Xu Mingyue

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xu Mingyue (许明月)
Alias(es)	Shen Mingyue; Miss Mingyue; Seventh Young Miss of the Shen family 14 41 42
Gender	Female
Age	Not yet eighteen 14
Affiliation	Shen household, where she was raised; secretly aligned with Xu Junshan and Lin Xiyue 3 15 47
Occupation/Role	Final-year student at International High School; antagonist to Shen Banxia 6 41 42
Biological Parents	Xu Junshan and his mistress, Lin Xiyue 3 32
Raised By	Shen Shuyi, who initially believed Mingyue was her biological daughter 3 7
Status	Alive; still maintaining her place in the Shen household while unaware that the family has uncovered the Xu conspiracy 47
First Appearance	Mentioned in the opening discussion about bringing Banxia home; appears directly upon returning from school 1 3

Background / History

Xu Mingyue entered the Shen family through a deliberate baby switch arranged by Xu Junshan. He substituted his mistress’s daughter for Shen Shuyi’s biological daughter, Shen Banxia, whom he abandoned in the wilderness. Shuyi raised Mingyue as her own child, while Junshan specifically requested that Mingyue bear his surname—even though Shuyi’s sons bore the surname Shen 3 32.

Mingyue grew up pampered and enjoyed Shuyi’s particular affection, including the customary seat beside her at dinner. Shuyi initially refused her wish to study abroad because she could not bear to send her away. During Mingyue’s second year of high school, a fall requiring a blood transfusion led Shuyi to discover that they were not biologically related 6 7.

By Banxia’s return, Mingyue already knew her true parentage and supported Junshan’s plan to seize the Shen family’s wealth. She privately anticipated the Shen Corporation’s bankruptcy and the family’s destruction, while continuing to act like a frightened daughter concerned about being sent away 3.

Appearance

• Regarded by household staff as beautiful and accomplished; Shen Lingyun associates her with a petite, sweet appearance 14 16.
• Resembles Xu Junshan rather than Shen Shuyi, a distinction noticed by both Shuyi and Cui Yushu 3 18.
• Wears carefully maintained makeup and dresses elaborately even for a late-night approach to Banxia’s room 15.
• Diets to maintain her figure and often leaves part of her individually served dinner uneaten 6.

Personality

Mingyue presents herself as affectionate, gracious, and vulnerable. She uses lowered eyes, tears, sweet speech, and displays of concern to invite reassurance. After her broken-cup scheme fails, she expects the family to gather around and comfort her as they previously would, but only Shen Qingfeng does so 3 5.

Her private attitude is contemptuous and possessive. She judges Banxia’s rural upbringing, appearance, and eating habits as evidence of inferiority, and resents losing Shuyi’s attention. Even after repeated reversals, she continues to believe she is better than Banxia and questions why Shuyi favors her biological daughter 5 6 47.

Mingyue is cautious about leaving evidence of her hostility, telling her biological mother that she will avoid acting directly. Nevertheless, her impatience repeatedly breaks through: she insults Banxia during tutoring and blurts out a derogatory remark about her intelligence during the crocodile dispute 15 39.

Abilities & Skills

Social Manipulation

• Reputation management: Maintains the image of a caring sister while arranging circumstances that leave Banxia vulnerable to bullying 40 41 43.
• Selective disclosure: Introduces Banxia as an older sister raised in the countryside without revealing which girl is Shuyi’s biological daughter 41.
• Rumor cultivation: Claims Banxia is not related to her by blood and avoids correcting classmates who conclude that Banxia is an illegitimate daughter. The claim is false: they share Xu Junshan as their father 42.
• Indirect accusation: During the planted-pen incident, suggests Banxia may have taken the pen “by mistake,” reinforcing the theft allegation under the guise of asking for leniency 44.
• Limits: Her performance becomes less effective as Shuyi, the Shen brothers, and Pei Yu begin recognizing its underlying hostility 34 44 47.

Academic Performance

• Top-student persona: Takes pride in her grades and fears that a decline would damage her standing 6.
• Rote learning: Can follow teachers’ explanations but struggles to apply concepts independently or explain the reasoning behind answers 15.
• Outside assistance: Relies on Shen Qingfeng for schoolwork; he writes and submits a paper for her after working until two in the morning 9.
• Cheating: Uses cheat sheets and exam cheating to sustain her academic image 15.
• English support: Receives help from a foreign tutor and retreats from claims of fluency when Banxia asks her to provide tutoring 47.

