Tang Jing

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Tang Jing (汤景)
Alias(es)	Tang Tang
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Era Idol contestant; actor in The Famous General; guest on Food Journal
Occupation/Role	Idol trainee, singer, dancer, actor
Role in Original Novel	Male protagonist
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Competition Record

Round / Position	Chapter	Notes
No. 1 ranking	24	Held first place before Ye Zexi returned from the losers’ bracket and overtook him.
No. 2 ranking	31	Entered the free-team round as the second-ranked contestant and formed a team with Ye Zexi, Jiang Ran, Yu Yan, and Wan An.
Group center	32	Claimed the center position after challenging Ye Zexi, who declined to compete for it.
No. 3 ranking	36	Advanced with his group after the third public performance, though he fell one place after an onstage mistake.

Appearance

Tang Jing is a handsome young man with delicate, refined features and a gentle air when silent. His almond-shaped eyes become notably lively when he speaks. 6

• Delicate facial features and dark pupils. 66
• Usually wears little or only light makeup; heavy foundation and a split lip briefly concealed injuries from his fight with Cui Yi. 30
• Appeared noticeably thinner, exhausted, and dark-circled when he auditioned for The Famous General. 62
• Later changed to a healthier, more rested appearance while preparing for a youth-campus film. 234

Personality

Tang Jing is disciplined, ambitious, and intensely competitive. He entered the entertainment industry because he loved singing and dancing, and initially pursued first place on Era Idol in part because He Jinyun was his role model. 83 146 Ye Zexi’s seemingly effortless talent repeatedly wounds his pride, but Tang responds by training harder, seeking roles, and trying to identify the gap between them rather than surrendering. 33 61

He has a strong sense of fairness. Though initially wary of Ye because of the original Ye Zexi’s harassment, Tang refuses to join other trainees in dismissing Ye’s performances as luck. 11 He also endured Cui Yi’s harassment for a long time before finally fighting back. 43 44

Tang is emotionally sensitive and prone to overthinking, especially where Ye Zexi is concerned. His admiration becomes jealousy, romantic attachment, and eventually an impulsive public confession after Ye rejects him privately. 77 126 142 143 Following He Jinyun’s reprimand and Ye’s continued kindness, Tang accepts responsibility for the fallout and gradually lets go of his feelings. 146 206

Abilities & Skills

Singing and Dancing

Tang Jing is a capable idol performer with the ability to take a group’s center position.

• Was considered one of Era Idol’s top contestants before Ye Zexi surpassed him. 24 31
• Earned the center position in his third-performance group. 32
• Responded to being outperformed by Ye by continuing late-night training rather than quitting. 33 34
• Can lose composure under pressure; during the third public performance, he slipped, forgot choreography, and had to follow Ye Zexi’s improvised lead to finish his solo. 35

Acting

Tang Jing develops from a struggling young actor into a dependable performer through coaching and persistence.

• Auditioned successfully for the role of A-Yan in The Famous General despite arriving exhausted from his schedule. 62 63
• Initially received dozens of retakes when he could not convey A-Yan’s conflicting anger and grief. 65
• Studied acting theory and character immersion under Ye Zexi’s guidance, then completed the next day’s scene in one take. 66
• Improved enough for Director Chen to retain his footage rather than reduce A-Yan’s scenes. 67
• Becomes deeply immersed in tragic material, once breaking down over A-Yan’s apparent death and clinging to Ye Zexi for comfort. 76

Determination

Tang Jing consistently responds to insecurity with effort.

• Joined The Famous General even willing to accept a minor role, solely to understand why Ye Zexi surpassed him. 61
• Accepted Ye’s help despite the humiliation he felt at falling behind. 66
• Tried to learn cooking in order to leave a better impression on Ye Zexi, though he lacked practical experience and burned his dish. 131 139

History

Conflict with Ye Zexi

Before the story’s present events, the original Ye Zexi pursued Tang Jing for approximately a year. Tang repeatedly rejected him, and the original Ye later used his family influence to suppress Tang’s career. 4 When the transmigrated Ye apologizes and promises to stop pestering him, Tang is stunned and suspicious but accepts the promise. 4

