Chinese Heartthrob Cheng Lei Has A Manager Who Looks More Like A Star Than He Does

Chinese actor Cheng Lei’s star has been on the rise since his turn as Gong Shangjue in 2023 period drama My Journey To You.

Recently, snaps of the 30-year-old at an event caused a stir online but for unexpected reasons.

The widely-shared photos on Weibo showed Cheng Lei dressed in a shirt, brown jacket, and jeans — an understated and simple look.

Walking ahead of him was a guy in a blue shirt and white pants. Many presumed the man to be his assistant.

Despite wearing a mask, the ‘assistant’’s prominent features — bright eyes and neatly-styled hair — stood out, leading fans and onlookers to mistake him for the star.

Soon, the hashtag “Cheng Lei’s assistant” began trending on Weibo.

Some fans were not amused, criticising the “scheming” ‘assistant’ for stealing their idol’s thunder and asked that he be fired.

Others also questioned his professionalism, allowing Cheng Lei to show up at events in such “ill-fitting and inappropriate clothes” that did not bring out his star quality.

There were comments like “Honestly, I thought the guy in blue was the celebrity. The one without the mask is just too ordinary to be called a star” and “He should tone down his look to make Cheng Lei stand out more”.

There were also some who were curious to find out more about the “hunky” ‘assistant’, asking for his social media and to see pics showing his face.

Sources close to the actor later clarified the man in blue was not Cheng Lei’s assistant, but his manager. He is responsible for styling the actor for public appearances.

Hope he got the memo about the poor styling.