Song Lan

Biodata

Background / History

Childhood abuse and the highway accident

Song Lan was once talkative, mischievous, and quick-witted. His behavior changed after spending several years in his mother's hometown, where she abused him while favoring his younger brother. His family learned only afterward that she had forced him to kneel naked in a snowy courtyard until midnight and deliberately frightened him with horror films 234.

At five, he was hit, excluded while his mother spent time with his brother, and locked away for three days. When she began treating him more kindly at nine, he became intensely grateful but feared that her affection would disappear 155.

At ten, Song Lan survived a highway collision that killed his mother and eight-year-old younger brother. His mother pushed him out of the car, leaving him beneath an approaching truck; the driver braked in time to spare him. Later revelations establish that she had intended to kill him and that the hired driver, the old tailor from Ju, had changed his mind 146 161 219.

Afterward, Song Lan blamed himself for their deaths. He avoided being touched because he believed he was a jinx who would cause others to die, suffered nightmares, and repeatedly wanted to end his life 230 234.

The boy by the river

While contemplating jumping into a river, Song Lan encountered a three- or four-year-old Jiang Mingxi crying for his mother. Afraid of frightening the child, he postponed his plan and gave him a pretty stone, calling it a star that would help him find his mother 225.

Their meetings gave Song Lan reasons to return. He once waited nine hours because they had arranged to meet without specifying a time. They exchanged stones and lollipops, and Jiang Mingxi kissed his cheek and called them both brave children 231.

When Jiang Mingxi stopped appearing, an orphanage teacher told Song Lan that the director had taken him to find his parents. In reality, Jiang Mingxi had been attacked and hospitalized. Believing the child no longer needed him, Song Lan returned to suicidal thoughts; subsequent crises and recovery left him without memories of their meetings 219 234.

Reunion during high school

The two met again while Song Lan attended Mingde High School. Jiang Mingxi recognized him near the school gates, and they comforted each other in an alley over their longing for their mothers. Song Lan offered to be Jiang Mingxi's “mommy” if he could not find his own 219 238 239.

Jiang Mingxi began visiting the school to watch Song Lan play ball and attend classes. Song Lan gave him many of the objects he later kept in his treasure chest, providing the affection and small comforts Song Lan himself had lacked 219.

Their last remembered outing was a meal before Jiang Mingxi was adopted and taken away. His disappearance triggered further episodes for Song Lan, who eventually lost his memories of their high-school reunion. Although he later remembered their childhood encounters, he did not connect that child with the adult Jiang Mingxi 240.

Appearance

• Striking looks: His appearance draws immediate praise from livestream viewers and is a major part of Jiang Mingxi's initial attraction 3 77.
• Distant expression: Even when smiling politely, he can seem difficult to approach; his habitual expression is cool and restrained 3 28.
• Usual wardrobe: Favors formal clothing, mostly in dark colors, though he also appears in casual sportswear 3 152.
• Courtship makeover: After agreeing to start over with Jiang Mingxi, he adopts styled hair, cologne, a partly unbuttoned matte-white shirt, and loose jeans 152.
• Physique: Has defined abdominal muscles, which he awkwardly advertises while trying to attract Jiang Mingxi 99.

Personality

Song Lan is reserved, blunt, and often cutting. At the beginning of Survival Challenge, he announces that he is uninterested in dating and warns others not to use him for publicity. He refuses Jiang Mingle's attempts at intimacy and declines to become involved in his complaints about Jiang Mingxi 6 11 12.

His aloofness coexists with a strong willingness to defend someone being treated unfairly. He challenges a staff member's false accusation against Jiang Mingxi and later publicly identifies the flaws in Su Hui's treatment of him 9 57.

Romance exposes his inexperience. Falling in love for the first time at twenty-nine, he struggles to initiate conversation, recognize openings for affection, and reassure Jiang Mingxi. His attempts at praise become so mechanical that Jiang Mingxi tells him to speak normally 67 95 96 103.

Song Lan's jealousy is tied to insecurity about why he is loved. He worries that Jiang Mingxi values only his looks and might leave for someone more attractive. After his accusations hurt Jiang Mingxi, he acknowledges this fear and begins focusing on caring for him rather than questioning his affection 143 145 146.

With Jiang Mingxi, he becomes openly affectionate and reluctant to separate. His later growth includes admitting fault, learning practical ways to show care, and recognizing when intimacy is being used to avoid painful memories 124 127 152 186.

Abilities & Skills

Acting

An established actor referred to as “Best Actor Song,” Song Lan can convey a character's bearing through controlled gestures and expression 58 99.

• Portrays a Republican-era banker convincingly during a tourism promotional shoot 58.
• Uses his acting experience to disguise an uncomfortable step backward as an ordinary movement 41.
• His concentration can falter when jealousy distracts him, as it does when Jiang Mingxi speaks closely with Zhao Jiayuan 58.

Outdoor and Practical Skills

• Efficiently cleans a wild chicken for the group's meal 93.
• Catches six fish while Jiang Mingxi ties the catch together 106.
• Collects suitably sized logs and helps construct a tent support 103.
• Has experience staying outdoors with a production crew 103.

Caregiving and Cooking

• Applies ointment to Jiang Mingxi's chafed shoulder and disinfects his injured knee 10 23.
• Learns to make egg-stuffed pancakes specifically for Jiang Mingxi, hiring a teacher after studying the flavor of Su Ji's version; the pancake he presents is his third attempt 152.
• Follows Gu Yanchu's advice about emotional triggers, stopping an intimate encounter when he realizes Jiang Mingxi is trying to escape distressing memories 186.

