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| Michelle Chen’s Comeback Era Takes Over Hot Search — And the Internet Finds Her ‘Ke’ Lucky Charm (Photo: Tencent) |
After spending years away from the centre of the spotlight, Michelle’s return has been met with surprise, admiration, and a lot of online chatter.
Since her divorce, netizens have repeatedly commented that she looks more confident and radiant than ever — and Sniper Butterfly has only amplified that sentiment.
In the drama, Michelle Chen stars opposite Zhou Keyu, who is 19 years younger, in a romance centred on a mature woman and a younger man.
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What initially raised eyebrows quickly turned into praise, as viewers found their chemistry unexpectedly natural.
Rather than leaning on gimmicks, the series delivers a soft yet emotionally charged love story that many fans admit has left them blushing and fully invested.
As the drama gained traction, an amusing pattern began circulating online.
Fans noticed that both of Michelle Chen’s major career peaks happened to involve male co-stars whose names include the Chinese character “柯” (Ke).
The coincidence quickly turned into a running joke — and then a trending topic.
Netizens revisited her breakout role in the 2011 youth classic You Are the Apple of My Eye, where a 28-year-old Michelle Chen starred opposite then-20-year-old Ko Chen-tung.
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Her portrayal of Shen Jiayi became the ultimate “first love” image for an entire generation and cemented her place in pop culture.
Fast forward 14 years, and Michelle finds herself once again in an age-gap romance — this time with 23-year-old Daniel Zhou Keyu.
The contrast between the two eras, both in age and personal life stage, has become a major talking point, highlighting her adaptability and staying power as an actress.
With both leading men sharing the “Ke” character in their names, fans jokingly declared, “Men with ‘Ke’ bring Michelle Chen luck.”
The phrase spread rapidly, with some half-serious fans dubbing it a “career lucky code.”
In Sniper Butterfly, Michelle Chen plays Cen Jin, a divorced art curator learning how to rebuild her life while facing emotional vulnerability head-on.
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One standout moment — a 46-second silent crying scene — drew widespread praise and was described by viewers as one of the most powerful emotional performances of her career.
Her intimate scenes with Zhou Keyu were also widely discussed, with many saying the sweetness and ease between them effectively dissolved concerns about their age difference.
Michelle’s dedication to the role didn’t go unnoticed. She reportedly lost 8 kilograms, cut her hair short, and spent time observing daily work at a law firm to understand the professional rhythm of her character.
The storyline of Cen Jin rediscovering herself after divorce has also been seen as echoing Michelle’s own real-life journey, adding another layer of authenticity to her performance.
Commercially, the drama has delivered strong numbers. Yunhe data shows Sniper Butterfly increasing its market share from 4.5 per cent to between 10.9 and 11.2 per cent shortly after release, consistently ranking among the top three dramas across platforms, just behind Legend of Magnate and Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty.
On Maoyan, the series recorded over 27.68 million effective views in a single day, topping the web drama charts. It surpassed 100 million total views within six days, while its main Douyin topic has already accumulated more than 1.44 billion views.
Even its Douban rating tells a comeback story of its own. Opening at a shaky 4.2, the score climbed rapidly to 8.3 within six days before settling at a stable 7.2 — nearly matching Legend of Magnate, which currently sits at 7.3.