LayarHijau – Jing Boran and Sun Qian have become one of the most talked-about pairings in the Chinese drama The Early Spring (早春晴朗). Jing Boran’s popularity has also surged after taking on the role of Luan Nian, also known as Luke, with his social media following reportedly growing by more than 3 million across platforms. Fans have praised him for being an exceptionally good fit for the character, saying he seemed almost destined to play Luan Nian.
Producer and screenwriter Gao Xiaoxian revealed that after Jing Boran was confirmed for the role, he arrived at their first meeting with an iPad. He had already prepared a PowerPoint presentation dedicated to analyzing Luan Nian.
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In the presentation, Jing Boran broke down Luan Nian’s personality, including his strengths and weaknesses and how his character changes at different stages of life. His preparation impressed Gao Xiaoxian so much that she said it felt as though Luan Nian himself had walked into the meeting to pitch the character. “He is Luan Nian himself,” she said.
Jing Boran later explained why he had made the presentation. He imagined how Luke himself would handle a presentation if the character were the one sitting in the meeting room. In Jing Boran’s view, Luke would probably arrive dressed appropriately, open the PowerPoint page by page and calmly explain himself.
Jing Boran Analyzed Luan Nian at Ages 28 and 40
Jing Boran later shared the contents of the presentation he had created to explore Luan Nian’s character in greater depth. The presentation covered not only the character’s strengths and weaknesses, but also the differences between Luan Nian at 28 and at 40.
He examined how Luan Nian’s personality changes as he grows older, including the awkward aspects of his emotional development. Jing Boran also analyzed the various reasons that eventually lead Luan Nian to fall in love with Shang Zhitao, played by Sun Qian.
As a summary of Luan Nian’s character, Jing Boran described his journey with the message: “You don’t have to be perfect to find true love.”
Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao’s Relationship Was Changed for the Drama
Gao Xiaoxian also revealed several changes made when The Early Spring was adapted from the original novel.
One of the biggest changes involved Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao’s relationship. In the novel, the two initially have an intimate relationship without commitment. However, Gao Xiaoxian felt the drama would work better if they developed romantic feelings for each other before becoming intimate.
The drama therefore reworked the beginning of their relationship into an office romance. The production team also created a key scene in which the two encounter a landslide while in the mountains on a rainy day. Shang Zhitao risks herself to save Luan Nian, a moment that touches him and helps him recognize his feelings for her.
Luan Nian’s Family Background Was Also Adjusted
Gao Xiaoxian also made changes to provide more context for Luan Nian’s sharp personality and difficulty expressing his emotions.
In the novel, Luan Nian comes from a happy family. Gao Xiaoxian felt that this background did not fully explain why he would have such difficulty expressing his emotions.
For the drama, Luan Nian’s father was given a similarly sharp way of speaking. The change provides a clearer explanation of how Luan Nian developed his communication style and why his words can sometimes come across as cutting.
These changes also highlight Gao Xiaoxian’s role in shaping the drama adaptation of The Early Spring. Her approach to developing Luan Nian’s character has also drawn attention to her next project, Midsummer Clear and Bright (盛夏晴朗), which has been announced by Youku.
