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| Zheng DanNi Graduates from GNZ48 and SNH48 GROUP, Pens Emotional Open Letter to Fans |
Zheng DanNi — who’s been on the 48G stage for nearly a decade — has officially announced her graduation from GNZ48.
After nine years in the game, the 24-year-old idol is stepping off the glittering stage to chase a new kind of light.
You might know her from GNZ48’s Team NIII, or more recently, her concurrent role in SNH48’s Team HII.
And of course, she’s also part of the 5IRE project.
But after years of juggling stages, struggles, and stomachaches, DanNi’s decided to finally put herself first.
On Weibo, she penned a long, deeply personal letter to her fans — or, as she fondly calls them, her “蛋包饭” (omelette rice). And yes, we’re crying a little.
“This might be the last time I appear before you as a 48G idol,” she wrote. “But believe me, the next time we meet, we’ll be starting a brand new chapter together.”
DanNi reflects on being just 15 years old — trembling as she held a mic, chasing a red-hot dream into a world full of both starlight and thorns.
And she’s carried that dream for nearly a decade, through countless performances, blurry rehearsals, and late nights full of both hope and heartbreak.
But it wasn’t easy.
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| SNH48 Theater/Weibo |
She opened up about how the pressure, expectations, and constant self-discipline started to chip away at her.
How applause faded into silence, how the chase for “respect” made her forget how to take care of herself — skipping meals, counting painkillers in a corner, pushing herself to “run faster” even when her body screamed stop.
“I thought if I ran fast enough, I’d earn respect,” she admits. “But I ended up locking my free spirit behind contract clauses and fake smiles.”
It’s clear this isn’t a decision made in haste.
She’s been wrestling with it for a long time — trying to balance her love for performing with the toll it’s taken on her health and happiness.
But ultimately, she chose growth over compromise, clarity over confusion.
“I want to open my arms to every kind of scenery and turn life into a never-ending feast,” she wrote. “Because life isn’t a ticket with an expiry date — it’s a wild field that belongs to me.”
And no, this isn’t her disappearing — it’s just a shift. A transformation.
The start of a different kind of story.
She's not giving up on dreams, she's just rewriting the script — one that lets her shine without the mask.
“If life were a film, I refuse to let DanNi’s idol chapter fade away in compromise. Even if the road ahead is full of thorns, I want her final shot to sparkle.”
To her fans, she’s endlessly grateful — recalling every letter at handshake events, every whispered “eat well”, and every blue lightstick in the crowd.
She promised they’ll meet again, in a different form maybe, but with the same heart.
“The best reunion always happens when we’re both running towards each other.”
It’s not a farewell, it’s a rebirth. She ends her letter with a gentle question that feels more like a promise:
“Would you still be willing to walk alongside this stubborn dreamer and finish our sky full of stars together?”
Read her full message on Zheng DanNi's Weibo.
Translation below:
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"This may be the last time I appear before you as a 48 Group idol. But please believe — the next time we meet, we will together begin an entirely new chapter, written by our own hands.
Nine years ago, a 15-year-old girl, trembling as she held a microphone, stepped hesitantly onto a path woven with both starlight and thorns, guided by a dream that burned brightly in her heart. Along the way, we witnessed many sunrises together, etched our marks amidst the tides of competition, and counted our unfinished regrets in the stillness of the night.
The decision I now make is precisely so that my future self will not be burdened by deeper regret.
As I look back on the mornings and stardust we’ve gathered over the years, the blue oceans of light at every performance, and those gentle reminders at each meeting — “Make sure to eat well” — all of these have become a quiet yet powerful force, forging the emotional bond I share with this profession.
Those words have always struck me deeply, because each time I heard them, they gently reminded me of something I often forgot in my busy routine: to take care of myself. These days, I am constantly rushing — to the point that stomach pain sets in, or I only realise I haven’t eaten when I need to take medicine.
