Chen Yanxi

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Chen Yanxi (陈言希)
Alias(es)	Xixi; Yanzi; Dawa Lixi
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Changchuan University; formerly Changchuan First High School and a Changchuan cat cafe
Occupation/Role	International Finance teacher and visiting professor; economics researcher; formerly a high-school student, cat-cafe shift leader, and part-time tutor
Status	Alive; remains active in Wang Ge and Gu Panyan's lives in the epilogue 355
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Chen Yanxi displayed exceptional intelligence from childhood, learning unusually quickly and consistently attaining top scores. Her parents treated that talent as a vehicle for social advancement, imposing cram schools, demanding near-perfect marks, and responding to poor results with punishment or emotional pressure rather than support 31 32.

At Changchuan First High School, she was a science student who alternated with Wang Ge as one of the school's highest-ranked students. Quiet, highly logical, and habitually reading alone in the library, she initially accepted Wang Ge's company only because he respected her boundaries and approached her sincerely 1 2.

Financial insecurity led her to take part-time work, including employment at a cat cafe. She agreed to pose as Wang Ge's girlfriend in exchange for his help with her work conflict, but repeatedly stressed that she did not intend to form an intimate relationship 1 15 23. The arrangement gradually became emotionally meaningful to her, a realization she worked through in her diary 15.

She planned to leave Changchuan after graduation and eventually ran away from home. During her absence, she underwent what she calls a personal “reconstruction,” re-examining the beliefs formed under her parents' control and developing a stronger commitment to freedom, equality, and self-determination 50 81 100 208.

After leaving, Chen published several high-quality economics papers under the pen name [Chen], attracting widespread attention from scholars. She later returned to Changchuan University as an International Finance teacher and visiting professor, reuniting with Wang Ge when he unexpectedly found her teaching his class 170 177.

Appearance

Chen Yanxi is a striking young woman whose understated clothing and reserved demeanor contrast with the attention she naturally attracts. Her appearance is often softened or concealed by her signature glasses, while her composed presence gives her an unusually mature, detached aura 23 56.

• Usually wears oversized, old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses that cover much of her face 1 23 56.
• Has dark eyes described as calm and deep beneath her glasses 1 56.
• Favours plain, practical clothing, such as trousers and jackets, rather than elaborate styling 23.
• Is approximately 1.65 metres tall 192.
• Her simple white dress and white outer layer are described as making her appear ethereal 254.
• Continues wearing her black-rimmed glasses years later, though her aura becomes gentler and more restrained 355.

Personality

Chen Yanxi is calm, rational, and difficult to read. Her emotions seldom show on her face, and she speaks with directness that can seem cold or cutting, particularly when she sees a flaw in someone's reasoning. She has little interest in social performance, often treating politeness as a matter of principle rather than warmth 1 13 346.

Her guardedness originates partly in her upbringing. For much of her life, she regarded intimate relationships as shackles that created dependency, obligation, and loss of freedom. Although she initially rejected romance and even friendship, Wang Ge's respect for her choices gradually caused her to reconsider those beliefs 2 15 100.

Chen is intensely introspective and uses her diary to identify emotions and assumptions she might otherwise overlook. This habit allows her to recognize her affection, jealousy, possessiveness, and fear of dependence without abandoning her commitment to self-sufficiency 15 47 249.

Following her reconstruction, she becomes more openly compassionate while remaining highly independent. She believes affection should not become ownership: she supports others' right to choose freely, but also insists that she retains the right to uphold her own will and boundaries 100 208.

Abilities & Skills

Academic Genius

Chen's academic ability is exceptional even among top students.

• Regularly ranks first in school examinations and has achieved scores near or at full marks 1 31.
• Learns new material extraordinarily quickly and can grasp content after reading a textbook once 31.
• Had already read the available books in her school library by her final year of high school 50.
• Outperformed Wang Ge academically despite his advantages 1.
• Was considered capable of solving problems beyond the ability of ordinary private tutors 35.

Economics Research and Teaching

After leaving high school, Chen develops into a recognized economics scholar and university instructor.

• Published multiple highly regarded papers under the pen name [Chen], creating substantial interest among economics scholars 170.
• Her work includes material strong enough for Wang Ge to publish under his own name, leading scholars to mistakenly suspect that he was [Chen] 170.
• Teaches International Finance at Changchuan University and holds a visiting professorship 170 177.
• Conducted popular calculus tutoring sessions at the cat cafe, drawing large groups of students 49 50.

Analytical Reasoning

Chen approaches both games and personal problems through logic, observation, and clear definitions.

• Quickly understood the hidden structure of a murder-mystery game and nearly defeated Wang Ge despite having a more difficult role 29.
• Identifies self-deception in others, such as Li Zhimeng's reliance on horoscope labels to avoid confronting her problems 150.
• Frames relationship conflicts around individual will, mutual responsibility, and the practical consequences of each person's choices 100.

Domestic and Practical Skills

Despite her academic focus, Chen is highly self-sufficient in everyday life.

