Sun Zhe

Biodata

Appearance

• Build: Tall and lean, with long, straight legs and broad shoulders 4.
• Clothing: Usually impeccably dressed in bespoke suits, presenting a refined, aristocratic image 4 77 78.
• Accessories: Wears gold-rimmed glasses and carries a spare pair during reality-show filming 60 77.
• Pheromones: Cedarwood-scented 32.
• Later condition: Becomes noticeably thinner and more weathered after his release from jail 136.

Personality

Sun Zhe cultivates a warm, restrained public persona. He jokes affectionately with Wei Zisu, promises unconditional help, and treats a film crew to refreshments in Wei Zisu’s name. Livestream viewers recognize him as a welfare-institute donor and admire his seemingly reserved demeanor 5 14 73.

His private conduct contradicts that image. He secretly obstructs Wei Zisu’s career while presenting himself as a dependable supporter, hoping that professional failure and broken engagements will make Wei Zisu attainable. During filming, he suppresses his anger to preserve his “good-man” persona 75 78 89.

His attachment to Gu Ziran is possessive and coercive. He treats fear-driven obedience and dependence created by marking as proof of affection, while using confinement, violence, and threats to prevent separation. Even after Gu Ziran explicitly rejects him, Sun Zhe insists that saving his life entitles him to a relationship 60 130 145 194.

Sun Zhe’s apparent confidence also conceals deep insecurity. His father’s death leaves him with nightmares and a debilitating fear of water, while Grandma Wang’s repeated judgment that he is unworthy of Wei Zisu fuels his determination to bring Wei Zisu down to his own perceived level 15 88 89.

History

Family conflict and his father’s death

Sun Zhe’s mother built a successful building-materials company over more than a decade. She later died of depression following Sun Mingchang’s affair. Six years before the recollection in Chapter 88, Sun Mingchang announced that he would hand her company to Sun Liang—the mistress’s son—to give him management experience 88.

Sun Zhe protested without success. When the fishing platform collapsed and his father fell into the lake, he watched without intervening, calling for help only after his father stopped moving. He presented the death as an accident discovered too late. Grandma Wang subsequently became colder toward him and made him kneel at his father’s grave during annual visits 88.

Nightmares of his father dragging him underwater left Sun Zhe unable to use his swimming skills reliably. During an attempt to overcome that fear, he nearly drowned and was rescued by Wei Zisu, who then patiently taught him to swim 5 88.

Gu Ziran’s rescue and Wei Zisu’s friendship

Before meeting Wei Zisu, Sun Zhe saved the fifteen-year-old Gu Ziran from being sold at a nightclub. Gu Ziran’s pleading eyes made a lasting impression on him. When Wei Zisu later rescued him, the resemblance between their eyes prompted Sun Zhe to search for Gu Ziran again 89 139 185.

Sun Zhe became close to Wei Zisu before Wei Zisu met Sun Liang. He privately called Wei Zisu his “teacher” and “lifesaving benefactor,” and maintained their friendship after Wei Zisu ended his engagement to Sun Liang 5.

Before that engagement began, Sun Zhe had already told Grandma Wang that he liked Wei Zisu. She rejected his pursuit, saying that neither brother deserved Wei Zisu but that Sun Liang, unlike Sun Zhe, would not do something utterly unforgivable 89.

Career sabotage and the stand-in

Sun Zhe secretly interfered with Wei Zisu’s productions, contributing to his declining popularity. He hoped that an unsuccessful actor with a broken engagement would finally be within his reach. When Grandma Wang still forbade him from pursuing Wei Zisu, he planned further damage to Wei Zisu’s career and future relationships 89.

Meanwhile, he kept Gu Ziran at his private home in Golden Bay Waterside Pavilion and arranged repeated facial surgery to make him resemble Wei Zisu. He ordered Gu Ziran to grow a high ponytail after admiring Wei Zisu’s hairstyle on set, demanded that he use “Big Brother Sun,” and instructed him to erase any behavior inconsistent with being Wei Zisu’s stand-in 15 32.

