^{TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang}

畫上圓滿的初心，一切成功的女人的特質，在林心如身上展現的淋灕盡致，她作為時尚高級珠寶寵兒，珠寶上光影流轉的印記，近幾年更願意將時間稱為一個見證者，見證著她的逐漸成熟，陪著她一步步走向更好的滿分媽媽。

All the traits a successful woman should have can be found on Ruby Lin. As the darling of High Jewelry, she wears them as a mark of time. Recently, time has become a witness for her gradual maturity and her growth of becoming a better, more perfect mother.

重回校園

四季的更迭意味著時間的流轉，離開校園二十幾年，重新回到校園讀書，沉思了一下，她描述那時候讀世新大學上海碩專班，大概一個月要飛上海一到兩次，每次三天，學生時期沒有住校過的林心如，她暢言著那一段時光的美好。大家住在同樣的飯店，彷若求學一起住宿舍，一起上學、吃飯，回到宿舍還可以聊天、一起喝點小酒，給自己放風、休息。但很不幸後來疫情來了，轉成線上教學，再來又回到世新大學教室裡上課，很像大學生的感覺。透過學術理論應證實際操作的總和，之於她而言重拾書本是一種生活閱歷積累的見證，「現在讀書沒人逼你，是自己更主動貼近。」不經意間，你會發現從工作內容到生活方式，她都能堅定地做好不選擇看似最好的，只選喜歡的，發自內心的喜歡才是專注堅持的原動力。

Marks of Growth 

Every stage of life has its own irreplaceable meaning. Last August, Ruby’s daughter started kindergarten; it is also Ruby’s first time sending her kid off to school. “Honestly, we were pretty nervous. My husband and I woke up early because we didn’t want to be late. When we were at the entrance, there were so many kids crying. But my daughter acted really calm. I think she was more confused than scared.” Like any mother, Ruby was worried that her daughter would have a hard time fitting in. Would she be scared to ask to go to the restroom? Is she capable of doing everything herself? These are all the questions parents ask themselves. And yet, it is important for parents to allow their kids to explore the world. Ruby remembers when she said goodbye to her daughter, “I didn’t cry out loud, but I did tear up a bit.” The next day her daughter even asked Ruby to stay behind because she felt like she was brave enough to go in alone. Although kindergarten starts early in the morning, Ruby still tries her best to take her daughter to school every day. Perhaps this is a kind of happiness parents find amidst their busy schedules. “You never know when your kids will stop wanting you to take them to school, so I really enjoy and appreciate the time I got to spend with my daughter.”

With Love and Tenderness 

She is gentler than before. Before having a kid, Ruby didn’t really give a second thought to kids; she only hoped it was a girl. “Girls are more considerate. I can also dress up with her and leave my accessories to her. Whatever I buy now, it will one day become my daughter’s.” Speaking of the expectations she holds for her daughter, Ruby simply wants her to stay healthy, happy and have an independent personality. At the same time, she also wishes that her daughter will be able to connect with her family. To Ruby, when it comes to teaching her kid, it is about learning while growing up. Sometimes making assumptions is not beneficial at all; it is better to establish a concrete way of communication. Ruby cares a lot about animals. After having her daughter, it became hard to take care of animals while juggling with work. However, her daughter likes animals too much. Which is why when Ruby heard about a friend who was fostering stray cats and helping pregnant cats deliver, she decided to adopt one of the kittens for her daughter. As they grew closer with the kitten, raising pets became a part of life that provides them company and dependence, an aspiration Ruby holds for her daughter to know how to take care of animals properly. 

Back to School 

The changing of seasons also means a progression of time. After twenty years, Ruby once again returned to school and became a student. For Shih-Hsin University’s Communications Management Master’s Program, she had to fly over once or twice every month. As someone who’d never stayed at dorms before, she found the experience to be pleasant and fun. Like staying at the same dormitory, Ruby stayed at the same hotel as everyone else. They would walk to class, grab food together and go over to each other’s room to have a chat while having a drink. Unfortunately, COVID-19 happened, so the classes had to be held remotely. Re-experiencing what it’s like to be a college student, Ruby was able to learn from theoretical studies and hands-on experiences to realize returning to studying is actually a testimony of accumulating life experiences. “Now, studying becomes a choice, a way to get closer with my inner self.” Subtly, you will see that from her career to her way of life, Ruby is always able to stand her ground and choose what she likes instead of what’s best. Love and interest from the heart is the ultimate driving force for concentration and persistence. 

A Relative Stability 

Besides Pilates, Ruby decided to take on boxing this year. “Boxing is fun and perfect for de-stressing. It is both an aerobic and anaerobic exercise. If the coach asks you to keep going for over a minute, it becomes anaerobic and makes you sweat like crazy.” As a foodie, she chuckles and says exercising is a means to staying fit. In the past few years, Ruby had started to dress more simply. Before having her daughter, she would want to dress up occasionally and put on some makeup and accessories. Now, her style is minimalist, casual and comfortable. Taking up the role of a mother both in real life and on television, Ruby admits that she used to act with imagination, but now she is able to draw from her experience and deliver her performance with more authenticity and accuracy. 

In All Earnest

Life is all about challenges. Not limited to just being an actor, Ruby took up the role of producer and debuted her first work in 2009. She was prepared to start from zero. “At first I didn’t know a lot of things, but now the shows are getting better and the investments are much bigger too. To me, these are all improvements.” Whether it’s the fact that the audience will be able to see her name Ruby Lin titled as “producer” in the opening credits scene, or the positive feedback given by any viewers, these are what gives her a sense of accomplishment. “The shows I produce are never about one singular theme, they are about a group of people. Like The Way We Were is a story about five friends, while Light The Night is about a group of women working at a nightclub. I hope that each character can shine on its own and find its unique place in the show.” Through the interview, you will find that Ruby is always outdoing herself. From being an actor, a producer, to exploring local stories and social issues through different characters and scripts, everything comes naturally to her. However, even when she is focusing on versatility, she still wants to bring positive and reflective contents to her audience. Like with the film Miss Andy, she wanted to speak for minorities in order to help them receive the attention and care they needed. “I’m no longer in my twenties or thirties. It is time for me to try to create something new and bold.” When asked if she would want to slow down her pace, the answer is no. She is actually already preparing for a new production coming up next year. Meanwhile, Light The Night is airing on Netflix exclusively on November 26th. With multiple seasons coming up, the press tour is bound to be longer than usual. So for now, Ruby is still striving in life and charging forward as time progresses, non-stop and with no limitations.