"Guys, guys, I've got some big news!" An Jiu opened her livestream.
She wasn't a major streamer, and since she hadn't announced it in advance, her stream started off practically empty.
Silence wrapped around the streets of Saint Petersburg that night. No summer insects, no flutes of understanding.
When would she finally hit that point where her stream would explode the moment she went live? Still far away, An Jiu sighed. She comforted herself—it's not like she planned to pursue streaming after graduation. Best to stay chill.
She switched to her fan group, a full thousand-member chat called "An Jiu's Secret Cottage." Supposedly a fan group, it had somehow turned into a support network for Chinese students in Saint Petersburg—house swaps, job searches, Alipay-to-ruble exchanges, you name it.
"@everyone, I'm live, come watch!" An Jiu posted the link like a seasoned veteran. Most people were too lazy to search on Bilibili themselves. Having a clickable link was just easier.
Foolproof tech at its finest.
Five minutes in, a few dozen viewers trickled into her stream. The barrage of comments lit up—mostly asking about the opera exhibition and impressions from the Philharmonic Hall.
"Guys, take a wild guess who I just saw at the music hall," An Jiu teased the camera.
She had already asked Jiuye for permission to talk about it. He told her the Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum appearance didn't need to be kept under wraps. After all, iQIYI would be promoting it anyway.
[Who? Lao Qi?]
[This comment is about to make me inherit someone's Ant Forest.]
[Lao Qi, Lao Qi, LOL]
[An An, do you know that leaving a story half-finished brings eternal bad luck?]
"Lao Qi" was a wildly popular Douyin creator, known even to people who didn't watch short videos. Famous for challenging three burly Russians to a vodka showdown, the hilarious before-and-after contrast made his video go viral as the "Bible of Quitting Alcohol."
"Not Lao Qi! Be serious, we're all refined artistic folks here," An Jiu corrected with a grin. "I saw Jiuge."
She wasn't bluffing. From her bag, she pulled out Chu Zhi's autograph from earlier.
That signature wasn't easy to get. She didn't usually carry paper and pen, and just as she was scrambling to find something—or have him sign her clothes with eyeliner—he magically pulled out a notebook and pen.
She held the torn notebook page to the camera, letting the jagged edge show clearly, not to mention the neat handwriting:
If you don't like, comment, and subscribe when watching videos, it's like drinking water without pouring it first.
Wishing Bilibili uploader An Jiu a future spot in the Top 100.
—Chu Zhi
"Ta-da! Jiuye's genuine autograph! With this blessing from Jiuye, I'm definitely gonna break into the Top 100 uploaders," An Jiu beamed.
The quiet chat exploded:
[Don't joke around, not with Jiuye!]
[You saw him at the music hall?]
[Was Jiuye there to watch too?]
[So going to a forum has benefits like this?]
[I regret everything—I skipped it thinking it'd be boring, now I want to go just to run into Chu Zhi!]
The claim that the Little Fruits fanbase had the widest reach in the entertainment world? This was proof. With fewer than 100 viewers, her chat had dozens of confirmed fans. Even fellow Chinese students in Russia were expressing regret.
"Watch? Jiuye was one of the performers," An Jiu clarified. "I think it was arranged through iQIYI's Journey Among the Stars variety show."
Viewers were stunned. Most had no idea what kind of event the Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum even was. A quick online search showed it was definitely not the kind of place you'd expect pop stars to show up.
[Little Nine is incredible.]
[He's unbeatable, seriously.]
[From being part of a Ministry of Culture delegation to now performing at an international forum—who else but Jiuye?]
[Chu Zhi is a treasure of a star, the ideal idol.]
True fans never question whether their idol deserves the opportunity. They question whether the opportunity is worthy of their idol.
Otherwise, how do terrible actors in garbage shows end up with rabid fanbases?
Fans were bursting with pride. Only outsiders thought it was an awkward fit.
Mu Moyuan: "Isn't the cultural forum not meant for pop music? Is there a livestream somewhere?"
Ba Wazi: "How did Chu Zhi perform? Was it all good?"
Those two had donated before asking, so their questions stood out.
How was his performance? Opera 2 was the best of the night! It hit the same emotional note as that time I wanted to give up on life... An Jiu replied, "There was no issue at all. I'll let you in on a secret—Jiuye sang jazz. Pretty amazing."
"Jiuye said it'll be broadcast on Journey Among the Stars," she added.
Having watched three operas in one night, An Jiu had plenty to say. She spent the next hour and a half sharing her thoughts with her viewers.
After streaming for nearly 90 minutes, she signed off. As a Bilibili uploader with two updates per week, short videos were still the main content. But she had a special skill—she could edit the stream into a watermarked short, calling it a day's update.
Double win. An Jiu felt like she'd hit the jackpot today.
At the same time, her top gifter—technically her top sugar mommy—Yun Yong, a Little Fruits fan with a vine-pattern ID, was watching the stream and couldn't believe her luck hearing news of her idol.
She dashed off to post online:
Yun Yong: [@Journey Among the Stars_Official_@iQIYI_ I heard Jiuye was sent to the Russian cultural forum?]
Originally, the post didn't get much attention. After all, Yun Yong had only a hundred followers.
Then, the official Journey Among the Stars account reposted it and responded:
@Journey Among the Stars_Official: [#ChuZhiAtTheSaintPetersburgCulturalForum# Starting with Episode 6, we arrive in the world's cultural capital, Saint Petersburg. Journey Among the Stars has partnered with Russian broadcaster THT to co-produce an amazing show. @EatingABigOrange_ was invited to the forum due to his performance on the show. Stay tuned! #StarVoyageEp6#]
Never missing a chance to promote, iQIYI's marketing team kept the wording ambiguous, implying that the invitation came thanks to the show.
The buzz soared. With Chu Zhi's massive popularity, even the slightest rumor turned into a wildfire.
Fans cheered, casual viewers chimed in, and by afternoon the Chinese internet was ablaze:
"This kind of event seems... kind of inappropriate for Chu Zhi?"
"Actually, if he's going to learn and grow, I support it. He's the future of Chinese music."
"Can someone check the overseas news? I hope this isn't just a marketing stunt from iQIYI."
"Maybe he has no real rivals among young singers at home? But Chu Zhi's team feels directionless. First it was promoting Peking Opera roles, now it's cultural forums? That's the wrong way to climb."
These comments showed that while Chu Zhi had strong public support, many still questioned iQIYI's intentions.
But the Little Fruits were not idle. They quickly climbed over the Great Firewall, found relevant foreign news, translated it, and brought it back.
Newspapers wouldn't print it until the morning or late afternoon. For fast updates, you had to rely on news agencies. TASS, Russia's main agency, had already published a piece, which the ever-resourceful fans translated:
[Moscow Time, November 12]
Russian Ministry of Culture Chief Executive, Director of International Cultural Cooperation, Ilya Sidogalos, stated on Wednesday that the Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum featured art, opera, literature, film, and vocal performances.
"Russian culture holds immense significance in global history. Cultural exchange is far more peaceful than the exchange of bullets," Sidogalos said in a radio interview with Govorit.
He praised the artists, saying they showcased the beauty of art: "Chinese artists Zhao Mixuan, Li Weiwen, Chu Zhi, Qiu Gan, Dang Kai; French artists Britton Leipzig, Rajifu Jesse, Mikaz Amel... all delivered exceptional works."
Thirty-seven names were listed. With over 40,000 guests attending, it was a short list. Some agencies had already broken the news the night before.
Unlike newspapers, agencies are the source of news. A good agency produces thousands of pieces a day for outlets worldwide. They don't embellish. If they do, well, that's more of a Reuters move. Or Reuters. Definitely Reuters.
Zhao Mixuan was a Berlin Literature Prize winner. Qiu Gan was a veteran director known at the Moscow Film Festival. All the named Huaxia guests were highly respected.
Middle-aged artists like Ma Ban'an, and even other 30-something professionals from various countries, didn't get a mention.
Chu Zhi—by age and by status—felt like a husky who had somehow snuck into a pack of wolves.
"Was the translation of the agency screenshot wrong? Did fans add Chu Zhi's name themselves?"
"Wrong? Look at the original. It clearly says [zhi·chu]. Not fan-made. If you're skeptical, just check the TASS official site—it's easy to find."
"I study Russian. Yes, it really says Jiuge's name."
"What?! He didn't just sneak in—he gave a performance? This is insane!"
"Now I really can't wait for the next episode of Journey Among the Stars. I don't usually watch variety shows, but I need to hear what he sang."
As discussion ramped up, excitement for Journey Among the Stars skyrocketed. iQIYI was thrilled—this was a massive publicity boost.
#ChuZhiAtTheSaintPetersburgCulturalForum# [New]
#Double11SalesRecord# [Hot]
#Lin XiaConcert# [Trending]
#Journey Among the StarsEpisode6# [New]
#ChuZhiNeverMediocre# [New]
Poor Lin Xia, whose concert had finally hit number one after tons of effort from fans and their agency... only to be knocked down to third. The difference in fan power was stark.