Ng uses social media to track down ex-actor friend

Actress Chantalle Ng harnessed the power of social media and managed to find her long-lost friend, child actor Xiao Li Yuan, after just two days.

She first posted on Instagram Stories on Monday, asking her followers if they remembered Xiao, who appeared in film-maker Jack Neo's hit movie Homerun (2003), as well as Royston Tan's 4:30 (2005).

The 26-year-old actress got to know Xiao on the set of the 2007 drama Let It Shine, and had been looking for him for 15 years.

The drama stars Ng's mother, Lin Meijiao, as well as actress Felicia Chin, who had also been searching for Xiao since then.

On Wednesday, Ng posted a happy update, with photos of her and Chin meeting Xiao for brunch.

She wrote: "Li Yuan and I met as kids when I followed my mum on set. I remember feeling so sad when we lost contact, losing a friend as a kid was unbearable (especially since I didn't have many friends to begin with)."

She fondly remembers that they used to play hide and seek on set.

"When I started filming in my teens, I asked people who worked with him - artistes, directors, casting director - but everyone didn't seem to have his contact."

She said a friend of his put them in touch after her initial post.

He reportedly does not have any social media accounts and prefers to keep a low profile, so she did not reveal too many details about the 30-year-old other than saying he works in the corporate sector.

In an interview with The Straits Times in 2006, Xiao, who was born in China and studied in Singapore, said he started acting when he was seven, after being talent-spotted by a director.

Ng spoke to entertainment portal 8days.sg on Wednesday about the heartwarming reunion and said Xiao left acting to focus on his studies and now has a master's degree.

Ng's mother wrote in the comments section of the post: "You finally found Situ Bi (his character's name in Let It Shine). He's grown more and more handsome."