Yan Yu

Biodata

Background / History

Yan Yu and Qiao Hua studied in the same university department for four years. They also interned at the same company, where he remembered her as one of the strongest student interns. Their friendship included eating together in the cafeteria, where she regularly asked him to peel shrimp for her 15 21 31 32.

At a class reunion three years before their renewed acquaintance, Yan Yu learned that Qiao Hua had married. He later reveals that he regrets not confessing his feelings when they graduated, although she does not hear the admission 16 35.

His renewed connection with Qiao Hua develops from employment and friendship into active assistance with her escape from Gu Wenze. He eventually confesses his feelings directly, but she declines to begin a new relationship. Later, he dates Shi Yin, whose discovery of a secretly taken photograph of Qiao Hua leads to their breakup 61 66 67 212 290.

Role in the Original Novel

In the original novel remembered by the transmigrated Qiao Hua, Yan Yu appears after the original Qiao Hua’s death. When Gu Wenze refuses to claim her body, the hospital contacts Yan Yu, who arranges her cremation and funeral. This belongs to the original storyline, not the events of their renewed acquaintance 16.

Appearance

• Build and bearing: Tall and handsome, with an elegant, refined manner and a mature, dependable presence 21 36.
• Eyes: Deep-set, dark eyes; his gaze often reveals emotions he leaves unspoken 15 21 36.
• Clothing: Wears impeccably tailored dark or dark-gray suits 15 21 36.
• Distinguishing details: Strong forearms, long fingers, and a warm, resonant voice 32 35.
• After his fight with Gu Wenze: His hair, tie, and suit are disheveled, and the corner of his mouth bleeds, but his refined bearing remains evident 68.

Personality

Yan Yu is serious and exacting at work but approachable, considerate, and humorous in private. Qiao Hua finds his company comfortable and free of pressure; several female employees also have crushes on him 22 31.

His affection for Qiao Hua initially appears through attentive gestures rather than direct declarations. He remembers her tastes, notices her mood and fatigue, and offers reassurance without demanding an explanation. After learning about her intended divorce, he supports her decision while acknowledging that he does not know the full circumstances 22 31 35 36.

His courtesy does not prevent him from confronting others. He refuses to justify Qiao Hua’s presence at the banquet to Jiang Nan and Gu Jinman, stands his ground against Gu Wenze, and rejects the claim that a husband can decide his wife’s resignation for her 42 43 45.

His support becomes increasingly practical and risky: he arranges Qiao Hua’s departure, conceals visits through business travel, and obtains a false identity card so she can seek legitimate medical care rather than use an illegal clinic. He accepts these risks willingly and refuses to reveal her whereabouts despite Gu Wenze’s threats 61 68 70 71 72.

When Qiao Hua declines his confession, Yan Yu expresses disappointment but promises to wait, assuring her that divorce and motherhood would not change his feelings. His rivalry with Gu Wenze nevertheless brings out a more confrontational side, including pointed provocations and a physical fight 67 68.

His later relationship with Shi Yin reveals unresolved attachment to Qiao Hua. He keeps a photograph taken without Qiao Hua’s knowledge as a memento, contributing to Shi Yin’s distrust and their breakup. He subsequently apologizes for the photograph and confirms that he deleted it. His urgent response when Shi Yin is threatened also demonstrates genuine concern for her 290 291 293.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Reunion and Employment

• Yan Yu sits on Qiao Hua’s interview panel, then follows her into the corridor and identifies himself as her former classmate. He is visibly disappointed when she does not recognize him 15.
• He invites her for coffee, asks about her marriage and return to work, and exchanges phone numbers with her. He notices that she speaks more eloquently than she did at university 16.
• When Qiao Hua reports for work as an executive assistant, she discovers that Yan Yu owns the company. He explains that he personally conducted interviews because he was selecting his own assistant 20 21.
• He acknowledges that personal feelings influenced her selection slightly, but emphasizes his confidence in her abilities. Passing probation remains dependent on her performance, and he directs her to his secretary for help learning the job 21.
• Qiao Hua’s experience as his assistant later helps her settle into secretarial duties at Gu Wenze’s company in less than half a day 94.

