Nan Zhou

Biodata

Background / History

Accident and Life in Another World

Nan Zhou comes from the Gu family, whose members include his parents, Gu Jinchao and Nan Yuan, and his siblings, Gu Zheng and Gu Ying. He differentiated into an Omega at sixteen. A subsequent car accident damaged his gland when shattered glass pierced it 7 128 145.

The crash occurred after the driver braked to avoid a wild animal and struck a guardrail. Gu Tang found Nan Zhou injured but withheld help, fearing that Nan Zhou had seen him using his name to approach the Fu family's young master. Huo Xingye later established that Nan Zhou had not actually noticed Gu Tang's deception 145 146.

After the accident, Nan Zhou awoke in an ordinary world with a severely fractured right leg and dissociative amnesia. He retained his learned skills but could not remember his identity or reach his family. His bank cards did not work, leaving him with only eight thousand-odd yuan in cash and mounting medical expenses 115.

He tried selling songs, initially without success. One company altered a submitted demo and released it through its own singer. During his rehabilitation, Yan Lang and Fang Ge shared food with him and helped him rebuild his life. A song he later gave Yan Lang went viral, launching Nan Zhou's music career. Their friendship ended tragically: Fang Ge died in a car accident after enduring harassment, and Yan Lang died by suicide the following day 125.

Apparent Transmigration

Three years after the accident, a rip current swept Nan Zhou away during an island vacation. He awoke in an ABO world, apparently occupying the body of another man with his name. Feverish and disoriented, he sought help at a seaside villa and spent two days with its owner, Huo Xingye, who marked him. Nan Zhou left wearing Huo Xingye's black coat 1 131.

The memories available to him were incomplete. Through Hao Jia, he discovered that the previous occupant had accepted an unfavorable entertainment contract to work with Lu Zhou, spent all his earnings on him, and left no savings. His only home was a rented studio, and withdrawing from the dating show would incur a three-million cancellation penalty 1 3.

Dating Show and Career Revival

Nan Zhou entered You Make My Heart Flutter amid hostility over his reputation and disputed Omega designation. His changed styling, blunt speech, and refusal to indulge Lu Zhou sharply contrasted with the timid image associated with him. Huo Xingye joined the show and openly stated that he had come for Nan Zhou 4 5 35.

His musical ability became a major turning point. Filling in for Breaking Dawn's injured guitarist, he learned their signature song after briefly studying its score and delivered a performance that impressed both professionals and viewers. He subsequently performed violin with SIXGO, demonstrated his piano skills, and worked as a songwriter on Limited-Time Melody 19 20 44 82 105.

As his popularity grew, Nan Zhou pursued greater control over his work and finances. He negotiated an M Brand endorsement worth five million a year, delayed signing to avoid his exploitative company's contract, and demanded early termination and accommodation when the company sought another music-show appearance. He later moved out of company-provided housing and into Huo Xingye's West City home 51 52 109.

Identity Revealed

Nan Zhou eventually told Huo Xingye about his amnesia, apparent transmigration, and uncertainty over which world he belonged to. His return to the Gu family home had already stirred recognition when he saw a family photograph and identified its members 128 131.

After Lu Zhou pushed him into a river, Nan Zhou awoke in Main God Space beside the other Nan Zhou. There, he learned that the system had exchanged their souls after his car accident: the ABO body and family were originally his. The other Nan Zhou had occupied his life for three years while attempting to win Lu Zhou's complete love. When that attempt failed, the system allowed the protagonist to return to his own body 141 142.

The system's condition for rebirth required someone to love him completely and be willing to give him their life. Huo Xingye's affection registered at one hundred percent. Nan Zhou rejected the other man's request to approach Huo Xingye in his place and ultimately awakened in the hospital 141 142.

Family Reunion and Marriage

Following his discharge, Nan Zhou returned to the Gu family home and reunited with his parents. Gu Ying explained that she had modified his phone to transmit information across spacetime, accounting for the device that had connected him with Huo Xingye during his years in the other world 143 144 147.

Nan Zhou and Huo Xingye independently selected MOSAKA Cafe for the dating show's final compatibility test. Ten months later, Nan Zhou was studying at JQ Academy in Country M. By the Mid-Autumn special, they were married; Nan Zhou visited Huo Xingye in K City, made lanterns with him, and released their jointly written song, “Illusory Moon” 147 148 173.

Appearance

• Hair and eyes: Black hair and black eyes; his narrow, foxlike eyes are repeatedly emphasized 55 62 148.
• Build: Fair skin, a slender waist, and long legs 1 44 55.
• Styling change: Cutting his overlong bangs and changing his clothes makes him appear markedly different from his earlier public image 4 5.
• Typical presentation: Simple shirts, jeans, and hoodies complement a youthful appearance and sly, lively expression 4 55 146.
• Stage appearance: Performs in a white-shirted waiter uniform during his guitar and violin appearances at the live house 20 44.

Personality

Nan Zhou is irreverent, quick-witted, and openly confrontational. He answers intrusive questions with demands for payment, mocks attempts to manipulate him, and regularly leaves production staff struggling to respond. Rather than maintain a polished celebrity persona, he complains directly about working conditions, early mornings, and poorly planned activities 8 19 86 89.

