Thousands of comments flooded the social media accounts of celebrities linked to Chu Zhi:
"Tongtong, how is Orange doing? He withdrew from the competition and faced that black tide of hate—just thinking about it breaks my heart."
"It's all my fault. I used to support Nine, but then the moderators in his fan group said liking him 'stained the fandom's reputation.' I wavered and ended up hurting him."
"From Weibo, it seems Koguchi-san is close to Nine. Any updates?"
"After the performance, Orange could barely stand. I'm so worried. Remember when Koguchi recommended a doctor last episode, and Orange said TCM couldn't help? Could it be something serious? The more I think, the more terrified I get!"
Normally, bombarding unrelated celebrities with questions like this would be rude—but desperate fans didn't care.
Wei Tongzi, Chu Zhi's top fan account, quickly responded in group chats and on Weibo:
"Nine's physical health is poor, but his mental state is worse. During recordings, I noticed he kept zoning out, struggling to focus. Even so, he pushed through. Right now, he really needs rest."
Koguchi Yoshihiro meanwhile, had flown back to Tokyo for work and missed rehearsals, leaving no time to reply.
Unlike Wei Tongzi and Koguchi Yoshihiro, who stood by Chu Zhi after the scandal, Yang Jun and Jian Haoyi were the opposite. They'd initially befriended Chu Zhi at an awards show, clinging to him like eager puppies. Every time Chu Zhi dropped a new single or landed a endorsement, they'd rush to repost and promote it.
The original Chu Zhi, being a decent guy, even shared resources with them. As a top-tier star, the crumbs from his schedule were feasts for these two. But in entertainment, loyalty is fleeting—the moment Chu Zhi fell, Yang and Jian were the first to jump ship.
Jian Haoyi took it further, penning a masterpiece of hypocrisy:
"[Nine, this'll be the last time I call you that. What you've done may not be illegal, but it's immoral. As public figures, we must uphold basic ethics and spread positivity. Making mistakes is human—what matters is owning up to them.If you're willing to change, I'll stand by you. You'll always be my Nine!]"
Not once did he mention the alleged affairs or secret marriage, but his words tacitly endorsed every rumor.
(For context: This mirrors a real-life "backstabber" incident in the entertainment industry, where a celebrity's so-called friend publicly condemned him based on unproven accusations, only for the truth to later exonerate him—but the damage was already done.)
Now, fans weren't having it. Under Jian's posts:
"Weren't you 'standing by' Orange? How's his health now?"
"Funny how you've posted nothing about I Am a Singer. 'Always by his side,' my ass."
"Hypocrite. After that 'you'll always be my Nine' crap, you ghosted him."
"Where's the proof for the rumors? Why jump the gun?"
Jian Haoyi's own fans clashed with Chu Zhi's supporters in the comments.
In his dressing room, Jian Haoyi scowled at his phone, baffled. "How is Chu Zhi making a comeback after being universally hated?"
"Is it because he can write songs now?" He'd grudgingly admitted Waves of Wheat and Against the Light were good—which only pissed him off more.
Worse, watching the semifinal, Jian Haoyi caught himself muttering: "That face isn't just Nuwa showing off—it's her magnum opus."
Slap! He smacked his own head to snap out of it.
"No way black turns white," he reassured himself. "He's done in music. I'm already booking dramas. He can't catch up."
Still, he told his agent to quiet the fan wars. "Just guilt-ridden ex-fans venting. They'll tire themselves out."
But Jian Haoyi hadn't counted on what came next…
Say what you will about Mango TV—their love for drama, their creative editing—but no one does promotion like them.
In a coordinated blitz, Mango's army of verified accounts (each with millions of followers) dropped the same announcement:
[#ChuZhiResponds] @HuangYourou invites @EatABigOrange to tea! Tune in at 21:00 on Mango TV (VIPs get early access) for his first direct response to the scandal. #SeeYouThere #MangoTVTeaParty
Dahua Entertainment had zero time to react. By the time they processed the news, the internet was already on fire.
Even the gossip blogs that had feasted on Chu Zhi's downfall now flipped:
Old headline: "The Truth About Top Star Chu Zhi—Delusional Fans, Wake Up!"
New headline: "Don't Judge Online! The Chu Zhi Saga—What's the Real Story?"
Same clickbait, opposite narrative. Such is the nature of tabloids.
UC, Douyin, Kuaishou—every platform was flooded. Whether you were a student, office worker, or retiree, tonight at 9 PM was now marked in red.