Chinese New Year. Naturally, all the top-tier films were crowded in.
Given that, the cinema chains offered an 18% screen share, based on the finished cut and relationship networks.
By comparison, He Tianzhuo’s “Major Crimes Division” secured 21%—not surprising, given his reputation in crime thrillers and the remaining fanbase of Su Yan, plus a supporting cast with big-name actors. As long as he didn’t fumble, the film was expected to perform well with general audiences.
People who knew Qingli personally congratulated her, helping to promote it on Weibo.
Her close friend Ye Qiong was less diplomatic:
“He Tianzhuo blatantly cheated, and he’s still getting this much backing from capital?!”
She was fuming about the high screen share.
Qingli, however, stayed calm. She knew cinema chains wouldn’t hand out favorable screening slots without seeing results first. The real test was box office performance. She even reassured Ye Qiong, adding that, based on a face-reading session she’d once had, she doubted things would go smoothly for He Tianzhuo.
Over on He Tianzhuo’s side, the mood was tense after hearing Qingli’s film had an 18% share.
Su Yan was incredulous:
“Auntie’s first film, and it’s a slice-of-life romance? That genre doesn’t even sell well!”
Zhao Muyun didn’t say anything, but his eyes gleamed. Su Qingli’s talent in screenwriting was unmatched among her peers—aside from a few veterans—and that alone earned her a solid backing. Add in Shen Shen, a Grand Slam-winning actor, and Ning Xi, a Grand Slam music award-winner composing the score, and the draw was undeniable.
People would buy tickets just to see the two of them.
He Tianzhuo’s face darkened. They had hoped to suppress Su Qingli right from the start. Now that it wasn’t happening, he said coldly,
“With Shen Shen involved, she was guaranteed at least 15%. It’s fine. We’ll ramp up promotions. Their film cost only 70 million, but ours? Over 300 million!”
The producer jumped in quickly,
“Exactly! We have to start with a bang!”
They reached a consensus, and the “Major Crimes Division” team began its publicity blitz half a month early, aiming for a July 6th premiere.
Once the release date was set, the promo season kicked in by mid-June.
Qingli began a city-by-city roadshow with her lead cast. Thanks to Shen Shen’s star power, the response was excellent.
On July 5th, the Major Crimes Division held a test screening—early reviews were positive.
By the morning of July 6th, when the film officially opened, the box office hit 40 million RMB in just a few hours. Evening would bring the peak; a 100-million opening day seemed guaranteed.
He Tianzhuo was overjoyed and even booked a banquet hall in advance for the celebration.
Meanwhile, that evening was also the test screening for “Adult Men and Women.” These typically invite veteran film critics. Last time, He Tianzhuo’s team had even paid some of them to ensure that—even if they criticized—it would make the film more intriguing to audiences.
But for Su Qingli’s modest 70-million project, there wasn’t money for that kind of PR. That meant they’d likely see genuine reviews.
After an explosive day at the box office, He Tianzhuo was riding high. He told his assistant:
“Once their reviews come out, show me. I want to see what Su Qingli’s made of.”
So, in the middle of the night—despite not logging into Weibo in months—He Tianzhuo, freshly medicated, picked up his phone to check on his competition.
What he saw was:
“Clean cinematography, pleasing visuals, the leads’ acting, and dialogue delivery were spot on. I thought I’d just watch for Shen Shen, but within minutes, I was completely immersed. The story is the real highlight, though. Warning: spoilers ahead. It’s about a girl who moves to Beijing in search of her dreams…”
“Loved it! It’s nothing like I expected from a modern romance. I cried, but in a good way. It left me feeling hopeful. I’m buying another ticket for tomorrow. Too many spoilers to share now—will write more after others have seen it.”
“Director Su doesn’t feel like a first-timer at all. Total surprise. I even want to rewatch ‘Fengsha’ now just to study her style. Also…”
He Tianzhuo stared as the positive reviews piled up, the comfortable smile on his face slowly vanishing. His brow furrowed deeper and deeper. He took a long breath and finally put his phone down.
Impossible.
These reviews had to be bought. There was no way a debut director could get this much praise.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152