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New Issue Preview | Yu Shuxin’s Blossoming Youth

by iWeekly周末画报
2020-09-03 12:00

“Blossoming” is a delicate state—suspended between innocence and maturity. It retains the purity of the former while hinting at the ease and confidence of the latter. And in Yu Shuxin, you can truly sense that fascinating in-between. More than that, whether it’s public curiosity or the various roles that have been projected onto her, she has an instinctive ability to respond with grace—always meeting the moment, always one step ahead.”

Yu Shuxin, a Shanghai-born girl, is currently at a fascinating juncture in her life—saying goodbye to the innocence of the past while stepping into maturity. Her innate girlishness collides with the responsibilities she must now shoulder as someone in the public eye, creating a palpable tension born from contradiction—like a perfectly ripe fruit: fresh, glistening, and with a crisp, invigorating bite. Some call it “a fearless calf unafraid of the tiger,” while others believe it’s her optimism and innocence that helped her break through and win over the public. One particular comment from a netizen stood out:

“I think Yu Shuxin is a child who has never lacked love. Maybe the things she says or does wouldn’t come across the same if it were someone else. But there’s something in her—that sense of being deeply loved—that people can genuinely feel, and that makes whatever she does feel natural. In a way, it reflects a state that many of us long for in real life.”

In 2015, Yu Shuxin took on her first-ever drama role in Border Town Prodigal—a deeply meaningful beginning. Five years later, she debuted as a member of the girl group THE9. Every new chapter in her career seems to begin with a distinct sense of ceremony, as if guided by an invisible thread of destiny.

“Ever since I was little, people around me always said I was pretty. They used to say it would be such a waste if I didn’t go into acting,” Esther says with a bright, cheeky smile—a trace of harmless pride slipping through her voice. “Later on, I signed with an agency and started acting.”

Not long after, she received the script for her very first drama—Border Town Prodigal.

Although Yu Shuxin’s role in that drama wasn’t particularly prominent—with only a handful of scenes—she still had to travel thousands of miles to film in the desert. At the time, she had just entered the industry. With no personal assistant, she carried two large suitcases by herself and set off, full of enthusiasm. When asked, “Didn’t you find it tough or feel wronged back then? ” She looked at herself in the mirror and replied:

“I thought it was totally normal. I had already mentally prepared myself when I decided to become an actress. Acting comes with hardship—if you’re not willing to endure it, how can you move forward, right? ”

Later, through a mix of chance and her love for girl groups, she decided to join a talent survival show. And as fate would have it, her uniquely vibrant personality made her stand out early in the competition—catching public attention even before the final debut—and eventually earning her a place in THE9.

During the interview, there was a small unexpected moment. When I followed the planned outline and asked her, “Why did you decide to join the talent show? ” Yu Shuxin looked at me very sincerely and said:

“Sister, can we change the question? We can talk about something else. I’ve answered this one way too many times.”

Her remarks surprised and delighted me. I was pleasantly surprised to see that she genuinely viewed this interview as a real conversation, not just an obligation. She hoped our exchange would be built on mutual understanding, not formula. There’s a certain courage and honesty in the way she engages with others—a willingness to challenge scripted expectations. It’s as if she breaks free of the boxes you’ve put her in, and then, generously, hands you the key to her inner thoughts, trusting you to do what you will with it. So I went with the flow, switching to a spontaneous, unscripted question:

“When you agree to an interview like this, do you truly, unconditionally trust the other person? ”

She turned her body slightly, looked straight at me, and said:

“I do. I believe that every time I show my sincerity to someone, they will, in turn, treat me with the same sincerity.

Yu Shuxin’s personality might be best described in her own words—a belief in “mutual respect built on sincerity.” But in reality, not everything always unfolds in such an ideal way. Her WeChat contact list still includes everyone she’s ever added—from before she entered the industry as a trainee all the way to her current life as a public figure. That includes people she knows personally and even those she doesn’t. Recently, something unexpected happened: someone took screenshots of her private WeChat Moments and attempted to sell them. The incident left her both angry and confused. In response, she took to Weibo to make a public statement:

“I hope we can all respect one another. I’ve never deleted anyone I’ve added—from the past to the present.”

“I never once thought about deleting people from my contact list. I don’t want others to think that I’ve forgotten who I was just because I’ve become more well-known,” Yu Shuxin reflects. “I used to have a friend who suddenly shot to fame and then started removing old friends from their list. And back then, I told myself, I never want to become that kind of person.” As she speaks, she recalls the memory with a hint of understanding: “Now, I think I can sort of understand why they might have done that. Everyone has their own reasons, their own motivations. Personally, I don’t feel like I’ve changed all that much… but in some people’s eyes, I may no longer be the same person I once was.”

