If you haven’t already heard the news, Taiwanese model-actress Lin Chiling is now married to Japanese actor and popstar Akira. Their surprise announcement via social media yesterday (Jun 6) caught everyone off-guard, and instead of congratulating the happy couple, some netizens are mourning the loss of their favourite OG OTP, Chiling and Taiwanese F4 dreamboat Jerry Yan.

Their 17-year on-off relationship has been well-documented by the Chinese media, and their diehard fans had harbored hopes that the stars will get hitched to each other eventually. Though that would now remain just a fantasy.

Over the years, any sighting of Jerry and Chiling together would make headlines, not just because they made a very good-looking couple, but 'cos they had always been super coy about their relationship. And so every gesture, romantic or not, would be dissected to death by the media and their fans. Like how, a worried-sick Jerry cancelled all of his appointments to visit Chiling in hospital after she fell from a horse in 2005. Or when they were spotted going to the gym together in Kuala Lumpur in 2017, which sparked off fresh rumours that they were dating again. But alas, all that shipping hasn't come to fruition.

According to Apple Daily, poor Jerry didn’t even know about Chiling's marriage until someone told him on the set of a show he's filming in Beijing. Apparently, the 42-year-old actor's first reaction after hearing that his ex had gotten hitched was to turn to his manager to confirm the news. And their conversation reportedly went like this:

Jerry: “Oh. Is this true?”
Jerry’s manager: “Yeah.”
Jerry: “I wish her all the best.

While Jerry’s response was gracious, it was his fans who exploded with disappointment upon hearing the news.

“Brother, where did you go? Your Chiling is being stolen,” cried out one of his fans.
“I’m so disappointed in you!” Exclaimed another.
“I can’t accept this ending…” One fan lamented.

Thankfully, there was a fan who came up with this sensible comment: “Come on, they’re already over 40 years old, it’s time to get married anyway!”