Yang Mi • The End of Rationality is Romance

According to Yang Mi, regardless of rationality or idealism, both are just life.

–––– 01 ––––

Relaxation, is Also a Way to Receive the Gift from Universe

Yang Mi is very imaginative, especially when playing escape room or finding answers for murder mystery game. She doesn't fantasise exaggeratedly. Instead, she will suggest different types of possibilities which sound impossible but could be corroborated one by one in the reality.

YM: "Few days ago, I played a murder mystery game. As soon as the game started, I quickly searched for evidence and made speculations. It was fun and satisfying, especially after the case was solved, I felt a sense of accomplishment, and thinking that I am suitable to play such game."

COSMO: "But isn't that the murder mystery game required much thinking and time to play? Your usual acting/work must be tiring enough, but you still have to keep working in the game?"

YM: "Yeh, when we (YM and her friends) played together, we always complained so too. A lot of times when I invited Zu'er for the game, she always asked us to end early so that we won't stay up late till midnight again. But in the end, on the day we played, we started at 8pm, but it was already 4am when we finished summarising the whole game. The day was almost getting bright."

YM: "The clues are inextricably linked. You need imagination to be immersed into the character, and also use your brain to think rationally and outside the box."

When summarising her experience in playing murder mystery game, Yang Mi is also summarising her experience/self-cultivation as an actress. In her latest drama, "She and Her Perfect Husband", she added some self-created details for Qin Shi, the elite lawyer.

YM: "For example, when she was fighting a case with her peers, they asked her, 'Are you going to do something?'. She said: 'No, honey. I don't even know there's such case. Let us work hard together and stay pretty for today!'."

Originally, there were some rivalry scenes. However, during the filming, Yang Mi made some adjustments to the scenes as how she wanted to portray after having a discussion with the director. These adjustments were not made subjectively. Instead, they were made based on the real workplace environment.

YM: "When the competitor asked me about some serious matter, I would instead tell her: 'Honey, your lipstick colour looks great today.' Just evasively avoid the topic like this. This is just something that might happen in the real workplace. You actually won't tell much of your real plan to your competitor. You also won't immediately start a fight as a greeting when meeting your colleague. Which woman in the workplace will be so dumb? Who would quarrel face to face, or haggle over every little small things? Supposedly no."

You see, she depicts her life using her own eyes.

Charming, light, relax...

These are all Yang Mi's ways of expressing, with a little bizarre and carefree, but still gorgeous and comfortable.

In many's eyes, Yang Mi is undoubtedly a rationalist.

She is good at forgetting, has a skill to 'quit emotions', and a strong heart to face everything.

But Yang Mi says: "The end of rationality, perhaps is the ultimate romance."

–––– 01 ––––

Romance Doesn't Need Formalities

"My life details are very unromantic.", this is how Yang Mi commented on herself.

COSMO: "Who says you are not romantic? We heard that you even gave red packets to people on Valentine's Day, this is very romantic."

YM: "Yeah, not long ago was Valentine's Day. So, I gifted some red packets to my young sisters. I sent them 520 Yuan each. There were people send me too. I was actually quite happy after receiving it."

*T/N 520 means "I love you".

COSMO: "Why did you guys only send each other red packets (money)? Is it because you think that red packet is more useful than flowers and presents?"

YM: "Of course. Which girl doesn't like red packet of 520 Yuan? If you have the ability, you can do so too!"

Among the gifts she has received and given in the past, Yang Mi cannot recall which one was the most surprising and touching. In fact, she is very alert of anything that is described as the utmost, because in the real world, the word "most" has been used too often. Yang Mi always wonders if it is true and appropriate enough to reflect our emotions and perceptions.

YM: "You know, life is still long. Wait for the day when I die, if we still have a chance, I can tell you then, which gifts that I've received in my whole life have moved and surprised me the most."

In contrast, Yang Mi knows exactly which gifts will come in handy.

YM: "I usually just buy what I need on a daily basis. It's unnecessary for me to wait until a certain point of time to give it away."

There was a time when Yang Mi went to a friend's house to have supper and chat, she found out that they just randomly find an empty lunch box, pour a shallow layer of water inside, and make it as a small garbage can. When Yang Mi made her next visit again, she just placed the portable garbage can that she had bought in advance in her bag.

YM: "Something like this, I usually is the type, whereby I will pay attention on the things that I think you may lack of at home, or in your daily life. Afterwards, I will remember to bring it for the next time, but will not deliberately pick a very delicate so-called 'gift' to give."

