Chapter 548: The Door Zhou Yi Opened, Chu Feifan Shut Again…

……

Doesn't this give us both a publicity angle and a talking point?

Inspired by Japanese media like Shukan Bunshun, the idea flashed into Zhou Yi's mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt it could work.

And the train of thought that branched out from this also included the earlier Mizushima Hiroshi—

Jay Chou once filmed an MV and hired Kamen Rider Woz's voice actor, and Bilibili netizens went wild with the meme—so wouldn't it be reasonable for him to bring in Kamen Rider Kabuto's invincible "King of Cool" Tendou Souji?

Not to mention that Tendou Souji's popularity is far higher than Woz's; even with the original actor blacklisted, the character still firmly holds a spot in the top ten of Japan's domestic popularity polls.

In the future, when Bilibili is full of those roundup videos, his screen time and meme potential will absolutely be guaranteed.

Or at that time, he could even send a casting invitation to Masami Nagasawa and see if she's willing to come. If she agrees, why not put Aragaki Yui and Masami Nagasawa together in the MV for "Qi Li Xiang"?

That would also perfectly solve that dilemma—"If only it were Aragaki Yui / Masami Nagasawa~"

Only kids make choices; my lord, I want it all!

His thoughts wandering, after the autographs and photos were done, Aragaki Yui excitedly stepped off the stage. Zhou Yi, who was continuing this fan meeting, also began singing Chinese songs in the final segment—or rather, used Chinese songs to wrap things up.

This was also the first time a soothing Chinese-style melody had been met with a live sing-along on Japanese soil—

"A pot of wandering, roaming the world, hard to swallow~

"After you left, the warmed wine of memories grows thin with longing~

"Water flows east, how can time be stolen? The flower blooms but once in maturity, and I missed it~"

Just as Zhou Yi had said in a previous domestic interview, Chinese-style music is meant to be exported outward, not turned inward.

When he stood on stage and turned the microphone toward the Japanese fans below who were slowly raising their glow sticks, the unstandardized Chinese singing that rose in unison moved Zhou Yi somewhat—

"Who is playing a Dongfeng Break on the pipa? Years peel from the wall, revealing childhood~

"I still remember that year when we were both so young, but now the zither's melody hums softly—my waiting, you never heard~"

Unable to get a word in, Zhou Yi simply sat quietly amid the soothing melody, one hand holding the microphone toward the audience, his right hand raised high, swaying in rhythm with the fans' glow sticks—

Having nothing left to do on stage, Mika Saiga simply played keyboard harmonies, her eyes full of fangirl worship as she looked at Zhou Yi.

The only Chinese singer in Japan who could get Japanese fans to spontaneously sing along in Chinese for over forty minutes straight is Zhou Yi—and no one else.

So much so that when Zhou Yi finally took his bow, fans throughout the venue were still shouting "Encore!" And these reluctant scenes were likewise captured clearly by Fuji TV's camera, which hadn't been switched off at the end of the broadcast…

………………………………

"Kanpai!"

Evening, seven o'clock, inside a certain izakaya.

Adapting to local customs, Zhou Yi booked out the entire venue with his staff led by Mika Saiga, together celebrating the perfect conclusion of his first fan meeting in Japan.

Zhou Yi, who never refused a toast, was quite forthright. With a grand wave of his hand, he promised out another huge batch of red envelopes, the sum so large that the entire izakaya instantly erupted into a frenzy!

"Sugoi!"

"Zhou Yi Jun saikou!"

"niubee!"

"……"

In just one fan meeting, the fabulously wealthy Zhou Yi had directly risen to become the most popular foreign artist within Fuji TV—without question.

No diva behavior, no strange habits that needed catering to, and never putting pressure on or giving the silent treatment to staff. On the contrary, he didn't put on any airs at all—his temperament was nothing if not refined and easygoing.

Not only that, he was also extremely generous. Anyone who helped out got a red envelope, even if you just helped carry a document. In Japan's entertainment industry, this was simply a paradise one couldn't even dare imagine.

Is China's entertainment industry really this normal?!

Some veteran industry hands, long battered by the rules of Japanese entertainment, took advantage of the alcohol to reminisce about the past, tears streaming down their faces.

No wonder Nakajima Miyuki likes collaborating with China's entertainment industry so much—plenty of money, few hassles, and easygoing people. Doesn't that completely blow away the pathetically twisted rules of Japanese entertainment?

Damn it, why has Japanese entertainment turned into the garbage it is now!

Zhou Yi, who had drunk until pleasantly tipsy, took the proprietress's advice after the dinner ended and found a private hot spring to soak in, thoroughly enjoying a taste of Japan's signature onsen experience.

