Chi Li

Biodata

Background

Chi Li’s parents divorced when he was young and subsequently formed separate families. Although he was supposed to stay with his mother, her new husband’s family would not accept her bringing a son into the marriage, so she left him to live alone. Both parents continued providing money but offered little personal care 40 61 62.

Their neglect made him accustomed to solving problems himself. He became uncomfortable with unexplained generosity, preferring payment or an explicit exchange to an obligation he could not measure. When asking his younger cousin Gu Nan for help, he gave him a share of the profits 40.

Chi Li chose Starlight Entertainment himself because he wanted to be seen and heard. His ambition was to sing and dance onstage while an audience cheered for him 22 62.

Before joining the Raising House, he had known fellow trainee Zhou Yang for a year and dated him for three months. Zhou Yang was his first love; Chi Li initially regarded him as mature and dependable before becoming disillusioned with him 1 31.

Appearance

Chi Li has soft black hair, fair skin, and a slender but physically trained build. His looks attract sustained attention from viewers, fellow entertainers, and photographers 54 89 113 145.

• Eyes: Clear eyes with long, thick eyelashes, faintly red corners, and a tiny mole at the corner of one eye 21.
• Build: Defined shoulders and arms, a narrow waist, and prominent collarbones 14 89.
• In person: Shen Wei compares him to a porcelain doll and considers him even more striking than on television 132.
• Cross-dressing disguise: In Han Country, he wears a long black dress, high heels, and a black wig with curled ends 168 169.

Personality

Chi Li is sharp-tongued, quick-witted, and difficult to intimidate. He frequently exposes hypocrisy through apparently innocent questions or deliberately literal replies. His exchanges with Zhou Yang, Xie Weishui, and Chen Hao become popular enough to circulate in “Full Firepower” compilations 35 59 123 145 168.

His confidence is matched by perceptiveness. He recognizes attempts to exploit seniority, manufacture sympathy, or turn friendship into a useful alliance. He is willing to understand publicity tactics without treating everyone around him as a tool—a distinction he directly draws between himself and Xie Weishui 21 78 80 127.

Chi Li places considerable importance on autonomy. He prefers earning opportunities through his own efforts, refuses to abandon entertainment for financial security, and insists that being loved does not mean belonging to someone else. He also rejects the idea that persistence or sacrifice entitles a person to another’s affection 43 66 105 134.

Despite his defensive independence, genuine care affects him deeply. His friends’ attempts to protect him move him more than malicious questions about his childhood do. With Shen Xunye, his usual composure increasingly gives way to embarrassment, affection, and eventually jealousy 88 89 118 119.

He has little interest in luxury for its own sake: his wardrobe includes both twenty-yuan and ten-thousand-yuan clothing. In romance, he values natural attraction and everyday compatibility rather than choosing someone merely because they are wealthy or accomplished 42 43 60.

Abilities & Skills

Singing, Songwriting, and Dance

Chi Li pursues a singer-dancer career and already has original songs when he enters the Raising House. Jiang Yue later praises the speed of his development and describes his stage presence as worthy of a superstar 14 161.

• Dance instruction: Teaches Shen Xunye how to engage the appropriate muscles when moving his hips 27.
• Choreography collaboration: Discusses formations and movement choices with Jiang Yue rather than simply following instructions 120.
• Competitive performance: Places first on “Signal” three times within three days, then releases a new song for its next round 162.

Acting and Physical Performance

Chi Li expands into film through a cameo before taking a leading role in Old Friends of Mountains and Rivers 112 172.

• Character analysis: Uses character profiles to prepare an improvised audition when An Yihe does not provide a script 151 152.
• Acting guidance: Advises An Che to study Shen Yu’s restrained expressions as a reference, distinguishing emotional subtlety from a frozen face 164.
• Action choreography: Performs evasions, deep backbends, and a backward flip during a filmed fight sequence 165.
• Tai chi experience: Reports learning a little from an older man who regularly practiced in a park 152.

