Shen Zexi

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Shen Zexi (沈泽熙)
Alias(es)	Eldest Young Master; Young Master Shen; Brother Shen 15 16 179
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Shen family; Shen Corporation 16 168
Occupation/Role	Businessman; manager of the Shen family’s business interests 168
Family	Elder son of Shen Father and Shen Mother; older brother of Shen Shixu 15 161
Status	Alive; released from imprisonment in Minglu City 120 179
First Appearance	Mentioned in connection with his arrival in the capital 15; appears in person welcoming Shen Shixu home 16

Background / History

Family and Business Beginnings

Shen Zexi remembered the wandering Daoist who visited when Shen Shixu was born. After the infant nearly died, the Daoist’s talismans relieved his fever, and his instructions shaped the family’s approach to raising him: they allowed Shixu to grow freely and supported his interests rather than imposing strict expectations 92.

Throughout Shixu’s childhood, Zexi supplied the best food, clothing, and daily necessities he could provide. Shixu regarded him as even more doting than their parents 15.

Zexi initially entered business independently, using his savings and concealing his identity as the Shen family’s eldest son. Early losses taught him valuable lessons, and his enterprise eventually prospered. Only then did Shen Father entrust him with the family business, which expanded severalfold under his management, reaching neighboring cities and later establishing a foothold in the capital 168.

Broken Betrothal

The Shen and Wu grandfathers arranged a childhood betrothal between Zexi and Wu Qiaoyun. Zexi behaved honorably toward his intended, but four years before the main story, the Wu family canceled the engagement shortly before the wedding to pursue a more advantageous connection. They also retained the Shen family’s substantial betrothal gifts, relying on their ties to the prefect to discourage retaliation 116.

Fourteen-year-old Shen Shixu publicly exposed their conduct, forcing the return of the gifts. The two families subsequently severed contact 116.

Personality

Zexi is openly affectionate and intensely protective of his younger brother. He was prepared to abandon an important business negotiation to accompany Shixu to the imperial examinations, remaining behind only after Shixu persuaded him. Once the deal was finished, he traveled to the capital under the pretext of doing business because he worried about Shixu living alone 15.

His pride can be exuberant: he boasts about Shixu to neighbors and celebrates his achievements through shop promotions. His protectiveness also makes him suspicious of corruption, to the point of mistaking Duke An’s gratitude gifts for bribes and briefly considering whether Shixu should leave official life altogether 16 17.

He combines sociability with a businessman’s practiced emotional restraint. He chats cheerfully with neighbors and fellow prisoners, yet quickly conceals his astonishment when he learns of Shixu’s reincarnation. His caution is not infallible; he admits that he underestimated how far the Wu family would go to harm him 16 92 119.

Abilities & Skills

Commercial Management

Zexi handles business accounts, promotions, and prospective acquisitions 16 88.

• Announces a three-day, thirty-percent discount across Shen Corporation businesses to celebrate Shixu’s success 16.
• Notices the Heavenly Fragrance House’s declining trade and considers taking it over; an acquisition is not confirmed 88.
• Helps Rong Hua work through his monthly account books 179.

Household Organization

Zexi takes charge of practical arrangements and security at the Shen residence 34.

• Moves belongings, requests familiar household items from their parents, and draws up a residence plan 34.
• Recommends a sunny, spacious courtyard for Shixu and chooses a separate courtyard for himself beyond the pond and grove 34.
• Plans additional servants and cooks, while personally selecting guards capable of fighting 34.
• Finds approximately a dozen suitable guard candidates 41.

Hearing Shen Shixu’s Thoughts

Zexi can hear Shixu’s internal thoughts and the voice of Gossip System 011 18 21.

• First hears 011 during the revelation about An Chengyu’s abduction 18.
• Cannot tell Shixu that others hear his thoughts: his lips refuse to open when he attempts the disclosure 21.
• Infers from Xiao Jinyi and Duke An’s composure that they already know about the phenomenon 21.
• Learns that Shixu was reincarnated from another world and retains memories of his previous life 92.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Supporting Shixu in the Capital

• Arrival: Waits outside the residence and enthusiastically tells neighbors about Shixu becoming Top Scholar and Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Initially mistakes Xiao Jinyi for another examination scholar and becomes anxious about proper etiquette after learning he is Prince Jing 16.
• Gift misunderstanding: Blocks Duke An’s servants with Xiaoshi and Jin Bao, wielding a broom because he believes their gifts are bribes. He lowers it and apologizes after Shixu explains that the gifts thank him for rescuing the duke’s grandson 17.
• Apprenticeship ceremony: Holds the rosewood tray carrying the tea offered by An Chengyu and Jiang Bin when they formally become Shixu’s disciples 24.
• Return from Qu City: Meets Shixu’s party at the city gates, thanks Old Zhang for feeding them, and urges Song Zhuoyang to treat Jiang Miaokong well after learning of Jiang’s efforts to save him 87 88.

