Wen Zhiyan

Biodata

Background / History

Childhood and Family Conflict

Wen Zhiyan is one of three Wen sons, each born to a different mother. His father’s first wife had an omega son before her death; Wen Zhiyan was born to the second wife. His early childhood was initially peaceful 26.

When Wen Zhiyan was seven, his father’s former sweetheart entered the household with an alpha son one year older than him. Paternity tests confirmed the boy’s parentage, and his father named him Wen Yunqi. His father’s favoritism and his mother’s determination to retain the family fortune turned Wen Zhiyan into an instrument in the struggle for power. Being used by his parents and caught in conflict between brothers left him deeply suspicious of kindness, especially from alphas 26.

University and Delayed Differentiation

Between sixteen and eighteen, Wen Zhiyan repeatedly underwent differentiation testing at his mother’s insistence. More than half the results predicted that he would become an omega, but he remained undifferentiated when he entered S University at eighteen 5 26.

He met Jiang Lan, a sophomore welcoming new students, outside the alpha dormitory. Jiang Lan mistook him for an omega and offered assistance despite Wen Zhiyan’s hostile response. When his blank secondary-gender registration prevented him from entering the omega dormitory, Jiang Lan arranged examinations and special-circumstances paperwork. A campus hospital report estimated a ninety-percent chance of omega differentiation, allowing him to stay in the omega dormitory area 26 27.

Having left home, Wen Zhiyan discovered that his bank card had been frozen. He took evening café shifts to support himself and used his earnings to buy Jiang Lan coffee as thanks for his help 8 28 29.

A gang leader who had watched him at work later cornered him and offered financial support in exchange for becoming his kept lover. Wen Zhiyan refused and fought back; Jiang Lan arrived during the ensuing group assault and intervened. Because Wen Zhiyan had not differentiated, he could not fully invoke the Omega Protection Law against his attackers 29 30 31.

After the police questioning, Jiang Lan took him to a mountain to watch the sunrise. Their growing closeness continued on the return trip, when Jiang Lan offered to act as his bodyguard in exchange for breakfast and Wen Zhiyan again offered his contact details 31 49.

Relationship, Differentiation, and Separation

Wen Zhiyan and Jiang Lan began dating shortly before Wen Zhiyan’s secondary differentiation. Contrary to the medical predictions, he became an alpha. Jiang Lan struggled with the unexpected result but prioritized his health and safety 41.

Over roughly six months following differentiation, Wen Zhiyan became more solidly built and grew from several centimeters shorter than Jiang Lan to taller than him. Their relationship continued despite the physical repulsion between their alpha pheromones 20 36.

They later separated for seven years. After Wen Zhiyan returned to the Wen family, his father’s hospitalization prompted renewed maneuvering by his brothers. Wen Zhiyan describes the first six months as dangerous and a period in which he was powerless to act 25 38.

Design Career and Corporate Leadership

Wen Zhiyan studied under Raynien, the renowned chief designer of a century-old luxury jewelry brand, before founding Tu Lan. Qiao Xin says she introduced them 45.

Tu Lan became a successful luxury jewelry brand, attracting wealthy socialites and clients in entertainment and fashion. Wen Zhiyan won numerous international awards and occasionally appeared in designers’ seating at international fashion shows 5.

Although publicly seen as having withdrawn from the Wen family’s succession struggle, he ultimately emerged as its winner. By his reunion with Jiang Lan, he was at the helm of the Wen Corporation 5 8.

Appearance

Wen Zhiyan has exceptionally fair skin and refined features that frequently caused others to mistake him for an omega before differentiation. As an adult, he combines those features with a broad, muscular physique 1 5.

• Face: Foxlike, slightly upturned eyes; long, dense eyelashes; a high nose bridge; and naturally light-colored lips 1 5.
• Distinctive mark: A small mole to the left of his nose, particularly memorable to Jiang Lan 5 7.
• Hair: Somewhat long, usually tied back; when loose, it falls around his shoulders in curling strands 5 47.
• Build: Initially slender and shorter than Jiang Lan; taller and more muscular after differentiation 5 36.
• Scar: A severe, long-healed scar running almost across his wrist, usually covered by his watch 24 25.
• Clothing: Appears at the reunion in black suit trousers and an immaculate sapphire-blue shirt; also wears silk pajamas 1 5 47.

Personality

Wen Zhiyan is proud, guarded, and blunt. At university, he resisted unsolicited help and disliked being treated as a helpless young master. His suspicion of alphas grew out of his family’s manipulation rather than an inability to recognize genuine kindness: he made a point of thanking Jiang Lan with a gift purchased from his own wages 26 28 29 49.

By the reunion, Jiang Lan finds him more mature, composed, and measured. Wen Zhiyan deliberately avoids rushing their reconciliation, recognizing that exposing Jiang Lan’s feelings or pushing him too hard would be counterproductive 7 10.

His apparent obedience around Jiang Lan coexists with teasing and calculation. He accepts Jiang Lan’s demands, uses a pitiful expression to soften his resistance, and turns Jiang Lan’s own boasts against him during the bungee jump 8 37 38. Qiao Xin considers his willingness to be ordered into the kitchen a conspicuous exception to his usual behavior 45.

