Chapter 198: The Movie Premiere
What made Tan Qi fear the “Human Coffin” was not the special effects in the story, nor the demon’s attempt at reincarnation, but rather the desires that resided in people’s hearts.
Despite already possessing wealth, glory, and power, they still sought to defy fate and live for eternity. If not for the demon’s interference, then even if the “Human Coffin” succeeded, would the person who remained alive still be any different from a demon?
Observing the Stars at Night mercilessly depicted the transformation of living people into coffins, drained of vitality and enslaved, accompanied by eerie music that sent a bone-chilling sensation through the audience.
After this, Lu Xu, playing Wei Qingfang, and Li Yan, playing Zhang Bannu, officially appeared on screen. Acting as mediators between humans and deities, they brought an end to the “Human Coffin” ordeal.
Yet, both characters understood that as long as greed existed, today there might be a “Human Coffin,” and tomorrow, there could be an “Animal Coffin,” or even a “God Coffin.”
The moment Lu Xu appeared, Tan Qi felt her friend lightly tap her waist.
“I know, I know,” Tan Qi couldn’t help but nudge her friend in return.
Wei Qingfang, as a character who wandered between the mortal and divine realms, was simply—unbelievably handsome!
Dressed in flowing robes with wide sleeves, his garments billowed elegantly. The word immortal suited him perfectly. Unlike Ji Xiuya’s intense makeup, Wei Qingfang’s appearance was subtle, almost ethereal, making Lu Xu exude an untouchable aura.
Someone already good-looking appeared even more stunning on the big screen. Tan Qi had felt this while watching Feather of Youth, but with Observing the Stars at Night, the feeling was even more intense.
In Feather of Youth, the styling was that of an ordinary college student—an athletic young man full of youthful energy. But Wei Qingfang—
A certain internet-famous phrase popped into Tan Qi’s mind: “Excuse me, may I become XXX’s dog?”
Here, XXX could absolutely refer to Wei Qingfang.
Wei Qingfang looked truly indifferent—perhaps the coldest character Lu Xu had ever portrayed on screen, relying purely on his face to captivate.
When the production team released the trailer, why didn’t they think to include a close-up of Lu Xu’s face? If they had, would anyone have hesitated to buy a ticket?
For his face alone, the movie was already worth the price.
Not to mention, Observing the Stars at Night delivered just as strongly in terms of plot.
The Human Coffin story wove together eerie cult-like horror and mysticism, crafting an atmosphere so immersive that the audience couldn’t help but get lost in it. And beyond that, the expansive world introduced in the movie was equally mesmerizing.
The unfathomable depths of the sea, the celestial sword hidden beneath the icy North Sea pool… Rather than simply calling it visually stunning, it would be more accurate to say that Observing the Stars at Night presented a grand world unlike anything audiences had seen before. The depiction of demons, gods, and spirits stood apart from the fantasy films of recent years.
Wei Qingfang and Zhang Bannu, despite their duty of vanquishing demons, remained distant from the human world.
After the Human Coffin incident, they bore witness to humans using love and devotion to trap demons—forcing them not only to ensure a lifetime of wealth but also to secure prosperity for their descendants for generations to come. They also saw the arrogance of the lofty immortals.
When Wei Qingfang himself was turned into a Human Coffin by dark forces, Tan Qi couldn’t even blink.
Lu Xu’s performance was phenomenal!
A righteous and dignified Wei Qingfang was already stunning, but when tainted by demonic energy, he became captivating in an entirely different way. Though still in historical attire, his madness was distinct from Ji Xiuya’s. When his half-righteous, half-evil self clashed with Zhang Bannu, played by Li Yan—
That fated feeling of ‘You are my dearest friend, yet I must still raise my blade against you’ was simply—
Something only true acting skills could bring to life!
Tan Qi could swear she had heard a sharp, distinct scream from somewhere in the theater.
She wanted to scream too.
There were no flashing blades or dazzling fight sequences—just simple visual effects—but to the audience, while action scenes were important, the subtle emotional shifts during character interactions were just as captivating.
As long as Li Yan and Lu Xu occupied the center of the screen, it was nearly impossible for her to look away. Wei Qingfang still had the same face, the same cold and distant aura. But when he looked at Zhang Bannu, even Tan Qi felt a chill run down her spine.
