Dancing with the Tide

Dancing with the Tide
Traditional Chinese何不同舟渡
Simplified Chinese何不同舟渡
Literal meaningWhy Not Cross the River Together
Hanyu PinyinHé bù tóng zhōu dù
Genre
Based onWhy Not Cross the River Together (何不同舟渡)
by Xian Yu Ke
Written by
Huang Fen
Directed byYang Wenjun
Starring
Country of originChina
Original languageMandarin
Production
Executive producers
  • Lü Hanshi
  • Xu Yi
  • Li Zheng
Producers
  • Dai Linzhi
  • Su Shiyu
  • Wu Zhifei
Production locationsHengdian World Studios, China
Production companies
Original release
Network

Dancing with the Tide (Chinese: 何不同舟渡; pinyin: Hé bùtóng zhōudù) is an upcoming Chinese historical spy drama, starring Tan Jianci and Lu Yuxiao.[1][2] Written by Huang Fen, and directed by Yang Wenjun, the series is adapted from the web novel Why Not Cross the River Together, by Xian Yu Ke.[1][2] It is scheduled to premiere on streaming platforms Mango TV and Hunan TV.[1][2]

Synopsis

The story follows Xie Queshan (Tan Jianci), a general burdened with the label of being a traitor, who tracks down Nan Yi (Lu Yuxiao), a petty thief who accidentally steals a letter of military importance from him.[1][2][3][4] From a life-or-death chase, lasting only an incense stick worth of time, Xie Queshan and Nan Yi eventually form a strategic alliance, amidst a backdrop of political instability in a divided nation.[1][2][3][4]

Gradually, the two begin to rely on each other, and work together to resolve dangerous situations.[1][2][3][4] As their bond deepens, the secrets behind Xie Queshan's cold exterior start to unravel, whilst Nan Yi grows from a low-level thief struggling to survive, into a strong, independent spy with loyalty for her country, who lives with dignity through her own abilities.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

The two weather the storm together, sharing their hearts amidst the turmoil, and jointly protecting their homeland.[7]

Cast

Main

  • Tan Jianci as Xie Queshan: A general with a double identity, who ventures into the darkness and protects his country, walking alone amidst the misunderstandings of the world.[1][2]
  • Lu Yuxiao as Nan Yi: A resilient woman who grows from a petty thief struggling for survival to a spy and righteous nationalist.[1][2]
  • Zhao Zhaoyi as Xie Sui'an[1]
  • Yin Haoyu as Zhang Yuehui[1]
  • Cao Jun Song Muchuan[1]
  • Xu Zhengxi as Xiahou Jun: A cold and suspicious minister.[1][6]

Special appearances

  • Li Meng as Nangong Puruo[1]
  • Ye Zuxin as Xie Hengzai[1]
  • He Qiu as Xu Kouyue[1]
  • Chen Shu as Xie Tang'an (Lady Gantang)[1]
  • Wang Jinsong as Shen Zhizhong[1]
  • Zhou Chengao[2]
  • Zheng Yecheng as Pang Yu[1]

Production

Background

On April 8, 2024, it was announced that Perfect World Pictures and Li Zheng Studio had acquired the film and television rights to Why Not Cross the River Together, a historical spy, romance, and political intrigue novel by author Xian Yu Ke.[8] Published on Tomato Novels, the book received a score of 9.7 with 85,000 reviews, and consistently ranked in the top 3 of the platform's high-scoring list.[2] According to platform data, it ranked 1st on Tomato's completed novel list and 2nd on its popularity list, making it a significant intellectual property on the platform.[8]

Development

On June 24, 2024, Dancing with the Tide was selected for Tencent's 2024 drama list, and a concept poster was released.[9] On October 18, 2024, the show was selected for Tencent's 2025 film and television list.[10] The drama's platform was later changed from Tencent TV to Mango TV, where it would receive greater allocation of resources.[11] In September 2025, the drama was registered.[12]

