Ji Dongsheng

Biodata

Background / History

Family and Inheritance

Ji Dongsheng is the eldest of the Ji patriarch’s three sons. Because he preferred a leisurely life to running the family business, the elders bypassed him and entrusted the company and family fortune to his capable son, Ji Shang. Dongsheng retained shares and received substantial annual dividends 3 8.

His marriage to Ji Shang’s mother was arranged to serve the family’s interests. After their divorce, Ji Shang remained with Dongsheng, who left the boy’s upbringing and education to his grandfather because he did not know how to comfort him 70 92.

Dongsheng adopted An Yubei and later arranged his engagement to Ji Shang after being struck by his good looks. Unlike the reserved Ji Shang, An Yubei gave him the affectionate dependence he had wanted to experience as a father 1 18.

Wang Yang’s Betrayal

Dongsheng married Wang Yang, a twenty-year-old former model, despite opposition from Ji Shang and the rest of the family. His resentment at being lectured by his son strengthened his determination to marry her. He also moved out to escape Ji Shang’s strict household rules 3 14 15.

After gaining the ability to hear An Yubei’s thoughts, Dongsheng learned that Wang Yang was pregnant with another man’s child. An Yubei’s knowledge of the original novel also revealed a planned illegal-fundraising scheme: Wang Yang and her lover would flee abroad with the money, leaving Dongsheng to be imprisoned as the company’s legal representative. This was a threatened outcome from the original plot, not his eventual fate 2 3.

Dongsheng hired a private investigator, obtained legal assistance, and secured a prenatal paternity test. He returned to the family home and gave An Yubei all his Ji Group shares—a ten-percent holding—with Ji Shang’s agreement 15 16 17.

When Wang Yang refused his proposed five-million settlement and demanded half his assets and the villa, Dongsheng confronted her with evidence of her affair with Xiao He and their fundraising scheme. He withdrew his conciliatory approach and warned that neither conspirator would escape the consequences 16 17.

Life with An Yubei and Ji Shang

Following the confrontation, Dongsheng spoiled An Yubei with luxury shopping and took him out for malatang. He then brought him to a bar, where An Yubei became drunk. Distracted by a friend, Dongsheng lost track of him and later panicked when he could not reach him by phone 17 18 22.

Ji Shang punished Dongsheng for endangering An Yubei. Dongsheng’s protests increased the grounding from one week to two, but An Yubei persuaded Ji Shang to reduce it to three days 23.

Later, when Ji Shang sought his help after upsetting An Yubei, Dongsheng instead lied to both of them. Hoping to take An Yubei away from Ji Shang’s restrictive household, he falsely claimed that each wanted to separate from the other. An Yubei’s eventual reconciliation with Ji Shang exposed the deception 30 31 32.

Ji Shang froze Dongsheng’s bank account in retaliation. Dongsheng borrowed Lao Wang’s bank card and left to lie low, promising to return when An Yubei started university 34.

University and Matchmaking

Dongsheng returned before the start of university with gifts and supplies. Among the items he packed without An Yubei’s knowledge were a thousand condoms and intimate toys, which he regarded as preparation for university life. He later admitted responsibility and gave An Yubei unsolicited sex advice 50 86.

He accompanied An Yubei to A University and joined Ji Shang in trying to persuade him to live in their courtyard house rather than the dormitory. Ji Shang offered to unfreeze Dongsheng’s assets if he succeeded in convincing An Yubei to move off campus 54 55.

Although Dongsheng told An Yubei he could marry for love rather than family advantage, he reacted badly after hearing that An Yubei liked men. Ignoring Lao Wang’s advice not to interfere, he decided to find him a girlfriend. He subsequently sent Ji Shang a photograph of An Yubei talking with a girl at what Ji Shang believed was a blind date, prompting the confrontation that led to Ji Shang and An Yubei’s mutual confession 70 73.

Lao Wang and the Final Family Conflict

Lao Wang resigned after Dongsheng discussed another prospective marriage, confessing that he had loved Dongsheng since childhood. Dongsheng initially failed to understand his departure, then became miserable without him and jealous of a man appearing in Lao Wang’s travel photographs. Encouraged by An Yubei, he began recognizing his own feelings 91.

Before he could share that realization, Dongsheng discovered Ji Shang and An Yubei’s intimate relationship. He attacked Ji Shang with a golf club, accused him of pursuing An Yubei for his shares, and took An Yubei to his courtyard house. His objection centered on his belief that Ji Shang was too cold and unfeeling to love An Yubei sincerely 91 92.

