BEIJING: Two men in China became famous as “divorce partners” after they started living together following their separation from their wives.
The duo, Liu Yi and Zhang Shuo, who have a 12-year age difference, met last year on the Chinese reality show See You Again.
The show explored marital crises, following three couples as they re-evaluated their relationships and made final decisions about their futures.
During the show, Zhang earned a negative reputation due to his selfish behaviour, as he consistently neglected the needs of his wife, Wang Shuishui, especially when she was unwell.
In contrast, Liu, whose ex-wife is the well-known debater and writer Fu Shouer, garnered more sympathy.
Throughout their marriage, Fu was seen as the dominant figure. Liu sacrificed his career to relocate to Shanghai to support her and care for their son, but as Fu’s fame grew, she began to perceive him as unmotivated.
Although Liu and Zhang had limited interaction during the show, their bond strengthened after they both found themselves single in its aftermath.
Their platonic friendship ignited playful speculation among netizens, with one user questioning whether they were truly just friends. - Weixin
Zhang eventually moved to Shanghai to live with Liu, and they began documenting their daily lives on social media, quickly earning the nickname “divorce duo” from netizens.
Many videos feature the two men exploring restaurants together, and they once travelled 50km from Shanghai to Kunshan to dine at a famous noodle shop.
Influenced by Zhang, Liu, who previously had no interest in cooking, has started learning how to prepare meals.
Their platonic friendship sparked playful gossip among netizens, with one person commenting: “Are you two sure you aren’t actually together?”
Since teaming up with Liu, public sentiment towards Zhang has improved significantly, prompting him to remark, “Liu Yi is the best cosmetic surgery I could have hoped for.”
Although Liu is 12 years older than Zhang, they told New Rank online news outlet that they have not encountered any conflicts, as they both have a laid-back attitude and do not set high expectations for each other.
Moreover, their mutual passion for singing has further strengthened their relationship.
Inspired by Zhang, Liu (above) who had no prior interest in cooking, has begun to learn how to prepare meals. - Weixin
In a popular video, Liu passionately sings Faye Wong’s song “I’m Willing” while Zhang plays the guitar. This video received 34,000 likes on Douyin.
On Sept 8, they even invited Liu’s ex-wife to join their live-stream on Xiaohongshu, which attracted over 920,000 viewers.
During the live-stream, Fu maintained her sharp and straightforward personality, bluntly telling Liu that the clothes he was wearing made his legs look short.
She added: “We did not flatter each other when we were together, so there’s no need to change that now that we are divorced.”
Some viewers humorously commented that they resembled a “family of three”.
Liu and Zhang’s lifestyle has become a popular topic of discussion online.
“Liu and Zhang make a great pair. It’s amazing how fate brought them together!” said one person.
Another added: “Zhang Shuo is really something - he was awful to his wife during their marriage, but now, after their divorce and as a friend, he has become a better person. Maybe it just takes the right person to build a good relationship!” - South China Morning Post
