Meng Shangzhi

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Meng Shangzhi (孟商止)
Alias(es)	Chairman Meng; Mr. Meng; “Brother” (used by Bai Yunsheng)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Meng Household
Occupation/Role	Chairman; business partner and protector of Bai Yunsheng
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 9 (unnamed); identified in Chapter 10 9 10

Background / History

Meng Shangzhi grew up neglected within the Meng Household. His father favored Meng’s legitimate elder brother, and Meng was often left without enough food; he later became known as an illegitimate son who survived a hostile family environment through ruthlessness and determination. 10 50

Years before the main story, eighteen-year-old Meng encountered eleven-year-old Bai Yunsheng at a hostile banquet. Meng intervened when others mocked Bai, and Bai later protected Meng from being splashed with dirty water. Bai’s frightened but sincere declaration that Meng was a “good person” remained deeply important to him. 16

In Bai Yunsheng’s previous life, Meng later avenged Bai’s death. After Bai’s rebirth, Meng’s unexplained concern causes Bai to suspect that Meng knows more than he admits. 12

Appearance

Meng Shangzhi is a tall, striking man with an imposing presence. His sharp jawline, exceptional bone structure, broad shoulders, and dark eyes make him appear distant and intimidating to strangers. 12 26 41

• Usually wears formal dark clothing in public; his black suit became soaked while shielding Bai from rain. 10
• Has very dark, difficult-to-read eyes that Bai associates with a lake at night. 27 46
• Wears Buddhist beads around his wrist. 10
• Has a faint medicinal scent. 16 25
• Maintains an athletic build and runs in the morning. 26

Personality

Meng is outwardly composed, quiet, and difficult to approach. His authority makes banquet guests, business partners, and the Feng family immediately cautious, while his indifference toward most people contrasts sharply with his attentiveness toward Bai. 10 15 23

His protectiveness is paired with intense possessiveness. Meng repeatedly restrains his impulses because he does not want Bai to fear him, but Bai’s closeness can overwhelm his self-control. 24 26 He is especially sensitive to Bai minimizing pain, mistreatment, or death, reacting with anger rooted in fear and helplessness rather than hostility toward Bai. 35 41

Bai’s praise affects Meng deeply. Being called a “good person” makes him visibly vulnerable because he is unaccustomed to receiving kindness or moral understanding. 16 25

Influence, Skills & Resources

Business Authority

Meng is a chairman whose standing exceeds that of the Feng Household. His approval can determine major business opportunities, and he uses cooperation with the Feng family as leverage to secure Bai’s safety and status. 10 23 46

• Withdrew interest in working with Feng Yanshan after Feng Tingfan’s conduct exposed the household’s treatment of Bai. 11
• Agreed to cooperate with the Feng Household only if Bai was included in the partnership. 23
• Offered to personally bear any losses from Bai’s participation in the partnership. 23
• Threatened to end Feng Household cooperation, stating that tens of billions in losses meant little to him. 46
• Demonstrated enough influence to threaten Yalan with bankruptcy after Bai was mistreated. 15

Protective Network

Meng has loyal personnel and extensive access to information, allowing him to intervene quickly when Bai is endangered. 11 41

• Sent a subordinate to protect Bai from Feng Tingfan and deliver dry clothes. 11
• Had people monitoring Yalan Academy and learned when Bai was in trouble. 41
• Sent Zheng Long to assist Bai and handle practical matters during conflicts. 41
• Reached Bai at Naye Hotel after Bai’s interrupted emergency call and rescued him from Gao Yan and Feng Tingfan’s scheme. 45

Business Guidance

Meng patiently teaches Bai the details of their partnership, including contract terms, procedures, funding, and possible business risks. 25 26

• Explains unfamiliar contract provisions without dismissing Bai’s questions. 25
• Supports Bai’s inclusion in business despite Feng Yanshan’s objections. 23
• Uses the partnership to give Bai leverage and a legitimate role outside the Feng family. 23 25

Equipment / Personal Items

• Black umbrella — used to shelter Bai during their first meeting in the rain. 9 10
• Buddhist beads — kept around his wrist and drawn into his hand when confronting the banquet guests. 10
• Gray handkerchief — used to gently clean blood from Bai’s face. 41
• Personal residences and estate — maintains an expansive estate and a warm, frequently used apartment. 24 34
• Prepared clothing and toiletries — regularly provides Bai with clean clothes, pajamas, towels, and other necessities. 11 25 34 35

