Chinese actress Zhao Lusi seen working at a night market in Hainan

Chinese actress Zhao Lusi is making headlines after being spotted manning a stall at a night market in Hainan, China.

According to reports, the 27-year-old star appeared in a simple outfit and no make-up as she sold traditional pancakes from her home town of Chengdu.

Fans who encountered Zhao noted that there was no production crew in sight, fuelling speculation that the appearance was not for commercial purposes but for a personal vlog.

In several videos posted online, the actress was seen handling everything herself – from cooking the food to packing it to collecting payment.

She also chatted with customers, happily posed for photos with eager fans and handed out tanghulu, a candied fruit snack, to patrons visiting her stall.

According to Oriental Daily, Zhao said early in 2025 that if she were unable to continue her career as an artiste, she would likely make a living by running a stall.

The publication added that she had previously operated a dessert shop, but withdrew from the venture after a fallout with a close friend, who was reportedly a shareholder.

In August 2025, Zhao accused her management agency Galaxy Cool Entertainment

of withdrawing 2.05 million yuan (S$375,946.63)

from her personal studio’s account without authorisation.

She also claimed that the agency warned her against speaking out and threatened to blacklist her from the entertainment industry if she pursued legal action.

“You don’t need to blacklist me, I quit,” she wrote in a statement on Weibo at the time. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK