"The character of Huang Yimei is very rare in today's society and living environment. I don't dare to assert that such people don't exist, but they are very rare indeed. We have given Huang Yimei almost every beautiful quality imaginable."
Author | Wang Shanshan (Beijing)
Among the more than 300 novels written by Yishu, the yellow rose in "The Story of Rose" can be called the most beautiful existence. She has "rose-colored skin, round eyes, and a blue mole on her left cheek", and is both rebellious and lonely. The book depicts Rose from the first-person perspective of characters such as Huang Zhenhua and Pu Jiamin, and she is more like a mirror, reflecting the crazy appearance of male characters.
The hit drama "The Story of Rose" has made drastic adjustments to the character design and plot of the original book. The story in the play begins in 2001 after the turn of the millennium, Huang Yimei grew up in a Beijing university compound, graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, met four men, and simultaneously developed her artistic career, with high self-esteem, dare to love and hate, positive and enterprising, and her mental health is even more perfect than her physical condition.
Such an adaptation strategy comes from screenwriter Li Xiao's understanding of the landing of "ideal women".
At the end of 2021, Li Xiao took over the script project of "The Story of Rose" after communicating with the producer, Xinli Media. She has been in the industry for nearly 20 years, and is good at writing realistic life light comedies, such as "I Love Male Girlfriends", "Mr. Good" and other high-rated TV series, and "Big Husband", which she previously collaborated with Xinli, has also been recognized by Magnolia and other awards.
She told us that in today's creative environment of domestic dramas, the yellow rose, which lacks "subjectivity" and is too surreal, is difficult to use directly in the creation of the original novel. But the novel provides a dramatic framework of inspiration that allows the team of writers to take pleasure in shaping the story of a legendary woman.
Li Xiao has been living in Beijing for nearly 20 years, and is more familiar with and loves the environment of northern cities. And her partner, Wang Si, the co-screenwriter of "The Story of the Rose", changed her career to become a screenwriter at the age of forty, and grew up in the family of Peking University teachers, and there is no shortage of live-action versions of the heavenly ladies in the growth environment.
Li Xiao and Wang Si bring more than 40 years of life experience and a deep understanding of emotions into their storytelling. Many of their experiences, whether they were experienced or heard from others, became the basis for the script.
Compared with the idealized Huang Yimei, most of the characters are endowed with more fragile and obscure shortcomings. Huang Yimei has experienced four relationships, but none of them have ever had the happiness of popular standards, and her marriage with Fang Xiewen is full of depression and pain.
With the growth of the popularity of the series, there have also been discussions on major social platforms about every emotional detail - why did Huang Yimei break a good hand? Is this mother-in-law going to be angry? Why do independent women fall in love so much? Why is Su Su's past so bloody? ……
In an hour-and-a-half-hour exchange with "New Voice Pro", Li Xiao responded to various controversies, explaining that some girls who have not yet entered society may feel that the plot is unreal when watching this drama, and even question why the male characters in the play seem so unbearable. But she has been very gentle with these characters, they all have a cute side, and what is shown in the play is not the badness of men, but the true reflection of human nature.
She also felt that the creation of female characters always faced a lot of rules and restrictions, and she couldn't even fall in love more. "Think about how many similar constraints a real woman would be subjected to in real life?"
The following is an excerpt from the conversation between "Xinsheng Pro" (WeChat public account ID: xinsheng-pro) and Li Xiao:
1. The spiritual aristocracy who grew up in the Beijing compound
Xinsheng Pro: Why do current film and television adaptations still prefer Yishu's works?
Li Xiao: I think this is mainly because Yishu's portrayal of women is very good, and the values she conveys and the way she portrays women are very avant-garde in the seventies and eighties. Coinciding with the special emphasis on feminist creation in our time, we are looking for female characters and works worthy of adaptation in classic literature.
Xinsheng Pro: What do you think of the image of the yellow rose in "The Story of Roses"?
Li Xiao: I would like to make a potentially bold speculation, I don't think that "The Story of the Rose" is just about a woman, but I think it is telling the story of the group of men around the Yellow Rose. Yellow Rose is more like a mirror, Yishu doesn't really want to write about her, but through her to reflect the men around her, including her brother, former boyfriends, people who love her, and even her brother who is almost turned against her because of her. She created this character to reveal their "faces" and show their state.
