Viral model-photographer Chuando Tan, 55, looks young for his age. And for his new movie, Precious is the Night, he romances the even younger Chen Yixin. The daughter of Xiang Yun and Edmund Chen, Yixin turned 21 just three days ago. But when the movie started filming in 2018, she was only 18.

Precious is the Night is the debut feature by advertising power couple Wayne Peng and Lim Sau Hoong, who spent three years crafting the riveting arthouse mystery thriller, which revolves around a wealthy family’s wanton antics that end in violence. Other than Chuando and Yixin, it also stars Xiang Yun and Tay Ping Hui.

Despite their vast age difference, Chuando, who plays a 35-year-old Lothario doctor making house calls at the family home, woos Yixin’s naïve housemaid character and kisses her provocatively.

“The kissing scene was added at the last minute by the director,” Chuando tells 8days.sg. “We were filming, and Wayne suddenly asked me to kiss her on the cheek. I said, ‘Wah lau, will kena rotan caning leh! I’m like a pervert, a scumbag.’ But we laughed about it and in the end I was like okay, okay, let’s get this done. It was just a kiss on her cheek, so it’s okay lah (laughs).”

But he did worry about the reaction of Edmund Chen, who is famously protective of his two kids, Yixin and Yixi (pictured). “Sekali he comes and boxes me,” chuckles Chuando, adding that he later apologised to Edmund for the intimate scene.

“I said sorry to Edmund Chen. I told him, don’t box me ah, I was forced [to do the kissing scene]! He just laughed. He’s a cool guy lah. And I love Xiang Yun. To them, to be a good actor, you just have to be professional and bring the role to life,” he shares.

Describing Edmund as being “very nice and a good father”, Chuando recalls: “He would bring food to the film set, say hello, stay for a while and go.”

Yixin also Instagrammed a clip of the saucy scene, which caused papa bear Edmund (who, at 60, is five years older than Chuando) to comment: “Chuan do boy .. I m watching [moustache smiley face emoji].”

It took Chuando and Yixin “about one or two takes” to nail their kiss. “A lot of people don’t know that Yixin and I get along really well, despite our age difference. We are like buddies. I like to joke around, and sometimes the crew would turn around and ask us to keep quiet because we were laughing so loudly,” he says.

Behind the scenes: Chuando with Taiwanese actress Nanyeli, who plays the bored wife of a rich man tangled in a sordid affair with Chuando's doctor character.

The movie features sumptuous silk cheongsams and plain samfoos draped on the female characters, who shed them to do the horizontal tango with Dr Tan (or vertical, in one racy sex scene with yet another housemaid, played by Taiwanese actress Chang Tzu-Lei).

In a 2019 interview with 8days.sg for Precious is the Night, Chuando hinted that he will bare his derriere on screen, though he said: “I don’t know how much they captured of my nakedness.”

Spoiler alert: the M18 flick has Chuando’s assets on full display in a shower setting. “I thought it was quite okay. I thought the scene was nicely cut, and I could accept it. But maybe it’s rude to the audience,” he jokes.

The movie was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Makeup and Costume Design at last year's Golden Horse Awards.

In another scene, Chuando’s ill-fated doctor character breaks down and cries in his car. To bring on the waterworks, he explains that he “had to think about something sad to get to that stage”.

He reveals, “I think life is difficult, and I have been through a lot of deaths and drama in life. My parents have passed away, and a lot of things bring tears to my eyes ’cos I’m very emotional. That’s why I’m involved in a lot of creative work.”

His heartfelt performance earned praise from Xiang Yun. He recounts, “She said it was well done. And hearing this from her, it made me feel very relieved!”

Precious is the Night ​​​​​​​(M18) is showing exclusively at The Cathay Cineplex.