LayarHijau — Xiao Zhan has opened up about the genius doctor he plays in the drama Small Town Remedy (小城良方), which is now airing. During a livestream with the cast and crew, he said his character, Liu Zhengliang, actually longs to fit in and dreams of a warm family, but past wounds have made him used to shutting himself off.
“My character is the biggest worrier and also the most stubborn when it comes to saving face. He actually cares about everything going on around him, but the moment he opens his mouth, he tends to offend people. Even when he shows concern for others, he always does it in a roundabout way, leaving people not knowing whether to laugh or cry,” Xiao Zhan said with a laugh.
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Liu Zhengliang is a gifted neurosurgeon with a bright future until he becomes entangled in a medical incident. The incident leaves him with trembling hands and a phobia of snow. He is forced to return to his hometown in northeastern China and start over at a small hospital.
There, he works alongside colleagues who seem less than reliable to treat patients. Through his encounters with those patients, he gradually mends his own life.
Unlike the gentle, calm Dr. Gu Wei he played in The Oath of Love (余生，请多指教), Xiao Zhan this time takes a colder approach. From his gaze to his appearance, the character looks exhausted and distant. The production team said Xiao Zhan not only shows the expertise of a genius doctor but also portrays the character’s inner emotions with subtlety. The loneliness the character finds hard to share with others, they said, fits him perfectly.
Small Town Remedy is directed by Zhang Xiaobo, who also made Nothing But Thirty (三十而已), and written by Nie Chengshuai, the screenwriter of The Heart of Genius (天才基本法). The drama is adapted from the novel Fei Dao (literally “Flying Knife”) by Liu Sanshu.
Besides its medical and healing themes, the relationship between Liu Zhengliang and his younger brother is another draw of the story. The brother is played by Shi Pengyuan. One is calm and reserved, the other impulsive and blunt. They often clash over differing opinions, yet never truly let go of each other.
Shi Pengyuan described their relationship as “loving each other and fighting each other at the same time.” He also said Xiao Zhan in the drama is his biggest source of support and gives him a sense of security. Hearing this, Xiao Zhan’s eyes appeared to well up. The host noticed right away, and his shy reaction was caught on camera.
Shi Pengyuan also said Xiao Zhan’s gentle gaze left a strong impression on him. In a scene where the two brothers eat together at home, Xiao Zhan naturally showed the affection of an older brother, which made it easier for Shi Pengyuan to settle into the role.
Xiao Zhan said the scene stuck with him too. In his view, through seemingly ordinary conversations at home, the two characters slowly let down their guard and grow closer.
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