The original article was published in Cosmo Fashion Magazine (June Issue 2019, June 1, 2019)
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One: The east wind of destiny did not come.
Two
Many people predicted that his lucky break had already arrived.
“But he felt that these things couldn’t possibly be predicted.”
Three
Four: Reasons for a Good Life
Would you like to be a gentle person at all times?
Five: Always Be Tender
“Stop being a teenager, you’re already 27.”
The director was rehearsing lines downstairs when Xiao Zhan, sitting on the sofa, slapped his leg and laughed. It was past 9 PM, and everyone was still in the hotel, a little tired. This was the first time he’d said “no” that day. The rest of the time, he’d been full of energy, saying “okay.”
He was sitting on a mirrored scale when the director told him to sit on the back. He bent over, gave an OK sign, and said “okay.”
As dusk approached, we decided to light a fire on the beach and race against time. We posted in our WeChat group: “Come run over!” A while later, he hurried over, wearing a coat, and actually came running from the pitch-black night. He circled in place and asked, “What do I need to do?”
This is Xiao Zhan. If I had to describe him specifically, he’s like a few pieces of pineapple soaking in an enamel basin on a summer day—they have that bright yellow color.
So the interview almost entirely started with his “goodness.” Because Xiao Zhan is so good, people wanted to know when, where, and how his “goodness” had an effect, and at what moment it became sharp. As he spoke, he sat down on the rug between the sofa and the coffee table. Seeing this, I sat down as well. There were about ten people in the living room, and the lighting was warm yellow. The atmosphere was as comfortable as a fireside chat.
Xiao Zhan smiles a lot.
He has a cheerful attitude towards life, and towards people as well.
Who unintentionally made a fool of themselves during work hours?
He’ll make a “haha” sound in it.
Sometimes they even proactively reveal jokes.
Now, shall we talk about my principles? My principle is: I will never compromise on the core socialist values. At this point, he became the source of laughter.
“I always try to maintain a balance in interpersonal relationships, to avoid awkward silences. It might be an instinctive reaction,” he said. But isn’t that exhausting?
“Sometimes this kind of atmosphere can make you feel even more… uncomfortable! So I might as well break it.” The dull power emanating from Xiao Zhan passed by the table and met its gaze; it wasn’t hurtful.
And it’s strange, isn’t it? Usually, when people see a very handsome person, they feel a bit intimidated, but Xiao Zhan makes people feel comfortable. He can blend into every scene like a drop of water, just like sitting softly on the carpet right now.
He doesn’t rely on his good looks, nor does he flaunt them, and he doesn’t gain any psychological advantage from it. “So, do you think you’re not handsome?” Ask him this, and he’ll tell you clearly:
“I don’t think I’m not handsome, I swear. Because I used to be a chubby guy weighing almost 150 pounds, but back then I didn’t think I was fat. I thought I was one of the good-looking people among normal people. But after entering this industry, I realized, oh, my face looks like a ball on camera.” Later, he consciously lost weight, and now he weighs 125 pounds.
When others think of you, the first thing that comes to mind is that you’re handsome, are you satisfied with that?
“Of course, it’s also about how others see me. I want to look good.” He smiled. “But I think being good-looking is a prerequisite, OK. Okay, then you can get to know me properly! Handsome, good-looking, here’s what follows.”
Despite mentioning “understanding,” the Xiao Zhan before us is still the one the outside world knows. Only the sand on the floor, the sand he walked on from the beach, serves as a reminder. He’s radiant at this moment; he’s put in considerable effort to achieve it. So let’s just ask directly: what side of you is unknown to the outside world?
He answered quickly, “Actually, my temper isn’t as good as everyone imagines.” I sensed he was also eager to reveal some of his “flaws.” Before this, people had adored him with so many wonderful adjectives. For example, gentle, insightful. All those wonderful words seem to carry weight so easily; being a gentle person isn’t necessarily that simple, is it?
“I’m impatient, but that applies to myself. Things I want to do, I have to do immediately; procrastination is torture.” He has his own sharp edges.
There are times when you’re really anxious and angry, your anger churning in your chest like a cloud, but what comes out is just, “…never mind.” “If I said something like that to him in anger, what would he think? The way he sees you is the way you see him.”
