Shen Wanyu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Shen Wanyu (沈晚鱼)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Xingnan University Student Union; External Relations Department
Occupation/Role	Head of the External Relations Department; Jiang Linyuan's direct superior and senior by one academic year 6
First Appearance	Chapter 6, If the Software Isn't Enough, Use Hardware to Make Up for It
Alias(es)	Department Head; Minister; “Son of Heaven Shen” 108

Background / History

Shen Wanyu is a prominent Xingnan University student known as a wealthy, beautiful “goddess” on campus. She leads the Student Union's External Relations Department, where she oversees sponsorships, recruits new members, and assigns Jiang Linyuan work as her subordinate. Though she treats him as a useful right-hand man, she consistently compensates him through red envelopes and keeps favors and obligations clearly accounted for 6 15 73.

Her family life is strained. Her father, Shen Pingyan, had been pressured into a marriage of convenience and repeatedly tries to interfere in her choices. Shen Wanyu rejects both his excuses and his attempts to control her relationship with Jiang Linyuan, ultimately throwing coffee at him and ordering him to stay out of their affairs 83. Her mother is Zhao Xueyun, whom Shen Wanyu seeks to protect from the Shen Family's disapproval 144. She is also the older sister and guardian-like figure of Shen Guoguo, whom she disciplines firmly but watches over closely 82 84.

During an earlier External Relations Department activity, Shen Wanyu fell out with a collaborator who spread rumors about her. Her cold manner and sharp speech made the rumors easier for others to believe, leaving her isolated within the department until Jiang Linyuan became more familiar with her through their work together 97.

Appearance

Shen Wanyu is a tall, fair-skinned young woman with an aloof, intellectual bearing. Her cold expression, sharp eyes, and willow-like brows give her an intimidating “ice beauty” impression 32 82.

• Long black hair, commonly worn in a ponytail; she also wears it in braids on occasion 82 272 280.
• Fair skin described as resembling translucent pink amber in autumn sunlight 82.
• Cold, solemn eyes and a composed, elegant face 171.
• Often wears restrained, practical clothing, including black coats, gray high-neck sweaters, and plain dresses 82 116 243.
• Wore a plain white Taoist robe with a jade belt for the Forbidden City Lantern Festival 171.

Personality

Shen Wanyu is calm, severe, and bluntly articulate. She rarely shows strong outward emotion, speaks in a flat and decisive manner, and has little patience for performative helplessness, manipulation, or people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions 32 110 113. Her sharp tongue and intimidating presence often cause others to back down before she needs to act 32 33.

Despite her detached exterior, she is observant and protective. She intervenes when Liu Tingting publicly pressures Jiang Linyuan, warns him about Su Muzhi's possessiveness, gives him her coat after he is soaked, and physically defends him from Zhang Xiaoxiao 32 90 96 116. She considers Jiang Linyuan a friend, though she resists defining their connection more openly 110 116 144.

Shen Wanyu fears putting effort into a relationship only to be ignored or abandoned. She admits that she is not as fearless as she appears and repeatedly challenges Jiang Linyuan to prove whether his feelings are sincere 179 231 276. Over time, her guardedness gives way to moments of quiet affection, including sharing her star projector with him and acknowledging that familiar places feel different when he is present 179 233.

Abilities & Skills

Insight and Thought Reading

Shen Wanyu possesses an unusual ability to infer or directly perceive others' intentions and thoughts. She calls it “keen observation” and a personal talent rather than mind reading, though her deductions frequently respond to Jiang Linyuan's unspoken thoughts and allow her to verify whether people are lying 70 90 115.

• Accurately identifies Jiang Linyuan's thoughts and motives from his behavior, often before he speaks 70 90.
• Recognizes interpersonal manipulation, including Bai Yi and Zhang Xiaoxiao's unhealthy dynamic 110 113 116.
• Can confirm the truthfulness of information, such as Bai Yi's account of Zhang Xiaoxiao entering the lake voluntarily 115.
• Can choose to restrain the ability; she avoids using it during the New Year because constantly sensing others' malice is exhausting 144.
• Her ability is impeded by Jiang Linyuan's Heart Slave countermeasure 234.

External Relations Management

As department head, Shen Wanyu is an effective organizer and negotiator who handles departmental recruitment, sponsorships, and major campus events 8 15 100.

• Assigns Jiang Linyuan to secure Badminton Club sponsorship and supervise new External Relations Department members 8 15.
• Monitors campus issues that could affect Student Union work, including Yu Songsong's parent causing trouble at the university 70.
• Organizes preparation for the Music Festival, including sponsor coordination 100 109.
• Participates in planning the university anniversary short film and rehearses as a prospective female lead 229 230.

