Cui Qianqian

Biodata

Background / History

Cui Qianqian’s parents were academy sweethearts in Dai City for seven years. After graduating at twenty-four, they spent another two years unable to afford marriage. Her mother eventually lost faith in Cui Shang amid pressure from her family. She discovered she was pregnant only after he had married Chen Jingshu, whom Qianqian calls “Auntie” 40.

Her mother regretted the separation, never married again, and chose to raise Qianqian. She died from overwork five years before Qianqian recounts this history to her friends 41.

Although Cui Shang provides substantial financial support, his wife’s family does not accept Qianqian. Her older sister mocks her appearance and ambitions, while family rules prevent her from retaliating without punishment. Qianqian consequently seeks distance from the household despite her father’s affection 10 23 36 38.

At the Royal Academy, she studies Super Illusion Arts under Professor Liu Lanzhi. Her notebook dates her first Illusion Arts class to September 3, 2219 10 11.

Appearance

• Build: Consistently described as chubby or plump, including her hands 10 18 36.
• Usual accessory: Carries a small black backpack to class 12.
• Notebook avatar: Her notes feature a slender, pretty girl resembling her around the brows and eyes. This is an illusory presenter, not a description of Qianqian’s physical appearance 11.

Personality

Qianqian is intensely studious. She practices while walking and eating, gets up before her roommates, and resumes training even after other girls ridicule her. Her concentration is so complete that she does not notice Wen Xiancheng’s Mouse Clone hiding in her backpack 10 12 18.

She is withdrawn rather than unfriendly. Repeated insults have left her self-conscious about her appearance and suspicious of kindness: she initially fears Wen might have been hired by her sister to exploit or humiliate her. Praise for her abilities and thoughtful gifts gradually earn her trust 18 21 30 38.

Qianqian values independence over inherited wealth. She distinguishes her father’s allowance from money earned through her own abilities and willingly works despite not needing the income. She is also generous, offering to reduce her and Xue Ning’s proposed profit share from one-third to one-quarter 36.

Her restraint has limits. She protects Wen when Fang Sisi attacks him and confronts Chen Jingshu when she sees her father being abused. Although attracted to Wen, she refuses to pursue him after learning he has a fiancée 23 36 39.

Abilities & Skills

Illusion Construction and Manifestation

Qianqian’s Illusion Arts substantially surpass Wen Xiancheng’s early abilities. Liu Lanzhi praises her work, and Wen considers her conjured bananas evidence that she can create virtual constructs rather than merely visual images 17 31.

• Conjured objects: Repeatedly practices creating bananas; during a classroom demonstration, Liu Lanzhi peels one before it vanishes 10 12.
• Concealment: Creates a convincing false wall beneath a staircase to hide herself and three companions. The wall has no physical solidity—Wen’s fingers pass through it 39.
• Limitations: Her practice is not infallible; one attempt produces only half a banana before disappearing 10.

Immersive Notes and Educational Illusions

Qianqian embeds explanations of her lessons into her notebook as immersive illusions. Readers enter an apparent space where a girl resembling her explains the material; the spoken explanation matches the written text 11.

• Recorded instruction: Her notes cover Illusion Arts history, casting methods, thin threads, floating words, and simple shapes 11 13 15.
• Book enhancement: Applies illusions to children’s books and workbooks, modifying their pictures and text 18 20.
• Classroom design: Helps create an illusion-based biology lesson for Noble Primary School 36 37.
• Production constraint: Full notebook-style treatments take considerable time. For large book batches, she uses simpler effects to finish the work 20.

Targeted Combat Illusions

Qianqian uses hand seals to trap Fang Sisi in an illusion of a venomous snake coiling around her body. Fang freezes and screams for help until Qianqian releases the technique 23.

• Demonstrated target: Fang Sisi is an intermediate Martial Master 23.
• Physical defense: Before casting the illusion, Qianqian catches Fang’s wrist and throws her down to stop her attack on Wen 23.
• Controlled release: Separating her hands immediately dispels the snake illusion 23.

Establishing Logic and Teaching

Qianqian understands the concepts governing realistic illusory figures and their behavior. Xue Ning considers her far ahead of their classmates in the logical existence of human figures, a subject mastered by fewer than eleven students in their class 46.

