
Historical drama fans, it’s time to rejoice now that we have a new drama to be excited for!
Dilireba Dilmurat (Eternal Love of Dream) and Wu Lei (Fights Break Sphere) will be headlining The Long Ballad (Chang Ge Xing) 长歌行 set during the Tang Dynasty. Zhao Lusi (I Hear You) and Liu Yuning (Singer 2019) are also joining the cast.
Both leads are no strangers to historical dramas and have never worked in a drama together before so this is quite exciting to watch. Fans have already heard that this drama was going to take place with Qu Chuxiao (Bloody Romance) but the actor had problems with his management, causing him to drop out of this project.

The drama will be based on Xia Da‘s manhua of the same name and has a huge following online. The story will follow Princess Li Chang Ge’s journey to avenge her parents when her father – Crown Prince Li Jiancheng was killed after the Xuanwu Gate Incident. After this tragedy, she escaped from the palace and hid her identity as a boy so she could plot her revenge.
Both actors spotted at the filming ceremony today caused mixed reactions. There are those fans who still preferred Qu Chuxiao to be the male lead since Dilireba is seven years older than the 20-year-old Wu Lei while others actually think that they look good together. Although we haven’t seen a lot from the production yet, I’m pretty sure that we will get some promotional materials real soon.
As for me, I always enjoy seeing Dilireba in dramas especially the historical ones so there is no doubt that I will check this out. It’s also refreshing that she’s not paired with a colleague from Jaywalk Studio after starring in multiple consecutive dramas with them. I’m also quite curious to see how her chemistry will fair with Wu Lei as I haven’t watched him act in dramas yet.
What do you think of this pairing and this drama?
Source: 1
Anonymous
Count me as one of the really disappointed fans of Qu ChuXiao. And I don't particularly care for Wu Lei. Sigh. Oh, well.
Anonymous
I prefer Qu ChuXiao because the male character in the book is supposed to be 5 yrs older than the female character, but Leo is actually 7 years younger than Reba, so there's likely a believability issue.
Also, to be clear, Qu ChuXiao didn't drop out of the drama voluntarily. Instead, he was forced out by his management company (with whom he's having a contract dispute), which is an investor in the drama. Of course, none of this has anything to do with Leo.
Anonymous
I was thinking it might be good if they actually get Zhang Bin Bin to star with her.
jiminie
Damn I was looking forward to watching another drama with Qu Chuxiao. Loved him in Bloody Romance
Anonymous
I like to see her pair up with someone else beside Zhang Bin Bin & Vengo Gao for a change, but not Leo Wu. There are some videos paired her up her & Xiao Zhan on YouTube. I wouldn't mind that at all. Xiao Zhan is great.
Gline
You’ll certainly recall what you have written here as their chemistry is undeniably explosive
Anonymous
* correction:
I meant with Xiao Zhan.
Anonymous
MOST TERRIBLE CHOICE EVER
I like both DRB and Wu Lei
I don't care about age gaps
But I care about looks
DLRB always have mature looks, her face is bigger and rounder than most actress, she does not look like a little girl but instead, a lady or woman
and Wu Lei looks like a kid, with very small face
Unknown
I agree… that be a dream come true
kiwilove
It's a no from me.
Anonymous
well this is disappointing
Anonymous
They are not fitting as leads… They are different age wise & most importantly acting wise… Wu lei will outshine her, i mean her acting isn't the best, she always plays the same face & expression, i also hoped he would choose more challenging & different role so he can shine more… He should stop doing fantasy drama… Whata waste of good actor
Unknown
They should've chosen a lead whose face is more mature and a more well rounded actor like Huang Xiaoming or Hu Ge or even Eddie Peng. Pairing her up with an older actor will help bring out the dynamics of the two characters
Anonymous
The character is a seasoned general who is battle hardened and has seen a lot of blood and death. Wu Lei looks like a kid and acts like a kid. He should do something more appropriate for him. And if there is any love scenes between them, that would feel really really weird, like an older woman after a schoolboy. Anyway, will not be holding my breath for this drama as I am not a fan of Dilireba's acting either.
Anonymous
Those actors are A lister, and she’s not quite there yet
QueenCherry
I LOVE Wu Lei, Why are you all Hating on him.
Anonymous
Qu Chuxiao and Dilraba Dilmurat paired would be great. I like Qu Chuxiao Bloody Romance drama and his movie The Wandering Earth. He is an amazing actor. Wu Lei is so young for the character of general. I hope he can nail the role.
