Dating News: New Loves and Old Flames in C-Entertainment

Love is in the air because who isn't dating or married?! Let's play a round of connect the stars.

Netizens still reeling from news of the Feng Shao Feng (born 1978) and Ni Ni (born 1988) breakup last year can rest assured since they each have found a significant other in the past month (bet they coordinated the release of the news).

Feng Shao Feng is one of China's eligible bachelors, a fuerdai 富二代 aka second-generation rich, good looking and successful in his own right while Ni Ni is supposedly pretty amazing herself. I say supposedly because I haven't actually seen her in anything except for Wonderful Friends (a celebrity reality show taking place in a zoo). Nevertheless, the couple of 3 years seemed like a match made in heaven so their separation was much to fans dismay.

Anyone speculating that the relationship turned south due to the 10-year age gap would have to renege on those words because here's a shocker with 37-year-old Feng Shao Feng (Ice Fantasy) currently dating 19-year-old Jelly Lin Yun (born 1996). The whopping 18-year difference doesn't strike me as weird, the fact that she's a teenager does.

Not to fret as Ni Ni (born 1988) subsequently announced her relationship with Jing Boran (born 1989) and both were coincidentally(?) bridesmaid and groomsmen in 2015's wedding of the year wherein high-profile couple Huang Xiao Ming and Angelababy finally tied the knot.

Jing Boran was in Love Weaves Through a Millennium opposite Zheng Shuang (born 1991) who used to date Zhang Han. She has since moved on to better things, becoming a face to be reckoned with because she's practically everywhere - dramas, movies, you name it.

Zhang Han (born 1984) didn't sit idly either, dating co-star Gu Li Na Zha (born 1992) from their collaboration on The Classic of Mountain and Seas. Gu Li Na Zha is the Uighur girl that literally went from unknown to starring role in Rift of the Sky, which also starred Liu Shi Shi. 

Having been a fan of Liu Shi Shi (born 1987), I am super happy to share her wedding shoot with real-life sweetheart Nicky Wu (born 1970). Yes, shippers' wildest dreams do come true even though it's technically Nicky Wu's second marriage after divorcing co-star Ma Yashu from his Xiao Shi Yi Lang days.

Nicky Wu and Liu Shi Shi officially wed last year, the photos came out this month and the ceremony is said to be held March 20 at Ayana Resort in beautiful Bali. Her 'sister' Annie Liu from Scarlet Heart will be the bridesmaid and the motif will take inspiration from the magnolia flower (wink wink). They definitely look adorkably blissful (more pics below).

Nicky Wu was recently with Zhao Li Ying (born 1987) in Legend of Zu and rumors say that she is dating a non-showbiz boyfriend. Am I hearing hundreds of broken hearts?  

Zhao Li Ying was almost always linked to Chen Xiao after the pair rose to fame because of Female Prime Minister Lu Zhen and their OTP so popular that it warranted a cameo for Zhao Li Ying as Yang Kang's wife in Romance of the Condor Heroes ROCH. 

Their onscreen chemistry might be sizzling yet in reality, I am quite happy for Chen Xiao (born 1987) and Michelle Chen (born 1983), both of which played the leads in ROCH. They have been dating since ROCH in 2015 and netizens are anticipating wedding bells by the end of the year, Jul 2016 to be exact.

Are you still following? Yang Rong has a supporting role in too many dramas (ROCH, Lu Zhen included) and I'm glad that she is breaking out of the mold to play the lead. Expect to see her in Legend of Flying Daggers opposite Hawick Lau and the love line continues since Hawick Lau (born 1974) is basically Yang Mi's (born 1986) hubby. 

Yang Mi is cast opposite Mark Zhao (born 1984) in upcoming c-drama Three Lives Three Worlds and doh, of course he's married too, to gorgeous Gao Yuan Yuan (born 1979) nonetheless.

There's no way to connect the dots with a non-showbiz person joining the fray as Zhang Tian Ai's rich boyfriend but my creative juices are flowing so here goes. Zhang Tian Ai's co-star Yu Meng Long, the 9th prince in Go Princess Go, is also going to be in Three Lives, so whaddayaknow, we've come full circle.

Source: GB.Cri.cn, YCWB, QQ, Tuxi, Baidu

First Look: Chronicle of Life

The opening scenes of Chronicle of Life evoke a sense of nostalgia befitting the pervasive theme of unspoken melancholy that was apparent from its promotional stills and music accompaniment. 

Episode 1&2 starts with an aged Emperor Kangxi (Hawick Lau) basking in all his glorious achievements yet not without a wave of sentiment as he looks back to a time when he fell in love. 

Flashback to a teenage Kangxi who he sets in motion an elaborate plan to defeat Ao Bai, a veteran official greedy for power after serving three generations of Qing Dynasty emperors. Undeterred by several close calls, Kangxi succeeds and issues an edict to capture or kill any of Ao Bai's followers that attempt to resist.

The traitor in question is none other than Liang Er's father and her entire family is slaughtered by the imperial guards on her tenth birthday. As the sole survivor, Liang Er wanders the streets and gets captured by conmen. This is also the moment when she meets Kangxi who also happens to be on the run from a group of assassins. They escape on a horse and become close confidants oblivious to their tragic connection.

