Mango TV's Day Day Up used to be one of the station's cornerstone variety shows. Alongside Happy Camp, it formed a huge part of many people's childhood memories. But as new shows kept emerging, its popularity gradually faded. Even Happy Camp ended its broadcast eventually.
Still, Day Day Up remained among Mango TV's top ten most-watched programs. Though it had declined, it hadn't disappeared. A loyal portion of the audience remained.
Back on Earth, the core of Day Day Up was Wang Han. In this parallel world, that role belonged to Pan Ying, one of Mango TV's two iconic hosts. Unlike Wang Han's scholarly humor, Pan Ying had a bold, heroic charisma and the physical presence of a legendary bandit chieftain.
Pan Ying led the five-member "Day Day Crew," a team that anyone born after 1990 would be pretty familiar with.
"Seriously, who's coming? They changed the script last minute. Are they kidding?" Da Tang grumbled.
He wasn't known for having a great memory. It had taken him until the afternoon to memorize the script, and now, with just two hours left before the recording, a new version had been sent out. If this wasn't mental sabotage, what was?
"Holy crap?!" Xiao Shou flipped through the new script and immediately saw the line, ['This is Chu Zhi's first time on Day Day Up. Is there anything you'd like to say to the audience?']
Xiao Shou, the youngest of the Day Day Crew, had debuted in a talent show and was only nineteen this year. On the show, he played the cute and silly type. Da Tang was the team's energy booster—outgoing, loud, and often needing Pan Ying to rein him in. Then there was Wei Xiquan, the king of cold jokes.
Da Tang quickly scanned the script too. "They really got Chu Zhi? My god. That's surreal."
It wasn't that he thought poorly of his own program. Everyone in the industry knew how expensive Star Journey on iQIYI was—over a hundred million per season. With their modest sponsors, even booking Chu Zhi for one episode would cost a fortune.
"It's legit," Xiao Shou said, "The script has a note saying not to mention depression or suicide. No way it's a name coincidence. Brother Jiu is really my idol!"
"Didn't you say Wei-ge was your idol before? Why are you changing so fast?" Da Tang teased. Don't be fooled by his bold eyebrows and big eyes. He was a natural instigator.
Wei-ge referred to Wei Xiquan.
"That's different," Xiao Shou defended. "Wei-ge is a senior I respect."
Xiao Shou stood only 167 cm tall and had a baby-faced look.
"Brother Jiu works so hard. He couldn't compose music when he debuted, but he kept practicing and now he's a genius. Just a year ago, his singing was still kind of amateur, but now he's trained to the point it's incredible. He's a hardworking genius—my guiding light! I can't wait for episode six of Journey Among the Stars and to see Brother Jiu's performance at the St. Petersburg International Culture Forum!"
Wei Xiquan chimed in, "Xiao Shou, have you ever considered..."
"Yes? West-ge, what should I consider?" Xiao Shou perked up.
"People like Chu Zhi, we don't usually call them 'hardworking geniuses.' We say they're both talented and hardworking," Wei Xiquan said bluntly. "You work hard too, but your results aren't even a tenth of his."
Oof. Brutal honesty.
Xiao Shou deflated instantly.
Da Tang burst into laughter. "Haha, Wei-ge still has the sharpest tongue. Is your guiding light getting clearer now?"
Wei Xiquan had coasted for years on one song, Zhi Hu Zhe Ye. Though he didn't write it, no one else could perform it quite like him. Still, that was his only hit in twenty-five years. Seeing someone like Chu Zhi rack up multiple signature songs in such a short time was bound to cause some jealousy.
Not every veteran was like Hou Yubin or Zheng Huo, wishing the best for the younger generation. Some felt a bit bitter. That said, given Chu Zhi's current fame and likability, even someone like Wei Xiquan wouldn't dare act out publicly.
A moment later, Pan Ying and Kang Long arrived. The five members of the Day Day Crew were now all present.
Kang Long and Chu Zhi were signed under the same agency. Early in his career, Kang Long had even used the nickname "Little Chu Zhi" as part of his marketing. The idea was good, but public backlash forced a quick rebrand into "Little Lin Xia." Nowadays, Kang Long dabbled in meaningless influencer-style talk. He had completely abandoned authenticity.
He used to admire Chu Zhi. Even now, he still did, but it was a mix of admiration and stubborn pride.
Xiao Shou perked up. "Kang Kang, you're with the same company, right? You must know Brother Jiu well. Can you introduce me later?"
"If Brother Jiu still remembers me, then yeah, I guess we're close," Kang Long replied.
Weird way to put it, but Xiao Shou figured it was technically not wrong.
