Lau and Chu fly in as rumours swirl

Andy Lau Tak-wah's 24-year, under-the-radar relationship with Malaysian-Chinese Carol Chu has finally surfaced.

Lau, 47, and Chu, 43 (below left and right), made a high-profile appearance at Hong Kong International Airport on Tuesday evening, hand in hand in matching outfits - a plain white top and a pair of blue jeans - both wearing masks.

The couple were returning from Malaysia, where they had attended the funeral of Chu's father, who passed away the previous Tuesday, a day after a big Hong Kong fund-raising show for the Taiwan flood victims in which Lau was involved. It was reported that on hearing the news, Lau immediately flew by private jet to Malaysia to join Chu at her Kuala Lumpur home.

Local media reported this week that an 11-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy who looked like Lau and Chu were seen at Chu's father's funeral, leading to speculation that they were the couple's children. At the airport, Lau was asked if they were their children, but the star merely replied: 'You can speculate about anything you like. I have nothing to say.'

He said he wanted only to take Chu home to let her rest.

It is a Chinese custom that when a parent dies, their children should not wed for at least three years unless the wedding is held within 100 days of the parent's death.