Zhou Jin

Biodata

Background / History

Zhou Jin debuted two years before his introduction. His early work consisted mainly of serious dramas, after which he branched into xianxia, fantasy, and crime-investigation productions. A recent hit drama brought him a large following for his portrayal of an unhinged, mercurial villain. Before Ye Qingzhou joined Let's Fall in Love, Zhou Jin was the biggest star among its guests 4.

Following the success of his suspense drama, his company sought more scripts with strong reputations and selected Reign. Zhou Jin joined the cast as Xiao Ziyun, the second prince, opposite Ye Qingzhou’s male lead, Xiao Zisu 107.

Known Screen Work

Appearance

• Face: Well-proportioned features with a dignified, rugged look; viewers describe him as having “a face made for serious dramas” 4.
• Build: Muscular from regular gym training and year-round exercise 13 15.
• Hair and complexion: Black hair and a fair forehead 31.
• Second-episode styling: Wears a short, misty-blue wig and black baseball cap. He chooses this look rather than women’s clothing because he does not want to compete with Ye Qingzhou’s striking transformation 74.

Personality

Zhou Jin is competitive and interested in the career opportunities offered by variety shows. As Let's Fall in Love gains attention, he tries to overturn Ye Qingzhou and Chu Ci’s lead to gain exposure and fans. He is willing to form alliances and launch surprise attacks, but initially proposes a one-on-one duel with Chu Ci because he does not want to outnumber him 13 23 28.

He is generally patient with his teammates. He brushes off Li Muting’s harsh tone, carries her when she cannot continue running, and later accepts her apology without holding the incident against her 28 30 56.

His composure is tested by embarrassment and defeat. After the Exchange Card reversal, he restrains his anger in front of the cameras and accepts the outcome, though his frustration remains obvious. He also has a playful vanity: when trying to conceal his identity as a waiter, he praises “Zhou Jin” so extravagantly that he embarrasses himself 31 83.

Abilities & Skills

Acting

• Wins fans through his performance as an unstable villain in a successful drama 4.
• Works across serious drama, xianxia, fantasy, and crime-investigation genres 4.
• Earns further recognition for his acting in a successful suspense drama before joining Reign 107.

General Knowledge

• Scored 560 on his college entrance examination 4.
• Answers three of five questions correctly in the show’s opening quiz, including naming the Four Paragons of the Early Tang 4.
• Recalls three of the Four Great Folk Legends but cannot remember The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl 4.

Physical Fitness

• Runs every morning, sometimes with weights, and regularly trains at the gym 13 30.
• Carries Li Muting on his back for the remaining journey to the task point when she becomes exhausted 30.
• Runs fast enough that production staff cannot catch him to explain the Exchange Card’s second activation 30 31.

Variety-Show Strategy

• Recognizes that Chu Ci’s willingness to surrender his hat may conceal a trap 14.
• Obtains the names of the production team’s four skill-card types from staff and infers their basic functions 27.
• Correctly deduces that Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou hold an Exchange Card by considering how they would behave with other cards 27.
• Fails to anticipate that the Exchange Card can be used twice; his correct deduction therefore leads him into another trap 29 31.
• Uses his variety-show experience to identify the next episode’s hidden fruit charges 65.

Story Role / Major Arcs

First Episode: Partnering with Li Muting

Zhou Jin chooses Li Muting as his partner because they share a company and their manager has asked him to look after her. They draw the easy task, requiring them to earn 200 yuan, compared with Ye Qingzhou and Chu Ci’s 500-yuan target 9.

Follow-Up Livestream

During a later video-call livestream, Zhou Jin says he had expected the Exchange Card to work only once, like the preceding cards. He diplomatically calls the production team “inventive.” Viewers largely sympathize with his loss, and he accepts Li Muting’s apology for her behavior during filming 56.

Second Episode: Partnering with Ji Sisi

Zhou Jin returns alongside Ye Qingzhou and Chu Ci. Before filming officially begins, he guesses that the fruit offered by the production team must be paid for and promises to keep the hidden task secret. He later draws a short stick and becomes Ji Sisi’s partner 65 67 68.

The pair find restaurant work paying 50 yuan per hour each, helped by Ji Sisi’s signed photograph. After three hours of waiting tables, Zhou Jin encounters Chen Mu, Yang Zhouzhou, Chu Ci, and Ye Qingzhou dining there. He initially denies his identity, only to discover that the other two teams have already earned enough money 83.

After learning about their admission-ticket and paid-photo approach, he accepts Chen Mu’s invitation to eat and asks to bring Ji Sisi, who also has not eaten 83 84.

Relationships

• Li Muting — Company colleague and first-episode partner. He looks after her at their manager’s request, tolerates her impatience, and carries her during their final sprint 9 28 30.
• Zhou Ze — Friend outside work and temporary rival-team ally. Their friendship allows Zhou Ze to tease him openly about his failed race to victory 23 32.
• Chu Ci — Variety-show competitor and later Reign castmate. Chu Ci repeatedly outmaneuvers him with skill cards and teases him after the first episode’s reversal 14 29 31 107.
• Ye Qingzhou — Competitor whom Zhou Jin respects greatly. Ye Qingzhou dismantles his alliance and later returns his team’s remaining money 23 31.
• Ji Sisi — Second-episode partner and fellow Reign cast member. They work together as restaurant waiters 68 83 107.
• Chen Mu — Fellow guest who recognizes him despite his waiter disguise, teases his self-praise, and invites him and Ji Sisi to eat 83 84.

Notable Quotes

“This is actually a gamble. If we win the bet, we can turn defeat into victory and win today. If we lose, it’s only fifty yuan...” 27

“You must have the wrong person. Isn’t Zhou Jin that big star with great character, great acting skills, and great values? How could he possibly be serving food here...” 83