Derek Chang, a Filial Son Who Donated His Liver to His Dad, Talks About Their Relationship

Taiwanese actor Derek Chang currently has a new show out titled Love Between Unlove 不愛，愛 where he plays a fu er dai named Liao Zhihao. As heir to the biggest pastry brand in China, Liao Zhihao faces a lot of pressure to ensure the family business continues to thrive. Then there’s also pressure from his cold and authoritative dad with whom he constantly butts heads with in the story. In real life, it turns out Derek just might have something in common with his character after all.

Derek Saying “I Love You” to His Dad

Whilst promoting the project, the 31-year-old candidly pointed out the similarities between his on-screen relationship with TV dad and his own dad in real life. He revealed that his own dad was also pretty reserved and conservative when it comes to expressing his feelings. Whether it’s the norm for most Asian dads or just the case with his own father, there’s always an “invisible barrier” between father and son. In fact, the actor said the first time he said “I love you” to his dad was just before they underwent surgery. Derek had donated his liver to his father ten years ago when he was 21. “Because I don’t know what’s gonna happen after that night, but faced with a life or death situation, I really wanted to say it” he shared.

Derek reveals his dad never says “I love you” to him, at least .. not verbally. Even when he sends him “I love you” text messages, his dad will read it but then he won’t ever respond. It seems even if hugging and saying “I love you” in person might not be the thing for their family, dad’s love language is to perform acts of service to show how much he cares.  Whenever Derek would come home late from work, his dad would ask him if he’s hungry and would even cook him a bowl of steaming hot noodles before going back to bed. “Our family doesn’t hug or say I love you in person, but we use actions to express our love and care for our family members.”

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