Duan Qizhao

Biodata

Background / History

Life in Capital City

Duan Qizhao grew up in a wealthy household next door to the Jiang family. Initially a follower of Jiang Yu, he spent his time causing trouble rather than studying, consistently ranking among the bottom three students. Shortly before entering Metamorphosis, he totaled one of his father’s limited-edition sports cars and maxed out three credit cards 28.

His first encounter with Jiang Xun ended humiliatingly: Jiang Xun kicked him hard enough to leave a bruise for half a month, and Duan drank laxative-laced Romanée-Conti that sent him to the hospital. He lost four kilograms during his hospitalization, while his father repeatedly used the incident as a cautionary example 28 34.

Metamorphosis and Shiban Village

The Metamorphosis director recruited Duan to create conflict with Jiang Xun. President Duan agreed, hoping rural life would correct his son’s habits, and had bodyguards haul him out of bed. Delivered to the Shen household without his phone, Duan found himself hungry, frightened by the dog, and unable to communicate effectively with the hard-of-hearing Grandpa Shen 28.

He initially rejected the household’s vegetable gruel as unfit to eat, only to seize it when Jiang Xun threatened to take his portion. His sleeping arrangements were equally unwelcome: a three-legged bench and an old coat. An attempt to share Jiang Xun’s quilt ended with Shen Wangjing lifting him off the bed by his collar 29 30 32 33.

Duan eagerly moved to the village chief’s better-equipped house, but Li Guizhi’s stinginess soon soured the arrangement. He began stealing meat and fish to bring back to Jiang Xun every afternoon. When Li Guizhi caught and berated him, he returned to the Shen household, loudly insisting that he had come to experience hardship rather than enjoy comfort 34 37 40.

Although village children’s accusations initially made him fear Shen Wangjing, Jiang Xun challenged both the rumor’s logic and Duan’s judgment of his host. During the subsequent downpour, Duan helped steady a wheelchair and stopped during the evacuation to ask where Jiang Xun was—actions that contrasted with his earlier self-absorption 41 42 44 73.

Becoming Jiang Xun’s Ally

Duan’s concern became unmistakable when he followed Jiang Xun into the mountains after finding him gone with only a note. Afraid Jiang Xun might harm himself, he persisted despite falling on a scree slope. Jiang Xun repeatedly helped him through the climb, and Duan recognized how little his friend seemed to value his own safety 67 68.

After filming, Duan visited the withdrawn Jiang Xun with cakes, opened his curtains, and kept talking until he ate. By then, he regarded their shared hardships as proof that Jiang Xun was someone he could trust with his life 73 75.

When Jiang Yu invited him to help make Jiang Xun’s school life unbearable, Duan pretended to cooperate rather than reveal his changed allegiance. He passed the scheme to Jiang Huaixiao without telling Jiang Xun, believing his friend would otherwise endure it alone. At school, he prepared a seat, textbooks, stationery, and strawberry milk for Jiang Xun 75 77 78.

Supporting Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing

Duan supplied Jiang Xun with Shen Wangjing’s telephone number and encouraged him to call. He recognized the improvement in Jiang Xun’s appetite afterward but concealed the reason from Jiang Yanchu. He also celebrated Jiang Xun’s eighteenth birthday on a mountaintop with Shen Wangjing, promising that they would watch the stars together every year 82 83 85 105.

When Shen Wangjing disappeared, Duan stopped Jiang Xun from smashing the handmade telescope bearing his name and held him as he trembled. He subsequently searched for Shen Wangjing through his father’s contacts, moved into East City Villa to keep Jiang Xun company, and checked outside his bedroom hourly during their first three nights there 108 112 113.

Later School Life and London

During the threats surrounding Jiang Xun, Duan refused to leave him alone at the villa. He later drove through alleys to shake off two following cars and accompanied Jiang Xun to the Municipal Bureau to ask Zhou Yanqing about Shen Wangjing 132 135.

After Jiang Xun’s hospital discharge, Jiang Huaixiao’s disapproval forced Duan to move back home. He remained close to the group at school, complaining about becoming Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing’s overlooked “backdrop,” supporting Jiang Xun’s renewed dedication to studying, and organizing Christmas Eve dinner for the four friends 151 152 160.

Duan eventually secured a place in a London foundation program and received an offer from City University of London. He traveled to London with Jiang Xun, Shen Wangjing, and Shen Yuxing, though he struggled to adjust more than Jiang Xun did. Years later, he proudly showed Jiang Xun online praise comparing his teenage defiance with his courtroom work as an adult 170 173.

