Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and singer Wang Feng announced the end of their eight-year marriage last October, shocking the public. Recently, Zhang Ziyi, along with director Chen Kaige and other leading actors, walked the red carpet at the 77th Cannes Film Festival with their new film “Soy Sauce Yard”, creating a buzz. During interviews, Zhang Ziyi talked about a scene of domestic violence in the film, sparking speculation among netizens hinting at her ex-husband Wang Feng.
Zhang Ziyi starred in the film “Soy Sauce Yard”, which premiered on May 24 at the Cannes Film Festival in a non-competition screening unit. Besides director Chen Kaige, actors like Lei Jia Yin, Wang Chuanjun, Yang Mi, Da Peng, Li Xian, and Cisha also attended the premiere. Of particular note, after Zhang Ziyi walked the red carpet, she was asked to return and enjoyed 2 minutes of solo photography, receiving special treatment from the Cannes Film Festival.
At the subsequent press conference, Zhang Ziyi shared her experience of filming “Soy Sauce Yard”. Mentioning the violent scenes with actor Wang Chuanjun playing her husband, she admitted she couldn’t experience it in real life, then with a serious expression, said: “But sometimes, pick-up artist (PUA) tactics are scarier than domestic violence.”
At this point, director Chen Kaige interrupted Zhang Ziyi, saying, “Sometimes women also abuse men.” This caused laughter among the audience, with Zhang Ziyi joining in, saying: “Yeah, a bit off topic!”
However, Zhang Ziyi’s statement “PUA tactics are scarier than domestic violence” triggered speculation among netizens, suggesting Zhang Ziyi might be hinting at her ex-husband Wang Feng being a “pick-up artist expert”.
“PUA” stands for “Pick-up Artist”, originally referring to someone skilled in seducing the opposite sex. Currently, PUA often refers to emotional control one exerts over the other in a relationship through verbal belittling, negation of behavior, and mental suppression.
Wang Feng, who has been through four marriages before, announced his new relationship with internet celebrity “Forest North” (Li Qiao) on Weibo on May 20, claiming to have met her two months after his divorce from Zhang Ziyi, denying rumors of infidelity during the marriage. With Wang Feng openly declaring his love, the topic sparked heated discussions. Some observant netizens pointed out the resemblance between Li Qiao and Zhang Ziyi, suggesting they share a similar type. Zhang Ziyi was thus dragged into the trending topics, but she remained silent on the matter.
Some netizens expressed that Zhang Ziyi is strong-willed and independent, unlikely to be emotionally blackmailed, speculating that “she and Wang Feng might have a way of interacting that outsiders cannot understand”, “the true nature of their marriage can only be understood by them”.
On the night of walking the Cannes red carpet, Zhang Ziyi, along with the main cast, sat down and reminisced about their feelings during the filming of the movie. The preparation and filming of “Soy Sauce Yard” took 8 years, a challenging process. Zhang Ziyi, wearing a large hat, a black tight top, silk white skirt, and a long necklace, caught attention with her opening statement: “How many eight years does one life have? In these eight years, I have experienced a lot…”
Chen Kaige sat on Zhang Ziyi’s right, nodding in agreement and biting his lip, seeming deeply resonant; Li Xian sat on Zhang Ziyi’s left, looking toward her. Zhang Ziyi continued, “If we had filmed this movie eight years ago, it wouldn’t have looked the same today”. “So I think life is like a movie, each one is a destiny, maybe it’s already written in the book of fate, just like in a movie.”
Evidently, Zhang Ziyi’s words extended from the movie to real life. It is said that life imitates art, after all, Zhang Ziyi and Wang Feng were married for 8 years, tying the knot in 2015, only to shock the entertainment industry by announcing their divorce in October 2023.
In March of this year, Zhang Ziyi participated in the wrap party of the new film “Soy Sauce Yard” with her child. She choked up during her speech, revealing that when director Chen Kaige first told her about filming “Soy Sauce Yard” in Shanghai, she was still pregnant with her and Wang Feng’s second child. Despite many changes along the way, she thanked the director for always considering her as the only choice for the lead role in the new film. Perhaps this is also the backdrop for Zhang Ziyi’s mention of an “eight-year story” when talking about the new film.