Text | It's not like a little swimming
Edit | It's not like a little swimming
Since he faded out of the entertainment industry and came to live in Japan with his wife.
Ekin Cheng lived a life of "seeing the head of the dragon but not seeing the end", and rarely appeared in front of the camera.
Regarding his current situation, the outside world has different opinions.
Some people say that he is very depressed and financially strained, so he can only live with his wife Meng Jiahui in a remote mountain village in Japan.
Others say that he now has assets of more than 100 million yuan, and he has made a lot of money as a businessman in Japan.
So, which of these two diametrically opposed statements is the life that 57-year-old Ekin Cheng is experiencing?
"Secluded in a Japanese mountain village", lonely or comfortable?
In 2000, Ekin Cheng ushered in a "turning point" in his career.
Before this year, he was the only actor in the Hong Kong film industry who was capable of beating the "Four Heavenly Kings".
He starred in "Fengyun" and "Chinese Heroes", which won the box office championship in 98 and 99 respectively.
Looking at such a terrifying screen influence, even bigwigs like Chow Yun-fat and Stephen Chow can only sigh helplessly:
"Both Shengyu and He Shengliang".
If this momentum continues, Ekin Cheng's achievements should be limitless.
But that night in the early autumn of 2000 changed.
At that time, an entertainment reporter received the news and ran to the downstairs of Ekin Cheng's house to squat.
Sure enough, when the popular actress Gigi Leung walked out of his home in the middle of the night, the scandal between the two was almost confirmed.
At that time, Ekin Cheng's official girlfriend was TVB actress Shao Meiqi, who was two years older than him.
"Chen Haonan", who values affection and righteousness in the hearts of the audience, has become an inattentive "time management master" overnight.
After experiencing this emotional turmoil, Maggie Shao became Ekin Cheng's ex-girlfriend and has been lonely until now.
And Ekin Cheng's career also began a "big dive", and he never returned to the top.
Emotionally, Ekin Cheng and his new love Gigi Leung also failed to go to the end, and the two announced their breakup in 06.
It was also in this year that Ekin Cheng met his "right fate" - Meng Jiahui.
After a low-key relationship for seven years, the two held a small wedding in Tokyo, Japan.
As for why he got married in Tokyo, the outside world does not know.
But since then, Ekin Cheng and his wife have indeed formed an inextricable fate with Japan.
After getting married, Meng Jiahui stayed in Japan for a long time to study, and Ekin Cheng initially ran between China and Japan for work.
After gradually fading out of the entertainment industry, he simply came to Japan to live for a long time.
At present, there is a lot of speculation in the domestic media, and rumors about the living conditions of Ekin Cheng and his wife in Japan are endless.
There are three main theories that have been circulated the most.
One is that Ekin Cheng is now completely "down", not only has no money, but he has also become ugly and his appearance has plummeted.
The second is that Ekin Cheng and his wife are doing real estate in Japan and are concentrating on being businessmen.
The third statement is also the most absurd, some people say that Meng Jiahui is concentrating on preparing for pregnancy in Japan and wants to continue the incense for Ekin Cheng.
Interestingly, the news of Meng Jiahui's pregnancy is rehyped almost every year.
However, the child never appeared in front of anyone.
The couple doesn't need to refute these rumors.
Every time they appear in front of the camera, they can make the rumors go away with a few points.
Last month, Ekin Cheng came to Macau, China, to start his concert tour.
On stage, he is tall, handsome, and his trademark long flowing hair is still thick.
Now no one dares to say that he has lived in Japan in a depressed and haggard life.
And his wife is not to be outdone, Meng Jiahui posted a set of videos of chopping wood on social platforms some time ago.
She has a well-proportioned figure and quick movements, and is clearly not pregnant.
It also confirmed that Ekin Cheng has indeed not forgotten the original intention of "Dink", and he said many years ago that he "longs for marriage but does not want children".
In fact, Ekin Cheng and his wife's life in Japan is neither as lonely as the outside world guesses, but there is no luxury abnormality.
They just do what they love and live a semi-retired "secluded" life.
The two usually live in the city of Fukuoka, and occasionally go on vacation together in the quiet and tranquil countryside.
It's not that "I can only live in the countryside after spending all my savings" as revealed by entertainment reporters.
As for the media saying that Ekin Cheng focused on business, he knew that it was impossible even more when he thought about it.
You must know that even when his popularity was in full swing, Ekin Cheng was notoriously "unambitious".
In an interview, he even said that "if you shoot one or two dramas a year, the salary is enough to spend."
How could he be willing to fall into the lock of fame and fortune?
Ekin Cheng was popular in the first half of his life, and he once slipped from the peak, but all this is in the past.
Now 56 years old, he and his wife live a life of fascination with mountains and rivers in exotic landscapes.
