PUBLISHED ONJune 26, 2026 11:00 AMBYKristy ChuaWe all have different love languages, but it seems netizens are hung up over Max Zhang's fatherly ways.
In a now-deleted video posted by Hong Kong actress Ada Choi, the 52-year-old's husband Max could be seen spending time with their three children during Father's Day (June 21) while on vacation in the Maldives.
The Chinese martial arts actor, 52, was on a sofa with daughters Zoe, 15 and Chloe, 13, and seven-year-old son Joey behind him. The sisters each presented their father with gifts: a drawing of a sea turtle from Zoe and a flower from Chloe.
Zoe then hugged him from the back, receiving a quick kiss on the cheek from her father. Chloe sidled up next to him, also receiving a cheek peck. Seemingly sensing Max's joy, Joey clutched his arm cheekily as the former got his presents.
A Weibo user reshared screenshots from Ada's video depicting Max giving his daughters pecks on the cheek "with no hesitation", which led to several netizens voicing their discomfort with the gesture.
"It looks like a kiss on the cheek, but actually I still can't quite accept it," wrote one user.
Another comment read: "I think that's a bit much."
Others didn't think it was an issue, with one writing: "It's still okay. Every family has their own ways of being together."
It shows how close they are to each other, one netizen said.
On Facebook, several users felt that since Max hadn't kissed his daughters on the lips, his actions in the video could be deemed acceptable.
"Kisses on the cheek are fine, but it's really disgusting when some parents kiss their adult sons and daughters on the lips," remarked one user.
"It's fine as long as it's not a direct kiss on the lips. A light kiss on the cheeks and forehead is a sign of affection - nothing to be surprised about," wrote another. "Even people in Baotou (a city in Inner Mongolia) hold this kind of affection without any issues. Just don't kiss other women on the lips."
An article by Singapore-based movement Families for Life (FFL) said that while lip kisses from a parent to a young child may seem like a harmless gesture at home, some psychologists think otherwise when it comes to the long term.
"A young child may mimic the same gesture in future with others outside the family without understanding the action can be interpreted as sexual in nature by the other party," stated FFL. In place of lip kisses, parents can explain the boundaries of affection with their children or switch to cheek or forehead kisses as they age, which also doubles as a more hygienic practice.
The article also added that more evidence is arising that parental affection can positively influence children's health and future happiness.
Back in April 2025, Max had suffered a heart attack when the family were in Singapore for a holiday. Speaking to reporters in August last year, Ada recounted: "He suddenly couldn't breathe. It had happened twice before in March. I had asked a doctor to do an electrocardiogram (ECG) and everything was alright.
"When we were travelling, he suddenly couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, and had to sit down. We were waiting to board a tour boat at the time and were worried about him. He told us to go ahead without him, and I felt so bad leaving him alone, not knowing what had happened."
Max also talked about the incident to Korean-American singer-actor Lee Seung-hyun in a video released on Aug 9 while they were on the Chinese singing reality show Call Me By Fire.
He said then: "I couldn't speak. I felt that I was in an abyss and falling through it and couldn't hold on to anything. I told myself I couldn't die there because I was overseas and Ada was taking care of our three children. If I were to die suddenly, what would happen to her... I felt I would die if I closed my eyes."
After returning to Hong Kong, Max underwent tests and a CT scan, which found his coronary artery had been 80 per cent blocked and he had to get a stent implanted immediately.
He added to Seung-hyun that he is alright now, but the experience made him reflect on what is most important in his life right now, especially at his age.
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