Physical Intervention

• Uses a backward elbow strike to escape Qianqian's boyfriend while Chen Chong restrains the harasser 43.
• Carries Bai Zheming one hundred meters in under a minute during a show task 171.
• Intervenes against a knife-wielding woman, knocking her down and disarming her 211.

Equipment / Items

• Keepsake stones — Exchanges “stars” with the young Jiang Mingxi, including a stone Jiang Mingxi retrieves from dog feces and presents as companionship for him 225.
• Lollipops — Part of his childhood meetings with Jiang Mingxi; he preserves one among his keepsakes 225 231.
• Toy car and Double Star sneaker box — Stored with treasured possessions in a display cabinet at Grandpa Song's home 224.
• Dating manuals — Consults One Hundred Step-by-Step Lessons in Dating, How to Pursue a Pretty Boy, and The Self-Cultivation of a Good Man while preparing to court Jiang Mingxi again 152.

Relationships

• Jiang Mingxi — Childhood companion and eventual romantic partner. Their adult romance begins before either fully understands their earlier connections; Jiang Mingxi later introduces Song Lan to his reunited family as someone he loves 219 216 240.
• Old Master Song — Grandfather who watches over him during his childhood crises and later welcomes Jiang Mingxi warmly. Advises Song Lan to stop questioning why he is loved and concentrate on loving well 146 224 231.
• Song Bai — Older brother who helps care for him after the accident. Deeply regrets failing to discover their mother's abuse earlier and later vouches for Song Lan's devotion before Jiang Mingxi's family 216 234.
• Bai Ge — Manager and outspoken confidante. Recognizes his attraction early and later points out the parallel between his jealousy and the distress he previously caused Jiang Mingxi 9 22 138.
• Feng Moshan — Longstanding acquaintance from the same residential complex and a high-school friend. Knows about his family circumstances and later challenges his lack of trust in Jiang Mingxi 149 238 239.
• Su Hui — High-school classmate, not a close confidant. After Su Hui wrongs Jiang Mingxi, Song Lan publicly declares that he will never work with him again 67.
• Zhang Lin — An acquaintance whose claimed closeness and supposed rescue of Old Master Song complicate Song Lan's romance. Song Lan denies that they are childhood sweethearts and later questions whether Zhang Lin saved his grandfather at all 58 79 124.
• Bai Zheming — Initially a source of jealousy and conflict, later revealed as Jiang Mingxi's brother. Song Lan fights him after he calls Jiang Mingxi ill and accuses Song Lan of exploiting him 178 216.
• A-Wang / Gong Wang — Jiang Mingxi's childhood friend, whose account prompts Song Lan to question the identity of his grandfather's rescuer. A-Wang later explains the couple's forgotten history to Zheng Muyun 117 219.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Jiang Mingxi's Initial Pursuit

Despite declaring that he does not want to date, Song Lan gradually makes exceptions for Jiang Mingxi. He defends him during filming, treats his injuries, accepts a task-card hug, and becomes increasingly affected by his flirtation 6 9 10 22 38.

Their attraction develops into mutual kissing, though they have not yet established an official relationship. Su Hui repeatedly interrupts their private moments, and Song Lan eventually makes a public break with him over his treatment of Jiang Mingxi 52 55 59 67.

The Missed Birthday and Reversed Courtship

Song Lan misses Jiang Mingxi's birthday invitation after taking Zhang Lin to the hospital. He publicly states that the roses photographed with him were intended for Jiang Mingxi, but Jiang Mingxi withdraws from the pursuit and rejects his request to become his boyfriend 74 75 77 78.

Song Lan then becomes the pursuer. He denies the childhood-sweetheart rumors about Zhang Lin and, during the wilderness installment, calls missing Jiang Mingxi's birthday his greatest regret. His efforts are sincere but clumsy, ranging from excessive praise to pretending his back hurts so Jiang Mingxi will care for him 79 93 95 99.

Reconciliation and Starting Over

After returning from filming, Song Lan finds Jiang Mingxi's gift pack and recognizes how Su Hui and Zhang Lin's interference—and his own responses—hurt him. His apology allows Jiang Mingxi to express his resentment and reconcile with him 127.

A later jealous confrontation over Bai Zheming causes another rupture. Jiang Mingxi asks them to rebuild trust and get to know each other slowly. Song Lan accepts, begins courting him again, and makes a homemade pancake whose personal care moves Jiang Mingxi to tears 143 145 152.

Protecting Jiang Mingxi and Recovering Their Past

Jiang Mingxi's drunken account of transmigration includes a classmate named Song Lan and details matching Song Lan's own school history. Song Lan is baffled by the apparent impossibility of their being classmates despite a seven-year age gap; further fragments of childhood memory begin surfacing 160 161.

When Jiang Ke exploits his mother's death to turn him against Jiang Mingxi, Song Lan refuses. He records the conversation, presses for information about Jiang Mingxi's biological parents, and promises to help find his mother 162.

Song Lan later encourages Jiang Mingxi to confront painful childhood memories rather than evade them. After Jiang Mingxi reunites with his parents and brother, he introduces Song Lan as his partner; an overwhelmed Song Lan accidentally calls Zheng Muyun “Mom” and promises the family he will not attempt suicide again 186 216.

By the main-story ending and subsequent side stories, their preserved keepsakes and recovered memories establish the importance of their childhood meetings to both men's lives 219 225 240.

Notable Quotes

“I'm not afraid of you getting angry. I'm afraid I won't know how to soothe you when you do.” 103

“Hello, Jiang Mingxi. I'm Song Lan. … I'm here to pursue you.” 145

“If you can't find your mom, I'll be your mom. I'll be good to you.” 163