"Sister! Aaaah, brother Jiu broke my heart!" Zhou Qinian launched herself onto the sofa.
The impact jolted Zhou Xiangsi, who had been half-reclining there. She was used to her younger sister's dramatic flair. After all, with an eight-year age gap, she was practically half a mother to her. Calmly, she asked, "What happened?"
"I asked if brother Jiu could maybe sell me a ticket to the fan festival, and he said no!" Zhou Qinian wore a mournful expression. "Aaaah, I really want to go! Do you even know what it means to a Little Fruits fan? Refusing the Orange Festival is like dying of thirst in the desert and someone denying you an oasis! Or being in a bathroom without toilet paper! And worst of all, money can't even buy a spot!"
Thanks to her sister, she had barely managed to add her idol's contact. Afraid of disturbing him, she'd only dared to chat occasionally. To be honest, he was incredibly kind in private, but... the fan fest ticket was still a hard no.
Zhou Xiangsi blinked, surprised. "In that case, it means Xiao Jiu is a really good idol."
"Huh?" Zhou Qinian looked puzzled.
"It means he takes the fan festival seriously, as something truly shared with fans," Zhou Xiangsi explained. "Think about it. If the ticket drawing were unfair, how many would actually go to real fans?"
Zhou Qinian wasn't dumb, just too emotionally invested. Hearing this, she realized that Chu Zhi must genuinely care about the Orange Festival to stick to principle.
"Of course brother Jiu is amazing! No doubt about it! But for us Little Fruits, the Orange Festival is everything. A dream. A longing. Even when the forum people offer tens of thousands to buy a spot, it's non-transferable!" She sniffled. "I've got legendary bad luck. I'll never get drawn!"
"Wait, the other girls said if your account's completed and your stars are all lit, the chance of winning increases. I have to try harder!" Fired up, she dashed to the piano room to practice.
"Why is she like a husky?" Zhou Xiangsi muttered helplessly. Still, she was the older sister, so she called out, "Your idol's album drops at 2 p.m., don't lose track of time!"
"Got it, got it! I wouldn't forget even if I skipped lunch!"
From their names alone, you could tell their parents had a great relationship. Their mother was from Hunan, a classic Xiang girl, while their father hailed from Shandong. Hence, the names Zhou Qinian and Zhou Xiangsi.
What does it mean to have the attention span of a goldfish? Zhou Qinian had burst into her room to practice piano, but after just thirty minutes, her mind drifted. She had more important things to do—waiting for brother Jiu's new album to go live.
"If only there was a physical edition, I'd buy ten copies to collect."
"Free to stream too? Only our brother Jiu could pull that off."
Her vigilance paid off. As the clock struck two, the album dropped on all major platforms: NetEase Cloud, Tencent Music, Kugou—everywhere. Front-page banners dominated the screens.
["Chu Ci: Ode to the Orange" is here for you]
[Chu Zhi's New Release: The Founding Work of New China Style]
[If you've seen this, tap in]
And so on.
Meanwhile, on Weibo, a trending topic called #SoundsTerrible usually exploded whenever a popular idol dropped a song, tearing apart whatever was released that week.
This hashtag was the bane of every fandom. Laughing at other artists was fine, but once it hit your own bias, the tears came fast.
Surprisingly, Chu Zhi's album release dodged that bullet. Only a handful of stray posts mentioned it. Almost impossible. After all, nothing is universally loved—except maybe money.
Instead, three different hashtags climbed the hot list instantly:
#WhatAHeavenlyAlbum
#BestDropOfTheYear
#NewChinaStyleStandard
Not just on Weibo. WeChat Moments were flooded with praise.
"I already had high expectations for brother Jiu's album, but he still exceeded them. This man is scary talented."
"Rock, jazz, rap, pop, wuxia, Chinese traditional, theatrical—one album covered it all. I mean... who else can do this?"
"Ode to the Orange", hehe... it feels like he wrote it for us Little Fruits. It's got that calm, rainy-day vibe, like walking through alleys under dripping eaves. The sound echoes in your heart.
"Twelve tracks, all top quality. Sure, I'd heard a few before, but there were so many surprises too. I could loop several songs endlessly... although looping will still make you sick eventually."
The internet erupted in glowing praise, a tide more overwhelming than Zhang Xinzhe's "Sea of Love."
The album launch wasn't just a party for fans—it was a holiday for music critics too. No debate. This was a major event.
