Translator: Yunyi Editor: Yunyi
The reason why Tangning didn’t make preparations for ‘The Ant Queen 2’ was because ‘The Ant Queen’ hadn’t officially started screening yet. For the sake of the Fei Tian Awards, Mo Ting deliberately delayed the release of the film. Surprisingly, the hype for the film never died down.
All the other national awards ceremonies began to commence, but Tangning did not have her eye on any of them. Her biggest dream that year was to help Qiao Sen win the Best Director Award that he deserved.
The night before the release of ‘The Ant Queen’, Beijing experienced some snowfall.
Amidst the cold weather, Tangning fulfilled her promise to her fans by booking out theaters all across the nation for them to enjoy her and Qiao Sen’s creation as soon as possible.
At the same time, a few other big films were playing at the theaters. Since everyone was aware of Tangning’s film, they deliberately avoided the same release date and scheduled to have their film released before Tangning’s. That was the only way for fans to not lose interest in their film because of ‘The Ant Queen’.
Everyone was secretly shunning Tangning’s film because it was impossible to compete against her. This was the best way to avoid embarrassment.
On the night of the premiere, President Mo finished work nice and early and returned home. After freshening up he approached Tangning’s side and said, “Get ready, let’s head out…”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go watch your film.”
After coaxing the three kids to sleep and instructing the dietitian to take good care of them, he left the villa with Tangning.
Wearing big thick coats and black gloves, the couple headed to the theater hand-in-hand.
Since it was the middle of winter, it was a lot harder for people to recognize them. All they had to do was wrap themselves in a thick scarf and they would be well-disguised.
They originally had the option of selecting a luxurious and spacious theater for the screening, but Mo Ting knew that Tangning wanted to know the audience’s reaction as soon as possible, so he decided to bring her out to a normal theater.
After arriving at the theater, Mo Ting went to park his car while Tangning waited for him at the entrance. At this time, a little 5-year-old girl suddenly ran towards Tangning and hugged her leg, “I recognize you, you’re Tangning, you’ve appeared on a lot of newspapers.”
Tangning was a little taken aback. Where did this child come from? So, she knelt down and looked at the little girl, “Where are your parents?”
“Tangning, can I get your autograph?”
Tangning was already in her early thirties, yet this little girl was calling her by her full name.
So, Tangning couldn’t help but laugh as she pinched the little girls cold and rosy cheeks, “Of course.”
A moment later, the little girl’s mother came looking for her daughter. As soon as she saw Tangning, she was so excited that she covered her mouth in shock.
Tangning immediately gestured her to hush, “Don’t let anyone know!”
“Are you also here to watch your film?” the young mother asked as she pointed to the theater. “Are you here on your own? Or are you here with President Mo?”
At this time, Mo Ting finished parking his car and returned to Tangning’s side.
Tangning turned around and looked at her husband helplessly, “I’ve been recognized…”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. But, which screening are you going to? Can I join you?”
“‘The Ant Queen’ is a little gory, I don’t recommend taking a young child to watch it,” Tangning laughed.
“That’s fine. I’ll tell her father to watch an animated film with her. Can I sit next to you?”
“OK,” Tangning nodded.
Because they arrived quite early, there weren’t many film fans around. After scanning her eyes across the theater, Tangning felt a little disappointed.
“Are you nervous again?”
“It’s because I care about this film…” Tangning said before she tried to slow down her breathing and calm down. “Did you know, Ting, I’ve waited a long time for this day?”
“Qiao Sen has definitely seen what you’ve done. Don’t worry.”
The young woman sitting next to Tangning saw her nervousness and felt a sense of closeness. It turned out, this legendary woman was an innocent little woman when she was next to Mo Ting. Moreover, she wasn’t as one-dimensional as the public said she was; she actually had a lot of emotions. Even though she appeared elegant on the surface, it couldn’t hide her nervousness.
“Tangning, you’re really easy to get along with! You’re nothing like the cold person that people describe you as!”
…
5 minutes before the film was to start, people finally started entering the theater. One seat after another, the theater slowly filled to the brim.
But, this was where Tangning’s next worry began. Even though the theater was full, it didn’t mean that they would sit there until the end.
She may have received a good review from the test screening, but she couldn’t rule out the possibility that a portion of people liked to act like experts.
The audience had always been the ones to determine the success of ‘The Ant Queen’.
Afterwards, the film officially started screening. During the 2+ hour film, only 2-3 people got up to go to the bathroom. In fact, they rushed back and forth as though they were worried they’d miss out on something.
In the end, when the lights turned on, Tangning watched as the audience stood up with excited and satisfied expressions on their faces and finally felt relieved.
It made her realize the responsibility that she had.
After exhausting so much energy and even sacrificing a life, what was the purpose of creating a film like ‘The Ant Queen’?
Wasn’t it for a moment like this?
“Wow, that was so thrilling! The Ant Queen was disgusting. But, I feel so content and comfortable after watching the film.”
“It was worth waiting a few months for it…This film was so good that I feel like crying!”
“This was indeed produced by Tangning. She certainly lives up to her reputation!”
“I’ve decided. From now on, whether Tangning’s acting or producing, I’ll be content as long as God doesn’t let her leave the film and television industry.”
“She’s the nation’s number one in sci-fi! Tangning and ‘The Ant Queen’!”
After watching the film, the theater was filled with praise for ‘The Ant Queen’. Everyone was extremely excited. If they had to describe the way they felt, it would be ‘pleasantly surprised’. They couldn’t wait to share the film with the people they knew.
The scene made Tangning feel like crying.
From the moment she first decided to produce a sci-film, 2 years had already passed…
She got to where she was with the support of Qiao Sen and Mo Ting.
And, everything was worth it!
Snowflakes drifted outside the theater, but due to the screening of ‘The Ant Queen’, the theater felt warm and lively. It seemed, it had been a while since the theater experienced such a reaction. The last time this happened was when the trailer for ‘The Ant Queen’ was released.
Indeed, the only person that could surpass Tangning was herself.
“I hope Tangning can produce more films. At least 2 per year!”
“Tangning, nothing can stop you from being my idol…”
When Tangning saw the comments online, she couldn’t help but feel satisfied. So, she turned and left the theater with Mo Ting. However, at this time, Mo Ting discovered a freezing baby lying beside their car…
