Asked about an old rumored romance with Louis Koo, Sonija Kwok responds graciously.

(Hong Kong, Dec 31) The film adaptation of A Step into the Past held its premiere yesterday (Dec 30). Executive producer and leading man Louis Koo appeared with directors Lai Chun-lung and Ng Yiu-fai, joined by cast members Jessica Hsuan, Raymond Lam, Sonija Kwok, Tavia Yeung, Michael Miu, Bai Baihe and others. Action choreographer Sammo Hung also showed up alongside his son Timmy Hung.

After the premiere, the cast spoke to the press in groups. During her interview, Sonija Kwok was asked again about a long-standing rumor linking her romantically with Louis Koo. She responded calmly and with grace.

Kwok, who first rose to prominence through the original TV series A Step into the Past, said the filming conditions back then never scared her off. Still, she admitted the more literary dialogue was tough to memorize—especially a scene where her character taught Raymond Lam’s character about troops and history: “I thought to myself—if we filmed it now, we probably couldn’t get away with it!”

While dialogue-heavy scenes can be demanding, fans praised Kwok’s sharp, clean action moves in behind-the-scenes footage. She said she has always been able to handle action: “I can fight—that’s in my foundation.” Joking about learning from her husband, she added that he is trained in martial arts, but “he doesn’t just show you everything that easily.”

As the movie’s release brought old gossip back into the spotlight, Kwok summed up years of speculation with a playful line, calling it an “urban legend”: “If it’s a legend, then let it remain a legend.”