Photos of Zhao Wei traveling in Garze, Sichuan Province, have sparked speculation on Chinese social media that the Chinese actress is making a comeback.

In the photos posted on social media by friends, Zhao appears impossibly young, wearing braided pigtail hairdos and juvenile clothing that is unrepresentative of her age.

As reported by Chinese media outlet 163 on February 20, Zhao, who starred in the hit series My Fair Princess and was one of the mainland's most popular actors by the early 2000s, has been mostly quiet since her work was suddenly suspended in August 2021.

Authorities did not explain why she had vanished from the industry at that time, but her name was erased from the credits of her previous work, and her awards were canceled.

Zhao has remained mostly anonymous, with little activity on her Weibo account since her scandal, but she has recently resurfaced in the public eye.

Some of her friends have started sharing images of her more publicly, which is thought to be a signal that the actress may be contemplating a return.

Speculations have gained some weight due to the recent return of billionaire Jack Ma to China.

Ma, a Zhao Wei ally and benefactor, has also resurfaced – at the high tables after he laid low for a while. Sources indicate that Ma's return may give Zhao the support she requires to return to the screen.

Meanwhile, Zhao Wei gave an update that she had divorced Huang Youlong and had no criminal shut with any of his business relationships or debt. This is being interpreted as an attempt to safeguard her image in case she returns to the public eye.

With other former — and some even more recently — scandal-plagued figures like Deng Lun and Jiang Yiyi also quietly making returns to the Chinese entertainment landscape, the tide may be changing. Such a trend could make room for Zhao Wei to enter the industry.