LayarHijau – Chinese costume drama Against the Current (兰香如故, Lanxiang Rugu) has been drawing attention for its story centered on Xu Lanxiang, played by Tan Songyun. One of the parts that has sparked the most discussion among viewers is the relationship between Xu Lanxiang and Lin Jinqi, played by Liu Xueyi, who tries to win her love through forceful means.
In an interview with Sohu Entertainment, Tan Songyun openly shared her thoughts on this part of the story. Interestingly, she gave very different ratings to her satisfaction with the storyline and her experience of playing the scenes.
Tan Songyun Gives the Forced-Love Storyline a Zero
When asked about the scenes involving 强取豪夺 (qiáng qǔ háo duó), a term describing an attempt to obtain love or a relationship through force, Tan Songyun gave a straightforward answer.
“Satisfied? Who would be satisfied? The satisfaction level is zero,” Tan said.
However, her rating changed when she was asked about her experience as an actress while filming those scenes. For the acting experience, she gave it five stars.
“As for the experience, it’s not about difficulty. Five stars. The experience was really good,” she said.
Tan then explained why. The scenes gave her the opportunity to wear beautiful traditional Chinese costumes complete with elaborate headpieces, while also playing one of the memorable moments in which Xu Lanxiang responds to Lin Jinqi’s actions with a slap.
When the interviewer joked that although the love was being forced, Xu Lanxiang could simply respond with a slap, Tan immediately agreed.
Her comments show that Tan Songyun can enjoy the challenge of performing these scenes as an actress, even though she does not like the relationship situation portrayed in the story.
Tan Songyun Talks About Liu Xueyi’s Character
The discussion about Xu Lanxiang and Lin Jinqi also led to a conversation about Liu Xueyi’s appearance in the drama.
In the same interview, Tan Songyun was asked about a photo of Liu Xueyi wearing women’s clothing. She said she had only seen the photo the day before.
“What I saw was the headpiece and styling. It was quite refined and detailed,” Tan said.
The comment came as the interviewer discussed the attention surrounding the many male actors in Against the Current who appear in women’s clothing.
Tan said the drama’s team had clearly put a great deal of effort into their appearances. She said she would not dare to call it the best in the world, but she felt the styling was handled with considerable attention to detail.
She also found Ma Wenyuan’s appearance in women’s clothing beautiful and soft on screen. Meanwhile, Jiu Gao, whose character is more introverted and gentle, looked adorable in women’s clothing. According to Tan, Jiu Gao even studied women’s etiquette to support his performance.
Tan Songyun Focuses on Playing Xu Lanxiang True to Her Character
In addition to discussing the relationship between Xu Lanxiang and Lin Jinqi, Tan Songyun also explained her approach to playing the female lead.
Xu Lanxiang is portrayed as a calm and thoughtful woman who does not rush into action when facing problems. She is not the type of character who immediately seeks dramatic revenge. Instead, she tends to think through a situation before deciding what to do.
Tan sees this quality as one of the things that makes Xu Lanxiang a satisfying character for her.
“She is also my kind of satisfying character as an introvert. She doesn’t immediately come in and take dramatic revenge. She thinks things through first and then acts calmly. But there are still satisfying moments beneath that calmness,” Tan explained.
In this context, the term I人 (I rén) is Chinese internet slang for someone who tends to be introverted, while 爽剧 (shuǎng jù) refers to a type of story designed to give viewers emotional satisfaction through satisfying actions or outcomes.
Tan also stressed that she did not want to add too much beyond Xu Lanxiang’s established character.
“Don’t add things unnecessarily. Sometimes, you just need to play Xu Lanxiang well,” Tan said.
According to Tan, much of the preparation takes place before the cameras start rolling. After understanding the character and the script, she tries to immerse herself in the role rather than constantly thinking about how she should portray every aspect of Xu Lanxiang.
Tan said that while filming, she felt as if Xu Lanxiang and herself had become one. She also felt a connection with the character whenever she found something in the script that she could genuinely relate to or understand.
With this approach, Tan Songyun does not try to turn Xu Lanxiang into a more dramatic character than she is supposed to be. Xu Lanxiang’s strength lies in the way she remains calm, thinks before acting and delivers satisfying responses without always resorting to grand gestures.
Filming Winter Scenes in Nearly 40-Degree Heat
The cast’s dedication to maintaining the characters was also evident during the filming of Against the Current.
Tan revealed that some scenes meant to take place in winter were actually filmed when temperatures were close to 40 degrees Celsius. The actors often did not realize how much they were sweating because they were so focused on the scenes.
“After we finished filming, that was when I realized my back was completely soaked,” Tan said.
Some actors even had to stop in the middle of a scene to wipe away sweat and touch up their makeup. Others suffered from heatstroke. Despite this, Tan said the cast continued to maintain the quality of their performances.
The same attention was applied to the costumes and makeup. According to Tan, even small details such as the shape of the eyebrows had to match the historical period while still looking natural.
Xu Lanxiang was also deliberately introduced with a simple appearance. She did not immediately have long eyelashes or heavy makeup. Tan believes that the makeup, costumes and overall appearance of the characters should serve the story rather than make them look disconnected from its setting.
For Tan Songyun, this approach made her experience of playing Xu Lanxiang feel more closely connected to the world of Against the Current. She did not need to add anything unnecessarily because the character already had her own strength through her way of thinking, her calm demeanor and the way she dealt with different situations.