This wasn’t the Wei Qingfang from before!
Tan Qi even felt nervous on Zhang Bannu’s behalf.
She knew full well that Lu Xu and Li Yan were the protagonists of Observing the Stars at Night. Given their current star status, there was no way they would be casually written off in any film. But that didn’t stop her from being anxious about what would happen next.
She didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.
Tan Qi felt that the tension Observing the Stars at Night brought her was no less intense than some high-budget overseas blockbusters. The difference was that Hollywood films often relied on loud, sudden shocks—one moment everything was calm, and the next, a monster would leap onto the screen, or a character would suddenly die. Observing the Stars at Night, on the other hand, was more methodical in building its suspense. This tension came from the actors’ performances.
Lu Xu and Li Yan were calmly delivering their lines, but because both were actors capable of conveying both restraint and depth, the undercurrents in their exchanges were unmistakable to the audience.
A truly great performance is one that even an outsider—someone merely watching—can feel.
Whereas some so-called “highbrow” performances fail completely when they cannot resonate with the audience.
When the movie finally revealed that everything had been an elaborate act by Zhang Bannu and Wei Qingfang, Tan Qi couldn’t help but feel like she had been completely fooled by the two of them. Their performance was too real—it didn’t feel like acting at all. Because of that, even as the film continued, she remained on edge, constantly worried that Wei Qingfang might suddenly lose control and transform into a demon.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
The two of them successfully eliminated the dark forces lurking behind the conspiracy, but in doing so, they also glimpsed an even more treacherous world.
The layers of intrigue kept unfolding, never leaving the audience with a disappointing “That’s it?” moment. Zhang Bannu’s chilling line, “Are you really Wei Qingfang?” only deepened the suspense.
Every time a new monster appeared, Tan Qi was left in awe. Whether it was a spirit-possessed willow tree or a cat demon, the movie’s CGI preserved distinct features of their original forms without making them feel uncanny or unsettling.
Beautiful demons and gods alike filled the screen!
Observing the Stars at Night absolutely delivered on its visuals!
As Wei Qingfang and Zhang Bannu pressed forward, they uncovered the grim truth of how the mortal world had fallen into such corruption.
There’s an old saying: When a nation is on the brink of ruin, demons will emerge. The sheer number of evil spirits lurking among humanity was proof that the balance of the Three Realms had been shattered.
Wei Qingfang and Zhang Bannu, who had become entangled in this chaos, found themselves as the key to resolving the crisis.
At its core, Observing the Stars at Night was a traditional story—it didn’t reinvent its structure. Yet, the inevitable sacrifice of Wei Qingfang and Zhang Bannu at the end still left the audience feeling a deep sorrow.
Technically, Zhang Bannu didn’t die, but the outcome was no different from death.
He had to transform into a Kunpeng, forever losing the freedom to drink with Wei Qingfang, to walk the forests by his side, to rush through the night just to collect morning dew for tea.
They had lived freely and unrestrained.
Zhang Bannu chose a different path.
To be precise, this was the only path he could have chosen. Given his nature, he could never stand by and watch the mortal world fall into ruin.
Wei Qingfang had only one thing to say: “Take care.”
Sitting in her seat, Tan Qi heard Wei Qingfang’s calm farewell, yet she felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
Before making his decision, Zhang Bannu had told Wei Qingfang that at this point, even if he were to be possessed by demonic forces, it wouldn’t matter. If a choice had to be made between the two of them, he hoped that the one who remained free would be Wei Qingfang.
However, since Zhang Bannu had already transformed into a Kunpeng, how could Wei Qingfang possibly abandon the world his dearest friend had sacrificed himself for? He continued to watch over the mortal realm, his eyes ever-seeing, perceiving the endless cycles of cause and effect. He had allowed Zhang Bannu to walk a path of no return, and so, he would honor that choice.
In the silence, the two of them conveyed countless emotions through a single exchange of glances.
How could there be no reluctance in such a farewell?
Yet, when faced with their own personal desires, they both made the same unspoken decision—to choose the right path.
“These two men weren’t even in a romantic relationship, but this ending hurts more than if they had been torn apart by life and death!”