Fame is a delicate state—and objectively, it comes with both upsides and downsides. The moment you become the center of attention, everything you say or do gets magnified and dissected, often without you even realizing it. It can catch you off guard, leaving you unprepared—and for Yu Shuxin, it’s likely she never expected that the moment that catapulted her to fame would be something as simple as an exaggerated “wow” expression during a talent show.

Among the public perceptions surrounding Yu Shuxin, the idea that she “wants to be famous” has come up more than once. But the phrase isn’t necessarily a criticism. From a certain perspective, it actually reflects someone with a clear sense of purpose—someone who is willing to work hard for their career and persist until they reach their goal. I shared this interpretation with her and asked how she felt about it. She paused for a moment, then replied:

“If I said I didn’t want to be famous, people might think I’m being fake. But honestly, I’ve never had an urgent or obsessive desire to ‘make it big.’ What I really enjoy is the process of working hard toward something and gradually achieving it step by step—not just the end result. To me, the process matters more than the outcome.”

At the top of Yu Shuxin’s Weibo profile, there’s a long-pinned post—a wrap photo from the 2018 drama Find Yourself, in which she played the role of Cai Minmin. The character is lively, a bit clingy, and bears more than a passing resemblance to Esther herself. I asked her why she’s chosen to keep that post pinned for so long, even after all these years. She answered, completely serious:

“That was the first time I felt like I had truly brought a character to life—like I’d created someone real that people could connect with. It was a turning point for me.” Even though it’s been years, I still look at that post sometimes. It reminds me where I started and how much I loved acting in the first place. I think it’s important to hold on to those moments.”

I just don’t want people to forget that I’m still an actress. Find Yourself is one of the representative works of my career, and I want people to remember that. Acting has always been one of the most important parts of my job. Keeping that post pinned is not only a reminder to others—it’s also a reminder to myself.”

Observing Esther Yu is a fascinating experience. This girl from Shanghai has a strong sense of self and isn’t shy about expressing her opinions — whether it’s about her makeup, the music playing on set, or even how the final edit turns out. She tries to contribute her perspective whenever she can. She discusses her makeup look in detail with the artist, figuring out how to best highlight her features — a skill she credits to her earlier days playing supporting roles, when she had to do her own makeup and learned what worked for her. During filming, she’ll often ask the crew to play music from her own phone — typically BLACKPINK’s albums or THE9’s latest EP, Sphinx X Mystery.

Yu Shuxin radiates an infectious optimism—a kind of cheerful energy that’s hard not to catch.
Whether she’s on a variety show or being interviewed on camera, she sometimes shows expressions that seem slightly out of sync with what’s going on around her. While it might appear abrupt, it’s never calculated. As she often jokes about herself in conversation:

“I was just born an optimist — maybe a little too cheerful at times.”

And perhaps it’s exactly this quality — her unfiltered, sunny nature — that makes her so irresistibly endearing.

CREDITS:

Photography — Leslie张家诚
Styling — 谭贝贝
Editor — Crystal
Interview — 徐小喵
Makeup — Clive X at Sstudio
Hair — 张明虎 at Hairpro
Producer — Lisa Shen
Styling Assistants — Yogamo, 676, 小羊
WeChat Layout Design — SOSO

iWeekly周末画报 20-8-31 12:26

“Blossoming” is a delicate state—suspended between innocence and maturity. It retains the purity of the former while hinting at the ease and confidence of the latter. And in Yu Shuxin, you can truly sense that fascinating in-between. More than that, whether it’s public curiosity or the various roles that have been projected onto her, she has an instinctive ability to respond with grace—always meeting the moment, always one step ahead.”

周末画报STYLE 2020-9-3 12:00

Yu Shuxin is currently at a fascinating juncture in her life—saying goodbye to the innocence of the past while stepping into maturity. Her innate girlishness collides with the responsibilities she must now shoulder as someone in the public eye, creating a palpable tension born from contradiction—like a perfectly ripe fruit: fresh, glistening, and with a crisp, invigorating bite.

Some call it “a fearless calf unafraid of the tiger,” while others believe it’s her optimism and innocence that helped her break through and win over the public. One particular comment from a netizen stood out: “I think Yu Shuxin is a child who has never lacked love. Maybe the things she says or does wouldn’t come across the same if it were someone else. But there’s something in her—that sense of being deeply loved—that people can genuinely feel, and that makes whatever she does feel natural. In a way, it reflects a state that many of us long for in real life.”

1. New Issue Preview | Yu Shuxin’s Blossoming Youth: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/I4rRAlU_fWMKtbJvJ0L6Hg
2. iWeekly周末画报Weibo: https://weibo.com/u/2316796262
3. 周末画报STYLE Weibo: https://weibo.com/mwlifestyle
4. iWeekly周末画报 20-8-31 12:26 – https://weibo.com/2316796262/JirBxtR6L
5. 周末画报STYLE 2020-9-3 12:00 – https://weibo.com/2012312715/JiTIiyKmZ