Lin Kang
I've Liked Your Boyfriend for a Long Time
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Lin Kang (林康) |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Mancheng University; previously attended Manzhong 4 13 36 |
| Occupation/Role | University student; Yan Zhun’s classmate in the same major 4 |
| First Appearance | Luo Qingshan’s birthday party 4 |
Personality
Lin Kang is talkative, curious, and fond of teasing his friends. At Luo Qingshan’s birthday party, he jokes about the duplicate phone gifts, argues over who carries their PUBG squad, and uses the drinking game to repay Luo for targeting him on his own birthday 4.
Despite his interest in gossip, Lin Kang is willing to defend friends against unfair treatment. He objects to Su Nian insulting Pei Ran behind his back and offers to confront him. After recognizing Su Nian’s involvement in the breakup, he offers to scold Luo Qingshan despite knowing Luo better than Pei Ran 11 13.
He is slow to recognize romantic tensions. The narration describes him as a straight man who can take hours to notice his girlfriend is angry; he also misses the significance of Yan Zhun’s remarks about his sole gaming-companion client 13 14.
Story Role
Luo Qingshan’s Birthday
Lin Kang attends Luo Qingshan’s karaoke birthday party, where he selects songs and participates in the drinking games. After Pei Ran leaves, he calls to report that Luo is drunk and asking for him. Pei Ran declines to return and asks Lin Kang to take Luo back to the dormitory 4 5.
Lin Kang later supplies Pei Ran with information about Luo’s drinking that night. His account establishes that Luo continued playing dice and even drank someone else under the table after kissing Su Nian, undermining Luo’s claim that he had been too drunk to understand what happened 6.
Supporting Pei Ran After the Breakup
When Lin Kang encounters Pei Ran on campus, he explains that their friends have noticed the breakup. During their conversation, he discovers that Su Nian has excluded Pei Ran from a newly created travel group and awkwardly changes the subject 8.
Because they live near each other, Lin Kang accepts Pei Ran’s offer of a ride home. Luo Qingshan grabs his jacket and accuses him of getting too close to Pei Ran. Lin Kang angrily points out that he has a girlfriend and that their ordinary interactions are less intimate than Luo’s behavior with Su Nian 8.
Su Nian subsequently asks Lin Kang to find out why Pei Ran blocked him. After seeing Su Nian disparage Pei Ran in the group chat, Lin Kang sends Pei Ran screenshots and offers to defend him. Pei Ran declines, while Lin Kang establishes another group chat for their friends 10 11.
Sharing Yan Zhun’s History
Lin Kang tells Pei Ran that TZG offered Yan Zhun a substantial sum to join while they were in high school. At a later meal, he explains that Yan Zhun attended Manzhong, won a PUBG tournament at an internet café, and attracted widespread attention through a photograph posted online 8 13.
When Yan Zhun joins their table and mentions working as a gaming companion, Lin Kang assumes his prepaid client is a woman interested in him. He does not realize that the client is Pei Ran, who is sitting beside them 14.
At another gathering, Lin Kang defends Yan Zhun’s professional prospects against Luo Qingshan’s dismissive comments. He recalls seeing TZG’s coach repeatedly visit their university to recruit Yan Zhun 17.
Drinking Contest and Hospital Call
During a friend’s birthday gathering, Lin Kang sends Pei Ran a video of Luo Qingshan drinking spirits. As Luo and Yan Zhun continue competing, he reluctantly calls Pei Ran at Luo’s insistence, asks him to come, and moves the glasses out of reach 24.
Lin Kang keeps checking on Pei Ran’s whereabouts, only to learn that Pei Ran has collected someone else rather than Luo. Later, at two in the morning, he calls Pei Ran to report that Yan Zhun and Luo have fought and gone to City Hospital 25 28.
Exposing Rumors
Lin Kang forwards screenshots of a group chat accusing Yan Zhun of stealing Pei Ran from Luo Qingshan. Although he hesitates to involve Pei Ran further, he adds him at his request, allowing Pei Ran to publicly explain that Luo’s cheating with Su Nian caused the breakup 30.
Afterward, Lin Kang calls Yan Zhun to draw his attention to Pei Ran’s messages, only to discover that Yan Zhun has already seen them 31.
At his girlfriend’s insistence, Lin Kang later sends Pei Ran a university forum post accusing Su Nian of repeatedly hooking up with someone else’s boyfriend, along with her message condemning Luo and Su Nian 36.
Relationships
- Pei Ran — Friend and neighbor in the same general area; their homes are served by the same bus stop. Lin Kang supports him during the fallout from his breakup 8 11 13.
- Yan Zhun — High-school classmate and university classmate in the same major. They are friends, though initially described as not particularly close 4.
- Luo Qingshan — Friend and frequent social companion. Their familiarity does not prevent Lin Kang from challenging his jealousy or offering to criticize his conduct 4 8 13.
- Su Nian — Member of the same social circle. Lin Kang’s opinion of him worsens after witnessing his malicious gossip about Pei Ran 10 11.
- Unnamed girlfriend — His romantic partner; she later asks him to forward the exposé about Su Nian and a supportive message to Pei Ran 8 13 36.
Interests and Habits
- Plays basketball recreationally 13.
- Regularly hires gaming companions with his friends and is familiar with their payment arrangements 14.
- Smokes cigarettes 4 14.
- Gets motion sickness on the bumpy bus ride home 8.
- Once wanted to study painting, but his father opposed it 8.
Notable Quotes
“I might know Luo Qingshan better, but I side with whoever’s right, not whoever I’m close to.” 13