Xie Jinran

Biodata

Background / History

Xie Jinran was long presented as Xie Ran’s older biological brother and Xie Chen’s adopted older brother. He grew up within the family that publicly bore the Xie name, where he was treated as its accomplished third son. Later DNA evidence establishes Xie Chen as the rightful heir of Xie Group and reveals that the Zhao family had usurped the Xie Family’s position; Jinran is subsequently identified as bearing the Zhao surname 292 293.

Before entering the show, he was a highly celebrated musician whose achievements and polished image had earned him broad admiration. His upbringing amid “flowers and applause” leaves him unprepared for public rejection, manual labor, and consequences outside the family’s influence 19 21.

He formerly expected Xie Chen to care for him unquestioningly, particularly protecting his hands from exhausting work because they were meant for piano performance. After Xie Chen cuts ties with the family, Jinran struggles to accept that this dynamic has ended 23.

Following the first season of Freaks, Go Farm!, Jinran leaves China under the pretext of preparing for international competitions. While overseas, he continues following the program’s livestream and begins investigating Xie Chen after learning that he is Harvard’s Professor Smith 195.

Appearance

Xie Jinran is a handsome, elegant man with an artistic, refined presence. His carefully maintained appearance is repeatedly incongruous with the rural filming environment.

• Debuts on the show in a custom white suit and gleaming leather shoes, looking more prepared for a stage than a marketplace 19.
• Later wears designer sportswear while farming, but still prioritizes protecting his appearance and hands from injury or scarring 32 39.
• His dirtied and stepped-on custom suit becomes a visible symbol of his loss of status during the show 27.

Personality

Jinran is fiercely protective of Xie Ran and instinctively accepts his younger brother’s explanations, even when Xie Ran’s conduct or claims contradict observable evidence. He repeatedly interprets criticism of Xie Ran as persecution and considers it his responsibility to intervene 19 20 32.

His protectiveness is coupled with entitlement. Jinran expects the production team, villagers, and fellow guests to accommodate him because of his family’s investment and social standing. He reacts badly when treated as an ordinary participant, especially when denied food, criticized for poor work, or ignored by the cast 19 20 39 48.

Although he retains some attachment to Xie Chen and initially volunteers to persuade him rather than use harsher family measures, that concern is conditional. Repeated humiliation turns it into resentment, and he increasingly supports efforts to pressure, blacklist, or publicly discredit Xie Chen 23 44 46 48.

Jinran’s certainty about Xie Ran gradually erodes when he recognizes how frequently Xie Ran uses him as a shield, weapon, or source of sympathy. However, he remains emotionally vulnerable to Xie Ran’s tears and self-pity, repeatedly retracting his doubts and blaming Xie Chen for the family’s conflict 54.

As the family’s occult crimes and internal cruelty become impossible to ignore, Jinran develops into its most openly conflicted member. He condemns the use of the Yin Talisman, fears that Xie Yongan may eventually sacrifice his own sons, and recognizes that Xie Chen had endured systematic abuse. Nevertheless, his attempts to reconcile with Xie Chen remain driven partly by fear and self-preservation rather than solely remorse 63 210 225 227.

Skills & Competence

Music

Jinran is publicly renowned for his musical career.

• Introduced by Director Li as a famous pianist, composer, and singer 19.
• Described as a world-class musician and a performer whose hands are important to his career 20 32.
• His confidence in other fields is often based on Xie Chen’s domestic competence rather than his own experience, such as when he assumes cooking will be easy because Xie Chen can cook 30.
• Leaves the variety show claiming that he needs to prepare for international competitions, though he continues monitoring events from overseas 195.

Physical Conflict

Jinran is willing to use force when angered, but he is outmatched by Xie Chen.

• Attempts to slap Xie Chen during their dispute over food, but Huo Wenye restrains him 20.
• Throws a punch at Xie Chen after being angered by criticism of Xie Ran; Xie Chen evades it and knocks him down with a kick 21.
• His lack of practical fighting ability becomes publicly embarrassing, as staff and viewers recognize that he initiated the confrontation 21.

Practical Work

Jinran performs poorly in the show’s rural tasks and frequently overestimates his competence.

• Ruins a prearranged rice sale by demanding an unreasonable price and insisting that the buyer purchase all of the rice 19.
• Initially refuses to feed pigs because of the smell and conditions, then completes the task only out of concern for Xie Ran 20.
• Struggles with plowing, cooking, seed sowing, and fertilizer work; his careless farming risks damaging crops 21 22 31 39 49.
• His cooking attempt damages the village chief’s stove and leaves him with only a minor burn 31 32.

Occult Knowledge

Jinran has no demonstrated supernatural ability, but later acquires enough knowledge to recognize the danger of the Xie Family’s occult practices.