And through all this, I’ve come to realise: there are people in this world who, though not connected by blood, are family in every other sense.
I used to think, just as the company said, that if I didn’t fight for general elections or juggle every responsibility, these people would leave without hesitation. But their truest, most sincere wish has always been a simple one — for me to live in good health and happiness.
So, as the applause fades in the darkness, and I find myself day after day counting out pills in a corner, forcing myself with near-obsessive discipline to “run a little faster”, I have forgotten how to embrace myself with gentleness.
Perhaps I believed that if I ran hard enough, I would earn respect — yet in doing so, I unwittingly imprisoned the very soul that was meant to be free, locked away by contractual terms and masked expectations.
I once aspired to be a dream-maker who shared joy with others. But somewhere along the way, I nearly lost sight of my own light.
And once one gains clarity — how can one continue weaving a dream that has become untouchable?
It is often said that a hundred years from now, the world will erase all traces of our existence. That the meaning of life lies simply in the few decades of genuine heartbeats and breaths we are given. If that is true, then why must I remain trapped in a journey that has long bound my soul?
I want to open my heart and embrace every landscape, allowing life to become an unbounded celebration — for life should never be a ticket with an expiration date, but a wilderness that is wholly one’s own.
If life is like a film, then as the director of the story called “Zheng DanNi”, I refuse to let her idol years fade into compromise. Even if the road ahead is lined with thorns, I shall strive to give her a dazzling final shot — here and now, let the lens forever capture the spark in my eyes.
The clauses that trade “freedom” for life, the rules that demand I wear a mask — let them stay in the old script.
At 24, I will forge a new key from nine years of accumulated light and warmth, to unlock a universe where starlight may shine freely once more. This is not an escape — it is a journey in pursuit of a broader sky, powered by the courage you have given me.
All the passions buried temporarily by reality, all the truths left unspoken, will take root and grow in new soil. I promise — when we meet again, you will see a version of Zheng DanNi that is closer to her true self. A starlight that finally shines freely after breaking free of its chains.
Please grant me a little more time, and a little more courage, so that we may continue walking this path together — to create the kind of happiness that truly touches the heart. As long as even one person is willing to wait, I will never be alone — for the best reunions always happen when both are running toward each other.
This early summer, in the third spiral arm of the galaxy, I — at 24 years old — see my direction more clearly than ever before. Come with me — because in my blueprint for the future, you are always the stars I cannot do without. ♥
Even through a thousand trials, I will carry the torch against the wind — until the bitterness gives way to sweetness once more.
I love you all, and I sincerely ask for your continued understanding and support.
This is a letter from Zheng DanNi to all my beloved “Omelette Rice”.
Please don’t be sad — this is not a fleeting shooting star.
The heartfelt letters at handshake events, the determined gazes we exchanged as the stage lifted and fell, and the promise we made to “become better people” — these fragments of light have long since become part of the very fibres of our lives.
To remain trapped upstream in pursuit of “status”, at the cost of one’s health, happiness, and freedom — is perhaps the greatest betrayal of one’s original purpose. I tried, countless times, to compromise. But after a long struggle, I’ve come to understand: true growth is never built on self-denial or betrayal.
To those of you who have read this far — this is not the end. It is the beginning of a new journey we now embark on, side by side. The moments we will share in the future will be many — only in a different form. The dreams and love remain unchanged, but now they need a wider sky in which to blossom.
And to each of you — when life becomes difficult, please believe in yourself. This courage to “live for yourself” will be the armour that helps you push through every hardship.
Remember — somewhere in a parallel world, there is a girl running alongside you. Though our paths may differ, we will meet again on a clear day — perhaps at the moment the next spotlight shines, or in the quiet harmony of a shared melody.
And so, I leave you with this “wilful” invitation:
Would you be willing to continue walking with this stubborn dreamer, to complete this unfinished puzzle of stars together?
All those passions temporarily sealed away by reality, all the words left unsaid — I promise, they will blossom again in a new season."