Cheng Yu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Cheng Yu (程喻)
Alias(es)	A-Yu; President Cheng; young master of the Cheng Family 5 114 115
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Cheng Family; one of the Four Young Masters of the Capital 5
Occupation/Role	Cheng Family heir and company head; later establishes a company overseas with William’s assistance 5 115
Status	Alive; working overseas and in a romantic relationship with Lin Xingye in the extras 113 115
First Appearance	Chapter 5, “Four Young Masters of the Capital” 5

Background / History

Childhood and separation

Cheng Yu was brought into the Cheng household at three years old. His birth mother rejected him, while the Cheng family took him in because Mrs. Cheng had three daughters and the patriarch wanted a male descendant. Despite being expected to serve the family, he suffered mistreatment and stigma as an illegitimate child 36.

He learned to bully other children before they could hurt him. After he bullied Lin Xingye, the other children stopped playing with him; Xingye subsequently invited him into their group. Xingye also defended him against insults, insisting that Cheng Yu was not responsible for his parents’ actions. This acceptance became the foundation of Cheng Yu’s lasting attachment to him 34 36.

When Cheng Yu refused to go abroad, the Cheng patriarch broke one of his legs. Before leaving, he wrote Xingye a letter asking not to be forgotten and promising to return. Su Chenle later revealed that he had persuaded Cheng Jiajia to destroy it and arranged for correspondence and gifts sent to Xingye from abroad to be discarded 36 72.

During their separation, Cheng Yu secretly returned to the country repeatedly to see Xingye. He followed him from a distance, learned his tastes, and deliberately shaped his appearance and behavior around what Xingye liked 36.

Business career

By his introduction, Cheng Yu had risen from an unacknowledged illegitimate son to the Cheng Family’s heir. His ability left the reluctant patriarch with little choice but to hand the company over to him. Beneath his courteous public manner, he developed a reputation as a ruthless businessman whom many people feared 5.

Cheng Yu assembled his own legal team and used it to put his father in prison. His stepmother and her family remained unwilling to leave despite his offer of money, hoping to retain their dividends and recover control through schemes 57.

In the extras, he establishes an overseas company with William’s help. He stays abroad to handle its development personally, intending to return home once the business is stable and he has appointed someone to manage it 115.

Previous life

In Lin Xingye’s previous life, Cheng Yu suffered his first business failure after taking charge when Li Hanwen obtained a project ahead of him. The defeat damaged Cheng Yu’s previously exceptional reputation and helped persuade Xingye’s parents that Li had genuine ability. Xingye later suspects Qin Ke’s influence may have contributed, but the project’s exact circumstances are not established 18.

Appearance

• Face: Handsome, with distinct features, sharp contours, and a well-defined jawline 5 39.
• Eyes: Tender and alluring, but carrying visible arrogance and defiance 5.
• Hair: Falls casually over his forehead, contributing to his carefree appearance 5.
• Build: Tall, lean, and well-proportioned, with clearly defined muscles 5.
• Clothing: Introduced in a fitted black suit over a flashy dark-blue shirt, with his collar slightly open. During the overseas reunion, he wears a black overcoat and stands conspicuously above the airport crowd 5 113.

Personality

Cheng Yu’s notorious playboy image conceals a more guarded private life. Although publicly gentle and courteous toward women, he has severe germophobia; Qi Sinian recognizes that his flirtatious reputation is a cover rather than an accurate account of his behavior. His assistant is later astonished to see him comfortably share food with Xingye 5 35 115.

His childhood rejection leaves him deeply sensitive to being valued only for his status. He rejects Qi Sinian partly because he believes she and her parents will always regard him as an illegitimate son. By contrast, Xingye’s childhood defense matters to him because it came when he actually needed protection 35 36.

With Xingye, Cheng Yu is attentive, affectionate, and intensely jealous. He remembers food preferences, arranges comfortable surroundings, and prioritizes Xingye’s safety over damaged possessions. His devotion also has a possessive edge: he enjoys Xingye’s dependence abroad, competes aggressively with other admirers, and admits that he fears being abandoned 35 114 115.

His protectiveness can become reckless. He repeatedly assaults Su Chenle and later recognizes that his impulsiveness helped Su avoid consequences. When the system prevents him from protecting Xingye, he becomes desperate enough to injure himself in an attempt to regain control 72 94.

Abilities & Skills

Hearing Lin Xingye’s thoughts

Cheng Yu is one of the four men who discover that they can hear Xingye’s unspoken thoughts 5 6.

• Identifies Xingye as the source after hearing his private “little fish” nicknames 6.
• Gains information that contradicts Qin Ke’s innocent public performance 6.
• Hears Xingye’s thoughts from a hotel room on another floor, prompting him to confront Bo Xi 15.
• Initially keeps the ability secret from Xingye, who does not realize his thoughts are audible 6.

Business and legal expertise

• Takes control of the Cheng company despite his disadvantaged position within the family 5.
• Normally avoids discussing business in public; his willingness to talk about projects with Qin Ke alerts An Shi that something is wrong 18.
• Builds a legal team capable of prosecuting his own father and later helping cut off Li Hanwen’s employment and paid online support 57 58.
• Establishes an overseas business and personally handles a major client his subordinates could not secure 115.
• Refuses a client’s romantic advances even when she suggests that accepting them could affect their business agreement 115.

Physical strength and fighting

• Lifts Qin Ke off the ground by his collar and destroys a glass case during his anger after escaping control 19.
• Fights Su Chenle in the pool and drags him ashore during Xingye’s rescue 68.
• Struggles against multiple heavily built captors and attacks them when Xingye is threatened 94.
• Helps carry the badly injured Xingye away from the abandoned building 97.