You don't have to worry about the media in the entertainment industry, and you don't have the burden of raising children.
It can really be said that there is no idle to worry about, and it is a good time in the world.
This unusual life may seem lonely in the eyes of others, but presumably the couple must be comfortable and content.
And Ekin Cheng should not be bored in Japan, because there is more than one superstar like him who has come to Japan to "live in seclusion".
Ekin Cheng's "Hometown Knows"
When it comes to the superstars who "live in seclusion" in Japan, Ekin Cheng is not even the most famous.
Even the actor Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro have long since gone to Japan to live for a long time many years ago.
The reason why Tony Leung came to live abroad may be related to his introverted personality.
Some people say that Tony Leung is a rare "social phobia" in the entertainment industry, although he can always show himself with full firepower when he plays a role.
But as soon as he arrived in public, he was nervous, talking little, and quiet.
Even when attending events, he always hides behind his wife Carina Lau.
Even so, the "enthusiastic" media and fans are still reluctant to let him go, and every time he appears, he is always surrounded by water.
So, Tony Leung simply thought of living abroad.
As for why he chose Japan, it may be because of the abundance of his favorite ski resorts.
Although he has lived in Japan for many years, Tony Leung has barely learned a word of Japanese.
In this regard, he explained that because he "doesn't want to talk to others", he really brought the social fear attribute to the extreme.
Compared with Ekin Cheng, perhaps Tony Leung is the real "hidden in the city".
It is worth mentioning that Tony Leung, like Ekin Cheng, is also an unshakable "Dink".
If the two meet in a foreign country, it will really be a bosom friend in a foreign land.
In addition, there is also "Asian Grass" Takeshi Kaneshiro, who also came to live in Japan after fading out of the entertainment industry.
Compared with Tony Leung and Ekin Cheng, he is so low-key that people can't find a trace at all, and it is said that at the age of 50, he is still single.
These superstars are all over 50 years old.
But for powerful actors, this age is the time to be promising.
However, they have faded out or even stayed away from the domestic entertainment industry and went to live in Japan.
Such a decision may be harmful to their careers, but it must also be a decision they made after careful consideration.
Celebrities are also ordinary people after all.
The pressure of the entertainment industry sometimes makes them feel suffocated, and it is understandable that they want to run away desperately.
In this regard, many celebrities although do not have the capital to move abroad.
But they have also gone to small cities and villages in China to start their "another life", are they really happy?
Choose "another life", they are happier than anyone else
Lin Wei, the "Gold Medal Green Leaf" actor who starred in "A Chinese Ghost Story" and "Infernal Affairs 2".
is also tired of the bustling entertainment industry in his old age.
However, he did not go abroad, but came to rural Hebei to live a "retirement life".
The year before last, netizens swiped such a video:
Lin Wei, who is nearly seventy years old, is enjoying the shade in the rural compound while chatting with several uncles of the same age, without a little shelf.
Only then did everyone know that Lin Wei, who had not heard from him for a long time, had lived in seclusion in a small village in Hebei.
But in fact, Lin Wei did not buy a house in the local area, but only borrowed to live in a friend's house.
But after a few days, he was reluctant to leave.
Here he is no longer a veteran movie star in the limelight.
Almost none of the villagers knew him, but the simple villagers still cared about and accepted him.
This atmosphere made him feel calm and touched, and he said in the interview that he had gained a lot of insights from living here.
and Hong Kong movie star Wan Ziliang, who starred in "Rogue Tycoon".
also led his wife to a small town in Hunan with beautiful mountains and rivers, and lived a leisurely life close to retirement.
He often goes out for walks and eats at small restaurants with his wife, and is fully integrated into local life.
There is no trace of the heroic appearance of the film industry boss, so the media speculated whether he was "bankrupt and in debt".
Wan Ziliang listened to this ridiculous statement, did not pay too much attention to it, and lived his own little life leisurely.
It can be seen that the reason why these stars choose to come to a "small place" where no one knows them for a long time.
The reason cannot be arbitrarily attributed to the lack of money or the lack of popularity.
They just hope to put aside the pressure and internal friction brought by the entertainment industry, and then spend the rest of their lives immersed in the lives of ordinary people.
Only in this kind of life can they find themselves and live happier than anyone else.
epilogue
Whether it is Ekin Cheng and Tony Leung, who have lived in Japan for a long time, or Wan Ziliang, who lives in seclusion in a small town in China.
They just want to live a life that is no longer "watched" by the spotlight.
This is a "different life" that they have not experienced for a long time, and only such a peaceful day can give them long-lost happiness.
If you want to choose such a life, you need not only the courage to leave everything behind, but also the wisdom to live in the present and examine your inner needs.
Although they faded off the screen, the story of life continues, and this time the audience will be themselves.