Xue Tao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xue Tao (薛涛)
Alias(es)	“Brother Tao”; Xue Zhitiao (WeChat name) 74 277
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Jiangcheng University; Computer Science; Dormitory 510 8 325
Occupation/Role	University student
First Appearance	Chapter 3 3

Background / History

Xue Tao is a Jiangcheng local whose family benefited from demolition and resettlement. They own four apartments, and he receives a monthly allowance of 10,000 yuan; he repeatedly treats these assets as proof of his social value. His father is Xue Datao, whose dress sense and blunt, status-conscious demeanor strongly resemble Xue Tao’s. 3 57 192 193

At the start of university, Xue Tao pursues Liu Yuanyuan after recognizing that the girl he truly liked in the “goddess dorm” had too many suitors. He compensates for his insecurity by presenting himself as a wealthy, experienced local, organizing an elaborate confession at Hongyun State Banquet and frequently boasting about his connections, properties, and car. 3 9

His Magotan and later second-hand Porsche Cayenne initially sustain his image, but Su Bai’s genuine wealth repeatedly undermines it. Xue Tao becomes anxious after seeing Su Bai’s luxury residence, expensive watch, and vehicles, and eventually realizes that Su Bai’s background is far beyond his own. 49 97 156 182

Appearance

Xue Tao has a slightly plump build and a recognizable pigeon-toed running gait. 540

• Often wears conspicuous branded clothing and equipment, including a fluorescent-logo windbreaker and full Arc’teryx hiking gear. 459 587
• Has a habit of overequipping for sports and fitness activities, making his gear more noticeable than his actual performance. 280
• His fashion choices are associated by others with a flashy, nouveau-riche image. 193 459

Personality

Xue Tao is outspoken, vain, and eager to be noticed. He openly enjoys being in the spotlight and wants to become a prominent campus figure so he can meet “higher-class” girls. When meeting attractive strangers, he becomes shy and rambling, usually working his Jiangcheng background and four apartments into the conversation. 39 57 280

His confidence is fragile and heavily tied to money, cars, romance, and masculinity. He often reacts to setbacks with stubborn rationalizations, jealousy, or conspicuous boasting, while his emotions are usually visible on his face. 60 156 182 611

Despite this, he is capable of self-improvement after humiliation or failure. He takes up fitness, gains measurable stamina, becomes temporarily serious about academics, and repeatedly seeks Su Bai’s advice when he cannot handle a relationship problem alone. 236 481 541 611

Interests & Self-Improvement

Fitness Training

After an unsuccessful intimate encounter with Liu Yuanyuan, Xue Tao decides that exercise is necessary to improve himself. He purchases a 5,000-yuan gym package after being persuaded by a saleswoman and hires a female personal trainer. 236 281

• Sets a 40 kg bench-press target but struggles due to minimal experience and insufficient strength. 280 281 282
• Continues training even while attempting to study for exams. 294
• Improves from nearly collapsing after two slow laps to completing five or six laps without issue. 541
• Later becomes intensely interested in hiking and outdoor equipment, partly as a way to regain confidence after his hospitalization. 587

Academics

Xue Tao struggles with mathematics and Computer Science coursework. Although he posts library updates that suggest diligence, he is initially too distracted to study effectively and ultimately fails an exam. 153 294 325

• Announces a renewed commitment to career and study after his relationship troubles. 481
• Begins the following semester with detailed notes, formulas, energy bars, and a stated plan to attend classes, complete homework promptly, and sleep before midnight. 611
• Attributes much of his earlier poor performance to Liu Yuanyuan, the classroom temperature, dorm noise, and Chu Mingzhe’s social-media posts. 611

Outdoor Activities

Xue Tao becomes a self-styled outdoor enthusiast, collecting professional-looking hiking gear and presenting himself as knowledgeable about camping. 459 461

• Brings a 60-liter hiking backpack, multi-tool, high-powered flashlight, and other specialized equipment to the Tianrong Mountain trip. 459
• Struggles to keep up on the mountain despite boasting about his outdoor ability. 460
• Later proposes taking Huang Ran on an undeveloped Black Wind Ridge route, but reconsiders after Su Bai warns him about its danger and legality. 587

