Tan Xiang'e

Biodata

Background / History

Tan Xiang'e works as a hypnotherapist at a hospital and conducts classified research into the snake genes of criminals 7 120 121. Her younger sister was murdered by a man who blamed Tan for genetic findings that had affected his family. After his arrest, he threatened her remaining relatives 123.

Tan first meets Xing Yue when Xing Yue wanders into her hypnosis office. The session exposes a distressing childhood memory, but Tan's equipment records no signals from Xing Yue's tail nerves 7. When Xing Yue returns, Tan identifies a psychological barrier suppressing her tail and proposes a lengthy course of scale-shaped incisions to stimulate its growth nerves 33. She accompanies Xing Yue to an entertainment training camp as her permitted assistant so treatment can continue 38.

After Xing Yue's finances deteriorate, Tan secures hospital approval to treat her free of charge as a rare research patient 50. She also brings medicine for Xing Yue's injured eyes, though she reluctantly conceals that the clear eye drops contain processed blood supplied by He Zhiwen 50.

Over the following two years, Tan and He develop a close friendship. Tan turns down He’s romantic overtures, but becomes jealous when she believes He is growing close to Yu Shuang 120 121. She later visits He late at night with a sleep aid; the two share an embrace, while Tan remains uncertain about pursuing a relationship she believes cannot lead to marriage 122.

Personality

Tan is drawn to unusual medical cases and is visibly excited by the chance to study Xing Yue's condition. She nevertheless takes her patient's pain seriously and tries to preserve both Xing Yue's treatment and career 7 33. Her curiosity can overstep boundaries, as when she examines Jiang Yue by scent without permission 44.

With He Zhiwen, Tan's professional composure gives way to jealousy and self-doubt. She recognizes that He owes her no exclusivity, yet struggles when their closeness appears to be fading 121 122.

Abilities & Skills

Hypnosis and diagnosis

• Conducts the session that reveals Xing Yue's childhood trauma and notices the absence of tail-nerve readings 7.
• Identifies Bo Wuxue's reported symptoms as Compulsive Perfect Snake Persona, while warning that treatment is unavailable under prevailing research restrictions 34.

Snake medicine and genetics

• Designs and performs the scale-incision treatment for Xing Yue's suppressed tail; she warns that recovery requires many procedures and help healing the wounds 33 39.
• Detects an unusual pattern in Xing Yue's snake-tail pheromones and identifies a genetic mutation 43.
• Identifies He Zhiwen's photographed eggs as python eggs conceived by two female snakes, contradicting Jiang Yue's assumption about their parentage 44.

Relationships

• Xing Yue — Patient whose rare tail condition Tan studies and treats; Tan also seeks continued care for her when money becomes an obstacle 7 33 50.
• He Zhiwen — Close friend and romantic interest. Tan helps with plans for He’s music shop, but hesitates to pursue their mutual closeness 120 121 122.
• Yu Shuang — He Zhiwen's friend and prospective music-shop collaborator; Tan mistakes their easy familiarity for possible romantic intimacy 121.
• Younger sister — Tan's only younger sister, murdered after a criminal sought revenge against Tan 121 123.