Former couple Chen Ziying and Sheng Tianjun reunite 4.5 years after their breakup to co-star in Astro's original Chinese drama series 'The Underworld Bride.' In the series, Chen Ziying plays A Dou, a ghost bride from a hundred years ago, and the former couple showcases a love-hate relationship across past and present lives in their ninth collaboration.
Sheng Tianjun is grateful that they are still good friends and that their chemistry remains undiminished; Chen Ziying jokingly compares them to their characters 'A Dou' and 'Xian Chu,' remarking that they must have been 'entangled' in a past life to have collaborated on nine dramas.
On the 2nd, directors Guo Fuhua and Chen Yuying led the main cast, including Chen Ziying, Sheng Tianjun, Li Weishen, Luo Liqin, Chen Peijiang, Weng Shuqiang, Zhong Guoqiang, Guan Jiazhi, Huang Peiyu, Zhang Manyu, Lin Jianwen, and Chen Beishan, to attend the lens-opening ceremony held at the Malaysia Chinese Museum, where they shared behind-the-scenes stories and introduced their characters.
Set in the 1900s, the drama combines the history of Chinese workers in Malaysia with the tradition of ghost marriages, spanning past and present lives. It marks the first new collaboration for former lovers Sheng Tianjun and Chen Ziying since 2020's 'The Promise of Love,' more than four years ago.
Speaking about working together again, Sheng Tianjun straightforwardly said: "I'm glad we are still good friends to this day; it's truly important." He mentioned that their interactions on set haven't changed much and that they still joke, discuss the script, and advise each other. "Working together again ensures there will be mutual understanding."
Chen Ziying laughed and said: "We're like 'A Dou' and 'Xian Chu' in the drama; we must have had some 'entanglement' in a past life to be able to collaborate on nine dramas."
Chen Ziying admitted that she felt reassured and relieved when she learned that Sheng Tianjun was her co-star, and she reflected: "It's rare for two actors to collaborate continuously." She also noted that both have shown remarkable growth in life and acting skills in recent years, "We're like comrades now." Speaking about playing a ghost again, Chen Ziying humorously noted, "I was really excited when I first got the role because it's such a fun character."
She revealed that the drama will include scenes of bone collecting, coffin opening, and lying in a coffin, making it a production with no taboos.