Sun Zhe also forcibly marked Gu Ziran. The resulting dependence, combined with Gu Ziran’s limited understanding, made it difficult for Gu Ziran to distinguish his own wishes from needs imposed on his body 60 139.

Reality-show rivalry

After learning of Wei Zisu’s marriage, Sun Zhe advised him to “cut his losses” if the relationship proved unsuitable. An investigation into Yin Zhengchuan revealed that undermining him would be much harder than Sun Zhe had expected 31 61.

Sun Zhe and his fiancée, Xu Meng, temporarily joined Still in Love in place of Sun Liang and Yuan Zizhen. His hostility toward Yin Zhengchuan was immediate, and he privately resolved to prevent the married couple from becoming closer 72 73.

The appearance instead subjected him to public humiliation. Yin Zhengchuan repeatedly struck him during a blindfolded game, then dragged him along the ground in a strength contest until his shirt tore and his sweatpants slipped down. The incident became a trending video 77 78.

Disturbed by Wei Zisu’s greater concern for his husband, Sun Zhe ordered Liu Ze to let Eastern Wind Art pass review. Their conversation revealed that Sun Zhe had previously ordered every production involving Wei Zisu to be held up. He then angrily demanded that Sun Liang return to filming 78.

Exposure and loss of authority

Sun Liang investigated his brother’s hidden Omega, prompting Sun Zhe to move Gu Ziran to a secluded villa. Although Sun Zhe had originally intended to discard Gu Ziran once he obtained Wei Zisu, he found himself increasingly unwilling to part with him 94 95.

An amusement-park encounter brought Gu Ziran to Yin Zhengchuan and Wei Zisu’s attention. Sun Zhe tried to have the surveillance footage destroyed, but they obtained a copy showing his car taking Gu Ziran away. Sun Liang subsequently confronted him and summoned Grandma Wang 129 130.

At the villa, Sun Zhe admitted that he had arranged surgery to make Gu Ziran resemble Wei Zisu. Wei Zisu identified Gu Ziran from an old photograph, and a later test confirmed that they were biological brothers. Sun Zhe’s earlier certainty that they were unrelated had rested on their parents’ refusal to acknowledge Gu Ziran at the welfare institute 131 132 134.

Grandma Wang later secured Sun Zhe’s release on bail. Most family businesses passed to Sun Liang, leaving Sun Zhe with two small companies, and the Xu family ended his engagement. Wei Zisu agreed not to pursue him further only if he left Gu Ziran alone; Sun Zhe instead insisted that he would take Gu Ziran back 139.

Violence and the Kang alliance

Sun Zhe attempted to seize Gu Ziran, using pheromones to weaken him. When Yin Baozhu intervened, he shoved her into a wall and repeatedly kicked her as she clung to his leg. Fang Mian’s intervention forced him to flee. Gu Ziran gave a police statement and subsequently underwent removal of Sun Zhe’s mark 144 145 146.

While hiding under the identity “Mr. Jin,” Sun Zhe recruited Yuan Zizhen into a scheme against Yin Corporation. He offered to use allies on the Sun family board to strip Sun Liang of power and transfer shares to Yuan. His stated aim was to destroy the Yin family and Wei Zisu, leaving the brothers with nowhere to turn but him 167.

Sun Zhe later fought Wei Zisu and ordered accomplices to abduct him, but fled when police approached. During their confrontation, he realized that Gu Ziran had attracted him before Wei Zisu did—and that the person he had treated as a substitute had entered his heart first 185.

The police upgraded his wanted notice from Class B to Class A. His scheme with Yuan Zizhen involved exploiting prepared-meal deaths and using Kang Corporation to shift blame onto Yin Corporation. After the plan faltered, Yuan led police to his basement meeting place, but Sun Zhe had already fled to Shandong 187 190 191.

