She was little more than an attractive girl before 2005, a silent shadow in a crowd of countless wannabes attending film schools and music conservatories.

Like them, she dreamed of becoming the next big thing. However, that year was a turning point for the pop hopeful and her dream quickly became a reality. Ye Yiqian became known nationwide as "the most beautiful Super Girl".

Ye won seventh place in the 2005 Super Girl competition, one of China's most popular talent shows at the time.

While the contest occurs every year, the 2005 competition drew massive crowds - reportedly of 400 million viewers - that indicated a particularly high level of talent.

In 2007, Ye became the envy of many young girls once again. This was the year she married Tian Liang, the former Olympic diving champion and known as the country's "Diving Prince". Ye's description was less profound but certainly more accurate, calling him "a handsome good guy with both money and talent".

However, some members of the public were not optimistic about the marriage. Rumors about their relationship are being constantly spread but Ye said they also have their advantages.

"From the viewpoint of maintaining our marriage, rumors relieve me of the need to supervise Tian Liang. He has to behave, even when I'm not around, because everyone is watching him for me," she said.

Now, three years into their marriage and as the mother of a 2-year-old daughter, Ye has rebuilt her public persona. This time she calls herself a "love expert", armed with her latest release, a book called Hooking the Fish of Happiness that helps women catch their ideal man.

"Finding Mr Right is the most important move for a girl," she said.

Ye recalled that as a child she planned to marry only after she hit 30 years of age, in order to enable enough time to develop a healthy career.

She said if Tian had not come into her life, her name might have appeared alongside those of her former Super Girl competitors who have carved out significant singing success since.

Jane Zhang ( Zhang Liangying), the third-place winner of the 2005 Super Girl competition, became the first Chinese singer to walk the red carpet at the Grammy's.

"I call her 'International Zhang'," Ye said. "I am proud she can pursue the goal I have long given up."

Ye said different people have different goals. For many, this is to meet someone they can share happiness with.

"Everyone is destined to meet his or her own prince or princess," she said. "However, most people only realize who that is after they have missed their chance."

Regret was not an issue for Ye. She immediately took the chance to marry her Mr Right and she did it with a mature outlook.

"When you utter the words 'I will', it is yourself rather than your partner that you vow to believe in," she said.

As a child of the 1980s, Ye said she is open-minded and not against the concept of unmarried partners living together. However, her husband said it was not necessary for them.

"When you meet the right person, you will naturally want to marry him or her," wrote Tian in the preface of Ye's book. "As a man, the best way to protect your love is by offering marriage."

But that doesn't mean jumping ahead for the sake of security. Ye's advice is to get married when a relationship reaches the two-year mark, since this is when "both stimulation and mutual understanding have been acquired".

"Passion always fades in a relationship, so that little piece of paper can help with self-control," she said.

China Daily

(China Daily 09/29/2010)