Song Zhixing

Biodata

Background / History

Early Life and Education

Song Zhixing and Xie Yanci are childhood friends, although Song moved abroad at ten. They met occasionally while attending university in the United States; their friendship survived largely because Song treated even distant acquaintances with easy familiarity 22.

He chose to study photography, a freedom that made an impression on Xie Yanci, who had been raised to prioritize his responsibilities as a family heir. While in college, Song created Xia Cen, a character whose design he discussed with Xie 48 93.

Film-Industry Storyline

After returning to the country, Song attended a banquet at Xie Yanci’s request. Xie offered to invest in his next film on the condition that he choose the male lead. Song resented the prospect of an investor using his work to promote a lover, but he remained interested in securing funding 22 23.

At the banquet, Song openly flirted with Xu Shi, unaware that he was Xie’s wife. Xu Shi recognized him as a famous director and requested an audition; Song supplied his assistant’s contact information. He subsequently mistook Xu Shi for Xie’s extramarital lover and even offered to help him escape what he believed was a deceptive relationship 23 31.

His film’s financing became entangled with family pressure. After Xie told Su Wanqing that Song liked Alphas, his parents pushed him into blind dates, while his father ultimately refused to fund the film. Song then approached Xie directly for investment 26 35 63.

Song finally learned that Xu Shi was Xie’s wife during a hospital visit. When Xie withdrew his investment to remove his own influence over casting, Song received more than a billion in contractual compensation and regained control over the choice of lead actor 46 48.

He reconsidered Xu Shi for Xia Cen, finding his audition appearance almost identical to the character’s original design. He offered Wen Yu the other male lead role, delivered Xu Shi’s contract, and proceeded with the production of New Life 48 53 55.

During filming, Song coached Xu Shi, criticized performances, and repeatedly sparred with Xie over his presence on set. Despite sometimes trying to provoke the couple, he also called Xu Shi at three in the morning when Xie was hospitalized with a fever and calling his name 63 66 69 75.

Liva Storyline

In the later setting encountered by Xu Shi, Song is President of Liva China Region rather than a film director. Jiang Sheng accompanies him as his bodyguard, and Xie Yanci is both his close friend and superior 107 115 116.

Song intervened when a young employee’s allegations against Xia Shian caused a confrontation at the company. He arranged medical and psychological evaluations for the employee and suspended Xia pending investigation, refusing to yield when a manager invoked the Xia family’s influence 118.

He later helped investigate Xia Shian’s plagiarism. After delivering evidence to Xie, he uncovered that the graduation project responsible for Xia’s early fame had actually been designed by Xu Shi. Xie instructed him to continue investigating without disturbing Xu Shi 128 135.

Song’s attempts to interfere in Xie and Xu Shi’s private life eventually had professional consequences. He instructed Public Relations not to suppress a trending topic about them, assuming publicity would let them announce their relationship. Xie pointed out the potential damage to Xu Shi’s design career, then arranged for Song to return to Germany Headquarters while taking over management of the China Branch 181.

Before his departure, Xu Shi and Xie saw him off at the airport. Song worried about dealing with the Xie family at headquarters, but Xie assured him that arrangements had been made. Song congratulated the couple and promised a generous wedding gift 184.

Appearance

Song is described as handsome, with a rakishly beautiful face and a relaxed, carefree bearing 24 67.

• Build: Tall and well-built, but leaner than the broad-shouldered Jiang Sheng 67.
• Features: Thin lips and long fingers 67 164.
• Clothing: Wears formal suits for banquets and business occasions, including a dark blue suit at a later gathering 22 164.
• Mannerisms: Often lounges in chairs, keeps his hands in his pockets, or smokes while scrutinizing others 31 67.

Personality

Song is sociable, flirtatious, and fond of provoking reactions. He treats people familiarly, teases Xie about his marriage, and repeatedly uses Xu Shi to expose his friend’s jealousy. His irreverence has limits: Xie’s threats can quickly extinguish his bravado 22 31 71 86.

