Zhou Jingcheng

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhou Jingcheng (周景城) 3
Alias(es)	President Zhou; “Dianjia Bro”; Xiao Zhou; Eight-Treasure Zhou 5 105
Gender	Male 3
Affiliation	Universe/Universal Company (owner and CEO) 21 27
Occupation/Role	Entertainment-industry executive, investor, and film-project backer 27 38
Status	Active 142
First Appearance	Chapter 3 3

Background

Zhou Jingcheng had returned to the country only a few months before attending the Shi family banquet. His mother and Secretary Sun arranged the event in hopes that he would find a marriage partner, though Zhou was more concerned with business poaching and the Shi family's attempted middleman deal. 3

Because their companies had frequent business dealings, Zhou had known Shi Jihan for a long time. He initially regarded Shi as a selfish and contemptible nuisance and deliberately kept his distance. 3 Secretary Sun also cultivated Zhou's public persona as a refined red-wine collector, a hobby Zhou himself does not believe he possesses. 8

Appearance

Zhou is notably tall—roughly a full head taller than Shi Jihan—with long legs, a lean athletic build, pronounced brow ridge, high nose bridge, sharp deep-set eyes, and a defined jawline. He usually presents a polished, elite image through tailored suits, trench coats, dress shirts, and carefully styled hair. 3 39 42

• Often wears restrained black or formal clothing, contrasting with Shi Jihan's brighter and more eccentric style. 42
• Maintains a muscular physique through regular gym training. 39 45
• His composure visibly breaks through reddened ears, awkwardness, or disheveled hair when Shi Jihan flusters him. 39 45

Personality

Zhou is proud, sharp-tongued, highly competitive, and quick to retaliate. He considers settling a grudge immediately to be a matter of principle, whether he is mocking Shi Jihan's height, charging him for a ride, or returning an insult with interest. 5 6 His usual social manner is an elegant professional smile, but he can turn cold and oppressive when his authority or people close to him are threatened. 3 27

Behind his controlled public image, Zhou is easily affected by sincere praise and increasingly prone to romantic overthinking. He saves seemingly casual photos from outings with Shi, interprets small gestures as signs of affection, and becomes jealous when Shi gives attention to other men. 5 32 97 Once he decides to pursue Shi, he becomes direct, shameless, and openly affectionate rather than subtle. 91 93

Abilities & Skills

Corporate Leadership and Crisis Management

Zhou took control of an entertainment empire before thirty and increased Universe's market value twentyfold. 27

• Directs legal, public-relations, and commercial responses during major scandals. 25 45
• Responds to Pei Mingxuan's betrayal by freezing assets, pursuing contract violations and possible tax issues, redistributing endorsements, and authorizing legal action. 45
• Recognizes Li Changyuan's theft of his symposium material and turns the rival's sabotage into public humiliation. 68 69
• Uses corporate succession strategically, voluntarily resigning as CEO to force the system's required “lost everything” outcome and protect his family from the intended plot. 142

Athletic Ability

Zhou is an exceptional tennis player with strong stamina and precise control. Paired with the physically inept Shi Jihan, he carries their team from a 5–1 deficit to win the set 6–4. 5

• Moves “nimble, steady, precise, and ruthless” on the tennis court. 5
• Regularly trains at the gym and maintains a visibly muscular physique. 39 45
• Can keep up with Pizza's chaotic running and amusement-park incidents even after Shi is exhausted. 44

Observation and Strategic Reading

Zhou is highly perceptive in business and personal deception, though his judgment becomes less reliable when his feelings for Shi Jihan are involved.

• Identifies that the anonymous scriptwriter “AAA Detective Old Wang” is Shi Jihan, then quietly plays along rather than exposing him. 38
• Recognizes that fabricated photographs supposedly showing Shen Qinghuai with another woman actually involve Shi Jihan's disguise or manipulation. 32
• Notices suspicious circumstances around hotel staff and traces the attempted theft of his forum speech to Li Changyuan. 68

