Xu Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xu Yan (许艳)
Alias(es)	Big Sister Xu; Director Xu
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	State Security Bureau; formerly the Chengxi Branch Bureau in Jingcheng and the Fenzhou City State Security Bureau 53 445
Occupation/Role	Former Deputy Director and General Affairs Department Director of the Chengxi Branch Bureau; later Director of the Fenzhou City State Security Bureau; subsequently a Deputy Department-level State Security official 53 445 1323 1512
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 53

Career

Position / Development	Chapter	Details
Deputy Director, Chengxi Branch Bureau	53	A Party Committee member who concurrently directs the General Affairs Department; holds significant influence over the branch's deputy-director selection.
Advocate for Dong Xuebin's promotion	61 75	Supports Dong's deputy-director candidacy and argues that his frontline achievements outweigh seniority.
Director, Fenzhou City State Security Bureau	416 422 445	Dong and Yang Zhaode help secure her transfer; she later appears in Fenzhou as the bureau's newly appointed director.
Deputy Department-level appointment	1323 1512	Minister Lü offers her a Deputy Department Director post in the provincial State Security Department; she later holds Deputy Department-level status.

Background

Xu Yan spent her career in State Security and was already an experienced operative before moving into senior administrative work. During Dong Xuebin's early days at the Chengxi Branch Bureau, she was his direct superior: reserved and decisive in the office, but willing to recognize his ability and advocate for him when others discounted his youth or lack of seniority 53 61 75.

She is divorced and has a son, Xu Chao. Her son primarily lived with her former husband and visited her under an agreed arrangement, a situation that remained a major source of stress and conflict for her 60 420. Her former husband, Wang Sen, was physically abusive; Xu Yan later sought custody of Xu Chao after he struck her again 1303 1304.

Dong used his connections to help arrange her transfer from Jingcheng to Fenzhou, where she became Director of the Fenzhou City State Security Bureau 416 422 445. While there, she continued to act as both Dong's adviser and a stabilizing influence on his impulsive conduct 445 1050.

Appearance

Xu Yan initially presents herself in conservative professional clothing, often with permed or tied-up hair. Early descriptions note a faint spot near her eye and an unassuming appearance offset by a capable, decisive bearing 53.

A photograph from her thirties reveals that she had once been strikingly beautiful, with Dong recognizing both her and her young son in the image only after she identifies herself 584. Dong's repeated use of REVERSE, disguised as massage treatment, gradually restores her appearance and physical condition to that of her thirties 586 654 854.

• Her rejuvenation removes or reduces freckles, wrinkles, loose skin, and old physical signs of aging 586 855.
• By the most dramatic treatment, she appears approximately thirty-four or thirty-five years old 854.
• Her younger body improves her speed, reactions, and endurance in sparring 855.

Personality

Xu Yan is mature, practical, and politically perceptive. Where Dong Xuebin tends toward direct confrontation, she prefers controlled pressure, indirect leverage, and measured escalation. During the Dafeng County dispute, she uses a quiet drive through the county to test whether anyone is following them, demonstrating the sort of political subtlety Dong admits he lacks 446.

She is deeply protective of people she considers her own—especially Xu Chao and Dong. She can be stern when Dong acts recklessly, but her criticism is consistently paired with support, forgiveness, and practical guidance 150 1322. Her maternal concern for Dong is strong enough that she calls him her “godson,” though their relationship later becomes intimate and more complicated 583 992.

Despite her composed public demeanor, Xu Yan is capable of anger and defiance when her son is threatened. At the Military District, she refuses to accept evasions or procedural excuses and insists on taking Xu Chao home 998 1000.

Abilities & Skills

State Security Training

Xu Yan is a veteran State Security agent with formal operational training and experience.

• Trained in firearms use, though she has spent years in clerical and leadership positions 582.
• Practices close-quarters “one-move kill” techniques rather than sport fighting 582.
• Easily throws and restrains Dong Xuebin repeatedly when he does not use his time-based abilities 582 583.
• Disarms and subdues Military District sentries through grappling techniques while attempting to reach her son 998.

Hand-to-Hand Combat

Xu Yan's combat style emphasizes timing, leverage, throws, and joint control over raw strength.

• Uses over-the-shoulder throws and grappling to defeat Dong in sparring 582.
• Her combat ability improves noticeably after rejuvenation, with faster movements and stronger physical performance 855.
• Dong considers her superior to him in ordinary hand-to-hand combat when he does not use STOP or REVERSE 855.

Political Judgment and Mentorship

Xu Yan is an experienced bureaucratic operator and one of Dong's most trusted advisers.

• Supports Dong's promotion by presenting his concrete achievements to senior leadership 75 139.
• Warns Dong that his temper and confrontational habits can damage his career, particularly at the grassroots level 166 150.
• Advises him to seek advancement through higher-level organizational channels and transfers rather than expecting an immediate promotion 1050.
• Uses subtle countermeasures against political opponents instead of Dong's preferred direct confrontations 446.

Rejuvenation Through REVERSE

Xu Yan possesses no stated supernatural ability of her own. Her restored appearance and physical condition result from Dong Xuebin applying REVERSE to her while presenting it as traditional Chinese medicine massage.

• The first treatment lightens her freckles, removes wrinkles, and makes her appear nearly a year younger 586.
• Later treatments affect her entire body rather than only her face 654.
• The cumulative effect restores her apparent age to the mid-thirties 854.

Relationships

• Dong Xuebin — Former subordinate, protégé, confidant, and later intimate partner. Xu Yan champions his career, repeatedly advises him, and remains one of the few people able to restrain him 61 150 583 1050.
• Xu Chao — Her son. His safety and custody are Xu Yan's foremost personal concerns; she confronts the Military District to retrieve him after he is detained 998 1000.
• Wang Sen — Former husband. Their marriage ended in divorce, and Xu Yan later reveals that he had physically abused her 420 1303 1304.
• Zhang Longjuan — Longtime friend and old classmate. They share a familiar, teasing friendship rooted in their school years 1510 1512.
• Song Shoujie — Old classmate and State Security colleague who visits her when she is ill and worries about her personal and professional situation 422.
• Yu Meixia — Friend who bonds with Xu Yan over their shared experiences as mothers and single women raising children 1043 1049.

Major Incidents

Support for Dong Xuebin's Early Career

Xu Yan becomes Dong's crucial supporter during the Chengxi Branch Bureau's deputy-director selection. She publicly argues that his ability to resolve crises and take responsibility matters more than conventional seniority, helping secure his advancement 61 75.

Transfer to Fenzhou

After encountering career stagnation and difficulties with Director Zhen, Xu Yan learns that her transfer to Fenzhou has been approved. Dong's efforts and Yang Zhaode's intervention are instrumental in securing the appointment 416 422.

Rejuvenation Treatments

After Dong offers to treat her freckles and wrinkles, Xu Yan agrees despite initial skepticism. The treatments progressively reverse her visible aging and eventually restore much of her former appearance and physical vitality 585 586 654 854.

Military District Standoff

When Xu Chao and his classmates are detained following a conflict with Commander Liu Guowei's son, Xu Yan personally goes to the Military District. She refuses to back down despite armed resistance, and ultimately works with Dong to retrieve the students 996 998 1000 1002.

Promotion to Deputy Department Level

Minister Lü offers Xu Yan a transfer to Dong's province as a Deputy Department Director. Xu Yan believes the offer partly reflects the belief that she can keep Dong's reckless behavior under control 1323 1324.

Notable Quotes

“I must take my son back today!” 998

“If you have the ability, arrest me too!” 998