Appearance

• Blue hair — His most recognizable feature, repeatedly used to identify him in crowds and doorways 28 35 96.
• Initially fair-skinned and chubby — His mother describes him this way when lamenting how much his countryside stay changed him 73.
• Chunky sneakers — Worn during his village stay and mountain climb; afterward, he jokes about framing them to commemorate his hardships 68 73.

Personality

Duan begins as spoiled, boastful, and intensely concerned with saving face. He assumes his family’s wealth means he will never need to humble himself, advertises that wealth to village students, and invents excuses when hunger forces him to abandon his declarations. Being embarrassed in front of Jiang Xun particularly aggravates him 29 30 37 40.

His loyalty grows through practical acts rather than solemn speeches. He brings food, notices changes in Jiang Xun’s appetite, searches for a missing friend, and stays nearby when he senses danger. He understands that Jiang Xun’s combative manner conceals a belief that he is not worth defending, and deliberately acts without waiting for permission 73 77 112 132.

He remains noisy, mischievous, and fond of teasing Jiang Xun about Shen Wangjing. However, he can stop joking when his friend is genuinely distressed. His bluntness is not always tactful: his well-meant warning about the Li family fails to account for Shen Yuxing’s desperation to escape dependence and poverty 85 86 131 144.

Abilities & Skills

Resourcefulness and Social Connections

Duan uses both improvised solutions and his family’s resources to help his friends.

• Times kitchen raids around Li Guizhi’s movements and befriends the village chief’s guard dog so it will not expose his food thefts 40.
• Records Jiang Yu bullying Shen Yuxing and states that the footage is backed up to the cloud and synchronized across three devices 81.
• Searches his father’s well-connected address book for leads on Shen Wangjing, though those efforts initially produce no results 112.

Driving

• Drives through alleys to lose two cars following him and Jiang Xun before their visit to the Municipal Bureau 135.
• His earlier driving history includes totaling his father’s limited-edition sports car 28.

Security Awareness

Despite his carefree behavior, Duan can recognize and respond to danger.

• Arranges pickup through Old Zhao and leaves school with Jiang Xun through the back entrance after a suspicious car appears outside 132.
• Checks window latches and ventilation openings throughout the villa before settling down 132.
• Approaches an unexpected visitor silently, carrying a concealed baseball bat and checking the peephole first 132.
• Lacks strong fighting ability; his protectiveness should not be mistaken for combat expertise 42 132.

Sports and Gaming

• Regularly attends basketball practice 85.
• Plays console and ranked video games; a new gaming laptop is one of his father’s rewards for staying out of trouble 85 96 132.
• Remains academically weak during much of his school life, relying on classmates for homework and luck for exams 134.

Equipment / Items

• Jade Guanyin pendant — Worn around his neck; he holds it in silent prayer after realizing Jiang Xun is praying for Shen Wangjing’s safety 131.
• PS5 and three monitors — Brought with him when he moves into East City Villa 112.
• Gaming laptop — A gift from his father for not causing trouble 96.
• Baseball bat — Hidden beneath the villa’s shoe cabinet and retrieved when the doorbell rings during a period of heightened danger 132 133.

Relationships

• Jiang Xun — Former adversary turned best friend. Their shared village hardships replace Duan’s loyalty to Jiang Yu with a determination to protect Jiang Xun; he later describes himself as close enough to count as family 75 77 128.
• Shen Wangjing — Initially a frightening host whom Duan suspects because of village rumors. He later becomes Duan’s friend, and Duan actively encourages his relationship with Jiang Xun while insisting his own bond with both is “pure brotherhood” 41 42 83 105 152.
• Jiang Yu — Childhood friend and former companion in troublemaking. Duan secretly turns against him when he plots to target Jiang Xun and later openly challenges his treatment of Shen Yuxing 28 75 81.
• President Duan — His father, who sends him to Metamorphosis to reform him. Later praises his help during the storm and rewards his improved behavior with a gaming laptop 28 73 96.
• Jiang Huaixiao — An intimidating elder figure whom Duan recruits to counter Jiang Yu’s scheme. Duan admires his protective security arrangements but also helps Jiang Xun evade his surveillance 74 77 134 135.
• Shen Yuxing — Classmate and member of the four-friend group. Duan intervenes when Jiang Yu bullies him, but his blunt warning about the Li family provokes an argument over their unequal upbringings 81 144 160.
• Li Guizhi — Temporary host and frequent antagonist during filming. Her restrictive hospitality leads Duan to steal food for Jiang Xun and ultimately return to the Shen household 37 40.

Notable Quotes

“I'm on the side of justice.”
— Answering Jiang Yu’s demand to know whose side he is on 81.

“I'm his best buddy. Round that up, and I'm family.”
— Trying to remain with Jiang Xun after hospital visiting hours 128.