Resistance to supernatural control

Cheng Yu can resist the evil system’s manipulation, but he is not immune to it 19 89 92.

• Regains control after Xingye strikes his head with a wine bottle during the restaurant confrontation 19.
• Recognizes afterward that Qin Ke distorted his judgment, encouraged unwanted physical contact, and turned him against Xingye 20.
• Continues protecting Xingye during the later kidnapping despite the system’s attempts to direct him 90 91 92.
• Limits: An Shi warns that his unusually severe symptoms may return after further exposure. He is controlled again after Xingye’s hospital discharge 20 89.
• Cost: Prolonged resistance causes visible distress and exhaustion; he strikes his own head with a brick in desperation. The system subsequently loses control of him 90 94 95.

Communication abroad

• Handles local-language communication throughout Xingye’s overseas visit, where Xingye cannot understand the language 114.
• Conducts client negotiations and introduces Xingye publicly as his partner 115.

Equipment / Items

• Tape recorder: Carries the recorder used while Xingye draws out Qin Ke’s confessions. The kidnappers search Xingye rather than Cheng Yu, missing it 91.
• Overseas residence: Purchases an entire furnished floor downtown for Xingye’s visit, preparing soft mats and Xingye’s favorite snacks 114.
• Legal team: A personally assembled resource used against his father and later in the campaign against Li Hanwen 57 58.

Relationships

• Lin Xingye — Childhood friend, longtime love, and eventual partner. Xingye’s defense of him as a child inspires his enduring loyalty. Cheng Yu confesses directly during the cruise, although Xingye does not immediately reciprocate; the overseas extras establish their romantic relationship 36 39 49 115.
• Qi Sijing — Longtime friend and romantic rival. They cooperate against Qin Ke but constantly compete for Xingye’s attention, including through exaggerated complaints and provocative photographs 43 51 52 113 114.
• Bo Xi — Fellow childhood friend, ally, and rival for Xingye. Cheng Yu confronts him over the drugged Xingye at the hotel, later works with him against their enemies, and tries to console him after learning about Xingye’s previous life 15 30 43.
• An Shi — Longtime friend and doctor. An Shi recognizes Cheng Yu’s abnormal behavior, treats his head wound, and warns him about renewed exposure to Qin Ke. He later reprimands Cheng Yu for kissing Xingye while Xingye is ill 18 19 20 74.
• Lin Xingmo — Xingye’s protective younger sibling and an ally. Shares the truth about Xingye’s previous life with Cheng Yu and Bo Xi, and later gives Cheng Yu a key to visit Xingye 30 74.
• Qi Sinian — Unrequited admirer. Cheng Yu rejects her and explains that his kindness abroad was because she was Qi Sijing’s sister, not because he loved her. He nevertheless thanks her when she drives Song Ze away 35 36 61.
• Qin Ke / the evil system — Manipulator and enemy. Qin Ke initially gains his trust through supernatural influence; the system later controls him to abduct Xingye 20 84 89.
• Su Chenle — Former acquaintance turned enemy. Su sabotages Cheng Yu’s childhood letter and later attempts to drown Xingye, provoking Cheng Yu’s violent retaliation 68 69 72.
• William — Overseas business ally who helps Cheng Yu establish his company abroad 115.
• Cheng Jiajia — Member of the Cheng family whom Su Chenle manipulated into destroying Cheng Yu’s letter to Xingye 72.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arc	Cheng Yu’s involvement
Business seminar	Appears with the Four Great Families and discovers that he can hear Xingye’s thoughts. Joins the others in rejecting Xingye’s joking description of Qin Ke as someone’s “wife” 5 6.
Restaurant manipulation	Defends Qin Ke and turns against Xingye while controlled. After the bottle strike restores his awareness, he confronts Qin Ke, pays for the restaurant damage, covers the diners’ meals, and compensates the staff for their distress 18 19 20.
Learning about the previous life	Hears Xingmo’s account of Xingye’s marriage and abuse. Reacts angrily to Li Hanwen’s role and suggests Qin Ke’s influence may have affected events even if Bo Xi had acted differently 30.
Cruise and confession	Competes with Xu Chen to feed Xingye, rejects Qi Sinian, reveals his childhood history, and finally tells Xingye that he likes him. Also joins discussions about the threats aboard the ship 35 36 38 39 43.
Li Hanwen’s capture	Supports the legal pressure campaign and stays close to Xingye during the estate trap, posing as a bartender while Xingye draws Li out 58.
Song Ze’s failed approach	Rejects Song Ze at the charity photograph. An overheard call later reveals that Qin Ke had instructed Song Ze to touch him 61.
Su Chenle’s attack	Helps rescue Xingye from the pool, confronts Su about the destroyed letter, and remains at Xingye’s bedside. His repeated assaults complicate the effort to hold Su accountable 68 69 72 74.
Cliff rescue	Is devastated by Xingye’s apparent death, lashes out at Bo Xi, then urgently calls for rescue when Xingye is spotted on a ledge 84.
Final kidnapping	Abducts Xingye while controlled, but resists the system, shields him from the kidnappers, and carries the recorder that preserves Qin Ke’s confessions. Fights the attackers and later escapes with Xingye and Qi Sijing 89 90 91 92 94 97.
Overseas extras	Reunites with Xingye, arranges their stay, and openly introduces him to a client as his longtime partner. His continuing rivalry with Qi Sijing accompanies his fear of losing Xingye 113 114 115.

Notable Quotes

“I don't like men. I just like him.” 35

“The Cheng Yu you know exists because that's what Lin Xingye likes. Everything about me was shaped to suit his preferences.” 36

“That person just now wasn’t me.” 19

“This is my partner. I've loved him for... so many years I've lost count. Winning him over wasn't easy.” 115