Zhou Siyu
A Day as an Extra on a Dating Show
Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Zhou Siyu (周思羽) |
| Alias(es) | Xiao Yu; Assistant Zhou 12 41 99 |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Xie Zhengci’s company; dating-show cast 26 30 |
| Occupation/Role | Assistant/secretary to Xie Zhengci; dating-show contestant 26 53 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 5 5 |
Background / History
Zhou Siyu worked as one of Xie Zhengci’s assistants before joining the dating show. His demanding work schedule left him little opportunity to travel: although Summer City was on the coast, he had never visited its beach for recreation. To participate in the show, he requested a month’s leave and permission to work from home 12 30. By the later part of filming, he had stopped handling work, leaving him concerned about the increased burden on Xie Zhengci and the remaining assistant 86.
He privately liked Xie Zhengci, but an encounter with a woman identifying herself as Xie’s fiancée frightened him away from pursuing those feelings. She slapped him, insulted his position as a secretary, and told him that Xie’s marriage would be a family alliance rather than his own choice. Zhou Siyu later remembered the incident as having destroyed his courage to hope for a relationship 41 53.
He had also experienced class-based humiliation at a jewelry exhibition, where a wealthy man’s son treated him rudely after an accidental collision. Ji Chi’s contemptuous behavior during their beach date reminded him of that encounter 13.
Appearance
- Beautiful, gentle-looking features: Wen He compares his appearance in the sunset to an angel, while livestream viewers praise his beauty and gentle impression 6.
- Expressive eyes: His eyes appear bright and star-filled when he excitedly invites Wen He onto the rapids ride 22.
- Visible blushing when flustered: He becomes deeply flushed during Xie Zhengci’s romantic questioning and their later biscuit challenge 31 93.
Personality
Zhou Siyu is warm, playful, and attentive to others’ comfort. He offers Wen He juice to discourage him from drinking too much fruit wine, helps Jiang Ye prepare breakfast rather than leaving him to do everything, and uses hydrating mist to soothe Wen He’s irritated neck 8 11 44. His uninhibited laughter cheers Wen He up at the amusement park, where his excitement about the rapids ride draws Wen He into joining him 22.
His ease with friends contrasts with his nervousness around Xie Zhengci. He struggles to stop addressing him as “boss,” feels constrained by an elaborate restaurant date, and repeatedly tries to distance himself despite his lingering affection 26 30 41. Eventually, he becomes direct about what he wants: a relationship with the possibility of marriage, backed by a concrete commitment rather than indefinite uncertainty 99 100.
Story Role / Major Arcs
Arrival and the Dream Connection
- Recognition on arrival: Wen He recognizes Zhou Siyu from his dream and immediately questions whether the dream was real. Ji Chi likewise associates Zhou Siyu with a dream in which he pursued him unsuccessfully 5.
- Dream pairing: Ji Chi later recalls that Xie Zhengci and Zhou Siyu were paired in his dream. Their real interactions become the livestream he watches while trying to learn how dating works 30.
- Initial votes: Zhou Siyu receives medals from Wen He and Ji Chi, while his own vote goes to Jiang Ye. None of the contestants forms a mutual match 12.
The Failed Beach Date
Zhou Siyu chooses the beach hoping for a rare opportunity to relax, but the lottery pairs him with Ji Chi. Ji Chi walks ahead without making conversation, leaving Zhou Siyu struggling to keep up. At a café, Ji Chi pays for coffee and desserts, then leaves him to eat alone; on briefly returning, he silently calls Zhou Siyu “useless” 12 13.
When he returns to the house, Zhou Siyu describes the outing as a solitary walk rather than a date. He later receives a letter containing “fw,” suspects Ji Chi wrote it as a provocation, and resolves to avoid him 16 24.
