Wen Yu

Biodata

Background

Wen Yu and Xia Shian grew up together and signed with the same entertainment company while attending college. Their lack of experience with contracts left them bound by restrictive agreements, which later complicated their ability to acknowledge their relationship publicly 9 103.

Zhang Ya managed both actors from obscurity to stardom before concentrating exclusively on Wen Yu after having a child. This change also marked the beginning of the separation of Wen Yu and Xia Shian’s public on-screen pairing 30.

Within Six Mere Roots!, Wen Yu is the central romantic protagonist, with Xia Shian, Xie Yanci, Xu Xingqi, and Jiang Sheng among his intended love interests. Xu Shi initially treats these relationships as predetermined, but Wen Yu’s actual relationship with Xia Shian develops alongside Xu Shi and Xie Yanci’s marriage 1 42 57 66 120.

Appearance

• Eyes: Round eyes, described during his conversation with Xu Shi on set 91.
• Hands: Long fingers, which he clenches when fearing he will lose the role of Xia Cen 32.
• Event clothing: Wears a pure white suit when unexpectedly paired with Xu Shi on the red carpet 37.

Personality

Wen Yu is good-natured and considerate toward his colleagues. Xu Shi trusts him to handle their water-throwing scene professionally, and Wen Yu later objects when Zhang Ya insults Xu Shi at an audition 6 30.

His gentle manner does not eliminate his professional ambition. Tired of playing straightforward, upright protagonists, he pursues Xia Cen because the character offers greater complexity and room for interpretation. He challenges his company’s preference for top billing and insists that his interest is genuine, rather than merely an excuse to work opposite Xia Shian 29 48.

Wen Yu struggles to stand up to Zhang Ya despite resenting his interference. His loyalty becomes more direct as his friendship with Xu Shi develops: he comforts him, seeks his help with secret meetings, and later apologizes for failing to defend him during a scandal involving Wen Yu’s own fans 30 91 102.

In private, he is playful and affectionate. He teases Xu Shi about Xie Yanci, pinches his cheek, and enthusiastically embraces him after receiving his favorite snacks 91 95 103.

Abilities & Skills

Acting

Wen Yu is an established leading actor whose career eventually culminates in Best Actor wins at all three major film awards 30 120.

• Script interpretation: Recognizes Xia Cen as someone who deliberately weaponizes his beauty and agrees with Xu Shi’s seductive interpretation of the character 70.
• Professional range: Actively seeks a morally and emotionally richer role instead of continuing with familiar upright protagonists 29 48.
• Adaptability: Initially struggles with Song Zhixing’s demanding direction, including repeated takes and frequent scoldings, but gradually learns the director’s working habits 65.
• Casting limitations: Song Zhixing considers his appearance and bearing better suited to the police-officer lead than to Xia Cen, despite Wen Yu’s willingness to attempt the latter 48.

Career

Documented Roles

Auctioned Jewelry

History

*Shallow Summer* and the Auction Rumors

While filming Shallow Summer, Wen Yu performs a scene requiring him to throw three glasses of water into Xu Shi’s face. Xu Shi reassures him beforehand, hoping to complete it in one take. Director Zhang subsequently demands a harsher version using ice, prompting Xie Yanci to intervene 6.

At a later charity auction, Wen Yu argues with Xia Shian over their enforced public distance. He had hoped Xia Shian would purchase his donated crown, allowing them to promote both their drama and their pairing. Instead, Xie Yanci buys it for US$80 million 9 10.

Zhang Ya interprets the purchase as an opportunity to cultivate Xie Yanci’s support. Wen Yu approaches him with wine but receives no personal acknowledgment; Secretary Zhou drinks on Xie Yanci’s behalf. The bid nevertheless fuels rumors of romantic interest 10.

When Director Zhang’s misconduct threatens Shallow Summer’s release, Xu Shi asks Xie Yanci to spare the production. The eventual arrangement requires the director to leave the industry so the drama can air 17 18.

Competition for Xia Cen

Wen Yu rejects his company’s insistence that he pursue the male lead in Song Zhixing’s film, preferring the more challenging second lead, Xia Cen. His audition puts him in direct competition with Xu Shi 29 30.

