Yan Heqing

Biodata

Background / History

Childhood and separation

Yan Heqing and his younger twin brother lost their parents in a house fire. Their mother, Yan Qiushuang, regained consciousness during the fire and carried both children through the flames. With no one willing to adopt them together, the brothers entered Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home 2 54 131 231.

A wealthy couple initially chose Heqing for adoption. He hid until late that night so that they would take his younger brother instead, then resolved to study, earn money, and find him again. His brother later became Lin Fengzhi and, after a serious illness, forgot his early childhood and Heqing’s existence 2 6.

Heqing accepted adoption by Yan Shengbing partly because they shared the surname Yan, which connected him to his mother. His biological father had given both boys their mother’s surname in gratitude for her difficult childbirth 42.

Abuse in the Yan household

His adoptive parents treated him reasonably well for about a year, until Zhao Huilin gave birth to Yan Feng. Heqing subsequently endured beatings, food deprivation, inadequate winter clothing, and abuse from all three family members. He supported himself through childhood restaurant work while continuing to excel academically 1 4 8 9.

At seven, he tried to escape Yan Shengbing’s violence but was caught and beaten severely. Thereafter, he learned to endure attacks silently to reduce the harm. This fear also left him unable to fight back when boys at school assaulted him over a girl’s love letter 134.

Awakening and the original fate

On his eighteenth birthday, Heqing discovered that his life followed a tragic romance novel in which he was a disposable substitute for Lin Fengzhi. Lu Muchi, unable to obtain Fengzhi’s affection, had offered money to Heqing’s adoptive parents to acquire him instead 1 2.

The original plot prescribed the following future:

Heqing rejects this future rather than accepting his assigned role. His initial determination is both protective and retaliatory: survive, preserve his dignity, and act against those destined to destroy him 1 5.

Appearance

• Face and eyes: Striking, delicate features; light-brown irises with sandy-gold tones; long, narrow “fox eyes” whose outer corners tilt upward 2 3.
• Hair: Thick black hair that naturally curls when wet, a trait he associates with his mother 54 87.
• Family resemblance: Strongly resembles Yan Qiushuang, particularly around the eyes. Although Lu Muchi initially selects him for resembling Lin Fengzhi, he later notices substantial differences between them 6 139.
• Build: Tall and slender, with a narrow waist and sharply defined facial contours. At eighteen, severe malnutrition leaves him weighing only 102 jin despite his 181 cm height 4 87 110.
• Scars: A conspicuous burn scar on his left shoulder, a long winding scar on his left calf, and small knife scars on his left outer ear, all resulting from abuse in the Yan household 8.
• Hands: Long, finely jointed fingers, with skin weathered by years of restaurant work and dishwashing 5 57.
• Expression: His unsmiling appearance can seem cold or intimidating, while his smile markedly softens his features 6 7.

After moving out and eating regularly, his complexion improves and his weight gradually increases 10.

Personality

Heqing is patient, observant, and exceptionally guarded. He keeps an appropriate distance from classmates, refuses Gu Xingye’s request for friendship, and rarely allows others to read his emotions. He also openly warns Lu Lin that he is capable of lying 141 159 176.

His composure conceals a calculating approach to danger. He deliberately exploits Lu Muchi’s attachment to Lin Fengzhi, allows misleading assumptions to develop, and constructs situations that encourage his enemies to act. His willingness to retaliate contrasts sharply with the frightened child who once believed submission was his only protection 5 6 64 134 245.

Despite this severity, Heqing remains attentive to vulnerable people. He patiently engages withdrawn children, performs routine welfare-home care, escorts Xu Qiaoyin across the city when she is being harassed, and helps Mother Lin consider a life beyond her family crisis 52 76 231 232.

His central ambition is to live rather than merely escape death. He wants education, warmth, seasonal pleasures, and a future of his own. Accepting care is more difficult: Lu Lin repeatedly encourages him to rely on someone else instead of bearing every burden alone 16 45 215 245.

Abilities & Skills

Planning and knowledge of the original plot

Heqing’s awakening gives him knowledge of the novel’s prescribed events, which he uses alongside direct observation 1 2.

• Identifies dangerous encounters in advance, including Lu Muchi’s expected attack and Cheng Jian’s role in his original suffering 20 172.
• Recognizes deviations from the plot, such as Cheng Jian appearing a year earlier than expected 172.
• Uses Lu Muchi’s feelings for Lin Fengzhi to interrupt aggression and influence his behavior 6 21 50.
• Traces a likely connection between Zhao Yong and Zhao Weifang through their university publicity-department roles 186.
• Deliberately gives Zhao Weifang a motive to seek revenge through Cheng Jian 245.

Academic study and research

Heqing pursues biology, studies independently, and earns Professor Yang Rucheng’s support for his laboratory work 78 137 176.

• Studies cell biology and cytology outside class 23 79.
• Maintains his studies while working multiple jobs, later devoting afternoons to laboratory research 9 46 184.
• Receives approval for a laboratory and declines Gu Xingye’s proposal to work together 176 184.
• Studies Russian vocabulary at home 46.

Cooking and decorative carving

He learned to cook while washing dishes at a small restaurant, eventually accumulating more than five years of childhood restaurant experience 9 57.

• Handles ingredient portioning, preparation, and kitchen assistance 56.
• Carves a lifelike rose from a carrot, impressing Yang Zhen with skill beyond his modest description 56 57.
• Regularly prepares his own meals and later cooks hot pot for Lu Lin 10 124 201.

Precision games and adaptability

• Darts: Knocks an existing bull’s-eye dart out of the board with his own throw 18.
• Dice: Learns skilled dice rolling from a drinks promoter at a previous bar job 44.
• Video games: Defeats Lin Fengyi in a four-hour match on his first occasion playing, using memorized terrain, patience, and ammunition-baiting despite inferior controls 111.
• Ring toss: Wins dozens of goldfish at a night-market stall 273.