The moment they stepped out of the theater, Tan Qi’s friend couldn’t hold back any longer.
“It’s a blockbuster! I thought it would just be non-stop action, fortune-telling, and demon-slaying, but it actually ended like this.”
“Well, no one actually died.”
“Sure, no one died, but my heart might as well have.”
Tan Qi sighed. “…Can you be a little less abstract?”
She and her friend both agreed that Observing the Stars at Night was an incredibly well-made fantasy film. The visuals were stunning, the special effects were top-tier, and even if the story wasn’t overly profound—in Tan Qi’s opinion, it was already deep enough—it still told a complete, well-structured narrative that could withstand scrutiny.
In short, the plot wasn’t just a chaotic mess.
Lu Xu and Li Yan’s acting more than held up in this film. With breathtaking visuals, a solid story, and phenomenal performances, the friendship between Zhang Bannu and Wei Qingfang didn’t outweigh their love for the mortal world. Yet, because of that very reason, their bond felt even more profound.
[Incredible!!! A visual effects blockbuster that’s absolutely worth every penny!!]
[This is my #1 Chinese fantasy film! Another masterpiece from Puppy!!]
[I heard that Li Yan personally invited Lu Xu to act in this, and that decision was absolutely perfect!!!]
Tan Qi had gone to the second morning screening of Observing the Stars at Night. At that time, there weren’t many reviews yet—most of what she saw online were generic marketing posts praising the film. Phrases like “explosive acting” and “visually stunning effects” were thrown around repeatedly, the same buzzwords that had been used when Sanzu River was released.
That movie hadn’t just exploded—it had blown up into a complete disaster.
But Observing the Stars at Night was nothing like that.
Tan Qi felt that instead of hiring unreliable marketing accounts, the production team should have just had Lu Xu post more short videos. She had already rewatched his conversation with his manager multiple times.
Like her, many fans had gone to see the film purely because of Lu Xu.
Tan Qi couldn’t help but post her own review online. Her thoughts on Observing the Stars at Night were similar to everyone else’s—
Simply put, Observing the Stars at Night was absolutely amazing!
Another high-quality production from Lu Xu. +1.
Some viewers especially loved the special effects in Observing the Stars at Night, while others were more drawn to its plot.
[It’s both grand in scale and emotionally delicate—not rough at all. Normally, fantasy blockbusters don’t require much acting skill, and many big-name actors tend to become unintentionally over-the-top in these kinds of films. But Lu Xu and Li Yan are completely different—these two are incredibly, incredibly nuanced!]
[The costumes and styling are absolutely stunning!!! I love them! It really feels like the director and screenwriter understand exactly what the audience wants to see. The audience loves epic scenes? Delivered. The audience loves handsome leading men? Delivered!]
Tan Qi searched for the keyword Observing the Stars at Night and scrolled through the results, but she barely found any negative reviews. While a few sharp-tongued critics noted that the plot lacked major surprises, even they admitted that in a visually driven blockbuster, placing the story in a well-balanced and logical structure was already an impressive feat by the production team.
[Observing the Stars at Night has the potential to be a massive hit!]
[Manifesting Observing the Stars at Night surpassing Fearless Life in box office sales! Hoping Puppy smashes records!]
The film’s pre-sales had already far surpassed Fearless Life’s opening day numbers. While blockbusters often lose momentum after the initial hype, the pre-sale numbers spoke for themselves.
[Dreaming of Observing the Stars at Night hitting 500 million on opening day—is that too much to ask?]
[Last year’s Lunar New Year releases and Uncertain Return from the year before both passed 400 million, and I don’t think their pre-sales were as high as Observing the Stars at Night’s?]
[Dream big—no need to hold back. I’ve already seen Observing the Stars at Night, and I truly believe it deserves an even higher box office.]
By noon on Lunar New Year’s Day, fans had stopped dreaming—because reality was even better than they had imagined.
By exactly 12:00 noon, Observing the Stars at Night had already surpassed 200 million in box office sales for the day. Adding in pre-sales, the total had firmly reached 450 million.
And there was still the entire afternoon and evening to go.
“It feels like we’re about to witness the birth of a true blockbuster!”
That statement wasn’t wrong.
Because—one of the top three highest-grossing films of Lu Xu’s entire acting career had just been born.
