...Fact or Fiction
Rumor #01: Bondy Chiu and Cutie Mui hate each other in real life.
Rumors that the two co-stars didn't get along emerged during winter 2001. The reporters said that because Bondy was habitually late, Cutie was unhappy and the two had some arguments. They claimed that the Virtues cast kept quiet about this to avoid rumors. However, when approached about this, they all denied that such a thing happened and that everyone were good friends and got along. However, the media was not convinced and kept bugging the two about this issue. During Cutie's final scene in VOH II, reporters made it seem like Bondy didn't know that Cutie was leaving, further adding oil to the claim that the two weren't close.
Verdict: Exaggerated fabrication with a basis of some truth. In late August 2005, Bondy admitted that she did have a fall-out with Cutie. She silently admitted that the two did have some arguments, but she said that she still saw Cutie as a friend and that it was something in the past. She also says that it was something minor that was blown up by the media.
Rumor #02: Is "Princess" cheating on "Ah Nin" with her eunuch?
Since the early days of Virtues, Hawick Lau and Bernice Liu have been rumored to be dating each other. Reports state that the two are close on the set and multiple photographs show them eating dinner, going shopping, and so on, together. In other words, the media always catches them with each other and once, Bernice took Hawick home during the holidays to Canada! While they both deny over and over again that they're dating and admit that they're just close friends, the media never forgets about this "pair" and always bug them on the issue of dating.
Verdict: Unknown. It's obvious that Bernice and Hawick are best friends, but what's not so lucid (and has sprawled so much rumors) is if their relationship stops at just friendship. They've met each other's parents and seem to be very comfortable with each other. Being two of the younger stars on the set, it's easy to see how they became good friends. Whether or not they're dating isn't for us to decide; it's their personal business and as long as they don't talk, we won't know whether or not the rumor is valid or false.
Rumor #03: Does "big brother" hate his family?
Rumors started to circulate towards the end of 2003 that Frankie Lam was unhappy with being in Virtues and that he felt that his commitment to the series was costing him popularity and success. The rumor claimed that Frankie wanted critical acclaim and a My Favorite Actor award. Thus, it was said that Frankie was going to leave Virtues and then only come back for very important or special episodes and for the grand finale. His exit from Virtues would be similar to the kind that his wife, Kenix Kwok, used to leave the long-running A Kindred Spirit, where she played one of the daughters of the main family, nearly a decade earlier. When Frankie announced that he was going to be taking a "break" from Virtues for his wedding, the latest gossips said that he was using this as an excuse to escape from the chains of VOH. After "Kam Nin" was written off VOH II in episode 187, his final appearance on the show was from episodes 243-246. After this, he never shows his face again and he was eventually taken off from the opening themevideo as well. While Frankie admits that he misses his fellow VOH co-stars and said that he would drop by the studio to buy them snacks and visit them every now and then, he didn't mention VOH since his last appearance and didn't seem eager to film again. Instead, he filmed Ten Brothers and The Herbalist's Manual and didn't return to Virtues even in its final episodes.
Verdict: Most likely true. In regards to Frankie's behavior following his exit from VOH II, it seems that it very much coincides with what the rumors stated. Frankie was probably unhappy with spending all of his time on Virtues and wanted to film other series so he could have some different roles, but he definitely doesn't hate working on it as it's clear that he has good relationships with the other cast members. So, while "big brother" loves his family, he doesn't exactly like spending all of his time with them.