• Plants and animals: Her daily work gives Wen insight into the logic underlying their existence, helping him contribute to the biology lesson 37.
• Human figures: Teaches Wen figure construction over nearly three evenings, followed by seven evenings on logical existence using numerous video examples 46.
• Teaching boundary: Refuses to openly pass on knowledge exclusive to Liu Lanzhi without permission, though she quietly permits Wen to practice from her notes 46.

Equipment / Items

• Illusion Arts notebook — Her personal lesson record and the source of Wen’s initial Illusion Arts training. After discovering he has secretly read it, she offers to lend it openly instead 11 18.
• Small black backpack — Carries food and school materials; Wen’s Mouse Clone hides inside it while following her to class 12.
• Saved spirit stones — Keeps the money her father has given her, allowing her to support herself away from his household 38.

Relationships

• Liu Lanzhi — Teacher and professional benchmark. Wen promises to build Qianqian’s reputation as someone with the potential to become the Yue Kingdom’s second Liu Lanzhi 10 18 36.
• Wen Xiancheng — Business partner, friend, and recipient of her instruction. She develops a crush on him but steps back after learning of his engagement; she continues helping him learn Illusion Arts 30 36 37 46.
• Xue Ning — Roommate, friend, and studio colleague. Recognizes Qianqian’s talent and encourages her romantic interest in Wen, though Qianqian rejects that encouragement once his engagement is known 30 36 46.
• Xue Ruigao — Wen’s fiancée and fellow studio member. Qianqian congratulates the couple despite her disappointment and later feels privately envious of Ruigao 36 37.
• Cui Shang — Affectionate but constrained father. Supports her financially and admires her work; Qianqian insists that he not interfere with the studio’s business 36 38.
• Mother — Deceased parent who chose to raise her without remarrying; died from overwork five years earlier 41.
• Chen Meiyan — Older half-sister who belittles her appearance and cultivation ambitions 10 39 40.
• Chen Jingshu — Her father’s wife, addressed as “Auntie.” Qianqian confronts her for abusing Cui Shang 38 39 40.
• Fang Sisi — Bully who insults Qianqian and attacks Wen; Qianqian stops her with a throw and a snake illusion 23.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Wen Xiancheng’s Introduction to Illusion Arts

• Wen’s Mouse Clone discovers Qianqian practicing, follows her to her dormitory, and secretly reads her notebook 10 11.
• Her recorded lessons enable Wen to create his first illusory thread, followed by floating words used in his book business 11 13.

Textbook Business and Cui Qianqian Studio

• Wen approaches her as a potential partner, promising to publicize her talent within two years. She agrees to enhance books without disrupting her studies 17 18 19.
• Her completed books supply his early school sales. He later tells her that at least half the Imperial City’s elementary schools and kindergartens know her name 20 22.
• For summer vacation, she arranges to move near Wen, and Xue Ning joins their textbook work 28 30.
• The group formally becomes Cui Qianqian Studio. Qianqian and Xue Ning share one-third of the profits, while every completed order is to display Qianqian’s name prominently 36.
• Their completed biology lesson wins Noble Primary School’s approval and a promise of further orders 37.

Cui Family Visit

• Cui Shang summons Qianqian and her friends while his wife and eldest daughter are away. She reluctantly attends and warns him against influencing their business 37 38.
• When the household returns, she conceals the group behind an illusory wall, then reveals herself to defend her father 39.
• Wen invokes Zhang Lu’s name to rebuke the family and lead the group away. Afterward, Qianqian explains her parents’ separation and her mother’s death 40 41.

Human-Illusion Instruction

• After Wen proposes an illusion-realm business, Qianqian teaches him realistic human construction and logical behavior 45 46.
• Following fifteen days of study and practice, Wen creates a ten-second human illusion and seals it inside a button 46.

Notable Quotes

“My dad gives me a lot of money every month, but that’s money I’m given, not money I earn through my own abilities.” 36

“Now that I know he has a fiancée, why would I keep throwing myself at him?” 36

“Stop bullying him!” — Confronting Chen Jingshu over her treatment of Cui Shang 39