Chen Sinian

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Chen Sinian (陈斯年)
Alias(es)	Brother Chen; Brother Nian 37 43
Gender	Male
Sexual Orientation	Gay; explicitly tells Su Tangtang that he likes men 25 33
Occupation/Role	Award-winning actor; celebrity dating-show contestant 3 7
Affiliation	Dating-show cast; male lead of an upcoming novel-adapted drama 7 8
Status	Alive; scheduled to leave the dating show after the current week’s filming, but still participating in the supplied chapters 46 50
First Appearance	Chapter 3 3

Background / History

Chen Sinian is an established, award-winning actor with powerful backing and access to sought-after projects. He considers his reputation sufficient publicity for his work, noting that he has not had a flop in years. His upcoming drama is adapted from a male-reader-oriented novel and emphasizes its male protagonist and plot rather than romantic pairing 3 5 8. Zeng Xinwei views him as a potential route to better roles; industry opinion holds that he has not appeared in a bad film since his debut 43.

He joins the dating show at the request of his wealthy younger male lover. The lover’s family has become suspicious of their relationship, threatening his inheritance prospects, so Chen’s participation is intended to deflect those suspicions. Although angry about the arrangement, Chen cooperates because he understands his lover’s difficult family circumstances 22 25.

Appearance

• Hair: Black, worn swept back at his introduction 3.
• Build: Tall and lean, with clearly defined arm muscles visible after his morning run 30.
• Face and bearing: Handsome, gentle and refined in conversation, with a cooler, aloof presence when seated among the guests 3 5 26.
• Early outfit: A white shirt during his first conversation with Su Tangtang 3.

Personality

Chen maintains a courteous, composed public manner. He offers to let the women introduce themselves first, brings Su Tangtang water, and carries her suitcase. Even when a scandal threatens his next drama, he returns to the group without visibly betraying his concern 4 5 9.

Behind that polished image, he is an enthusiastic gossip listener. He chooses Su as a shopping companion to hear more revelations, eavesdrops outside her room, and pulls Qi Zhaoyi into the group when Qi becomes the subject of her thoughts 8 17 18. He also has a teasing, occasionally petty side: after hearing Su privately insult him, he withdraws the water bottle he had offered her 24.

He is strategic about protecting his work and his lover, but not entirely comfortable exploiting Su’s trust. Her enthusiastic gratitude makes him feel guilty about the concealed purpose of his dinner invitation. He nevertheless keeps his financial promise, paying her the full three million yuan even when he no longer needs to remain on the show 32 37.

Abilities & Skills

Hearing Su Tangtang’s Thoughts

Chen can hear Su Tangtang’s inner monologue, including the information she obtains from her gossip book. This is a shared phenomenon among multiple characters, not an established ability to read anyone’s mind 3 16 22.

• Range: He hears her through a thick interior wall while they occupy neighboring rooms 22.
• Practical use: Her thoughts alert him to Bai Zhitao’s tax evasion and his lover’s inheritance-related family deception 8 27 30.
• Investigation: He deliberately brings her to a production dinner so the other attendees can hear her revelations themselves 32 34.
• Evidence retrieval: He uses a passcode supplied by her thoughts to unlock Liu Fangbo’s phone and locate an incriminating video 48.
• Concealment: Su remains unaware that he can hear her; he responds through ordinary conversation, gestures, and private action 16 24 30.

Acting and Industry Experience

• Recognition: An award-winning veteran actor whose achievements become part of the show’s “Never Have I Ever” game 3 9 40.
• Professional influence: Recommends Su for the male lead’s playful younger sister, believing the character resembles her actual personality rather than her meek public act 34.
• Publicity judgment: Questions whether announcing his drama during the dating show will help a production that is not built around romantic shipping 8.
• On-camera coordination: Negotiates a paid arrangement with Su to increase their interactions and sustain the show’s apparent pairing 25 38.

Skiing

• Skill level: A beginner who moves slowly and struggles on the slopes 25 26 27.
• Limitation: Cannot keep pace with Su Tangtang, who repeatedly skis ahead of him 25 27.