Fishing

Heqing learns from an older fishing companion and develops from catching nothing to repeatedly bringing in fish 11 28.

• Goes ice fishing at Tian Mountain Reservoir with specialized equipment 23.
• Catches crabs and snakeheads 24 28.
• Uses fermented bait to bring slightly intoxicated fish to the surface 106.

Practical maintenance

• Repairs his rented apartment’s water heater, wiring, and power strips, and unclogs its drain 8.
• Purchases and installs a security camera at Xu Qiaoyin’s apartment 76.
• Negotiates a used electric car’s price down to 31,000 yuan 115.

Equipment / Items

• Secondhand laptop and smartphone — Purchased together for 2,000 yuan, allowing him to complete assignments without relying on library computers 9.
• Fishing equipment — Includes rods, a fishing bag and bucket, an ice auger, a tent, a camping light, and a heater 23.
• Cube of Light — A larger version of the cubes distributed to welfare-home children. He keeps it near his bed and turns it beneath lamplight to scatter rainbow colors 68 76.
• White electric car — Bought used with Lin Fengzhi’s help 115.
• Wedding ring — Worn after his marriage; he points it out when reassuring Lu Lin that Professor Shen knows he is married 284.

Relationships

• Lu Lin — Husband. Heqing initially approaches him strategically, but their relationship becomes a source of affection and security. Lu Lin rescues him in the firefly cave, supports his research, and encourages him to share his burdens 1 162 166 245 277 284.
• Lin Fengzhi — Younger twin brother, formerly known as Yan Mingsong. Heqing once organized his hopes around finding him, but knowledge of the original plot transforms that attachment into distrust and resentment. By the main ending, he refuses responsibility for Fengzhi’s suffering 2 23 30 280.
• Yan Qiushuang — Beloved deceased mother. He visits her grave, remembers her gentleness, and treasures a recovered photograph that restores his memory of her appearance 42 101 139.
• Yan Shengbing — Abusive adoptive father. Heqing ultimately declares that he has repaid everything owed and permanently cuts ties 8 134 252.
• Zhao Huilin — Adoptive mother, who deprives him of food, favors Yan Feng, and accepts Lu Muchi’s deposit. Her hopes of extracting further money continue until Heqing leaves the family for good 3 8 251 252.
• Yan Feng — Adoptive parents’ biological son. Bullies Heqing and inflicts the knife wounds on his ear 4 8.
• Lu Muchi — Would-be keeper and original-story abuser. His possessiveness persists after Heqing rejects him; Heqing explicitly demands respect and refuses his attempts to restart their relationship 21 94 215.
• Xu Qiaoyin — Welfare-home teacher whom he protects from harassment. Lu Muchi later believes Heqing helped her escape for his sake 76 174.
• Yang Rucheng — Biology professor who strongly values Heqing’s abilities and secures approval for his laboratory 137 176.
• Gu Xingye — Fellow student whose attempts at friendship and research collaboration Heqing declines 159 184.
• Lin Fengyi — Initially antagonistic toward Heqing; becomes jealous of his closeness to Lu Lin and increasingly preoccupied with him 110 111 160 166.
• Lu Ruchan — Lu Lin’s mother. Welcomes Heqing for New Year’s Eve and later asks Lu Lin his wedding vow 102 103 277.
• Lu Changcheng — Adversary who tries to torment Heqing through Lin Fengzhi as a “wedding gift.” Heqing rejects the intended guilt 273 280.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Independence and resistance

After refusing Lu Muchi’s contract, Heqing exposes his adoptive family’s abuse before their neighbors and moves into a small apartment near campus. He repairs and furnishes it himself, buys basic electronics, and establishes a routine of work, study, and regular meals 4 8 9 10.

He later quits both his bartending and café jobs. His welfare-home visits develop into regular volunteering, including kitchen work and direct care for children 46 52 56 64 76.

University and romance

Heqing reports his change of department at his mother’s grave before beginning classes at Beijing University. Yang Rucheng subsequently approves his laboratory 101 137 176.

His connection with Lu Lin grows through fishing, welfare-home encounters, meals, and New Year’s Eve with Lu Ruchan. After Lu Lin rescues him during the Mount Huai practicum, their relationship becomes explicitly romantic 28 54 103 162 166.

Heqing preserves his financial independence even within the relationship, repaying Lu Lin 39,150 yuan and declaring the debt settled 215.

Retaliation and severed ties

Heqing eventually explains to Lu Lin how he has encouraged Zhao Weifang to seek help from Cheng Jian. Meanwhile, he repeatedly visits the Yan household, allowing his adoptive parents to anticipate five million yuan before announcing his final departure 245 251 252.

He and Lu Lin later attend court when Cheng Jian and Zhao Weifang receive life sentences 273.

Marriage and the main ending

Lu Lin publicly introduces Heqing as his partner and announces their forthcoming marriage. The couple adopt an orange-haired puppy, discuss using Lu Lin’s childhood home as their marital home, and move their wedding forward 256 259 273.

Lu Ruchan participates in the ceremony. Afterward, Lu Changcheng’s attempt to weaponize Lin Fengzhi’s suffering fails: Heqing refuses guilt and returns to the home he shares with Lu Lin. The main story closes with their ordinary domestic life and preparations for his upcoming trip 277 280.

Alternate Stories and Extras

Notable Quotes

“Before you cast your line, you don't know what you'll catch, but you believe you'll come back with a full haul.” 45

“Being friends with me is dangerous. I'm a good person, but not that good. I'm very good at lying.” 141

“Learn to respect people before you come looking for me again.” 215