Fu Xiuyuan

Biodata

Appearance

• Build and features: Tall and handsome, with deep eyes and a distinguished bearing 37.
• Expression: Usually cold and reserved; his expression becomes noticeably gentler around Gu Nian'an 37 69.
• Family resemblance: His eyes resemble Shang Zelan's, though Shang Muxue sees distance and indifference in his gaze rather than his mother's gentleness 141.
• Distinguishing accessory: Frequently wears and handles a jadeite thumb ring inherited from his mother 32 41.

Personality

Fu Xiuyuan is outwardly aloof, decisive, and intimidating. In business, he has a reputation for pursuing opponents relentlessly. His composure also makes his tenderness toward Gu Nian'an especially striking to acquaintances and business partners 25 37.

His childhood left him deeply insecure and fearful of losing anyone he loves. He initially approaches his growing attachment to Gu Nian'an strategically, intending to make him willingly stay. Even after their relationship becomes mutual, that fear manifests in possessiveness, surveillance, and concealed tracking 36 61 134.

He is attentive to Gu Nian'an's everyday needs: interrupting work during medical emergencies, staying beside him overnight, and putting away a cigarette after remembering that he cannot tolerate smoke. He also acknowledges mistakes, apologizing after discovering that his original accusation against Gu Nian'an was false 21 22 24 39.

His professional conduct is less volatile than his reputation suggests. An employee describes him as fair, generous with overtime compensation, and unwilling to bring personal feelings into work. Later employee accounts note that he smiles much more often after falling in love 124 149.

History

Childhood and rise to power

Fu Xiuyuan is the son of Fu Wensheng and Shang Zelan, the former head of the Shang Family. As a child, he witnessed his mother jump to her death. His father's indifference and the hostility surrounding his upbringing left lasting psychological scars, including nightmares and guilt over whether he had contributed to her suffering 1 105 148.

Fu Shirui competed with him from childhood over possessions, their father's attention, and corporate inheritance. Despite favoring Fu Shirui, Fu Wensheng was unwilling to entrust the corporation to him after he repeatedly ruined companies. Fu Xiuyuan eventually took over and transformed the business through reforms, new projects, and overseas expansion 26 132.

His grandfather's will made marriage a condition for receiving shares. Fu Xiuyuan married Gu Nian'an under a three-year agreement, but by the time he arranged matching rings, he already controlled the group. He privately recognized that he no longer needed the marriage to retain the inherited shares 2 36.

From contractual marriage to attachment

At the beginning of their marriage, Fu Xiuyuan knew little about Gu Nian'an beyond his orphaned background, company sponsorship, and minor entertainment career. He initially accused him of drugging him, then reinvestigated and discovered his eldest uncle's involvement. He apologized directly 1 2 21.

He also noticed changes that the apparent circumstances could not explain: a new red mole near Gu Nian'an's eye, a different personality, and piano skills absent from his documented upbringing. These discrepancies led him to suspect that Gu Nian'an might not be the same person 2 33.

Their attachment developed through domestic life and repeated illnesses. Fu Xiuyuan furnished an extravagant room for Gu Nian'an's adopted kitten, left a meeting when he called with a severe fever, and stayed with him through the night. When Gu Nian'an later coughed up blood, the sight recalled his mother's death and threw him into panic 18 22 24.

At a hostile family dinner, he declared that he intended to spend his life with Gu Nian'an. He rejected threats against his corporate position, warned his relatives not to harm his partner, and left after confronting Fu Wensheng about his affair with Shang Zelan's younger sister 26.

Conflict with Fu Shirui

Fu Xiuyuan publicly introduced Gu Nian'an as his spouse at the banquet marking the change in Fu Family leadership. During the event, Fu Shirui had Gu Nian'an abducted, drugged, and assaulted. After checking surveillance footage, Fu Xiuyuan forced open the locked room, rescued Gu Nian'an, and detained Fu Shirui despite pressure from Fu Wensheng and Shang Muxue 37 38 39.

His retaliation was initially complicated by the family's possession of Shang Zelan's keepsakes. Fu Wensheng withheld them for sixteen years and threatened to destroy them. After another kidnapping plot involving Li Zhuwan, Fu Xiuyuan identified Fu Shirui's involvement and began preparing further action against his opponents 57 70 73.

Confessions and his mother's keepsakes

Gu Nian'an eventually disclosed his memories of a previous life and explained that he had read a novel with Fu Xiuyuan as its protagonist. Fu Xiuyuan feared that Gu Nian'an loved him only as a fictional character. Gu Nian'an reassured him that his love was for him and promised not to leave 84 85.

Fu Xiuyuan later brought Gu Nian'an to Shang Zelan's grave, fulfilling his mother's request that he introduce anyone he loved to her. When Shang Muxue sent his mother's belongings, he finally received a letter affirming her love for him. The letter broke through years of guilt; Gu Nian'an comforted him as he cried 105 116.

Among the keepsakes was a jade safety pendant matching his thumb ring. Fu Xiuyuan placed it around Gu Nian'an's neck, and they promised to remain together as their cycle of suffering and rebirth ended 116.

Public scrutiny and surveillance

After Gu Nian'an revealed their relationship and announced his retirement, online speculation portrayed the marriage as a means for Fu Xiuyuan to obtain his inheritance. Fu Xiuyuan responded by publishing their marriage certificate and documentation placing 50 percent of Fu Yu Group's shares under Gu Nian'an's name. A notarized agreement also guaranteed shared ownership of his assets during marriage, half his assets upon divorce, and annual group dividends for Gu Nian'an 130 132.

His protective behavior also drew private criticism. Ji Baiwei discovered that he had hidden a company-developed Locator behind Gu Nian'an's sapphire earring and confronted him over both the tracking device and the manor's surveillance cameras 134.

