Quan Yifeng Reveals the Fallout with Li Rongda: Why I Left Even After Earning 400,000 in Three Months

Former celebrity hairstylist Li Rongda, on the nights of May 13 and 14, brought up past grievances with Quan Yifeng and her daughter Li Kaixin during his Facebook live-selling sessions titled “Heartless Mother and Daughter”. He bluntly accused them of being “ungrateful”. Having kept silent for a long time, Quan Yifeng gave an exclusive interview with the "Lianhe Zaobao" at noon on May 15, publicly revealing for the first time the reasons she decided to end her collaboration with Li Rongda, even though she earned $400,000 in sales during their live sessions over the pandemic period. She also stated that this would be her only response and she would not engage further regardless of what grievances Li Rongda might mention in the future.

During his live stream on the night of the 13th, Li Rongda admitted that Quan Yifeng had introduced him to the television industry, progressively elevating his fame. He described Quan Yifeng as having a “bad temper but not a bad heart”. From his narrative, the two were initially very good friends, but during the pandemic while co-hosting live sessions, Quan Yifeng’s black mood and eventual withdrawal led to her moving out, marking the downfall of their friendship.

Li Rongda revealed in his live stream that during the pandemic he had to provide medical expenses for his ailing parents, and needed cash flow for his 10 salons, facing severe challenges and being on the brink of bankruptcy. Hence, he needed the live-selling sessions for cash flow, which is mainly why he accused Quan Yifeng of being heartless. Quan Yifeng told the reporter, “At that time, he owned a luxurious house worth $3 million, drove luxury cars, employed several assistants, and never told me he was in financial trouble or that he was poor.”

The Beginning of Live-Selling Days
"During the pandemic, as hosts, we were very busy. I worked from dawn to dusk, about 14 hours a day, and then at home, I would livestream with him. Initially, when he started selling chili crab sauce, he only sold a few a day, with merely dozens of viewers—not much traffic. But he told me he saw potential, pulling me in to do this together. So, I linked my 260,000 Facebook fans to him to tap into that traffic.
“After a week, as I was moving, he invited me to live with him so we could do live streams together. Because during the pandemic, one couldn’t just visit a friend's house, but if I transferred my address to his place, it wouldn’t be an issue.”
Thus, Quan Yifeng began her days of working over 10 hours as a host by day and doing live-selling sessions by night. She said that during these three months, although she made a lot of money, reaching around 400,000, it wasn’t the main reason she decided to leave.

Earning More in Three Months Than a Year of Hosting
Li Rongda claimed he helped Quan Yifeng earn $30,000 a month through live streams. Quan Yifeng said, "It was $400,000 in three months. That money came like manna from heaven! I never saw such a large sum credited to my account! He said, 'This is more than what you earn in a year at MediaCorp, quit hosting and let's do live-selling together!' But the more I did, the more anxious I got!”

She said her supervisors at the TV station had already noticed her earning money through her personal live streams. As a TV station employee, this was inappropriate. Moreover, when Li Rongda started selling the products he developed, she was not fully aware of them, making her feel increasingly guilty while selling. Her inner struggle was constant: "Should my credibility as a host be put here?"
She revealed that her fans, to support her, purchased in large quantities, struggled to consume them in time, and started forming groups to exchange products among themselves. Seeing this touched her deeply, making her feel as if she was exploiting them, "I knew if I continued, I would certainly become rich, but I don't want to 'cut leek' (a Chinese metaphor for exploiting the masses by those in power)."

Quan Yifeng (left) and Li Rongda used to be very close. (Archival photo)
“These were the people who gave me a second chance, helping me get back on my feet when I fell. I had no opportunity to rise further.” She decided to step back. That day, she hid in her room; despite Li Rongda’s assistant repeatedly urging her to join the live stream, she appeared with a sullen face and barely engaged, creating an awkward atmosphere that forced Li Rongda to end the stream early. Later, she and Li Kaixin moved out of Li Rongda's house, leaving a long letter to bid farewell. She stressed, "I paid taxes and declared it to the company."
Cherish friends in late age
After the fallout became known, a journalist sought to interview Quan Yifeng in 2020 regarding rumors, but she was still unwilling to reveal the reasons at the time. She stated: "I have always held onto the principle of ending friendships on good terms. If there is fate, cherish it; if not, it’s okay to gradually fade out of each other's lives.”

Li Rongda acknowledged that Quan Yifeng was the one who guided him into the TV field and promoted him onto the path of success, and the public saw them develop a close friendship. To this, Quan Yifeng said, “These were little favors, lending a helping hand that I did willingly and happily. At the time, he was diligent and positive." But she mourns seeing Li Rongda’s longtime friends one by one leaving his side, “In late age, what remains isn’t money, but friends.”

How does Quan Yifeng feel seeing a friend turn into a stranger? “I’ve gradually faded from the entertainment circle in these years, and although there's a saying ‘people tend to forget those who leave’, what I see are people around me who love me deeply.”

Li Rongda Claims Receiving Threat Calls

Li Rongda went live on the night of May 14, claiming he received a threat call. (Video Screenshot)
Over the years, Li Rongda frequently described Quan Yifeng and her daughter as heartless and ungrateful towards him, to which Quan Yifeng retorts, “What am I ungrateful for? What commitment did I fail to uphold?” She remained silent for years, why? She said, “After all, we were once friends, and I didn’t know what his lower limit was. Honestly, I feel what he says doesn’t affect me.” She chose to respond through "Lianhe Zaobao" this time and declared no further replies, "because it’s endless."

Li Rongda, currently in Thailand, managed to attract ups of 13,000 viewers and 6,000 viewers during his two-day broadcast. During the live on the night of the 14th, he claimed to have received a threatening call from someone saying, “Watch your mouth, I know where you stay in Thailand.” He said only a few people knew his Thai phone number and address, suspecting betrayal by a friend and expressed "a bit of fear."

In his live stream, Li Rongda made several explosive statements, with netizens questioning him, “Aren’t you afraid of being sued?” To which he replied fearlessly, “I'm not in Singapore, you can come and sue me in Thailand!”