Accepting Shixu’s Marriage

Zexi learns of the imperial marriage decree from townspeople and rushes home for an explanation. While Shixu is away, he receives and stores the gifts sent by the palace 90 91.

When Shixu returns, Zexi asks whether he genuinely likes Xiao Jinyi. Once Shixu confirms his feelings, Zexi accepts the match. He explains the Daoist’s prediction of an extraordinary marriage that would allow Shixu to remain safely in this world, and urges Shixu to inform their parents himself 91 92.

At the wedding gate, Zexi helps block Xiao Jinyi’s entrance alongside Rong Hua. Rong instructs him to have the prince’s promises written down for a signature and fingerprint as safeguards for Shixu 162.

Imprisonment in Minglu City

The Wu family uses a false heirloom-theft accusation to draw Zexi home. Their intended scheme is to drug him, force an intimate encounter with Wu Qiaoyun, and compel a marriage that would restore their connection to the increasingly influential Shen family 116 117.

Zexi accepts an ostensibly apologetic meal after being promised that the accusation will be publicly withdrawn. He drinks wine he later suspects was drugged, enters a room containing burning incense, and loses consciousness after Wu Qiaoyun makes him smell something. He awakens beside a disfigured woman’s corpse with a bloodstained dagger in his hand and is arrested 119.

Event	Details
News reaches the capital	Shen Father appeals to Shixu to return and save his elder brother 115.
Treatment in custody	Xu Wanda does not torture Zexi. Regular meals and little work-related worry allow him to gain two pounds 116 119.
Shixu’s prison visit	Shixu reprimands him for concealing the danger and involving Xiaoshi in keeping it secret 119.
Release	The corpse lacks Wu Qiaoyun’s identifying birthmark, prompting Xu Wanda to release Zexi 120.
Victim identified	A burn mark identifies the deceased as Wu Qiaoyun’s missing maid, Fen’er 121.

During the investigation, Zexi proudly explains Shixu’s imperial betrothal, title of Lord Qian’an, and right to retain his official post. Afterward, he feels guilty about Shixu’s exhaustion and Xiao Jinyi’s efforts on his behalf 121 126.

Marriage Pressure and Rong Hua

With Shixu’s wedding approaching, Zexi becomes embarrassed at being the only adult without a partner. His mother reminds him of his promise to bring home a spouse before New Year and worries that his experiences with the Wu family have made him wary of relationships. Shixu and Xiao Jinyi advise against pressuring him 160 161.

Shixu later finds Zexi talking with Rong Hua. Seeing their shared business ambitions, Shixu and Xiao Jinyi decide to let any potential relationship develop naturally rather than arrange a match 167 168.

By Shixu’s homecoming visit, Zexi has been going out frequently and returning in high spirits. After the newlyweds leave on their honeymoon, he visits Rong Hua daily while Shen Father oversees the business. He brings fruit, helps with accounts, and steers their conversation toward whether Rong has considered finding a partner; a romantic relationship is not yet confirmed 175 179.

Relationships

• Shen Shixu — Beloved younger brother. Zexi provides material support, manages household arrangements, and accepts Shixu’s chosen marriage; Shixu urgently returns to defend him when he is imprisoned 15 34 92 115.
• Shen Father and Shen Mother — Parents. His father entrusts him with the family business and later oversees it during his break; his mother presses him to find a spouse out of concern over his past experiences 161 168 179.
• Xiao Jinyi — Shixu’s friend and eventual husband. Initially intimidated by his rank, Zexi later accepts the marriage and appreciates his help during the Minglu City crisis 16 92 126.
• Wu Qiaoyun — Former betrothed. Their broken engagement ends contact between the families; she later participates in incapacitating Zexi before he awakens beside Fen’er’s corpse 116 119 121.
• Xu Wanda — Prefect of Minglu City. Zexi regards him as a good official and credits his fair treatment in prison; Xu orders his release when the corpse’s identity is disproved 119 120.
• Rong Hua — Close friend and possible romantic interest. Zexi calls him his only real friend outside business acquaintances and increasingly seeks his company 168 179.
• Jin Bao — Personal attendant. Reports the true reason for Zexi’s capital visit and assists with household arrangements 15 34.

Notable Quotes

“As long as you like him, that’s all that matters. Father and Mother won’t have any objections either.” 92

“My other friends are all business acquaintances, and we don’t spend much time together outside work. You’re the only real friend I have, so you’re the only one I can come hang out with.” 179

Trivia

• His childhood tendency to stay home reverses in adulthood, when he goes out daily for business and mostly deals with people around his father’s age 167 168.
• His heavy workload sometimes causes him to miss meals; the resulting irregular eating habits have left him with stomach trouble 119.
• Even An Chengyu’s playful claim to have a “wife” makes him feel left out enough to leave the gathering 161.