Xie Zhengci’s Pursuit
| Event | Development |
|---|---|
| Arrival at the house | Xie Zhengci openly asks whether Zhou Siyu is still avoiding him. Zhou Siyu’s response—“Boss”—reveals their existing professional relationship to the other guests 26. |
| Restaurant date | Xie Zhengci says he joined the show because Zhou Siyu was participating. The admission startles Zhou Siyu into choking on his food 30. |
| Discussion of his ideal partner | Zhou Siyu describes wanting someone mature and caring, but also sunny, energetic, and youthful. He defends Jiang Ye when Xie questions whether Jiang fits that description 31. |
| Lemon candies | Xie offers candies he began carrying after learning about Zhou Siyu’s severe carsickness. The gesture moves Zhou Siyu, although he still wants to keep his distance 41. |
| Yacht-date competition | Paired with Wei Xun, Zhou Siyu reaches the final round but loses to Xie Zhengci and Wen He. He mistakes Xie’s determination to win for enthusiasm about dating Wen He; Xie actually wants to prevent Zhou Siyu from sharing a room with Wei Xun 44 46. |
| Jealousy and withdrawal | Zhou Siyu cuts his finger while distracted by Wen He’s departure with Xie, secretly watches their livestream, and avoids Xie after his return. Memories of the fiancée’s attack explain his fear of becoming involved 48 52 53. |
| Biscuit challenge | After a tense exchange, Zhou Siyu completes a shared biscuit task with Xie. He blushes and breaks the biscuit when Jiang Yu interrupts their near-contact 93. |
| Choosing a date | Despite his hesitation, Zhou Siyu takes his invitation card to Xie Zhengci’s room. He chooses a lakeside setting with boxed meals rather than another elaborate restaurant 98 99 101. |
| Demanding a commitment | Zhou Siyu asks whether Xie can offer him marriage. When Xie hesitates because of his father and family obligations, Zhou Siyu says he will resign after the show 99 100. |
| One-year agreement | Xie asks him to wait one year while he resolves his family affairs, and Zhou Siyu agrees. Their subsequent date is noticeably more relaxed, and Zhou Siyu later decisively chooses Xie again 100 101 111. |
Group Activities and Friendships
- Amusement park: Invites Wen He onto the rapids, where they scream and laugh together 22.
- Forest game: Initially partners with Ji Chi, then allies with Wen He and Zhang Shengsheng after Ji Chi is eliminated. Yun Li and Jiang Yu ambush all three while they are resting and eating cookies 64 66.
- Camping: Helps assemble tents, moves his sleeping bag into Wen He’s tent, and asks to sleep with Wen He and Zhang Shengsheng 71.
- Saint Ma Island: He and Jiang Yu receive the first treasure-hunt clue after their photos earn the most praise. During a later game, Zhou Siyu ambushes Ji Chi, triggering the elimination of Ji Chi and Wen He 92 95.
- End-of-show contact exchange: Exchanges WeChat details with Wen He and joins the friends’ private group, agreeing that a larger group including Xie Zhengci and the others can be created later 121.
Relationships
- Xie Zhengci — His boss and eventual romantic partner. Their mutual attraction is complicated by workplace habits, the fiancée’s intimidation, and Xie’s lack of control over his marriage. Zhou Siyu agrees to give him one year to resolve the family situation; no completed marriage is documented in the provided chapters 26 53 99 100.
- Wen He — A close friend and source of comfort. Zhou Siyu cheers him up, looks after him during activities, and leans on him after returning tipsy from a date. He also places a Heart-Flutter Medal in Wen He’s mailbox 22 24 33 44.
- Jiang Ye — His initial romantic interest on the show. Zhou Siyu admires his gentleness, cooking, and enthusiasm for life, votes for him, and deliberately seeks opportunities to sit closer to him 11 12 17 31.
- Ji Chi — An uncomfortable date partner whose open contempt makes Zhou Siyu feel humiliated. Zhou Siyu chooses avoidance rather than confrontation after their beach outing and the suspected insulting letter 13 16 24.
- Wei Xun — A considerate teammate during the yacht-date competition. He notices Zhou Siyu’s low mood and later bandages his cut finger 44 48.
- Jiang Yu and Zhang Shengsheng — Friends with whom he watches television, plays games, and socializes. Near the show’s end, they share a private WeChat group with Wen He 33 66 119 121.
Habits and Preferences
- Simple dates: Prefers relaxed, unpretentious outings to elaborate romantic settings; the upscale restaurant makes him feel stiff and tense 30.
- Morning coffee: Usually skips breakfast and makes coffee to wake himself up. Earlier, he asks for sugar when Jiang Ye serves him unsweetened coffee 11 116.
- Severe carsickness: Has sometimes secretly vomited during work trips. An open-window bus feels more comfortable to him than an enclosed, air-conditioned car 41.
- First bouquet: The flowers Xie brings to their lakeside date are the first bouquet Zhou Siyu has ever received 99.