Dongsheng tested Ji Shang’s sincerity with a document that would leave him without the family fortune. Ji Shang signed without hesitation and pointed out that he had already built a successful business independently. Dongsheng left after failing to separate them 93.

He subsequently flew abroad to pursue Lao Wang, remaining away even over the New Year. Unlike his previous courtships, money alone could not win Lao Wang over, forcing Dongsheng to make a sustained personal effort. By An Yubei’s graduation, the two were living happily together again 94 96.

Appearance

• Handsome despite his age: His face shows relatively little aging, and his attractiveness is described as roguish rather than Ji Shang’s cold, distant beauty 16.
• Nearsighted: He struggles to distinguish everyday objects clearly, allowing Ji Shang to pass off star anise as a piece of meat at dinner 15.
• Carefully maintained appearance: He usually takes good care of himself, though lifting An Yubei still strains his back 50.

Personality

Dongsheng openly values comfort, freedom, and leisure over professional ambition. He considers collecting dividends preferable to managing a company and sees nothing wrong with living as a “happy salted fish.” Raised in luxury, he can be particular about food and service, but readily embraces unfamiliar pleasures when he enjoys them, as shown by his enthusiasm for malatang 3 17 54.

He is affectionate and extravagantly generous toward An Yubei, often competing with Ji Shang for his attention. That attachment can become possessive: he exploits An Yubei’s fear of abandonment to try to move away with him, and later refuses to hear explanations about his relationship with Ji Shang 17 30 31 92.

Despite presenting himself as an experienced romantic, Dongsheng is susceptible to flattery and has repeatedly mistaken interest in his wealth for love. He eventually admits that a life largely arranged by others left him uncertain of what he wanted. Lao Wang’s departure forces him to distinguish the companionship he had taken for granted from the affection he had tried to purchase 3 70 91 94.

Abilities & Skills

Mind Reading

Dongsheng can hear An Yubei’s unspoken thoughts, first recognizing the phenomenon when An Yubei’s lips remain still 2.

• Learns about Wang Yang’s affair and planned financial betrayal through An Yubei’s thoughts 3.
• Responds to unspoken preferences, such as An Yubei’s desire to stop shopping and eat malatang 17.
• Discovers An Yubei’s attraction to men through an internal admission rather than a spoken confession 70.
• Hearing thoughts does not guarantee understanding: he initially interprets An Yubei’s distress about Ji Shang’s supposed marriage as reluctance to share his affection 69.

Social Skills and Investigation

Dongsheng’s dislike of corporate management does not prevent him from being socially capable or taking practical action 17 18.

• His ease in social settings leads An Yubei to reconsider the original novel’s portrayal of him as lacking ability 18.
• Discusses a joint investment opportunity with a friend 18.
• Hires investigators and lawyers and gathers evidence before confronting Wang Yang 16 17.
• Can coax others into helping him, though his schemes sometimes backfire—most notably when Ji Shang freezes his account 30 34.

Relationships

• An Yubei — Adoptive son and the recipient of his ten-percent Ji Group holding. Dongsheng treasures being needed by him, while An Yubei helps him recognize his feelings for Lao Wang 15 18 91.
• Ji Shang — Son. Their relationship frequently reverses the expected parental hierarchy: Ji Shang imposes rules, grounds Dongsheng, and freezes his account. Dongsheng nevertheless comes to acknowledge both his concern and his independent business achievements 16 23 34 93.
• Lao Wang — Childhood friend, family butler, and eventual partner. Their habitual bickering conceals Lao Wang’s longstanding love; his resignation finally makes Dongsheng confront his own attachment 31 91 94 96.
• Wang Yang — Young wife from whom he seeks divorce after uncovering her affair and scheme to make him bear responsibility for illegal fundraising 3 16 17.
• Ji Shang’s mother — Former wife. Their marriage served family interests, and Ji Shang stayed with Dongsheng after they divorced 70 92.
• Ji family patriarch — Father. He bypassed Dongsheng in choosing an heir and later took responsibility for Ji Shang’s upbringing 8 92.

Notable Quotes

“What’s wrong with being a happy salted fish? Who says people have to work hard?” 3

“Leave this sort of thing to Dad. You can just watch the show, Xiao Bei.” 16

“My whole life was arranged for me, and when the day finally came that I could decide for myself, I didn’t know what I wanted.” 91

Trivia

• He repeatedly considers buying Lao Wang another watch whenever he needs to appease him 50 54 70.
• After criticizing Lao Wang’s burnt fried egg, he begins requesting burnt eggs once Lao Wang has left 54 91.
• Lao Wang uses Dongsheng’s birthday as his bank-card PIN 34.
• He gives An Yubei the bunny outfit featured in the novel’s ending 96.