In order to lure the pursuers away, the two part ways and Liang Er arrives at the Na La residence where her childhood friend Na La Rong Ruo vows to protect her despite his father's objections over harboring a fugitive.

To help Rong Ruo's father, Na Lan Yi tries to kill Liang Er if not for Rong Ruo who stops him in the nick of time. However, the damage is done and Liang Er has lost all recollection of her past. In a way, the circumstances helped her case as she can now thrive as a palace maid under the name Wei Lin Lang (Zheng Shuang).

First Impressions: The Kangxi versus Ao Bai storyline has been retold time and again and it's an exciting moment for Kangxi's reign as emperor. However, I wasn't expecting that the epic takedown will be handled by a bunch of kids. Sure, the mini me versions of the adult cast are cute and their performance solid but it feels odd to say the least especially with the not-so-subtle hints of childhood romance for a ten year old Liang Er. I mean - the horse scene - they're just kids!

The stage has been set in just two episodes and it's not hard to guess where the story is heading especially since the drama never fails to remind us with its indiscriminate use of flashbacks and rose petals. I definitely see the makings of a melodrama and I'm not sure if I have the bandwidth to watch it unfold. Given that two episodes are posted everyday on LeTV, it should be done in no time. 

For more synopsis, cast and ratings, see my 2016 Chinese historical drama listing. 

Chronicle of Life Stills

Chronicle of Life 寂寞空庭春欲晚 is just four days away and it is uncannily similar to the Imperial Doctress, which is also one of the Chinese dramas coming this Feb. except the former is in the Qing dynasty while the latter is set during the Ming dynasty.

Hawick Lau plays Emperor Kangxi, a historical figure that graced our television sets every so often in dramas like The Deer and the Cauldron 鹿鼎记 and Scarlet Heart (Bu Bu Jing Xin 步步惊心). The story will revolve around Kang Xi's ill-fated romance with Zheng Shuang's character named Wei Lin Lang as the two get entangled in a love triangle made even more convoluted by drama tropes that include memory loss and a revenge plot.

For more 2016 c-drama recommendations, click here. Chronicle of Life premieres Feb 1st. 

Source: Sina

Dating News: Crystal Liu, Yang Mi and Liu Shi Shi

I must have been living under a rock because I just found out that Yang Mi is a new mom.

Crystal Liu, Yang Mi, Liu Shi Shi and Tang Yan all of which had a starring role in Chinese Paladin are four of the most beautiful faces dominating today's wuxia films and the most recent one to be in a relationship is Chinese actress Crystal Liu Yi Fei (born 1987) and Korean actor Song Seung Heon (born 1976). Both admitted to dating since May 2015 when they met during the filming of the movie called The Third Way of Love.

Song Seung Heon rose to international stardom due to the 2000 k-drama Autumn In My Heart, which grew in popularity all over Asia spearheading what has become the Korean wave. He briefly dated Korean actress Sung Yuri but the two split up in 2003. Twelve years later and he finally found romance in Crystal Liu who is 11 years his junior.

I seriously don't judge but I know 11 years might be quite substantial for some people. Yet lo and behold, there is another such example in Yang Mi (born 1986) and Hawick Lau (born 1974). I have never seen any of Hawick Lau's dramas but because he is playing the lead in one of my favorite wuxias The Legend of Flying Daggers, he is now on my radar. After dating for a few years, the couple tied the knot at a Bali wedding in 2014 and welcomed their baby girl in the same year. In case you didn't notice, Tang Yan was the maid of honor.

Last but not the least is Liu Shi Shi (born 1987) who has been dating Nicky Wu (born 1970) since their popular TV series Startling By Each Step (Bu Bu Jing Xin) ended five years ago. Bu Bu Jing Xin was definitely a force to be reckoned with, garnering such a large viewership that it is going to be remade into a k-drama called Moon River starring none other than IU.

As an avid fan, it is quite endearing to see the couple you root for actually get together in real life. The story of Si Ye (4th Prince) and Ruo Xi continues to this day as the power couple held a civil wedding back in 2015 and are preparing for the actual ceremony some time this year. They trump everyone else with a whopping 17-year difference, which goes to show that love knows no boundaries - neither language nor age. 

Sources: CNHubei1, CNHubei2, Xilu

The Legend of Flying Daggers Stills Released

A mainstay in my top wuxia listings, the 2016 version of The Legend of Flying Daggers is a TV adaptation based on the novel written by Gu Long.

Hawick Lau stars as the protagonist Li Huai who is a kind-hearted misfit roaming the streets. In the previous adaptation that I saw, he was the neglected illegitimate son of the Li family, a revered martial arts clan known for the Flying Daggers technique.  He falls in love with Yang Rong's character Xue Cai Yue, a cold-hearted assassin yet the pair are fated to be star-crossed lovers.

Flying Daggers is brought to us through the combined efforts of three production companies as it seeks to come out with yet another fantasy wuxia due to the genre's immense popularity with the younger crowd. After 3 months of arduous filming, the drama is now in its final stages of editing and is slated for a summer release. Considering the fact that there are no monsters or demons in the martial arts world of Gu Long, I am not sure how well a fantasy wuxia adaptation will play out. Hope they don't ruin it.

For 2016 chinese drama recommendations, click here.

Sources: 3Lian, Sina