Pei Bai

Biodata

Background / History

Family and Financial Decline

Pei Bai came from a formerly wealthy family. Its decline was publicly attributed to an economic downturn, but Chang Yu’s investigation identified management’s diversion of money into extravagant personal pleasures as the principal cause 112.

According to Pei Bai’s former pug, his father concealed several hundred million in outstanding bank debt after his company went bankrupt and secretly established an entertainment business catering to men. The pug also revealed that Pei Bai’s parents had divorced long before, without Pei Bai knowing 115 116.

University Years

Pei Bai was a popular campus heartthrob. During university, Yan Junye sought psychological counseling from him about his family-related distress. Yan Junye later judged the session ineffective and credited his own study of psychology—not Pei Bai—with helping him recover 103 138.

Afterward, Pei Bai continued showing interest in Yan Junye. Yan Junye distanced himself to avoid becoming a subject of gossip and later concluded that Pei Bai had probably liked him. Despite rumors that Pei Bai had pursued him, Yan Junye stated that Pei Bai had never confessed 97 103.

Pei Bai also cultivated sexual rumors about a female student after the two attended a guesthouse gathering. When friends asked whether they had slept together, his bashful smile encouraged them to believe they had. The student subsequently left university after reportedly developing depression 116.

That student was later revealed to be You Hanliu. When she had asked Pei Bai to clear her name, he staged a livestreamed denial whose insinuating delivery reinforced the rumors instead. She recognized that he was deliberately directing public opinion against her 117 118.

Appearance

• Handsome: Yan Junye continued to acknowledge Pei Bai’s good looks even while condemning his counseling ability and conduct 138.
• Former campus heartthrob: His popularity and admired image contributed to You Hanliu initially viewing him through “rose-tinted glasses” 103 108.

Personality

Pei Bai is calculating and concerned with maintaining an advantageous public image. He uses insinuation rather than direct statements when it suits him, allowing a smile or apparently reassuring denial to spread damaging assumptions. You Hanliu recalls that he showed no remorse and took pleasure in her helplessness 116 118.

He treats private information and personal relationships as leverage. He pressures Yan Junye by referring to confidential matters from their counseling session, then accuses You Hanliu and Kan Jia of an affair when they resist him. Yan Junye regards his willingness to expose a counseling client’s secret as a breach of basic professional ethics 100 103.

His claimed affection for animals is similarly performative. While publicly presenting himself as a repentant dog lover, he privately threatens Bubu and plans to abandon him after filming. When exposure threatens his freedom, his behavior escalates to an attempt to burn the club and its occupants 119 120 126 127.

Abilities & Skills

Rumor Manipulation

Pei Bai repeatedly uses sexual gossip to discredit You Hanliu and influence how others treat her 106 116 118.

• Encourages assumptions through calculated silence, facial expressions, and insinuating delivery 116 118.
• Pays another man to spread rumors about You Hanliu, then uses the damage to her reputation to negotiate marriage without a bride price 106 108.
• Attempts to discredit her supporters by claiming that Kan Jia seduced her 103.

Public-Image Management

Pei Bai uses livestreams and staged displays of concern to present himself favorably 118 120.

• Adopts a Labrador and participates in an animal-focused program as part of an attempted rehabilitation of his image 118.
• Displays dog food, bedding, and injured rescue dogs as evidence of his supposed compassion 120 122.
• Presents surveillance footage of Xiaotu scratching the Labrador to justify his attack, but loses control of the narrative when the dogs behave affectionately toward each other 121.

Psychological Counseling

• Counseled Yan Junye during university; the context does not establish his qualifications 138.
• Yan Junye considered the counseling ineffective and later rejected Pei Bai’s implication that he was responsible for his recovery 103 138.
• Subsequently used knowledge of Yan Junye’s private difficulties to pressure him 100 103.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Engagement to You Hanliu

Pei Bai reappears as You Hanliu’s boyfriend and insists on thanking Yan Junye and Kan Jia for helping her. During their dinner, Kan Jia confronts him over his deception, while Pei Bai maintains that You Hanliu is choosing to marry him willingly. He also pressures Yan Junye into attending by invoking their past counseling encounter 99 100.

When You Hanliu begins pursuing legal action against the rumor-spreader, Pei Bai arrives at Evergreen Company to confront her. He accuses Kan Jia of seducing his fiancée, but she rejects the accusation and refuses to abandon her lawsuit. Security removes him from the building 103.

