Jiang Gechen

Biodata

Background / History

Family and upbringing

Jiang Gechen grew up neglected by Jiang Shou, who showed interest in him primarily when he could be useful. Despite this treatment, the teenage Jiang Gechen admired his father’s ruthlessness and wanted to become someone like him 147 149.

The Jiang Corporation was founded by Jiang Shou using the Yan Family’s influence and underhanded methods. When the Yans began withdrawing their investments, Jiang Shou had Gechen transfer schools to cultivate connections with wealthy students who might replace that support 29 146.

High school and Xia Shule’s pursuit

Initially isolated at school, Jiang Gechen struggled academically and entered the lowest-ranked class, where he met Xia Shule. Xia invited him to meals and PE activities, helping him gain acceptance among their classmates 1.

The original-storyline extras reveal that Jiang Gechen recognized the advantages of Xia Shule’s family connections and deliberately encouraged his affection. Although he had feelings for Xia, he repeatedly convinced himself that his apparent kindness was only an act 147.

Xia Shule pursued him with breakfasts and gifts. Zhou Anyang reinforced Jiang Gechen’s grievances, including a misunderstanding in which Jiang believed Xia had gone on vacation when he had actually been visiting his ill maternal grandparents 148.

Song Dimu and the original storyline

After Xia Shule went abroad, Jiang Gechen became interested in Song Dimu, whose features resembled Xia’s. He offered Song one hundred thousand a month in exchange for immediate availability. Song initially refused but accepted when his mother’s medical expenses became unmanageable 22.

In the original-storyline extras, Jiang Gechen also required Song Dimu to imitate Xia Shule’s speech using a notebook of instructions. When Xia returned, Jiang gave the two men conflicting explanations: he told Xia that Song refused to leave, then told Song that those remarks had been intended to protect him 149.

In Xia Shule’s previous life, Jiang Gechen blamed him for harming Song Dimu and killed him by drowning. He also threatened to send Xia’s family after him 1 3 76. Song Dimu later dreams of an original ending in which Jiang regrets losing Xia but is ultimately forgiven by Song 34 35.

Appearance

• Good-looking: Xia Shule cites Jiang Gechen’s looks as the reason he initially became interested in him 50.
• Usually cold-faced: His reserved expression and manner led classmates to regard him as aloof but potentially warmhearted 146 147.
• Physically strong: He can overpower Xia Shule, and several men are needed to restrain him near the end of the story 132 140.
• Deterioration in confinement: After his capture, he appears filthy and disheveled, with erratic behavior and poor self-care 134 140.

Personality

Jiang Gechen treats affection and assistance as both resources to exploit and insults to his pride. He accepts Xia Shule’s protection while interpreting it as charity, control, and humiliation. The original-storyline extras show that he consciously uses Xia’s connections even while resenting his privileged upbringing 54 147.

He is exceptionally resistant to correction. Once he decides what someone is like, he continues believing his own interpretation despite contradictory evidence. He even regards Xia Shule’s painful request for ice during high school as an order that created a lifelong debt; Xia explains that he had been asking for help and attempting to flirt 55 73.

His possessiveness persists after rejection. He interprets Xia Shule’s wedding invitation as an attempt to regain his attention and assumes Xia still wants him despite explicit refusals. He similarly treats Song Dimu’s employment and availability as matters over which he has final authority 42 49 54 71.

His aggression is tempered by calculations about power. He expects the Jiang Family to protect him from investigation, threatens police officers, and backs down from threatening Xiang Lin when reminded of the Xiang Family’s connections 33 53. After losing his business and relationships, his behavior becomes increasingly unstable; his later apologies still center on recovering the Xia Shule who once devoted himself to him 129 134 140.

Abilities & Methods

Business and social influence

Jiang Gechen is introduced as a wealthy heir and rising businessman, but his position depends heavily on family backing and useful connections 22 33.

• Cultivates relationships with influential classmates to benefit the family business 146 147.
• Uses money to secure Song Dimu’s constant availability 22.
• Cannot prevent the corporation’s funding crisis, falling stock, or loss of business partners 34 69.

Physical coercion and drugging

Jiang repeatedly uses force and incapacitating drugs against Xia Shule 6 11 131 132.

• Grabs Xia by the collar, throat, and injured wrist during confrontations 2 11 53.
• Helps arrange the banquet drugging and hired attack 2 6 11.
• Later administers drugs left over from Jiang Shou’s abuse of Yan Zhishu. Jiang describes the substance as preserving consciousness while weakening resistance 131 132.
• Remains vulnerable to resistance: Xia wounds him with a short knife, and Song Dimu strikes him with a vase 133.

