You can't reduce someone's worth to a single number, like calling a guy a six or a woman a seven. That's impolite and overly simplistic. Personality, temperament, and overall presence are all part of what makes someone attractive.
Meng Na was able to become a popular fashion influencer on Xiaohongshu because, yes, she was fairly good-looking. But in an industry where appearances are everything, she was just average.
Her plan? Seduce Chu Zhi, then "coincidentally" get caught on camera by fellow streamers to create a buzz. Why was Meng Na so confident she could pull it off? Because she was bold—shameless, even.
Men are men. There are no truly chaste ones. Just like there's no cat that doesn't sneak bites.
Of course, now wasn't the time to strike up a flirt. Too many people around. No one in showbiz was stupid enough to fall for something out in the open. If anything were to happen, it would have to be in private.
Chu Zhi had no idea someone had their sights on him. Fresh off the taping of the show, he felt exhausted—mainly sleepy. When he arrived at the venue, he was immediately swarmed by autograph seekers. He signed over thirty, posed for half a dozen photos, and finally had a moment to breathe.
"Who's that little boy?" Chu Zhi asked as he sipped a glass of red wine, noticing a young kid in a little suit.
Niu Jiangxue gave him a slightly puzzled look before explaining, "He went viral in a short video where he forced a smile while eating food his mom cooked and said it was delicious. That smile became a meme and now he's everywhere online."
She was surprised Chu Zhi hadn't seen it, considering how up-to-date he usually was with online trends.
The "forced smile boy" reminded Chu Zhi of a similar meme back on Earth—the "fake smile kid," though that one was a foreign boy.
"Sister Jiangxue, do you think it's rude when people reply with memes in a conversation?" Chu Zhi suddenly asked.
"Rude?" Niu Jiangxue thought it over, then shook her head. "There are so many memes out there. Sure, some are used to brush people off, but most of the time, if used well, they help express emotion and bring people closer. At least, that's how I see it."
"I see." Chu Zhi nodded thoughtfully. He'd always felt that using memes in chats was dismissive and rarely used them. Now he realized that, especially when talking to younger people, it might actually help build rapport.
"Sister Jiangxue, do you have a lot of memes?" he asked curiously.
"A tiny bit," she replied—but her tone instantly perked up at the mention of memes.
She was a three-time champion of her group's meme battles, with a stash of over a thousand memes—including ones of Chu Zhi himself.
Many were created by her assistant, Xiaoguoshi. One featured Chu Zhi in a Dream of the Red Chamber costume, tilting his head while sipping milk, with the caption: What nonsense are you talking about?
Another was a GIF of him popping up in I Am a Singer-Songwriter with the caption: Your little cutie has suddenly arrived.
But the most viral was a GIF of Chu Zhi chugging wine with the line: I'll drink, you do as you please. Even the most handsome face could be meme-fied into a goofball—because in the meme world, funny beats pretty every time.
"Can you share some with me?" Chu Zhi asked.
"Of course. I'll send you a curated pack later," said Niu Jiangxue.
"Thanks so much." Chu Zhi felt like he still had room to grow in social skills.
People always discover their shortcomings. Fixing them is how we grow.
The haute couture dinner was, frankly, boring. To be clear, it was just another excuse for Dior to showcase its brand prestige—mostly food, drink, and show.
As the event wound down, the "forced smile boy" shyly approached and asked, "Mr. Chu, I really like your songs. Can we take a picture together?"
Chu Zhi gently patted his head. "Of course."
As they prepared for the photo, the boy instinctively put on his signature fake smile. But then came Chu Zhi's soft voice: "You don't have to keep that smile for this photo."
"Huh?" The boy looked up.
"Keeping a smile all the time, even a fake one, must be exhausting. For our photo, let's skip the performance."
Chu Zhi paused, then said, "How about we both do a pout instead?"
"Really?" The boy was stunned.
He had become internet-famous because of that expression, but compared to a big star like Chu Zhi, he was just a meme. Yet here Chu Zhi was, being this kind and easygoing?
"Of course, come on, let's try it." Chu Zhi switched to a playful pout.
It felt a little silly, but the boy had smile lines at his age from faking joy so often. Pouting helped stretch those muscles in a different way.
After the photo, Chu Zhi picked up a few things. Just then, a girl discreetly slipped him a piece of paper.
On it were her WeChat ID and hotel room number. Chu Zhi glanced at it, then tossed it into the trash.
There were always people trying to ruin his image.
In their dreams.
—
Two days later, on the third day of I Am a Singer-Songwriter filming, the rapper known as "Gunslinger" appeared on another music show called Musical Hearth.
Earlier, we mentioned there were three music commentary shows considered credible by viewers: the Mingyi Chart, the Left Chart, and finally, Hearth Reviews, hosted and directed by Gu Duofu.
The filming site for Musical Hearth was modest—small budget, minimal equipment. The only reason it could get high-profile guests was thanks to Gu Duofu's personal connections. He was a bit of a legend in the industry, having worked his way up from being a music tutor.
The interview started off smoothly. Gu asked about public criticism and the fans' concerns.
Then came two questions that were a little more pointed.
"Why are your songs always so melancholic? Many label your work as part of the 'downer culture.' What are your thoughts?"
"Downer culture, huh? Maybe I'm just aware that I'll never reach the goals I once hoped for, so I gave up chasing them," Gunslinger replied. "But I didn't want to rot away either. I still wanted to struggle, even if I'm lying down. So I tried to make that look a little more graceful. That's the mood behind my songs."
Gu Duofu nodded, gesturing for him to elaborate more. It was an interview, after all.
"Mr. Chu once told me something during a conversation. He said my songs feel like this: 'I deeply fear I am not a piece of fine jade, so I dare not subject myself to intense carving. Yet I half-believe I am jade, and therefore cannot bring myself to mix with rubble.' That line captured it perfectly. I've never heard anything so spot-on."
"A brutally honest take. It exposes a lot of people's hidden feelings," Gu Duofu agreed. "Mr. Chu is…?"
"Chu Zhi," Gunslinger replied.
If this world had someone like Atsushi Nakajima, they might recognize that quote from The Moon Over the Mountain. But sadly, no one did, and Gu Duofu was shocked. A young man said something that piercing?
"We're nearly at the end of our program," Gu wrapped up. "Say a few words about your hopes for the future?"
"I didn't really have any at first," said Gunslinger, "but Brother Gu, you know the show I'm currently filming, right?"
"Singer-Songwriter. I've been following it. Chrysanthemum Terrace was incredible," said Gu, then paused. Since Chu Zhi wrote that and clearly had a background in classical culture, saying something that insightful now made perfect sense.
"We just filmed a new episode the other day," said Gunslinger. "Mr. Chu's latest work—honestly, it's not just inspiring for me. It's a revelation for the entire music industry. It completely challenges the idea that popularity and singability are what make a great song."
"I mean, the song is hard to sing. Even I had to cut several parts just to perform it. But that doesn't take away from its brilliance. It doesn't need to be catchy or widespread. Even if no one ever sings it, the mere fact that it exists is enough. The listener can still feel its depth, like being stared down by an abyss."
"To write something like that… that's my goal for the future. I salute Mr. Chu."
Now that caught Gu Duofu's attention. What kind of song didn't need to be sung but still shook people just by existing?
He was tempted to ask whether Gunslinger was exaggerating, but the rapper's eyes shone with sincere respect. That kind of look couldn't be faked.
So now the question on everyone's mind was:
What did Chu Zhi sing this time?!