Male idol Li Yifeng, who has been appearing in popular and controversial series, is regarded as China's tastiest "fresh meat," a term in China used to describe young and handsome men.
Li was recently seen in "Gujian Qitan," one of the most watched TV series in the country, and in "The Lost Tomb," a controversial online series. Because of his roles, the 28-year-old singer and actor has become the talk of the town.
In the 2015 Forbes China Celebrity List, Li's rising popularity landed him on the ninth spot, surpassing actress Li Bingbing, singer Eason Chan and tennis star Li Na.
The young idol has also consistently earned compliments for his sunny disposition and positive energy, as also reflected in his personal blog entries.
"More people are looking at me now, so I have to choose my words carefully and think if they will have any negative impact. I sometimes find myself conflicted in wanting to show what I really feel on the inside, but I know I am not living in a vacuum," Li shared.
"Among those people that pay attention to me are a lot of teenagers. I need to be careful not to lead them down the wrong path," he further remarked.
Though he admitted that he is not very optimistic by nature, he gives his best to make a fresh start daily.
"When I go to bed I worry that I'm not doing my best. But when I wake up, I don't feel like it's all that necessary to worry about everything," he said.
Before he skyrocketed to popularity, the singer and actor was in a tepid mode for almost seven years. He first entered the entertainment industry when he won the No. 8 spot in the 2007 talent show, "My Hero."
Li started his career with music, modelling and acting. He earned a lot of new young fans in 2014 when he played the lead role in "Gujian Qitan."
"I was always living as an entertainer, the only difference now is that I am getting much more attention than before. As soon as I began working in the entertainment industry, I was prepared for the fact I would have to deal with fame and someday be very busy," he said during the Global Times interview.