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| Zhang Miaoyi’s Image Shift Sparks Buzz – And a Fresh Career Direction |
Chinese actress Zhang Miaoyi, 27, has found herself at the centre of online buzz after debuting a refreshed image that had fans questioning whether she’d gone under the knife.
Known for her sweet “girl next door” aura in When I Fly Towards You and her second-lead turn in The First Frost, Zhang Miaoyi originally won comparisons to Taiwanese star Ariel Lin thanks to her youthful, wholesome vibe.
But in recent months, her sharper styling, bolder makeup, and chic aura have prompted speculation – with the hashtag #ZhangMiaoyiFace shooting up on hot searches.
On her birthday, she posted photos rocking curled hair and dramatic eye makeup, which immediately set comments ablaze. “I don’t recognise you,” one netizen wrote, while another joked, “Is this Su Zai Zai?”
Zhang Miaoyi has addressed the talk head-on before. During a livestream, she firmly denied undergoing any surgery, attributing her altered look to weight loss and experimenting with new makeup techniques.
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“Losing baby fat defines my jawline,” she explained, cheekily adding: “If people think I had surgery, that just means I look good.”
She also shared a bare-faced video earlier this year, showing the same natural features she’s always had – reinforcing that the difference lies in styling, not surgical tweaks.
But her makeover is more than skin-deep – it mirrors a career transition.
Zhang Miaoyi once faced sharp criticism for her portrayal of Lin Daiyu in Dream of the Red Chamber, with detractors calling her unsuitable for the iconic role.
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Rather than retreat, she adjusted her trajectory, leaning into characters with a different energy. That’s reflected in her latest projects, including the recently wrapped historical drama Jinyue Ruge and the upcoming Xiong You Mei Gong.
This shift in image – from sweet schoolgirl to mature sophistication, and now into what fans dub a “light oxygen” style – highlights her resilience as a young actress navigating industry pressures.
Each reinvention seems to be a step toward carving her own lane, and audiences are curious to see how this new chapter plays out in her upcoming dramas like Liao Zhai.