Rainy-Day Assistance and Interrupted Dinner

• Finding Qiao Hua stranded at the office during heavy rain, Yan Yu offers to drive her home and escorts her to the villa under his umbrella. She promises to buy him a meal in thanks 29.
• After glimpsing divorce-related messages on her phone, he asks her to honor the invitation and reserves a French restaurant 30.
• During dinner, he remembers her food preferences and peels shrimp for her, recalling their university meals. Gu Wenze arrives, joins their table, and eventually takes her phone and drags her away 31 32.
• Yan Yu blocks their path and asks Gu Wenze to release her, but hesitates when Gu calls it a matter between husband and wife. He later phones Qiao Hua to check that she has arrived home 32 35.
• He supports her divorce decision and privately hopes that, once she is divorced, he will have a chance with her 35 36.

Business Banquet

• Yan Yu invites Qiao Hua to accompany him to a business banquet and reassures her about her lack of experience at such events 40.
• He picks her up and supplies an expensive black evening gown, explaining that he should provide suitable attire because he invited her. Their entrance together attracts questions about their relationship 41.
• When Gu Jinman and Jiang Nan accuse Qiao Hua of attending without an invitation, he confirms that she is his invited date and refuses to explain their relationship further 42.
• Gu Wenze demands that he remove his hand from Qiao Hua’s shoulder. Yan Yu refuses to back down and counters Gu’s claim of marital authority by mentioning the intended divorce 43.
• After Qiao Hua returns from a concealed confrontation with Gu Wenze, Yan Yu accepts her explanation that she visited the restroom. He later drives her home 44 45.

Disputed Resignation

• Gu Wenze takes Qiao Hua’s phone and sends Yan Yu a resignation message without her consent. Yan Yu immediately calls and insists that he will not accept it unless resigning is Qiao Hua’s own decision 45.
• Unable to reach her afterward, he worries throughout the night. When she calls from Gu Wenze’s phone, he asks whether she is all right 47.
• Gu Wenze interrupts the subsequent call and claims that his own company will arrange any job Qiao Hua needs. Qiao Hua plans to explain the situation to Yan Yu, but surveillance prevents her from speaking with him alone that day 47.
• When they regain contact, Yan Yu recognizes that Gu Wenze is preventing her from attending work. He tells her that Gu does not deserve her and says he can wait while her attempted divorce remains unresolved 51.
• He visits the villa because he is worried about her prolonged absence. Qiao Hua suggests that he hire someone else rather than continue waiting, and he realizes that Gu Wenze is refusing to divorce her 57.
• By the time he helps her in Hua City, Yan Yu explicitly acknowledges that he is no longer her boss and asks her to call him by his name instead 72.

Escape Assistance and Confession

• Yan Yu offers to help Qiao Hua leave and spends a day making arrangements. During a private phone call, he says everything is ready and offers to devise a way to get her out. Qiao Hua insists on handling that part herself to limit his exposure to Gu Wenze’s retaliation 61.
• He sends her a photograph of the getaway vehicle and waits in a black minivan outside a staff passage. When she reaches him safely, he visibly relaxes 66.
• After Qiao Hua has separated from Gu Wenze and settled into a new home, Yan Yu asks her to give him a romantic chance. She explains that she is not ready for another relationship; he promises to wait and says that divorce or having a child would not change his feelings 67.
• Qiao Hua privately considers him a suitable boyfriend—wealthy, handsome, and gentle—but prioritizes completing her mission rather than dating. No romantic relationship is established between them 67.

Confrontation and Surveillance

• Suspecting that Yan Yu helped Qiao Hua disappear, Gu Wenze waits at his company and grabs him by the collar. Yan Yu initially remains calm and denies understanding the accusation 67.
• Yan Yu openly admits his feelings for Qiao Hua, repeats his regret about not confessing in college, and challenges Gu Wenze’s treatment of her. Gu punches him, and Yan Yu returns the blow; the two fight in the conference room 68.
• Security offers to call the police, but Yan Yu declines. He condemns Gu Wenze’s pursuit of Jiang Nan while married and refuses to disclose Qiao Hua’s location. After Gu leaves, he sends the employees back to work and privately resolves not to let Gu take her away 68.
• Yan Yu tells Qiao Hua that Gu suspects him but minimizes the confrontation and conceals the extent of his injury. He recommends that they avoid meeting temporarily in case he is being watched 69.
• To visit her without exposing her location, he has his trusted secretary attend a business meeting in his place while he takes another flight to see Qiao Hua. He returns with the secretary afterward to preserve the appearance of an ordinary business trip 70.
• Gu Wenze offers to agree to any terms if Yan Yu hands Qiao Hua over. Yan Yu rejects the demand despite further threats and another confrontation. He continues visiting Qiao Hua every few days 70 71.
• Gu eventually becomes suspicious of Yan Yu’s repeated same-day business trips and orders him followed 72.

