Working In Progress

Yu Shuxin, innately delicate and perceptive.

by 新视线Wonderland
2022-08-13 18:05

Catch My | A Dream in Search

Girls who grow up in the South often possess an innate delicacy and perceptiveness—
Yu Shuxin is no exception.

On a July afternoon, the summer heat wrapped itself around Beijing. With temperatures soaring to 38°C, most people wouldn’t even consider stepping outside. Meanwhile, inside a studio near the Fourth Ring Road, Yu Shuxin was carefully preparing for her cover shoot.

Before meeting her in person, most of my impressions of Yu Shuxin came from trending keywords linked to her online. So I imagined she must be a girl who’s both clear-eyed and sunny in disposition. Stepping into the makeup room, I saw the actress seated in front of the mirror. Her slender limbs rested loosely against the chair, her forehead smooth, her hair neatly tied up. She sat quietly, waiting as the makeup artist made adjustments to her look.

As hair and makeup neared completion, her hair was tied into a sleek high ponytail, with blunt bangs neatly framing her forehead. A white hair clip printed with a green heart was fastened on the right side of her hairstyle, paired with delicate, shimmering eye makeup—like a dream-chasing warrior about to embark on a day’s journey in search of her dreams.

After signaling the staff to turn off the music, the interview officially began. As with most interviews, I started by asking about her recent life and interests. Knowing she’s someone who brings a sense of ritual to everyday living, I imagined her hobbies must shift and refresh with the changing seasons. And clearly, I was right.

“Lately, I’ve been into making salads and homemade sparkling drinks.”

Though these are all seemingly ordinary, everyday things, even in an unfamiliar setting, you can feel that she’s genuinely sharing pieces of her life. Especially when you scroll through her social media and see her post about making homemade grape sparkling water in the summer—along with the photos of drinks fans left in the comments—you realize that simple, everyday moments truly make her happy. And yes, there really was a day when making sparkling water brought her a sense of healing.

Yu Shuxin describes herself as someone who’s good at finding joy and loves experiencing what’s fresh and new. From hiking in the countryside and camping barbecues to chasing the sea breeze, if it’s a trending activity on social media, it’s bound to show up on her lifestyle radar. Whenever she discovers a new outdoor activity, she shares it with a few close friends and plans to experience it together during the holidays. And every time she heads outdoors, she always manages to find a kind of “comfort” that perfectly matches the fun she’s seeking.

When hiking, it’s not about racing others—it’s about finding your own rhythm on unfamiliar paths, and that’s when the journey becomes comfortable. When barbecuing, it’s about respecting the uniqueness of each ingredient and learning to appreciate the slow, natural process of things cooking in their own time. In unfamiliar surroundings, she discovers color pairings she loves—drawing new inspiration from nature’s own palette.

A sense of freshness in styling

Beyond the joys of everyday life, discovering fresh possibilities in her image is something she consistently explores. In fan-made fashion edits—whether from daily life or on set—you can clearly see the care she puts into everything, from personal outfits to character styling. Back on set, beyond the photographer’s lens, cameras from every angle are trained on her, collectively capturing her at work.

As a bystander, the sheer number of cameras pointed at her is enough to create an inexplicable sense of pressure. Yet on the monitor, Yu Shuxin remains composed and at ease—every movement delicately expressive, revealing a subtle fluidity in motion. It’s a striking contrast to the candid, carefree persona she often shows on variety shows. You can tell—she’s genuinely enjoying the thrill of trying on a new look.

Anyone familiar with Yu Shuxin knows she never boxes herself into a single aesthetic. One moment she’s the sweet girl-next-door, the next a sultry It-girl, and then a cool, confident femme fatale. On the day of the shoot, she walked into the studio in retro aviator sunglasses, wide-leg black satin trousers, a color-block satin top, and red velvet slides—a bold, fashion-forward look that felt like a breath of fresh air. While discussing style, she didn’t miss the chance to plug her new drama, A Romance of the Little Forest.