• Suspects that Xie Ran’s physical symptoms resemble descriptions of stolen fortune after reading related material 198.
• Warns Mother Xie that the Yin Talisman can cause spiritual backlash and shorten Xie Ran’s lifespan 210.
• Investigates Xie Yongan’s ties to evil cultivators, Xie Chen’s erased memories, and the theft of another person’s Destiny Pattern 225.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arrival at the Marketplace

Jinran enters Freaks, Go Farm! to protect Xie Ran after viewing him as mistreated by Xie Chen and the other guests. He arrives with insider information about the production’s grain buyer, but his attempt to take control of the sale drives the buyer away and damages a potential business relationship for Bright Village 19.

He assumes Xie Group’s investment will shield him and Xie Ran from consequences. Director Li instead denies both of them lunch for failing the assignment and disrupting the buyer arrangement 19.

Conflict with the Production and Xie Chen

Jinran repeatedly challenges the program’s rule that participants must work to earn food, particularly when Xie Ran claims illness or hunger. He expects Xie Chen to surrender his own food and seat for Xie Ran, escalating the dispute into an attempted slap that Huo Wenye stops 20.

During the plowing task, he attacks Xie Chen and is immediately defeated. He then tries to demonstrate Xie Ran’s supposed rural experience, only for Xie Ran’s inability to plow to undermine him further 21 22.

Jinran becomes increasingly frustrated that Xie Chen no longer protects or even acknowledges him. He orders Xie Chen to wash his dirty suit, calls him a “dog” raised by the Xie Family, and is publicly humiliated when Xie Chen refuses and steps on the suit 23 26 27.

Village-Chief Incident

After Jinran damages the village chief’s stove and burns his hand, Xie Ran shoves the village chief while angrily defending him. Jinran focuses on his own minor injury and condemns Xie Chen for helping the injured elder rather than his “family” 31 32.

When Xie Chen demands a 100,000-yuan consultation fee from the person responsible for the injury, Xie Ran pushes Jinran to pay. Jinran transfers the money but doubts Xie Chen’s medical ability; the village chief’s immediate recovery leaves him stunned and suspicious 33 34.

Escalation Against Xie Chen

Jinran later learns that the Xie Family intends to “rein in” Xie Chen, potentially by breaking his leg and forcing him off the show. Rather than opposing the plan, he frames it as necessary to protect the family’s reputation 41.

Sent to pressure Xie Chen into removing leaked evidence against Xie Group, Jinran accuses him of fabricating screenshots and threatens a defamation lawsuit. Xie Chen challenges him to authenticate the evidence and determine who would actually face criminal charges 43.

After his attempt at persuasion fails, Jinran abandons his remaining restraint. He supports plans to release compromising photographs of Xie Chen and Huo Wenye, and privately vows to use family influence to blacklist Xie Chen 44 46 48.

Fertilizer Dispute

Jinran dismisses Xie Chen’s warning that the farm fertilizer is insufficiently fermented and pressures others to begin working. The village chief later confirms Xie Chen’s assessment, while Jinran and Xie Ran have already used the unusable fertilizer on their own field 48 49.

The failure briefly makes Jinran question whether Xie Ran’s claimed rural upbringing is genuine. Xie Ran admits that jealousy of Xie Chen motivated his behavior, and Jinran quickly forgives him 50.

Growing Doubts and Departure

Jinran begins seriously questioning Xie Ran after observing that Xie Ran repeatedly provokes conflicts and relies on Jinran to confront the consequences. He explicitly asks whether Xie Ran has been treating him as a shield or weapon, but Xie Ran’s threat to leave the family quickly makes him apologize and retract the accusation 54.

He also becomes increasingly uneasy about Xie Chen’s past treatment, realizing that Xie Zhenting had often attacked Xie Chen first and that Xie Chen had valid reason to sever ties with the family. Still unwilling to openly oppose the family, Jinran remains silent 63.

After the first season, he withdraws overseas under the excuse of international music competitions. There, the revelation that Xie Chen is Professor Smith forces him to remember Xie Chen’s childhood perfect scores, which Jinran had once mocked as cheating out of jealousy. His subsequent investigation reveals that Xie Chen had been targeted overseas and subjected to forced memory erasure 195.

Break with Xie Ran

Jinran’s relationship with Xie Ran deteriorates after Xie Ran willingly accepts the dangerous Yin Talisman to harm Xie Chen. Jinran warns that it may damage Xie Ran’s soul or shorten his life, only to be dismissed by Mother Xie and Xie Yongan 210.

When the talisman’s backlash causes Xie Ran to lose control and forcibly kiss him, Jinran reacts with disgust and states that he would rather have Xie Chen as his younger brother 217.

He later refuses to rescue Xie Ran from the ongoing consequences of the Yin Talisman, instructing him to seek help from the parents who gave it to him instead. Jinran also condemns Xie Ran’s attempt to profit from the cursed jade pendant and leaves for the United States after becoming disillusioned with his indifference toward Mother Xie’s suffering 225 265.

