Sun Li, a Chinese mainland actress, recently made a joke about her husband Deng Chao on set that went viral. In a video, Sun Li can’t stop laughing as she mentions Deng Chao speaking Cantonese, saying that “everyone can’t understand him.” She also jokes about his dancing skills on the variety show “Five Ha,” saying that his legs can only kick to 45 degrees, but his awareness is already at 180 degrees, praising Deng Chao’s confidence. Within just a few days, the video has attracted nearly 8 million views. Some netizens commented that Sun Li’s remarks may seem critical, but her eyes are full of love.
This is not the first time Sun Li has teased Deng Chao about speaking Cantonese. This time, she directly revealed on set: “He is really confident, thinks his speech is very standard, but the locals can’t understand him at all.”
In fact, Deng Chao has showcased his Cantonese skills in movies before, such as the classic line “I’ll raise you” in Stephen Chow’s film “The Mermaid.” Although Deng Chao’s pronunciation may be awkward, his emotional expression made it a memorable scene. However, in reality, Deng Chao’s Cantonese proficiency has apparently not kept up with his confidence, which led Sun Li to jokingly say, “As soon as he speaks, I want to laugh.”
Regarding dancing, Deng Chao’s dance battle with a passerby on “Five Ha” has been turned into memes by netizens. Sun Li humorously and accurately summarized, “His legs can only kick to 45 degrees, but his awareness is at 180 degrees.” It’s a case of lacking technique but making up for it with enthusiasm; although his movements are not grand, his facial expressions are on point. Due to his exaggerated body language, Deng Chao managed to exude a strong presence despite the limited dance moves.
After being publicly teased by his actress wife, Deng Chao responded by posting a video challenge to Sun Li: “Teacher Sun, come to ‘Five Ha’ at noon to challenge me!” This not only served as a response but also added excitement to the show.
Some netizens have noticed that Deng Chao and Sun Li’s banter has become a daily occurrence. For example, Sun Li previously joked about Deng Chao not being able to take care of their child, but Deng Chao quickly shared a photo of himself giving their daughter a “messy hairstyle” in return. Sun Li mentioned that Deng Chao’s cooking is not good, and Deng Chao insisted on live-streaming himself cooking, only to end up burning the pot…
Despite Sun Li’s teasing remarks, her actions show genuine support. Once, when Sun Li was filming outside, Deng Chao took on the responsibility of taking care of their children at home. Sun Li later wrote on Weibo, “Because my little sister’s hair is too long, it needs to be loosely braided into a twisted bun before bed, or her hair will get tangled easily the next day. Because I wasn’t home, Dad couldn’t braid her hair properly, and my sister cried… Then, Dad asked his hairstylist to buy a head mold and diligently practiced braiding at home.” Sun Li couldn’t help but exclaim, “This dad is really good!”
Deng Chao daringly responded to the dance tease on “Five Ha” because he knows that Sun Li’s “criticisms” contain understanding and tolerance. Some netizens praised Deng Chao and Sun Li, saying, “In life, instead of caring about ‘face,’ it’s better to follow their example and turn trivial matters into jokes, turning teasing into fun.” One netizen summed it up as, “Sun Li’s teasing is like putting a ‘seatbelt’ on Deng Chao’s ‘adolescent behavior,’ letting him be himself without going overboard.”
Another netizen commented, “Sun Li’s teasing and Deng Chao’s responses fundamentally stem from ‘trust’: I know you won’t be truly angry, and you know I’m not actually criticizing you.”
One of the biggest topics throughout Deng Chao’s career has been his marriage with Sun Li. In their narrative of being a “model celebrity couple,” Deng Chao not only shares amusing stories to maintain exposure but also uses time to prove the authenticity of their relationship. At a time when public trust in celebrity marriages is at an all-time low, Deng Chao and Sun Li’s playful dynamics have become a breath of fresh air.
Recently, the drama series “A Wonderful Life,” starring Sun Li, has been airing. Deng Chao came up with a whimsical idea to call Sun Li by her character’s name from the show and require her to respond with “here.” Sun Li’s direct response was hilarious; she first ignored him and then bluntly rejected Deng Chao in Shanghainese. Despite Deng Chao’s persistent requests, Sun Li finally reached her limit, saying, “You’re annoying, I’m eating, are you crazy?” and then gently reminded him to “hurry up and eat before the food gets cold.”
After the release of this 48-second audio clip, the hashtag #Deng Chao calls Sun Li “Hu Manli” at home and gets scolded by Sun Li# instantly trended. The amusing interactions of this celebrity couple have sent the internet into laughter.