Here For Xiao Zhan

How it all started

Thinking back, it was three times the charm before I became a Xiao FeiXia🤔 First time was on Dec 31, 2017 during the JiangSu TV New Years Countdown🥳 It was early morning in Canada, and I woke up extra early that day to finish reading a book I bought at Costco called Chicken Soup for the Soul: Canadian Acts of Kindness because, well, I’m Canadian and I needed affirmation that we really are that kind…I’m joking! 😂 But I was on a mission to finish 12 books that year. I was lounging on the living room couch and our TV just happened to be tuned to the JiangSu TV channel. Anyways, he was singing the Cantonese song 《乱世巨星》with his X-Nine brothers😄 They caught my attention because it was rare to see a bunch of guys singing a Cantonese song on a Mandarin channel😲 My initial reaction was “WOW! When did GuangDong province have a boyband???” Then I noticed one tall guy who stood out because he was the only one in a fringe leather jacket😎 My mind went “He’s kinda cute!” But then quickly shifted to “But they’re a boyband, meh!” And I went back to reading.

The second time was the summer of 2020. Yes, the heavy pandemic year. I was working from home and my mother was binge watching “Our Song” on YouTube. One day out of the blue she said, “Wow! This boy is very hardworking! He’s filming a drama AND making time to be on this show! Come and see!” So I got up and went over. I saw a tall guy in a red plaid shirt with his head down rehearsing with a veteran female singer. I shrugged “Meh!” and went back to my typing. I didn’t see his face nor thought much about it.

Third times the charm and it happened during the afternoon on October 25, 2020. I was in the kitchen when I heard a guy’s voice singing. Oh. My. Heavens! Whomever it was sounded so good!!!😲 The melody was so good! The voice was so perfect! So soothing🥰 It drew me away to the living room to investigate who was singing. And I saw this Chinese guy with an army crewcut and my first thought was “Why do all Chinese guys go for this type of haircut??? Why don’t they grow it out longer?” Of course, little did I know then that Zhan Zhan was in the middle of filming the military drama “Ace Troops”😂After that I went on youtube to search for the song and this guy (still did not know his name). I punched in a phrase of the lyrics in Chinese that I caught, found out the song was “The Brightest Star in the Night Sky,” saw the name Xiao Zhan, and began my search for more of his content. This was when I found out he was that hardworking young actor my mom was talking about. I ended up watching the whole first season of ‘Our Song.” I fell more in love with his voice.

I soon started following him on Weibo and from there discovered his Oasis. I also started following Xiao Zhan fan groups on Facebook just to get news about him. This was when I learned about the 227💩storm that happened earlier that year that was 101% orchestrated by his antis—📢Message to the antis (you know who you are): may the fleas from a thousand camels continue to infest your armpits and all your hairy areas for all eternity! And may your arms be too short to scratch it!

After a few month of searching for all things Xiao Zhan and watching all his interviews on youtube, December 5th came and I, along with many XFX worldwide, watched his “Running to You With All I Have” performance after his two month hiatus from appearances and the stage. I saw how everyone in the live chat was super elated and tearing up because he’s been silent with no updates and no appearances for so long. Then a few weeks later came the Tencent Video All Star Night 2020 on December 21. This was the defining moment when I officially joined the Xiao FeiXia fandom. That moment when the Red Sea happened, the tears swimming in his eyes, that smile, the slightly choked voice in the midst of his fans chanting his name and crying. You don’t have to be there to feel it. I felt it from watching in front of my monitor.

Xiao Zhan, we will always be here

I really appreciate Xiao Zhan. Everything about him is worth it. I love his mind, I love how he stays true to his principles and values, I love how much he loves his country, China. I love his unwavering self-discipline and perseverance. Each one of his steady footsteps is full of purpose no matter if he has to fight hard against the wind to reach his destination. He’s always thinking about growing, improving, never settling for any less than giving it all he’s got to reach the next rung on the ladder going sky-high. To be a better version of himself than he was yesterday. I love how he always encourages those who love him to do the same—to be better versions of ourselves. He’s such an interesting soul with so much talent and good energy to give. He’s a ray of reliable sunshine in this chaotic world of uncertainty. Since knowing him, following him, and being inspired by him I feel like there is something to look forward to in this world after all.

肖烟四起 为战而来！我们永远都在！🦐