Relationships

• Bai Yunsheng — Bai’s protector, business partner, and eventual romantic interest. Meng’s attachment began with their childhood encounter and becomes increasingly open through his care, possessiveness, and willingness to confront Bai’s abusers. 16 23 26 45 50
• Feng Yanshan — business associate whose attempts to use Bai for profit earn Meng’s contempt. Meng repeatedly forces Feng Yanshan to prioritize Bai’s wellbeing. 11 24 41 46
• Feng Tingfan — hostile toward Bai; Meng’s authority strips away Tingfan’s ability to act with impunity. 11 46
• Feng Zhiyou — Bai’s elder brother and one of Meng’s targets of criticism after he fails to protect Bai. 15 25
• Zheng Long — Meng’s associate and trusted subordinate who assists and protects Bai. 12 41
• Dr. Xu — Meng’s doctor, familiar enough with Meng’s condition to assume an urgent summons meant Meng was having another episode. 25
• Han Chen — Meng’s friend and Bai’s senior brother under Wu Shanye. 49
• Meng’s mother — deceased; Meng built an artificial lake for the black swans she loved and refused to replace them after her death. 24

Story Role / Major Arcs

First Meeting and Banquet Protection

Meng meets Bai in the rain outside the Feng banquet, shelters him under his umbrella, and tells him that no one will dare reject him while Meng is present. 10 He publicly identifies himself as an illegitimate child to silence guests mocking Bai, criticizes the Feng Household’s neglect, and respects Bai’s refusal to let him enter his room. 10

Establishing Protection

Meng arranges dry clothes and protection for Bai after Feng Tingfan attacks him, then uses Tingfan’s behavior to reject Feng Yanshan’s proposed collaboration. 11 At Yalan Academy, he intervenes when Bai is blamed for fighting Liang Yuan and threatens to bankrupt Yalan rather than let Bai be mistreated. 15

Partnership with Bai

Meng invites the Feng family to his estate but makes clear that Jiang Li and Feng Tingfan are not Bai’s family in any meaningful sense. 23 He prepares Bai’s preferred food, protects him from discomfort, and makes Bai’s inclusion in the Feng–Meng partnership a non-negotiable condition. 23

Growing Intimacy

After Bai is injured, Meng becomes visibly distressed, carries him inside, summons Dr. Xu, and insists on learning who hurt him. 24 25 Bai begins calling him “Brother,” while Meng calls him “Shengsheng”; the new forms of address mark a shift from formal protection toward emotional intimacy. 26 27

Meng struggles with increasingly intense desire for Bai, including a nighttime visit in which he touches Bai’s face and nearly kisses him before stopping himself. Bai is awake throughout the encounter. 26

Open Alliance Against Bai’s Abusers

Meng prevents Feng Yanshan from slapping Bai at the hospital and takes Bai away, revealing that he actively monitors the school for threats against him. 41 After Feng Tingfan and Gao Yan drug Bai at Naye Hotel, Meng rescues him, comforts him through his breakdown, and vows not to spare those responsible. 45

Meng accompanies Bai to the Feng Household as Bai retaliates against Feng Tingfan. He threatens to end all cooperation unless the Feng family gives Bai an explanation and publicly recognizes Bai’s legitimate identity. 46

Mutual Feelings

Meng’s care and vulnerability lead Bai to become fiercely protective of him in return. When Sheng Chengguang insults Meng, Bai openly declares that he likes Meng regardless of his past and threatens anyone who speaks badly of him. 50

Notable Quotes

“With me here, no one will dare say no to you.” 10

“Watch your mouths.” 10

“If it profits, the Feng Household keeps it. If it loses money, it’s on me.” 23

“Shengsheng, don’t be afraid.” 45

“Any cooperation I have with the Feng Household is purely for Shengsheng’s sake.” 46

Trivia

• Meng initially claims he helps Bai because Bai is good-looking, though Bai correctly suspects this explanation is incomplete. 12 16
• Bai’s childhood praise was the first time someone’s view of Meng as a “good person” deeply affected him. 16 25
• Meng dislikes flowers, despite preserving a dried Hessea cinnamomea in his apartment. 24 35
• His normally distant household staff notice that Bai’s presence makes him unusually cheerful and talkative. 26
• He bluntly rejects a woman seeking his contact information by saying, “Sorry, I don’t like girls.” 49