On November 2, 'Baitou Baiwei', the same-sex partner of ancient-style singer Wu En, posted that the funeral home procedures had been completed and the cremation time scheduled. They added that they had not expected their own name to be the one left on Wu En's death certificate. The related topic reached number 2 on the Weibo trending list. Same-sex couples cannot register for marriage in mainland China.
On October 30, Cang Bai, the male partner of gay singer Wu En, posted to announce Wu En's passing, and the news topped the Weibo trending list. Wu En had been battling stomach cancer for nearly seven years, and the two had taken turns undergoing chemotherapy and caring for each other.
Bandao Morning Post modified its report on the death of Wu En multiple times: first writing "his partner Cang Bai," then changing it to "she," then to "their," and finally deleting the word "partner" entirely. After being questioned by netizens, the newspaper deleted the Weibo post.