Tao Zhiyan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Tao Zhiyan (桃知彦)
Alias(es)	Butler Tao; Peach; Little Peach 38 136 158
Gender	Male 115
Affiliation	Feng household; formerly associated with Gu Min through the body’s original owner 15 92 110
Occupation/Role	Feng family butler; novelist in the real world 25 78 101
Status	Alive. His original real-world body is confirmed to be alive and recovering in hospital 132.
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Background / History

Real-world origins

Tao Zhiyan experienced abuse at an orphanage as a child. When writing his first novel, he drew on those experiences to create Feng Ze’s traumatic childhood and wrote himself into the story as Feng Ze’s first love. His reasoning was that, if nobody would save him, he would save himself through the story. He eventually abandoned the unfinished novel 5 78.

A car accident caused a serious head injury and bleeding in his brain. After transmigrating into the novel’s world, he could not fully remember either his personal past or the books he had written. He initially believed his real-world body had died 101 132 134.

The original owner and Gu Min

The body Tao occupies had belonged to another Tao Zhiyan, whom Gu Min placed in the Feng household to spy on Feng Ze’s Smart Brain research. Gu Min deliberately ruined the original owner’s family business, leaving him burdened with debt and vulnerable to coercion. Feng Ze knew about the spying arrangement but kept him nearby because of his resemblance and connection to the childhood Tao he remembered 15 59 72.

The family’s thirty-million debt and the father’s supposed suicide are later revealed as parts of a larger conspiracy. Recordings obtained from President Luo show that Gu Min arranged the father’s death by weakening a railing and staging a car scare 102 106.

Childhood connection and identity

The childhood side story depicts seven-year-old Tao living with his mother and becoming closely attached to Feng Ze. He calls Feng his “big brother,” teaches him pinyin, chooses him as his playmate, and gives him a watch to look at whenever he misses him 158 160 161 162.

His identity is not simply that of an unrelated person replacing a fictional character. When his childhood memories return, Tao realizes that abandoning the novel had caused him to lose his soul within its world. His parents recognized the change and searched for their missing child. His father distinguished the original character, whom he called “Zhiyan,” from Tao himself, whom he recognized as “Peach” 184.

Appearance

Tao has a tall, slender build and delicate features; both livestream viewers and people who knew him as a child remark on his beauty 50 52 180.

• Hair: Slightly long black hair that falls over his forehead 79.
• Eyes: Round, expressive eyes with upturned corners 79.
• Face and skin: Fair skin and a small, pointed chin 27 79.
• Hands: Long, pale fingers, particularly noticeable when handling a butterfly knife 118.
• Clothing: At the technology exhibition, he wears no conspicuous luxury items and is mistaken for staff because of his inexpensive-looking clothes 140.

Personality

Tao is protective of people whose autonomy or safety is threatened. He encourages Bai Ruan to remain in college, treats Feng Ze’s hallucinations seriously rather than mocking them, and approaches Chu Xi gently when others resort to physical restraint. His concern extends beyond friends and employers: he also encourages a hostile young man to leave companions who are pushing him toward crime 14 28 62 118.

His sharp tongue and enthusiasm for gossip coexist with practical resourcefulness. He enjoys exposing the absurdity of CEO-romance behavior, vents through anonymous posts, and readily turns a chaotic theft into a reward-driven public search. He is also comically oblivious about social-media anonymity, his supposed spying role, and Feng Ze’s early romantic interest 4 15 80 131 143.

Childhood experiences of being blamed rather than helped make him reluctant to explain injuries or seek support. He prefers solving problems himself, but gradually learns to accept Feng Ze’s protection. In romance, he insists on honesty, consent, and equality, rejecting the idea that his occupation makes him less deserving of love 85 100 101 124 127.

Abilities & Skills

Character-description Sight

Tao can see supernatural text above people’s heads. These descriptions reveal concealed identities, wrongdoing, motives, and possible future events 6 61 108.