His devotion also makes him cautious about publicity. Although he returns specifically for Jiang Lan, he understands that publicly exposing their alpha–alpha relationship could severely damage Jiang Lan’s hard-won entertainment career 17.

Abilities & Skills

Jewelry Design

An internationally recognized designer who trained under Raynien and established Tu Lan 5 45.

• Won numerous international awards 5.
• Built a clientele spanning wealthy society, entertainment, and fashion 5.
• Has thin calluses on his hands from years of holding a design pen 48.

Cooking and Domestic Care

Wen Zhiyan learned to cook approximately five years before the reunion, developing precise knife work and orderly kitchen habits 13.

• Prepares multi-dish breakfasts, noodles, and peeled boiled eggs for Jiang Lan and the other guests 14 19.
• Remembers Jiang Lan’s drinking-related headaches and brings him honey water 8.
• Previously helped an intoxicated Jiang Lan get home, change, and wash up 8.
• Was initially inexperienced: an early attempt to make porridge and boiled eggs ended with a smoke-filled kitchen after he became distracted caring for Jiang Lan 13.

Physical Strength and Endurance

Even before differentiation, Wen Zhiyan displayed considerable strength and stamina 30 31.

• Overpowered a larger alpha during the alley fight and continued resisting multiple attackers 30.
• Kept pace on a steep mountain climb after classes, an evening shift, a fight, and hours at the police station 31.
• His fighting was reckless rather than professionally trained; Jiang Lan had to restrain him before he seriously injured an attacker’s eyes 30.

Alpha Pheromones

Wen Zhiyan’s pheromones are associated with ebony and amber, tinged with spicy tobacco 1.

• His exact pheromone level has not been publicly disclosed 20.
• He avoids alcohol when approaching his rut 20.
• His and Jiang Lan’s pheromones repel one another, creating a physical obstacle to their relationship 20 39.
• Jiang Lan uses sleep aromatherapy that reproduces Wen Zhiyan’s pheromone scent during their separation 9.

Equipment / Personal Items

• Wristwatch — An expensive watch that ordinarily conceals his wrist scar 10 24.
• Silver flint-wheel lighter — Used to light Jiang Lan’s cigarette during a private conversation 25.

Relationships

• Jiang Lan — University senior, former lover, and the person Wen Zhiyan returns to pursue. Their intimacy resumes during the dating show, although Jiang Lan has not agreed to formally reconcile 17 39 48.
• Qiao Xin — Longtime friend and former Tu Lan model. She recognizes his feelings for Jiang Lan and knows about his past medical treatment 5 45 46.
• Qiao Xin’s father — His attending physician following his suicide attempt 46.
• Raynien — Jewelry-design mentor under whom he studied before founding Tu Lan 45.
• Wen Zhiyan’s mother — Controlled his upbringing and used him in the family’s struggle over status and inheritance 26 27.
• Old Mr. Wen — His father; favoritism toward Wen Yunqi destabilized the household 26.
• Wen Yunqi — Alpha half-brother, one year older, whose arrival marked the beginning of Wen Zhiyan’s family troubles 26.
• Lin Ziyou — Fellow dating-show guest and interested suitor. Wen Zhiyan rejects his advances because he has returned for Jiang Lan 17.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Dating-Show Reunion

Wen Zhiyan enters the show as a high-profile participant and greets Jiang Lan with deliberately formal politeness. That night, he uses their old secret knocking signal, then waits outside Jiang Lan’s door with honey water after initially being refused entry 5 8.

He regards the show’s restrictions on leaving as an opportunity to rebuild their relationship, while keeping their romantic history concealed from the audience 17.

Disclosure of His Suicide Attempt

A party game alerts Jiang Lan to Wen Zhiyan’s past suicide attempt. After the cameras switch off, Jiang Lan confronts him and uncovers the scar beneath his watch 24.

Wen Zhiyan later reveals that Qiao Xin’s father treated him. Jiang Lan urges him to live well for himself, and Wen Zhiyan promises that he will keep living 46.

Starting Over

During their tandem bungee jump, Wen Zhiyan tells Jiang Lan how much he missed him. In private afterward, he explains that he has returned to give rather than take and proposes starting over instead of trying to restore their relationship exactly as it was 38 39.

A later firefly-viewing outing recalls an old list of activities they had wanted to do together. Jiang Lan suspects Wen Zhiyan helped arrange the show’s events, but Wen Zhiyan neither confirms nor denies it. He instead admits to visiting places alone and asks Jiang Lan to accompany him in the future 43.

Their physical closeness returns before their relationship is formally restored. Held in Wen Zhiyan’s arms, Jiang Lan falls asleep without the aromatherapy he had relied on throughout their separation 48.

Notable Quotes

“Keep staring at me and I’ll gouge your eyes out.” 26

“I went to a lot of places alone and did a lot of things I never got around to doing before. But doing them alone was really no fun. Lan-ge, could we go together in the future?” 43

“Why would I pay attention to them? I don’t like them. Lan-ge, I only like you.” 46