His playboy reputation is more substantial than his documented romantic experience. He flirts openly and enjoys nightlife, but avoids casting-couch entanglements with actors. In the later extras, Xu Shi observes that, despite his reputation, he has never seen Song in a relationship; Song himself states that he likes men 23 35 189.

He takes filmmaking seriously and dislikes investors treating his productions as vehicles for favoritism. His standards can make him sharp-tempered on set, but he is willing to devote substantial time to developing an actor’s performance rather than simply dismissing them 25 48 69 81.

Song frequently leaps to mistaken conclusions about other people’s relationships. Nevertheless, his concern can be genuine: after trying to drive a wedge between Xu Shi and Xie, he apologizes and asks Xu Shi not to quarrel with Xie because of his remarks 31 87 89 118 119.

Abilities & Skills

Filmmaking and Screenwriting

• Character creation: Wrote Xia Cen during college and developed a detailed visual concept for the role 48.
• Casting judgment: Separates acting technique from suitability, recognizing Wen Yu’s stronger training while considering Xu Shi a closer match for Xia Cen 31 48.
• Performance direction: Identifies when Xia Shian’s portrayal of Gu Jinnan lacks restraint 75.
• Actor coaching: Reviews Xu Shi’s previous work, arranges a trial scene, and considers setting aside a month for private coaching if necessary 69.

Corporate Authority and Investigation

• Executive authority: Can suspend a designer and order an investigation despite pressure from influential families 118.
• Evidence gathering: Helps assemble plagiarism evidence and traces Xia Shian’s celebrated graduation project to Xu Shi 128 135.
• Industry connections: Uses his contacts to suppress online discussion following an incident involving Xu Shi 99.
• Management capability: Xie considers him capable of taking over responsibilities at Germany Headquarters, despite his preference for an easy life 181.

Relationships

• Xie Yanci — Childhood friend, investor, business associate, and later superior. Their friendship revolves around mutual provocation, but Song worries about Xie’s position within his family, while Xie trusts his ability to handle headquarters 22 93 116 181 184.
• Xu Shi — Initially an object of flirtation, then an actor under his direction; later an employee within Liva. Song alternates between teasing him, offering assistance, and protecting him at Xie’s request 23 31 69 115 165.
• Jiang Sheng — film-industry storyline — An Alpha blind date whom Song chooses because he assumes he will be easy to dismiss. Song publicly acknowledges him as his boyfriend and reacts angrily upon learning that the Jiang family has injured him 67 72.
• Jiang Sheng — Liva storyline — His bodyguard, childhood schoolmate, and the son of the butler he grew up with. Song defended him against mockery when they were young. Jiang later reports Song’s approaches to other men or women to Su Wanqing 116 165 177.
• Su Wanqing — His mother. She pressures him to settle down, arranges blind dates, and reprimands him over Jiang Sheng’s injuries. Xie regularly appeals to her when retaliating against Song 26 72 181.
• Wen Yu — An actor whose technical ability Song respects. He offers Wen Yu the male lead role while favoring Xu Shi for Xia Cen 31 48.
• Xia Shian — An actor he directs in the film storyline and a designer he investigates in the Liva storyline. Song suspends him over a workplace incident and helps uncover his plagiarism 75 118 128 135.
• Xu Xingqi — His assistant during filming, who challenges his treatment of Xu Shi and threatens to report him to Xie 81 87.

Trivia

• Within the original novel known to Xu Shi, Song is the second major love interest introduced for Wen Yu and is credited with helping him obtain two Best Actor awards. This is information about that original plot, not an achievement shown in the supplied storyline 23.
• Song’s college character Xia Cen was partly developed through consultation with Xie; years later, Xu Shi’s audition closely matched that design 48.
• To discourage unwanted blind dates, he books restaurants two or three hours away. He eventually finds that he enjoys the drives and scenery more than managing the company 189.