BABY'S ON THE WAY: In 2014, when actress Gao Yuanyuan married Mark Chao (both above), she said: "I waited and finally got you. Luckily, I did not give up (my search)."

Five years later, another wait has ended for her, sparing Monga actor Chao from having to tell reporters yet again that "we will let nature take its course".

He confirmed on Weibo on Monday that Gao is pregnant with their first child.

"Whenever people asked us (about having a baby), we would always give the same answer," wrote Chao, 34. "Now, we can say: 'Yes, thank you for the blessings that you've showered on us all this time.'"

Gao also shared the post on her social media accounts.

Even before the Taiwanese-Canadian actor delivered the happy news, fans speculated that Gao, 39, was in the family way, after they noted her absences from two recent weddings and a rounder face.

Gao, who has cut back on acting to appear in commercials, reportedly became the go-to celebrity to front advertising campaigns after top actress Fan Bingbing was mired in a tax-evasion scandal last year.