Singapore - Tay Ying's been mistaken as her father's mistress.

MediaCorp actor Zheng Geping saw the need to clear the misunderstanding on Christmas day last year, after he was spotted with Tay Ying at a Christmas service.

He posted a photo of them on his Instagram account, with a caption which said: "Ha, there are some speculations she is my 'nen cao' (Chinese for tender grass), hello, once & for all... she is my daughter lah, my baobei (precious one)!!!"

Tender grass refers to the Chinese idiom, "old cow and tender grass", which refers to an older man being with a much younger woman.

But far from being embarrassed, Tay Ying is amused by the episode - although she still isn't sure what gave people the wrong idea. "Maybe it's because I'm quite tall, so we look like a couple?" says the svelte young woman, who stands at 1.71m.

For the record, her mother, Channel 8 actress Hong Huifang also found the clarification funny.

She is definitely a daddy's girl, adds Hong.

While Tay Ying has no diva-like child-to-the stars tendencies, Hong rues her daughter's attitude in the mornings.

"She usually has a hard time waking up in the morning, and I don't have the patience for that, but her dad is a whole different story.

"He will be at her bedside cooing 'darling, wake up', repeatedly in the gentlest of tones, until she gets up," says Hong in Mandarin.

Her look of mock incredulity does nothing to hide the pride this mother clearly feels about the close bond that father and daughter share.

Tay Ying isn't afraid to admit it: "My dad spoils me. He always spends on me. I think that on some level, I take it for granted. I'm quite blessed."

Although she says she has been running around her parents' studio sets since she was a toddler, she is unlikely to join showbiz.

"It's the question people love to ask me.

"But I've never had an interest in acting.

"I remember when I was four, my dad was set on fire for some performance - I think I was traumatised after that," she jokes.

Tay Ying, who has a brother five years her junior, attends Temasek Polytechnic, where she is pursuing a diploma in hospitality and tourism management.

Being the daughter of two artistes, she knows all about the sacrifices her parents have to make for the job.

"The biggest sacrifice is the time. They don't enjoy public holidays, and whenever they are called whenever they are needed," explains the fair-skinned beauty, who comes across as far more mature than her age.

Knowing the rules of celebrity, she is very careful about her behaviour in public.

"My parents have always allowed me to run free and wild, but I always watch my behaviour because I know they have a good reputation in this industry. What I'm like will reflect on them," she says.

In fact while Tay Ying says there are some spoilt brats in the community, in general, most celebrities children are great people. The bubbly teen is surprisingly, also a stickler for privacy.

"I keep all my social media accounts locked down, because I share pretty personal stuff on there - even if it's wishing my friends happy birthday, and so on.

"I also tell my parents not to tag me on Facebook. My mum did once, and the next day I had a ton of people adding me," she complains.

As a matter of habit, she doesn't tell people she has just met who her parents are.

"I want friends who are genuine, and not those who get close to me just because of who my parents are," she remarks.

But there are perks. Her mention of complimentary movie tickets sees her break into a wide grin.

The main one is having a group of bosom buddies to grow up with.

In fact, she counts the eldest child of actress Ivy Lee (checked), Mikki (checked), as one of her best friends.

"The family lives in Hong Kong now, but we have a special kind of telepathy. We may not see each other for six months, but when we finally do, I still feel excited and close to her.

Tay Ying, who is currently dating a schoolmate says her parents have a pretty liberal style of parenting.

"They're not the sort who demand that I score all As. In fact, they're always asking me not to push myself too hard and stress myself out," she says.

Her boyfriend even sees her dad as a role model.

"He's inspired to work out after seeing the kind of shape he's in. My dad looks amazing for his age. I try to be like him, but I can't. He's very particular about what he eats, and consumes most of his food without sauce or seasoning. I don't think I can do that. I love sushi buffets too much!"

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