Qin Buran

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Qin Buran (秦不染)
Alias(es)	Buran; Little Ran 186
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Imperial Capital Academy of Fine Arts; formerly the Qin family 195 209
Occupation/Role	Artist; doctoral student who later earns his doctorate 195 210
Spouse	Pei Hang 186
Status	Alive and recovered in the altered timeline; estranged from his birth family 209 210
First Appearance	Technology exhibition 140

Background / History

Childhood and education

Qin Buran grew up under persistent favoritism toward his younger brother, who was only one year younger. After his brother claimed their parents belonged to him alone, they required Buran to call them “Uncle” and “Auntie.” Using the wrong names brought punishment, including being denied food. His parents also expected him to surrender possessions and accept blame for his brother’s mistakes 208 209.

He consistently placed first in his subjects and earned full marks, but his parents offered little recognition. He entered the Imperial Capital Academy of Fine Arts, completed university, and pursued a master’s degree followed by doctoral study. His work progressed from small exhibitions to national ones, yet his parents continued to value business contracts more than his artistic achievements 186 195.

His bedroom in the Qin home was tiny, containing a bed, wardrobe, and folding table. Pei Hang suspected that it had been converted from a storage room 206.

Childhood engagement and original timeline

The Qin and Pei families arranged their children’s marriage when their standing was roughly equal. As the Pei family rose in status, it became reluctant to honor the engagement. The Qin family nevertheless sent Buran to establish a relationship with Pei Hang 185.

Buran invited Pei Hang for drinks, and they consensually slept together. After sobering up, Pei accused him of using sex to climb the social ladder. In the original timeline, Pei also failed to attend their planned marriage registration, leaving Buran to appear alone and receive blame from both families 185.

They eventually entered a marriage of convenience. Their initially poor relationship changed as their lives overlapped and Pei fell in love with him. Buran’s illness later became severe, and Pei’s recollections describe him as frail, bedridden, and unable to improve despite nutritional infusions. After losing him, Pei used the unfinished Superbrain to return to their original registration day 185 197 207.

Appearance

Qin Buran is tall and slender, with fair skin and delicate features 185 201 210.

• Face: Elongated eyes, softly lowered lashes, and well-shaped lips give him a gentle appearance 201.
• Build: Long legs, slim wrists and ankles, and slender fingers 185 210.
• Clothing: Usually wears black and gray to avoid standing out, rather than because he prefers those colors. With Pei’s encouragement, he tries off-white and brighter clothing 201.
• Hair: Black; later grows long enough to tie back while he is busy preparing his exhibition 203 210.

Personality

Buran is reserved, considerate, and habitually accommodating. He struggles to refuse requests and sometimes sacrifices his own interests to help others. His polite smile often conceals unhappiness, while criticism tends to prompt further self-doubt rather than open disagreement 190 191.

His academic and artistic success does not translate into confidence. He questions why Pei would like him and believes that people generally dislike him, despite having supportive friends and an advisor. Praise that acknowledges his effort—not merely his talent—affects him particularly deeply 192 195.

As he becomes more comfortable with Pei, he grows candid, affectionate, and playfully competitive. He takes arcade games seriously, celebrates beating Pei in a motorcycle race, and teases him about his cooking. He also shows generosity by giving a newly won shark plush to a little boy 197 199 200.

His developing independence culminates in refusing his family’s business demands and leaving their household. By the ending, his former withdrawn demeanor has given way to visible ease and happiness 208 209 210.

Abilities & Skills

Painting and visual art

Buran is an accomplished artist whose paintings have appeared in exhibitions in the Imperial Capital and at the national level 194 195.

• Produces expressive figure drawings with a strong sense of movement using only a few pencil strokes 203.
• Is sensitive to color through his training in painting 201.
• Begins pursuing subjects he previously lacked the courage to paint after watching The Voice of Famous Paintings 196.
• Prepares an exhibition as his reputation grows following his recovery 210.

Academic achievement

Buran combines artistic practice with sustained academic study 195.

• Ranked first in his school subjects and repeatedly scored full marks 186.
• Entered the Imperial Capital Academy of Fine Arts and continued through postgraduate study 195.
• Took leave because of illness, then returned and earned his doctorate within a year of recovering 210.

Documented artworks

The descriptions below are not established titles.

Work	Details
Exhibited painting	Displayed at an Imperial Capital exhibition. Pei Hang’s mother remembers it and had photographed it during her visit 194.
Early pig-and-dog drawing	His first completed drawing. Pei mistakes the animals for symbolic angel-and-demon figures, amusing Buran 206 207.
Pei Hang driving	A lively pencil sketch of Pei at the wheel, with a tearful chibi figure added beside him after their reckless-driving incident 203.
Intertwined angel-and-demon painting	Inspired by their relationship and Pei’s question about returning to the past to save a loved one; its imagery evokes suffering, rescue, and rebirth 205 210.

