[citation needed] In 2016, Chen made his acting debut as Lin Yutang in the youth fantasy web series Proud of Love and its sequel.

[2][3] In 2017, Chen was cast in the role of Hua Ze Lei by Angie Chai in the 2018 adaptation of Meteor Garden, based on the Japanese shōjo manga series Boys Over Flowers (花より男子, Hana Yori Dango) written by Yoko Kamio.

[4][5] He appeared in Harper's Bazaar China with his Meteor Garden costars Dylan Wang, Connor Leong, and Caesar Wu in the November issue.

[6] The same year was confirmed to make his big screen debut with a guest appearance in the romance comedy film Oversize Love.

[7] In 2019, Chen was cast in his first leading role in the historical mystery drama The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, produced by Jackie Chan.