In the novel, Huang Zhenhua once said that his sister Huang Rose is a soulless person. There are many such words in the novel, you can feel that although Huang Zhenhua loves his sister, he is full of denial of her deep heart, and this contradiction just reflects the complexity of human nature. Every man doesn't seem to know Yellow Rose and can't see through her, but every man loves her madly.
The image of the yellow rose in the original book is also not suitable for direct use. But what makes Yishu's work great is that she always provides a good perspective on the subject. With this novel as a foundation, as a screenwriter, I can use my imagination to create a legendary female character and incorporate some of the things I want to express into this character.
Xinsheng Pro: Yellow Rose was originally a typical image of Hong Kong's old money daughter, why did she adapt it to "Beijing girl"?
Li Xiao: I expect that after the adaptation, some people may raise opinions, thinking that this will lose the flavor of Yishu's original work. Yishu herself is a controversial author, her life and personality are very distinct, she never participates in interviews, and she is open to adapting her novels into various forms, giving us a great deal of freedom. Since the original creators are so open, why do we still have to tie our hands and feet? That's one thing.
On the other hand, as a northerner, I have lived in Beijing for more than 20 years since the turn of the millennium, and I have a deep affection and understanding of the city. I think we should still play to our strengths in what we are good at. Someone has suggested that Yishu's Hong Kong atmosphere may be more suitable for Shanghai, but because I am not familiar with Shanghai, if I forcibly put the story in Shanghai, it may seem stiff and lack realism, like putting an unnatural layer of skin, which may be full of loopholes.
Xinsheng Pro: Why did you set Huang Yimei's family background as a college teacher's family?
Li Xiao: When creating this character, we first need to set a tone for the heroine. In the original book, she is described as coming from a very wealthy family, and her brother is also a famous young man in the city. But this kind of setting seems unrealistic in the mainland, and even in Shanghai, it doesn't feel real enough.
When creating an urban drama with a realistic theme, there must be a lot of things that land. I don't really want to use the word "down-to-earth", but there's no word that can convey that meaning more precisely.
I don't want to define this girl's growth environment only by the family economic environment, we want her to be like a spiritual aristocrat who came out of the compound of the Beijing Academy, and to create a girl who has been well cultivated spiritually and educationally.
This is also the common denominator of many of Yishu's female characters: they are independent and free, and although they love money, they pay more attention to spiritual pursuits. No Yishu girl will lower her spiritual pursuit because she loves money.
Xinsheng Pro: What kind of cultivation should a "spiritual aristocrat" have?
Li Xiao: The character of Huang Yimei is very rare and rare in today's society and living environment. I don't dare to assert that such people don't exist, but they are very rare. We have given Huang Yimei almost all the beautiful words, literacy and qualities imaginable.
If the audience watches the drama carefully, they can appreciate Huang Yimei's beauty, not only in her appearance, but also in her spirit. For example, as a woman, she is very responsible and will not shirk her responsibilities. After breaking up with Zhuang Guodong, she was able to reflect on herself, and she believes that if the other party was asked to put her or her feelings first, it would be a kind of selfishness in itself. This ability to remain conscious after a breakup is invaluable, something that many people lack today. People tend to shift the blame to others and simply label others as "scumbags".
Xinsheng Pro: Some viewers think that Huang Yimei is "reincarnated too well", and there will be a sense of distance.
Li Xiao: Actually, my partner Wang Si grew up in the family dean of Peking University, and she was surrounded by many women like Huang Yimei. When we create, we bring together the characteristics of many individuals into one character.
In the process of interviews and research, there is such a proud woman in front of us who is not only beautiful in appearance, excellent in study, and even easily admitted to Harvard, but also she dares to love and hate, has rich experience, even if she has been divorced, she is still active in the love market and is sought after. In the face of such a character, we are more confident in the portrayal of Huang Yimei.
It's a bit idealistic, but our goal is to create a legendary woman. Frankly, if you create a life story of a mediocre woman, it probably won't arouse too many people's interest. I'm mediocre myself, so why should I watch another ordinary person on TV? I'll just go home and see myself.
Xinsheng Pro: Some voices complained in turn that such a perfect Huang Yimei "played a good hand of cards to a pulp", but Guan Zhizhi became a "winner in life".
Li Xiao: Huang Yimei in the play has already answered this question herself. Tina once reminded her not to end up with a good hand that ended up being broken. Huang Yimei doesn't care about these, she never thinks about what is worth it or not, and she doesn't make trade-offs.
In the balance of her worldview, nothing can be compared to feelings, whether it is family, love or friendship, she attaches great importance to it. Not only lovers, but also her deep feelings for her family and friends.