Equipment / Items

• Spare phone — Used to call her biological mother secretly and discuss plans against Banxia 15.
• Limited-edition bracelet — A gift from Shen Lingyun that she had previously requested. She shows it off to Banxia, who remarks that it makes her look like a wealthy middle-aged woman 16.

Relationships

• Xu Junshan — Biological father and protector. He initially opposes bringing Banxia home and later intervenes to excuse Mingyue’s failed gift scheme and insults 1 5 39.
• Lin Xiyue — Biological mother and secret confidante. Mingyue reports to her and boasts about how she intends to deal with Banxia at school 3 15.
• Shen Shuyi — The mother who raised her. Shuyi conceals her investigation at first, but increasingly sees through Mingyue’s behavior and ultimately challenges her openly over insulting Banxia 3 39 47.
• Shen Banxia — Paternal half-sister and principal rival. Mingyue attempts to undermine her family standing, school life, and reputation 5 32 42 44.
• Shen Qingfeng — Particularly sympathetic brother and academic helper. He comforts her after the broken-cup incident and continues noticing her distress when other brothers prioritize Banxia 5 9 40.
• Shen Lingyun — Affectionate elder brother who brings her gifts from business trips and buys the limited-edition bracelet she requests 16.
• Pei Yu — Romantic interest and prospective marriage-alliance partner. His perception of her changes after he hears Banxia’s thoughts and witnesses her intervention in the theft accusation 14 44.
• Xu Ziming — School bully devoted to her. Mingyue expects him to torment Banxia and is disappointed when he leaves her alone 41 47.
• Xiao Wu — Household ally secretly related to Lin Xiyue. She flatters Mingyue and assures her that Banxia cannot threaten her position 3.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Banxia’s Return

• Failed welcome gift: Mingyue offers a box containing an already-broken crystal cup and releases it before Banxia can properly receive it. Banxia catches the box and exposes the broken contents, defeating the attempt to make her appear responsible 5.
• Academic rivalry: Shuyi includes Mingyue in a Gaokao-score competition with Banxia. Mingyue confidently expects to win despite intending to apply abroad rather than to domestic universities 7.
• Tutoring reversal: A second cup and apology lead to a tutoring session. Banxia’s basic questions expose Mingyue’s weak explanations, and Mingyue loses her temper before privately declaring Banxia an easy target 15.
• Loss of family confidence: After learning her parentage, Jinyan avoids her. The brothers later explicitly agree to keep their ability to hear Banxia’s thoughts secret from both Mingyue and Junshan 34 38.

Crocodile Dispute

• Mingyue flees when Banxia approaches with a young crocodile, then insults Banxia’s intelligence while complaining to Shuyi 39.
• Shuyi requires both girls to apologize. Mingyue complies after being threatened with punishment under the family rules, but reacts hysterically when Banxia also demands an apology to the crocodile 39.
• At dinner, most of the brothers focus on Banxia’s safety rather than Mingyue’s fright, further aggravating her resentment 40.

International High School

• Class placement: Mingyue persuades Shuyi to place Banxia in her English-taught international class, ostensibly to help her but actually to undermine her confidence and facilitate bullying 42 43.
• First-day bullying: She deliberately leaves Banxia alone with Xu Ziming and returns hoping to witness her humiliation. Banxia instead calls on her to help obtain compensation for a damaged frying pan 41.
• Illegitimacy rumors: Her account of their relationship prompts classmates to circulate the claim that Banxia is an illegitimate daughter 42.
• Planted-pen accusation: Mingyue reinforces the accusers’ story and tries to secure an admission from Banxia. Police intervention instead leads the students responsible to confess publicly 44 45 46.
• Dinner-table reversal: She later tries to embarrass Banxia over an English classroom exercise, only to retreat when Banxia asks her for English tutoring 47.

Events Known Through Banxia’s Foreknowledge

These outcomes are described through Banxia’s memories or private thoughts, rather than shown occurring in the changed present.

Person affected	Revealed outcome or threat
Original Shen Banxia	Mingyue repeatedly obstructs her and smears her reputation after she returns to the Shen family 2.
Shen Qingfeng	Banxia warns internally that Mingyue intends to take his kidney to help someone else 5.
Pei Yu	After the marriage alliance collapses over her parentage, Mingyue schemes to keep him; Banxia recalls that he meets a miserable end 14.
Xu Ziming	He commits crimes for Mingyue, who later stabs him and pushes him into the sea to destroy evidence; his body is never found 41.

Notable Quotes

“Don't worry, I know where to draw the line. I definitely won't do anything myself and give anyone something to use against me...” 15

“Banxia didn't mean to do it. Maybe she thought Cheng Li's pen was pretty and took it by mistake!” 44