False Identity and Hospital Ambush

• Yan Yu obtains an identity card bearing Qiao Hua’s photograph under the name Qiao Qiang, with different personal information. He explains that it will allow her to use a legitimate hospital and later seek work without exposing her identity to Gu Wenze 72.
• Qiao Hua recognizes that arranging the false document could expose Yan Yu to imprisonment. He jokes about asking her to marry him in return, then changes the subject when she avoids discussing his feelings 72.
• When she decides to terminate her pregnancy the next day, Yan Yu insists on accompanying her and rearranges his business plans accordingly 72.
• At the hospital, he presents himself as her partner and falsely tells the doctor that the pregnancy is from her former relationship and that they intend to have a child together. Qiao Hua follows his lead 73.
• Gu Wenze’s men ambush Yan Yu. Yan Yu realizes he has been followed and argues that Qiao Hua’s determination to leave proves she does not want to be with Gu. Gu beats him and has bodyguards restrain and remove him before forcibly taking Qiao Hua away 73.
• After her return to confinement, Qiao Hua worries about Yan Yu’s safety and possible retaliation against him 75.

Severed Contact and Continued Threats

• Gu Wenze uses the threat of sending Yan Yu back to the police station to deter Qiao Hua from escaping again. During a subsequent call, Yan Yu responds with disappointment, says he understands, and promises not to bother her again. Qiao Hua believes their friendship has ended but hopes the break will keep him safe from further retaliation 78.
• Qiao Hua later invokes the end of their friendship when resisting Gu Wenze’s attempt to use Yan Yu as leverage 79.
• When discussing returning to work, she states that she will not return to Yan Yu’s company, partly because of the trouble she caused him and the harsh things she said during their last exchange 91.
• Gu Wenze suspects Yan Yu again after a later hospital escape, but learns that he went abroad a week earlier. Yan Yu and Qiao Hua have not been in contact for a long time, and he is uninvolved in that escape 109.
• Despite their estrangement, Gu Wenze continues using Yan Yu as a threat, warning that he will inflict the same injuries on him if Qiao Hua harms herself 114.

Reunion at the Medical Center

• Qiao Hua unexpectedly encounters Yan Yu in the courtyard while recovering at a medical center. He apologizes for having spoken harshly to her, and she says she has forgotten the incident 212.
• She tells him that she has recently had a baby and confirms that Gu Wenze is the father. Yan Yu explains that he is there with his girlfriend, who has suffered a miscarriage 212.
• Gu Wenze interrupts the conversation and responds coldly to Yan Yu. Yan Yu leaves rather than prolong the tension, but turns back to tell Qiao Hua to take care of herself. Gu pointedly insists that caring for his wife is his responsibility 212 213.

Gu Jinyang’s First-Birthday Party

• Qiao Hua wants to invite Yan Yu to Gu Jinyang’s first-birthday celebration. Gu Wenze initially refuses, but she explains that she has forgiven Yan Yu, considers him a friend, and remains grateful for his past help 288 289.
• Gu reluctantly adds him to the guest list while warning Qiao Hua not to get too close to him. Yan Yu attends with a birthday gift and remains polite despite Gu’s hostile welcome 289.
• Asked about his girlfriend, Yan Yu reveals that they have broken up. He explains that Shi Yin found a photograph of Qiao Hua on his phone, argued with him, and moved out the previous night 289 290.
• Yan Yu admits that he took the photograph without Qiao Hua noticing and kept it as a remembrance. Shi Yin knows he once liked Qiao Hua and interprets the photograph as evidence that he has not moved on. When Gu demands to know whether he still has feelings for Qiao Hua, Yan Yu declines to discuss his private life 290.
• He has already sent people to search for Shi Yin without success. Qiao Hua encourages him to explain himself once she is found and offers to help clarify matters 290.
• Gu demands that Yan Yu delete the photograph and allow his phone to be inspected. Yan Yu offers the phone to Qiao Hua and apologizes, but she refuses to check it and says she trusts him. She then has Auntie Feng escort him to his seat to end the confrontation 290.
• Gu later taunts him with a family photograph, mockingly inviting him to photograph it and alluding to his earlier secret picture. Yan Yu refuses without escalating the exchange 291.
• An urgent call from his assistant about Shi Yin causes Yan Yu to leave abruptly. He apologizes to Qiao Hua and offers to treat her to a meal another time 291.