The series is produced by Mango TV, Hunan TV, and Mango Media, with Mango TV's Full Studio, Perfect World Pictures, Li Zheng Studio, and Tomato Novel as co-producers.[2][13] It has a total investment of over 8 million yuan.[14] The screenplay is primarily written by Huang Fen, whilst Yang Wenjun is the general director.[2][13] Yang previously won Shanghai TV Festival's Magnolia Award for Best Director.[2]

Casting

The cast of Dancing with the Tide was officially announced on January 25, 2026, with Tan Jianci and Lu Yuxiao in starring roles.[6] Director Yang Wenjun revealed that "during casting, the two actors had a scene together. Tan Jianci improvised a line, and Lu Yuxiao immediately picked up on it, so they were cast on the spot".[14]

Filming

The booting ceremony was held on January 25, 2026, at Hengdian World Studios, and principal photography commenced that day.[13][14][6] The series is anticipated to film for 4–5 months, with a total of 32 episodes, and is scheduled to premiere simultaneously on Hunan TV and Mango TV.[14][6][11]

Marketing

A staggered promotional strategy was used to market the series. On January 25, 2026, the first stills of Tan Jianci and Lu Yuxiao as their characters were released by the official team, in addition to behind-the-scenes footage of the pair's costume fittings.[7] On February 14, 2026, a promotional poster was released for Valentine's Day, depicting Nan Yi (Lu Yuxiao) and Xie Queshan (Tan Jianci) raising a toast to each other.[15] The poster generated significant buzz for the series, with the related hashtag garnering over 100 million views in a single day, and earning it the title of "the pinnacle of aesthetics for period dramas in 2026" from the media.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s 腾讯网 (2026-01-25). "《何不同舟渡》官宣，檀健次泪洒开机现场，搭档卢昱晓，未拍先火_腾讯新闻". news.qq.com (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "古言谍战权谋剧《何不同舟渡》开机 檀健次卢昱晓领衔主演_青网新娱乐频道_中国青年网". fun.youth.cn. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  3. ^ a b c d "《何不同舟渡》未播先火 檀健次卢昱晓演绎乱世救赎". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  4. ^ a b c d "《何不同舟渡》杀疯了！卢昱晓檀健次雪景同框，古偶美学直接封神". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  5. ^ "古言谍战权谋剧《何不同舟渡》开机 檀健次卢昱晓携手谍海浮沉". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  6. ^ a b c d e "《何不同舟渡》在横店影视城开机 顶配班底未播先火_娱乐频道_中华网". ent.china.com. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  7. ^ a b c "《軋戲》盧昱曉新劇演女賊6套造型曝光超殺 男主檀健次扮將軍氣場強大全網夢回《長相思》 -- 上報". www.upmedia.mg (in Chinese). Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  8. ^ a b "完美世界影视牵手番茄小说，头部IP作品《何不同舟渡》影视化提上日程 - 完美世界影视官方网站". pictures.games.wanmei.com. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  9. ^ "Sina Visitor System". passport.weibo.com. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  10. ^ "Sina Visitor System". passport.weibo.com. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  11. ^ a b "何不同舟渡 古装谍战剧未播先火_娱乐频道_中华网". ent.china.com. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  12. ^ "国家广播电视总局 公告公示 国家广播电视总局办公厅关于2025年9月全国拍摄制作电视剧（网络剧）备案公示的通知". www.nrta.gov.cn. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  13. ^ a b c "《何不同舟渡》横店开机 檀健次卢昱晓共平汹涌浪潮". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  14. ^ a b c d 腾讯网 (2026-01-27). "檀健次、卢昱晓开机互憋笑，曹骏成最强助攻，网友：这组合甜疯了_腾讯新闻". news.qq.com (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  15. ^ a b 新浪乐迷公社 (2026-02-14). "檀健次卢昱晓2026情人节海报引热议，网友直呼"古偶美学天花板"". 手机新浪网 (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2026-03-12.
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