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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FAN BINGBING: Chinese actress Fan Bingbing used to receive adulation at the peak of her career.

However, since she got embroiled in a tax-evasion scandal in 2018, several celebrities have kept their distance as her career screeched to a halt. She had to cough up more than 800 million yuan (S$161 million) in overdue taxes and fines.

Fan turned 39 on Wednesday and she waited until about 11.45pm that day before she posted three selfies and wrote: "Love you forever. The 15 people who remember (my birthday)."

Celebrities who sent their birthday wishes on Weibo this year included Taiwanese actress Janine Chang and Chinese actor Dong Chengpeng.

It was a far cry from the avalanche of good wishes she used to get pre-scandal. Her birthdays were then trending topics on Chinese social media.

Last year, only Chang, 38, sent wishes on her special day.

The two became good friends after they starred in the 2014 Chinese television serial, The Empress Of China, which Fan also co-produced.

Fan and actor Li Chen, another actor on the serial, became a couple after filming ended. They broke off in June last year.

Speculation was rife on Monday that Fan and Li have reconciled after photos of a light display by drones spelling out the words FBB, Happy Birthday and I Love Big Black Ox were circulated on the Internet.

Netizens believed they were sent by Li, as his nickname was "Big Black Ox" and that FBB stood for Fan Bingbing.