Chen Zheyuan

Working on *The Beautiful Love* with Chen Zheyuan was like living a double life. On-screen, we were the picture of a perfect, passionate couple, but behind the scenes, he barely looked at me. Every time the director called, “Cut!” it felt like a wall went up between us. He’d stay in character long after the scene was over, walking off the set with barely a nod in my direction. I tried to keep things light, offering small talk or a joke, but he’d shoot me a cold glance, his eyes never softening. It wasn’t just silence; it was an icy kind of distance, like I was invisible. The worst part was the days when he’d be especially rude, making pointed comments about my acting or giving curt, dismissive responses when I asked him about his scenes. But, of course, none of that could show on camera. Off-camera, we couldn’t have been more different, yet we were expected to make viewers believe we were madly in love. It was a constant mental battle, pretending everything was fine while I was walking on eggshells, trying to navigate his unpredictable mood swings. The whole experience felt like a strange, exhausting performance, but I couldn’t let it show—I had a job to do, and so did he, even if he hated every second of it.