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| Why Did Jin Zihan Block Cai Xukun? Old Youth With You 2 Links Resurface as Studio Clarifies (Photo: Sohu) |
Just as the year was settling into its usual entertainment rhythm, an unexpected social media move flipped the switch on public curiosity. Jin Zihan quietly blocking Cai Xukun suddenly became one of the most talked-about topics online, proving once again that even the smallest digital actions can spark massive discussion when familiar names are involved.
The conversation started on January 28 when Jin Zihan shared a screenshot showing that she had blocked Cai Xukun’s account. Alongside the image, she added a short English caption questioning whether kindness should be mutual. With no added context, the post quickly travelled across platforms, leaving netizens to connect dots that may or may not exist.
What made the situation more intriguing is how little public interaction the two have actually shared.
Their only known connection dates back to 2020 during the talent survival show Youth With You 2, where Cai Xukun appeared as a mentor and Jin Zihan competed as a trainee.
After the show wrapped, there were no collaborations, no visible exchanges, and no public communication between them.
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As speculation began to snowball, Cai Xukun’s studio issued an official response on the same day.
The statement kept things clear and restrained, stressing that any interaction between the two was limited strictly to the show’s filming period and that there had been no personal contact afterward.
The tone was calm, firm, and notably avoided escalating the situation.
Cai Xukun remains one of the most recognisable names to emerge from China’s idol survival era.
Since debuting as the centre and leader of Nine Percent after Idol Producer in 2018, he has continued to build his career across music, performance, and creative projects.
His return as a mentor on Youth With You 2 further cemented his industry standing.
Jin Zihan’s path, however, unfolded quite differently. Though she gained attention during Youth With You 2, she narrowly missed the final debut lineup.
She later debuted with the girl group NAME in late 2021, but her activities slowed in 2023 due to health-related reasons.
In April 2025, she officially announced her departure from the entertainment industry, expressing her wish to live a more ordinary life away from the spotlight.
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Naturally, fan and netizen reactions have been split down the middle. Some see the block as a personal boundary choice, especially considering Jin Zihan has already stepped away from the industry. Others believe the public nature of the post invited unnecessary speculation.
There are also voices calling the situation a classic open-ended mystery, with no clear facts beyond what has been officially stated.
As of now, neither Jin Zihan nor Cai Xukun has personally expanded on the matter beyond the studio’s response. With no further clarification, the discussion continues to evolve online, fuelled largely by interpretation rather than confirmation.
What do you think? Is this simply a private social media decision blown out of proportion, or does it hint at an untold backstory from the past?