Publicity and Social Strategy

Chi Li understands how livestream narratives influence viewers and can redirect an unfavorable situation without surrendering his own position 21 39.

• Reframing a storyline: Advises Fang Jin that making peace with Zhou Yang could make Fang Jin appear conciliatory and win audience sympathy 21.
• Handling backlash: Posts a promotional photograph rather than apologizing for a supposed fan’s behavior 39.
• Self-protection: Calls Shen Xunye when Zhou Yang harasses him and uses the possibility of recorded evidence to make Zhou Yang leave 35.
• Managing exposure: Selects endorsements cautiously because he does not want to overuse his newly gained fame 72.

Domestic Skills

• Cooking: Prepares meals praised by Gao Yuan and teaches him to follow recipe quantities before attempting improvisation 28.
• Gardening: Buys seeds and fertilizer, plants bok choy and white radish, and learns the different preparation requirements for spinach and Chinese lettuce 38.

Career

Story Role / Major Arcs

Entering the Raising House

After his breakup, Chi Li asks Li Ming to find him a partner for selling a BL pairing. Before that search can proceed, he meets Shen Xunye in an elevator, approaches him directly, and obtains his agreement. They exchange contact information while Li Ming checks whether the arrangement can be approved 3.

Chi Li enters the Raising House intending to make Zhou Yang’s life difficult, not to reconcile with him. Zhou Yang nevertheless interprets his arrival and insults as evidence of lingering affection. Meanwhile, Chi Li’s personal livestream quickly draws a substantial paying audience 6 14 35.

Challenging Zhou Yang and Xie Weishui

Chi Li refuses to follow Xie Weishui’s preferred social arrangements and encourages Fang Jin to stop letting Xie dictate his place in the program’s storyline 15 21.

Zhou Yang later proposes promoting a love triangle with Chi Li and Xie Weishui, then sexually harasses Chi Li in his room. Chi Li threatens him with a utility knife, calls Shen Xunye for assistance, and makes him leave. He subsequently explains their former relationship to Shen Xunye 35.

When Zhou Yang publicly presents himself as an aggrieved former boyfriend, Chi Li tries to counter that narrative by drinking and appearing wounded. The performance leaves him genuinely drunk and exhausted. An exposé and a company announcement later establish that Zhou Yang had not had sex with him during their relationship 64 65 66 69.

Xie Weishui eventually stops provoking him and apologizes. Chi Li says the harm done to him was zero and directs Xie to apologize instead to the fans who once trusted him 128 158.

From Promotional Pairing to Romance

Shen Xunye’s attention gradually moves beyond their professional arrangement. After arranging help through Shen Qiang, he asks Chi Li to pretend to be his boyfriend. Chi Li initially accepts this as a clearly defined exchange, even as Shen Xunye’s attentiveness begins affecting him emotionally 40.

Their relationship becomes increasingly intimate. After Shen Xunye kisses him while he is drunk, Chi Li remembers the kiss the next morning. He later establishes a playful rule that Shen Xunye must apply for permission to kiss him 66 67 78.

Chi Li eventually decides to give Shen Xunye an official place in his life. Learning about Shen Xunye’s previous attempts at doctor-recommended romance therapy brings his own jealousy into focus, and he explicitly says he intends to “upgrade” Shen Xunye to boyfriend. He later confirms their relationship to Li Ming while choosing not to announce it publicly 117 118 119 126.

Confronting the Shen Family’s Expectations

Chi Li accompanies Shen Xunye to a family elder’s birthday banquet. There, Old Madam Shen has his biological parents pressure him to leave entertainment, promising lucrative contracts to their respective families if he agrees 126 132 133 134.

Chi Li refuses and asks what those business interests have to do with him. He later challenges Old Madam Shen’s prejudice toward his profession, pointing out that she herself had faced prejudice as a woman in business. She acknowledges privately that her earlier decision was impulsive and rude 134 137.

