“Why didn’t anyone tell me this before?” Zhao Lusi joked in a recent response to fans who pointed out his mistake — a funny mistake that may have led to one of the year’s most bizarre social media trends.
Chinese actress Zhao Lusi unexpectedly kicked off a new “bad luck cleaning” craze when she changed her Douyin profile photo to a bunch of pomelo leaves, or so she thought.
In fact, fans immediately noticed that the leaves in his avatar resembled lemon or orange leaves, not the real pomelo. After fans informed her, Zhao Lusi jokingly admitted the mistake and promptly switched to the correct pomelo leaves, strengthening her lighthearted confidence in their ability to ward off bad luck.
This seemingly innocent move took on a deeper meaning in the context of Zhao Lusi’s turbulent year. In August 2025, the actress publicly accused her agency, Galaxy Cool Entertainment, of financial misconduct and threats of blacklisting, sparking widespread concern in the industry. By November, Zhao had terminated his contract and was rebuilding his career independently.
In this time of uncertainty, Zhao’s use of pomelo leaves, a traditional Southeast Asian symbol of spiritual cleansing, has struck a chord with many. Fans rallied behind her, changing their profile photos to pomelo leaves in a show of solidarity and in hopes of channeling her renewed good fortune.
