LayarHijau.com -- The new drama starring Chen Zheyuan and Liang Jie, The White Olive Tree, is currently airing on iQiyi. Many viewers in China have dubbed this drama the Chinese version of Descendants of the Sun.
In The White Olive Tree, Chen Zheyuan plays a soldier named Li Zan. The actor revealed that he underwent rigorous training for three months for this role. However, after the drama aired, some netizens began to raise concerns. For instance, one netizen accused Chen Zheyuan of using shoulder pads to give his body an ideal appearance in the drama.
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| Training that Chen Zheyuen did |
Although this accusation was initially denied by the actor's fans, recently released behind-the-scenes footage has drawn attention once again. In the video, Chen Zheyuan is seen asking Liang Jie to sit on his back while he does push-ups. However, before Liang Jie could sit down properly, Chen Zheyuan was already struggling with the push-ups. When he attempted to lift Liang Jie, he accidentally dropped her onto the sofa, revealing that his muscles weren't as strong as they appeared, leading to criticism from netizens.
The character Li Zan, played by Chen Zheyuan, is a mine clearance volunteer in an international rescue organization. He is skilled in blasting techniques, has a calm and introverted personality, and embodies fairness and bravery while hoping for world peace, all while silently protecting Song Ran, a war journalist portrayed by Liang Jie.
Although his role in this drama is smaller compared to the female lead, his previous collaboration with Zhao Lusi in Hidden Love has helped build his popularity overseas. Chen Zheyuan opened an Instagram account earlier this month and attracted 1.5 million followers within three days, with comments mostly filled by fans from South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
To portray the soldier Li Zan, Chen Zheyuan trained for three months. Despite appearing muscular in behind-the-scenes footage, he has been accused of using fake shoulder pads to create a more muscular look.
In the latest footage from The White Olive Tree, his performance has once again faced criticism. He asked Liang Jie to sit on his back while doing push-ups to increase the difficulty of the exercise. While it was supposed to be a display of masculine strength, Chen Zheyuan was struggling before Liang Jie could even sit properly.
Liang Jie even playfully hit him and he exclaimed, "I haven't even sat down yet!" When Chen Zheyuan attempted to lift Liang Jie, his grip slipped, causing her to fall onto the sofa. Chen Zheyuan ended up falling onto Liang Jie’s thighs and kept apologizing. After this clip went viral, netizens complained that his training efforts seemed wasted. Later, netizens also pointed out that Chen Zheyuan had trouble lifting Zhao Lusi during the filming of Hidden Love.
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| Chen Zheyuan looked struggling to lift Zhao Lusi while filming Hidden Love |
Nonetheless, the playful interactions between Chen Zheyuan and Liang Jie off-screen have added to their charm as a pair, as reported by Upmedia. Recently, the two were interviewed and asked to share "a funny moment that the other party doesn't know about."
Chen Zheyuan joked that Liang Jie is so cute that she wants the whole world to know. Liang Jie laughed and responded, "Am I cute? I’ve always been aloof." Chen Zheyuan intentionally stayed silent to tease her, then revealed, "You're quite cute when you dance to 'Queencard'." Liang Jie replied, "Isn't that already well-known?" Chen Zheyuan said, "That's widely known." At that moment, Liang Jie added, "Your dancing isn’t that great either."