Gu Yuechen

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Gu Yuechen (顾悦辰)
Alias(es)	Lin Yan — his original name, chosen by his mother 3
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Pei Huanyi's pet hospital 1
Occupation/Role	Administrative receptionist; also takes part-time dessert-delivery work 1 25
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

At nineteen, Gu Yuechen was struck by a car and left by the roadside by the fleeing driver. Pei Huanyi found him and saved him, an encounter Gu Yuechen never forgot. He later spent two years working at Pei's pet hospital while secretly loving him for five years. 1 10

Gu Yuechen lives in poverty with his grandmother in an old, moldy residential building, despite claiming an apartment building as his home when Pei or Yu Yaochen gives him a ride. His schooling ended at middle school, and he falsified his background and résumé to obtain work at the pet hospital and remain close to Pei. 1 6 10

His original name was Lin Yan. He learns that Lin Lizhu, a long-serving servant of the Yu Household, is his biological mother; she initially fails to recognize him. Gu Yuechen subsequently tries to connect with her, but their interactions remain strained after she learns of Yu Yaochen's intention to end his engagement. 3 47 49 50

Appearance

Gu Yuechen is a slender young man with delicate, conventionally beautiful features, fair skin, thick lashes, and light-colored eyes. He initially wears conspicuous golden curls, then dyes his hair black himself after Pei leaves the pet hospital. 1 19

• His pale complexion and thin build suggest malnourishment; he often skips meals to save money. 7
• He is notably shorter than Yu Yaochen and cannot fit Yu's clothing without it being too long. 23
• He keeps a mirror at his desk to maintain a polished appearance for Pei Huanyi. 8

Personality

Gu Yuechen presents himself at work as gentle, helpful, and timid, particularly around Pei Huanyi. Beneath that persona, he is intensely obsessive, insecure about his poverty and education, and convinced that he is unworthy of Pei. His longing for Pei drives him to hide his background, volunteer for extra work, and linger in Pei's office. 1 10 37

He is highly jealous of Yu Yaochen's wealth, talent, family, and relationship with Pei. Rather than withdrawing after learning of their engagement, Gu Yuechen seeks to destroy it through lies, calculated flirtation, and emotional manipulation. He frequently interprets Yu's kindness as condescension or deception. 20 24 30 39

Despite his cruelty, Gu Yuechen is capable of genuine concern. He cares for Yu Yaochen during a fever, worries about his grandmother's health, and repeatedly tries to form a bond with Lin Lizhu after discovering her identity. 26 43 48 49

Abilities & Skills

Administrative Work

Gu Yuechen is competent in his receptionist role and uses its duties to remain near Pei Huanyi.

• Organizes files, cleans offices, manages documents, and assists customers at the pet hospital. 1 34
• Arrives early and stays late, cultivating a reliable, kind image among his coworkers. 1 37
• Uses his access to Pei's office and schedule to monitor or obstruct Yu Yaochen's visits. 1 5

Deception and Manipulation

Gu Yuechen is adept at exploiting others' assumptions about his harmless appearance.

• Maintains false claims about his residence, education, and qualifications. 1 10
• Adds Yu Yaochen on WeChat under the pretense of helping him avoid animal fur, intending instead to monitor Pei Huanyi. 5 6
• Uses Xu Rui to provoke Yu's jealousy and uses Xie Wangchi's hostility to isolate Yu from him. 33 40
• Spreads a fabricated rumor about Yu and a foreign man to provoke conflict between Yu and Pei. 24

Endurance and Frugality

Gu Yuechen survives with limited means and avoids accepting help that he perceives as charity.

• Usually eats only one meal a day to save money, contributing to low blood sugar and fainting. 7
• Takes a delivery job to fund future outings with Yu Yaochen. 25
• Returns to the pet hospital after quitting in humiliation because he cannot afford to lose the income. 44

Relationships

• Pei Huanyi — His employer, rescuer, and long-term unrequited love. Gu Yuechen joined the pet hospital to stay close to him and initially pursues Yu Yaochen solely to break Pei and Yu's engagement. 1 10 20
• Yu Yaochen — Initially Pei Huanyi's fiancé and Gu Yuechen's rival. Gu Yuechen befriends and seduces him as part of a scheme, while Yu develops sincere feelings and seeks to end his engagement. Their relationship is kept secret at Gu Yuechen's insistence. 20 35 36 43
• Xu Rui — Coworker and confidant who discovers Gu Yuechen's feelings for Pei and encourages him to confess. Gu later exploits Xu Rui's closeness to make Yu jealous. 1 33
• Xie Wangchi — A hostile rival who sees through much of Gu Yuechen's behavior and repeatedly warns him away from Yu. Their conflict escalates after Gu attempts to exploit Yu's intoxication. 19 31 39
• Lin Lizhu — Gu Yuechen's biological mother, who abandoned him and later works as a servant for the Yu Household. Gu Yuechen longs for her affection, but their attempted reconciliation is tense and unresolved. 47 49 50
• Grandmother — His primary family support and housemate. Her financial hardship and habit of collecting recyclable bottles deeply embarrass Gu Yuechen, though he worries about her well-being. 3 43

Story Role / Major Arcs

Obsession with Pei Huanyi

Gu Yuechen begins as Pei Huanyi's devoted receptionist, secretly monitoring him and believing that Pei's occasional kindness might be affection. Yu Yaochen's return as Pei's fiancé shatters those hopes and intensifies Gu's inferiority and resentment. 1 3

Infiltrating Yu Yaochen's Life

Gu Yuechen uses Yu's animal-fur allergy to establish contact, then follows Yu's social media and repeatedly visits his home and studio. After realizing Yu is attracted to him, Gu decides to exploit that attraction to ruin the engagement. 5 6 20

Sabotaging the Engagement

At Yu's birthday banquet, Gu attempts to sow discord by inventing a story about Yu meeting a foreign man. When this fails, he becomes more direct: he seduces Yu, engineers jealousy, and pressures him to distance himself from Xie Wangchi and Pei Huanyi. 24 33 35 40

Secret Relationship and Exposure

After beginning a private sexual relationship with Yu, Gu insists they conceal it from others. His lies about his background are eventually exposed, leading him to quit the pet hospital briefly before returning for financial reasons. 36 44

The Lin Lizhu Revelation

Gu recognizes Yu's cleaning auntie, Lin Lizhu, as his biological mother. He begins spending time at Yu's villa partly to be near her, but Lin becomes cold toward him after learning that Yu plans to call off his engagement. 47 48 50

Notable Quotes

“How could someone like me ever be worthy of him?” 1

“He had worked here for two years, but he had liked Pei Huanyi for a full five years.” 1

“As expected, sowing discord alone was not enough. He still had to go all in and lure Yu Yaochen into cheating.” 24

Trivia

• Gu Yuechen and Yu Yaochen both have the character Chen in their names. 3 5
• He dislikes being touched by others, including Xu Rui. 7
• He initially dyes his hair blond to attract Pei Huanyi's attention. 19
• He cannot read the English menu at the Western restaurant Yu Yaochen takes him to. 9