Equipment / Vehicles

• Magotan 330 — His first-year university car and a frequent subject of his boasts. 3 49 57
• Second-hand Porsche Cayenne — Obtained from his parents to impress Liu Yuanyuan; later overshadowed by Su Bai’s customized Panamera. 153 156
• Outdoor gear — Includes a 60-liter hiking backpack, specialized belt, multi-tool, high-powered flashlight, and expensive branded clothing. 459 587
• Gym course — A 5,000-yuan training package purchased after sales pressure at the campus gym. 281

Relationships

• Su Bai — Roommate, comparison point, and reluctant adviser. Xue Tao initially competes with and resents Su Bai, but becomes intimidated after learning the scale of Su Bai’s wealth and later seeks his help with fitness, breakups, and relationship conflicts. 49 182 236 438 541
• Liu Yuanyuan — Former girlfriend. Their relationship is shaped by spending, mutual manipulation, jealousy, and repeated arguments; Xue Tao eventually views her as a major source of his academic and personal troubles. 25 226 419 457 611
• Huang Ran — Later girlfriend. Their closeness begins through late-night King of Glory sessions; Xue Tao sees her as less argumentative than Liu Yuanyuan, though her requests continue to strain his finances and confidence. 437 445 541 542
• Chu Mingzhe / Hu Ye — Roommate and frequent rival. Both are fond of showing off, compete over relationships, and regularly mock each other’s shortcomings. 8 234 490
• Wang Haoran — Roommate. Wang Haoran is often indifferent to Xue Tao’s attempts to impress others, but joins the dorm’s fitness activities and occasionally hears out his relationship problems. 280 282 437
• Xue Datao — Father. A local property owner whose mannerisms, fashion sense, and bluntness visibly resemble Xue Tao’s. 192 193

Story Role / Major Arcs

Liu Yuanyuan Relationship

Xue Tao begins dating Liu Yuanyuan early in university and treats the relationship as validation of his wealth and appeal. His spending escalates through gifts, travel, and the Cayenne, while Liu Yuanyuan increasingly uses material expectations and intermittent affection to influence him. 9 153 156

During their Thailand trip, Xue Tao buys a fake jade bracelet and later leaves for a bar after their conflict. Their attempted intimacy ends in an embarrassing failure, prompting Xue Tao to seek Su Bai’s advice and begin fitness training. 226 235 236

Camping Love Triangle and Hospitalization

As Xue Tao becomes closer to Huang Ran, Liu Yuanyuan remains entangled with him while also drawing attention from an Outdoor Association vice president. Xue Tao joins a Tianrong Mountain camping trip intending to confront the situation, but becomes overwhelmed by the love triangle. 437 457 459

He is hospitalized after being kicked in the groin while trying to break up a fight between Liu Yuanyuan and Huang Ran. His main concern afterward is determining who should pay his medical expenses. 466

Attempted Reinvention

Following the hospitalization, Xue Tao declares that wealth and dating are superficial and promises to prioritize his career and studies. He ignores Huang Ran temporarily while focusing on final exams. 481

By the new semester, he presents a structured study plan and credits Huang Ran’s comparatively low-conflict behavior for giving him the conditions to succeed, though his roommates remain skeptical. 611

Notable Quotes

“Love without material possessions is like a pile of sand, scattering with the first gust of wind...” 276

“So-called love is like a pile of loose sand, it doesn't even need the wind to blow, it scatters after two steps.” 481

“This semester, work my ass off!” 611

Trivia

• Xue Tao’s recurring boast is that his family owns four apartments in Jiangcheng. 3 57 280
• He is easily persuaded by flattery and sales tactics, despite recognizing those tactics beforehand. 281
• He once wore a No. 23 jersey for a departmental basketball game and sent Liu Yuanyuan a selfie asking whether he looked handsome. 277
• His classmates increasingly treat his boasting as entertainment after his hospitalization turns him into a comedic figure around the college. 491