Jiang Ye

Biodata

Appearance

Jiang Ye is a striking-looking young man approximately the same height as Song Shi'an. His first entrance—with a backpack over one shoulder and earbuds in—emphasizes his energetic manner 15.

• Hair: Bright red, particularly conspicuous under the dormitory’s fluorescent lights 15.
• Everyday clothing: Usually sportswear or loose, casual clothes 105.
• Formal clothing: Wears a dark blue suit and tie to Pei Zhiyan’s twentieth-birthday banquet, making his red hair especially eye-catching 105.

Personality

Jiang Ye is outgoing and quick to treat people as friends. On meeting Song Shi'an, he stares in disbelief at his looks, then shakes his hand so enthusiastically that he nearly pulls him off balance. His affection remains physically exuberant: his welcoming shoulder claps and celebratory backslaps repeatedly leave Song Shi'an rubbing the affected spot 15 24 60.

He frequently teases his roommates, from questioning Song Shi'an’s choice to play a eunuch to offering to be his date at Pei Zhiyan’s banquet. Food is another recurring enthusiasm: after tasting Mother Song’s beef jerky, he jokingly asks whether she needs another son—or a son-in-law 24 33 106.

His easygoing attitude gives way to competitiveness on the basketball court and anger when his friends are mistreated. He refuses to let the sports department take the finance students’ reserved court and later fiercely challenges online rumors about Song Shi'an 57 108.

Abilities & Skills

Basketball

Jiang Ye regularly plays basketball and belongs to the finance department’s starting lineup 24 57.

• Moves into position quickly, showing a focused side that contrasts with his usual unserious manner 59.
• Converts Song Shi'an’s pass into a clean basket during the comeback against the sports department 60.
• Plays alongside Pei Zhiyan and Song Shi'an in the finance team’s eventual victory 60.

Academics and Tutoring

Jiang Ye performs well academically despite his relaxed habits 25.

• Places third in his class in the previous semester’s final examinations 25.
• Tutors his younger sister after her monthly examination results decline at Jingchen Affiliated Middle School 58.
• According to his sister, explains material more clearly than her teachers; she specifically requests his help rather than a hired tutor 58.

Relationships

• Song Shi'an — Roommate and close friend. Jiang Ye follows his acting career, predicts that he will become famous, brings him meals, and visits him with congee when he is ill 53 149 168.
• Pei Zhiyan — Roommate and fellow finance student, whom he calls “Old Pei.” They play basketball together and socialize outside campus. During a visit to Rui'an Technology, Jiang Ye jokingly asks whether Pei would employ him after graduation 15 57 97.
• Chi Xun — Roommate and frequent partner in banter, gaming, and defending Song Shi'an online. Their gaming session at Pei Zhiyan’s mansion nearly makes them late for dinner 80 97 108 144.
• Jiang Ran — Younger sister and Song Shi'an fan. Jiang Ye tutors her and obtains a box of signed posters and merchandise for her, initially disguising the request as being for “a friend” 58 152 168.
• His mother — Sends him money but, by his account, had not called during the first month of the semester. He envies Song Shi'an’s warm relationship with his parents 26.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Meeting Song Shi'an

Jiang Ye introduces himself when Song Shi'an moves into the dormitory. He explains that their other roommate, Pei Zhiyan, is the Pei Group’s heir and mentions his apparent engagement to Shen Lingshu. These names allow Song Shi'an to recognize the novel world he has entered and identify himself with its doomed cannon-fodder character; Jiang Ye only notices his new roommate’s sudden distress 15.

Supporting an Emerging Actor

Jiang Ye keeps Song Shi'an informed about campus discussions of his appearance and acting roles. Although he initially worries that playing a eunuch might limit Song Shi'an’s future opportunities, he joins the dormitory viewing of Aspiration to Reach the Clouds and urges him to enjoy the audience’s praise 23 24 25.

When company staff pack Song Shi'an’s belongings for his move off campus, Jiang Ye is reassured that he will still stay in the dormitory when attending classes. He is then startled to discover that his roommate already has an assistant 36.

Finance–Sports Basketball Match

After sports students occupy the finance students’ reserved court, Jiang Ye and his friends accept a match in which the losers must call the winners “Daddy.” He initially tells Song Shi'an that the team has enough starters and only needs him to cheer 57.

An injury leaves the finance team short-handed, and Song Shi'an joins the second half. Jiang Ye helps close the scoring gap before Song Shi'an secures victory with a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Jiang Ye then insists that the opposing captain honor the wager 59 60.

Defending Song Shi'an

Jiang Ye, Chi Xun, and Pei Zhiyan spend a night defending Song Shi'an online, leaving all three exhausted when he returns to campus 80.

During a later smear campaign using old photographs, Jiang Ye angrily demands the offending post’s link and joins Chi Xun in arguing against the accusations. The two continue watching the rumors spread as brands begin canceling their agreements with Song Shi'an 108 109.

Campus Life and Later Appearances

• Campus cats: Points out that a mother cat and her two kittens may not survive the approaching campus break, prompting Song Shi'an to seek adopters. Pei Zhiyan takes them in 115.
• Birthday celebration: Attends Song Shi'an’s birthday banquet with Chi Xun and enthusiastically praises his stage performance 187.
• South Pond Village: Accompanies Pei Zhiyan and Chi Xun to help transplant rice seedlings. His initial curiosity gives way to a difficult morning in the muddy fields, followed by a hearty meal at Mother Song’s home 189.

Notable Quotes

“Your mom is my mom. Our mom is our mom.” 33

“Finance majors can shine and give off heat wherever they go. What's wrong with charging robots?” 97

Trivia

• His phone ringtone is an exceptionally sweet Korean girl-group song 58.
• He declines a novel recommendation because he would rather play basketball, but later follows an online fictionalized story about Song Shi'an supposedly returning to a wealthy family and inheriting ten billion 113 189.
• At Pei Zhiyan’s restaurant, he eats three bowls of plain rice with Italian fusion cuisine, a pairing that catches Pei’s attention 62.