News from the Straits Daily, along with Chu Zhi's bold move in Singapore , quickly spread across Asia through AsiaOne and other major media outlets. It didn't take long for Chinese platforms to pick up and re-share the reports.
For most celebrities, being featured in foreign mainstream media would feel like a festival. Fans would celebrate like it was New Year's, jumping with joy.
But for Chu Zhi, that kind of coverage was almost mundane. Out of the twelve months in a year, at least seven or eight of them saw him mentioned in overseas headlines. There was nothing worth boasting about anymore.
The reactions from the Little Fruits in Orange Grove were fascinating. You could see it all play out clearly in the Orange Home discussion forums:
"Singing for Jiu-yé? Aaaah! These wicked outsiders beat me to fulfilling my dream!"
"Blocking someone at a hotel entrance? That's private-stalker behavior. I'm not jealous. Not jealous at all. Not even a little. Mom, let go of my hand. I only brought the scissors to trim my bangs."
"Xiao Jiu's voice is so warm. His smile is warm. Even his songs feel warm. Seeing Xiao Jiu is like standing in sunlight. The sun is shining bright, and I didn't bring an umbrella."
"Wouldn't you get sunburned without one? Babe, you still need a parasol when you go out."
"What's wrong with you upstairs? Are you allergic to romance? But seriously, seeing the news... I'm so jealous I can't even look in the mirror. Thank god I won a spot for Fan Festival, or I would've burst into tears."
...
After returning from Singapore, Chu Zhi landed at the airport at 2 a.m. He had one full day to rest. That afternoon, he made plans to play a match with Zhou Yiyu.
Work-life balance mattered. He couldn't let himself get too worn out.
Ever since Zhou Yiyu scored the song I Want to Embrace You in This Ordinary Life during a casual match with Chu Zhi, many others had been lining up for their chance at a training session.
If Zhou Yiyu hadn't been so skilled, he might not have held his spot for long.
"Those seductive little devils."
After one match, both were dripping with sweat.
Taking a break on the bench, Chu Zhi and Zhou Yiyu stuck to their usual routine of playing two games. They hadn't hit the court in over two months. Chu Zhi's muscle memory had dulled, and his stamina wasn't what it used to be. Even a short session left him breathing hard.
"Yiyu, you seem pretty happy today. Something good happen?" Chu Zhi asked.
"I'm just glad to see brother Jiu in good health," Zhou Yiyu replied. "You really should exercise more."
"I will," Chu Zhi nodded.
Zhou Yiyu added, "And also... my agency finally approved my request to pursue acting."
"Acting, huh."
"Brother Jiu, your When I Close My Eyes is famous across Asia. Do you have any secret tricks? Maybe some advice for a beginner like me?" Zhou Yiyu asked suddenly.
"Hahaha, I'm not some acting genius. I'm just a newcomer too," Chu Zhi said with a smile. "If I had to give one piece of advice... master the basics. Try to do everything yourself. Unless it's dangerous, avoid using a stunt double."
Zhou Yiyu nodded seriously.
"Alright then. Let's get to round two," Chu Zhi stood and readied himself for the next match.
Including the cool-down, shower, and change afterward, their badminton session lasted just over an hour.
After the workout, Chu Zhi treated Zhou Yiyu to a simple meal before heading home.
Once home, he casually started drafting a new project.
[Album Concept: Little Fruits Are Sweet]
Theme: The world is bitter, but Little Fruits are sweet.
Tracklist:
你是我一生中最大的骄傲 (You Are the Pride of My Life)
掌声响起来 (Let the Applause Ring Out)
光荣 (Glory)
天使 (Angel)
给所有知道我名字的人 (To Everyone Who Knows My Name)
奉陪到底 (With You Till the End)
我们的歌 (Our Song)
夜空中最亮的星 (The Brightest Star in the Night Sky)
最美的太阳 (The Most Beautiful Sun)
因你而在 (Here Because of You)
谢谢你 (Thank You)
International Tracks:
my.all (My Everything)
星风花太阳 (Star, Wind, Flower, Sun)
Звезда (Star)
MV Production Plan...
