The interview room was right next to the studio.
When Tang Ning pushed the door open, the room had already been tidied up.
A dark round table and two chairs sat inside, with a voice recorder, an interview notebook, and a few pages of an outline placed on the tabletop.
Xu Zhihe, the editor-in-chief of 《VMAN》, was sitting behind the table waiting for them.
She was around forty years old, wearing a gray suit with her hair styled in a bun, exuding a strong aura.
Seeing Jiang Yue enter, she stood up and extended her hand.
“Jiang Yue, congratulations on winning the award, and congratulations on officially becoming Lamerd's Asia Region Spokesperson.”
Tang Ning had introduced Xu Zhihe to Jiang Yue on the way over, so he shook her hand directly. “Thank you, Editor-in-Chief Xu.”
After the two of them sat down, Tang Ning and Jiang Kaiwen did not join them at the table. Instead, they sat in the corner, making it easy to confirm the schedule and the scope of the interview at any moment.
Xu Zhihe didn't spend too much time on pleasantries. After pressing the record button on the voice recorder, she went straight to the point.
“The theme of this magazine issue is ‘Rebirth.’ For you, a lot of changes have also occurred recently. 《The Hidden Sentry》 became a massive hit, Zhou Jinnan went viral, you won an award at the gala, and your brand title was upgraded. Do you feel like you've entered a brand-new stage?”
Jiang Yue didn't answer right away.
The red light on the voice recorder glowed. Sitting nearby, Jiang Kaiwen watched him, secretly worried he might say the wrong thing. After all, this kind of leading interview was a first for his Third Brother.
Jiang Yue adjusted his posture, sitting a bit more comfortably before speaking. “To the outside world, it probably looks that way.
“But personally, I don't have such a strong sense of turning the page. Of course I was happy the night I won the award, but once I return to the crew, I still have to return to my place as an actor first.”
Xu Zhihe looked up at him, as if encouraging him to elaborate.
Jiang Yue continued, “In the past, I thought simply—as long as I had scenes to shoot, it was fine. Later, I realized that once you take on certain roles, you have to be responsible for them. Although I have more choices now than before, I need to treat every opportunity with even greater caution.”
Xu Zhihe continued with her questions. “So, the ‘rebirth’ you have in mind isn't about completely casting aside the past?”
“No.”
Jiang Yue said, “Past roles and experiences aren't old shells that need to be shed. The sets I've run around on, the opportunities I've waited for, the ruined takes that had to be reshot—they all leave traces. They might not always look pretty, but without their tempering, I wouldn't have made it to where I am today.”
Xu Zhihe nodded and asked, “Then what about Zhou Jinnan? What did that character leave you with?”
Jiang Yue fell silent for two seconds. “Zhou Jinnan made me realize one thing: as actors, no matter what we're shooting, we must feel the character's joys and sorrows with our hearts rather than just mechanically reciting lines from a script. When you truly empathize with a character, the audience will naturally cheer for you.”
Seizing the opportunity, Xu Zhihe asked, “Is Lu Ji different from him?”
“Not entirely.”
Jiang Yue said, “Zhou Jinnan entered the game on his own initiative, while Lu Ji was forced to move forward by others. In the end, both characters will risk their lives for a single cause. In their bones, they are both stubborn and unyielding.”
Having said this, something crossed his mind, and he smiled.
“This morning, I was still acting, and by the afternoon, I was here shooting for a magazine. To be honest, there was indeed a brief moment in between where I hadn't completely switched over. This might be the charm of acting—it allows an actor to personally experience a character's state of mind, and every performance brings new insights.”
Xu Zhihe continued to ask, “Having just received the Penguin Video Quality Drama Actor of the Year award, and then returning to a set without the red carpet lights—does that create a sense of disparity?”
“Yes,” Jiang Yue answered very quickly this time. “Just two days ago, I was still on the red carpet and stage, but upon returning to the set, I was lying on the ground with fake blood all over my face, listening to the director analyze whether my falling angle in a fight scene looked realistic enough.”
To the side, Jiang Kaiwen lowered his head and rubbed his nose.
This was indeed Jiang Yue's actual state over the past few days.
Xu Zhihe smiled. “That sounds very exhausting.”
