Song Yi and Bai Jingting Rumored to Have Broken Up; CP Hype Causes Backlash and Reputation Decline

Chinese actor Bai Jingting rose to fame with the romance drama "Nan Hong". Previously, he and Song Yi collaborated on "Chang Feng Du" and there were rumors of them developing a real relationship, even living together. Although neither party admitted nor denied these rumors, recently, Song Yi has been working with Cheng Lei on "Yu Jin Chang An" and appears to have shifted her affections. Not only has she broken her own rule by engaging in CP (couple pairing) publicity with the male lead, but when she previously opened up for fan questions and someone asked when she would marry Bai Jingting, she directly deleted the post. This move drew criticism from some netizens and affected the viewership of "Yu Jin Chang An".

Rumors of a relationship change between Song Yi and Bai Jingting are raging online, with netizens analyzing three actions by Song Yi that hint at a possible shift of affection. The first is that when Song Yi previously opened fan questions on Weibo, someone asked, "When will you marry Bai Jingting?" She immediately deleted the post, which was taken as her avoiding questions about the relationship.

The second is that before the broadcast of "Yu Jin Chang An" with Cheng Lei, paparazzi photos were used to stir up hype, even though Cheng Lei and Zhou Ye's "Jin Yue Ru Ge" had not yet finished airing at that time. This behavior drew criticism from some netizens. Following this, after the finale of "Yu Jin Chang An", the official Weibo released intimate extra photos, showing the two cuddling on a sofa with Song Yi looking at Cheng Lei affectionately. Song Yi usually never engages in CP hype for dramas, but this time the promotion was especially enthusiastic.

However, this wave of actions still did not please all viewers. Many people commented, "How is this different from actually dating?", "Wanting to use CP to prop up the drama is missing the point," and "Hyping the CP only after the show ends—could it be they're actually dating?" Some even tagged Bai Jingting, asking him, "What do you think?" The rumored love triangle remains unclear, and "Yu Jin Chang An" only scored a 4.8 rating on Douban.