• Detects hidden schemes, including Tang He’s award manipulation and President Su’s plan to have his children seduce Feng Ze 45 54.
• Identifies Gu Min’s planted spies, including assistants numbered 13 and 139 108.
• Receives predictions and warnings: Feng Yan’s planned imprisonment of him, Feng Yan’s actual intention to act against Gu Min, and a ten-minute countdown associated with Qin Buran’s impending suicide 81 111 140.
• Uses predictive text to anticipate Feng Ze’s complaints and tidy up before his bonus is threatened 27.
• Limitations: Text is not always present; Feng Ze initially has no visible introduction. The information also does not replace usable evidence—Tao explicitly recognizes that he cannot report a murder solely on the basis of supernatural descriptions 1 6.

Household Management

His duties cover household arrangements and some company-related matters 25.

• Coordinates drivers, meals, and guest reception around Feng Ze’s schedule 47.
• Handles replacements and repairs, including a ruined sofa cover 115.
• Arranges a full-time caregiver for Feng Cheng after surgery 123.
• Can prepare simple food, although he rarely cooks and the household cooks decline his offers to assist them 15 25 87.

Investigation and Negotiation

Tao combines hidden information with observation, questioning, and evidence collection rather than relying on his ability alone.

• Spots contradictions in the accusations against Feng Cheng and arranges for Ms. Qu to overhear the actual affair and financial scheme 120.
• Records incriminating conversations and retains evidence implicating Gu Min in the Tao father’s murder 106 120.
• Challenges Feng Yan’s claim of absolute authority by emphasizing that he cannot force others to obey or disclose information 83.
• Reverses traps during a business negotiation with President Huo’s team and helps secure a contract that Assistant Wang had not expected to win 181.

Crisis Intervention

Tao is persistent and attentive when someone appears to be in danger.

• Contacts Doctor Shen during Feng Ze’s episode, holds Feng’s hand, blocks frightening sights from his view, and stays until he sleeps 4 28.
• Stops the group from pinning Chu Xi down and calms her through patient conversation 62.
• Mobilizes mall customers through a public-address system, group chat, phone tracking, and cash rewards; the coordinated search ends with the thieves’ arrest 131.
• Attempts to keep Qin Buran safe after seeing a suicide warning by guiding him and President Pei toward a café 140.

Butterfly-knife Handling

Tao disarms a man attempting to scratch Feng Ze’s car and demonstrates precise butterfly-knife manipulation.

• Strikes the man’s wrist and takes the knife before he can react 118.
• Spins and folds the sharpened blade with enough control to surprise both its owner and Feng Ze 118.

Items

• Smartphone and social-media accounts — Used for anonymous gossip, advice, investigations, and organizing the mall search. His posts are not as unrecognizable as he assumes 6 80 131 143.
• USB drive — Holds recordings obtained from President Luo that implicate Gu Min in the Tao father’s murder 106.
• Childhood watch — Originally received from Chairman Feng, then given to Feng Ze as a keepsake. It later passes through Tao’s father to President Huo and is returned to Tao after Feng Ze traces it 160 162 182.
• Single blue rose — Tao’s first gift of flowers to anyone, presented to Feng Ze after the Superbrain press conference 144.

