LayarHijau – Historical romance drama Key to the Phoenix Heart (《雀骨》), starring Hou Minghao and Ai Mi, has officially come to an end. In the series, Hou Minghao plays Xiao Wuyi, a young general devoted to protecting Xie Jiayu, portrayed by Ai Mi.
Following the drama’s finale, the two stars sat down with Sohu Entertainment to talk about their filming experience, their characters, and their off-screen partnership. During the interview, Hou Minghao revealed that he shares one quality with Xiao Wuyi: he often found himself supporting Ai Mi throughout filming. At the same time, he emphasized that, unlike their characters’ romance, their real-life relationship is more like that of an older brother and younger sister.
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Hou Minghao described their dynamic on set as natural and easygoing. While they occasionally teased each other and playfully challenged one another, they were always there to support each other throughout production.
He shared that Ai Mi would sometimes ask for his thoughts while preparing for emotionally demanding scenes. In his view, she is an actress with plenty of creative ideas about her own performance.
“I don’t think she doubts her own ideas,” Hou Minghao said. “She just needs someone to support her and give her confidence. If I say something, it helps her feel more at ease and gives her the confidence to perform more boldly.”
Because of that, he was happy to be someone she could rely on. Hou Minghao recalled that Ai Mi was sometimes too shy to approach the director herself, especially when she wanted to ask for another take. Whenever that happened, he would accompany her and help speak to the director.
He said those moments reminded him of his own early days in the industry.
“I saw my younger self in her. When I was starting out, there were opportunities I fought for and others I still regret missing. I didn’t want her to have those same regrets,” he said.
Hou Minghao also praised Ai Mi’s personality, describing her as refreshingly honest and straightforward.
According to him, her charm comes naturally rather than from trying to act cute. Her candid reactions and genuine way of expressing herself are what make her so endearing.
“She’s not pretending to be cute. She’s just a very direct and sincere person when it comes to expressing her feelings,” he said.
Their brother-and-sister dynamic has also made Hou Minghao open to reuniting with Ai Mi in another project. In fact, he already has an idea for what they should do next.
“Since she really loves singing, we should do a drama about a band. She can be the lead vocalist, and I’ll play the guitarist,” he said.
While Hou Minghao sees a similarity between himself and Xiao Wuyi in the way they both enjoy supporting someone they care about, he emphasized one key difference. Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu share a romantic relationship in Key to the Phoenix Heart, whereas Hou Minghao and Ai Mi simply see each other as siblings who support one another both on and off the set.