• Worked part-time while studying because of financial hardship 15.
• Became a well-liked shift leader at the cat cafe, where customers and colleagues gathered around her 48.
• Cooks simple home-style meals and desserts competently 48 50 256.
• Maintains clean, sparse, and orderly living spaces 35 172.

Beliefs

Freedom and Equality

Chen considers freedom her highest personal priority. She refuses relationships founded on debt, coercion, or unequal dependence, and believes each participant must bear responsibility for resolving conflicts between their desires 47 100.

Respect for Life

After gaining freedom from her parents' control, Chen becomes determined not to impose the same control on others. She refuses to have Xiao Ge spayed because she believes the cat's wishes deserve consideration; in her view, providing for the cat and receiving companionship is a fair exchange, not ownership 208.

Love Without Possession

Chen acknowledges that she wants Wang Ge for herself, but does not believe love grants her the right to control him. She chooses to accept both the happiness and difficulties of being with him rather than deny his imperfections or her own possessiveness 100 249.

Equipment / Items

• Black-rimmed glasses — Her distinctive everyday eyewear, which she continues to wear years later 56 355.
• Diary — A private record she uses for self-reflection and processing her feelings toward Wang Ge and others 15 249.
• Economics books — Reads works such as The Wealth of Nations and other economics texts 48 50.
• Jade bracelet — A meaningful bracelet given to her by Wang Ge's mother during her visit to the Wang family home 256 257.
• Xiao Ge — Her pet cat and companion, named after Wang Ge 98 100.

Relationships

• Wang Ge — Initially her persistent classmate and the boy she agrees to impersonate a girlfriend for; their relationship develops from cautious mutual interest into an acknowledged romantic partnership 1 15 172 248 249.
• Gu Panyan — Wang Ge's other love interest and Chen's ideological opposite in matters of freedom and pursuit. They often argue, but can interact comfortably in private and gradually understand one another better 100 272 346.
• Li Zhimeng — A long-time acquaintance whom Chen met at a cat cafe during middle school. Chen refuses to call her a friend, yet offers her blunt guidance and later helps advance her relationship with Wang Ge 150 346.
• Xiao Ge — Chen's pet cat, whom she treats as an equal living being rather than a possession 98 208.
• Chen's parents — Her controlling parents, who exploit her academic success, restrict her life, and use guilt, punishment, and relentless expectations to maintain control 31 32.
• Wang Sheng — Wang Ge's protective older brother. He confronted Chen over her admission that she had manipulated Wang Ge, but later addressed her as his sister-in-law 81 257.
• Wang's mother — Warmly accepts Chen into the Wang family, gives her a jade bracelet, and openly considers her a better match for Wang Ge than Gu Panyan 256 257.

Story Role / Major Arcs

High-School Pursuit

Chen begins as Wang Ge's distant academic rival and first-love target. She asks him to replace her at the Hundred Days Oath-Taking Ceremony because of her part-time job, setting up their reciprocal arrangement: he gives the speech, and she poses as his girlfriend before his friends 1 2.

False Girlfriend Arrangement

Although Chen initially treats the relationship as a practical exchange, she calmly introduces herself as Wang Ge's girlfriend and grows accustomed to his daily presence. Her diary reveals that she is increasingly unable to deny her affection for him 15 23.

Escape and Reconstruction

The pressure of Chen's home life culminates in her departure from Changchuan. While away, she rebuilds her values around freedom and self-determination, later returning as a successful academic rather than the controlled student she once was 58 81 170 208.

University Reunion

Wang Ge discovers that Chen is his International Finance teacher. Their reunion confirms that their feelings have endured their separation, though Chen repeatedly urges Wang Ge to consider the responsibility and consequences attached to their relationship 170 172 177.

Confirmed Relationship

Chen eventually confesses to Wang Ge and shares her first kiss with him after they complete It Takes Two. She later accepts his public confession and chooses to face the complications of loving him rather than retreat from them 248 249.

Pursuit of Peace

As Wang Ge, Gu Panyan, and Li Zhimeng's relationships become increasingly complicated, Chen quietly helps move conflicts toward resolution. Her stated goal is not manipulation or influence, but a simple, peaceful, and quiet life unaffected by their unresolved turmoil 346.

Notable Quotes

“Any intimate relationship is a shackle, only adding burden when carried.” 2

“Everyone expresses their care for others differently.” 100

“She’s a life, and aren’t I also a life? Aren’t she and I equal?” 208

“All I want is a simple, peaceful, and quiet life.” 346

Trivia

• Chen's cat-cafe nickname, Yanzi, is used because she does not ordinarily reveal her real name to customers 48.
• She named her cat Xiao Ge, a name Gu Panyan immediately recognized as evidence that Wang Ge mattered to her 100.
• Her birthday was previously marked only by a better family dinner; Wang Ge's cake and gift became her first experience of receiving birthday presents from a friend or partner 156.
• Despite her reserved presentation, Chen can respond to Wang Ge's teasing with dry, precise sarcasm 13 219 286.