His fixation on money follows his discovery that he has inherited an empty bank account and an unfavorable contract. He insists on payment for additional work, rejects recruitment pitches disguised as concern, and refuses Cui Heng's expectation that he can guarantee both a high ranking and widespread fame 3 19 22 105.

Although he favors comfort and avoids unnecessary effort, he acts decisively when others are threatened. He catches a staff member before she falls, helps Wen Yu against Zhang Shi, and confronts a man secretly photographing women's private parts 4 72 85 86.

In relationships, Nan Zhou is flirtatious but values clear boundaries. He has no interest in becoming involved with someone already attached, refuses Lu Zhou's attempts to reclaim his attention, and takes the initiative in confessing and visiting Huo Xingye. His fear of disappearing from Huo Xingye's life becomes a recurring source of vulnerability 13 110 116 119 125.

Abilities & Skills

Composition and Arrangement

Nan Zhou retains his musical knowledge despite his amnesia and establishes a career under the name Terra Australis 107 115 125.

• Gives Yan Lang a song that goes viral 125.
• Combines French, a medieval Church-inspired melody, and game and electronic elements for Cui Heng's War and Peace entry 105.
• Writes a film theme song for a production starring Huo Xingye 154.
• Releases “Illusory Moon,” with lyrics written jointly with Huo Xingye 173.

Instrumental Performance

• Guitar: Plays “Breaking Dawn” after roughly half a minute studying its score, adding an opening chord progression not written in it 19.
• Violin: Performs onstage with SIXGO at Soul Bar 43 44.
• Piano: Replays Gu Tang's chosen piece and introduces an improvised modulation during the interlude 82.
• Other instruments: Plays instruments from the extensive collection in his family music room 128.

Languages

• Speaks fluent Korean when confronting the voyeur who demands his phone back 85.
• Incorporates French into his collaboration with Cui Heng 105.

Fishing and Knot-Tying

• Identifies his fast, secure knot-tying as a basic angler's skill 56.
• Enjoys sea fishing and responds quickly when a large fish takes his bait 95 96.
• Can be physically overmatched by a powerful catch; one nearly drags him forward 96.

Physical Resourcefulness

• Restrains an out-of-control Alpha with a power-strip cord and fits him with a bite guard 56.
• Kicks Zhang Shi off balance while intervening on Wen Yu's behalf 72 73.
• Helps Huo Xingye subdue Zhang Shi during his rut and administers a suppressant 137.
• Is not as strong as the Alphas around him; Lu Zhou can overpower his grip on a door 107.

Health and Secondary Sex

Equipment / Items

• Modified phone — Altered by Gu Ying to transmit readable signals across spacetime; connects Nan Zhou with Huo Xingye during his displacement 147.
• Huo Xingye's black coat — Taken when leaving the seaside villa. Its scent comforts him after being marked; he later returns it 1 3 8.
• Guitar from Huo Xingye — His most valuable possession when he leaves the company's apartment 109.
• M Brand Anti-bite Ring — Worn for his endorsement work. Its protection is limited: Huo Xingye snaps one apart with his bare hands 55 57.
• Family instrument collection — Includes a Steinway piano, guitars, basses, violins, and cellos in a dedicated music room 128.

Relationships

• Huo Xingye — Lover and eventual husband. Their connection begins with the seaside encounter, develops publicly on the dating show, and is later revealed to include their earlier online correspondence across worlds 1 35 131 146 147 173.
• Hao Jia — Manager and close friend. Handles Nan Zhou's work and finances, worries about his health, and cautions him against mistaking pheromone-driven behavior for love 3 51.
• Gu Zheng — Older brother, who calls him Xiao Bao. Protective and eager for him to return home, but frequently targeted by Nan Zhou's teasing 86 87 126.
• Gu Ying — Sister and the person responsible for modifying his phone for cross-spacetime communication 128 147.
• Gu Jinchao and Nan Yuan — His father and dad. Return early from Antarctic research after his hospitalization and accept his right to choose his partner 143 144.
• Wen Yu — Friend and ally. They intervene against Zhang Shi together, exchange WeChat contacts, and later become connected through Wen Yu's relationship with Gu Zheng 72 73 94 172.
• Lu Zhou — Former bandmate pursued by the other occupant of Nan Zhou's body. Nan Zhou himself rejects him; Lu Zhou eventually pushes him into the river 140 141 142.
• Gu Tang — Distant relative and childhood acquaintance whose jealousy becomes dangerous. Withholds aid after Nan Zhou's accident and repeatedly attempts to undermine him on the show 5 7 35 145 146.
• Yan Lang and Fang Ge — Friends who support him during rehabilitation and poverty in the ordinary world. After their deaths, he visits their grave and plays an unreleased song 125.
• The other Nan Zhou — Ordinary-world counterpart whose soul occupies his body for three years. Reveals the system's exchange and rebirth conditions in Main God Space 141 142.

Notable Quotes

“Trying to goad me won't work. Cash up front, not empty promises.” 19

“If I don't put my feelings on my face, am I supposed to hang them on the wall? Do I look like the Mona Lisa?” 89

“I've moved in. I'm going to mess up your home as payback for the heart you threw into chaos.” 109

“The future may be uncertain, but right now, my desire to be with you forever is real.” 150