The room quieted down as everyone reviewed the new script. No one wanted to mess up on set.
Minutes ticked by. In Studio 3, over 300 audience members had filed in. The show would start around midnight, and everyone had come on their own dime. That kind of dedication was wild.
Day Day Up often featured a lot of guests—four or five minimum, sometimes seven or eight. If a guest wasn't active on screen, they might not even get any camera time.
Studio 3 wasn't big. Smaller than Happy Camp's studio, with aging audio gear and worn-out seating.
The first hour was the usual: cast and crew promoting their latest film.
"Our next guest is a big one," Da Tang announced.
"How big? Can he take on four people at once?" Wei Xiquan quipped.
"Forget four—he could take ten," Da Tang exaggerated. "He's one of the hottest stars in the industry!"
"He's also been called the new generation's leading voice in music!"
"And he's my idol. Also Xiao Shou's."
Every time Da Tang added a new accolade, the audience responded with polite cheers. But there was a trace of doubt. Most fans already knew the lineup in advance. None of the expected guests matched those lofty descriptions.
Kang Long mumbled, "Da Tang's intro sounds like he's summoning a god."
"Let's give a warm welcome to—Chu Zhi!" Pan Ying delivered the final line.
The moment Chu Zhi stepped onto the stage, the 300-person audience roared with the power of 3,000. The applause and screams shocked even the seasoned hosts.
"Ahhh! It's really Brother Jiu! I can't believe it!"
"I was supposed to come with my bestie, but she couldn't make it. This is insane. By the way, we're all Little Fruits!"
"Oh my god, I used up all my luck for the year!"
The crowd was going wild, but no one rushed the stage. They were crazed, but still rational.
Da Tang tried to calm them down but failed miserably.
A little jealous, Kang Long thought. Must be nice.
Seeing the hype, Chu Zhi raised a hand, then slowly lowered it. The audience gradually quieted.
Knows how to handle the crowd. Not bad, Pan Ying thought.
"Let's officially welcome our guest, Chu Zhi," Pan Ying said. "Since it's your first time here, we've got a little initiation game for you."
In this world's version of Day Day Up, new guests had to go through a "Quickfire Questions" segment.
Normally, Chu Zhi would breeze through this sort of game, but tonight, he lost eight out of ten rounds against the five hosts. The only two wins were against Xiaoshou, whose character trope was "perpetual loser."
After twenty minutes of chaos, Pan Ying guided the show into its next segment.
"I heard Chu Zhi brought a new song to share with us today?"
"This song is called 'The Brightest Sun,'" Chu Zhi said, holding the mic. "It's for someone very special. It's for Xiao Ai."
Special person? Pan Ying didn't press. As host and producer, he knew the whole point of tonight's appearance was this performance.
The Day Day Crew left the stage, giving Chu Zhi the spotlight.
Let's see if the hype holds up, Wei Xiquan thought as he stood to the side.
The stage wasn't anything fancy, and Chu Zhi didn't want it to be.
🎵 My world is beautiful because of you.My sky stays bright because of you.You gave me joy, cried tears for me.You gave me grace, so I could fly free.
Your words, your tears, your smile, your light,To me, you outshine the loveliest rose. 🎵
He pushed his "Angel's Gospel" to 90 percent—more than when he sang One and Done. Only his last thread of rationality stopped him from going full power.
🎵 Holding dreams, I fly ahead,Never fleeing, never afraid.You are the fortress on my path to success.
You gave me wings so I could soar,Gave me strength to become strong.I'm not afraid of pain, because you're here,Your smile, your tears—You are the brightest sun on my road to chasing dreams.🎵
Chu Zhi stared directly into the camera, as if he could see Xiao Ai in her hospital bed, along with all the Little Fruits who supported him.
The lyrics were repetitive, the melody simple. The chorus and bridge shared similarities. But that simplicity made the emotion shine even more clearly.
He adjusted his voice during the chorus to sound softer—praising the morning sun. In the bridge, the praise turned to the noonday sun—brighter, bolder. The soaring vocals and angelic resonance made even the front-row cameraman feel the "brilliance" through sound.
🎵 You gave me wings so I could soar,Gave me strength to become strong.I'm not afraid of pain, because you're here,Your smile, your tears—You are the brightest sun on my road to chasing dreams.
You are the brightest sun on my road to chasing dreams! 🎵
Even those who weren't fans could feel the gratitude in the song—the quiet power it carried.
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Song Title: 最美的太阳 (Zuì Měi de Tàiyáng) — The Brightest Sun
Original Artist: 张杰 (Zhang Jie)