Hong Kong celebrity couple Tony Leung and Carina Lau have been married since 2008. Photo: Carina Lau/Instagram
Hong Kong stars Carina Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-wai have been married since 2008, and they are widely regarded as a model couple in the Asian entertainment scene.
In a recent podcast with Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Zetian, Lau spoke about her relationship with Leung, 63, admitting that it was not always smooth sailing.
"We experienced so many hurdles to get to where we are today," the 60-year-old said.
The actress added that as a naturally sociable and outgoing person, she used to feel frustrated by Leung's lack of social skills.
"I used to see my friends going out as couples for dinners and always wondered why he would refuse," she said.
But as they grew older, Lau learned to respect her husband's traits, and he now makes effort to accompany her to social gatherings.
Lau then expressed her appreciation for all the gifts Leung has given her.
"I do not have the heart to throw away anything he bought for me, even though there are some things I am not particularly fond of," she said.
The former TVB star added that Leung never fails to prepare a card for every special occasion – whether it is her birthday, their anniversary or Christmas.
"Every card is personally selected and handwritten by him," she said.
Lau also revealed that Leung turns into a "pen pal" whenever he makes a mistake.
Ever the socially awkward person, Leung struggles with apologising verbally, so he writes long messages in cards to make amends.
"My cupboard is full of cards! There are quite a number of apology cards, where he would list out the things he did wrong," she said, laughing.
Lau continued: "He might not say it out loud, but he will write me a card to apologise. He does put his heart into it."
