Xie Li

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xie Li (谢黎)
Alias(es)	Xiao Li
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Entertainment industry; contestant on This Is a Dating Show 3
Occupation/Role	Returning entertainer and former rising young star 1
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background

Xie Li was a rising young entertainer before abruptly leaving the industry to study abroad at the height of his popularity. Three years later, he announces his return on Weibo, though much of his former fanbase has moved on during his absence 1.

Before leaving, Xie Li had become known in the entertainment industry after Lu Xingchuan spent heavily promoting him. When the Lu family faced a business crisis, Xie Li departed without saying goodbye; he later told Lu that he had been diagnosed with a serious illness and left because he feared becoming a burden 2.

Upon returning to Licheng, Xie Li reunites with Lu Xingchuan. He is distressed by news of Lu's engagement to Shen Yan, while publicly framing their connection as friendship 2.

Appearance

Xie Li is a fair-skinned, delicate-featured man whose youthful appearance contrasts with his age of twenty-seven. He is frequently presented as obedient, sweet, and fragile before cameras 3.

• Fair skin, red lips, and neat teeth 2 3
• Appears younger than his actual age 3
• Favors pink, which he says is a color he likes 15
• Often uses red-rimmed eyes, tears, and a soft expression to emphasize vulnerability 4 33

Personality

Xie Li cultivates a polite, gentle public image. He greets fellow guests warmly, apologizes readily, and often presents his actions as concern for others 3 9. He repeatedly calls Lu Xingchuan “Brother Xingchuan” and publicly insists that they have no improper relationship, despite their evident intimacy 8 23.

Behind this demeanor, Xie Li is highly image-conscious and indirect. He uses praise, self-deprecation, tears, and carefully phrased apologies to redirect blame or place others in unfavorable positions. His efforts often backfire when Shen Yan, Pei Heng, or Song Qianshan directly challenge him 4 18 33.

He is notably jealous of the attention Shen Yan receives from Bai Jing and Pei Heng. His resentment escalates from attempts to win Pei Heng over to asking Lu Xingchuan to force Shen Yan off the dating show 20 27.

Abilities & Skills

Public Image Management

Xie Li is skilled at presenting himself as considerate, innocent, and self-sacrificing before viewers.

• Frames unauthorized use of villa ingredients as concern for hungry cast members and Bai Jing's stomach 9
• Uses apologies and claims of poor communication to soften responsibility for mistakes 9
• Emphasizes his own minor injury after knocking Song Qianshan down, attempting to redirect public attention toward himself 33
• Attempts to manufacture romantic footage with Lu Xingchuan during the Ghost Tag game 39

Social Manipulation

Xie Li frequently uses indirect remarks and emotional appeals to influence others without openly stating his intentions.

• Implies Shen Yan was late and abusing personal influence, then repeatedly returns the conversation to that accusation after apologizing 4
• Uses Shen Yan's family circumstances as a topic of conversation while claiming he only wants to comfort him 5
• Attempts to portray Shen Yan as lazy while Pei Heng cooks the ingredients Shen Yan helped obtain 18
• Asks Lu Xingchuan to remove Shen Yan from the show by appealing to his protectiveness and Xie Li's career concerns 27

Relationships

• Lu Xingchuan — Longtime friend and benefactor. Lu funded Xie Li's rise in entertainment and remains fiercely protective of him; Xie Li repeatedly seeks his reassurance and attention 2 19. Their relationship becomes strained as Lu increasingly focuses on Shen Yan rather than Xie Li 39 40.
• Shen Yan — Rival on This Is a Dating Show. Xie Li initially attempts to frame Shen Yan as petty, hostile, or manipulative, while Shen Yan openly rejects and exposes him 4 17 33.
• Pei Heng — Desired ally and attempted romantic target. Xie Li tries to call him “brother,” share his food, help him, and remain paired with him, but Pei Heng consistently rejects these advances and ultimately cuts contact with him 24 26 44.
• Song Qianshan — Former drama collaborator and reluctant game partner. Their relationship deteriorates after Xie Li knocks her down during a relay challenge and focuses attention on his own injury rather than hers 3 32 33.
• Bai Jing — Fellow guest whom Xie Li tries to befriend through hidden-task cooperation. Bai Jing later exposes the seriousness of Song Qianshan's injury, undermining Xie Li's victim narrative 19 33.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return to the Entertainment Industry

Xie Li's return from abroad triggers Lu Xingchuan's demand to end his engagement with Shen Yan. Lu publicly welcomes Xie Li back, making their reunion a major online trend and placing Xie Li at the center of the resulting scandal 1 2.

Early Dating Show Conflicts

On This Is a Dating Show, Xie Li attempts to establish himself as considerate and wronged while casting Shen Yan as unreasonable. His accusations about Shen Yan's lateness fail when Pei Heng proves the arrival deadline has not passed 4.

Xie Li forfeits all three dares in the first game, receives the villa's worst room, and later causes the production to lose its rental location after using prohibited refrigerator ingredients to cook tomato-and-egg noodles 7 9.

Competition with Shen Yan and Pei Heng

Xie Li repeatedly tries to gain Pei Heng's favor, but his efforts are rejected. Pei Heng refuses his assistance in the kitchen, tells him not to speak if he is “bad with words,” and reacts harshly when Xie Li tries to share his bitten ice cream 18 26.

During the hidden-task game, Xie Li successfully gets Shen Yan to open a bottle and praise him, but Shen Yan manipulates the broader game so that Xie Li fails both his main and additional missions 19 22.

Attempt to Remove Shen Yan

After Pei Heng publicly favors Shen Yan, Xie Li asks Lu Xingchuan to make Shen Yan leave the program. He claims Shen Yan's presence damages his ability to establish himself after returning to China 27.

He later supports accusations that Shen Yan staged damaging videos, but Shen Yan's surveillance footage instead exposes Lu Xingchuan's past exploitation and cruelty 30.

Relay Incident with Song Qianshan

During a carrying relay, Xie Li collapses while Song Qianshan is on his back. He deliberately falls and sustains a scraped knee, intending to draw attention away from Shen Yan and toward himself 32 33.

The plan fails when Shen Yan notices Song Qianshan's torn trousers and Bai Jing reveals that her knee is severely injured and bleeding. Public opinion turns against Xie Li for centering his own minor injury 33.

Ghost Tag and Haunted-House Games

Xie Li attempts to arrange a staged encounter with Lu Xingchuan during Ghost Tag, but Lu repeatedly ignores him while pursuing Shen Yan and Pei Heng instead 37 39.

During the haunted-house rescue game, Xie Li attempts to stay close to Pei Heng and seek comfort from Lu Xingchuan. Neither responds as he expects, and he subsequently disappears as part of the challenge 46.

Trivia

• Xie Li's hidden mission during the bottle-cap game was to have another guest open a bottle and then praise that guest as “amazing” 22.
• He says pink is his favorite color 15.
• He is assigned the worst room in the villa after forfeiting all three dares in the first game 7.
• His attempt to eat Pei Heng's bitten ice cream becomes a major source of embarrassment after Pei Heng gives him the entire ice cream and rejects his behavior as inappropriate 26.