Final abduction

Sun Zhe abducted a drugged Gu Ziran and discarded his tracking watch. He planned to take him to the United States, have children with him, and mark him again to make him dependent. Gu Ziran refused, explicitly rejecting the claim that he owed Sun Zhe a relationship for saving his life 194.

Before Sun Zhe could carry out the assault, Yin Zhengchuan and Fang Mian reached the basement. Fang Mian carried Gu Ziran to safety while Yin Zhengchuan remained behind with Sun Zhe. Police arrived to find Sun Zhe bloodied on the floor; Yin Zhengchuan confirmed that he was not dead 195 196.

Abilities & Skills

Sanda and physical strength

Sun Zhe has practiced sanda for years and can fight back effectively against Wei Zisu 185.

• Uses his size and Alpha strength to counter attacks rather than being overwhelmed immediately 185.
• Is substantially weaker than Yin Zhengchuan in their televised strength contest 77 78.

Alpha pheromones and marking

Sun Zhe uses pheromonal suppression and marking to control Gu Ziran 60 130 144.

• His suppression can leave Gu Ziran weak-legged and struggling to breathe 144.
• His mark creates bodily dependence, which he interprets as emotional attachment 60 61.
• Removal of the mark does not end his pursuit; he plans to mark Gu Ziran again 146 173 194.

Business influence and manipulation

Sun Zhe’s investments and contacts allow him to interfere with entertainment work and corporate affairs 15 78 167.

• Uses Liu Ze to delay or release Wei Zisu’s productions 78.
• Retains allies with substantial board shares even after losing most of his formal authority 139 167.
• Recruits Yuan Zizhen by exploiting his fears about marriage, inheritance, and financial dependence 167.

Swimming

Wei Zisu teaches Sun Zhe to swim after rescuing him from a pool 5.

• His main limitation is psychological: memories of his father’s drowning trigger panic and prevent him from using previously learned skills 88.

Relationships

• Gu Ziran — Initially rescued by Sun Zhe, then confined, abused, forcibly marked, and surgically altered into Wei Zisu’s stand-in. Gu Ziran eventually rejects him and returns to his family 32 139 194.
• Wei Zisu — Lifesaver, swimming teacher, and former friend. Sun Zhe secretly sabotages his career while pursuing him; their relationship becomes openly hostile after Gu Ziran’s abuse is exposed 5 89 132 185.
• Sun Liang — Younger paternal half-brother and longstanding rival. Sun Liang investigates Sun Zhe’s secret home and helps expose his treatment of Gu Ziran 72 94 130.
• Grandma Wang — Grandmother and senior family authority. She forbids his pursuit of Wei Zisu, later obtains bail for him, and unsuccessfully urges him to leave Gu Ziran alone 15 139.
• Sun Mingchang — Father. His favoritism toward Sun Liang deepens Sun Zhe’s resentment; Sun Zhe deliberately withholds help when he drowns 88.
• Xu Meng — Former fiancée. Their engagement was arranged to satisfy their elders and government regulations, with both agreeing to independent private lives 72 151.
• Yin Zhengchuan — Romantic rival turned active opponent. Protects Wei Zisu and Gu Ziran, helps pursue Sun Zhe, and confronts him during Gu Ziran’s rescue 61 72 195 196.
• Yuan Zizhen — Temporary conspirator recruited with promises of corporate power; later guides police to Sun Zhe’s meeting place 167 190.
• Yin Baozhu — Gu Ziran’s protector, whom Sun Zhe seriously injures during his failed abduction attempt 144 145.

Notable Quotes

“Zisu, even if we can't be family, I hope you'll always think of me as your big brother. Whatever happens, as long as you ask, I'll help you.” 5

“Since you're his stand-in, you need to act more like him.” 32

“So you can't reject me. You can only be with me. This is what you owe me!” 194