A message appearing to come from Xie Yanci names Wen Yu for Xia Cen, intensifying Xu Shi’s belief that he cannot compete with the novel’s protagonist. Xie Yanci denies choosing Wen Yu; his later investigation establishes that his message to Song Zhixing was altered 46 47 54.

After Xie Corporation withdraws its investment and the role is reopened, Song Zhixing offers Wen Yu the male lead instead. Wen Yu makes another appeal for Xia Cen but is told that the director has someone more suitable in mind 47 48.

Wen Yu subsequently confronts Xie Yanci about whether he arranged Xu Shi’s casting. Xie Yanci maintains that Xu Shi earned the role. Wen Yu then invokes Xu Shi’s marriage as a threat, only for Xie Yanci—whose identity as Xu Shi’s husband he does not yet understand—to claim he enjoys being “the other man.” Wen Yu leaves in tears 54.

Secret Relationship and Friendship with Xu Shi

Despite their company’s restrictions, Wen Yu and Xia Shian continue meeting privately. Xu Shi discovers them kissing in an emergency stairwell and later encounters Xia Shian leaving Wen Yu’s hotel room. Wen Yu trusts that Xu Shi will keep their secret 57 68.

His relationship with Xu Shi becomes increasingly friendly. He gives him jasmine at the crew’s birthday celebration, offers snacks when he finds him crying, and asks him to cover for another meeting with Xia Shian. Xu Shi also sends him three cases of crispy noodle snacks that Zhang Ya normally forbids him from buying 87 91 95.

Lighting Accident and Scandal

During a location shoot, a large light falls toward Wen Yu. Xu Shi tackles him out of its path and takes the impact on his shoulder. Xia Shian carries Wen Yu away, while the more seriously injured Xu Shi remains on the ground 97.

In hospital, Wen Yu immediately asks about Xu Shi and tries to visit him, but Zhang Ya forces him back into bed. The manager also denies that Xia Shian has visited, while planning to redirect attention from photographs of Xia Shian carrying Wen Yu by using photographs of Xia Shian and Xu Shi leaving the same hotel suite 97.

After the resulting scandal is resolved, Zhang Ya is fired and investigated. Wen Yu apologizes to Xu Shi both for his manager’s actions and for not helping clear his name, particularly because many attackers were Wen Yu’s fans. Xu Shi explicitly forgives him and embraces him 102.

Mountain Outing and Completed Ending

On Little New Year’s Eve, Wen Yu accompanies Xu Shi up a mountain for a planned fireworks outing. He explains that going public with Xia Shian still depends on the company’s position and his incoming manager. After teasing Xu Shi about Xie Yanci’s public declaration, he runs ahead; a driverless, unplated truck then hurtles toward Xu Shi 103.

After returning to his own world, Xu Shi remembers that he wrote Six Mere Roots! and had even paid to boost Wen Yu’s popularity ranking. The completed novel ultimately gives Wen Yu a successful career, Best Actor awards at all three major film awards, and a high-profile marriage to Xia Shian 104 120.

Relationships

• Xia Shian — Childhood friend, longtime co-star, secret lover, and eventual husband. Their seventh collaboration is Song Zhixing’s film; company pressure keeps their romance private before their eventual wedding 9 55 103 120.
• Xu Shi — Co-star and rival for Xia Cen who becomes a close friend. Xu Shi protects his relationship with Xia Shian and saves him from falling lighting equipment; Wen Yu fears losing that friendship after Zhang Ya’s smear campaign 91 97 102.
• Zhang Ya — Former manager who helped make him a star but controlled his career choices, diet, and contact with Xia Shian. He is eventually fired and investigated for coercive dealings involving artists 30 95 97 102.
• Xie Yanci — An intended love interest in the original novel, but not Wen Yu’s eventual partner. Their supposed connection is repeatedly exaggerated by auction gossip, casting controversy, and Zhang Ya’s ambitions 10 32 47 120.
• Song Zhixing — Demanding film director who casts him as the police-officer lead rather than Xia Cen. Wen Yu secretly takes his crispy noodle snacks and relies on Xu Shi to help evade his prohibition on dating during production 48 65 91.
• Jiang Sheng — An intended love interest in the original novel, described as falling for Wen Yu at first sight after meeting him through film-set work 66.
• Xu Xingqi — Another intended love interest in the original plot, in which his hostility toward Wen Yu after Xu Shi’s death eventually gives way to affection 42.