Lu Zhi

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Lu Zhi (陆止)
Alias(es)	President Lu; Young Master Lu; “Zhizhi” / “Zhi Zhi” (used by Shen Ranxin) 39 46
Species/Race	Alpha; described as a top-tier Alpha with pheromones stronger than Shen Ranxin’s 1 2
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Lu Group; contestant and major sponsor of Instant Heartbeat 3 42
Occupation/Role	Young president and leading figure of Lu Group 42
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

In Shen Ranxin’s knowledge of the original novel, Lu Zhi was the protagonist top: Cheng Cheng’s destined partner and Shen’s powerful enemy, who would eventually ruin Shen’s family. Lu’s behavior immediately deviates from that expected role; rather than treating Shen as a rival, he responds to Shen’s threats and violence with provocative fascination. 1

Lu has a history with Shen that Shen cannot fully remember. Lu refers to Shen as the person who initiated their relationship and fears that Shen will either never remember loving him or will recover memories painful enough to make him leave again. Their separation lasted five years. 33 45 46

Cheng Cheng claims that he was formerly engaged to Shen and regards Lu as an interloper. Lu rejects this claim, maintains that Shen chose him, and views Cheng as a rival exploiting Shen’s memory loss and vulnerability. 18 45

Appearance

Lu Zhi is a tall, silver-haired Alpha with a powerful build and an imposing presence. His appearance is frequently contrasted with his shamelessly playful manner and highly polished public image. 4 7

• Silver hair, often falling over his forehead or swept back after bathing. 4 9
• Pale, glass-colored eyes and sharply defined features. 6 31
• Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and a notably muscular physique. 7 50
• Wears an ear stud and favors orange-flavored lollipops. 4
• His pheromones carry an aggressive, intoxicating brandy scent. 1 2

Personality

Lu Zhi is confident, possessive, and relentlessly provocative. He enjoys turning Shen’s threats, embarrassment, and attempts at emotional distance into opportunities for flirtation. He routinely performs vulnerability—claiming injuries, crying over his damaged Paperbush tree, or asking for help—to draw Shen’s attention away from Cheng Cheng and others. 7 25 28

His devotion to Shen is genuine but often expressed through harmful control. Lu repeatedly violates Shen’s boundaries through pheromone suppression, forced physical restraint, and public possessiveness; when Shen becomes genuinely afraid or injured, however, Lu stops, apologizes, treats his wounds, and accepts retaliation without fighting back. 15 18 34 35

Outside his relationship with Shen, Lu is cold, intimidating, and capable of calculated cruelty. He uses wealth, status, pheromones, and violence to silence people who exploit or insult Shen, while remaining strikingly indulgent toward Shen himself. 18 41 42

Abilities & Skills

Top-Tier Alpha Physiology

Lu’s pheromone level exceeds Shen Ranxin’s and can physically suppress other Alphas.

• His brandy-scented pheromones overwhelm Shen and cause severe discomfort because Alpha pheromones are naturally antagonistic. 1 6
• He can release pheromones forcefully enough to frighten or incapacitate nearby bystanders. 33
• His attraction to Shen is not governed solely by ordinary pheromone instincts; he states that ordinary inhibitors do not resolve his reactions. 20
• He uses Alpha sedatives and tranquilizers to restrain himself when he fears losing control around Shen, despite the risk of nerve damage. 16 18 20

Physical Combat

Lu is physically powerful, fast-reacting, and difficult to intimidate.

• He disarms Shen’s attempted kick during their first confrontation and easily restrains him in close quarters. 1
• He withstands severe injuries, including possible broken ribs, while continuing to care for Shen. 16
• He and Cheng Cheng seriously injure one another during a boxing challenge. 28
• He remains calm in the haunted manor and intimidates the live performers meant to frighten the contestants. 39

Wealth and Influence

As the head of Lu Group, Lu can use immense resources to control circumstances around him.

