[Interview] Light and Night x Marie Claire: Evan - Whispers of the Ship in a Bottle | 光与夜之恋×嘉人：荷尔蒙炸弹【陆沉：瓶中船的密语】

From Saint Laurent:

Fitted Single-Breasted Jacket in Wool and Striped Satin in Black

Shirt in Cotton Poplin in Black

Fitted Vest in Pinstripe Wool in Black

High-Rise Pants in Striped Wool in Black 

From Zegna:

Burgundy Z Vintage Logo Silk Tie

From Vacheron Constantin:

Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date Wristwatch 

From Cartier:

Cartier Love Collection: Love Ring, Small Model, White Gold

Cartier Love Collection: Love Wedding Band, 1 Diamond, White Gold

Cartier Love Collection: Love Wedding Band, 3 Diamonds, White Gold

- Introduction-

"Candlelights will extinguish, roses will wilt, and eternity is merely a lie fabricated by fairy tales. But why, do humans still choose to believe in lies?"

- Prologue-

"Hermits who hide among people, are as though they could sink without waters*." - This is an annotation Guo Xiang made for "Zhuang Zi" towards the term "Lu Chen". Evan (Lu Chen) is no hermit, but he's more of an observer among people, where he sees the ever-changing surface and the realities of the world, and controls the delicate balances between worlds. He would patiently create a delicate ship in a bottle with precise observation and control, and he would also gladly discuss the possibilities of sawing open the glass bottle with the one by his side, with no need to consider the results, only purely enjoying the sceneries laying before his eyes.  

* This is a reference to Guo Xiang's, credited with the first, and most important revision for Zhuang Zi. In the line of《庄子·则阳》：“方且与世违而心不屑与之俱，是陆沉者也。”, he noted: “人中隐者，譬无水而沉也。”. The underlined word is exactly the same phrase as Evan's CN name, Lu Chen, which literally means "the land sinks without water". 

- Whispers of the Ship in a Bottle -

"Hello everyone, I'm Lu Chen. The photoshoot with Marie Claire today is a brand new experience to me. Photography is a record of moments, and I've recalled many moments in my memories throughout the photoshoot this time." 

(You can listen to him saying this here)

As soon as we entered the lounge, we saw Evan placing the tablet he was working with, standing up with a smile, and greeted us well. From the restless group CEO to the calm interviewee, the change happened in this short instant.

It's the same for the photoshoot. Evan possesses calmness that doesn't lose out to professional models. In the photoshoot studio, he has always been in a natural state, accurately portraying the state required with ease. The interview with Evan felt more like a communication with him. Evan would accurately capture the key point of the questions while listening, and articulate coherently with brief reflections. Just as his usual ways of doing things, he does not display or guide on purpose, but would instead naturally grasp onto a suitable pace throughout the conversation.

To Evan, to take office as the CEO of Warson is a result that comes with a matter of course over years of pavement.

Evan grew up in a strict education environment since childhood. He was sent overseas to study in middle school, and has lived an independent live early on. While children of his age were still schooling as per schedule while thinking of the distant future, Evan was already clear on what he wants to do. After graduating from university, Evan started a business, and made explorations in artificial intelligence. While his current job is a result requested by his family, it is, on the other hand, a final decision that he made throughout the journey he made.

"There are many times we do not possess the rights of having too many options, but even if we're facing a well-arranged direction, we can still build a path that we want." During his idle times, Evan would create a model called ship in a boat. It is a handicraft where one builds a ship model in a horizontally laid, transparent glass bottle, where a ship model of an appropriate size is first made outside the glass bottle, then disassembling the model part by part, then use a pair of long tweezers to place the parts of the ship model into the glass bottle, and fixate it with glue. "You can build what you want in a pre-defined frame, and throughout the entire process, everything is under your own control".

To be able to be in control while remaining calm, it is required to first having a thorough understanding towards the matter in hand. "The process of building and disassembling a ship model is also a process for in-depth exploration," In work, Evan would never let go of details that are worthy to be explored. "During this process, I might perhaps be able to see myself more clearly".

In Evan's opinion, there's nothing special in his method of resting: reading, playing the cello, or to have a few rounds of international chess, and there are also times where he would take a seat in the usual coffee shop he goes to for some period of time. The usual busy work didn't allow much leisure time for Evan, but even so, Evan would spare more time within his capabilities to travel. "I've met someone special last year, so I've began thinking of sparing time to travel to different places with her".