Physical Capability

Though she usually resolves conflicts through presence and words, Shen Wanyu is capable of direct physical action when necessary.

• Intimidates Liu Tingting into retreating without striking her 32.
• Punches Zhang Xiaoxiao after she provokes Jiang Linyuan 96.
• Maintains strong stamina while climbing to the observatory and refuses to turn back after reaching the steep portion of the route 231.

Equipment / Items

• Starry Sky Projector / Starry Sky Lamp — A cherished projector that creates a vivid artificial night sky. Shen Wanyu associates it with past family stargazing and is deeply upset when Jiang Linyuan takes it 179 193 196.
• Star Disk — A component of her projector identified by Shen Guoguo as essential to the device 196.
• Black overcoat — She lends it to Jiang Linyuan after he is soaked while saving Zhang Xiaoxiao 116.

Relationships

• Jiang Linyuan — Her subordinate, friend, and persistent romantic pursuer. Their relationship begins as a professional superior-subordinate arrangement, develops through mutual reliance and teasing, and becomes openly affectionate despite Shen Wanyu's reluctance to commit 6 116 179 294.
• Su Muzhi — A longtime acquaintance and rival. Shen Wanyu states plainly that they hate each other; their exchanges are marked by competition, unresolved history, and conflict over Jiang Linyuan 90 167 171.
• Shen Guoguo — Her younger sister. Shen Wanyu is strict with Guoguo but protective, setting boundaries for her and arranging care when she is busy 82 84 196.
• Shen Pingyan — Her father. Their relationship is openly hostile due to his past conduct, regret over her not being a son, and attempts to control her life 83.
• Zhao Xueyun — Her mother. Shen Wanyu has a close bond with her and worries about protecting her from family pressure 144 247.
• Zhao Qiuluo — A high school classmate whose father is subordinate to Shen Pingyan. Shen Wanyu regards their relationship as merely average and is dismissive of Zhao Qiuluo's visits 167 177.
• Lin Yilin — A member of the External Relations Department who admires Shen Wanyu and describes her as gentler than she initially appears 78 229.
• Bai Yi — A Student Union contact whom Shen Wanyu dislikes for pretending to be naïve and enabling Zhang Xiaoxiao's behavior 109 110.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• External Relations Department — Introduced as Jiang Linyuan's cold, highly regarded department head and the holder of an A-Rank Reward Card that motivates his pursuit 6.
• Campus sponsorships and Student Union work — Delegates club sponsorship and recruitment work to Jiang Linyuan, establishing their professional working relationship 8 15.
• Purple Gold Mountain and family conflict — Accepts Jiang Linyuan's invitation to climb Purple Gold Mountain, entrusts Shen Guoguo to him, and rejects Shen Pingyan's interference in her personal life 82 83.
• Music Festival conflict — Helps manage the festival and takes a hard line against Bai Yi and Zhang Xiaoxiao's manipulation; later protects Jiang Linyuan directly 100 110 113 116.
• Lantern Festival — Competes verbally with Su Muzhi while accompanying Jiang Linyuan and Shen Guoguo in Yanjing. She shares a private star projector display with Jiang Linyuan and asks him for a sincere answer about their future 171 179.
• Starry Sky Projector dispute — Pursues Jiang Linyuan to reclaim her projector, then hesitantly agrees to his alternative proposal to travel northwest and see the real stars 193 196.
• School anniversary short film — Rehearses and films alongside Jiang Linyuan, revisiting their first meeting and growing more comfortable with him 229 230 233.
• Road trip and growing commitment — Joins Jiang Linyuan and Su Muzhi on a road trip, confronts her own fears about their future, and ultimately shares mutual affection with Jiang Linyuan during their desert journey 266 272 280 294.

Notable Quotes

“Stay out of my business, and his business too.” 83

“I don't hate stupid people; what I hate are those who pretend to be stupid and end up becoming truly stupid.” 110

“We are friends; that's normal, isn't it?” 116

“I am not gentle enough to accept the result of putting in effort only to receive no response, nor am I cowardly enough to be abandoned...” 179

Trivia

• Shen Wanyu dislikes cats, apparently due to a childhood incident or association with her past 193 232.
• She considers Su Muzhi's childhood stray cat story significant when warning Jiang Linyuan about Su Muzhi's possessiveness 90.
• She does not usually wear hair accessories; Jiang Linyuan's white wildflower is an exception 280.
• In a possible future witnessed through Gift of Mother's Eye, Shen Wanyu writes that she once loved Jiang Linyuan before dying by suicide after her mother's death. This vision motivates Jiang Linyuan to change the future rather than describing the present timeline's outcome 193.