Qu An

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Qu An (曲暗)
Alias(es)	An'an (childhood nickname); “QAQ” and “Crycry” (fan nicknames) 18 38
Gender	Male
Age	21 at his first appearance on Full Speed Ahead! 2
Affiliation	Regular cast member of Full Speed Ahead! 10
Occupation/Role	Actor; former child actor; newly crowned Best Actor 2 12
Education	Third-year acting student at Jingcheng Film Academy 6
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background

Qu An debuted as a child actor at age five. He stopped appearing publicly between ages seven and eleven, when his mother, Yan Zhenshu, retired from the entertainment industry. He resumed acting at twelve with the warm, polished public image he maintains as an adult. Xiao Ming later observes that Qu An’s quieter childhood self appeared more genuine than the carefully composed persona he presents afterward. 12

As a child, Qu An was known as An'an. He spent three years in kindergarten with Xiao Ming, forming an exclusive friendship with him and promising that Xiao Ming could stay with him forever. Their separation came abruptly when Xiao Ming was taken home by his parents, leaving the two out of contact for years. 48

Qu An’s given name was selected by a fortune-telling master, who believed his fate needed tempering; 暗 (An) means “dark.” His parents instead called him An'an as a blessing for peace and safety. 37 38

Appearance

Qu An is a tall, strikingly handsome man with a dashing appearance rather than the softer look associated with idol actors. His public image is reinforced by his composed smile and refined manner. 2

• Thick eyebrows and large eyes. 2
• Distinct, conventionally beautiful facial features. 2
• About ten centimeters taller than Xiao Ming. 3
• Usually appears gentle, polished, and impeccably composed in public. 12 32

Personality

Qu An is observant, controlled, and socially adept. He is courteous even when he wants distance from someone, as shown in his handling of Lin Shange’s proposed publicity pairing and Jiang Yuefeng’s repeated attempts to stay close to him. He refuses to manufacture romantic publicity for career advancement, regarding himself primarily as a serious actor. 21 44

Beneath this restrained exterior, Qu An is highly competitive and enjoys being recognized for his accomplishments. After earning a Revival Card, he immediately presents it to Xiao Ming for praise, displaying an openly youthful excitement that contrasts with his usual mature image. 32

He becomes notably protective around Xiao Ming: intervening when Tang Gudu pressures him, accompanying him to contract negotiations, treating his injury himself, and warning him to be cautious around exploitative people in the industry. 23 33 35 43

Health

Qu An has a lifelong mild form of schizophrenia associated with emotional apathy. Although he can live independently and maintain normal social behavior, his psychiatrist describes him as having long kept an emotional barrier between himself and the world. 46

Xiao Ming becomes a major change in this pattern. Qu An tells his psychiatrist that Xiao Ming makes him genuinely smile, become angry, and pay special attention to another person—emotions he has difficulty identifying or naming. 46

• Yan Zhenshu retired from acting after Qu An’s condition was identified in childhood and has remained attentive to his treatment and follow-up appointments. 46
• Qu An’s emotional difficulty affects his acting; he previously relied on imitation for emotions he could not authentically feel. 35
• His growing feelings for Xiao Ming help him access romantic emotion during an audition for a police-officer role. 37

Career & Accomplishments

Accomplishment	Chapter	Notes
Child-actor debut	12	Began acting at age five.
Return to acting	12	Resumed public work at age twelve after a years-long hiatus.
Best Actor recognition	2	Introduced as a newly crowned Best Actor at age 21.
Full Speed Ahead! regular cast member	10	One of the program’s eight regular participants.
Previous Acceleration King	28	Reveals that he had won the title before the opera-base recording.
Sole Acceleration King, Episode Two	45	Completes the final mission alone and survives against six Hunters.
Acceleration King, Episode Three	35	Shares the title with Xiao Ming and Pang Ba after surviving the holographic theater mission.

Abilities & Skills

Acting

Qu An is an experienced actor with a career extending from childhood to his current Best Actor status. He maintains a clear professional standard and avoids using staged romantic pairings to promote himself. 2 12 21

• Can convincingly perform emotionally difficult scenes by drawing on personal experiences and observations. 37
• Recognizes Xiao Ming’s instinctive, experiential approach to acting during their holographic performance of The Heavenly Match. 34
• Learned practical medical procedures for a doctor role, allowing him to competently rebandage Xiao Ming’s injured hand. 36

Speed and Physical Performance

Qu An is one of the strongest runners on Full Speed Ahead! and repeatedly excels in high-pressure pursuit challenges. 3 32

• Drives a sidecar motorcycle during Mission One and helps escort Chang Le to the gate. 2 3
• Uses speed, obstacle-reading, and stamina to earn a Revival Card against a professional obstacle-course athlete. 32
• Studied martial arts for a previous role, which contributes to his smooth movement over railings and obstacles. 32
• Can evade Hunters efficiently, including escaping through Miedie Forest and surviving Episode Two alone against six Hunters. 40 45

Strategy and Observation

Qu An rapidly understands mission mechanics and works especially well with Xiao Ming, often reaching the same conclusions independently. 3 4

