Ye Ke Turns Viral “Cake Meme” Into Comeback After Shanghai Diner Confrontation】

The “cake meme,” known in Chinese as the “蛋糕梗” (dàn​gāo gēng), emerged earlier this year as a shorthand for mocking Ye’s past controversies and perceived softness. Netizens would repeatedly tweet phrases such as “要吃蛋糕了” (“time to eat cake”) or reference “微do” (“micro‑adjustments”) as a way to pepper comments about the actress with a seemingly harmless but steadily irritating punchline. The meme was largely a form of online bullying, and at its height Ye retreated from the public eye, citing the relentless harassment as a factor in her temporary withdrawal from livestreams and television projects.

The turning point came in the early hours of 2 a.m. on 4 March 2024. According to the video, Ye was sitting with friends at a modest diner when two teenage girls at a neighboring table recognized her. The girls began to loudly repeat the familiar cake‑related catchphrases, loudly proclaiming “要吃蛋糕了” and mocking Ye’s “软绵绵” (soft) demeanor while gesturing at her. As the taunts grew louder, Ye allegedly paused her meal, turned sharply, and fixed the girls with a sudden, hard stare. In the clip, the girls appear startled, and Ye later described the moment as deliberately “pretending to be a villain” in order to defuse the tension.

What could have been another moment of humiliation instead became a catalyst for a wave of support. Within hours, dozens of Weibo users posted comments that lauded the actress for taking control of the narrative. One user wrote, “叶珂直播再现蛋糕梗！自己玩自己的梗，想咋玩就咋玩,” which translates to, “Ye Ke re‑enacts the cake meme on her livestream! She’s playing with her own meme however she wants.” The sentiment implied a shift from victimhood to agency: Ye was no longer the passive target of a meme, but its author.

Another wave of comments highlighted her mental fortitude. A user posted, “挺欣赏她的，面对网暴还能保持温柔从容，内心真够强大的。那些说她坏话的人估计生活挺不如意的,” meaning, “I really admire her; even in the face of cyber‑bullying she remains gentle and calm. Her inner strength is truly powerful. Those who speak ill of her probably have unsatisfactory lives.” The phrase “逆袭” – a colloquial term meaning a comeback or reversal of fortune – peppered many posts, with one user noting, “我觉得有必要夸一夸叶珂的心理素质真的很强大，被全网玩梗退网现在复出口碑就逆袭了,” or “I think it’s necessary to praise Ye Ke’s immense psychological resilience. After being trolled by the whole internet to the point of leaving, she’s now made a comeback and turned her reputation around.”

The public’s newfound admiration did not stop at the meme itself. Some netizens reminded the community of earlier hardships Ye had endured, including alleged betrayals by friends during a low point in her career. Others drew parallels with other personalities who have been linked to the moniker “绿大暗” (Lu Da An), a nickname that seems to carry its own baggage of public scrutiny. While these tangential discussions add layers to Ye’s personal narrative, they underscore a broader sentiment: the audience is now rallying behind a figure they perceive as having weathered undue criticism with grace.

Crucially, the incident also illustrates how social media can reshape a narrative in real time. Within a day of the video’s circulation, Ye herself took to her own livestream to address the episode, openly acknowledging the meme and jokingly offering a slice of cake to her “haters.” By playing along, she turned a source of derision into a point of connection with her followers, further cementing the perception that she had reclaimed agency over her public image.

Despite the buzz, attempts to locate the phrase “叶珂被当面玩蛋糕梗” (literally, “Ye Ke got the cake meme played on her face”) in broader databases or news archives reveal that the incident remains a niche event, largely confined to the Weibo ecosystem. Searches return only fragmented references, dictionary entries, or unrelated content, suggesting that while the meme has resonated strongly within its cultural sphere, it has yet to spill over into wider industry, societal, or political discourse.

Nevertheless, the episode offers a vivid case study of how online harassment can evolve when the target confronts it directly. Ye’s reaction – a blend of theatrical intimidation and self‑deprecating humor – appears to have reframed the meme from a weapon of ridicule into a tool for personal branding. In a digital age where viral jokes can quickly become career‑threatening, her ability to pivot the narrative may serve as a template for other public figures navigating the precarious terrain of internet fame.

As the story continues to circulate, the dominant narrative on Chinese social media is one of empathy and respect for Ye Ke’s resilience. Whether this goodwill translates into lasting career benefits remains to be seen, but for now, the “cake meme” has been turned from a source of mockery into a modest, if symbolic, slice of redemption.