“But this is the norm.”
Jiang Yue continued, “Red carpets and trophies are just temporary results. They're great, and I cherish them deeply. But an actor's true workplace is still on set. A trophy can't finish acting the next scene for me, but it can likewise motivate me to move forward.”
Hearing this, Jiang Kaiwen couldn't help but look up at him.
He had always known his Third Brother loved acting, but only when these words were spoken did he truly understand how profound that love was.
Xu Zhihe had clearly caught onto this as well.
She stopped writing and looked at Jiang Yue.
“Do you think the public will agree with what you've said today?”
Jiang Yue's expression remained unchanged. “Then I'll have to trouble Editor-in-Chief Xu to show some mercy. Please don't write it as if I don't like trophies—I still like honors.”
Xu Zhihe was amused by his response, but she also knew the hidden meaning behind Jiang Yue's words.
“Rest assured, our magazine doesn't engage in taking things out of context.”
She flipped to the next page of the outline. “Let's talk about Lamerd again. Now that you're the Asia Region Spokesperson, how do you perceive the relationship between a brand and an actor?”
Jiang Yue didn't give a definitive answer, leaving some room for interpretation.
“When clothes are worn on the body, they can't lie.
“Whether they fit or not can be seen at a glance. What a brand offers isn't just clothes and titles; it's delivering a state of being and a possibility to you. An actor can't just stand there and take a few photos either; you have to make people believe that these things make sense on you. The two achieve mutual success.”
Xu Zhihe pressed further, “What is the single aspect of Lamerd that you recognize and appreciate the most?”
Jiang Yue thought for a moment and then replied, “Purity.”
“Every time, the brand specifically sends a tailor to alter the measurements of the clothes I need to wear. Even the accessories used during today's shoot took my recent experiences and changes into consideration beforehand. I can feel this attention to detail, and I believe other customers and partners can also feel this craftsmanship. I also believe it will allow the brand to go further.”
After listening to this statement, Tang Ning's eyes lit up slightly.
Releasing this response from Jiang Yue would be of immense help to the brand's promotion.
Xu Zhihe asked her final question, “If you were to say a few words to the netizens and fans currently following you, what would you say?”
Jiang Yue didn't ponder for too long. “Thank you for everyone's love and attention. I hope that in the future, when people mention me, they won't just think of a certain red carpet photo or a trending topic.”
At this point, his tone grew even more sincere.
“I hope what you remember is a certain character, or a story worth believing in. That is the greatest encouragement I can receive as an actor.”
The twenty-minute exclusive interview came to an end.
Xu Zhihe closed her interview notebook, stood up, and shook hands with him.
“Jiang Yue, I look forward to 《The Pivot Bone》.”
Jiang Yue shook back and thanked her, “Thank you.”
As they left, Jiang Kaiwen walked by Jiang Yue's side, looking down at his phone.
Tang Ning had already synced the pre-selected cover photos and the main points of the exclusive interview they had just confirmed to Su Qing.
A few minutes later, a message arrived from Su Qing.
【I've looked at the sample photos and the interview's main points, everything is fine. I will continue to follow up on the magazine's subsequent developments from my end.】
After reading it, Jiang Kaiwen also breathed a sigh of relief.
He had also been afraid of his own carelessness causing some mistake, but fortunately, he wasn't the only one in the studio. Everyone was working hard for a better future.
Jiang Yue looked down at his casual clothes that he had already changed back into, still able to recall the feel of the brand clothes he had worn during the afternoon shoot.
Tomorrow, he would have to put on his costume once again.
Thinking of this, he actually felt a bit more grounded.
“Let's eat first, and go straight to sleep after eating.”
Jiang Kaiwen immediately became alert. “You said it yourself—go back and rest early. You used to stay up late reading scripts all the time.”
Jiang Yue glanced at him. “Housekeeper Jiang, you have quite a good memory.”
“Of course,” Jiang Kaiwen pressed the elevator button. “I'll set an alarm for you as soon as we get back.”
The elevator doors slowly slid shut.
On the other side, in the work group chat of 《VMAN》's editorial department, the pre-heating schedule sent by Tang Ning was pinned to the top.
【Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, synchronized across all platforms.】
Rate on N.U.
