LayarHijau — Nikita Mao (Mao Linlin), an actress born in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, has long been best known for playing villains. One of those roles was Zheng Er in Prince of Lan Ling (兰陵王), which led some Chinese netizens to equate the character’s behavior with the actress herself, to the point that a hashtag telling her to leave the entertainment industry once trended. This year, her name has resurfaced through mother roles in two dramas.
In Where the Mask Ends (嫁金钗), led by Tian Xiwei as Wei Rao and A Chou, Nikita Mao plays Zhou Fu, Wei Rao’s mother. In Pursuit of Jade (逐玉), she appears as the mother of Xie Zheng, played by Zhang Linghe. According to MyDramaList, the role is a guest appearance in five of the series’ 40 episodes. Pursuit of Jade also reached Netflix’s global top 10 for non-English titles. Because she so often plays mothers, a Sohu article has called her a “mom-role specialist.”
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As the spotlight on her grows, Chinese audiences have again been asking about her love life. According to Chinese media reports, Nikita Mao, now 40, is unmarried, has no children, and has almost never had a relationship known to the public. Still, several men have been linked to her over the years. All of the rumors are old.
Men Rumored to Be Dating Nikita Mao
Fu Xinbo
Fu Xinbo was her co-star in the Republic-era drama War Flowers (乱世丽人行, 2016), alongside Han Xue. Nikita Mao played Xie Ruoxue. According to Chinese media, the two were reportedly seen eating together and returning to the same hotel. At the time, Fu Xinbo was close to actress Ying’er, which fueled talk of a love triangle.
Fu Xinbo said the reports were untrue and that Ying’er was just a friend. Both sides were reported to have clarified the matter, and the rumors died down after Fu Xinbo married Ying’er.
Mike He (He Junxiang)
Mike He was her co-star in the youth drama Refueling Mother (加油妈妈, 2012). Their closeness off screen once led to speculation about a relationship. Nikita Mao dismissed it and described Mike He as more like a big kid who loved to joke around. Asked about the possibility of becoming a couple, she answered: “The chance is very slim, and we live too far apart.” She added that her personality was not the type he liked.
Wei Qianxiang
Around 2017, the name Wei Qianxiang also surfaced, alongside Fu Xinbo, in media reports saying Nikita Mao had a boyfriend. No information about a working relationship between her and Wei Qianxiang was found in the available material. According to Nikita Mao herself at the time, she was still single and putting her career first.
Her Ideal Type and Views on Marriage
Nikita Mao once named two men as her ideal type. After a photo she posted with a close female friend sparked speculation on social media, she stated that she still likes men and named Gao Xiaosong and Jackson Wang as her ideal types. Gao Xiaosong is a Chinese singer, songwriter, and director. Jackson Wang is a Hong Kong singer and a former member of GOT7. Asked about marrying into wealth, she said she prefers a simple, peaceful life.
In a recent interview circulating online, she addressed the pressure around marital status and motherhood. According to quotes in Chinese media, she stressed: “I’m the one living my life.” The same outlet reported that she does not want to marry just for the sake of marrying. These statements were quoted through aggregator articles rather than from the original interview recording.
On the pressure to get married, she once joked that she plays a mother who raises children in dramas, while in real life she is only a “dog mom,” a term for owners who treat their pet dogs like their own children. According to a Sohu article, she added that if she keeps adding pets, she could end up running a kindergarten.
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