Question for Yang Mi, as a person become more mature, will they become less and less fanciful and more and more blunt in romance? It's just like gaining one new ability while losing another at the same time.

Yang Mi replied seriously after a long time of contemplation: "I don't actually know what maturity is and what a mature person should look like. After so many years, I still don't know if I have become more mature or not. But there is one thing I am sure enough, that is my pursuit and understanding of romance has completely changed. When I was young, I might have pursued some sort of formality; but now, I feel that there is nothing more romantic than companionship and understanding between people."

In her own way, Yang Mi has made the traditional Chinese New Year romantic enough.

YM: "During the Chinese New Year celebration period, I have been living in a friend's house, including me, there were a total of three girls. We called this period of time as 'dormitory life'. Every night, we would drink Chen Pi tea rather than alcohol, chat until three or four in the morning, and then go to bed. The next day we woke up and did our own thing. Then, came back one by one in the evening/night time, and continued our 'dormitory life'."

*T/N Chen Pi is sun-dried orange/tangerine peel.

Throughout the holidays, the all-night conversations that took place in the "dormitory life" covered the topics such as relationships, career, trivialities in life, joys and worries, as well as the various life confusions faced by women of this age, and even belief.

YM: "Including lifestyle, they are not entertainers/artistes, they do different jobs and probably have different lifestyles, but that doesn't stop us from being friends. They have questions they want to ask me, and I also have questions that I want to ask them. At the end of the conversation, we will find out that our lives are actually similar, and the bad things we have to face in life are also similar. That's why I think it's romantic enough to have someone who understands you, knows what you are talking about, talks with you like this, or gives a small gift or two that can come in handy in life. Companionship is the most long-lasting confession, and romance is the constant presence of thoughtfulness and gentleness."

–––– 02 ––––

Truth or Dare

When talking about love, people will always be surprised by Yang Mi's frankness as she never try to cover. She can say in an interview that she is "looking forward to love every day"; she will also admit in the presence of a more in-depth inquiry that she is "looking forward to love, but it's too much trouble to really date/stay in a love relationship"; she even could summarise a little social observation.

According to her observation, "feeling tired and couldn't fall in love", is likely to be a common problem of the youngsters today. In this fast-paced and high-stress era, most young people are in a state of exhaustion/overwhelming with work.

YM: "For many people, just getting their work and life organised has taken up all their strength. I haven't finished my work today yet, I haven't applied facial mask when I reach home, the house is not cleaned up yet. And, I have to spend this time to put on a makeup and wash my hair just to go for a date. It's too tiring."

When facing love, many young people prefer to just give up –– "Don't trouble myself, just sleep."

On one side is looking forward for love, but on the other side is feeling troublesome. Yang Mi explained that this condition is not contradictory.

YM: "In your life, you will also look forward to many things but fear of them at the same time, right? Love is also the same. If you have it, you will treat it seriously; If you don't have, not stressing and exhausting yourself is good enough too."

"There are many articles saying that the young people now are afraid of loving.", I (editor) added.

"What am I afraid of?", Yang Mi responded casually, "I will just measure and weigh (observe), if it's too much trouble then forget it. Of course, love always deserves to be treated sincerely, but the prerequisite is to sort out your life nicely first."

Question for Yang Mi, have you ever thought of completely jumping out of your life at the moment and doing a reckless adventure?

"The state that you're talking about is more like an escape.", Yang Mi acutely pointed to the core, "I've never had this idea, because life at the moment, for me, itself has no fixed framework. I can leave whenever I want, or go for a so-called adventure. As long as I want, the present moment for me, there is actually no restraint. The me at the moment is the comfortable/liberal me."

COSMO: "So, when you are looking forward for love, are you looking forward to an unexpected romantic experience or are you looking forward to a stable affiliation, like a feeling of settling down after meeting someone?"

YM: "A stable affiliation can only be given by yourself. You can not find an affiliation from others, the risk is too high. If you rely completely on others for the feeling of security, what if they go away or leave you, what should you do?"

COSMO: "So, do you prefer a more exciting and passionate love relationship?"

YM: "Not necessary has to be exciting and passionate. Happiness is enough."

In Yang Mi's point of view, true rationalism is after weighing all the pros and cons, one still follows what the heart wants. Rationalists know exactly how to be romantic. In the gap between the ideal world and the real world, Yang Mi knows more about how to skilfully find a balance. "Who says that rationality and emotion are necessarily opposite?"

The uncertainty of life, on the contrary, makes life more attractive, and the meaning of the moment is far greater than all the ideas of the future. Grasping and experiencing the meaning of the present moment is what closer to the voice of your heart.