On iQIYI's I'm a Singer-Songwriter, after two consecutive challenge rounds, Episode 9 introduced the "Seek Guidance" phase. This part of the competition features five less-famous singers entering the stage to challenge main cast members under the guise of "seeking guidance." But really, it's just a challenge with a nicer name.
Among them was someone Chu Zhi recognized: Gu Beisheng. During the Sprite Dreams competition hosted by Coca-Cola, Chu Zhi had used his special vote as a guest judge to save Gu Beisheng from elimination.
Honestly, Chu Zhi had forgotten all about that incident. But when Gu Beisheng came up to greet him and thank him, it all came back—especially when he added the catchy line, "A mole between the brows, scallops go north"—his old self-introduction from Shaanbei. The original show never even said exactly which part of Shaanbei he was from.
"To see you on this show means you've been doing well. I'm happy for you," Chu Zhi said with a warm smile.
To Gu Beisheng, Chu Zhi was more than a mentor—he was a lifesaver. And now, with those friendly words, he was completely starstruck. In his heart, Gu Beisheng firmly believed: Chu Zhi is the best singer in China. No one comes close.
"I wrote a song that got a bit of attention online, then Moonflower Entertainment signed me. This is the first show I've joined after that. I never expected to meet you here, Teacher Chu," Gu said honestly.
Chu Zhi nodded. "Have you decided which main cast member you want to seek guidance from?"
"I want to challenge Gunslinger. His trash rock was one of my favorite styles early on." Then he quickly added, "But now, I really admire your music and want to learn from your innovation."
"Then go for it!" Chu Zhi encouraged him with a thumbs-up.
This round's seven main cast members were Chu Zhi, Jo Kwon, Zhu Xinyue, Gunslinger, Koguchi Yoshihiro, Liang Zhengwen, and Yu Lan.
That meant five would be challenged, and two would be left untouched.
"Why does Jo Kwon keep avoiding my eyes?" Chu Zhi muttered. "Surely two rounds didn't break him already? I mean, he's from the K-pop industry, where pressure is intense. He should be mentally strong."
To everyone's surprise, the two who weren't challenged were Chu Zhi and Yu Lan.
The reason Chu Zhi wasn't challenged was obvious—he was too strong. Songs like "Chrysanthemum Terrace" and "Chapter Seven of the Night" made him feel untouchable. The five challengers all wanted a chance to win and stay in the game longer.
As for Yu Lan, it was because he was the least popular among the seven main cast members. Challengers wanted to face someone more popular to gain attention, even if the competition was tougher.
So, the two unchallenged singers sat side by side backstage, skipping the "top-middle-bottom" prep rooms. Somehow, Yu Lan felt a strange sense of pride just being next to Chu Zhi.
"Look at that—we both weren't challenged!" But then he caught himself. Why did that feel like something to be proud of? He scolded himself for the silly thought.
Suddenly, Yu Lan blurted out, "Old Nine, do you see yourself as the strongest of our generation?"
Silence fell over the room. The air felt heavy. It was a bold move—many things are better left unsaid. Admitting something like that openly could make enemies fast.
"??" Chu Zhi stared at him. Yu Lan had always been a bit passive-aggressive, but this was surprisingly direct. Was he really going to burn the bridge like that?
Chu Zhi recalled a famous Earth moment, when Yuan exposed in an interview, "Siqin Gaowa had placenta injections." Then, feigning innocence, she asked, "Wait, was I not supposed to say that?" It was never about being naive—it was payback. Siqin had previously hinted Yuan was pregnant.
Now, Yu Lan was doing the same: starting drama, but not very skillfully.
"I've never really thought about being the strongest," Chu Zhi replied calmly. "But if I dig deep... yes, I want to be the best. A soldier who doesn't want to become a general is no true soldier. I have ambition."
"I just worry that my efforts might not match my ambitions," he added, watching to see if Yu Lan would press further.
"Becoming the best is every singer's dream," Yu Lan muttered, cursing himself for letting his emotions get the better of him.
It wasn't that he lost control of his words. He lost control of his temper. Not everyone can smile on the outside while boiling on the inside like acting genius Di Shou.
Too late. He chickened out. Chu Zhi didn't continue the conversation either. Yu Lan had abruptly stopped himself, but the damage was done. Unless the scene was edited out, Chu Zhi's fans would definitely notice.
This was going to backfire.
In Episode 9, only Gu Beisheng and one other challenger won their battles. Chu Zhi had the easiest ride, earning 9 million yuan without even lifting a finger.
Normally, with eight total guests including the challengers, there were four rounds. This episode had five, which left no time for the usual post-show hot pot dinner chat.
"Teacher Chu…" Gu Beisheng tried to invite him out for a late-night meal.
But before he could finish, a louder, heavily accented voice cut him off.
"Chu-san, I've booked a very hard-to-get table at a famous restaurant here in Beijing. The reviews are excellent online."
That unique "Chu-san" greeting left no doubt. It was Koguchi Yoshihiro.
Wearing a bucket hat that didn't quite fit his large head, he had to hold it down with one hand as he jogged over to them.
"You too, Gu-san. Would you like to join us?" Koguchi asked politely.
Gu Beisheng couldn't help but feel a little hostility from the Japanese star.
"Can I... really go?" he asked cautiously.
Chu Zhi was already hungry and saw no reason to say no. So he nodded.
The restaurant turned out to be a trendy street-side spot called Junlai Diner. Halfway to being a viral hotspot, it was busy and tough to book without a reservation.
"Why just halfway viral? This place is packed," Gu Beisheng asked curiously.
Chu Zhi bit into a skewer and nodded. "Once the food starts tasting bad, then it'll be fully viral."
That was deep. Gu silently lowered his head and kept eating.
The place was so busy that the staff couldn't keep up. Diners had to serve themselves, and Koguchi rushed around to help.
By nightfall, the crowd thinned out and everyone drifted home.
Chu Zhi, Gu Beisheng, and Koguchi Yoshihiro went their separate ways, some heading to hotels, others to their own apartments.
The following week was fairly relaxed, with most of Chu Zhi's time spent filming commercials. He noticed he wasn't doing many variety shows lately and figured he could take on a heavier load.
"Sigh... so much for K-pop idols," muttered producer Che Lun, who hadn't slept and was waiting for the night's performance data.
Episode 9 aired that night. Che Lun waited until 10 p.m. for the first hour's data to come in.
Performance Report (First 60 Minutes):
Regular version: 35,728,106 views
Pure performance cut: 1,465,432 views
Bullet comments: 8,947
Comments section: 1,354
With more precise tracking systems now in place, producers could predict trends quickly. Much like how web novel sites could multiply first-hour subscriptions by four to get a sense of a book's long-term performance.
"Terrible. Absolutely terrible," Che muttered. He had expected lower numbers, but not less than a third of Episode 8's performance.