TAIPEI - Next Magazine has told what it says is the inside story of the night actor Wallace Huo confessed his love to actress Ruby Lin, after his supposed romantic rival Jerry Yan left her 40th birthday party.

Long-time friends Huo, 36, and Lin, 40, hit the headlines last week when they said they were an item.

On Wednesday, Next Magazine gave an account of the party in January, when Huo finally made his move.

That night, Lin's guests included actor Yan, television host Pauline Lan and actress Chen Mei-fen, as well as Lin's co-stars from her 2014 TV show The Way We Were, Tiffany Hsu and Melvin Sia, said the report, citing unnamed sources.

Chen had tried to matchmake Lin and Yan late last year. At the party, Yan surprised Lin with a small present, but he was quiet and had to leave early, said the report.

Huo arrived then, having flown from Nanjing to Taipei specially for the party and preparing to give Lin a bracelet.

Friends plied him with alcohol, expecting him to get drunk, but he held his drink well. Lin got into the spirit too and drank more.

His tongue loosened by drink, Huo made his confession to Lin, as the others moved away to give them privacy, said the report.

Later, someone cracked a joke, saying the two should give each other a French kiss. Lin rolled her eyes at the suggestion.

In an interview last year, she had wondered why guys are not brave in love. "No matter how successful my career is, I still want to be taken care of by the other half. In the world of love, I just want to be a fool."

Now that Huo has manned up and is finally dating Lin, they may wed as soon as next year, said the report.