Yan Junye subsequently learns that Pei Bai paid for the rumors himself. His scheme had led You Hanliu’s parents to approach him in a weakened bargaining position, allowing him to refuse any bride-price payment. After learning the truth, You Hanliu decides to sue Pei Bai as well; he responds by threatening her supporters 106 108.

Attack on Xiaotu

Pei Bai watches Chang Yu’s movements for several days and notices that Yan Junye has protection while the golden retriever does not. He personally attacks Xiaotu with a knife. The dog’s injury coincides with Yan Junye losing consciousness and returning to Xiaotu’s body 111 112 118 121.

After Pei Bai is caught, Chang Yu confronts him at the police station. Pei Bai calls the attack an “opening warning” and threatens further retaliation if they continue supporting You Hanliu. Chang Yu, who has already begun investigating the Pei family, makes clear that he intends to hold him accountable 112.

Livestreamed Dog Program

Amid reports about the attack, Pei Bai claims to have reformed and joins a livestreamed dog program. He adopts a Labrador he calls Bubu, unaware that the dog is Xiaotu’s devoted partner and has deliberately entered his household to retaliate. Bubu wrecks his home while timing the destruction to make an on-camera outburst risky for Pei Bai 118 119.

During filming, Pei Bai tries to justify stabbing Xiaotu by showing footage of the golden retriever scratching Bubu. Chang Yu challenges the disproportionate retaliation and points out that the Labrador was not Pei Bai’s dog when the incident occurred. Bubu undermines Pei Bai’s performance by openly showing affection toward Xiaotu 120 121.

Chang Yu also exposes an earlier incident in which Pei Bai ran over a dog, complained about damage to his luxury car, and gave the corpse to a cook. Under pressure from the other guests and livestream audience, Pei Bai reluctantly apologizes 122.

A retired search-and-rescue German shepherd then frightens him by jumping down around him without actually striking his body. Pei Bai remains on the ground until the dog threatens him with a paw, then requests a medical examination and refuses further filming 123 125.

Club Incident and Arrest

When Pei Bai learns that a police dog is heading to a members-only club formerly connected to his family, he calls his father for help concealing their past dealings. His father offers no solution. Pei Bai leaves Bubu behind and takes a taxi to the club ahead of the others 125 126.

At the club, Pei Bai warns patrons to evacuate and destroy evidence. The venue’s earlier accounts could expose the Pei family’s dealings with banks and senior executives. When persuasion fails, he reveals concealed flammable and explosive materials and threatens to burn everyone with him 127.

Yan Junye, the German shepherd, and the police Rottweiler stop him. Yan Junye bites his hand, the shepherd knocks him down, and the Rottweiler kicks away the lighter. Pei Bai sustains a mild concussion, and witnesses identify his actions as an attempt at arson and murder 127 128.

The subsequent investigation leads to Pei Bai’s arrest on an attempted-arson charge. His father is also arrested, facing charges including illegal fundraising, misappropriation of funds, and fraud 142.

Relationships

• Yan Junye — Former counseling client and university acquaintance. Pei Bai appears to have developed feelings for him, but later exploits his confidential disclosures and threatens those helping You Hanliu 100 103 138.
• You Hanliu — Former fiancée and repeated target of his sexual rumors. She is also the university student whose reputation he previously damaged, and she ultimately seeks both legal action and public exposure 103 108 117 118.
• Chang Yu — Adversary who investigates Pei Bai’s background, challenges his public claims, and helps expose the club’s connection to his family 112 121 127.
• Kan Jia — University acquaintance and You Hanliu’s counselor. Pei Bai accuses him of seducing her after he supports her efforts to defend herself 100 103.
• Pei Bai’s father — Concealed substantial debts and established the club linked to the family’s illegal financial dealings. He is arrested following the investigation into Pei Bai’s attempted arson 115 126 142.
• Bubu — Labrador Pei Bai adopts to repair his image. Pei Bai assumes the dog is loyal, unaware that Bubu is deliberately sabotaging his home to avenge Xiaotu 118 119.
• Former pug — Runs away from Pei Bai and later supplies Yan Junye with information about his family and history of spreading rumors 115 116.

Notable Quotes

“What happened this time was just an opening warning. If you keep helping You Hanliu slander me, there’ll be an even bigger gift waiting for you.” 112

“Please believe me, everyone. I truly recognize my mistake. Please give me another chance.” 120

“Burn to death and join me in the grave.” 127