Many years ago, the term "little happiness" was once a trend in the internet. In Evan's inventory of vocabulary, there's a similar phrase too-- Hygge. The meaning of Hygge is to discover the moments of comfort and pleasure that aren't easily discoverable, and it's how happiness is attained. In the moments that he treasures, there are the dazzling stars he sees from the clocktower in a midsummer night, the fluttering snowflakes by the wishing pond in winter, the colorful lights that brightens the camping grounds in a forest, and also the single lamp that's still brightened in the midnight office... "There are times where I'm merely a bystander, but even if I were just watching, those short moments will become wonderful moments of enjoyment".

"Even if all of these times will disappear along with time, but they can still remain in memories." Evan mentioned about the mandala sand painting that he saw in Gan Zhao Temple of London. The monks spent years to depict the beautiful world of Buddhism with sands made of expensive materials in various colors. Upon completion, the monk in charge of drawing it will wipe the painting off within a minute, and telling the transient "impermanence" of the world. It's just like how the completion of construction of the ship in a boat does not represent its end, as any matter will eventually face its fate to perish. It'll perhaps shatter, it'll perhaps weather, and everything is just a matter of time. Naturally, it's also the same for humans.

When he was visiting a sand painting gallery, Evan told his experience about the mandala sand painting to his accompanying female companion, which was also the special person that he met last year. "She has a different way of understanding the world than mine. Just like the mandala saint painting, to her, perishing does not mean an ending, because each annihilation means to welcome a better new life.

"Very interesting, is it not?" Evan mentioned, that people always have different opinions towards the same matter. To this world, everyone can be both a participant as well as an observer. The way they do things will differ based on the different results they attain from their observation. "When I led her to make the ship in a bottle for the very first time, she asked if we had to first saw the glass bottle into two. It's something that I have never thought of in the past, it's very interesting".

"

"

In Evan's timeline, it's rare to see his comments towards economic news. He's more like a person who observes the world, recording the changes of time and moments of thoughts. In his timeline, you can see a transparent flower that blooms under the rain, a teddy bear abandoned by the roadside, or discussions regarding literary works. Evan said that this is a habit that he only began to develop since last year.

"Nobody can guarantee the existence of eternity." Just like the jewelry that breaks off in his hands during the photoshoot session, "If perishing lies in the end of destiny, I'll remember the feeling of the moment it stopped right on my fingertips".

- Interview -

marie claire: Our collaboration theme is "Hormone Explosion", it's said that everyone's hormone has a different scent, what do you think your hormone scent is?

Evan: I think it's difficult for everyone to notice their hormone scent. If I had to give an answer, it's probably the absinthe scent my little bunny chose for me before I head out.

marie claire: Then what's the type of hormone scent that you like?

Evan: I think, it's the mixture of the faint smell of blood and red wine. You find it a little weird, is that right? I can also give you another answer, that would probably be coffee, sophora honey and red bean shaved ice.

marie claire: If you were to use a poem to describe the hormone response when you have a heartthrob, which would you choose?

Evan: "How shall I hold my soul that it may not. Be touching yours?"

*Love Song by Rainer Maria Rilke 

marie claire: MBTI tests are very popular recently, do you know what MBTI you are?

Evan: It was popular for a period of time, hence, there's a young lady making me to experience it too. The result was INTJ, "accustomed to be independent, prefers to calmly and carefully analyze situations, and the more complicated a situation is, the higher the tendencies to take things into our own control, besides this, also a little perfectionist", it sounds like it's indeed having some similarities to me. However, these traits are more present at work. When I'm by those I'm close with, I think, I'm not someone who can maintain absolute rationality at all times.

marie claire: Reminiscing the past year, and looking forward to the next year, do you have anything that you'd like to say?

Evan: In a certain midnight last year, I encountered an interesting young lady. I heard that two would will not encounter out of coincidence. Our encounter was indeed unrelated to coincidence, but she has brought me many unexpected, dazzling surprises. I've never looked forward to vain futures, but I've begun to have greedy thoughts to retain the present.

- - -

You can also read Sariel's here and Osborn's here, Charlie's here, and Jesse's here!