Family collapse, loss, and reunion

Fu Xiuyuan helped expose Fu Shirui's embezzlement, kidnapping, and extortion, while former victims came forward. During a confrontation at the old residence, Fu Wensheng attacked him and disowned him after being subdued. Fu Shirui then lunged at Fu Xiuyuan with a knife, but Shang Muxue stepped between them and was stabbed instead. Fu Xiuyuan administered first aid and instructed Gu Nian'an to call the police and an ambulance 138 139.

Fu Shirui later struck Gu Nian'an with his car. After Gu Nian'an died, Fu Xiuyuan washed and tended his body, refused to let him go, and continued hoping that he would return. Ji Baiwei persuaded him to stay alive and seek justice rather than destroy himself in grief 144 149.

Gu Nian'an subsequently returned to life. Fu Xiuyuan then learned that Fu Wensheng had been burned to death by Shang Muxue, who afterward died by suicide at Shang Zelan's grave. Her letter revealed Fu Wensheng's responsibility for driving Shang Zelan to her death, provoking renewed grief and rage 148.

Later married life and wedding

Ji Baiwei eventually withdrew her opposition to the relationship and told Fu Xiuyuan that he was her child too. During a later livestream at their manor, Gu Nian'an explained that the household cameras had been installed because Fu Xiuyuan feared leaving him alone while he was ill 154 156.

That fear remained acute. When Gu Nian'an went missing during filming, Fu Xiuyuan used the location display on his phone to find him, broke through a locked door, and cried while holding him. He explained that memories of Gu Nian'an's past deaths made him terrified of another separation 165.

The couple eventually held their wedding. Ji Baiwei placed Gu Nian'an's hand in Fu Xiuyuan's, and both men vowed that not even death would part them. Renata approached carrying a small basket during the ceremony 171.

Abilities & Skills

Corporate leadership

Fu Xiuyuan rebuilt the family's business into a dominant conglomerate 1 124.

• Reformed management, removed numerous family members, and recruited new personnel 124.
• Expanded into overseas markets and launched new projects after a period of decline 132.
• Oversaw a group active in vehicles, appliances, networking, games, social applications, hospitals, and medicines 124 132.
• Under his leadership, the group accumulated patents and participated in government research and military-related projects 124.

Investigation and strategic leverage

He uses personnel, records, surveillance, and commercial influence to investigate threats 21 33 39.

• Traced the drugging incident through a server to his eldest uncle 21.
• Investigated discrepancies in Gu Nian'an's background and helped research Yu Songqing and Ning Qing 33 109.
• Withdrew a business partnership with Zhang Jianguo after Zhang Xiaoyuan's bullying came to light 57.
• Helped expose Fu Shirui's crimes and remove his remaining authority 138.

Physical intervention and emergency response

He can force entry and restrain attackers, though no formal training background is specified 39 138 165.

• Kicked open locked doors while searching for Gu Nian'an 39 165.
• Dodged Fu Wensheng's punch and pinned him to the floor 138.
• Administered first aid to Shang Muxue after she was stabbed 139.
• Repeatedly arranged urgent medical treatment for Gu Nian'an 22 24 84 101.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Jadeite thumb ring — Shang Zelan's keepsake; Fu Xiuyuan frequently turns or rubs it while thinking or under stress 32 41 66.
• Matching jade safety pendant — Paired with the thumb ring and later given to Gu Nian'an 116.
• Matching rings — Designed by Song Yuan. Fu Xiuyuan privately admits that arranging them expresses his wish to keep Gu Nian'an beside him rather than any remaining contractual necessity 36.
• Sapphire stud earring and Locator — A gift to Gu Nian'an containing a concealed tracking device. Developed by Fu Xiuyuan's company, it transmits location in real time and can remain powered with limited sunlight exposure 44 134.
• Home surveillance system — Used to check on Gu Nian'an and respond to emergencies; its presence later becomes a subject of both family confrontation and livestream discussion 101 134 156.

Relationships

• Gu Nian'an — Husband and central emotional support. Their contractual marriage develops into mutual love, with each reassuring the other through trauma and fear of abandonment 2 85 116 171.
• Shang Zelan — Mother. Her death shapes his insecurity, while her recovered letter reassures him that she loved him 1 116.
• Fu Wensheng — Father and adversary. Their estrangement involves childhood neglect, corporate conflict, withheld keepsakes, and Fu Wensheng's responsibility for Shang Zelan's death 26 57 148.
• Fu Shirui — Younger half-brother and rival. His attacks on Gu Nian'an turn their longstanding rivalry into an increasingly destructive conflict 26 38 73 149.
• Shang Muxue — Maternal aunt and stepmother. Fu Xiuyuan initially views her with hostility, but she returns Shang Zelan's belongings and later takes a knife intended for him 116 139 142.
• Li Jiyuan — Longtime friend and business associate who helped him over the years and keeps him informed about family activity 28 32.
• Li Mochen — Friend who supported him during his struggle for corporate control 28 31.
• Wan Xufeng — Relative, longtime friend, and business ally who hopes he finds happiness with Gu Nian'an 32 66.
• Ji Baiwei — Mother-in-law. Initially distrustful of his possessiveness, she later recognizes his devotion and welcomes him as her own child 134 154.
• Renata — Household cat who remains beside the grieving Fu Xiuyuan and later participates in the wedding 144 171.

Notable Quotes

“My mother wanted me to be happy.” 26

“I'm your partner. Don't neglect your health. Whatever happens, you can tell me.” 78

“My mother's love for me is worth ten thousand times more than it.” 115

“I do. Not even death can part us.” 171