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| Hou Minghao Wants to Reunite With Ai Mi in a Music Drama After Key to the Phoenix Heart. (Photo: Sohu) |
Neo Hou (Hou Minghao) has opened up about his experience working alongside rising actress Ai Mi in the romantic costume drama Key to the Phoenix Heart, offering a warm look behind the scenes of one of this year's most talked-about pairings. While audiences continue to discuss the chemistry between the two stars on screen, Hou says their real-life dynamic was built on encouragement, teamwork and plenty of honest conversations, making the production feel less like a demanding drama set and more like a supportive family.
The actor also reflected on playing Xiao Wuyi, revealing that he became one of the character's biggest supporters while filming. Rather than simply portraying the role, Hou explained that he fully understood every difficult choice Xiao Wuyi made, whether it involved protecting his country, standing firm during political struggles or quietly sacrificing his own feelings before finally choosing to fight for love.
"I'd definitely call myself Xiao Wuyi's career fan first, but honestly I'm also his biggest supporter," Hou Minghao laughed during the interview.
"I completely support every decision he makes. Whether it's his responsibility towards the country, the way he stands his ground in court politics or how he protects the person he loves before finally throwing caution aside, I understand every one of those choices. I can truly empathise with him."
That emotional connection also inspired Hou to contribute several small but meaningful details to the character. One memorable scene where Xiao Wuyi places Xie Jiayu onto a horse before respectfully nodding towards her guardian was entirely his own idea.
He explained that although the moment appeared bold, he wanted it to retain a sense of respect rather than feeling overly dramatic. Another sequence during a rainstorm also received Hou Minghao's personal touch. Instead of simply carrying the heroine away, he suggested adding logical reasons behind Xiao Wuyi's actions.
"I wanted the scene to feel more believable," he explained. "First he protects her leatherwork because it shows he treasures something important to her. Then he carries her because the ground is slippery and she's standing in heavy rain. If I suddenly picked her up for no reason, audiences would probably think, 'That's convenient.' I wanted every action to make sense."
While discussing Xiao Wuyi's emotional journey, Hou Minghao compared different stages of the romance to music. He said the early chapters reminded him of the song Onion, describing the character as someone quietly hiding his feelings while willingly remaining in the background.
"At first he's happy being the supporting character in her life," Hou said. "He wants her dreams, career and happiness to come first. His feelings stay hidden like layers inside an onion. If someone slowly peeled those layers away, they'd finally discover everything he'd been keeping inside."
Later, however, Xiao Wuyi's emotions become impossible to ignore. "Eventually he stops hiding," Hou Minghao continued.
"He begins fighting for love instead of simply protecting it from a distance. Even if things don't end the way he hopes, he'll still spend his life protecting her. That's who Xiao Wuyi is."
Hou Minghao also agreed with fans' interpretation of one particularly popular shot from Episode 11, where Xiao Wuyi turns while holding his sword.
"They're absolutely right," he smiled. "Before meeting Xie Jiayu he had nobody behind him. He was always fighting alone. When he turns around in that scene, he's looking back because now there's someone waiting for him. She becomes his weakness, but also the reason he keeps moving forward."
Away from the fictional romance, Hou Minghao had nothing but praise for Ai Mi, describing the young actress as someone overflowing with creativity despite occasionally needing reassurance.
"People might think she's asking questions because she's unsure, but that's not really it," he explained. "She has lots of ideas. Sometimes she'd come over before an emotional scene and ask what I thought. I think she simply wanted someone she trusted to say, 'Yes, you've got this.' Once she heard that, she'd perform with complete confidence."
Hou Minghao admitted he often accompanied Chen Ai Mi whenever she wanted to discuss ideas with the director but felt too shy to approach alone.
"If she wanted another take or wanted to suggest something, I'd tell her, 'Come on, let's go together.' Honestly, it reminded me of myself when I first started acting. Back then there were opportunities I fought for and others I missed. I didn't want her to look back one day wishing she'd spoken up."
Their relationship, Hou Minghao added, naturally developed into something resembling an older brother and younger sister.
"Sometimes we'd tease each other, sometimes we'd argue over little things, but everyone kept saying we had that brother-sister feeling. It wasn't something we tried to create. It just happened naturally while filming."
When asked what made Ai Mi so likeable, Hou Minghao's answer was surprisingly simple.
"She's adorable because she's not trying to be adorable," he laughed. "She's incredibly straightforward. I gave her a piece of hawthorn cake and asked, 'Is it nice?' She just looked at me and said, 'Sweet.' That's it. Completely honest. Somehow that made me laugh because that's exactly who she is."
Hou Minghao also confessed that he has become one of Ai Mi's musical supporters away from the cameras.
"I'm actually a fan of her songs," he revealed. "She let me hear her newest single before it was released and I really liked it."
That admiration has already inspired an idea for another collaboration. Rather than returning in another historical drama, Hou Minghao hopes they can eventually headline a youthful music series together.
"If we get another chance to work together," he said, "I'd love to do a band drama. She should absolutely be the lead singer because she loves singing so much, and I'll happily play the guitarist. I think that would be energetic, fun and completely different from what we've done already."
The actor also reflected on his own creative process beyond television. During his concert tour, he personally designed the moment where he walked backwards before moving towards the audience during the song No Matter How Far, We'll Be Together.
"The original idea was for me to wave goodbye and run back to my starting position," he explained. "But I thought that didn't match the message. The song is about always finding each other, so I wanted to walk towards the audience instead. It should feel like running towards the people you care about."
Music remains one of Hou Minghao's biggest passions, and he once again spoke about his admiration for singer JJ Lin.
"I've liked JJ for nearly thirty years," he joked. "Apparently I started when I was one year old. I'd love the chance to sing with him one day. I don't even need to perform one of his songs on my own. Just let me share one stage with him."
Hou Minghao also highlighted one of the most emotionally demanding sequences in Key to the Phoenix Heart, describing the scene where Xiao Wuyi witnesses the brutal loss of his family as the biggest acting challenge of the series.
"I didn't want it to be just crying," he explained. "I wanted audiences to see his body fighting before his emotions even caught up. He's trapped, struggling against soldiers, unable to save the people he loves. That physical reaction felt just as important as the emotional one. When we finished filming, I felt like I'd passed a personal test as an actor."
Fans have reacted enthusiastically to the interview, with many praising Hou Minghao's thoughtful approach to acting and his willingness to mentor younger performers without overshadowing them.
Others were delighted to hear his glowing comments about Ai Mi, saying their genuine friendship explains the effortless chemistry seen throughout Key to the Phoenix Heart.
Of course, plenty have already embraced his dream of a music drama, with viewers joking that someone should stop wasting time and hand them microphones before another historical costume arrives.
With Key to the Phoenix Heart continuing to attract attention, Hou Minghao's behind-the-scenes stories have given fans an even greater appreciation for the work that went into building Xiao Wuyi and Xie Jiayu's relationship.
His combination of careful character research, practical improvisation and unwavering support for Ai Mi paints a picture of an actor who believes great performances are built through collaboration rather than ego.
Now the question is simple: would you like to see Hou Minghao and Ai Mi reunite in a modern music drama, or should they return for another sweeping historical romance?