Fear of the Family Conspiracy

Jinran becomes alarmed by Xie Yongan’s increasingly violent behavior and the revelation that the family’s prosperity was built through stolen fate. He persuades Xie Zhenting that they may become sacrifices if their father can no longer sustain the family through fortune borrowing 225.

Alongside Xie Zhenting, he approaches Xie Chen with information that Xie Yongan erased Xie Chen’s memories and stole another person’s Destiny Pattern. Jinran apologizes for his past conduct and seeks Xie Chen’s help, but Xie Chen refuses to restore their brotherly relationship without concrete proof of sincerity 227.

After Xie Yongan’s accident, Jinran helps free Mother Xie from confinement and initially sees an opportunity to seize power with Xie Zhenting. Her immediate delight at Xie Yongan’s possible death and her desire to murder him, however, leave Jinran disturbed and regretful 232.

Xie Family Collapse

As Xie Group approaches bankruptcy and Xie Yuchen remains detained in the United States, Jinran expects that Xie Chen’s former attachment to the family may persuade him to help. Instead, Xie Chen reveals that he deliberately orchestrated the family’s collapse and will never forgive him 267.

After the Zhao family’s usurpation of Xie Group is publicly exposed, Jinran loses all remaining ability to influence Xie Chen. He and Xie Zhenting are prevented from approaching Xie Chen during the corporate handover, and Xie Chen dismisses their warnings before taking control of the debt-ridden company 292 293.

Relationships

• Xie Ran — Long presented as his younger biological brother. Jinran was once intensely protective of him, consistently defended him, and readily accepted his emotional explanations despite mounting evidence of manipulation. Their relationship fractures after Jinran recognizes Xie Ran’s use of him and becomes disgusted by Xie Ran’s conduct under the Yin Talisman’s backlash 19 32 54 217.
• Xie Chen — Long presented as his adopted younger brother. Jinran once expected Xie Chen’s care and obedience, but their relationship deteriorates into open hostility after Xie Chen rejects the family 23 27 43. Jinran later regrets his treatment of Xie Chen, investigates the erasure of his memories, and seeks his aid against Xie Yongan, but Xie Chen rejects both his apology and his expectations of reconciliation 195 227 267.
• Xie Zhenting — His eldest brother and fellow family enforcer. Zhenting’s decision to send Jinran onto the program positions him as Xie Ran’s protector and later as pressure against Xie Chen 14 43. As their father’s crimes emerge, Jinran and Zhenting temporarily cooperate out of fear that they may both be sacrificed, though both ultimately lose their standing with Xie Chen 225 293.
• Xie Yongan — The man Jinran regarded as his father and later identifies as the source of the family’s occult corruption. Jinran is horrified by Yongan’s use of stolen fate, his ties to evil cultivators, and the possible threat he poses to his own sons 210 225.
• Mother Xie — Jinran initially obeys and respects her, but openly opposes her decision to give Xie Ran a Yin Talisman without disclosing its life-shortening backlash. He later frees her from Yongan’s confinement, only to be disturbed by her desire to kill him 210 232.
• Huo Wenye — An adversarial figure who repeatedly defends Xie Chen. Huo prevents Jinran from striking Xie Chen and dismisses his attempts to plead for special treatment for Xie Ran 20 21. Jinran later displays jealousy and resentment when Huo acts possessively toward Xie Chen, while Huo remains distrustful of Jinran’s overtures to Xie Chen 227.
• Director Li — The show director who refuses to indulge Jinran’s status, excludes him from rewards for failed tasks, and holds him accountable for disrupting production 19 20 39.
• Li Jingfei — A fellow guest who publicly condemns Jinran for belittling Xie Chen despite being his adopted brother 49.

Notable Quotes

“Get up. Give your seat to Xie Ran.” 20

“Xie Chen, even if you’re just a dog raised by the Xie Family, you should know how to be grateful and protect your master, shouldn’t you?!” 27

“I’ve raised him for so many years. Wouldn’t I know what he’s capable of?!” 49

“If I'd known you would disgust me this much, I'd rather have had Xie Chen as my younger brother!” 217

“Big Brother, aren’t you afraid that you or I will be the next one on the chopping block?!” 225

Trivia

• His elegant white suit becomes a trending image after he reluctantly feeds pigs in it 20.
• Despite being a celebrated musician, he is repeatedly outperformed by Xie Chen in farming, cooking, negotiation, and physical confrontation 19 21 31 49.
• His attempts to greet and reconcile with the cast are met with collective indifference, leaving him effectively ignored on camera 48.
• He watches Freaks, Go Farm! livestreams and replays while abroad, allowing Xie Chen’s later revelations to overturn his childhood assumptions about him 195.
• He is eventually revealed to belong to the Zhao family, whose usurpation of the rightful Xie Family is publicly exposed alongside Xie Chen’s true identity 292 293.