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Following the feud with her agency, Zhao Lusi is now at home, doing livestreams, where she's candidly expressing herself, sharing her routine, and even making recommendations. And no, we're not talking about overpriced or foreign luxury items, nor the brands she represents as an ambassador (BVLGARI, Charlotte Tilbury, Jorya, Versace, among multiple others). Instead, the Chinese actress is using her star power to help local businesses.
On August 6, 2025, during a livestream, Zhao Lusi introduced Wild Kudzu Root Tea from Guangyuan, Sichuan, which she had purchased on her own. She emphasized that this was not a brand collaboration, stating she recommended it out of concern that the shop was struggling.
Soon after, the brand's products flew off the shelves. The product's original monthly sales were only a little over 10 orders. Within hours after Zhao's livestream, sales soared to over 2,000 orders, with the shop receiving more than 40,000 visits in a single day. The store's followers skyrocketed from just over 100 to surpassing 1,000.
He Jing, the brand manager, stated that the single-day order volume was equivalent to the total sales of the past seven to eight years combined, calling it a "sky-high traffic surge," and 20 temporary workers had been urgently recruited to work overnight to fulfill orders.
A bamboo mushroom she recommended also boosted the number of viewers in the farmer's livestream audience from a daily average of just 2–3 people to 1,500.
Search volume for bamboo mushrooms rose by 807% in a single day (from 49,394 to 447,957), drawing coverage to multiple local bamboo mushroom industry associations and helping regional specialty products gain wider attention.
Her influence is so immense that Zhao has to stockpile products in advance, knowing she might not be able to get them herself once she recommends them.
Some netizens speculated that there was a financial transaction involved, but the brands clarified that "no promotional fees were paid".
Zhao Lusi has repeatedly stated that she does not do product sales on livestreams, since profits would need to be shared with her agency, and otherwise could constitute a legal violation. This kind of commission-free recommendation became, what the Chinese netizens are calling it, a form of "trustworthy endorsement."
This garnered widespread support from C-netz, who admit that, for the first time, a livestream feels truly genuine — no links, no brand sponsorship, no forced hype, and not a penny of commission involved.
Livestreams loaded with flashy marketing tactics, holiday exclusives, and surprise giveaways have become so overused that audiences are largely desensitized. But Zhao Lusi isn't going with the tide. Rather than chasing views or cashing in on hype, she's genuinely using her influence to bring opportunities to struggling local businesses and farmers and also create job opportunities along the way.
Every time she successfully promotes a niche product, it's like giving ordinary people a chance to improve their lives for years to come. It's no wonder C-netizens are exclaiming: "This is how a celebrity should be," and, "Recommending hard-to-sell local products without playing tricks — that's the right way for celebrities to use their influence."
With China's local businesses, especially those dealing with niche agricultural products, suffering, many charitable organizations have tried to support farmers in the past, but with limited audiences, the results were often unsatisfying. Zhao Lusi, however, has unknowingly addressed these practical problems in the most down-to-earth way.
Unscripted livestreams woven into personal stories make her fans feel close to her — like a girl from next door coming over to share the local specialties hiding in her cabinet.
For farmers, on the other hand, the idea that their products could reach such a wide audience seemed almost unimaginable, and the sudden surge of attention brought a renewed sense of hope, so much so that they even uploaded thank-you videos to express gratitude.
Her livestreams have become more than entertainment — they have become a channel for meaningful social impact, transforming digital attention into real benefits. Overwhelmed by the heartfelt thanks, Zhao Lusi herself was moved. Her reaction reflects more than personal emotion; it is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of sincere, purpose-driven influence, showing that when used thoughtfully, fame can ripple out to create lasting change in people's lives.
Source: Sina Finance, wonwoncity on X