Anonymous
LOL 11.a you make no sense. Wu Lei got the same award like Hu Ge because he's a great actor too. And Wu Lei is working with DLRB. The problem is just Wu Lei looks too young.
Besides the people you think are all A lister, they already worked with new people for their debut many many times, and DLRB is already an established actress for years. Fans look down on others, but them as great actors don't see things the way you do.
Anonymous
I don't think you're understanding it, people like Wu Lei, but he is young and his face is very young so he match pairing up with girls who are smaller than him. Who wants to see a ML with a FL who looks like his mom?
Anonymous
I would not compare a guy to a gal in acting. Don't really understand your bias too. According to your logic, Wu Lei is doing too much dramas of the same genre, but his acting is still great. But Dilireba isn't great just because she also do the same drama genres? Like Wu Lei, her acting is good but just put in repetitive roles like Wu Lei. If you understand Wu Lei, Dilireba shouldn't be any different.
Lots of Dilierba dramas are terrible, but at least fans are honest about that, even ELOD isn't that good and her fans didn't pretend like it's the best thing on earth only for her sake.
Anonymous
I see them GREAT as side kicks for each other but not as lovers, this needs to be reconsidered. It's going to be a waste of time. Both Wu Lei and DLRB got stinky dramas that came out over the years, it is time, we are looking forward to see them in better dramas. Looks like its never gonna happen.
@liss@
So disappointing as I was looking forward to Qu Chuxiao 🙁 hope he would be able to comeback in a new drama soon. He's definitely a stable actor.
Anonymous
Hmmm…How was this a refreshing new thing when DLRB was already paired with Vic chou(not from JW) before in The Flame's Daughter. Not to mention Diamond lover(none from JW).
Unknown
Aww. So disappointing. I was really looking forward to Qu Chuxiao as well. He would have been so Perfect for the role!! I also think Dilireba and Chuxiao would be really good together as well…Ahh. I was looking forward to this drama…??
Anonymous
What a joke for people who step on Dilraba because Wu lei becomes the lead actor. If you are not aware, Dilraba has been confirmed as the lead actress for months. Many famous actors had been fighting for the lead actor role for the past few months. Qu Chuxiao was substituted by Wu Lei the very last minute because Qu Chuxiao's contract is ending. If you don't like Wu Lei to pair up with Dilraba, ask him not to take this role. There are many other good actors who want to take up this role gratefully.
Anonymous
I agree Zhang Bin Bin fits the role quite well and has better chemistry with Dilraba, but Reba really shouldn't pair up with any actors from Jiaxing Media any more. Reba has never been treated fairly whenever she is paired up with any actors from Jiaxing.
Nanna36
I would pair her with Hu Ge as a male lead. He is more mature and an excellent actor.
I m not a huge fan of her acting. Ps. This doesn't mean that she is a bad actress, she just not my first choice but I think they would fit well in this drama/
Anonymous
Why would HuGe want to be paired with her?!?!
Unknown
19.a Why wouldn't he? You wrote that post like you personally know his acting preferences for his co-stars.
Anonymous
She deserve to be paired up with Hu Ge, Zhu Yi Long, Li YiFeng or Yang Yang! These guys better suits her. Wu Lei is so such a kid, he doesn't match her and to be honest his acting in recent film is just okay. Is he popular because he is a child actor? DLRB worked so hard within her short time in show biz and has accomplished so much more, she doesn't reply on shipping to win awards.Too bad she can't pick her own partners.
Anonymous
20 and 20.a You must have not known much about her I guess. She got popular because of her pairing with Luhan and definitely used shipping earlier than that with William Chan.
And let's not start with HER award.
Anonymous
True she haven't got famous for being shipped with guys before. That is admirable of her. Everyone uses connections, and her connection is through Yang Mi who is a strong woman so there is no dirt anyone can spray on DLRB.
Lots and lots of actresses (actors too) used the method of shipping to make themselves buzz around. They even go as far as pretending to be dating, or make their fans speculate if they were dating. They will have matching items (clothes, jewelries, accessories, etc.) that would continue on for months. It is really irritating.
Anonymous
I use to ship her with Lu Han! So many people did, it was disappointing when he announced his new gf. I think Lu Han lost a lot of fans because of that! Now he is not that popular, people didn't like that he did that to Reba. There were other people shipping her with Zhang Bin Bin, now because of the Eternal Love , all I see now it Vengo. She is too good for both of them!
