Zhou Xuanze

Biodata

Background / History

Family and childhood

Zhou Xuanze is the neglected second son of Beicheng’s wealthy Zhou family. His parents’ connections with the Lu family brought him and Lu Junjia together as children, and he liked Lu Junjia for years. Despite his family background, Lu Junjia privately considers him a less advantageous match than Shi Yan 1 53 62 67.

Previous life: the marriage-alliance scheme

In Li Yi’s previous life, Zhou Xuanze deliberately approached him with the prospect of a marriage alliance. His actual partner was Lu Junjia: the two intended to obtain the Lu Group shares that Li Yi’s grandfather had left him. Zhou used his position as Li Yi’s fiancé to secure his trust and persuade him to become a company’s legal representative 1 4.

Zhou also sabotaged Li Yi’s education. After Li Yi scored 706 on the entrance examination, Zhou obtained his admission details and changed his university preferences to an agricultural university. He justified the change by claiming he wanted Li Yi to learn to design a living wall for their future home, then rented him an apartment near the university 4.

The company’s recurring problems left Li Yi facing public condemnation, possible imprisonment, and eventual expulsion after he missed too many classes. Zhou offered reassurance while continuing his relationship with Lu Junjia behind Li Yi’s back. When Lu Junjia offered help in exchange for the inherited shares, Li Yi surrendered them—only to discover Zhou and Lu Junjia kissing the following day 1 4.

The families subsequently announced Zhou’s engagement to Lu Junjia, revealing that their marriage alliance had been the intended arrangement all along. After Li Yi’s death, Zhou and Lu Junjia even argued out of jealousy at his funeral before Zhou comforted him 1 4.

Appearance

• Features: Sharply defined facial features and a ruggedly handsome appearance 114.
• Build: A solid chest, muscular arms, and long, powerful legs; his physique is notably larger than Li Xu’s 114 142.
• Yacht outfit: A white tank top and black shorts that emphasize his muscular build 114.
• Later changes: While dating Li Xu, his skin becomes fairer and smoother, his muscles soften, and his manner is described as less traditionally masculine. Unexplained whip marks, burns, and other injuries sometimes appear on his body 142.

Personality

Zhou is arrogant, possessive, and accustomed to receiving admiration. He grows bored with Li Yi’s obedience but becomes attracted to him again after his rebirth, interpreting rejection and hostility as calculated attempts to regain his attention. Even after Li Yi repeatedly ends their relationship, Zhou continues to assume that he will eventually return 9 10 34 97.

His treatment of Li Yi is deliberately exploitative. He discusses Li Yi’s inheritance as something the isolated young man cannot protect, dismisses him as unworthy of marriage, and boasts to friends about playing with his feelings. His jealousy intensifies when Li Yi becomes close to Shi Yan, whom he expects to abandon Li Yi eventually 10 26 33 41.

Zhou is also susceptible to flattery, apparent vulnerability, and romantic novelty. Li Xu’s attentiveness gradually turns him against Lu Junjia, although Lu Junjia’s tears can still soften him. The narration explicitly contrasts Zhou’s belief that he is gentle with his actual fickleness and willingness to entertain multiple romantic interests 114 128 129 131.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Li Yi rejects the engagement

After his rebirth, Li Yi refuses to sign Zhou’s contract and rejects any renewed engagement. Zhou initially treats the breakup as temporary, gives a perfunctory explanation for his involvement with Lu Junjia, and insists that business success must come before an engagement party. Li Yi collects 15,200 yuan from him without signing anything 1 2.

Zhou later visits the Lu home to apologize. Li Yi demands one million yuan as proof of sincerity, which Zhou transfers while assuming the demand is part of an elaborate reconciliation attempt. Li Yi’s continued indifference nevertheless begins to unsettle him 9.

Starlight Bar and the racing gathering

Zhou invites Li Yi to Song Tianyi’s birthday celebration at Starlight Bar, where his circle expects to ridicule Li Yi and assumes security will deny him entry. Li Yi instead obtains membership using Zhou’s money and Shi Yan’s membership information. At the party, he publicly reiterates that he and Zhou have broken up and orders an expensive bottle of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl 26 28.