I don't think a girl who is mentally healthy and has a very clear mind will not be harmed. Even Huang Yimei took the initiative to bear the hurt, because she loved life passionately. People live in the world, as long as you give affection, as long as you open your arms to accept a person, the result may be half and half bad.
She wrote a letter when her daughter was born to show her attitude towards life, whether life is bitter or sweet, she believes that the world is worth it. Even as a mother, knowing that my daughter may be injured in the future and that I may no longer be able to protect her, she should come into this world, go through the storm, and experience the good.
Huang Yimei shows a woman's great ability to be tolerant and loving, which is exactly the trait I wanted to give to this character. The nobility of her spirit lies in the fact that no matter what life brings her, whether it is surprise or fright, she feels that it is rewarding.
Xinsheng Pro: Compared with Huang Yimei, Su Gengsheng's original family can be said to be a bad example. Why is it set in the play that she was sexually assaulted by her stepfather?
Li Xiao: This setting is based on real cases. In our society, especially in remote areas of China, many women are sexually assaulted but are afraid to report it out of shame. Minors, in particular, are afraid to reveal to their parents, which causes many girls to bear lifelong scars that affect their emotions and lives. I have consulted the files of the procuratorate, and the number of real cases is far more painful than everyone imagined.
One thing I'm glad about now is that our show is hot enough for more people to see. I would like to remind more adults, especially older men and women, to be sure to protect their children, whether boys or girls, as they can all be victims. Every time one more person sees it, there is one more vigilance.
Su Gengsheng's background is in contrast to Huang Yimei.
If Huang Yimei was lucky to be reincarnated in a privileged family, then Su Gengsheng was unfortunately born in a bad family. What we want to express is that no matter how good your background is, no matter how beautiful and noble you are, the pain of love and life you should bear will not be less.
Even if you come from a bad background, even if you have experienced extremely bad things, you can still rely on your own strength to get out of the shadows, meet gentle people, and find friendship, love, and marriage.
2. No relationship is a real failure
Xinsheng Pro: How to understand Huang Yimei's feelings for Fang Xiewen?
Li Xiao: I don't want any of Huang Yimei's choices to look like going with the flow. The moment she met Fang Xiewen, she must have really loved him. Fang Xiewen has many qualities that impress her, such as his diligence, studiousness, and almost obsessive-compulsive self-discipline. These qualities will make Huang Yimei feel close and remind her of Su Gengsheng.
Fang Xiewen and Su Gengsheng are both from small places and have an imperceptible inferiority complex. But it is this inferiority complex that makes him more aware of the feelings of taking care of others. Fang Xiewen took care of Huang Yimei's feelings very much at the beginning.
In our plot, none of the relationships are real failures. She's been hurt, let down, and all sorts of ups and downs, but every time she encounters a new love, she's fully engaged. This ability is very valuable.
Xinsheng Pro: Some viewers are criticizing Fang Xiewen, Zhuang Guodong and even Huang Zhenhua as "scumbags".
Li Xiao: To be honest, I've been very gentle with our male characters, and everyone is quite cute, at least I can fall in love with them. I also feel that they all have their own helplessness and suffering.
For example, Huang Zhenhua, he just had a meal with his ex-girlfriend, and even Bai Xiaohe can't be regarded as really in love, just a girl he once loved. Although it was only for a few days, he quickly corrected his mistakes.
Xinsheng Pro: Although the role of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is "annoying", it has also aroused a high degree of enthusiasm for discussion.
Li Xiao: I found that since my mother-in-law came to Shanghai, the popularity of the drama has been very high, and the more the audience scolds, the more they want to watch it. More than ten years ago, I wrote "Spicy Mother-in-law" and "When Mother-in-law Meets Mother", and the ratings of those two dramas are also very high. Everyone is very interested in mother-in-law and daughter-in-law dramas, some people say that it is dog blood, but another name for dog blood can be dramatic.
I know that many viewers may criticize the collapse of the setting of certain characters, or the good or bad behavior of the characters, but as a creator, there is no absolute bad person, even if it is a mother-in-law, I can find out her psychological and behavioral basis from her perspective, and our personal feelings will be sporadically projected on each character.
If we change the perspective and tell the story of a woman in a small city in Northeast China from the standpoint of her mother-in-law, she has not received much education, her husband died of a work injury shortly after the birth of the child, and she carried everything alone. This son was later admitted to a top school in China's most economically developed city, and the most popular major was a guaranteed graduate student. Such an excellent son, tall and handsome, no one is worthy of him. As time passed, the son grew up, and the mother entered menopause and experienced physical changes, but her closest son was not around.
