Xia Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xia Yan (夏焱)
Alias(es)	Lao Shui; Yan Yan 64 123
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	University; formerly involved with the Student Council 29 296
Occupation/Role	University student; part-time computer assembler and repair worker 123 130
Status	Engaged to Hua Xin 341 453
First Appearance	Chapter 11

Background / History

Xia Yan grew up introverted and unsociable. He sought his parents’ attention through academic achievement, but their divorce and new families left him feeling abandoned. He was also bullied at school, while teachers blamed him for the incidents rather than protecting him. 453

After moving in with his grandfather, Xia Jianjun, Xia Yan gained a stable parental figure who took him out and supported him. He excelled academically and once intended to join the army, but chose to remain at university after meeting Hua Xin, whose isolation and past bullying reminded him of his younger self. 52 453

His outward image as a gentle, popular, high-achieving student contrasts with a childhood shaped by loneliness and bullying. He often suppresses his own needs, pushes himself hard, and prioritizes others’ feelings. 157 186

Appearance

Xia Yan is a handsome, well-built young man with a polished and gentlemanly presence that frequently attracts attention. He can present formally when needed, including appearing onstage in a suit with prepared speech notes. 33 348

• Fair-skinned hands marked by healed abrasions, pinch marks, and other work-related scars. 130
• Maintains a neat, stylish appearance when meeting Hua Xin. 250
• Has a gentle smile and a composed public demeanor. 33

Personality

Xia Yan is disciplined, responsible, and considerate. He maintains routines, takes on work and school responsibilities, and readily helps others even when doing so places additional pressure on him. 11 123 157

His kindness is especially apparent in his treatment of Hua Xin: rather than judging her isolation, he patiently helps her re-enter social life because he recognizes aspects of his former self in her. 52 170

Despite his usual politeness, Xia Yan can be decisive when his boundaries or relationship are challenged. He refuses Lin Qingyu’s attempts to draw him back into contact, deletes and blocks her, and publicly identifies Hua Xin as his fiancée. 214 268 341

Abilities & Skills

Computer Assembly and Repair

Xia Yan works part-time installing computers and handling computer parts for clients.

• Assembles and repairs computers during holidays and spare time. 123 130
• His hands bear marks from physical repair work. 130
• Continues working despite exhaustion and an overloaded schedule. 123 129

Social Organization

Xia Yan is capable of coordinating people and arranging practical support for group activities.

• Recruits Mu Feng and Xiang Guan to help with the Student Council welcome event. 29
• Uses incentives and personal understanding to motivate his roommates. 29
• Creates and shares a plan intended to help Hua Xin gradually change her life. 52

Emotional Support

Xia Yan provides Hua Xin with a consistent sense of safety and practical support.

• Learns about Hua Xin’s experiences through the counselor and approaches her with patience rather than pity alone. 52
• Helps resolve social situations Hua Xin finds overwhelming. 170
• Listens to Hua Xin’s grief and reassures her when she fears that good people cannot live long. 287

Cooking

Xia Yan regularly prepares food for Hua Xin and uses meals as a way to care for her.

• Personally cooks stir-fries alongside food he buys for shared dinners. 377 497
• Eats in a restrained, orderly manner compared with Hua Xin’s enthusiastic appetite. 436
• Brings food home after work and discusses his day with Hua Xin over dinner. 465

Relationships

• Hua Xin — Childhood friend, online girlfriend, partner, and fiancée. Xia Yan first approaches her after learning of her troubled past, later confirming their relationship publicly and becoming engaged to her. 52 81 341 453
• Xia Jianjun — Grandfather and father figure. Xia Jianjun cared for Xia Yan after his parents’ divorce; he dies shortly after Xia Yan and Hua Xin become engaged. 453
• Lin Qingyu — Student Council associate and persistent admirer. Xia Yan initially rehearses and appears onstage with her, but later establishes firm distance, leaves the Student Council, and blocks her. 28 33 268 296
• Liu Ruoyun — Admirer whose possessiveness becomes apparent after Xia Yan confirms Hua Xin is his girlfriend. 81
• Mu Feng — Roommate and friend. Xia Yan comforts him over games and recruits him for welcome-party activities. 29
• Xiang Guan — Roommate and friend. Xia Yan involves him in Student Council activities and maintains a playful dormitory friendship with him. 29 214

Story Role / Major Arcs

Helping Hua Xin

After learning about Hua Xin’s experiences from their counselor, Xia Yan approaches her because her circumstances resemble his own past. He gives her a plan meant to help her change her life and asks his roommates to help make her welcome-party experience less isolating. 29 52

Online Girlfriend Revelation

Xia Yan receives messages from an unknown QQ user claiming to be a virtual pet cat and asking to become his girlfriend. The user is Hua Xin, and their relationship becomes increasingly intimate once their identities are acknowledged. 11 111

Public Confirmation of His Relationship

Xia Yan calmly confirms that Hua Xin is his girlfriend when confronted by Liu Ruoyun and Lin Qingyu. This revelation provokes jealousy from both women and makes Hua Xin’s concealed identity increasingly difficult to maintain. 81 98

Rejecting Lin Qingyu

As Lin Qingyu continues pursuing him, Xia Yan becomes increasingly direct. He refuses further private discussion, prioritizes Hua Xin, deletes and blocks Lin Qingyu, and leaves the Student Council. 214 268 296

Engagement

When Lin Qingyu confronts Hua Xin at the dormitory, Xia Yan openly introduces Hua Xin as his girlfriend and states that they have become engaged. 341

Alternate Scenario: “What If Xia Yan Became a Girl?”

In the non-canonical extra storyline, Xia Yan wakes up transformed into a woman. His physical body, identification, photographs, social-media history, and other people’s memories are rewritten to depict him as female; Hua Xin is the only person who remembers the original male Xia Yan. 402 406 408

• His former muscular physique is replaced by a slender female body with waist-length hair. 402 407
• He initially experiences shock, grief, and a profound identity crisis over the loss of his former self. 403 406 417
• He turns his attention toward helping Hua Xin confront social anxiety, improve his appearance, and gain confidence through the Hua Xin Transformation Plan. 418 421 422
• Xia Yan later recognizes her jealousy toward Lin Qingyu and acknowledges romantic feelings for Hua Xin. 424 425 430
• The initially fake relationship becomes genuine after Xia Yan confesses her love to Hua Xin. 426 431

Notable Quotes

“Love isn't about begging for pity or being set up by others; it's about your own effort and strength.” 88

“Senior, this is my girlfriend. We just got engaged a while ago.” 341