Relationships

• Su Tangtang — Paid on-camera partner and professional ally. He writes to her on consecutive nights, recommends her for an acting role, and pays her three million yuan. She treats him as a sponsor and “bestie,” not a romantic prospect; their apparent chemistry nevertheless encourages audience speculation 21 25 26 29 34 37.
• Unnamed younger male lover — His actual partner, described by Su as a wealthy “young sugar daddy.” The lover arranges Chen’s dating-show participation to protect his inheritance. Chen unblocks him after hearing Su’s account of their recent quarrel and helps respond to the deception within his family 22 25 27 30.
• Qi Zhaoyi — Close friend and roommate. They met when Qi sang the ending theme for one of Chen’s dramas. Chen helps him recognize the thought-hearing phenomenon, teases him over the resulting gossip, and joins him for morning runs 15 16 18 22 30.
• An Ruzhi — Fan and fellow contestant who initially joins the show because of him. She is unsure whether her feelings are admiration or romance, shares his enthusiasm for gossip, and later resents him taking the seat beside Su 11 18 30.
• Du Lanxi — Su’s protective manager. Chen reassures her that she may attend the production dinner and remain beside Su. After recognizing that he used Su to expose scandals, Du loses interest in further negotiation with him 32 37.
• Bai Zhitao — Originally announced as his drama’s female lead. Her tax evasion threatens the production, prompting his investigation and dinner scheme 8 32 34 37.
• Zeng Xinwei — Actress who approaches him hoping his connections will advance her career. He moves away and signals Su to sit between them 43.
• He Pijiu — Dating-show director. He asks Chen and Su to arrange the next dates and prepares to replace Chen after his planned departure 46.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Joining the Dating Show

• Chen initially tries to interrupt Su’s investigation of his private life by offering water and attentive assistance. Her thoughts still identify him and begin probing his gossip 3 4.
• His first letter to her reads, “Su Tangtang, you’re very interesting.” The letter attracts fans expecting her to exploit his attention, but her brief, casual response leaves them without the spectacle they anticipated 21.
• Su’s thoughts report that he retaliated against his lover’s dating-show arrangement by tying him to a bed for three days and nights. Chen’s reaction is to recall their parting and unblock the lover 22.

Paid Collaboration and the Inheritance Dispute

• At the ski resort, Chen tells Su that he is gay and offers three million yuan for more on-camera interaction. She accepts 25.
• He posts her unconventional photograph despite being reduced to a small head in one corner. Both later finish among the two most-liked guests, winning authority to arrange the next dates 26 28.
• During their meal, Su’s thoughts reveal that his lover’s stepmother’s two children were fathered by the family’s special assistant, not the lover’s father. Chen urgently leaves to act on the information 27.
• He makes further calls as the stepmother and assistant attempt to flee. His lover subsequently secures his father’s assets and company shares, while the pair are sent to jail, removing the need for Chen’s dating-show cover 30 37.

Saving the Upcoming Drama

• On learning about Bai Zhitao’s tax evasion, Chen leaves the shopping outing to contact his manager and initiate an investigation 8 9.
• With the director unwilling to confront Bai without evidence, Chen invites Su to a dinner attended by the production’s key figures. He uses a role recommendation to secure her attendance 32.
• At dinner, he seats Su beside himself and observes the attendees as her thoughts expose Bai and several other private scandals 34 35 36.
• Bai withdraws after the director discovers the tax evasion and repays the unpaid taxes. The production keeps the reason confidential and replaces her with Zhou Ling 37.
• Chen fulfills the three-million-yuan agreement and asks Su to maintain their on-camera interactions during his remaining episode to avoid unnecessary complications 37 38.

Final Scheduled Episode and Ye Wenxuan’s Rescue

• Chen helps arrange the second dates and stays close when Su is uncomfortable being left alone with He Pijiu during replacement-candidate selection 46.
• At Liu Fangbo’s villa, he takes Liu’s phone while Qiao Yufan and Xu Guanghao restrain him. Using Su’s silently supplied passcode, he locates the video without playing it and signals confirmation to the director 48.
• He notices the awkward attraction between Gu Yeting and Su alongside Qi Zhaoyi, then waits for Su at the shooting range for their next date 50.

Notable Quotes

“Su Tangtang, you’re very interesting.” 21

“They’ve always been like that. I’ve told them to get their own lives in order before chasing celebrities.” — On his fans’ engagement 27

“I’ll leave once you’ve had your fill.” — To Su Tangtang after the production dinner 36

Trivia

• His fans are called the “Rice Cakes” 26.
• Su describes his fan base as numbering more than seventy million, yet notes that they cannot out-argue Xue Ruyin’s fans 27.
• He repeatedly objects internally to Su treating him as “one of the girls” after learning that he is gay 25 36.