A sensational rumor is once again sending shockwaves through Chinese social media, this time involving beloved stars Liu Yifei and Chen Xiao.
On July 12, a popular blogger stirred controversy by posting a satirical comic strip seemingly alluding to a romantic scandal involving a famous actress, who is dubbed “Xiao Mei.”
While the blogger didn’t name anyone directly, netizens quickly speculated that “Xiao Mei” was a veiled reference to Liu Yifei. Many also suspect the male actor described in the comic, who was married and later divorced, could be none other than Chen Xiao.
The comic tells the dramatic life story of “Xiao Mei,” a beautiful and popular actress with a turbulent love life. She initially dates a powerful businessman who helps her rise to fame. But when his career crashes, she leaves him. Later, she falls for a “stingy” boyfriend who uses her fame to boost his own. Disillusioned, she breaks up and focuses on her career, only to fall again, this time for a married actor on a film set. He promises to divorce but breaks that promise once filming ends.
The details have fueled intense speculation, as netizens draw various links to Liu Yifei, particular as below:
– Chen Jinfei, Liu Yifei’s longtime godfather and rumored benefactor, is thought to be the “businessman” in the comic. He helped launch Liu Yifei’s career in dramas like “The Story of a Noble Family” and “Chinese Paladin”.
– Song Seung-heon, Liu Yifei’s ex-boyfriend, is believed to be the “stingy” celebrity boyfriend. The two publicly dated in 2015 after co-starring in “The Third Way of Love”.
– Chen Xiao, who worked with Liu Yifei in “A Dream of Splendor”, is speculated to be the married actor in question. After recently confirming his divorce from actress Michelle Chen, his interactions with Liu, especially a moment of laughter while handing her an award in April, have drawn extra scrutiny.
While the comic generated massive online buzz, many have called out the blogger for baseless insinuations. Known for cryptic and suggestive posts, the blogger has frequently been criticized for damaging celebrities’ reputations with speculative content.
Some netizens expressed frustration, commenting, “This is just gossip disguised as art. Stop dragging real people into fiction”, whilst others demanded that he stop spreading vague stories that fan the flames of online hate.
Meanwhile, as of now, neither Liu Yifei nor Chen Xiao has responded to the rumors.