Relationships

• Shi Jihan — Began as a disliked business acquaintance and constant verbal opponent. Their rivalry gradually became mutual protection, flirtation, confession, and an openly acknowledged relationship; Zhou introduces himself as Xiaohan's boyfriend. 3 27 91 144
• Zhou Zeyang — His younger brother. Zhou is strict, sarcastic, and frequently exasperated by Zeyang's decisions, but protects him from boardroom manipulation and helps construct his image as a successor. 16 97
• Secretary Sun — His secretary and frequent witness to his professional crises and romantic embarrassment. Sun manages Zhou's public image but is often forced to handle the consequences of Zhou and Shi's chaos. 8 27 58
• Ms. Shen — Zhou's mother. She initially mistakes Shi Jihan's disguised identity, then enthusiastically accepts him as Zhou's boyfriend and treats him as a future son-in-law. 80 93
• Father Zhou — Zhou's father, an outdoorsman who enjoys fishing. Zhou later involves him in the succession conflict surrounding Zhou Zeyang. 129 142
• Shi Zhongye — Business collaborator and director of Superpowered Neighborhood Committee. Shi Zhongye distrusts Zhou's pursuit of his younger brother, while Zhou deliberately provokes him with “brother-in-law” jokes. 38 64
• Li Changyuan — Corporate rival who repeatedly attempts to undermine Zhou through stolen proposals, staged scandals, and competing film releases. 68 73 105
• Pizza — Zhou's energetic Beagle. Pizza repeatedly drags Zhou and Shi into public embarrassment, but is also central to their outings and domestic life. 16 44 127

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return and Early Conflict

After returning to the country, Zhou attends a Shi family banquet under pressure from his mother and secretary. He is angered by business poaching and initially treats Shi Jihan as an irritating opportunist. 3 Their antagonism escalates through a tennis match, where Zhou carries Shi to victory but is caught off guard by Shi's praise. 5

Corporate Rivalries and Public Embarrassment

Zhou uses a rival company's attempt to poach him to pressure the Shi brothers, only for Shi Jihan's “business warfare” to derail the dinner with ten plates of smashed cucumber salad. 7 8 He is subsequently and repeatedly miscredited for Shi Corporation's bizarre advertising campaigns, making him a public symbol of their chaotic collaborations. 14 20

Protector and Film Investor

When Pei Mingxuan grabs Shi Jihan at Universe, Zhou catches Shi, pulls him close, and intimidates Pei into retreating. The incident fuels public shipping of the pair as the “Wu Bai CP.” 27 Zhou later purchases Shi's scripts under the AAA identity, secures Shi Zhongye as director, and invests in Superpowered Neighborhood Committee despite Shi's private attempts to make the project fail. 38 79

Confession and Open Courtship

Zhou publicly admits to Shi Zhongye that he confessed to Shi Jihan and likes him. 91 He becomes increasingly overt in his pursuit, from posting that fruit was given to him by “the person I like” to publicly displaying massive Wu Bai advertisements declaring, “Shi Jihan, I like you.” 64 79

Film Success and Domestic Relationship

Zhou backs the promotion of Superpowered Neighborhood Committee, aiming for the Spring Festival box-office championship. 85 As his relationship with Shi becomes physically and emotionally intimate, he expresses affection through practical care: ordering Shi's favorite food, preparing clothes, warming his hands, and making room for him in his home. 85 127 129

Succession and the Worldline Ending

When Shi's system requires Zhou Zeyang to replace Zhou as CEO, Zhou helps manufacture Zeyang's image as a capable successor to confuse hostile board members. 97 Learning that losing the CEO position may trigger Shi's forced departure, Zhou ultimately resigns voluntarily and has his parents endorse Zeyang's succession, using the system's own conditions against it. 142

Notable Quotes

“At your level, I could beat you even if I came in a wheelchair.” 5

“Then get lost.” 27

“My name is Zhou Jingcheng. I'm Xiaohan's boyfriend.” 144

Trivia

• Zhou boasts of scoring 707 on the college entrance examination. 79
• His public image as a sophisticated imported-red-wine collector was manufactured by Secretary Sun for promotion. 8
• Shi Jihan's nickname “Eight-Treasure Zhou” pleases him enough that he proudly adopts it as a profile name. 105
• He was born in the Year of the Dog and responds to being called one with an unapologetic “Woof.” 77
• Zhou keeps miniature resin versions of Shi Jihan's designs—including pieces Shi calls “trash”—in a large display cabinet at his home. 127