Relationships

• Feng Ze — Employer, childhood companion, and boyfriend. Tao repeatedly comforts him during episodes, while Feng learns to trust and defend Tao. Their childhood connection explains Feng’s long devotion and his determination to develop Superbrain 28 85 101 123 144.
• Feng Yiqian — Friend and fellow reality-show participant who repeatedly protects Tao. His attachment becomes romantic, but Tao’s relationship with Feng Ze leaves him disappointed; he later openly calls Tao “sister-in-law” 61 81 84 111 113 127.
• Bai Ruan — Friend whom Tao encourages to preserve his education and independence. Tao knows his whereabouts after he leaves Feng Yan and refuses to disclose them under coercion 14 15 83.
• Feng Yan — Employer and recurring source of conflict. He assaults and chains Tao over Bai Ruan’s departure. Despite this, Tao later warns him about possible manipulation and discovers his plan to use Superbrain against Gu Min 81 83 87 111.
• Feng Cheng — Fourth young master whom Tao rescues from exploitation and helps obtain care. Cheng initially blames Tao for his expulsion from the household, but later thanks him 115 120 123.
• Gu Min — The original owner’s handler and Tao’s adversary. Tao rejects his control and helps pursue accountability for the family’s destruction and the father’s murder 72 79 106 110.
• Doctor Shen — Feng Ze’s physician, whom Tao contacts during medical crises. Shen also defends Tao against guests who disparage his relationship with Feng because he is a butler 4 100 125.
• Aunt Zhao and the household staff — Colleagues who value Tao’s kindness and willingness to stand up for them. They join Feng Ze in asking him to return to the household 79.
• Chu Xi — A vulnerable reality-show participant whom Tao protects from rough restraint and Tang He’s coercion 62 67.
• Tang He — Antagonist whose devoted-boyfriend persona conceals abuse and schemes against Feng Yiqian. Tao challenges him and trips him when he attempts to stop a witness from speaking 45 61 62 68.
• Su Liran — Credits Tao’s patient support with helping her find the courage to stand up for herself. Her boyfriend, Jing Xuan, later thanks him 109.
• Tao’s parents — His childhood family within the novel’s world. Their recognition of his disappearance and his father’s use of “Peach” become central to understanding his identity 110 184.
• Xiao Yu — Feng Ze’s rejected marriage-alliance prospect. His attempts to demean Tao’s status provoke Tao to defend love as a relationship between equals, though his later arguments briefly unsettle Tao 123 124 125.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arc	Chapters	Tao’s involvement
Arrival in the Feng household	1 4 6	Adjusts to the novel world, discovers hidden family wrongdoing through character descriptions, and becomes a source of reassurance during Feng Ze’s episode.
Bai Ruan’s independence	14 15 25	Urges Bai Ruan not to abandon college for Feng Yan and supports their plans to confront Feng Yan’s mistreatment.
Milky Way Awards controversy	45 50 52 53	Learns of Tang He’s bought award, accurately predicts winners, and is pressured and physically attacked when the predictions raise questions about the ceremony’s fairness.
Please Don’t Hate Me	61 62 67 68	Discovers Tang He’s abuse of Chu Xi and planned framing of Feng Yiqian; protects Chu Xi and helps prevent Tang from silencing testimony.
Listening-device rupture	75 77 78 79	Feng Ze’s suspicion leads to separation. Tao explains that he knew nothing about the device and is “another Tao Zhiyan”; reconciliation brings him back to the household.
The month-long romantic bet	79 80 81	Agrees to make Feng Ze fall in love with him within a month, with thirty million at stake. Seeks anonymous advice without realizing how recognizable his posts are.
Feng Yan’s coercion	81 83 85 87	Refuses to reveal Bai Ruan’s location despite assault and confinement, then investigates the circulation of his anonymous post and warns Feng Yan about manipulation.
Romantic confession	99 100 101	Withdraws after mistakenly believing Feng Ze loves someone else. Demands honesty and learns that he himself is Feng’s long-awaited childhood love.
The Tao family conspiracy	102 103 106	Discovers the original owner’s father was murdered and obtains recordings exposing Gu Min’s method.
Superbrain’s first public exposure	108 109 110 111	Identifies spies, learns Feng Yan’s true intention, and volunteers to witness his father’s death through Superbrain. The demonstration exposes Gu Min’s crimes and leads to his arrest.
Established relationship and household care	113 115 120 123 124 127	Becomes intimate with Feng Ze, helps Feng Cheng escape exploitation, and confronts class-based objections to their relationship.
Connection to reality	132 138 144	Sees his living real-world body through Superbrain. The prospect of returning forces him to confront separation from Feng Ze and recognize the novel world’s inhabitants as living people.
Childhood rediscovery	180 182 183 184	Encounters people and keepsakes from childhood; recovered memories reveal the distinction between himself and the original character and explain his parents’ long search.

Notable Quotes

“If no one would save me, I would save myself.” 78

“I'll definitely help you deal with Gu Min. I'll make him pay.” 79

“I've got cheats.” 111

Trivia

• “Peach” began as his own WeChat name. He chose it while remembering a childhood craving for peaches and an incident in which he was beaten before getting to taste one 136.
• His anonymous feed becomes fashionable among wealthy executives. President Huo specifically asks to add him because his Moments have become a sought-after conversation topic 181.
• His reputation grows more extreme than the facts support. A doctor repeats a rumor that Tao forced dozens of CEOs to jump into a river; Tao internally calls it slander 120.
• He is terrible at ring toss. His stated record is thirty throws and thirty misses 181.