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Love at first sight seems too good to be true for netizens

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-05 09:26

It can be tough if you're young, rich and handsome. Just ask Wang Xiaofei, son and heir to the fortune of mother Zhang Lan's South Beauty restaurant group. His only sin, it appears, is being "second-generation rich" and wanting to do the decent thing and wed his new girlfriend, who just happens to be the actress Barbie Hsu.

Beware fair reader if you too are considering marrying into celebrity circles. It's a jungle out there. According to the happy couple, they met, dated four times and decided to get engaged, in what is known as a "flash engagement" - because it happens so quickly. Putting aside the wisdom of marrying someone you hardly know, it has to be said that lightning strikes and love at first sight does happen.

So, you would think that people might be happy for them. Wrong! Instead, there has been a stream of negative comments and netizens have been doing "flesh searches" on the unfortunate Wang. One netizen with the alias "Yu Xi Lianye Shang", who worked in a courthouse, said that Wang divorced a former waitress and had a young daughter. He also claimed, on the Tianya forum, that Wang stood accused of domestic violence and tried to get out of paying maintenance by saying he had no money.

There were further Internet rumors that Wang had a boyfriend and his exploits with women were a cover for his homosexuality; and that he parted with his ex, the actress Kitty Zhang, because her temper was so bad; and the "relationship" was a sham because the family's restaurant group was planning to set up a branch in Taipei and wanted the publicity.

Wang's mother was incensed and has called the rumors "vicious, boring and ridiculous." She has also hired solicitors to prosecute the slanderers and libelers.

As a result, netizen Yu Xi Lianye Shang did a U-turn and admitted his allegations were without basis, as the case he was referring to involved another Wang Xiaofei. He's now running scared. Wang's supposed boyfriend stood up and was counted when he said the claim was totally false; while Kitty Zhang wished Wang all the best.

So, beware of netizens pretending to be journalists. We would add that readers should also beware of journalists pretending to be journalists. A case in point is the website Sohu.com, which claimed that actress and model Angelababy was quitting showbiz and flying to the United States because of health problems. Wrong!

Actually, the "reporter" at Sohu unaccountably confused the Sina Weibo microblog of "Andygaga801" with that of Angelababy. Andygaga801 is an assistant to the Taiwan showbiz couple Blackie and Christine Fan. Sohu put the story online and dozens of Chinese Internet sites reposted the bogus information. Andygaga801 was so bemused she commented on her microblog: "So I'm Angelababy. Even I didn't know that! Ha!"

Finally, some good news that is true. Blackie and Fan will hold their engagement party on Nov 6 and marry in March. Meanwhile, according to Sina, singer Coco Lee will marry her long-term boyfriend, known only as "Bruce" at the end of next year.

Congratulations!