Health

Buran’s illness is identified as bipolar disorder in Pei Hang’s recollections. The original and altered timelines depict different courses of his condition 204.

Period	Documented condition
Original timeline	Severe insomnia, a sensation of burning skin, self-harm, and profound physical frailty. Pei later recognizes that keeping Buran close had prolonged his suffering 197 204.
Early altered timeline	Poor sleep, loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating, diminished interest in painting, and emotional numbness. He briefly considers jumping from a balcony before the doorbell interrupts him 188 193 196.
Treatment and setbacks	Receives care from Dr. Bai and keeps medication hidden. Distressing calls from his father trigger renewed agitation; Pei learns that his condition had worsened over the preceding three months 204 205.
Clinical reassessment	Dr. Bai describes his condition as moderate and improving, emphasizing emotional support and recommending distance from his troubled family 206.
Ending	Explicitly described as recovered; resumes his studies and prepares his exhibition 210.

Relationships

• Pei Hang — Childhood fiancé, legal husband, and eventual romantic partner. Buran initially proposes a contract marriage to escape his family, then gradually accepts Pei’s affection and agrees to a genuine relationship 185 186 209.
• Qin Father — Uses parental obligation and financial pressure to control him. Their final confrontation ends with his father declaring that Buran is no longer part of the Qin family 202 204 209.
• Qin Mother — Belittles his achievements, favors his brother, and treats his marriage chiefly as a route to a business agreement 185 195 202.
• Younger brother — Favored at Buran’s expense and expects support for his business project. Named Qin Zeyu in earlier passages and Qin Yuze in the later confrontation 202 206 208 209.
• Pei Hang’s mother — Welcomes him as family, recognizes his artistic work and effort, and offers to intervene if Pei mistreats him 193 194 195.
• Dr. Bai — Treating doctor who monitors his symptoms and medication and later discusses his condition with Pei 205 206.
• Academic advisor — Supports his work and repeatedly suggests holding an exhibition 192 196.
• Tao Zhiyan — Meets him at the technology exhibition. After seeing a warning of imminent suicide, Tao offers to guide him and President Pei to a café to keep him safe 140.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Technology exhibition

• Helps obtain a drink for a woman who has mistaken Tao Zhiyan for exhibition staff, then introduces himself to Tao 140.
• When they shake hands, Tao sees a message predicting Buran’s suicide; a ten-minute countdown subsequently appears 140.
• Unexpectedly asks whether Tao is dating Feng Yiqian and seems disappointed by his denial. The supplied encounter does not explain his assumption 140.

Pei Hang’s second chance

• Pei returns to their registration day and intervenes when Buran’s mother shoves him in the rain. Buran remains suspicious of the abrupt change from hostility to tenderness 185 186.
• Buran proposes a contract marriage lasting until their families’ joint project is complete, with neither interfering in the other’s private affairs. They register the marriage under these terms 186.
• At a nightclub gathering, Pei takes his drinking penalties and challenges his habit of hiding unhappiness. Pei also forcibly kisses him during a dare, despite Buran trying to push him away 190 191.
• Pei openly declares his intention to pursue him. Buran agrees to move his belongings into Pei’s apartment, where they initially occupy neighboring rooms 192 193.

Renewed interests and trust

• Recognition from Pei’s mother and a theater outing help Buran reconnect with food, anticipation, and artistic ambition 194 195 196.
• His first arcade visit, a playful livestream, blind-box gifts, and shopping give him opportunities to enjoy unfamiliar experiences and express affection 197 198 199 200 201.
• He tells Pei that he can now answer the happiness question that had defeated him the previous day 202.
• Pei’s reckless driving results in police intervention and overnight detention for both men. Buran later turns the incident into an affectionate, humorous drawing 202 203.
• Concerned about his illness, Pei secretly reads his messages with Dr. Bai and obtains the doctor’s contact information, crossing the privacy boundary established by their agreement 186 205.

Separation from the Qin family

• Returns to the family home and retrieves old sketchbooks and supplies, with Pei helping him organize his room 206.
• Refuses to persuade Pei to fund his brother’s project and instead asks him not to sign the contract 208.
• Confronts his parents about childhood abuse and favoritism. When his father insists that Buran owes him his life, Buran threatens himself with a broken plate shard; he drops it after his father tells him to leave 209.
• Leaves holding Pei’s hand and accepts his love after receiving reassurance that it is independent of his surname and family status 209.

Ending

• Establishes a genuine romantic relationship with Pei and moves into his room 210.
• Recovers, completes his doctorate, and approaches the opening of his art exhibition 210.
• Shares the meaning of his angel-and-demon painting with Pei. A later university confession-page post shows them smiling together and wearing matching rings 210.

Notable Quotes

“To get away from my family.” 186

“Now, though, I think my paintings might have a voice too.” 196

“I couldn’t answer it yesterday. But I could today.” 202

“Promise me, no matter what my parents say... Don’t sign it.” 208