Their relationship begins to shift during Era Idol. Tang acknowledges Ye’s performances rather than joining in unfair criticism, congratulates him after his advancement, and ultimately chooses him as a teammate. 11 24 31 Ye’s protection of Tang during the competition and later against Cui Yi forces Tang to confront how unfairly he had judged him. 36 44

*Era Idol*

Tang Jing’s competitive drive intensifies after Ye takes first place and gains He Jinyun’s attention. He asks Ye to join his team, chooses the center position, and works through the night in an attempt to defeat him. 31 32 34

During their group performance, Tang is overwhelmed by Ye’s stage presence, loses his footing, and forgets his solo choreography. Ye catches him, performs the solo in front of him, and lets Tang recover without exposing the error to the audience. 35 Tang later apologizes to the group, falls to third place in the rankings, and begins to recognize Ye as a loyal teammate rather than merely a rival. 36

Cui Yi’s prolonged harassment culminates in a physical confrontation. Tang fights back, while Ye intervenes when Cui attempts to assault him again. The released footage vindicates both Tang and Ye, but Ye withdraws from Era Idol amid the controversy. 31 44

*The Famous General*

After Director Chen praises Ye’s talent, Tang asks his manager to find him any available role in The Famous General. 61 He auditions for and receives the part of A-Yan, motivated partly by his need to measure himself against Ye. 62 63

Tang initially cannot keep pace with Ye’s acting and suffers a breakdown after repeated failed takes. He Jinyun asks Ye to explain the scene to him; Tang accepts the instruction, studies beside Ye, and steadily improves. 65 66 67 By his final scenes, he has formed a comfortable mentor-student dynamic with Ye and continues seeking his feedback. 74

Confession and Aftermath

Tang’s daily messages, jealousy over He Jinyun, and increasing attention to Ye gradually reveal that his feelings have become romantic. 76 77 126 He confesses privately after six months of suppressing those feelings, explaining that he began liking Ye during Era Idol, when Ye helped him. 141 142

Ye rejects him honestly, stating that he sees Tang only as a friend. 142 Devastated, Tang later posts “Ye Zexi, I like you” on Weibo, creating a major public scandal before disappearing to drink alone. 143 145 He Jinyun confronts him over the harm caused to Ye, his staff, and his own career, and Tang apologizes and agrees to clarify the situation publicly. 146

Tang eventually regains his composure. When he later realizes that Ye and He Jinyun are together, he shows calm acceptance rather than the grief he once carried. 206

Relationships

• Ye Zexi — Former pursuer and rival who becomes Tang’s teammate, protector, acting mentor, and close friend. Tang falls in love with him, confesses, and is rejected; he later accepts Ye’s relationship with He Jinyun. 4 35 66 142 206
• He Jinyun — Tang’s former idol and professional role model. Tang once sought his recognition but clarifies that he never loved him romantically; He later directs him, arranges Ye’s coaching, and sternly holds him accountable after his public confession. 83 65 146
• Cui Yi — Antagonist who repeatedly harasses Tang and ultimately attacks him. Tang fights back, leaving Cui visibly injured, while Ye later restrains Cui when he attempts to continue the assault. 31 43 44
• Jiang Ran — Fellow Era Idol competitor and teammate. Jiang recognizes Tang’s frustration with Ye’s natural talent because he has experienced the same feeling. 33 36
• Yu Yan — Fellow contestant and teammate. Yu initially approaches Tang to convey gratitude to Ye, and later worries over Tang’s unexplained silence. 25 160
• Wan An — Former Era Idol teammate and fellow artist from Tang’s company. 31
• Wen Tong — Tang’s manager. She protects his public image, helps locate him after his Weibo post, and remains with him while he recovers from the rejection and scandal. 143 145 146
• Shan Zeyu — Food Journal partner and observer of Tang’s feelings for Ye. 128 140

Trivia

• The “Xi-Tang” CP name combines Ye Zexi’s “Xi” with Tang Jing’s “Tang”; fans also liked the name because it sounded like “wedding candy.” 25
• Tang initially rejected Ye Zexi partly because he assumed their preferred relationship roles would be incompatible. 172
• He once believed He Jinyun was his “official match” in the original novel’s intended plot, only to learn that Tang had never viewed He romantically. 83
• Tang is unable to cook without guidance; his attempt at tomato scrambled eggs ends with burnt food. 139