Zheng Yifeng

Biodata

Background / History

School Life

Zheng Yifeng occupies the back of Class 28 alongside Lu Yuanqiu and their classmates. His habitual classroom sleeping earns him the nickname “Sleep God.” Despite consistently ranking around tenth from the bottom of his class, he holds the highest-ranked seat in the school's last exam room 7 27 53 91.

During a classroom blackout, an unidentified person kisses his cheek. He immediately suspects Zhong Jincheng and later beats him up, but Zhong refuses to confess. Zheng subsequently questions his flushed deskmate, Chen Fei, accepts her explanation that she has a fever, and turns his suspicions toward Liu Buneng. The culprit is not explicitly identified 21 22.

At the sports meet, Zheng treats the hundred-meter race as an opportunity to conserve energy rather than compete. He finishes in one minute while Liu Wei walks alongside him in frustration; Chen Fei nevertheless greets him at the finish with water 42.

Growing Friendship with Lu Yuanqiu

Zheng becomes increasingly interested in Lu Yuanqiu after witnessing him interrupt an attack on Bai Qingxia and later speak publicly against injustice at school. He recognizes that Lu's behavior has changed since the beginning of the semester and admires his willingness to intervene rather than merely attract attention 31 45 46.

He visits Lu in the hospital with Zhong Jincheng and Gao Qiang. During the visit, he confirms his place on Class 28's basketball team and expresses surprise at Lu's newfound enthusiasm for school activities 81.

After his confrontation with Wang Ping, Zheng runs laps alone at night. When Lu joins him, he admits that family matters are troubling him but refuses to elaborate. He nevertheless describes Lu as someone who might be worth confiding in. Zhong Jincheng, Wang Haoran, and Gao Qiang later join their run 97 98.

Basketball Tournament

Zheng reveals his previously concealed basketball skills in a one-on-one challenge against PE teacher Wang Ping. He scores three consecutive baskets through speed and ball handling before Wang exploits his poor stamina. Upset by being called “trash,” Zheng leaves after insisting that Wang could not defeat Lu Yuanqiu 94 95.

Against Class 29, Zheng breaks past Mao Sheng and deliberately rebounds the ball off the backboard for Lu to finish with a dunk. Class 28 wins 70–15. Over the following games, Zheng's dribbling and appearance make him one of the tournament's most recognizable players 105 111.

In the senior-year final against Class 12, Zheng steals the ball from Jiao Jiao and scores a three-pointer. He later beats another defender and passes between Jiao Jiao's legs to Lu. Class 28 wins the senior-year championship and advances to the tournament semifinals 112.

Previous Timeline

In Lu Yuanqiu's previous life, Su Miaomiao inspired Zheng to transform his academic performance during the second semester of senior year. He rose from near the bottom of his class to scoring over 600 on the Gaokao. He later married Su, and they had a child and a happy family life 27.

Lu learned about their marriage when he encountered Zheng at a family business reception more than ten years after graduation. They had lost contact after high school and did not meet again after that reception. This future belongs to Lu's remembered timeline, not an outcome already reached in the current story 97.

Appearance

• Build and complexion: Tall, fair-skinned, and slim 36 38.
• Eyes: Narrow, upturned eyes, usually half-closed with drowsiness 12 54.
• Overall impression: Frequently described as handsome; female students compare him to a Japanese-style heartthrob and a boy-band member 36 95 103.
• Clothing: Wears a DK-style school uniform for the sports procession and a pink jersey for Class 28's basketball tournament 36 97 103.

Personality

Zheng is outwardly lethargic and difficult to engage. He falls asleep almost immediately when lessons begin, ignores attempts to rouse him, and sometimes dozes even while standing on the basketball court. He has few friends and appears untroubled by solitude, routinely eating alone in the middle of the cafeteria 7 12 38 69 94.

His indifference does not prevent him from noticing other people closely. He recognizes Lu Yuanqiu's changed behavior, catches the awkwardness between Lu and Bai Qingxia during the hospital visit, and points out the special embroidery on Lu's jersey before their teammates notice it 46 81 103.

Zheng is guarded about his family and reacts sharply to being dismissed as useless. Wang Ping's insult visibly unsettles him, while his own description of the future—continuing to live as a “useless piece of trash”—contrasts with the happy life Lu remembers him eventually achieving 95 98.

Abilities & Skills

Basketball

Zheng initially shows classmates little beyond accurate shooting, concealing a much broader skill set until his match against Wang Ping 95.

• Ball handling: Uses rhythmic between-the-legs and behind-the-back dribbles, convincing feints, and rapid changes of direction 95 105.
• Scoring: Demonstrates smooth layups, jump shots, and three-point shooting 95 112.
• Playmaking: Sets up Lu Yuanqiu's backboard-assisted dunk and delivers a pass between Jiao Jiao's legs 105 112.
• Defense: Uses his speed to steal possession from Jiao Jiao 112.
• Limitation — stamina: Slows noticeably after three offensive plays against Wang Ping and cannot stop the teacher's repeated drives 95.

Academic Ability

• Current performance: Maintains a remarkably consistent position around tenth from the bottom of Class 28 53 91.
• Mathematics: Quickly completes a board problem on trigonometric functions despite his sleepy classroom demeanor 110.
• Previous-timeline achievement: Raises his results enough to score over 600 on the Gaokao after one semester of improvement 27.

Relationships

• Lu Yuanqiu — Classmate, teammate, and emerging confidant. Zheng admires his opposition to bullying and injustice, notices his transformation, and develops effective on-court coordination with him 46 97 105.
• Su Miaomiao — English teacher and romantic interest. Her attention readily wakes him, and he reacts uneasily to her closeness with Wang Ping. In Lu's previous timeline, she becomes his wife and the mother of his child 27 54 94 103.
• Chen Fei — Deskmate who regularly wakes him for school activities and brings him water after his race. Their similar grades repeatedly place them together after seating changes 42 91 102.
• Wang Ping — PE teacher and basketball opponent. Wang praises his technique but exposes his stamina problem; afterward, he asks Lu to convey that he did not mean the insulting remark and considers Zheng a good player 95 96.
• Zhong Jincheng — Classmate and teammate whom Zheng wrongly suspects of kissing him during the blackout 21 22 81.
• Bai Qingxia — Classmate whose beauty he openly acknowledges, though he doubts she would like someone like him 38.
• Qing — Girl accompanying Zhang Yifei. Their repeated exchanged glances lead Lu to suspect that she and Zheng know each other; the connection is not explained 111 121.

Notable Quotes

“We're not useless, and we're not trash... at least Lu Yuanqiu isn't. You can beat me, but you couldn't possibly beat him.” 95