• He is Instant Heartbeat’s largest sponsor, making the production team reluctant to challenge him. 3 18
• A restaurant used for a show task belongs to Lu Group. 34
• He offers Shen a Lu Group black card intended to cover all of Shen’s living expenses. 42
• He has expanded Lu Group significantly, earning his father’s confidence despite not being born into the Lu family by blood. 42

Equipment / Items

• Alpha sedatives and tranquilizer injections — Used to curb his pheromonal loss of control around Shen. 16 18 30
• Lu Group black card — An unrestricted financial resource Lu attempts to give Shen. 42
• Orange-flavored lollipops — He carries and eats them because their scent resembles Shen’s pheromones; he later replaces cigarettes with them because Shen dislikes smoke. 2 49
• Medical supplies and ointment — Frequently used to treat Shen’s injuries or injuries he receives from Shen. 15 33 35

Relationships

• Shen Ranxin — Former lover whose memories are fragmented. Lu is intensely attached to Shen, calls him “Ranran,” seeks exclusivity, and acts as both a dangerous source of pressure and a protective caretaker. 24 29 45 46
• Cheng Cheng — Romantic rival. Lu initially appears publicly linked to Cheng, but repeatedly sabotages Cheng’s attempts to pursue Shen and openly declares Shen to be his. 4 18
• Gu Yifei — A minor rival for Shen’s attention. Lu blocks Gu from approaching Shen and treats his interest with territorial hostility. 31 50
• Lu Zhi’s father — Supports Lu’s leadership of Lu Group and defends both Lu and Shen against blame for Shen Ziqing’s past actions. 42
• Jiang Ye — Fellow Alpha contestant. Lu shares the dragon role with Jiang during the fantasy role-play game. 47
• Fang Yu — Fellow contestant who is openly exasperated by Lu and Shen’s volatile relationship. 36

Story Role / Major Arcs

*Instant Heartbeat* Arrival

Lu enters Instant Heartbeat as its wealthy sponsor and one of its most prominent contestants. Shen expects him to pursue Cheng Cheng, but Lu instead fixates on Shen’s scent, touches his inhibitor patch, and treats their antagonism as flirtation. 1 2

Escalating Rivalry and Possessiveness

During the show’s early games, Lu repeatedly corners Shen, binds him with red silk, threatens his gland, and makes suggestive public comments about their private encounters. His behavior unsettles Cheng and turns the audience’s presumed Lu–Cheng pairing into speculation that Lu is pursuing Shen instead. 6 7

Lu’s jealousy becomes explicit during the Paperbush red-string ceremony. He removes Shen’s ribbon from Cheng’s tree, ties his own ribbon to Shen’s tree, rearranges the remaining pairings, and warns Cheng against pursuing Shen. 17 18

Forced Marking and Remorse

Jealous of Shen’s closeness with Cheng, Lu forcibly injects pheromones into Shen’s gland, creating a painful simulated mark. Shen retaliates violently, leaving Lu with severe bruising and possible broken ribs. Lu accepts responsibility, conceals the extent of Shen’s involvement, seeks sedatives, and continues caring for Shen despite his injuries. 15 16

Cheng Cheng’s Attack and Rescue

When Cheng Cheng uses pheromones and violence against Shen at the hospital, Lu rescues Shen and helps him survive the aftermath. Shen’s instinctive reliance on Lu culminates in him clearly calling Lu’s name. 29

Conflict Over Shen’s Memories

Lu becomes increasingly afraid that Shen’s recovered memories will make him leave. He presses Shen to acknowledge their past relationship, insists Shen belongs only to him, and clashes directly with Cheng over who has the rightful place in Shen’s life. 33 45

Haunted Manor and Public Protection

During the haunted-manor punishment, Lu recognizes Shen’s severe fear response and carries him through the attraction after Shen calls him “Zhizhi.” When Shen’s pheromones destabilize, Lu becomes the person who can calm him. 39 40

Lu later retaliates against an NPC who extorts and insults Shen, offering double the demanded compensation before physically punishing him. 41 42

Fantasy Role-Play

In the princess-and-dragon role-play, Lu exchanges cards with Shen so that Shen will not have to wear a princess costume. He deliberately chooses revealing princess attire and uses the changing-room situation to provoke both Shen and Cheng. 48 49 50

Notable Quotes

“I came to bring my lover home.” 4

“He’s mine. Those who covet my people usually don’t end well.” 18

“Because you deserve it.” 41

Trivia

• Lu keeps a magazine featuring Shen’s face, though Shen initially mistakes it for evidence of Lu’s interest in Cheng Cheng because the cover is a composite image. 1 2
• He refers to his interference in the red-string ceremony as “fate.” 18
• Lu treasures Shen’s nickname for him, “Zhi Zhi,” because it reminds him of comfort and having somewhere to belong. 46
• He refuses to replace his dying Paperbush tree, insisting that it will not die. 31