Equipment / Items

• Imitation notebook: Instructions on another person’s personality and speech, used to make Song Dimu imitate Xia Shule in the original storyline 149.
• Incapacitating drugs: Substances inherited from Jiang Shou and used against Xia Shule during his captivity 131 132.
• Suburban villa: The location of the later assault attempt; Yan Zhiyi subsequently seals it off and confines Jiang there 133 134 140.
• Car given to Song Dimu: Song plans to return it when ending their arrangement 72.

Relationships

• Xia Shule — Former pursuer and high-school protector, later his enemy. Jiang exploits his affection, kills him in the previous life, and refuses to accept his rejection after rebirth. Xia ultimately drowns him 1 147 141.
• Song Dimu — Paid companion and employee, as well as his romantic counterpart in the original plot. In the changed timeline, Song says he never liked Jiang and accepted the arrangement to support his family 22 35.
• Zhou Anyang — Accomplice who secretly loves him and encourages his hostility toward Xia Shule. Jiang shifts responsibility for the first drugging scheme onto Zhou, then later cooperates with him again 2 33 129.
• Jiang Shou — Father and early role model. Their relationship later deteriorates into repeated arguments over the corporation’s crisis 34 147.
• Yan Zhishu — Mother. Jiang later uses drugs originally employed by Jiang Shou against her 29 132.
• Yan Zhiyi — Maternal uncle, estranged relative, and Xia Shule’s husband. Yan presses for the drugging investigation and eventually imprisons Jiang 29 33 49 140.
• Xiang Lin — Hostile former classmate who protects Xia Shule, challenges Jiang’s threats, and intervenes when he tries to seize Xia 53 54.
• Song Jing’an — Song Dimu’s biological older brother. After hearing Jiang’s threats over the phone, he helps Song gain the financial independence to leave 71.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rejection and the banquet attack

After rebirth, Xia Shule ends his five-year pursuit and tells Jiang Gechen to keep his hands off him. Jiang reacts with anger rather than relief and continues his scheme with Zhou Anyang 2.

Xia is subsequently drugged and taken to a secluded room, where Yan Zhiyi finds him severely injured. Xia identifies Jiang as responsible. A later restaurant confrontation escalates when Jiang grabs him by the throat 6 11.

Investigation and corporate decline

Yan Zhiyi’s intervention brings Jiang into police questioning. Jiang accuses Zhou Anyang of masterminding the attack, citing surveillance footage, the bartender’s statement, and a transfer from Zhou’s account. Yan later tells Xia that Zhou has taken the blame and Jiang has probably been released 33.

Meanwhile, the Jiang Corporation develops a major funding shortfall. Jiang repeatedly argues with his father, loses business partners, and faces falling stock. The corporation has collapsed by the time Zhou approaches him again 34 69 129.

Wedding confrontation and Song Dimu’s departure

Jiang attends Xia Shule and Yan Zhiyi’s wedding with Song Dimu, believing the invitation is meant to provoke his jealousy. At the later gathering, Xia publicly rejects him and recounts his contradictory treatment. Jiang’s classmates challenge his account of their school years, and security eventually removes him 49 53 54 56.

Song Dimu also ends their arrangement. Jiang threatens his mother’s medication, throws him to the floor, and blames Xia Shule after discovering evidence of their friendship 71 72 73.

Final assault and confinement

Zhou Anyang renews Jiang’s resentment by promising a way to make Xia Shule belong to him. During Xia’s captivity, Jiang forcibly administers a weakening drug and attempts to sexually assault him. Xia fights back with a short knife before Yan Zhiyi arrives 129 131 132 133.

After Song Dimu, Xiang Lin, and Ruan Jiaojiao attack Jiang, Yan keeps him alive in confinement, believing Xia will want to confront him personally 133 134.

Death

Yan transfers Jiang to Shengyuan No. 1 before Xia visits. Jiang claims to have dreamed of wronging Xia and begs for another chance. Xia rejects his appeal and beats him before having him taken to the pond 140.

After Jiang is restrained and injected with a muscle relaxant, Xia drowns him using the method Jiang used in his previous life. Song Jing’an and Yu Song officially record the death as an accidental fall into the homeowner’s pond following an attempted home invasion and robbery 141.

Notable Quotes

“You do owe me! Xia Shule, you’ll always owe me!” 11

“Lele, I was wrong. I’ll definitely cherish you from now on. Don’t you remember our high school days? Can you... can you bring back the Lele you used to be?” 140