• Deduces that Chang Le’s medicine is likely hidden far from the training hall and retrieves it through an NPC exchange. 4
• Identifies the “Magpie Bridge” answer for the Huangmei Tavern mission. 31
• Memorizes routes and maps quickly, including the reconstructed Miedie Forest map. 39 40
• Uses deception effectively during the Red-versus-Blue Team game, misleading opponents while protecting his alliance with Xiao Ming. 41 42
• Approaches the amusement-park rules challenge cautiously, recognizing that the rules must be interpreted in sequence rather than taken at face value. 49

Story Role / Major Arcs

First Recording and Partnership with Xiao Ming

Qu An first meets Xiao Ming while both are hiding on the commercial street. He initially suspects the rookie may be following him for publicity, but changes his view after Xiao Ming explains the strategic value of their location. 2

The pair become Mission One partners, with Qu An driving Chang Le’s sidecar motorcycle and later helping complete the escort. They continue coordinating through the episode, with Qu An gathering clues, retrieving medicine, and relying on Xiao Ming’s diversions during the Interstellar Universe task. 2 3 4 5

Though Qu An is the final contestant captured in the first recording, he credits Xiao Ming’s help and invites him to compete together again. They exchange WeChat contacts afterward. 5

Support for Xiao Ming’s Entertainment Career

Qu An gives Xiao Ming sincere advice when he is offered a long-term contract with Full Speed Ahead!, encouraging him to accept if he genuinely finds the program enjoyable. 22

When Producer Li attempts to exploit Xiao Ming’s inexperience with an unfair contract, Qu An accompanies him to negotiations and offers to act as his agent. His presence helps prevent Xiao Ming from being dismissed or intimidated. 23 24

Yellow City Recording

During the opera-base recording, Qu An becomes increasingly concerned about Xiao Ming’s hand injury. He prevents Xiao Ming from taking unnecessary risks, wins a Revival Card, and personally treats Xiao Ming’s reopened wound after filming. 31 32 35 36

Qu An and Xiao Ming both become Acceleration Kings after surviving the holographic theater mission. Qu An presents Xiao Ming with his medal himself, an interaction that intensifies public speculation about their relationship. 35

Miedie Forest Team Battle

Qu An and Xiao Ming deliberately choose numbers that place them on the same team, then reconstruct the erased forest map together. 39

After Xiao Ming is converted into a Red Team undercover agent, Qu An willingly lets Xiao Ming convert him as well rather than exposing him. They proceed to manipulate both teams, identify rival undercover agents, and protect their own alliance even after their identities are exposed. 40 41 42

Rules of the Strange

In the nighttime amusement-park challenge, Qu An becomes Xiao Ming’s chosen companion because Xiao Ming fears the dark and supernatural setting while Qu An remains calm in horror scenarios. 48

He and Xiao Ming investigate the rules together, expose the danger of the orange lights, and repeatedly protect one another while navigating traps, Hunters, and deceptive NPCs. 49 50

Relationships

• Xiao Ming — Childhood friend An'an was separated from Xiao Ming for years; as adults, the two become highly synchronized Full Speed Ahead! partners, trusted confidants, and increasingly important emotional supports for one another. 5 40 46 48
• Yan Zhenshu — Mother; retired from the entertainment industry after Qu An’s childhood condition was identified and continues to monitor his health and emotional well-being. 38 46
• Qu Tingye — Father; a stern but caring company president who maintains a close family life with Yan Zhenshu and Qu An. 45
• Zhu Fei — Manager and protective, almost familial figure; manages his public controversies, warns him about his interest in Xiao Ming, and urges him to attend medical follow-ups. 9 24
• Chen Anle / Xiao Le — Personal assistant and longtime companion; Qu An looks after him partly because of Chen’s relationship with Gu Wenjun, though his priorities gradually shift toward Xiao Ming. 18 44
• Gu Wuping — Old acquaintance and trusted friend; they reconnect warmly during the Yellow City recording, and Gu later checks on Qu An at Yan Zhenshu’s request. 26 37
• Gu Wenjun — Friend and Chen Anle’s boyfriend; teases Qu An about his jealousy and growing feelings for Xiao Ming. 43 44
• Jiang Yuefeng — Fellow participant who repeatedly seeks closeness and a public pairing with Qu An; Qu An politely but firmly rejects his advances and later avoids him during missions. 42 44
• Tang Gudu — Entertainment-industry figure who attempts to pressure Xiao Ming; Qu An intervenes and warns him away without making an explicit threat. 43

Notable Quotes

“If you want to try it, then join. You don't need to consider too many other things.” 22

“A good gaming partner has to be protected like a national treasure. Otherwise, how would I get the Acceleration King title?” 36

Trivia

• Qu An’s fan nickname “Crycry” comes from the resemblance between his initials, QA, and the “QAQ” emoticon. 18
• He keeps his hotel room exceptionally neat, including a packed suitcase and carefully arranged bedding. 5
• Despite his polished image, viewers compare his excited behavior around Xiao Ming to a “golden retriever” after he wins a Revival Card. 32
• He refuses to use fabricated CP publicity, even though audiences and advertisers frequently interpret his interactions with Xiao Ming romantically. 21 23