The Orange Grove didn't just explode. No, that wouldn't even be accurate. It launched into the sky, did a 3600-degree spin, and then detonated in a nuclear firestorm.
Calm down? How?
Let's put it this way. You're playing support in a game. You barely survive a fight and teleport back to base to recover, but your marksman refuses to retreat even though they're low on health. You ping the map, warn them they're in danger. They ignore you, keep farming, get killed, and then turn around and blame you. Tell me, can you stay calm?
Now multiply that frustration by ten. That's how upset the Little Fruits were tonight.
But more than anything, they were heartbroken. The episode lasted two hours, and the Little Fruits cried for over ninety minutes of it.
Even the quiet, low-profile mama fans—who rarely posted—couldn't hold back anymore. They flooded their friend circles.
[Nuomituantuan123]: I've been having nightmares every night. How can Jiu-bao's body handle this? Should we go to a hospital and get medication? Does anyone know a famous psychologist overseas? Dear friend circle, please recommend someone.
[NotFromHere (local]): Why am I even a fan? Why do I love a celebrity who's barely older than my daughter?I've asked myself that. And today, I finally understand. His character, his talent, his appearance—they perfectly embody the highest praise a mother could give: "If only my child could grow up to be like you."Jiu-bao, you have to get better. You deserve to stand at the top. You deserve to be known by the world.
[LoveIsn'tPoetryInSnow]: Can't imagine what kind of pain Xiao Jiu goes through sleeping at 1 or 2 a.m., waking at 6 or 7. I don't even dare to think about it. For the Little Fruits, Jiu-yé, please, please take care of your health.
[HeavenAtDusk_Sakura]: I want Xiao Jiu to quit the entertainment industry. But his fans are everything to him. So… sigh… I'm looking into buying some shares in Taiyang Chuanhe Entertainment. If anyone wants in, let's do it together.
There were countless posts like these.
Tonight, friend circles were revealing their true identities. But instead of mythical beasts unveiling themselves, it was the mama fans coming out in full force.
Many children didn't even know their mothers were secretly fans all this time, hiding their passion behind calm exteriors.
What the mama fans might do next, no one could predict. One thing was certain: someone had already set their sights on Sun Chuanhe Entertainment. As for the rest, it remained unknown.
#MyWorldIsLittleFruits
#Jiuyé_Depression_Nightmares
#SavingWithoutHesitation
#ChuZhiSaidHeWasUsedToIt
#FireflySong_ChuZhi
#ChuZhi'sMostImportantPerson
#CountrysideForTheUnexpected
#HowMuchPainMustYouEndureToSmileSoCalmly
On Weibo's trending list, eight out of the top ten spots were about Chu Zhi. Tags marked with [Hot] or even [Exploding] dominated the feed. It was beyond wild.
#MyWorldIsLittleFruits even hit [Exploding].
Some might find Chu Zhi's portrayal as the "Emperor Beast" a bit awkward, maybe even cringe. But for fan circles? Have you ever seen a celebrity confess their love for fans so directly?
According to Weibo's metrics, a [Hot] tag means a topic gained a sudden burst of attention. [Exploding] is the highest tier, with potential to crash servers.
"As a bystander, I have to say, Chu Zhi really has a great personality."
"He's so gentle. I'm not even a fan, but I think so too."
"After watching, I'm ready to join the fandom."
Chu Zhi was even more viral on Douyin. Every trending video—excluding official platform promos—was about him.
You couldn't fake this with money. No publicity team could fabricate this level of impact. Reality had outdone fiction.
The unstoppable hype even "crashed into" a film that had its premiere campaign scheduled for today. Saying it killed the movie might be too much. Let's just say it left it half-dead.
Movie release dates and promo efforts always consider the larger environment—especially avoiding big Hollywood blockbusters. Even with massive budgets, competing directly meant death.
But avoiding a variety show? That was unheard of. After all, movies and variety shows don't even occupy the same space.
And yet, Chu Zhi taught the entire Chinese entertainment industry a lesson today. Everyone was talking about the premiere of Back to the Countryside 4.
iQIYI had clearly figured out the formula for going viral: give Chu Zhi time to sing. But Mango TV? They were utterly shameless.
The first episode of Back to the Countryside 4 dropped on Mango TV and hit over 10 million views in one hour. Bullet comments broke a million. The numbers were terrifying. No wonder the site lagged the moment bullet chat was enabled.
"Jie, what happened to you?" Zhou Qinian asked as soon as she got home. Her sister, Zhou Xiangsi, was crying like petals in the rain. Qinian panicked.
In her memory, her sister had only cried this hard when their grandmother passed away.
Zhou Xiangsi had posted at least twenty bullet comments during the episode. A few months ago, she attended an event hosted by Montblanc, where she briefly met Chu Zhi, the face of their fountain pen line. She had even gotten his autograph for her little sister, Zhou Qinian.
Back then, she just thought Chu Zhi was a decent singer. Her sister's enthusiasm eventually turned her into a half-Little Fruit. But tonight, watching Back to the Countryside 4, the tears wouldn't stop.
"I'm fine. I just… feel so bad for Chu Zhi," Zhou Xiangsi said.
"Chu Zhi?" Zhou Qinian couldn't keep calm when she heard her idol's name. "What happened?" she asked anxiously.
"See for yourself." Zhou Xiangsi felt more tears coming. She handed her tablet to her sister and went to her room.
"What if something bad happened to Jiu-yé?"
Zhou Qinian always assumed the worst first. Her brain instantly conjured up a hundred tragic endings for Jiu-yé. Then she scolded herself. "No, no, that's ridiculous." She shook it off.
"Jiu-yé couldn't be in trouble. Right?"
She stared at the tablet.
Many people couldn't sleep tonight. Many cried. If even a half-fan like Zhou Xiangsi was like this, the hardcore Little Fruits must have cried their hearts out.
"The moment Jiu-yé smiled and said, 'I'm used to it,' I lost it. My eyes are all puffy. Good thing it's Saturday tomorrow, or I'd have no idea how to show up at school."
"So I really matter to Jiu-yé? I can't believe I once unfollowed him during exam week. But now I know… I belong in your world, Jiu-yé."
"Can depression be cured? Brother Jiu is going through so much. These nightmares… they're killing him."
"Today was my best friend's birthday. We were all excited to go sing karaoke. We played the first episode of Back to the Countryside in the car, just for fun. Now we're hugging and crying in the park. My heart hurts for Jiu-yé."
"Why? Why does someone as gentle as Xiao Jiu have to suffer like this? Life is just too cruel!"
Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Kuaishou, Zhihu, Weibo, WeChat—every comment section was flooded.
And the heat hadn't peaked yet. Around 11 p.m., Ban Ke, one of the guests at Mushroom House, posted an update.
[Ban Ke]: Thank you, Xiao Jiu, for your help at Mushroom House. When I say help, I don't just mean preventing me from breaking a limb. I mean emotional help too. "We fail to recognize Mount Lu's true form because we're too deep within it." I didn't feel anything at the time, but now, as a viewer, I see it clearly: Xiao Jiu was always looking out for my feelings, even though he was the one suffering more.
His condition is worse than mine. I don't have nightmares every day. I haven't grown used to pain. But even so, Xiao Jiu always paid attention to the people around him.
I want to be strong like Xiao Jiu. I want to overcome my illness too.
That thank-you post only added fuel to the fire.
===
Original Song Title: "虫儿飞" (Chóng Er Fēi / Fireflies)
Artist: 胡小蝶 (Hu Xiaodie) – "Butterfly Hu"