Zheng Peng (; born July 6, 2002), known professionally as Zi Yu (), is a Chinese singer and actor. He made his first public appearance on the Chinese idol survival program, We Are Young (2020), followed by Youth With You 3 (2021). He later made his debut under Huakaibanxia Culture as a member of Guanghe Shaonian, and would leave the group and agency in 2023.
Zi Yu gained widespread recognition for his lead role in the web novel-adapted drama series, Revenged Love (2025).
Early life Zi Yu was born Zheng Peng on July 6, 2002, in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China, where he spent the first years of his life. In early 2020, he was scouted online and moved to Beijing to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
Career 2020–2021: We Are Young and Youth With You 3 In June 2020, Zi participated in the male group reality competition show, We Are Young, representing Huakaibanxia Culture as a trainee. He failed to debut in the final group, being eliminated at 33rd place.
In January 2021, he participated in the iQIYI-produced boy group competition reality show Youth With You 3 alongside four other trainees from Huakaibanxia Culture. He ranked 22nd in the first elimination, 21st in the second, and was ultimately eliminated at 31st place during the third, missing his chance to debut again. Although none sent by Huakaibanxia Culture made it into the final group, Zi finished with the highest ranking among these trainees.
2021–2023: Guanghe Boys and departure Shortly after Youth With You 3, he debuted on June 25, 2021, as center in the C-Pop idol boy group Guanghe Shaonian () managed by Huakaibanxia Culture. They made their debut with their first mini album, New Light. The group never managed to achieve widespread popularity, their most successful hit being their final single, "Shake That," which was released on January 13, 2022.
Along with his musical career, Zi Yu started his acting debut in the TV series《將軍在下》, which began filming on August 25, 2022. He portrayed the character Xiao Jun.
In December 2022, it was reported that Zi was bullied by Guanghe Shaonian leader Zheng Xingyuan during a group schedule. Huakaibanxia Culture denied these allegations, claiming they were false rumors. On January 9, 2023, Zi Yu issued a statement on his personal Weibo account that confirmed he was beaten by his then-teammate Zheng Xingyuan during a group rehearsal on the evening of December 8, 2022. In his statement, he claimed the company did not handle the incident in a justly manner and filed for contract termination on December 31. Huakaibanxia Culture refused to communicate, and the two parties failed to reach a consensus; subsequently, Zi decided to take direct legal action. Following his departure from the group, the band quietly dissolved shortly after.
Zi was eventually able to terminate his exclusive artist contract. Since he filed for early termination, he was obligated to pay a penalty fee of RMB 600'000 for breach of contract.
2024–present: Film roles and career relaunch Following his departure from his previous company, Zi appeared in various short format dramas such as Why Did Secretary Duan Behave Like That? and The Tyrant's Reluctant Consort.
On June 16, 2025, the television series Revenged Love premiered, in which Zi portrayed the protagonist Wu Suowei. It marked his first main role in a full-length web series, and brought him greater public attention from people in China and internationally. He went on to perform at twelve music festivals, take part in multiple brand ambassadorships, and embarked on his first concert tour.
The Ruihe YouTube Channel launched on April 29, 2026, with an announcement of releasing his Jisuxiaoyu Concert Tour 2026 First Phase Documentary. The Zi Yu Studio YouTube Channel launched on June 21, 2026, accumulating over 5,200 subscribers within hours of opening.
On May 6, 2026, he topped the Pioneer Group in TME Chart's 30 Under 30 "Top Young Singers" selection, earning recognition as one of the leading young Chinese artist in the market.
On August 20, 2026 interview by New Beijing News about the making of his song "Run It" was released. It covers topics such as his soon to be released self titled album "Ziyu", his personal growth from leaving his hometown for Beijing at 17 to holding his own concert tour at the age of 23.
Media appearances On May 23, 2026, Zi was invited to perform at China Film Association Event at Xi'an. On May 29, Zi appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan China. The limited edition of 100,000 copies sold out within two seconds, generating ¥5.5 million in sales, according to official reports.
Commercial performances +Brand AmbassadorshipsBrandDateDetailsVita YoungSeptember 2025—YayaOctober 2025—FuncinatingNovember 2025BaiduNovember 2025NeteaseDecember 2025KiehlsDecember 2025uSmileJanuary 2026SerovaJanuary 2026Charlotte TilburyMarch 2026WuGuMoFangJune 2026Funcinating GismowAugust 2026NiveaSeptember 2026uTree September 2026
Philanthropy 2025 In May, Zi participated in the Light and Health Public Welfare Tour, which supported rural education and hearing-impaired children.
In September, he was appointed as the Ear Care Project Love Ambassador for the China Hearing Medical Development Foundation, donating a total of 200,000 yuan to support the hearing-impaired community, and released the charity theme song "Hengxing" ("Stellar") to raise awareness. The same year, he visited rehabilitation centers for hearing-impaired children, where he interacted with special education teachers and the children, including activities like drawing, puzzles, and playing together. Additionally, he donated a "Little Fish Love Library" to Sanjiang Central School in Rongjiang County, Guizhou, benefiting all 524 students (including 328 boarding students) and filling the gap in reading resources for the school.
