Wang Lili

Biodata

Background / History

Wang Lili first appears as a young substitute teacher at Xisha University. On her first teaching assignment, she asks students to fill the empty front rows before beginning a difficult lecture on Green's functions for two-dimensional Laplace equations. The class proves difficult to control, and she becomes frustrated by students sleeping, using their phones, or failing to follow the material 30 31.

After Zhang Yuan answers a problem correctly despite having slept through much of her class, Wang Lili recognizes his unusual academic ability. Xu Yunjing introduces her as a friend and as a master's student under Professor Lin Wenda in the School of Mechanical Engineering 32.

She volunteers at the Galaxy Award ceremony, where she obtains a suit from her boyfriend for Zhang Yuan to wear, helps prepare him for accepting his father's award, and worries over his live response to Angelica's pointed question 34 37. When Zhang Yuan becomes a trending topic after donating the entire ten-million prize, she publicly jokes that his only virtue is being handsome and calls his donation reckless 37.

Professor Lin later assigns Wang Lili to review Zhang Yuan's kinematics paper. Hoping to criticize him after he had teased her about intelligence, she instead finds the paper too difficult to understand. She contacts Zhang Yuan at two in the morning for reference books on geometric group theory and topology, then admits her inability to understand the work to Lin Wenda 40 41. Her honesty leads Lin to personally review the paper and recognize it as a groundbreaking framework for human-mimicking robot kinematics 41.

Wang Lili subsequently acts as an intermediary between Zhang Yuan and the School of Mechanical Engineering's corporate meeting, explaining why the companies want his participation in applying his research to robot-control software 43. She attends the meeting with Han Ziyue and privately follows Zhang Yuan's presentation, though she pretends to understand more of the technical discussion than she does 44.

Appearance

Wang Lili is described as a young and beautiful woman with a cute, soft voice. Her appearance immediately persuades many male students to move to the front of her classroom 30.

• Young enough to be initially mistaken for a graduate student rather than a conventional faculty member 30.
• Often noted by others for her beauty 30 31.
• Has bright, expressive eyes 32.

Personality

Wang Lili is playful, outspoken, and fond of teasing Zhang Yuan. She jokes about his appearance, his interactions with Han Ziyue, and the possibility of her boyfriend becoming jealous, while also readily joins Xu Yunjing in calling him a fool for refusing to abandon the space mission 34 38 43.

She is competitive and easily provoked by Zhang Yuan's academic superiority. Her initial desire to dismantle his paper comes from resentment over his earlier teasing, but her frustration develops into a genuine effort to understand the work 40. Although embarrassed by her limits, she ultimately tells Lin Wenda honestly that she cannot comprehend the paper 41.

Despite her teasing, Wang Lili is attentive and helpful. She ensures Zhang Yuan is properly dressed and prepared at the Galaxy Award ceremony, worries about his live interview, and helps bring him into contact with researchers and corporate representatives interested in his work 34 37 43.

Abilities & Skills

Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering

Wang Lili has sufficient expertise to teach mathematical physics equations, including the Green's function method for two-dimensional Laplace equations, and is a master's student in mechanical engineering under Lin Wenda 31 32.

• Teaches advanced mathematical-physics material as a substitute instructor 31.
• Has studied group theory and topology, though Zhang Yuan's combined use of their deeper concepts exceeds her understanding 40.
• Assists with academic manuscript review and related work for her advisor 39 41.

Academic and Professional Coordination

Wang Lili serves as a link between Zhang Yuan, university faculty, and industry representatives after his research attracts commercial attention 43.

• Invites Zhang Yuan to meet the School of Mechanical Engineering and corporate representatives 43.
• Explains the distinction between publishing a paper and protecting commercially implemented robot-control software through intellectual-property rights 43.
• Helps organize and manage the Galaxy Award ceremony as a volunteer 34.

Relationships

• Zhang Yuan — Junior schoolmate and frequent target of her teasing. She is initially annoyed by his sleeping in class, becomes impressed by his academic ability, unsuccessfully attempts to review his paper, and later helps connect him with industry collaborators 32 40 43.
• Xu Yunjing — Friend and fellow volunteer. Xu introduces Wang Lili to Zhang Yuan, and the two often tease Zhang together 32 37 38.
• Lin Wenda — Her academic advisor in the School of Mechanical Engineering. She performs assigned review work for him and honestly reports when Zhang Yuan's paper exceeds her understanding 32 39 41.
• Han Ziyue — Acquaintance connected through Zhang Yuan. The two gossip about Zhang and discuss Han Ziyue's feelings toward him during the corporate meeting 43 44.

Trivia

• Wang Lili's substitute class is her first experience teaching 30.
• She has a boyfriend, whose suit Zhang Yuan borrows for the Galaxy Award ceremony 34.
• She abandons a date with her boyfriend to read Zhang Yuan's paper after discovering his name in the author column 39 40.
• Her private reaction to Zhang Yuan's paper changes from eager hostility to academic panic when she realizes she cannot understand it 40.