Xiao Zhan feels that being a perpetually gentle person is “not good.” “Because too much compromise can lead to a loss of direction,” he says. He hopes to stand firm on what he should stand for, and not back down on what he cannot compromise on. Sometimes, however, he thinks, “It’s been 27 years, so let it be. Anyway, nothing much has really happened.”
It’s not easy to be someone who can always laugh.
It’s not easy to always be gentle.
If a person can do both of these things
That wasn’t because he was exceptionally talented, but because of his choice.
Choose to benefit others.
During the trip, he mentioned that his work schedule on set was very regular, and I remarked: “It’s like an office worker.” Xiao Zhan didn’t like this description, but he didn’t say it directly. “I’m an ambitious young man who loves going to work! An office worker who loves going to work! Okay?”
Six: Gentleness is a vibrant rejection, and it is also a soft one.
Seven
I think gentleness is tolerance.
sometimes
How he sees you is how you see him.
Eight: Will the East Wind Come or Not?
He was waiting for the wind, yet he wasn’t really waiting.
Many people predicted that the favorable wind in Xiao Zhan’s life had already arrived, time and time again. He was favored, anticipated, and nervous in anticipation, and then the wind passed.
Xiao Zhan seriously discussed this matter with his friends, and in the end he felt, “Can you predict whether I’ll become famous or not? If taking this role will make me famous, then I’ll take it.”
“impossible.”
Then he asked me in return, “What is ‘red’? Is it being so red that everyone knows it? Actually, it’s hard to define.”
Xiao Zhan’s numerous counter-questions that day were quite surprising. In that instant, it felt like a rebound hitting us, and we realized that it was actually us, not him, who were troubled by this question.
Asking him about his views on success and failure seemed too serious. “I…goodness,” he reacted, feeling the question was too broad. But in that short time, only sharp questions could elicit his thoughts. “Just say whatever comes to mind,” I told him. He nodded.
“I think there are only two options: ‘getting better’ or ‘stagnation.’ “
“If I were still in the same state as I was two years ago, would you consider it a failure? I think it would be stagnation, right? If Xiao Zhan from two years ago could travel back in time and see himself two years from now, would he consider it a success? I think he would consider it a success. But for me now, would it be considered a success? Actually, no.”
So what? “Then just focus on doing our jobs well.” Like a sword being sheathed, Xiao Zhan’s usual light and cheerful tone came through.
His current focus is filming. He’s filmed quite a few shows, many of which are yet to be released, but that doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm.
He learned acting gradually. While filming “The Wolf,” Xiao Zhan felt very nervous. Afraid of not doing well, he took every scene extremely seriously and gave it his all. Later, when he learned to “relax,” he realized, “that over-exertion was actually bad.” That’s how he improved. But for a while, a friend said he had that “bouncy” feeling from Ji Chong, and he remembered it for a long time.
Nine
I ‘ve been in a state of low self-confidence for a long time, and I’m always a little self-doubting . So, I care more and want to be seen than others.
Ten
Eleven
Twelve: Before Midsummer
“There’s a scale inside me, and I’m on both sides of it.”
Thirteen
Fourteen: “She wrote me a letter”
“Shee got married and is very happy. It feels great.”
“She wrote to me saying she got married…” He widened his beautiful eyes, feeling both touched and incredulous. “She watched me come out of the show and has always liked me. Now she has met her other half, is married, and is very happy. Wow, this feeling is amazing!” When he read this letter from a fan that day, the sense of “companionship” became clear and tangible, like the envelope he was holding in his hand.
So even now, Xiao Zhan feels that his fans are like childhood friends to him. “In my generation, we all had a group of kids in the neighborhood. After school, we would finish our homework and play together, and then we grew up together.” He stretched out his hand to show his height, his smile bright. “Now, the kids of my elementary school classmates are all this tall.” As he landed, a breeze brushed past his arm.
The seaside near Xiangshan is also very windy, whipping his hair during the day and stinging his eyes with smoke when he lights a fire. One cannot control the wind, but one can control one’s own state of mind. Will the east wind come or not? No one can predict. The best approach is to wait and see.
People are like winds that brush against each other’s lives. There will always be someone who steps into his life and is willing to stand here with him and listen to the wind.
Fifteen
You are one in a thousand of beauty , and also all of beauty.
Sixteen