At a later racing gathering, Zhou tries to discourage Li Yi from associating with Shi Yan by recounting allegations about Shi Yan’s violent family history. Li Yi says he already knows and openly declares that he likes Shi Yan. Zhou is left desolate when Li Yi walks away with Shi Yan and Peng Yuyan 33.

Zhou subsequently suffers injuries in a racing crash and receives treatment from Qi Feiyu. Lu Junjia accompanies him in the ambulance, while Zhou watches for Li Yi 36.

Failed university-application interference

Zhou becomes concerned that Li Yi might attend a university where he will be harder to control. Li Yi counters the familiar approach by claiming to have scored only 550 and sending an exam admission number that differs from his own by one digit 40.

In reality, Li Yi has ranked among Beicheng’s top five and already secured a place in Beiqing University’s artificial intelligence program. Zhou and Lu Junjia discover that he has guarded against their interference, but attribute his growing confidence to Shi Yan’s support 40 41.

The Black Pearl bill

Li Yi later lures Zhou back to Starlight Bar with a promised surprise. A QR code containing a Trojan erases their WeChat conversation, leaving Zhou unable to prove that Li Yi invited him. He instead finds Lu Chuzhou and several guests waiting in Room 288 77.

The gathering finishes the Black Pearl bottle previously charged to Zhou’s account. Its 1.35-million-yuan price, combined with private-room charges, exceeds his 1.5-million-yuan prepaid balance by 30,000 yuan. Zhou realizes the trap only when staff pursue him for the outstanding payment 78.

*Island Love*

Forest attacks and separation from Lu Junjia

During a nighttime outing, Zhou and Lu Junjia encounter hired thugs disguised as black bears. Both lose consciousness. The attackers beat Lu Junjia, strip and pose the pair together, and injure Zhou’s knuckles to suggest he caused Lu Junjia’s injuries. Zhou accepts that he might have struck Lu Junjia in his sleep and apologizes, unaware of the staging 127.

Li Xu subsequently confesses his feelings and offers the prospect of cooperation between the Li and Zhou corporations, saying it would improve Zhou’s standing within his family. Zhou agrees to consider him and increasingly favors him over Lu Junjia. He dismisses Lu Junjia’s warnings about Li Xu’s former relationships and asks the two to reconcile 128 129 130 131.

A note signed with Lu Junjia’s name later summons Zhou outside, where masked attackers beat him. He assumes Lu Junjia arranged the assault, although the provided account does not establish who commissioned it. Hospital examinations find superficial injuries without internal damage 132.

Zhou rejects Lu Junjia’s explanations. Li Xu then cares for him, strengthening their attachment. Zhou and Li Xu withdraw from the show and return to Beicheng, where Li Xu arranges his admission to a private hospital backed by the Li family 132 133.

Relationship with Li Xu

By Chapter 142, Zhou and Li Xu are officially dating. Zhou largely stays home, and most of their former friends show little interest in spending time with him. Alongside his altered appearance and unexplained injuries, the Zhou and Li corporations grow closer, with reports suggesting a possible marriage alliance 142.

Relationships

• Li Yi — Former fiancé in Li Yi’s previous life and the target of Zhou’s inheritance scheme. After rebirth, Li Yi rejects him; Zhou repeatedly mistakes that rejection for jealousy or romantic games 1 2 9 97.
• Lu Junjia — Childhood sweetheart, accomplice, and previous-life engagement partner. Their current-life relationship deteriorates as Zhou favors Li Xu and blames Lu Junjia for the nighttime assault 1 10 129 132.
• Li Xu — Admirer who becomes Zhou’s boyfriend. His flirtation, attentive care, and offer of corporate cooperation draw Zhou away from Lu Junjia 114 128 133 142.
• Shi Yan — Romantic rival and a member of a family that competes with the Zhou family. Zhou tries to separate him from Li Yi by invoking his reputation, without success 2 33 41.
• Song Tianyi — Friend whose birthday gathering provides the setting for Zhou’s planned humiliation of Li Yi 26.
• Lu Chuzhou — Lu Junjia’s brother; despite their poor personal relationship, they drink together during Li Yi’s Starlight Bar trap. Lu Chuzhou knows that Zhou’s involvement with Li Yi is motivated by the inherited shares 77 78.