The mainland Chinese actor Zhang Ruoyun, starring in the popular drama “Joy of Life 2,” has recently been a hit in terms of viewership. In the series, the on-screen couple played by Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin has attracted much attention. Off-screen, his love story with his wife Tang Yixin has also become a hot topic, with stories about how they met due to a car accident, Tang Yixin changing her name for love, and more being uncovered.
At 35 years old, Zhang Ruoyun is the lead actor in the second season of “Joy of Life,” which has been consistently leading in viewership ratings in mainland China, with his portrayal of the character Fan Xian becoming a focal point. In the drama, his character Fan Xian and the character Lin Wan’er, played by 90s star Li Qin, finally tie the knot. Outside of the series, the love story between him and his actress wife Tang Yixin has been widely discussed.
Fourteen years ago, Zhang Ruoyun and Tang Yixin met due to a car accident. At that time, Zhang Ruoyun encountered a torrential rainstorm while driving, and Tang Yixin, who was also driving, was looking at the navigation. The rain blurred their vision, leading to a minor collision between their cars, which eventually led to them being stopped at a traffic light. At that time, they did not have a good impression of each other, with Zhang Ruoyun thinking Tang Yixin was a “clumsy driver” and Tang Yixin finding Zhang Ruoyun not gentlemanly enough, thinking he was domineering and stingy.
However, as they interacted more later on, they discovered that they didn’t dislike each other as much as they thought. It was because of their encounter at the traffic light that Zhang Ruoyun, when participating in a variety show, was discovered by the photographer to have a model of a traffic light in his house.
In September 2011, Zhang Ruoyun and Tang Yixin both posted about “this day last year.” In the photos they shared, a yellow toy appeared in both of them. Zhang Ruoyun conveyed his message across the distance: “To you in the distance, happy holiday. This day last year, it was pouring rain.”
Unexpectedly, they met again at a friend’s gathering, gradually got to know each other, and slowly cleared up misunderstandings. Being close in age and both pursuing careers in Beijing, they found many similarities between them. The fondness they had for each other gradually turned into love, leading to their castle wedding in Ireland in July 2019 after an 8-year-long courtship.
Tang Yixin later mentioned their relationship, saying, “There are ten thousand reasons to find fault with you, yet I still chose to be together.” She admitted that she initially didn’t want to date actors because of their frequent work travels, with filming projects taking at least three months each. Zhang Ruoyun later boldly chose to get married in Ireland, saying, “Ireland only issues marriage certificates, they don’t handle divorce proceedings!”
Interestingly, in a recent episode of “Joy of Life 2,” when Zhang Ruoyun’s character Fan Xian and Li Qin’s character Lin Wan’er got married, many viewers were seen shouting out Tang Yixin’s name in the comments section, amusing netizens. However, off-screen, the real couple Zhang Ruoyun and Tang Yixin are also incredibly sweet. It is reported that Tang Yixin originally had the name “Tang Ting,” but changed it to their couple name Tang Yixin, making their names similar with both having the grass radical and the sun radical, earning them praise from netizens for “changing their names for love.”
According to reports in mainland Chinese media, whenever the actors from “Joy of Life” are interviewed, they almost always mention Zhang Ruoyun’s excellent cooking skills. Previously, Zhang Ruoyun had shared photos of a “family feast” where each dish was beautifully presented, not losing out to luxurious restaurants. Tang Yixin also sweetly remarked on a program, saying, “My husband Zhang Ruoyun is a great chef, like the kind you can order from.” She also revealed that there is indeed a menu at home, with all the dishes she has tried and liked listed by Zhang Ruoyun, touching many with his loving gestures.