"Ah~ that feels good."

Feeling it really was different, Zhou Yi soaked his whole body in the pool, looked up at the starry sky beyond the eaves, and let out a contented little hum from his throat.

The bamboo pipes in the yard were still swaying back and forth under the hot spring's flow, tapping "da-da-da" against the smooth stone slabs, the sound extremely rhythmic and pleasant;

The ears were filled with the insects and birdsong unique to summer, and a scene of vibrant vitality, with all things bursting forth, unfolded before his eyes…

"Duk-duk-duk."

Just as he was enjoying himself contentedly, three rhythmic knocks came from outside the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Yi Jun."

Mika Saiga's voice came from outside the door. Zhou Yi, feeling surprised, raised an eyebrow: "Come in."

Probably because she had just finished soaking in the hot spring, Mika Saiga, her long hair wrapped in a Mao Jin, wasn't wearing clothes but was bundled in a thick, pure-white Tong Yujin. Her forearm skin was Bai Li tinged with red, appearing especially tempting through the hazy steam.

"Yuuka?"

"Yi Jun, you're about to go back to China soon, aren't you?"

"You could say that."

"Then let me give you a taste of some final local specialties."

With a playful blink, Mika Saiga locked the door and slowly closed in on the idol she worshipped. Her fair, delicate feet stepped on the gravel path without making much sound—

Under Zhou Yi's interested gaze, Mika Saiga knelt by the edge of the bath, scooped up some rose bath salts in her hands, and began gently rubbing them.

"How does it feel?"

"A little ticklish."

The instant their skin touched, Zhou Yi's body gave a shiver, and the hair on his arms stood on end.

"Yi Jun, is this…"

"Guanyin."

Zhou Yi, who was always understanding, quickly became the Guanyin Bodhisattva adapting the Dharma to local conditions, making Sae Yuki feel as if she were right there.

She guided her step by step;

He waited quietly for good news.

Finally, it was using stillness to control motion...

As everyone knows, Zhou Yi's physical constitution was excellent; he had always been the type who persisted relentlessly in training...

The next day.

When Sae Yuki opened her eyes groggily, Zhou Yi, who had already woken up, happened to walk into the room carrying breakfast—

"Good morning, Yi."

Sae Yuki curled up into a ball in the quilt, grinning, and looked up at him with her back arched.

"Morning."

Zhou Yi, wearing a floral shirt and beach shorts, smiled as he brought the meal out of the basket: "It's time for lunch."

—?!

"Wasn't it morning?"

"In fact, I think the flight tomorrow doesn't matter much."

Zhou Yi, sitting in the chair, turned his head to look at her and shrugged indifferently: "At the company, I have the final say."

Sae Yuki's expression froze for a moment, then a brilliant arc rose on her face at a speed visible to the naked eye: "The Warner Emperor, right?"

"To be precise, I now have a brand new and superstitious nickname in Japan."

Zhou Yi chuckled softly, reached out to pick up a newspaper from the low table, spread it before her eyes, and tapped his index finger on the huge, bold headline—

"Rock Saint Disciple: Zhou Yi Descends!"

The photographer clearly knew how to shoot; in the instant the beam of light struck, he captured Zhou Yi's divine profile formed by the composition and lighting, and the guitar slanted at his waist seemed to have turned into a legendary holy artifact at that very moment.

The fan meeting, edited by Fuji TV with overtime work, hadn't aired yet, but it had already topped the ratings chart for the same time slot relying on a single trailer!

That extremely chuunibyou yet extremely thrilling personal promotional video of Zhou Yi also officially swept across the entire Tokyo, and even China, today with the help of Fuji TV!!!

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!"

"What did Zhou Yi do in Japan?!"

"Rock Saint Disciple? How did Zhou Yi evolve from metaphysics to theology after just one trip to Japan???"

Since Fuji TV had collaborations in Hong Kong and Taiwan, this promotional video and the overwhelming reports naturally entered the domestic market through these two channels, stirring up a storm.

"Damn, it's getting exciting!"

"When it comes to chuunibyou, it has to be the Japanese; it feels like watching some hot-blooded promotional video."

"I think what they say makes sense; Zhou Yi is the first Asian to open the door to Europe and America."

"Stop talking; Zhou Yi opened the door to Europe and America, but Tao Zhe closed the door again! Damn it!"

"???"

August 16, 2003, Tao Zhe, heading to the US to release an album, suffered a disastrous first Waterloo in his American debut—his offline promotional performance was booed, and he was even heckled off the stage.

And coincidentally, the trailer released by Fuji TV included a segment where Japanese fans collectively sang a Chinese-style song in Chinese...