Chinese mainland actress Shen Aojun has been out of the entertainment industry for 10 years. Reports suggest that she has married Ye Xuanlian, the son of senior Chinese Communist Party official Ye Jianying.
On the morning of November 5, 2024, a symposium commemorating the 100th anniversary of Ye Xuanping’s birth was held in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. On that day, relatives and friends of Ye Xuanping attended the symposium.
At that time, footage broadcast on Guangdong News showed Shen Aojun sitting next to Ye Xuanlian as a family member participating in the symposium. While the names of other family members were clearly displayed, Shen Aojun’s name was slightly obscured but still recognizable as “Shen Aojun.”
Hong Kong’s “Sing Tao Daily” reported on December 16, 2025, that Shen Aojun has been absent from the screen for 10 years, and there were rumors circulating online about her marriage to Ye Xuanlian. At the symposium in November last year, Ye Xuanlian and Shen Aojun sat together as family members, seemingly confirming the rumors.
According to a report by mainland media in 2009, in May of that year, Shen Aojun married a Chinese diplomat from a certain country and has a son from that marriage.
Recent revelations from insiders online suggest that Shen Aojun has remarried discreetly, with her current husband being “24 years older.” Publicly available information shows that Ye Xuanlian was born in 1952 while Shen Aojun was born in September 1976.
Furthermore, some insiders claim that Shen Aojun is currently Ye Xuanlian’s wife based on their attendance together at family memorial ceremonies. However, public perception of her remains fixated on the previous reports of her marriage to a Chinese diplomat.
Ye Xuanlian, son of Ye Jianying, is a half-brother to Ye Xuanping and Ye Xuanning, ranking as the third eldest among siblings.
Ye Xuanlian previously held positions as the former chairman and president of Poly Group Kelly Corporation, former chairman of Shenzhen Guoye Industry, and legal representative in 14 companies and high-ranking positions in 20 companies. He currently serves as the legal representative and executive director of Guoye Aoyuan Investment Co., Ltd., as well as chairman of Beijing Jinao Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.
Shen Aojun (real name Zhao Yan) made her debut in 1997 with a Pepsi cola advertisement. She subsequently signed with Hong Kong’s Golden Harvest company, officially starting her acting career. She has appeared in TV and film works such as “Heartfelt Confessions,” “Meteor Language,” “One Day in a Thousand Years,” “God Doctor Happy Road,” and “Hu Qiaoying’s Complaint.”
According to reports from Hong Kong media, Ye Xuanlian’s original wife was Sudan Dan, a former announcer for the Chinese Communist military and political song and dance troupe. Sudan Dan had long been settled in Hong Kong and had two daughters with Ye Xuanlian, including Ye Mingzi, who was once active in the fashion industry, and singer Ye Qingqing. Sudan Dan passed away from cancer in February 2012.
In December 2013, Zhao Xinyu, known as the “Beijing’s First Lady,” announced her transformation from a “mistress” to an official wife, publicly claiming to be Ye Xuanlian’s wife for the first time. She posted multiple photos on Weibo, including pictures of herself with Ye Xuanlian and their son Ye Dezhong.
Zhao Xinyu had been involved in the entertainment industry, overseeing Beijing’s most upscale clubs and having acquaintances with many celebrities and artists. She was known for hosting parties, with artists and celebrities she was close to being frequent attendees at these gatherings.
However, in the early hours of January 2, 2014, Zhao Xinyu suddenly announced on Sina Weibo that she had applied for divorce from Ye Xuanlian in Hong Kong on December 31, 2013, claiming to have received 6 million RMB in assets.
At the time, Zhao Xinyu implied that the divorce was due to a female star’s interference in the marriage, stating, “Because someone from the entertainment industry intruded into my home with a child, my heart was too crowded to contain…” It is unclear if the female star mentioned by Zhao Xinyu was Shen Aojun.
The Ye family was once one of the most powerful families in both politics and business within the Chinese Communist Party, considered the local “Hakka gang” in Guangdong. Ye Xuanping and Ye Xuanning were known as core figures among the second generation of red aristocracy in the CCP. With the passing of Ye Xuanping and Ye Xuanning, the second generation of the Ye Jianying family has gradually dwindled.