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| Zhang Yishan Finally Breaks Silence on Yang Zi as Magnolia Awards Win Ends Friendship Rumours. (Sina) |
Zhang Yishan did not waste a second celebrating Yang Zi's biggest career milestone. After the actress claimed the Best Actress trophy at the 31st Magnolia Awards for her acclaimed performance in Born to be Alive, the actor publicly declared that the honour was long overdue. His heartfelt congratulations quickly became one of the most talked-about moments following the ceremony, not only because of the award itself but because they also swept aside months of online speculation about their friendship.
Speaking to China Movie Report, Zhang Yishan revealed that he contacted Yang Zi as soon as the results were announced. He described her as an actress with exceptional talent and insisted the prestigious award should have come much earlier.
According to him, the only thing missing was the right timing. His words carried extra weight because they came from someone who has watched her grow from a child star into one of China's most respected leading actresses.
Shortly after the awards ceremony on 26 June, Zhang Yishan also shared a public congratulatory message on social media, calling Yang Zi both beautiful and incredibly talented. The actress replied almost instantly with a cheerful promise to buy him dinner when they met again, affectionately calling him "Shanzi".
It was a simple exchange, but for fans it spoke louder than pages of carefully crafted statements. Sometimes one invitation for a free meal is enough to end weeks of internet detective work.
Their interaction immediately reignited discussions surrounding the pair's 22-year friendship, which had recently become the subject of countless rumours. Over the past two years, many online observers questioned whether the former child stars had drifted apart after noticeably reducing their public interactions.
The lack of birthday messages, public appearances together and social media exchanges was interpreted by some as evidence that their famously close bond had quietly faded.
In reality, the silence reflected changing priorities rather than personal conflict. Zhang Yishan stepped away from the spotlight to focus on theatre, dedicating himself to demanding stage productions instead of chasing television ratings and entertainment shows.
Meanwhile, Yang Zi continued building one of the strongest acting portfolios among her generation. When two busy actors spend more time working than posting online, the internet somehow decides it deserves an explanation. Apparently, friendship now comes with a mandatory posting schedule.
Addressing the rumours directly, Zhang Yishan explained that he had congratulated Yang Zi privately before saying anything publicly.
He stressed that they had been classmates, co-stars and close friends since childhood, adding that they continued supporting each other's careers behind the scenes. Not every meaningful conversation, he suggested, needs to become social media content for public approval.
His comments echoed what many long-time followers have always believed. The pair first became household names through the hit family sitcom Home With Kids, growing up together in front of millions of viewers.
Over the years, both actors have navigated career highs, public criticism and personal milestones while remaining quietly supportive of one another. Their friendship has survived changing careers, changing industries and, perhaps most impressively, changing internet trends.
Yang Zi's Magnolia victory itself marked another major milestone in an already remarkable career. Winning Best Actress for Life Tree, she became the first actress born in the 1990s to claim the title.
The recognition followed several previous nominations and years of consistently praised performances across television dramas. For many industry observers, the award felt less like an unexpected breakthrough and more like overdue recognition finally catching up with years of hard work.
In his interview, Zhang Yishan left little room for debate. He praised Yang Zi's dedication, saying she had always been an outstanding performer and fully deserved the honour.
Rather than treating the award as a surprise, he framed it as something that had simply taken time to arrive. His confidence in her abilities reflected the perspective of someone who had witnessed her development from the very beginning rather than someone reacting to one successful performance.
Fans have responded with a mixture of relief, admiration and plenty of humour. Many celebrated the pair's warm exchange, saying it completely dismantled rumours of a falling-out that had circulated for months.
Others admitted they had been misled by the absence of frequent public interactions, while some joked that social media had once again managed to turn two busy adults into the stars of an imaginary drama.
Plenty also praised Zhang Yishan's interview for reminding everyone that genuine friendships are not measured by the number of posts or birthday hashtags.
For many viewers, the story has become about far more than one award or one congratulatory message. It is a reminder that some of the strongest friendships do not need constant public performances to prove they still exist.
Yang Zi earned one of Chinese television's highest honours, while Zhang Yishan celebrated it with the pride of someone who had believed in her all along. What do you think? Were the friendship rumours ever convincing, or did this latest exchange prove that real friendships are built away from the spotlight?