Even after Chinese actors Fan Bingbing and Li Chen personally confirmed that they had ended their engagement in June last year, there were still some folks who either refused to believe that the couple had really called it quits, or kept looking out for little signs of possible reconciliation.

Those in denial of the split are probably going crazy over the latest development. On September 13, the Shanghai night sky was lit up with brightly coloured drones that spelled out the words “FBB”, “happy birthday”, and “I [heart] Big Black Ox”.

“FBB” very likely stands for “Fan Bingbing” as she turns 39 tomorrow (Sep 16), and “Big Black Ox” is Li Chen’s nickname. Before long, there were speculations that Li Chen had ordered this over-the-top display to mark Bingbing’s birthday (in a very spoil market way, we might add). It was even rumoured that the 41-year-old spent almost HK$700,000 (S$123,000) on the light show.

What’s more, some netizens claim that they saw Li Chen having supper with a director at a hotel on the Bund that night, where they managed to enjoy a good view of the drone light show.

While Bingbing herself was not with them at that time, others supposedly spotted her attending a homeware exhibition not far from the same hotel the very next day, sparking rumours that the exes, who dated for four years before going their separate ways, had a secret romantic rendezvous in Shanghai.

The news has attracted opinions from both ardent ‘Chen Bing’ fans as well as more cynical parties. Supporters expressed their hope that one day, Bingbing and Li Chen will announce that they have gotten back together again, while others are holding on to the narrative that the pair either never broke up or rekindled their relationship a long time ago.

This is far from the first time internet sleuths have tried to argue that ‘Chen Bing’ have reunited. A couple of months ago, Li Chen gave viewers of a variety show a glimpse of his home and got everyone talking thanks to the two toothbrushes and ladies’ products that were spotted in his bathroom, suggesting that he’s living with a woman.

Bingbing was also found to be wearing the same ring as Li Chen in one of her recent selfies, and in June, Li Chen publicly wished Bingbing’s younger brother Fan Chengcheng a happy birthday, further fuelling the rumours.

On the other hand, there are those who brushed off the reconciliation theories as mere “wishful thinking”, pointing out that if it were really Li Chen declaring his love for Bingbing with the drone light show, then it should read “Big Black Ox [heart] you” instead of the other way around (that makes sense).

It was also said that Bingbing’s appearance at the homeware exhibition actually happened much earlier than reported, and that she was the one who had dined with the director at the Bund hotel, not Li Chen, who was actually busy filming on the 13th. It’s confusing, we know, and at the moment, neither Bingbing nor Li Chen has responded to the gossip.

Also, if both stars are not responsible for the light show, then who is?

Couple photos: Fan Bingbing/Weibo