Shi Yin’s Ordeal and Follow-up Call

• During Qiao Hua’s later call, Yan Yu explains that several men surrounded Shi Yin in an alley and prevented her from leaving. They fled when he arrived, and she was unharmed 293.
• The incident occurred around the birthday object-picking ceremony. Its timing, Gu Wenze’s earlier efforts to remove Yan Yu, and his pleased reaction to Yan Yu’s departure lead Qiao Hua to suspect his involvement 290 291 292 293.
• Yan Yu promises to care for Shi Yin, apologizes again for leaving the party early, and confirms that he has deleted Qiao Hua’s photographs. He ends the conversation by wishing Qiao Hua happiness 293.
• Gu Wenze denies arranging the incident, arguing that he would target Yan Yu directly if he wanted to retaliate. Qiao Hua accepts his explanation while retaining unease about the coincidence; the supplied account does not conclusively establish who arranged Shi Yin’s ordeal 294.

Relationships

• Qiao Hua — Former university classmate and internship colleague; later his assistant and romantic interest. She values his friendship and initially considers him an appealing potential partner 21 31 36 49. Yan Yu helps her escape Gu Wenze and confesses his feelings, but she declines to begin a relationship. Their contact is subsequently severed under Gu’s pressure, before later meetings restore a friendly connection. She explicitly describes him as a friend when inviting him to her son’s first-birthday party, defends his privacy, and trusts his assurance that he deleted her photographs. No romantic relationship is established between them 61 66 67 78 212 289 290 291 293.
• Gu Wenze — Qiao Hua’s husband and an increasingly hostile romantic rival. Their confrontations initially center on Yan Yu’s closeness to Qiao Hua and her right to choose her employment 32 43 45. The rivalry escalates into fighting, surveillance, and a hospital ambush after Yan Yu helps her escape. Gu continues threatening him even after his contact with Qiao Hua ends, and later treats his attendance at Gu Jinyang’s birthday party as a threat to the marriage 68 72 73 78 114 289 290 291.
• Shi Yin — His later girlfriend, introduced through his account of her miscarriage. She breaks up with him after discovering Qiao Hua’s photograph on his phone and believing that he still has feelings for her. Yan Yu searches for her and rushes to help when men trap her in an alley. She is unharmed, and he promises to take care of her, but their reconciliation is not confirmed in the supplied chapters 212 290 291 293.
• Jiang Nan — Gu Wenze’s first love. Yan Yu rebuffs her questioning about his relationship with Qiao Hua at the banquet 42. He later cites Gu’s pursuit of Jiang Nan while married as evidence of hypocrisy and criticizes their conduct during his fight with Gu 68.
• Gu Jinman — Publicly challenges Qiao Hua’s right to attend the banquet; Yan Yu counters her accusation by confirming his invitation 42.
• His secretary — Entrusted with explaining Qiao Hua’s new duties and answering her workplace questions 21. A longtime employee whom he considers especially trustworthy, the secretary later attends business meetings for him and keeps his concealed visits to Qiao Hua confidential 70 72.
• Gu Jinyang — Qiao Hua and Gu Wenze’s son. Yan Yu attends his first-birthday celebration as an invited guest and brings him a gift 289.

Notable Quotes

“Personal feelings did play a small part in my decision to hire you, but more importantly, I believe in your abilities.” 21

“It isn't bias. To me, you're the best.” 36

“Your wishes are yours. As long as Qiao Hua doesn't want to quit, I won't accept that resignation text.” 45

“I offered to take you away. Even if it's trouble, I'm taking it on willingly.” 61

“Whether you're divorced or have a child, it doesn't change how I feel about you.” 67

“I don't know where Qiao Hua is. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you.” 68

“Qiao Hua would rather risk her safety to leave you. Can't you see that she doesn't want to be with you at all?” 73

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken your photo without your knowledge. I just wanted something to remember you by, so...” 290

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