Macao shoot a shot in arm

Growing up in Fujian province, Chen studied music engineering at the Xiamen University of Technology. In 2012, she started to study at the Yuan Ze University in Taiwan as an exchange student.

She competed in the Taiwan TV's singing contest Chinese Million Star, which has previously launched the careers of pop stars like Jam Hsiao, Yoga Lin, and Aska Yang, and claimed the title in 2014.

"At the time, I participated to have this new experience," she says.

After winning, Chen signed with a major record company, but it was acquired shortly afterward, leading to her contract being dropped. She returned to the Chinese mainland and ventured into musical theater. Repeated practice and experience gradually helped her find her way in acting, and she began to get invitations for film and TV roles.

"I had many auditions and met lots of directors, and sometimes, not being chosen simply indicates a mismatch of needs, not a denial of my worth. I believe the value of an actor does not solely depend on how well a TV or film production is received, or the opinions of others, but on whether I feel that I have put all my energy into performing that role."

As Mai Youge, Chen is playing a character she finds comfortable and engaging and just as her character slowly learns to let go of stress and face life with a relaxed attitude in Macao, Chen has also experienced her own mental transition in the process.

Wang Lianqing contributed to this story.