"Fifteen tracks in total. Should bring some much-needed life into our struggling entertainment scene. Domestic stars, brace yourselves. I'm back," Chu Zhi muttered with satisfaction.
He had just finished scavenging through the system's archives to build the perfect playlist for his fans.
Japanese, Russian, Korean—based on his current popularity, he could release the album simultaneously across all of Asia.
He had already proven himself in the Japanese and Korean markets. The distribution channels were solid. Russia was a bit trickier.
"But I can't release it overseas first. Domestic platforms offer free streaming, while foreign ones require purchase. I can't let the Little Fruits at home get the music later than everyone else," Chu Zhi reasoned.
After more than an hour, he finalized the plan, including the album cover and the overall theme.
He was considering using the upcoming Fan Festival in two weeks as the centerpiece of the MV. Of course, when it came to publicity, Chu Zhi would leave that to the professionals.
Still early in the evening, he shifted focus to New Game Recordings.
No matter how they packaged it, he wasn't going to participate in that variety show. He recalled how Mango TV had gone through over a dozen negotiation rounds and spent quite a bit just trying to invite him.
Whatever their motive, Chu Zhi had no interest in helping that kind of production make money. The arrogance of some so-called stars was revolting.
At its core, it was a matter of identity. As the Emperor Beast... he needed to find a way to balance both integrity and image.
Meanwhile, his trip to Singapore continued to spark ripple effects.
Remember how in the past people jokingly used Chinese phonetics to mark English words? Like bus became "爸死" (bà sǐ, "dad dies"), Mars became "妈死" (mā sǐ, "mom dies"), or school as "死光" (sǐ guāng, "everyone dies").
Now, many Singaporeans had flipped the trend. They used English phonetics to label Chinese lyrics. For example, Shui Jingya's performance at the Marina Bay Sands relied entirely on English approximations to sing an entire Chinese song.
Shui Jingya opened her WeChat group chat titled "Learning Chinese for Jiu," a group formed for all kinds of reasons but united by one—Chu Zhi. Whether to understand his lyrics better or to learn more about his country, over 300 members had joined.
Shi Le Bu Shi Li: [Jingya, I can't believe you did it!]Then came a flood of reaction memes—
(twisted_face.JPG)(envy.JPG)(babble.JPG)(dark_crawling.JPG)(meaningless_screaming.JPG)(losing_control.JPG)(chaos.JPG)(tentacle_reach.JPG)(smash_screen.JPG)(wail.JPG)
All of them were meme-cats. For instance, dark_crawling.JPG was just a wriggling cat caterpillar.
Human nature is repetition. Even those who didn't understand the memes joined in. Most of the group communicated in English. Shi Le Bu Shi Li, a Chinese international student, acted as the group's unofficial Chinese tutor.
Shui Jingya: [I made myself cry singing. The Most Beautiful Sun is the perfect song for fans to sing to Jiu.]
Her proud tone lit a fire under the group. Many members had been halfhearted about learning. Compared to English, Chinese was much harder to start from scratch. But singing for their idol? That was an irresistible motivation.
"I'm going to learn Chinese."
"I want Chinese as my second language."
"If I miss this chance, who knows when the next one will come? But opportunities belong to those who are prepared. Time to study seriously."
"I wanted to learn French. It's supposed to be the language of love. But after discovering Jiu, I realized Chinese is the most romantic language."
One message after another. Through Chu Zhi, the influence of a true superstar had already begun reshaping cultural perceptions.
===
最美的太阳 (The Most Beautiful Sun)
Original: Zhang Jie (张杰)
Zuì měi de tàiyáng
English Translation: The Most Beautiful Sun
夜空中最亮的星 (The Brightest Star in the Night Sky)
Original: Escape Plan (逃跑计划)
Yè kōng zhōng zuì liàng de xīng
my.all
Original: Hikaru Utada (宇多田ヒカル)
Language: Japanese
Translation: My Everything
Звезда
Original: Dima Bilan (Дима Билан)
Language: Russian
Translation: Star