In the drama, Yu Shuxin plays the female lead, Yu Meiren, a character who juggles two contrasting identities—an ornithology Ph.D. and a fashion influencer. To bring out the transition between these two roles, Yu Shuxin spent a great deal of time carefully considering the relationship between profession and styling. Together with her team, she combed through lookbooks from three seasons’ worth of collections by major fashion houses, selecting pieces that best aligned with the character’s persona. Looking back on the entire styling process, she summed it up with one word: “challenging.” She didn’t go into detail about how hard it was, but her voice, filled with a sense of joy and satisfaction, made it clear—this was a challenge she embraced. And it made everyone look forward to the drama’s release even more.

A More Unfiltered Acting Dream

After finishing our conversation about styling, the focus naturally shifted back to her primary role—acting. In the years since her debut, Yu Shuxin has lost count of how many sets she’s worked on or how many cameras she’s faced. Amid a world that changes rapidly and constantly brings new uncertainties, she says the only thing she can do is quickly grasp onto what’s certain. And to do that, she needs to adapt to new environments at top speed. “Because I’ve moved through so many different places since I was young, my social roles have shifted along the way,” she explains. “I’ve found that only through engaging with the outside world can I learn how to trust it. That’s what helps me settle my state of mind more quickly.” To Yu Shuxin, acting works the same way. Reading a script is the first encounter—just the beginning. But once you start interacting and communicating with the character, slipping into the role becomes a natural next step.

Beyond growing familiar with a character, one crew member remarked, “Give her about the length of a meal, and she’ll have warmed up to the entire set.”

Yu Shuxin’s reputation for being a “naturally sociable” person certainly precedes her—but hearing it directly from those around her made me even more curious. I asked how she manages to bond so quickly with cast and crew. She didn’t hesitate to share her secret: “I bring food to share with everyone.” In modern social settings, few things break the ice better than a good meal, and these regular food exchanges have become one of the simplest sources of happiness on set. “I also love taking photos of everyone,” she added. Though snapping pictures may seem trivial, it never fails to spark lively conversations among cast members—swapping tips, sharing angles, and gushing over good shots. Listening to her and her team describe these moments, you get the sense that wherever Yu Shuxin goes, joy tends to follow.

Lately, Yu Shuxin has been in the midst of a busy promotional cycle, sitting through interview after interview each day. When asked whether she considers herself more proactive or reactive, she responded without missing a beat: “I answered this one yesterday.” Even as the pace of life starts to feel repetitive, staying sharp and self-aware remains her default mode.

I still remember that just before the interview began, during some casual small talk with Yu Shuxin, she mentioned—almost in passing—that she and her team have a group chat called “Beipiao” (Beijing drifters), a name she came up with herself. The reason behind it was simple: to remind herself to stay motivated, keep striving, and pursue a more wholehearted, untainted version of her actor’s dream.

Chasing Dreams: Yu Shuxin’s Q&A

W =《新视线Wonderland.》
Y = Yu Shuxin

W: Before we knew it, 2022 is already halfway over. What have you been busy with lately?
Y: Lately I’ve been busy with a lot of things—my new drama is about to air, so I’ve been doing some promotional work, getting ready for the release, shooting magazine features, and taking some photos.

W: You’re about to enter a new phase again—how would you describe your adaptability?
Y: I adapt really well.

W: Are you the kind of person who quickly warms up to everyone on set?
Y: I used to be, and I guess I still am. I get close to other actors pretty quickly. I’ve always been the kind of person who, even after just two days of knowing someone, it feels like we’ve been friends forever. Last time, everyone was saying I’m really naturally outgoing.

W: Does this kind of communication help you all get into character more easily?
Y: Yes, definitely. If I can become friends with my co-actors first, the acting naturally gets better. And I’m the type who gets straight to the point with everything—if we’re hanging out today, then I’m all in for having fun; if we’re filming tomorrow, I’ll stay in and prepare ahead of time. I tend to skip a lot of those awkward or overly polite steps.

W: Take Love Between Fairy and Devil as an example—do you find it harder to get into character or to step out of it?
Y: Getting into character is definitely harder.

W: Can you explain a bit more?
Y: When I’m getting into character, I always give myself about ten seconds to quickly build the entire world in my head—the emotions, the setting, the motivation—and then think about how to act it out in a way that makes people believe it. As for getting out of character, that’s easy. I just think about something in my own life, and I snap right out of it.