People might not like every new album, but Chu Zhi's? You had to listen.
And he was absolutely worth the hype.
It was like flags waving, gongs beating, fireworks popping. The only follow-up to last year's sensation had to be—"Chu Ci: Ode to the Orange".
Gu Duo Fu, Zuo Yang Fei Xing, and Zhang Mingyi were never going to miss it. All three loved different styles.
Zhang Mingyi took his time savoring the album. His favorite tracks were "Dreaming of Swords and Blades" and "The Unspoken Sutra."
He had already abandoned Wu Tang and was now a die-hard Chu Zhi stan.
Wu Tang: So love does fade, huh?
But honestly, praising Chu Zhi wasn't very satisfying—everyone was doing it. Wu Tang, at least, gave him material to debate.
"I'll show you all—no one praises Chu Zhi as professionally as I do!" Zhang Mingyi declared.
His fan column updated that same day with the title: "The Underrated Lyric Master"
[Chu Zhi showed his mastery over traditional instruments in "The Seventh Chapter of the Night" and "New Drunken Concubine." The clever use of hulusi, guzheng, and piano proves he's a true arrangement genius.
I used to think his strengths lay more in composing than lyric writing—not that his lyrics were weak, just that his arrangements stood out more. "Chrysanthemum Terrace" lyrics are unique, but the arrangements—chef's kiss.
Then I heard "The Unspoken Sutra" and "Dreaming of Swords and Blades." Both songs overflow with wuxia energy.
"Dreaming of Swords and Blades" has a brisk rhythm. Lines like "my sword," "my blade," "my drunkenness," "my awakening"—they read like scenes from a martial arts novel, or movie. Vivid. Immersive.
The song captures an overwhelming, unstoppable spirit—a return to the martial world.
On the other hand, "The Unspoken Sutra" is the lyrical peak of wuxia music. The lyrics feel like chanting a Buddhist scripture. Dense yet melodic, creating a meditative, spiritual aura.
Unlike the hot-blooded energy of "Blades," this one dives into fate and karma.
Jianghu means fighting, but also desire, chaos, and power.
🎵"Entangled by greed, anger, joy, hatred.
Blame ourselves for chasing fame and favor.
Blame the beauty of the mortal world."🎵
🎵"Reluctant to part with a dazzling world.
Trapped in infatuation's comfort.
Seeking beauty, but nothing compares."🎵
These lyrics capture the randomness of fate and the essence of wuxia. I could never write this in fifty years.
Genius is two more strokes than ordinary. And those two strokes? Most of us will never reach them.
Also, I was shocked by how good Chu Zhi's Cantonese was. My wife's from Guangdong, and she confirmed—no flaws.]
Unlike Zhang Mingyi, Zuo Yang Fei Xing loved innovation. He was obsessed with "The Seventh Chapter of the Night," and also a fan of "New Drunken Concubine" and "Dreaming Back to the Tang Dynasty."
But since those had already been dissected in his earlier music columns, for clicks, he turned to analyze "Far Away" and "Chrysanthemum Terrace"—two staples of the New China Style.
Zuo's latest feature? "The Father of New China Style: How to Compose in This Genre"
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"难念的经" (Nán Niàn De Jīng) - "The Unspoken Sutra"
Original Artist: 周华健 (Zhou Huajian) - Emil Chau
"刀剑如梦" (Dāo Jiàn Rú Mèng) - "Dreaming of Swords and Blades"
Original Artist: 周华健 (Zhou Huajian) - Emil Chau
"夜的第七章" (Yè De Dì Qī Zhāng) - "The Seventh Chapter of the Night"
Original Artist: 周杰伦 (Jay Chou)
"新贵妃醉酒" (Xīn Guìfēi Zuì Jiǔ) - "New Drunken Concubine"
Original Artist: 李玉刚 (Li Yugang)
"梦回唐朝" (Mèng Huí Táng Cháo) - "Dreaming Back to the Tang Dynasty"
Original Artist: 唐朝乐队 (Tang Dynasty Band)
"千里之外" (Qian Li Zhi Wai) - "Far Away"
Original Artist: 周杰伦 (Jay Chou) & 费玉清 (Fei Yu-ching)
"菊花台" (Jú Huā Tái) - "Chrysanthemum Terrace"
Original Artist: 周杰伦 (Jay Chou)