Hong Kong actor Ai Wai has opened up about the emotional turmoil he’s been experiencing since losing his wife Lisa Chan to liver disease on May 18. She was 61.

In an interview with East Week magazine, Ai Wai, 66, revealed that his emotions have been unstable in the aftermath of Chan’s death.

“After Lisa passed away, I didn’t know how to face it at first. I thought time would heal everything, but the emotions still hit me out of nowhere,” he said.

The actor shared that he managed to hold himself together during Chan’s funeral at the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom on June 15.

However, he broke down in tears when the production team behind the 2022 reality programme See You Again 2 brought the couple’s handwritten journals from the show to be laid to rest alongside Chan.

The aforementioned show held deep significance for the couple, as it was where they reconciled after separating in 2020. They had been married since 2002.

“The more you love someone, the more painful life becomes (without them). That pain doesn’t just fade away,” added the former TVB star.

Despite the pain, Ai Wai knew he had to keep moving forward and channel his grief into strength.

He believes that Chan hasn’t truly left him, saying: “I feel like she’s still here. Just like in the movies, she’ll stay by my side for a while until she’s ready to move on to another realm. Thinking of it that way brings me comfort.”

The actor also added that he still “hears” her voice when making simple decisions in his daily life.

“I woke up one morning and was torn between going out for dim sum or staying home for oatmeal. I heard Lisa’s voice and just knew she would tell me to go with the oatmeal. She still talks to me in my heart and gives me advice,” he said.