Li Ruobing

Biodata

Background and History

Li Ruobing is the eldest granddaughter of the Li Family’s main branch. She grew up aware that her grandfather favored boys, despite her academic ability and closeness to her younger brother, Li Ruotai. After graduating from Harvard Business School, she was called home at twenty-three under the pretext that her mother was gravely ill; her family instead intended to marry her to Ding Ruilong. Ruobing and Ding agreed to build competing businesses outside their families’ existing industries. If she won their five-year wager, she would be free to choose her own life; if she lost, she would marry him 5 7 170.

She founded Illusion Color Fashion Group and became a prominent cosmetics entrepreneur in East Sea. Ding obstructed her business and targeted three men she had used as pretend boyfriends. She later presented Wu Chen as another boyfriend, taking pains to make the relationship credible enough that Li Ruotai would protect him 5 7 25.

Appearance

Ruobing is tall and slender, with a striking appearance that is often overshadowed by her commanding bearing 5 31.

• Hair: Long, straight black hair 5 96.
• Glasses: Gold-rimmed glasses, worn to create distance rather than correct her vision 5.
• Style: Usually wears serious, authoritative clothing; she occasionally adopts a softer look to suit a situation 96 308.

Personality

Ruobing is direct, competitive and fiercely protective of her independence. She confronts opposition openly, whether from her family or a business rival. She can be ruthless toward someone who deliberately wrongs her, but generally distinguishes an intentional offense from an accident 90 304.

Her controlled public manner does not always reflect what she feels privately. She is unsettled when Wu Chen outmaneuvers or excludes her, yet keeps her word even when doing so costs her pride: after losing a wager to him, she kneels and apologizes rather than break its terms 5 32 75.

Abilities and Skills

Business leadership

• Built a high-end cosmetics company valued at around two billion yuan by the time Wu Chen first meets her 5.
• Sets aside her questions about Wu Chen’s methods to negotiate Tao Manying’s endorsement, completing the contract before ten o’clock that morning 31.
• Announces a joint luxury makeup line with Su Qingying’s Jinfu Group 171.

Social strategy and performance

• Uses public affection, introductions and carefully chosen appearances to make her initially staged relationship with Wu Chen convincing 7 14.
• Coordinates cover stories with Su Qingying when the Su Family investigates Wu Chen, including concealing evidence that could expose Qingying’s private relationship 45 46.
• Feigns jealousy during Ding Ruilong’s attempt to turn her against Wu Chen, then leaves him waiting for a response to the photographs he sends 266.

Influence and protection

• Employs bodyguards and uses her family connections to protect people close to her, including arranging protection for Wu Chen’s family 5 34.
• Calls her father and maternal grandfather after Ding’s hired killers attack Wu Chen, seeking family pressure against Ding 86.
• Her protectiveness can become reckless: after a street fight involving Wu Chen, she draws a gun on Zhao Guai before Li Ruotai and Wu Chen intervene 143.

Relationships

• Wu Chen — Initially her staged boyfriend and nominal company assistant; their partnership becomes a genuine romance. She later tells Li Ruotai that she wants children with him 14 70 144.
• Li Ruotai — Younger brother. They are close and protective of each other, although she frequently challenges his impulsive decisions 7 8 86.
• Ding Ruilong — Rival in the business-and-marriage wager. He repeatedly interferes with her career and threatens men close to her 5 25.
• Li Maoren — Father. He initially doubts Wu Chen and opposes their relationship, but later changes his stance 70 245.
• Li Huaigeng — Grandfather who arranged the proposed marriage to Ding. He eventually admits that Ruobing judged Ding correctly and invites Wu Chen to visit the family 170 171.
• Su Qingying — Friend and business partner. Ruobing helps shield her from her family’s scrutiny and supports her challenge for influence at Jinfu Group 45 54 171.
• Zhuang Xiaodie — Another of Wu Chen’s partners. Ruobing chooses to welcome her despite initial tension 123 124.
• Wu Jiao — Wu Chen’s younger sister. Ruobing tries to make her feel welcome, though her expensive gifts initially overwhelm her 198 200.

Story Role and Major Arcs

• The company leak and product launch: Wu Chen gains access to Ruobing by claiming to know a traitor within her company. She later entrusts him with the threatened launch, and he secures Tao Manying as its spokesperson 5 25 31.
• From staged relationship to partnership: Their public act draws in her brother and the East Sea business circle. Ruobing’s concern for Wu Chen grows into a genuine relationship, even as his secrecy and other partners test her trust 7 14 70 75 144.
• Conflict with Ding Ruilong: Ruobing rejects Ding openly, stands by Wu Chen during family confrontations and helps coordinate responses to Ding’s attacks and schemes 86 157 266.
• Changing family ties: Her grandfather’s eventual admission that he was wrong about Ding eases the marriage pressure without immediately erasing her resentment 170 171.
• Unresolved judgment by Xia Jinyu: Ruobing remains hurt that her family accepted a psychologist’s assessment of her high-school behavior. When Wu Chen plans to recruit Xia, Ruobing wants an acknowledgment that the judgment was mistaken 304 305.