After Chinese actor Chen Xiao announced his divorce from Michelle Chen, rumors spread wildly online that he has a new romance with Mao Xiaotong. Interestingly, she also appeared in Chen Xiao's version of 'The Condor Heroes', playing the role of 'Guo Fu'. Could it be that after 'Yang Guo' and 'Xiaolongnü' parted ways, he really ended up with Guo Fu? This has sparked hot discussions on Weibo.
37-year-old Mao Xiaotong is a familiar face in Chinese dramas, having appeared in 'Empresses in the Palace', 'Nothing But Thirty', 'Joy of Life 2', among others. She is the same age as Chen Xiao, and they were both classmates at the Central Academy of Drama, knowing each other early on and having many collaborations since. They have worked together four times, in 'The Condor Heroes', 'Song in the Clouds', 'The Dream of Chang'an', and 'The Dream of Chang'an 2', the latter having just wrapped filming last month.
Some netizens claim that when drama partners collaborate repeatedly, it is often because they have started dating. Therefore, netizens have raised three major suspicions: Chen Xiao and Mao Xiaotong have collaborated on four dramas in four years, coinciding with the timeline of Chen Xiao's marital separation; netizens note that the two interact closely on set, with him leaning towards her, and her once placing her arm on the back of his chair; Chen Xiao's studio has deleted comments from fans shipping the two.
Three Terms of Divorce Settlement Rumored
Chen Xiao once said in an interview, 'I don't want a divorce, I just want to get married once.' When he married Michelle Chen, he confessed, 'It felt like being struck by lightning.' However, they have now divorced, with rumors online stating that they agreed on three conditions at the time of their divorce: First, all properties and savings would go to Michelle Chen; second, their child would visit Chen Xiao's hometown in Hefei every winter and summer holiday; lastly, if Michelle Chen remarries, she must inform him in advance and cannot disclose details of the marriage.