W: Let’s talk about your sense of style. In your previous dramas, your outfits got a lot of praise, and fans love recreating your looks. In your upcoming drama A Romance of the Little Forest, you play Yu Meiren, a bird expert and fashion blogger. Can you share a bit about her wardrobe and what style highlights we can look forward to?
Y: First of all, there are a lot of outfits. And each look was carefully styled to match the scene. Since she’s a fashion KOL, she has some really fun looks—whether she’s at home, out and about, or filming videos, her outfits are paired with all kinds of makeup styles. It’ll definitely be something to look forward to.

W: Were you involved in styling the character?
Y: Of course! I kept thinking about how to make sure the styling in the drama always stayed on point. I’m really grateful to the production team for giving us so much creative freedom and allowing me to be part of the styling process. It was a pretty big challenge! Before filming, I did a ton of research—looked through lots of brand lookbooks, checked which pieces could be sourced domestically, and which could be borrowed for the show. It was really hard. I can’t quite explain it, but it was just incredibly difficult. I had to plan the outfits the night before to make sure they matched the scenes, fit the theme and concept, looked fashionable—and on top of that, I had to consider whether the pieces would still be in season by the time the show aired. Thankfully, the final result turned out really well. I think even real fashion bloggers could take inspiration from it.

W: When we talk about clothing, it naturally leads to a closely related topic—female beauty. How do you see “beauty”?
Y: That’s actually the core theme of A Romance of the Little Forest. You can check out the show for a whole series of perspectives on beauty that it explores.

Speaking of this, many readers might share the same feeling as I do: while celebrities shine brightly on screen, when viewed through a professional lens, they are also individuals striving tirelessly for their dream of acting.

CREDITS:

Executive Producer: Vicky殷
Producer: VIChang昌
Editor & Stylist: 崔崔Yankcui
Photographer: Edwin-Zhang
Makeup: 王亚飞Yafei
Hair: 刘雪亮MQstudio
Nails: 大春儿
Art Direction: Mia，勺子（不完美工作室）
Interview & Text: Silky Oak
Set Design & Props: 不完美工作室
Photography Assistant: 尤添瑞
Wardrobe Assistants: 徐晓雯、李冰茹

New Media Team
Executive Producer: 浩睿
Editor: 希希
Visuals: Janice
Design Assistant: 赵敏思

Wonderland中文版 22-8-12 10:00

#YuShuxinMissWonderDelicateGirlPhotoshoot #YuShuxinGreenHeartHairHighlightsLook
In front of the camera, she stuns with her green heart-shaped highlights and ever-changing style—setting the tone for autumn fashion. Her dream-chasing journey is just about to begin.

Wonderland中文版 22-8-12 10:30

#YuShuxinMissWonderDelicateGirlPhotoshoot #YuShuxinGreenHeartHairHighlightsLook
Living earnestly, embracing everything with intention—Miss Wonder @虞书欣Esther wanders through her own world, always moving to a rhythm that’s uniquely hers. In the midst of growth, she’s constantly seeking to break through, to change, and to reconnect with the dream she started with.

Wonderland中文版 22-8-12 11:00

#YuShuxinMissWonderDelicateGirlPhotoshoot #YuShuxinGreenHeartHairHighlightsLook
The clouds begin to soften, and the breeze carries a hint of coolness. As sunlight pours into the room, her hair brushes gently across her cheek. @虞书欣Esther embraces the scent of blooming flowers, embarking on a quiet journey of self-discovery. Wrapped in a gentle laziness that sparks endless imagination, she breathes in the gardenia-scented wind—and slowly drifts into a sweet, dreamy reverie.

1. Yu Shuxin, innately delicate and perceptive: https://chatgpt.com/c/687889cb-2970-8008-aa4b-f364fd87dc2f
2. Wonderland中文版 Weibo: https://weibo.com/u/7337001776
3. Wonderland中文版 22-8-12 10:00 – https://weibo.com/7337001776/M0F88AO1S
4. Wonderland中文版 22-8-12 10:30 – https://weibo.com/7337001776/M0Fkl2puN
5. Wonderland中文版 22-8-12 11:00 – https://weibo.com/7337001776/M0FwueT8A