A marriage once tied two lives together, but the aftermath continues to unfold. Li Yapeng, often regarded as the most humble of Faye Wong’s former partners, has reemerged in the public eye — not through scandal, but through unexpected resilience.
In pursuit of winning her heart, he gave up his pride and quietly stood by her side. Their grand wedding and the birth of their daughter Li Yan seemed like the perfect ending. Yet ultimately, it crumbled under the weight of personality clashes, ending in divorce after just a few short years.
After the split, Li Yapeng faced public backlash and mounting debt, while Faye Wong remained the untouchable diva, living her own legend. Everyone assumed their paths would never cross again. But against all odds, Li Yapeng — once at the bottom of public opinion — has managed to make Faye Wong look uncomfortable in a way no one could have predicted.
**A True Character Revealed?**
Li Yapeng did enjoy moments of glory. A graduate of the Central Academy of Drama, he landed top-tier resources, with his role as Linghu Chong catapulting him to stardom. His list of ex-girlfriends included beauties like Zhou Xun, Ke Lan, and Qu Ying. He was the man everyone loved, yet in the eyes of Faye Wong, he was still unremarkable.
To win her over, he spared no effort. He learned to play mahjong just to spend time with her. He spent millions on concert tickets and gave them away freely. Eventually, the diva was touched by his sincerity, and after the end of her relationship with Nicholas Tse, he seized the opportunity.
Li Yapeng was always a pragmatic man, talking about business and money. Faye Wong, on the other hand, is famously zen-like and detests pretentiousness. This contrast made him seem even more mundane and boring.
In 2012, to boost attendance at a commercial event, Li Yapeng invited Faye Wong without telling her the details. She arrived casually dressed, only to find a box of suffocated butterflies — supposedly a surprise. Whether intentional or not, this incident painted him as insincere, and the label of hypocrisy stuck.
An awkward interview they did together also became infamous. While Li Yapeng rambled about his insights on the song “Legend,” Faye Wong visibly rolled her eyes, tilted her head, and showed obvious disdain.
Meanwhile, his acting career fizzled, and his business empire hemorrhaged money. His “Snow Mountain Art Town” project became a textbook case of high investment with zero returns. He imported expensive trees and rare flowers from Sichuan, and the shipping costs alone were staggering. Real estate developers mocked him, saying he was not a developer but a “money burner.”
Defeated in business and ridiculed publicly, he was labeled a “kept man.” But as the saying goes, judge a person by their actions, not their words.
**A Shift in Public Opinion**
Li Yapeng may crave face, but he is also dutiful. After marrying Faye Wong, he readily accepted her daughter Dou Jingtong as his own, treating her like his biological child.
To get Dou Jingtong into Beijing No. 4 High School, he made calls and pulled strings. The once-glamorous star stood outside the school gate for three hours just to secure an opportunity. But when the girl said she didn’t like the environment, he quietly withdrew her without complaint.
He may not be a good businessman, but he is a full-score father. He never misses birthdays or celebrations, always making time for his children. When Dou Jingtong decided to enter the music industry, he was the first to object — not because he doubted her talent, but because he feared she would forever live under her mother’s shadow, facing constant comparisons and criticism.
He didn’t force her to quit; instead, he urged her to think carefully about whether she was prepared for the scrutiny. This advice gave the young girl a much-needed reality check. A parent’s love for their child is always far-reaching, and Li Yapeng exemplifies the hardships of parenthood.
Even after divorcing Faye Wong, he remains close to Dou Jingtong, appearing with her publicly without any awkwardness. They are like brothers.
When asked about their children in an interview, Faye Wong coldly remarked, “On the surface, everything seems fine, but only he knows what’s deep inside.” While we as outsiders can never truly know Li Yapeng’s inner thoughts, his actions speak volumes about his role as a stepfather — and as a father to Li Yan.
When Faye Wong was pregnant with Li Yan, they learned the baby had a cleft lip. At that time, they could easily have chosen to have another healthy child. But Faye Wong, a Buddhist, could not bear to end a life. Li Yapeng respected her decision and stood by her.
From Beijing to the United States, they traveled the world seeking treatment for their daughter. If even people of their status faced such struggles, what about ordinary families? Thus, in the year Li Yan was born, they launched the Smile Angel Foundation to help children with cleft lips and palates.
The path was harder than imagined — outdated technology, high rents, and a shortage of specialists plagued the initiative. Especially when Li Yapeng was drowning in debt, the charity became a beautiful burden. Yet he has never let go. Over the years, the foundation has performed tens of thousands of surgeries and provided outpatient services to over half a million children.
These are real numbers and real achievements. Some, however, choose to ignore them, focusing only on his livestreaming and humble product promotions.
In 2026, a second debt crisis hit Li Yapeng, but this time, public opinion unexpectedly turned in his favor.
**What’s This? Faye Wong Embarrassed?**
Because of the debt, Li Yapeng found himself in the headlines again — but this time, it involved thousands of children with cleft lips and palates.
In 2010, he rented a space to build the Smile Angel Children’s Hospital. Over the next decade, rent increased by 5% every two years. By 2019, the landlord demanded a doubling of the rent. Li Yapeng reluctantly agreed, but as operating costs soared, he found himself unable to pay.
In a message to the landlord, he pleaded: “I have been seeking donations for years, negotiating with nearly ten parties without success. I have to accept that this hospital will become history. I’ve tried my best for 16 years.”
Seeing the hospital sign being taken down, he must have felt profound loss. It wasn’t until he was completely cornered that he posted a video “asking for help.”
Despite past jokes and criticism, netizens respect genuine kindness. Many donated, hoping to save the hospital. In a five-hour livestream, Li Yapeng’s team raised over 10 million yuan (approx. US$1.4 million) in sales. Seven million viewers tuned in, and donations exceeded 16 million yuan. Even Li Guoqing, founder of Dangdang, donated one million yuan.
Li Yapeng’s health has also been a concern. He once revealed that a physical exam suggested possible stomach cancer, but a follow-up showed it was just inflammation. Perhaps his years of good deeds saved him.
Meanwhile, why has Faye Wong remained silent? After all, this was their shared dream, and she is known to be wealthy. With the hospital in crisis and her watching from the sidelines, is it zen or indifference?
