Life

Blind dates are not for me, says Hsu Chi

By Liu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-23 11:09

Blind dates may be the main theme in If You are the One, but Hsu Chi, its lead actress, says she suffers from "blind date panic".

Hsu plays an airhostess in the romantic comedy, whose sequel will hit theaters on Dec 22. She gets to know middle-aged Ge You on a blind date. The two fall in love in the first film, and will test their relationship by living together in the sequel. Will they eventually marry? That will depend on whether director Feng Xiaogang goes in for a third installment of the film.

Hsu says she dare not go back to Taiwan, because her mother, aunts and friends will set up one blind date after another for the 34-year-old, known as a seductress of Chinese cinema.

"I am more reasonable now and do not expect love at first sight to happen," she says.

Like many young women, Hsu says she goes on dates only with a friend. If she does not like the man, having another person around is less embarrassing, she says. Her little trick, however, has made a couple of one of her friends and her blind date.

Hsu says all she seeks in a boyfriend is that he should be nice and have enough money to make a life.

The ideal candidate so far, Hsu jokes, is Ge You, her love interest in the film.

Ge impressed Hsu the first time they met two years ago. Arriving tired after a long flight, she was surprised to see Ge and Feng Xiaogang at the airport to pick her up. Ge brought flowers and drove the car.

"It was the first time I felt so esteemed," she says. "Both the director and leading actor had come to receive me. I felt very warm."

The two have forged a closer bond in the film's sequel, in which they go through a trial marriage. This leads to many funny situations. But Hsu is quick to add that this is not something she would try to test a relationship.

"I may travel with my boyfriend for a week to see if our habits are compatible, that should be enough," she says.

If You are the One screened in late 2008 raked in 340 million yuan ($50 million) and was the highest grossing film that year.

China Daily