On the eastern edge of New York City lies the affluent, picturesque, and serene town of Douglaston—a community historically home to American elites, including families behind Universal Studios and the Rockefellers. In a memoir by a twenty-year resident, an unexpected revelation stands out: he was once neighbors with famed Chinese-American film star Liu Yifei. Accounts of her and her mother have made the book particularly popular among Chinese readers in North America.在紐約市東側，坐落著富裕而寧靜的道格拉斯頓小鎮——這裡風景如畫，曾是環球影業創始家族、洛克菲勒家族等美國精英的居所。一位在此居住二十年的居民在回憶錄中意外透露：他竟與華裔影星劉亦菲曾是鄰居。這段關於她與母親的記載，讓此書在北美華人讀者中迅速走紅。The writer notes that Liu and her mother lived in Douglaston; their home was near his. He regularly saw them at the bus stop, out shopping, or dining locally. He specifically compliments their "breathtaking" beauty in the book, noting it was appreciated across cultural lines by Americans and immigrants alike. That said, he mentions they were often reserved with neighbors, rarely offering greetings—possibly, he suggests, due to cultural differences.作者提到，劉亦菲和母親當時就住在道格拉斯頓，與他家相距不遠。他常常在公車站、商店或本地餐館遇見母女二人。書中特別稱讚她們“美得令人窒息”，且這種美跨越了文化界限，受到美國當地人和外來移民的一致欣賞。不過他也寫道，母女二人似乎較為內向，很少主動與鄰居打招呼——他推測，這或許是文化差異所致。He also recalls that Liu lived at the time with her mother and stepfather in a fine all-brick white house. Her stepfather, a well-known Chinese-American lawyer and a friend of the author, is described as a handsome, kind, and diligent man who built a successful practice from the ground up after immigrating, becoming a clear standout in New York's Chinese professional community.書中還回憶，劉亦菲當時與她的母親和繼父同住在一幢雅緻的全磚白房子裡。她的繼父是當地一位知名的華裔律師，也是作者的朋友。他形容這位繼父英俊溫和、勤奮努力，移民美國後白手起家經營起成功的事業，成為紐約華人圈中的佼佼者。The book also tells of a teenager named Johnson who was friendly with Liu Yifei. They were neighbors and classmates, traveling to school together daily. A strong student, Johnson sometimes helped tutor Liu. He was later admitted to Harvard and became a lawyer. Years after, when the author met him and asked if he remembered Liu Yifei, Johnson “smiled thoughtfully.” The author muses on the unpredictability of life, how the quiet girl next door grew into an international celebrity.書中還提到一個叫Johnson的少年，與劉亦菲關係很好。兩人既是鄰居又是同班同學，每天一起上下學。成績優異的Johnson有時會輔導劉亦菲功課。他後來考入哈佛大學，成為律師。多年後作者見到Johnson，問起是否還記得劉亦菲，他“若有所思地笑了笑”。作者不禁感慨人生的奇妙：當年那個安靜的黑髮女孩，竟成了國際巨星。Public records indicate Liu Yifei was born An Feng on August 25, 1987, in Wuhan, China. After her parents divorced, she took her mother Liu Xiaoli’s surname. They moved to the U.S. in 1997, and she became a U.S. citizen. Completing high school, she entered Beijing Film Academy in 2002 as an international student. She then launched a successful acting career in China, eventually gaining recognition in Hollywood.公開資料顯示，劉亦菲原名安風，1987年8月25日生於中國武漢。父母離異後她隨母親劉曉莉改姓劉。1997年母女移居美國，她隨後加入美籍。她讀完高中後，她於2002年以留學生身份考入北京電影學院，之後在中國開啟演藝事業，並逐漸獲得好萊塢的矚目。 (英語學習資源中心)