If we can calm down and weave the story of this mother, maybe it can also touch people's hearts. At that time, the audience may stand in her perspective and feel that her daughter-in-law is not sensible enough and too high-minded.
For example, when Huang Yimei was said to be a wreck and did not fight with her mother-in-law, did she ever think that this may be because Huang Yimei considered the problem from the perspective of her mother-in-law, she thought that her mother-in-law was a difficult woman and was willing to tolerate her shortcomings.
Xinsheng Pro: Some people think that Huang Yimei is too tolerant in marriage.
Li Xiao: Nowadays, many people think that having individuality means resisting and expressing their opinions. Especially in the marriage between Rose and Fang Xiewen, some people feel that Rose should have rebelled long ago and fought for her own rights.
But I don't think Huang Yimei would do that. In my mind, she would tolerate these contradictions, because she chose Fang Xiewen as her husband and was pregnant with their child. On the other hand, I think Huang Yimei disdains to quarrel with Fang Xiewen, nor does he disdain to listen to trivial matters between him and his mother.
Our director designed some upstairs and downstairs scenes, such as from the balcony you can see the conversation below, and sometimes you can hear it. If Huang Yimei opens the window, she may hear the conversation downstairs. But she would never do it, she wouldn't have such a mind, she didn't bother to do it, she had been a generous person since she was a child.
If Huang Yimei stands up and quarrels with her mother-in-law, even if she wins the quarrel, then I will write this character down.
Xinsheng Pro: If Huang Yimei met Zhuang Guodong later, the direction of this relationship may be different, because she herself is more mature.
Li Xiao: Huang Yimei is indeed advancing step by step and growing little by little. Especially her love for Zhuang Guodong, when she was just a young girl in her 20s, and the love after the millennium is often passionate.
As the plot develops, you'll see that she matures a lot after getting married, and even when she prepares for a divorce, her eyes change. She is gradually getting stronger, getting closer and closer to the image of the Yishu girl we want to create. Her growth is not only in her emotional attitude, but also in the tolerance of the whole person.
When she got divorced, she started a business with Tina and met a new love. At this time, she was about 36 years old, and her state was different. For example, when she falls in love again and meets a man again, her attitude may no longer be the same as her first love for Zhuang Guodong. She will be more considerate of each other, more understanding of each other, more accepting of each other's imperfections, and she understands that to love someone is to tolerate his shortcomings.
Xinsheng Pro: What do you think of the ambiguous relationship in the last year?
Li Xiao: The last relationship is not love, and I didn't write about a sibling relationship. Their relationship is something higher than love, or arguably broader than love. In the future, maybe this relationship may turn into love, but not at the moment.
In the process of moving towards the future, Huang Yimei gives herself happiness and affirmation. She no longer needs to make up for herself with feelings, and she doesn't need to rush into a relationship. She is now more of a state of freedom, calmness, and release. She is waiting that maybe one day a wonderful person will appear, and then she will open her arms again and fall in love again. But if there is no such person, she can live a very good life, live a very self-consistent life, and live a free life.
Xinsheng Pro: Many people will say that we must put an end to the love brain. What do you think of the contemporary young people's view of love?
Li Xiao: When creating this story, someone suggested that I should add some career lines to the characters, because there are too many love plots. I asked the question at the time, why can't we write about a girl who is emotionally rich, beautiful and loved by both men and women?
I gradually discovered that in our society, there are always a lot of rules and restrictions for the heroine. She can't be like this, she can't be like that, she can't be in love too much. But think about it, how many similar constraints a real woman would be subject to in real life?
When a woman wants to fall in love, some people will criticize her for her love brain. If she falls in love with the wrong person and falls into an unhappy marriage, some people will ask her why she didn't divorce and make unreasonable accusations against her.
There is an interesting phenomenon in and out of the play, the audience often criticizes Huang Yimei, for example, she broke the cards, or said that she was married, accusing her of not dating this person or that person. I think these criticisms are people standing on their own standpoint, judging another girl with their own life experience, as if they are standing in God's perspective and condescendingly looking at Huang Yimei. But that's just the characters in the play.
I can't imagine that in real life, when a girl is really facing a difficult situation, there will really be so many accusations and invative voices around her. This is also a problem that I realized after this drama caused heated discussions.