Dylan Wang & Esther Yu Shuxin Stir Buzz Over Hotpot 'Coincidence'

Weibo’s gossip radar exploded once again this week, and the drama's got nothing to do with a new show—well, not officially.

On 9 April 2025, Esther Yu Shuxin casually dropped a video of herself enjoying hotpot at a swanky-looking restaurant. 

Cosy vibes, warm lighting, and plush patterned cushions… all very aesthetic.

Except sharp-eyed netizens didn’t just notice the food.

They immediately clocked the surroundings—down to the seat cushion and lighting—and went, “Wait a minute... wasn’t Dylan Wang Hedi here too?”

Soon, someone dug up Dylan’s past post from what looked like the exact same spot, sparking the hashtag #虞书欣王鹤棣疑似坐同款位置#, roughly meaning “Yu Shuxin and Wang Hedi suspected to be sitting in the same spot.” 

It shot to Weibo’s top trending.

Now, for most celebs, it’d be just a funny coincidence.

But when it comes to Dylan and Esther, nothing’s just a coincidence.

Their past fan drama is well-documented. In 2023, Esther’s team sued a Dylan fan for defamation, and just this year, 

Dylan’s studio hit back by suing 14 accounts—some reportedly tied to Esther’s fandom—for spreading hate.

So yeah, it’s messy.

That’s why even a hotpot cushion suddenly feels suspiciously like a clue.

Fans were quick to split into camps. Some, eyes twinkling with romantic hope, posted things like:

“Maybe they’re back together!”

“This is the kind of soft launch I live for.”

“PLEASE give us another drama with them already!”

Others, not so thrilled, chimed in:

“Didn’t they beef not long ago? This better not be a stunt.”

“They keep recycling the same narrative. Boring.”

“Guys, maybe it’s just a popular restaurant, chill.”

Some folks even pointed out the restaurant might have links to both stars in the past—Dylan reportedly promoted it before, and Esther Yu's been spotted there more than once. 

Still, there’s zero official word confirming any collab or ad deal.

Just to stir the pot more (pun intended), eagle-eyed fans also noted that Esther stayed at the same hotel in Sanya that Dylan had previously posted from. 

And apparently, even actor Ding Yuxi (another rumoured link of Esther’s) visited that same hotpot place.

Coincidence? PR move? Fan service? Who knows.

But what’s clear is this: China’s fandom culture is unmatched. One meal, one video, and suddenly half the internet’s doing detective work.

Whether you're Team CP comeback or just here for the memes, this hotpot seat saga proves once again—you don’t need a red carpet to trend, just a restaurant seat and two very clickable names.