I'm flipping through the novel and have some questions.Han Tin in the novel is cold as ice. In the show he isn't,…
In the novel, Han Ting harbors deep feelings for Ji Xing. His affection for her is evident, and he clearly has romantic interests in her. He does find her irresistible, but he is also a very restrained man. Once they get together in the novel, HT always mentoring her and is strict with her but at the same time he is also warm and caring toward her only and no one else. I think he finds her stimulating to be around and teases her a lot, it seems to be both work and fun at the same time to him to teach her. She is a complex person to him, a pretty young girl who is chaotic but so intelligent too (my interpretation). Later on, he even gets emotional when they have problems in their relationship but always just quietly to himself for a brief moment then he snaps out of it. He doesn't allow himself to become vulnerable. Around others, even JX, he is always calm and composed. In the drama, there is a scene of them yelling at each other, not sure if that kind of outburst happened in the novel but they do have some emotional heavy exchanges in the novel, but HT is not one to dwell on anything; but still, I find that he can't resist her. To me, he is haunted by her and can't let go of her for all his logic and self-control. His way of thinking is not like a normal person. He sees everything black and white. He can compartmentalize his feelings. The HT and JX in the novel and the drama feel the same to me except that in the novel HT is 7.5 yrs. older so when you think about an older man with a younger woman, you might get a different feeling, but their dynamics are very similar. Their development is similar. Xu Kai and Seven Tan really look the part of these characters, except Ji Xing might have had a ponytail, she was only around 25 if I recall right. The novel describes Han Ting in such great detail like down to how white his teeth is that it's uncanny physical appearance of Xu Kai himself. I think XK has done a pretty good job of capturing Han Ting's mannerisms and demeanor. XK did regret he was not more passionate in this role, and he tried to make HT more relatable, but I think it was not easy to balance this unemotional and restrained character to an audience. Seven Tan is exactly like what you would imagine Ji Xing in the novel.
XK catching the jacket and unbuttoning his jacket were his ideas he gave to the director out of being practical about how to handle the scene and it surprised him the audience enjoy these two scenes so much. He has good ideas, good taste, and good moves. XK does not realize that he just naturally connects with his audience whatever he does.
Ji Xing is oblivious of Han Ting’s feelings for her, viewing him solely as an investor and mentor. Even so, she would be very cautious about risking their professional relationship and jeopardizing her startup.
I'm so glad to see scenes of them working too and showing the equipment, materials, process (rapid prototyping which is expensive) used to make the product. The medical field their products are used in requires a good amount of funding to succeed. Even though they do the software, but they have to also create a product to prove their concept works and collaborate with hospitals on trials with patients too.
The actor has to appear unemotional while still convey underlying feelings. He must balance having a calm and composed exterior with subtle emotional expressions. HT is human after all and experiences emotions internally.
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https://x.com/Natapori/status/1810628936218694068/photo/1
https://x.com/naiee_soso7/status/1810580354056765721/photo/1
ABAY 84.81 is not that far behind LYFS2 87.35.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRgDmlnUOAw