Even during the darkest days when the entire internet turned against him, some fans remained unwavering in their support. Ai Yu was one of them. That might not sound important on the surface.
But only after reading through Ai Yu's Weibo posts could one truly grasp what kind of courage and conviction it took to speak out when tens of millions believed the opposite.
After August, when "Hating Chu Zhi" became the internet's default, every time Ai Yu tried to speak up, she'd be hit with replies like "brainless," "delusional stan," "still defending him after all this?" or "pathetic, stanning rots your brain."
Sometimes she'd calmly explain. Sometimes she'd get into heated arguments. On the internet, she was a seasoned brawler—usually winning.
"Isn't the survival rate for chemotherapy pretty high?" Chu Zhi didn't quite know what to ask. After a long pause, that was all he could manage.
Then another thought surfaced. "Is it because there's no bone marrow match? We might be able to help with that."
Niu Jiangxue sighed but didn't reply directly. And sometimes, silence is already an answer.
"What's Ai Yu's wish?" Chu Zhi asked.
"To have a meal with her idol," Niu Jiangxue said softly.
A set of Mulan's moves couldn't silence Chu Zhi, but this simple wish made him go quiet. He didn't know what he was feeling. Maybe it was sorrow over how someone who was dying still asked for so little. Maybe it was regret that a fan who had supported him from the beginning might not make it to the end. He couldn't put it into words.
"Will the hospital even allow something like that?"
"We'll try to negotiate with them," Niu Jiangxue promised.
"Push back everything that can be delayed tonight," Chu Zhi said. "And if something can't be delayed, I'll call and apologize myself."
Niu Jiangxue nodded firmly.
Wang Yuan wanted to say something but swallowed it back.
The nanny van sped toward the airport. Chu Zhi boarded a flight to Shimen, accompanied by Wang Yuan and Xiaozhu—not for work, just to be there. Niu Jiangxue didn't come, and Lao Qian couldn't handle scenes of life and death, even if it was a stranger, so he didn't come either.
At 5:00 p.m., they arrived at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University.
Chu Zhi went straight to the attending doctor to understand the situation. After her previous round of chemo, Ai Yu developed ascites and constipation. As treatment progressed, her stomach function declined, and complications from enteritis worsened. There was a bone marrow match available, but for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chemotherapy was needed first. And Ai Yu's chances of surviving the sixth round of chemo were very low.
But if they didn't proceed...
"Dr. Liang, is there really no other option?" Chu Zhi asked. "Couldn't we spend more to hire a top specialist, import some advanced medication?"
Realizing how that might sound, he added quickly, "I'm not doubting your hospital's medical standards or the domestic system at all. I just want to know—truthfully—is there any hope left?"
"I understand," Dr. Liang replied without a hint of offense. "On a global scale, our medical system isn't even in the top five, but to be honest, even internationally, there's no better treatment for this condition."
Chu Zhi had expected the answer. Still, hearing it spoken aloud made the helplessness hit harder.
"Excuse me, are you her...?" Dr. Liang glanced at the man in a mask and cap, clearly not from the same socioeconomic background as Ai Yu's family.
After a pause, Chu Zhi replied, "She's my fan."
A fan? Dr. Liang was puzzled. He'd seen celebrities visit fans in hospitals before, but always with cameras in tow. This guy came alone, quiet and humble.
"If possible, Mr. Chu, I think it would really help if you encouraged her. Patients with a strong will to live can sometimes create miracles," the doctor said.
That sparked a vague idea in Chu Zhi's mind.
"Thank you, Dr. Liang. I'll go see her now."
Chu Zhi asked Xiaozhu and Wang Yuan to wait outside. Too many strangers could overwhelm a patient.
In the hallway, under the introduction of Director Zong from the charity foundation, Chu Zhi met Ai Yu's mother—a slim woman in her fifties, worn and pale, but her hair was neatly tied.
Ai Yu had grown up in a single-parent household. Her mother raised her from the age of eight. Ai Yu had done well for herself, earning admission to a prestigious 985 university, landing a job right after graduation. Things were just starting to look up... until this.
"Zhang-jie, this is one of the foundation's major donors—Chu Zhi," Director Zong said.
Ai Yu's mother thanked him repeatedly. The foundation had given them a chance to keep going.
Then she looked closely at Chu Zhi. "Are you the celebrity... Chu Zhi?"
"Yes, Zhang-jie. He's Ai Yu's idol," Director Zong confirmed.
"Thank you for coming. I'm so sorry for the trouble," she said, bowing.
Because mother and daughter relied on each other, they were especially close. Ai Yu shared everything with her mom—including her fangirl moments.
"My daughter picked the right idol," she said, both apologetic and grateful.
After all, Chu Zhi didn't just donate money—he came in person. She knew how much her daughter adored him, but as a mother, she also knew he had millions of fans.
This is the difference between a good person and a selfish one. The good feel they're receiving too much, while the selfish always think they're being given too little.
"No need to be like this, Auntie," Chu Zhi said, helping her up. "Ai Yu has been supporting me since my debut—three, four years now. It's only right that I come."
They spoke for a while, about Ai Yu's health and her life. The doctors estimated she had less than a 20 percent chance of surviving this round. Chu Zhi didn't say "we can't give up." He was afraid to offer hope that might lead to despair.
Then Director Zong left, and after the disinfection procedure, Chu Zhi entered the ward with Ai Yu's mother.
The first time he saw Ai Yu, she looked too frail for a direct description. Her energy was completely depleted.
Chu Zhi had wanted to fulfill her dream of eating a meal with her idol, but after talking with his team and the doctors, they said it was impossible. Ai Yu couldn't even swallow liquid food anymore.
Her mother saw her pale, bloodless cheeks again. No matter how many times she saw them, it still made her want to cry.
"Xiao Yu, look who's here," she whispered.
Ai Yu, staring blankly out the window, turned her head. When she saw the man standing shyly at the door—
"Brother Jiu?"
"It's me, Chu Zhi," he said, taking two steps forward. Even with all his eloquence, his introduction came out clumsy.
Ai Yu's first reaction was joy. Her second was to look away. She knew how she must look—head shaved, cheeks sunken, no makeup. Ugly.
Chu Zhi quickly picked up on her discomfort. "My fans are all pretty good-looking. Nice features. No wonder you follow me."
If he'd said "you look beautiful," she would've thought he was just being nice. But saying all his fans are good-looking? That made perfect sense—at least to her.
Ai Yu smiled weakly. "I got to see brother Jiu in person. I bet a lot of Little Fruits are jealous."
"I heard you're not feeling confident about the next round of chemo?" Chu Zhi said. "That won't do. Didn't we promise to meet again at the eight-year anniversary concert?"
Her eyes flickered—not with motivation, but with regret. She didn't think she'd make it.
Chemo pain aside, there was vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue... Her body felt like termite-eaten wood, ready to collapse at the slightest touch. Her will to live was slipping, her gaze dull.
"Your mom told me you love the show 'Day Day Up,' right?" Chu Zhi said suddenly. "I just happen to be recording it tomorrow. I'm going to sing a song for you. An original, never-before-performed track. Once the episode airs next month, you'll be able to watch it on TV or the Mango app. So, you better keep an eye out."
Her favorite idol. Her favorite show. And a song just for her. Three surprises in one.
It was enough to plant green shoots in the desert.
"I'll fight, I promise," Ai Yu said. "I'll hang in there to hear the song brother Jiu sings for me."
As a longtime viewer of the show, she knew they recorded episodes 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Her treatment cycle was 26 days. If she lasted a month, she could make it.
"It's a promise," Chu Zhi smiled. "No backing out."
Her mother was overjoyed to see a spark return to her daughter. No one in the world loved Ai Yu more than she did.
But Ai Yu's body was too weak. Even though she wanted to talk longer, she soon grew tired. Chu Zhi left to let her rest.
In the hallway, he saw a man kneeling on the ground, silently sobbing. No tears, no words. Friends and family tried to console him. His wife had been in a car accident. The ER couldn't save her.
The whole scene weighed heavily on Chu Zhi. Only after he left the hospital did the tension ease.
"ER doctors live in this kind of environment every day. The stress must be unbearable," he murmured while buying a bottle of water, mask still on.
"Maybe I should write a song for healthcare workers someday," he thought.
But first, he had to call Niu Jiangxue.
Chu Zhi had no idea when "Day Day Up" was recording. But what he told Ai Yu wasn't a lie. With his popularity, he could get on any variety show he wanted.
Niu Jiangxue didn't even ask why. Maybe she already guessed. Within two hours, she arranged everything. The taping wasn't tomorrow—it was tonight at 10 p.m.
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Bawling my eyes out in this chapter (´;ω;｀)