Ex-EXO Member and Former SM Trainee Confirmed to be Dating

On July 14, after four years of keeping their relationship ambiguous, both Huang Zitao and Xu Yiyang surprisingly revealed their love for each other. They both shared a collection of loving photos on their social media platforms. Huang Zitao expressed, “I hope we will always remain as ourselves,”and Xu Yiyang wrote, “As we watch the sunset by the sea, let’s make a wish together.”

The statement made by the chairman-muse duo caused a stir in the Chinese entertainment world. The announcement quickly spread on Weibo, and internet users also noticed that Huang Zitao’s dating announcement video was 13 seconds long, while Xu Yiyang’s was 14 seconds long. This combination of “1314”was seen as a representation of everlasting love by netizens.

Despite receiving congratulations from numerous netizens, Huang Zitao and Xu Yiyang also faced criticism as they had previously denied their relationship. Some remarked, “Whether it’s public or not, it doesn’t make a difference.”Others questioned why they had vehemently denied their relationship before, stating, “If you were truly brave, you would never have gone public.”The couple’s past denials were seen as a well-known secret, leading some to ask, “Who even asked for an answer?”

Since 2020, there has been speculation that Huang Zitao and Xu Yiyang’s relationship goes beyond that of a boss and employee. Xu Yiyang, an artist signed under L.TAO Entertainment which was founded and is chaired by Huang Zitao, has been supported and promoted by him. This was especially evident when Xu Yiyang participated in the idol survival show “Chuang 2020,”where Huang Zitao, as a judge, urged viewers to vote for her. In fact, for a period of time, the only person Huang Zitao followed on social media was Xu Yiyang.

“Throughout the previous year, they were often seen going on dates together and it became known that Huang Zitao had introduced Xu Yiyang to his family. Most recently, the pair embarked on a trip to Yunnan, China where Huang Zitao attentively looked after Xu Yiyang and even displayed possessiveness when a male admirer declared his love for her. However, they chose to keep their relationship private despite this.”

Despite initial rumors in May, it was later revealed by the media that Huang Zitao’s supposed proposal to Xu Yiyang in Yunnan was not real. The images that sparked the rumors were actually from a reality show that Huang Zitao was producing. When the truth was exposed a few days later, Huang Zitao’s representative chose not to confirm or deny the proposal rumors, stating that it was a private matter for the artist and they were unable to comment.

Despite initial reports in early July stating that Huang Zitao and Xu Yiyang had secretly registered their marriage in Beijing, Huang Zitao’s representative quickly denied the rumor after it began trending on social media in China. This caused speculation among many that the couple’s relationship was being used for publicity purposes.

Despite receiving backlash from netizens, Huang Zitao addressed the situation, stating, “Xu Yiyang and I seem to be constantly trending on the internet’s hot search list. What more do you want me to say? While filming the show, we are constantly being photographed and the content goes viral. I do not enjoy this attention either. It is frustrating to see my name on the hot search list every day. If you want the truth, simply watch the show. Please refrain from questioning me during live streams.”

On July 8, the announcement of the couple’s plans to make their relationship known on Chinese social media caused a stir. In a recently released trailer for Huang Zitao’s reality show, Xu Yiyang dropped several hints suggesting that they wanted to confirm their relationship through the show. She revealed, “He said to me, ‘Let’s make it official.’ From then on, we were truly a couple,””Being with him allows me to be true to myself,”and “He genuinely cares about how others perceive me.”