He served as an "aesthetic education star promoter" for the After-Class One Hour public welfare project, teaming up with Bazaar Charity, WeCharité, and FUNCINATING to support the donation and transformation of Aesthetic Education Classrooms for rural children.
In late 2025, following a major fire in Hong Kong's Taipo Hongfu Court, Zi donated 500,000 yuan through the China Social Assistance Foundation to support fire victims and their families in rebuilding their homes. He also canceled scheduled offline activities to allow the public to focus on disaster relief efforts.
2026 Ziyu continued his charitable work through multiple channels. He remained active in the Light and Health Public Welfare Tour, supporting hearing-impaired children and rural education through donations. He also continued direct community outreach by visiting nursing homes, helping elderly residents with daily tasks, and engaging with their lives.
On 29 August 2026, Ziyu released his debut self-titled studio album, Ziyu, comprising ten tracks. The album ranked first on QQ Music’s full-year album sales chart.
Discography Album Title Year Peak chart positions "Ziyu" (梓渝) 2026 1
Singles Title Year Peak chart positions Album CHNThe Tencent Music Uni chart was launched in September 2018. "How Are You Doing" () 2024 — rowspan="20" "Kiss me, and?" 2025 78 "Call Me" — "Me, Embracing You" — "Firefly Planet" — "Quagmire" 1 "Terminator Line" — "Too Deep" 1 "I Can" () 4 "Her Path, Our Light" 19 "Stellar" 2 "Say I Love You Before Sunrise" 1 "Next Page" — "Sunny Day After Rain" 1 "Deep Sea Wandering Guide" 1 "Unwavering" 1 "Hometown's Moon" (故乡月) 2026 1 "Romance In The Rain" (情深深雨濛濛) 1 "Beyond The Peak" (凌绝顶) 1 "Cosmic Universe" (宇宙游乐场) 1"A Fish Swimming Ashore" (游向陆地的鱼)20261Ziyu"Twenty Four" (贰拾肆)1"Run It"1 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory Soundtrack appearances Title Year Peak chart positions Album CHN "Blooming Freely" () 2025 12 Revenged Love OST
Filmography Web series Year Title Role Notes English Chinese 2024 Why Did Secretary Duan Behave Like That? 段秘书为何那样呢 Duan Jingze 2025 Jing Zhong Mo Sheng Ren 镜中陌生人 Li Yunting Finding You 雾散时吻你 Shen Bufan Just Wanna Be With You 三嫁魔君 Revenged Love 逆爱 Wu Suowei / Wu Qiqiong The Tyrant's Reluctant Consort 朕的妙妃是暴君 Tushan Jin Jing Cheng Zhi Deng Dai Yi Chang Li Bie Xue 京城之等待一场离别雪 Wu Chengxi Guest appearance Qian Tu Wu Liang! Wo Jiao Gong Zi Kai Yin Hang 钱途无量！我教公司开银行 Fu Tingxu
Television Year Title Role Network English Chinese 2023 My Lady General 将军在下 Xiao Ban / Prince Yue / 10th Prince Tencent Video
Video games Year Title Role English Chinese 2025 Road to Empress 女王的游戏：盛世天下 Bianji
Live performances +Music FestivalsCityDateGalaxy Left Bank Music FestivalYanchengJuly 20, 2025Galaxy Left Bank Music FestivalGuiyangAugust 2, 2025Jump Park Music FestivalQingdaoAugust 17, 2025Mango Music FestivalTianjinSeptember 20, 2025Galaxy Left Bank Music FestivalEzhouSeptember 21, 2025Taihu Bay Music FestivalChangzhouOctober 2,2025Taihu Bay Music FestivalChangzhouOctober 4, 2025Galaxy Left Bank Music FestivalLuzhouOctober 5, 2025Galaxy Left Bank Music FestivalGanzhouOctober 25, 2025Galaxy Left Bank Music FestivalPutianNovember 8, 2025Weibo Big Eye Music FestivalNanjingNovember 9, 2025Oxygen Music FestivalHangzhouNovember 16, 2025 Concert Tours Date City Venue You Dian Yi Si Concert Tour 2026 December 19, 2025 Nanjing Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park December 20, 2025 Nanjing December 31, 2025 Guiyang Guiyang International Convention & Exhibition CenterJanuary 1, 2026Guiyang January 16, 2026 Wuhan Optics Valley International Tennis CentreJanuary 17, 2026Wuhan January 18, 2026 WuhanJanuary 30, 2026XiamenXiamen Olympic Sports Center-Phoenix Gymnasium January 31, 2026 XiamenFebruary 1, 2026Xiamen
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