Afterward, Shen Xunye leaves the Raising House to pursue work, while Chi Li remains contractually tied to the program but can accept outside jobs. Shen Qiang encourages him to rely on his new family rather than face the entertainment industry alone 139.

Establishing an Independent Career

Chi Li becomes increasingly selective about endorsements and takes his first film cameo under Jiang Shi. Although investors later try to secure him a substantial role in An Yihe’s production, Chi Li is surprised by the intervention and insists on preparing for the audition despite receiving no script 72 112 150 151.

He balances repeated victories on “Signal” with script preparation and filming for Old Friends of Mountains and Rivers. His performances and film material alter the makeup of his fandom, while translated “Full Firepower” clips expand his following in Han Country 158 162 168.

By the film’s promotional tour, he is appearing alongside An Che as a first-time wuxia lead. Asked about the hardest part of production, he answers that it was getting up at a fixed time regardless of when he went to bed 173.

Relationships

• Shen Xunye — Promotional partner turned boyfriend. Shen Xunye becomes the attentive audience Chi Li wanted, while Chi Li gradually learns to accept his care and acknowledge his own attachment 22 84 119.
• Zhou Yang — Fellow trainee, first love, and ex-boyfriend. Chi Li rejects his attempts to resume their relationship or turn it into a publicity triangle 1 31 35.
• Li Ming — Manager. Arranges work, monitors livestream performance, and warns Chi Li about both romantic entanglements and wealthy-family expectations 3 14 72 126.
• Gu Nan — Younger cousin and practical helper. Explains the Raising House’s arrangements and investigates Su Yuan’s background 3 40 78.
• Shen Qiang — Shen Xunye’s elder brother and an established actor. Publicly supports Chi Li, offers industry advice, and encourages him to regard the Shen family as people he can rely on 39 40 81 139.
• Fang Jin — Raising House friend. Takes Chi Li’s advice about reclaiming control of his storyline and later openly expresses his fondness for him 21 106.
• Jiang Lele — Friend and fellow participant. Admires Chi Li’s verbal confidence and joins others in protecting him during uncomfortable discussions of his family 41 88.
• Gao Yuan — Raising House friend. Praises his cooking, reassures him during online criticism, and gives him a handmade wooden carving 28 51 155.
• Jiang Yue — Fellow performer and choreography collaborator. Recognizes Chi Li’s potential and later praises how far his stage presence has developed 120 161.
• Xie Weishui — Initial rival. His attempts to manipulate public opinion fail; he eventually recognizes his defeat and apologizes 28 40 127 158.
• An Che — Film co-star and friend. Prepares an audition with Chi Li and receives his advice on using Shen Yu as an acting reference 151 152 164.
• Qin Jian — Personal assistant selected by Shen Xunye. Chi Li makes a point of asking whether he accepted the position voluntarily 144.

Personal Items

• Couple bracelet: Wears one of a matching pair with Shen Xunye 76.
• Felted kitten: Receives Shen Xunye’s carefully made kitten after giving him an awkwardly felted cloud puppy 77.
• Wooden carving: A handmade gift from Gao Yuan 155 158.

Notable Quotes

“I’m under no obligation to be civilized toward trash.” 31

“I still prefer relying on my own efforts.” 43

“You aren’t sincere, and people who aren’t sincere don’t receive sincerity in return.” 127

“You don’t need to feel sorry for me. You just need to watch how far I go.” 127

Trivia

• Chi Li is left-handed. He uses that fact to win a drinking game against Shen Xunye 14.
• He repeatedly emphasizes that his height is precisely 181.6 cm, rather than rounding it up 166.
• His fans’ preferred nicknames change after his stage performances and film trailer attract a broader following; many settle on “Chi Li” or “Xiao Li” to avoid arguments over how to address him 158.
• His reference to “demonic cultivation” concerns an unconventional acting exercise for An Che, not a supernatural ability 164.