Not all fires burn the same. It is like the difference between stir-frying over high heat and slowly braising in oil — the flavor changes completely. The YouTube video had caused a sensation across Asia, and the comments were full of envy.
"If my fiancé gave me a surprise like this, I'd do anything!"
"Your big cutie showed up out of nowhere."
"Only the Ragdoll would give fans such a surprise."
"If the one marrying me was the Professor... eheh..."
"Does anyone know why the Professor suddenly appeared at the wedding?"
"Ahhh, Ragdoll looks thinner. Still so good-looking though. How can there be such a perfect idol in the world?"
The comment section went on and on.
Fans — and even casual viewers — from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Russia were all wishing for such a surprise at their own weddings.
Because Chu Zhi's popularity was at its peak, disagreements also surfaced in the comments. For example:
"Why do men have to be this skinny? I don't like it. Even his voice sounds skinny."
That remark had hundreds of replies stacked underneath it. Honestly, that kind of comment was off. If you can't find a real flaw, there's no need to force one.
Many Asian musicians who had some recognition in the West also took notice.
Even Higuchi Hanato, who had once tried to trip Chu Zhi up, saw his own comment swarmed with criticism and deleted his alt account on the spot.
"He even writes funk so well?" Higuchi Hanato muttered in frustration. "Could it be that Chu Zhi really is a creative genius?"
YouTube's algorithm naturally pushes trending content. The platform's main categories include games, live streams, music, news, sports, cooking, travel, animation, fashion, beauty, and more.
Higuchi Hanato's preferences were, of course, set to music. Chu Zhi's MV had rocketed straight to the top of the [Trending Now] homepage.
He noticed that Chu Zhi's company had registered an official account. The MV was actually their second video upload; the first was a personal VCR introducing Chu Zhi to the platform.
"Trying to build popularity online to break into the Western market?" Higuchi Hanato muttered. "A good idea, sure, but it's just that — an idea. Without any established channels, making it big in the West is just wishful thinking."
The reason K-pop can occasionally land singles on the Billboard charts is not only because it borrows heavily from Western pop, but also because the promotional networks and distribution channels for albums in the West are already in place.
"At least it's not a rock song," Higuchi Hanato consoled himself. He had no interest in running into ungrateful Chinese singers.
Koguchi Yoshihiro was another matter. As the poster boy for looks-obsessed fans, he retweeted the MV within five minutes of its release on Twitter.
Singer Koguchi: A song I'll definitely play at my wedding, #Chu-sanEnglishNewSong#
The post came with a link.
"Thanks for pointing the way, Koguchi-san."
"Didn't Koguchi-san already get married?"
"Ragdoll's new song has multiple languages. He's different from other celebrities — more knowledgeable."
In Japan, fans jokingly called Koguchi Yoshihiro's account Chu Zhi's secondary account. While Chu Zhi's team officially managed his Weibo, Twitter, Instagram, and cafe accounts, they didn't update very often. But Koguchi would instantly repost even the smallest news.
His previous post: Chu-san interviewed on the set of Shiyi Lang,
The one before that: Chu-san officially signs as Infiniti's Asian brand ambassador. Hahaha, should I tell you I was also an Infiniti ambassador once? Though only in Japan. Attached were several ad photos.
Even dedicated fan stations weren't as active as Koguchi Yoshihiro.
Then there was glamorous diva Hirokumo Ryoko. Looking through YouTube comments, she murmured to herself, "Now I can openly say I admire Chu-san for his talent, not just his looks."
Even she found it hard to believe. Chu Zhi's looks were already off the charts, and yet his talent matched them perfectly. It was almost unreal.
In Asia, the main feeling was envy. In Europe, the tone was different.
"This is one of the best music videos I've ever seen. Everyone at the wedding looked like they were having fun."
"The design is so cool. If Arkenda Bell showed up at my wedding, I'd probably have a heart attack."
"I was in a bad mood before watching, but this song lifted me up. It's going on my playlist for sure."
"The gift this Chinese singer gave the newlyweds was amazing. In return, making this video is like a gift to all of us. Thank you, chuzhi! I don't know this singer personally, but I feel blessed by it."
"Hey, to everyone adding this song to their playlist today, I have to say — you have great taste in music."
Of course, the West also had its share of repeat commenters, proving once again that humans are, at their core, repeat machines.
Some comments appeared in English:
"Never.get.tired.of.this.song"
A few Western viewers noticed Chu Zhi's looks as well. Don't be fooled by certain self-hating voices claiming that Westerners only admire small eyes and high cheekbones in Asians. That's nonsense.
Pardon the language, but the brainwashing from those types is just stupid. Attractive Asian men and women can still be appreciated as beautiful in the West.
Sure, there are differences in aesthetic standards — but that's not the same as having no standards.
"I want to crush this Chinese star in my hands."
"He'd probably look even better if he gained some weight."
"His features are too perfect."
"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
Chu Zhi had lost weight for his acting role, adding a fragile quality to his presence.
Fragility did not mean weakness. Health and fragility were not opposites. It was more of an aura, like a glass narcissus that gave you the sense it might shatter in the next second. In the West, this drew in plenty of looks-focused fans.
One highly liked post read: "Sadie and Chase are my friends. Sadie goes to UCLA and is a fan of the singer, so this song was also a gift to fans!"
Revealing the newlyweds' personal info like that — was that really okay? Who knew if they were truly friends or just saying so.
Chu Zhi's early steps into the Western market had gone well. He was now even starting to chart on Billboard.
Billboard is a music magazine whose main charts are based on U.S. sales and radio play. It's one of the most authoritative rankings in America.
The furthest a Chinese singer had ever climbed on the Billboard Hot 100 was in the 1990s, when an old song reached second place.
In the 21st century, even breaking into the top 50 was difficult. Li Xingwei once made it to 87th place, and his fans treated it like a historic victory.
Looking at Asia as a whole, the boy group GZ topped Billboard for four consecutive weeks — a huge achievement.
So while Chu Zhi had been crushing GZ in Asia, there was no denying their skill.
In Asia, GZ's records had been shattered by Chu Zhi one after another. Now, he was coming for the Western charts too.
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Billboard Hot 100 ranking system: combines U.S. sales data and radio airplay statistics.