Ji Zhian

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Ji Zhian (季知安)
Alias(es)	Xiao An 24 39 42
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Ji family, which operates a jewelry business 7
Occupation/Role	Favored adopted son of the Ji family; Ji Mingzhu’s rival 1 7
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “Forced into marriage the moment he woke up” 1

Background / History

Ji Zhian grows up in the Ji household in the place of Ji Mingzhu, the family’s biological son who was switched at birth. Cao Wanhua has raised Zhian for twenty-two years by the time of Mingzhu’s wedding. He receives an elite education and develops friendships throughout the capital’s wealthy social circle 1 10.

When a marriage alliance with Gu Shang becomes necessary, Ji Yonglin brings Mingzhu back to marry him instead of Zhian. Fearing Gu Shang’s ruthless reputation, Yonglin hopes to reserve Zhian for Gu Yan, Gu Shang’s younger brother, whom he considers a safer and advantageous match 1.

Mingzhu’s return does not displace Zhian as the family favorite. His parents become especially anxious to prove that they still love him. When Zhian tearfully claims that seeing Mingzhu makes him fear losing their affection, they assign Mingzhu a room in the third-floor storeroom, away from the rest of the household 39.

Appearance

• Handsome, delicate features: Chu He initially finds him attractive and appealing, with the pitiful air of an “innocent flower,” before meeting Mingzhu 4.
• Cultivated innocent expression: He uses pouting, lowered eyes, shy glances, and apparent distress to present himself as harmless or generous 10 39 41.
• Carefully managed presentation: At Mingzhu’s wedding, he conspicuously displays a borrowed five-carat diamond ring to attract attention and appear distinguished 7.

Personality

Zhian disguises hostility as concern. He excuses Mingzhu’s conduct by emphasizing his supposedly deficient upbringing, offers advice intended to undermine his confidence, and performs generosity in front of people whose approval he wants. He is conscious of his reputation: while accompanying Mingzhu shopping, he stops himself from admitting that he is helping keep him under surveillance because the arrangement could be recognized as unlawful confinement 1 3 24 41.

His contempt for Mingzhu is rooted in class prejudice and rivalry. He regards Mingzhu’s poverty and lack of elite education as proof of inferiority, even after Mingzhu’s improved appearance attracts admiration. Mingzhu’s wedding becomes particularly threatening to him when both Gu Shang’s looks and the pink diamond ring surpass his expectations 3 6 8 31.

Zhian treats romantic relationships as routes to status and resources. Initially determined to marry Gu Yan, he later decides that marrying him would still leave Mingzhu above him within the family. He consequently targets Gu Shang, rationalizing the same forceful temperament that previously made him unwilling to accept the match 6 40 42.

Abilities & Skills

Social Manipulation

Zhian uses apparent vulnerability and brotherly concern to encourage others to act against Mingzhu.

• Claims insecurity about his parents’ love, leading them to isolate Mingzhu within the house 39.
• Stages an offer to lend Mingzhu a wedding ring, intending either to humiliate him or embarrass the Gu family 7.
• Uses a group chat to recruit people to interfere with Mingzhu’s visit to Gu Shang’s company 25.
• Offers to share his spending card while casting shy glances at Gu Shang, presenting himself as generous 41.
• His tactics are not consistently successful: Mingzhu rejects his provocations, and Gu Shang ignores his attempt to ingratiate himself at the wedding 7 24.

Education and Social Connections

Zhian’s upbringing gives him access to elite instruction and wealthy peers.

• Has excellent grades and numerous connections among the capital’s wealthy young men 1.
• Attends advanced hobby and arts classes, which he claims would be difficult for Mingzhu to join without prior training 41.
• Ji Yonglin claims that Zhian places first in every class he attends; the provided events do not independently demonstrate those results 41.

Equipment / Items

• Platinum spending card — Contrasts it with Mingzhu’s lower-limit gold card to embarrass him during their shopping trip 2.
• Borrowed five-carat diamond ring — The Ji jewelry store’s prized treasure, lent to him after repeated requests to his father. He wears it to Mingzhu’s wedding as a means of outshining him 7.
• Old mobile phone — Passed on to Mingzhu after his original phone is ruined in the pool. Mingzhu returns it upon learning that it previously belonged to Zhian 41.
• Additional shopping card — Given to him by Ji Yonglin to buy clothes and compete with Mingzhu when they attend classes together 42.