Unknown
Agreed 11.B, its his youthful appearance thats causing a great deal of hesitation for me. I hope the styling team are able to give him that air of esteem and political intellect for a seasoned general. I have a feeling that they might try and rely on his "boyish" appearance to gain favour with fans who will be heavily into the whole "shipping" brigade.
I'm quite happy that they cast an actress of Uyghur descent. It definitely gives the series a level of authenticity in that respect
sharks
I'm a huge fan of the manhua. The author had to stop publishing because of a legal fight with her company but I'm glad I'll get to see the story in a new form. re: the casting, I'm very pleased they chose an actress of Uyghur descent. As for the age problem, Wu Lei is closer to the age of the actual character than Qu Chuxiao anyway. Dilraba is much older than her character but I think their age difference doesn't really show and they look good together! Honestly, it's far from the focus of the manhua anyway. Anyway, here's hoping that the drama turns out to be good!
sharks
I'm a huge fan of the manhua. The author had to stop publishing because of a legal fight with her company but I'm glad I'll get to see the story in a new form. re: the casting, I'm very pleased they chose an actress of Uyghur descent. As for the age problem, Wu Lei is closer to the age of the actual character than Qu Chuxiao anyway. Dilraba is much older than her character but I think their age difference doesn't really show and they look good together! Honestly, it's far from the focus of the manhua anyway. Anyway, here's hoping that the drama turns out to be good!
Anonymous
Almost all of you here complaining bout the casting but have you guys even read the manhhua?if you dont then stop talking nonsense.
Anonymous
Just simple. when you dont like the pair, just skip watching.
Anonymous
As I’m reading these negative comments about an actor/actress, I’m wondering how many have actually scene the drama so far and still feel the same way. I don’t like these senseless debates, but have watched the first 18 episodes and think they are great! There are certain things that are out of their control, but when they’re on screen, I think they’re very professional and lived up to their respective characters really well. For those who only focus on age, that’s just ignorance. If you didn’t have a way to check on the ages of the actor(ess), you would not be able to tell.
A
Wow, mostly negative comments here o.o I’m a lil surprised that ppl are still so hung up on age differences. A woman can be paired up with a guy who’s 10, 15 or 20 years older, yet not with someone 7 yrs younger? Dilraba looks younger than her age. Yes, she does look a little older than him, but he looks more grown-up now and his acting carried the character well. I didn’t even know there was so much fuss over their ages until I started watching TLB. Srsly, the complaints are so overblown.
This drama has captured my attention so far and hasn’t lagged until ep.26. Now they’ve started spending more time on the 2nd couple’s plot line and this is where I started to feel a little bored cuz of many reasons. But the main storyline and couple is quite entertaining and isn’t heavy on the romance part. The characters have agency and that’s quite refreshing to watch.
Mimi
Wow reading thru the comments,there was a lot of hesitation about Wu Lei being too young for the role (tbh I had the same thoughts) and guess what He’s MAD GOOD in this, very believable as a general!! On the other hand have never been a fan of Reba’s acting beyond certain roles( she was very convincing as cute bai feng jiu in TMOPB, but idk how to explain it, she’s not natural and overacts and overemphasizes her cuteness all the time, which is very off putting ) and she’s very underwhelming in this role.. Wu lei was definitely the breakout in this drama!!
J
Look at the negative comments, I do not wonder why people still sit and stuck with old age ideas. This is 21 century, the age is no matter if you are capable same thing with school.If you are smart, you can take shortcut exam for upper level.Furthermore, what is wrong people? Dilireba has baby face and looks young. Why she could not portray the female leader. Stop nagging silly things instead of focusing with her acting. However, no matter how good Reba is, netizens and racist people still trash her anyway. She is better off leave China. She could be Global ambassador because of her multi talented ; languages, diverse background, music etc. Other Hans or Chinese actress could only represent in Chinese market, but few idols will be popular in international market. A lot of evil and jealous people here. If you don’t like, do not watch it. Stop to to trash other actor and actress.
Anon
I love love this couple. Their chemistry was perfect and the pairing did not disappoint. I wonder if anyone who was negative before changed their minds after watching it. Both Leo and Dilereba delivered superbly. Was very impressed. (Was not a fan of Dilereba before and hadn’t even heard of Leo) so far best couple for me in 2021 and I hope they get another chance to collaborate again.
There was no obvious age difference and only people who knew about their age gap before was already prejudiced.
Liiky
Dilraba look outshine many famous actress. Her acting is also great.
Keewee
Lol at the old comments. Nobody can play a better Ashile Sun than Wu Lei. He was superb, beyond my expectations.