Cheng Cheng

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Cheng Cheng (程澄)
Species/Race	Omega
Gender	Male
Age	23 2
Affiliation	Contestant on Instant Heartbeat 2
Occupation/Role	Nationally popular idol and entertainer 2 4
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Cheng Cheng entered Instant Heartbeat as one of its most popular guests, with an unusually devoted fanbase and a public image built on his sweetness, youthfulness, and approachable manner. When asked why he joined the show, he said he wanted to make more friends. 4

He already knew Shen Ranxin as “Ran” when Shen arrived at the villa. Cheng treated him with familiar closeness, asking him to sit beside him and later selecting him in the red-string hide-and-seek game rather than Lu Zhi. 2 5

Later events establish that Cheng had cared for Shen for five years and had attempted to erase Lu Zhi’s influence over him. Cheng also claims that he and Shen had originally been meant to marry, framing Lu as the third party in their relationship. 40 45

Appearance

Cheng Cheng is a fair-skinned young man with slightly messy orange curls, large bright “puppy” eyes, and a small dimple that appears when he smiles. Though twenty-three, his appearance gives him the youthful energy of a cheerful school junior. 2

• Peach-blossom eyes and a tear mole near one eye. 14
• Often described as sweet-looking, adorable, and naturally inviting of protection. 2
• His pheromones carry the scent of white tea. 29

Personality

Cheng presents himself as warm, considerate, and emotionally intelligent. He maintains a friendly public demeanor even while navigating tension with the other guests, and he is known in the industry for being sensible and easy to work with. 4 11

His attentiveness toward Shen is unusually thorough. He prepares toiletries, clothing, suppressants, bedding, and other supplies specifically to prevent Lu Zhi from borrowing anything from Shen; he also learns to cook sweet-and-sour dishes because Shen likes them. 8 14

Beneath this considerate exterior, Cheng is jealous, calculating, and possessive. He competes openly with Lu for Shen’s attention, treats Shen’s lost memories as an advantage, and becomes violent when Shen rejects his confession. 18 29 His protective behavior can therefore shift into control, particularly when he believes Lu Zhi is threatening his claim on Shen. 40 45

Abilities & Skills

Pheromone Manipulation

Cheng possesses powerful white-tea pheromones and uses them deliberately against Shen Ranxin during the hospital encounter.

• His pheromones can overwhelm an Alpha’s judgment and physical resistance. 29
• He uses pheromones to seduce and restrain Shen after confessing his love. 29
• He attempts to obtain a powerful blocker to subdue Shen during Shen’s breakdown in the haunted manor. 40

Cooking

Cheng is the only contestant shown to be reliably skilled in the kitchen.

• Can prepare elaborate, highly praised home-style meals. 14
• Learned sweet-and-sour dishes specifically because Shen likes those flavors. 14
• His cooking becomes valuable enough for Shen to sell meals to the other contestants for points. 14

Combat

Despite his gentle idol image, Cheng is physically formidable.

• Defeated Lu Zhi in the final round of a boxing competition. 28
• The fight left both combatants seriously injured, with Cheng ultimately hospitalized. 28
• During his confrontation with Shen, he continues pursuing him even after Shen breaks his hand. 29

Preparedness

Cheng counters Lu Zhi’s attempts at intimacy through meticulous planning.

• Brings toiletries, clothes, towels, underwear, suppressants, bite stoppers, disposable bedding, and other supplies to Shen and Lu’s room. 8
• Provides Shen with a concentrated anti-assault spray he claims was formulated to affect only Lu Zhi. 8
• Uses the bathroom’s opacity control to protect Shen’s privacy from Lu. 8

Relationships

• Shen Ranxin — Cheng’s long-term object of affection and claimed original fiancé. He openly courts Shen, exchanges red strings with him, and later confesses his love; his affection becomes coercive when he uses pheromones and violence after Shen resists. 5 17 29 45
• Lu Zhi — Romantic rival and hostile opponent. Their conflict centers on Shen, escalating from jealous interference with the Paperbush ribbons to physical fights, threats, and competing claims over Shen’s relationship. 18 28 45
• Gu Yifei — Temporary ally against Lu Zhi. Gu helps Cheng uproot Lu’s Paperbush tree because he dislikes Lu’s constant closeness with Shen. 24 25
• Fang Yu — Fellow contestant who criticizes Cheng for going too far after the Paperbush-tree retaliation. 25

Story Role / Major Arcs

*Instant Heartbeat* Arrival

Cheng greets Shen warmly upon his arrival, but also criticizes his leaked pheromone scent and compares it to a dog’s smell. He quickly becomes part of the apparent Shen–Lu–Cheng love triangle, even as Shen mistakenly assumes Cheng and Lu are destined to be together. 2 4

During the red-string hide-and-seek game, Cheng chooses Shen rather than Lu and calls the string a possible “red string of fate.” He later protects Shen after Lu damages Shen’s inhibitor patch during their wardrobe confrontation. 5 6

Rivalry with Lu Zhi

Cheng blocks Lu’s attempts to get close to Shen by arriving with a suitcase full of supplies and a Lu-specific anti-assault spray. He continues courting Shen through cooking, physical closeness, and his Paperbush-ribbon choice. 8 14 17

When Lu removes Cheng’s ribbon from Shen’s tree, Cheng tries to restore it and directly challenges Lu’s possessiveness. Cheng argues that Shen currently likes him, while warning Lu that Shen may regain his memories. 18

Paperbush Retaliation and Boxing Match

Cheng and Gu Yifei uproot Lu’s Paperbush tree in retaliation for Lu’s ribbon sabotage. Cheng claims the wind caused the damage, deliberately echoing Lu’s own earlier excuse. 24 25

He later faces Lu in a boxing competition. Cheng wins the final round, but the two severely injure one another, and Cheng is taken to the hospital. 28

Hospital Confrontation

When Shen visits him in the hospital, Cheng confesses that he has always loved him and asks to be together. After Shen resists, Cheng releases pheromones, attacks him, and has accomplices remove Shen before Lu can arrive. 29

After returning to the show, Cheng resumes his gentle public persona, but Shen instinctively recoils from his white-tea scent and remains wary of him. 32

Haunted Manor and Continued Claim on Shen

During Shen’s breakdown in the haunted manor, Cheng attempts to obtain a blocker to sedate him. Lu reaches Shen first and calms him through familiarity and pheromones, forcing Cheng to confront the strength of Shen’s instinctive attachment to Lu. 40

Cheng later condemns Lu’s coercive treatment of Shen and reiterates that he was originally meant to marry Shen. 45 During the cosplay game, he promises Shen that he will bring him back no matter who takes him away. 48

Notable Quotes

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

“I love you, Ran. I've always loved you.” 29