Zhao Shiyao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhao Shiyao (赵诗瑶)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Entertainment industry; guest on This Is Life 19
Occupation/Role	Actress; international film-festival Best Actress winner 4
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Background / History

Zhao Shiyao trained in acting and was selected by a prominent director before graduating. Her role in the controversial classic film Silk Road won her Best Actress at an international film festival, giving her an unusually smooth early career 4.

After Silk Road, she appeared in several films that drew little attention. She avoided television dramas because of her highbrow image, while her later projects were widely regarded as weaker than her breakthrough work 4 25.

She joins This Is Life in part to revive public nostalgia and reinforce her popularity, but the rural setting exposes her discomfort with ordinary living conditions and strains her relationships with the other guests 19 25.

Appearance

Zhao Shiyao presents herself with an elaborate, luxury-conscious style that sharply contrasts with the countryside setting of This Is Life.

• Wears exquisite makeup, fitted skirts, designer clothing, and delicate high heels 19 21.
• Arrives at Shangyang Village looking conspicuously out of place among the fields and dirt roads 19.
• Her appearance becomes disheveled after traveling by tractor, leaving soot on her face and loose strands of hair 21.
• Is described as a strikingly beautiful woman, though her public appeal proves less effective with rural market-goers than she expects 44.

Personality

Zhao Shiyao is outspoken, proud, and quick-tempered. Her early acclaim and comparatively easy rise in the industry leave her accustomed to having her preferences accommodated; she openly challenges Li Wenchuan on stage and frequently voices dissatisfaction when circumstances do not suit her 4 5.

During the countryside program, she proves highly particular about comfort, cleanliness, food, water, and accommodation. She resists walking to the village, dislikes the rural meals and cold well water, and ultimately refuses to participate in a scheduled morning activity 20 27.

Her sharp tongue often becomes defensive when others question her. She resents criticism of her career and appearance, particularly during her escalating arguments with Tang Jingran 25. Even after returning to the group following her absence, she continues to make sarcastic remarks toward Li Wenchuan 35.

Story Role / Major Arcs

*You and Me Back Then*

Zhao Shiyao appears as a female guest during Li Wenchuan and Jin Yue's performance. She confronts Li Wenchuan for “stealing the scene,” only for him to retort that she is equally skilled at cutting others off—a jab at her acting seniority and reputation 4.

When the show later requires the guests to draw performance scripts, she mocks Li Wenchuan and suggests he should forfeit because the challenge does not suit him. Li Wenchuan refuses to be intimidated and delivers a performance that earns rare praise from Jiang Hansheng 5.

*This Is Life* — Arrival and Rural Living

Zhao Shiyao arrives expecting a coastal fishing location, having prepared for a luxurious seaside-style trip. She is furious to discover that the program instead takes place in rural Shangyang Village 19.

She protests the requirement that the guests walk to the village and attempts to leave, but remains after Li Wenchuan finds an ox cart. Unlike Li Wenchuan, Jiang Hansheng, and Su Mingwei, she refuses to take the cart 20.

The rural conditions continue to frustrate her: she is distressed by tractor travel, dislikes her poor accommodation, and clashes with Tang Jingran during the drawing game that determines their room assignment 21 22 23.

Conflict with Tang Jingran

Paired with Tang Jingran, Zhao Shiyao repeatedly argues over their drawing-game failure, their dilapidated lodging, and the division of cooking work 22 23 25.

Their cooking dispute becomes severe after Zhao Shiyao wets the firewood and struggles with assigned chores. Tang Jingran accuses her of contributing little, while she attacks his status as an idol; the production crew halts filming to separate them 25.

The following day, Zhao Shiyao complains about the food, cold water, and lack of amenities, then refuses to join the morning activity. Tang Jingran arrives alone and pointedly refers to her by her full name rather than “Sister Shiyao” 26 27.

Return to the Group

Zhao Shiyao later returns, claiming she had been unwell due to acclimatization. She immediately resumes antagonizing Li Wenchuan by implying that his black clothing brings bad luck; Jiang Hansheng turns the remark back on her 35.

In the murder-mystery game Murder at the Chen Prince’s Residence, she plays Miss Shangguan, a jealous noblewoman who frames others. She correctly identifies several clues but votes for General Bai as the killer; the production team reveals that the actual killer is Li Wenchuan’s character, Princess Chen 35 36.

Market-Day Performance

When the guests must earn their own daily expenses, Zhao Shiyao and Tang Jingran rent a speaker for a performance. Her singing attracts little attention from villagers, while Tang Jingran quickly draws fans and earns money through photographs, leaving Zhao Shiyao to collect payments 42 44.

Relationships

• Li Wenchuan — Former variety-show co-guest and recurring target of her sarcasm. She challenges his acting, mocks his luck and appearance, and assumes the worst when he is involved in a public altercation 4 5 35 49.
• Tang Jingran — Teammate on This Is Life and frequent adversary. Their arguments over drawing, lodging, chores, and rural living escalate into an on-camera conflict 22 23 25 27.
• Jiang Hansheng — Fellow guest who repeatedly rebuffs her attacks on Li Wenchuan, including during the murder-mystery game 35.
• Su Mingwei — Initially comforts Zhao Shiyao during the rural program, but later pushes back when Zhao Shiyao criticizes her; Zhao Shiyao responds by chastising her for appearing on variety shows instead of studying 21 27.
• Xiao Yi — Fellow guest who tries to calm her when she protests walking to the village and attempts to accommodate her complaints about dinner 20 27.

Notable Quotes

“What kind of dump is this?! Did you bring me here to live like a primitive?!” 19

“Walk there? Are you kidding me?!” 20

“Do you know how precious a woman's face is?” 27