Relationships

• Ji Mingzhu — Non-biological elder brother and principal rival. Zhian benefits from the privileged upbringing Mingzhu missed, yet resents his marriage, beauty, and growing independence 1 6 24.
• Ji Yonglin — Adoptive father and supporter. Protects Zhian from the original marriage arrangement, promotes his accomplishments, and eventually funds his plan to compete for Gu Shang’s attention 1 41 42.
• Cao Wanhua — Adoptive mother. Comforts him after the wedding and promises that Mingzhu’s possessions will ultimately be his. She worries about his reputation when he proposes pursuing Gu Shang but does not stop him 10 42.
• Gu Shang — Brother-in-law and later romantic target. Zhian initially assumes he is ugly and dangerous; after meeting him, he becomes attracted to his looks, authority, and position 6 8 40 42.
• Gu Yan — Original intended romantic target. Zhian hopes to use Mingzhu’s marriage to gain access to him and retains him as an alternative if pursuing Gu Shang fails 6 7 42.
• Wang Ke — Group-chat associate who circulates the claim that Mingzhu left Gu Shang’s office in tears. Zhian welcomes the story as evidence that Mingzhu’s marriage is unhappy 31.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Pre-Wedding Provocations

• At the hospital, Zhian acts as a peacemaker while privately enjoying Mingzhu’s humiliation 1.
• During their shopping trip, he tries to steer Mingzhu away from flattering clothes, mocks his declined card, and refuses to cover the purchase despite an earlier offer. Shan Ziyu intervenes on Gu Shang’s behalf 2 3.
• He assumes Mingzhu will attempt to steal confidential Gu family information and takes pleasure in imagining his punishment, although Mingzhu has already refused the scheme 1 3.
• Hoping to unsettle Mingzhu about married life, he tells him to address Gu Shang as “hubby.” Mingzhu instead takes the unfamiliar term seriously and practices it bashfully 6.

Wedding Humiliation Backfires

• Zhian flaunts his borrowed diamond and offers it to the apparently ringless groom. Mingzhu refuses and makes a camellia ring from his bouquet, winning the guests’ approval 7.
• Gu Shang ignores Zhian and presents Mingzhu with a rare, approximately ten-carat fancy vivid pink diamond. Zhian’s confidence turns to envy 7 8.
• After complaining that Mingzhu has made him look like a clown, Zhian accepts Cao Wanhua’s assurance that everything Mingzhu owns belongs to the Ji family—and therefore to him 10.

Workplace Interference

• Zhian sends patronizing messages predicting that Gu Shang will tire of Mingzhu and find someone more attractive. Mingzhu dismisses him in favor of cooking for his husband 24.
• Suspecting that the meal delivery is an attempt to attract Gu Shang’s attention, Zhian seeks help arranging interference through a group chat 25.
• He later believes the claim that Mingzhu was scolded into tears at the company and eagerly anticipates his post-wedding visit home 31.

Ring Dispute and Change of Target

• During the family visit, Zhian adopts an aggrieved expression as Ji Yonglin demands Mingzhu’s wedding ring, arguing that the marriage and ring should originally have belonged to Zhian 38 39.
• Gu Shang intervenes and pointedly reminds the family that accounts should remain clear even between blood brothers, directing his attention toward Zhian’s lack of a blood relationship with Mingzhu 40.
• Afterward, Zhian openly proposes replacing Mingzhu as Gu Shang’s spouse. He treats the couple’s possibly unregistered marriage as an opportunity, not an established fact 42.
• His fallback plan is to exploit their relationship as in-laws for Gu family resources or introductions to Gu Yan. Ji Yonglin approves and gives him money for clothes, while Zhian predicts that Mingzhu will fail socially and academically in their shared classes 42.

Notable Quotes

“Of course you have to call him hubby.” 6

“If I'm going to marry, I'll marry the best.” 42

“If I can win him over, I'll take Ji Mingzhu's place. If I can't, that's fine too.” 42