Zhao Ying

Biodata

Background

Zhao Ying was born into the Lu family as Lu Ximing, the older of identical twin brothers. Abducted and trafficked as a child, he escaped his captors but lost his childhood memories. Old Zhao, a carpenter missing one leg, found him unconscious in a mountain ravine, his skin damaged from prolonged exposure to water. An eagle was perched nearby, prompting his adoptive father to name him Zhao Ying 34 42 47.

Old Zhao taught him carpentry, but spent much of their earnings on alcohol. Zhao Ying received little schooling and grew up doing manual work. His adoptive father later died after becoming drunk and falling down a mountain, leaving him alone with an aging house and few resources. When Song Liu first approached him about marriage, he intended to continue mourning Old Zhao rather than immediately start a family 34 47.

Appearance

• Build: Tall and muscular, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, defined arms, and an upright posture 34 35.
• Face: Bold, rugged features, a hooked nose, sword-like brows, and bright eyes 34.
• Skin and hands: Dark, evenly tanned skin; rough hands with old calluses from woodworking 34 43 46.
• Clothing: Usually wears plain, practical clothing, including tank tops while working 34 43 48.
• Resemblance to Lu Xiunan: Their faces are identical, but Zhao Ying is initially darker-skinned and distinguishable by his clothes and bearing 42 48.
• Identifying accessory: Wears a red strip of cloth around his wrist so Xue Ci can distinguish him from his twin 48.

Personality

Zhao Ying is taciturn, hardworking, and awkward at expressing affection. During his first meetings with Xue Ci, he becomes visibly tense, avoids looking directly at him, and struggles to speak. He conveys his feelings through practical care instead: buying clothes, preparing meals, doing housework, and taking on additional work 34 35 36.

His sense of responsibility extends beyond his marriage. Even after discovering his wealthy biological family, he refuses to abandon carpentry jobs he has already promised to finish. He also disapproves of interfering in another person’s marriage, initially unaware that Lu Xiunan’s married love interest is Xue Ci 47 48.

Providing for Xue Ci becomes his main motivation for improving his circumstances. He had once expected to remain a village carpenter, but begins pursuing larger commissions and business opportunities to support their household and Xue Ci’s education. His limited schooling nevertheless leaves him deeply insecure beside his university-educated twin 49 58.

His gentleness coexists with jealousy and possessiveness. He becomes increasingly wary of Xue Ci’s suitors, confronts Lu Xiunan, and sometimes responds to rejection with forceful kisses or refusal to leave. Despite the divorce, he continues seeking reconciliation and ultimately reaffirms his loyalty rather than withdrawing his affection 55 58 59 62.

Abilities & Skills

Carpentry and Furniture Making

• Inherits Old Zhao’s craft and earns recognition for the quality of his work despite his youth 34 35.
• Initially works by commission rather than as a permanent factory employee, receiving payment according to completed pieces 35.
• Expands from chairs and household furniture to renovation work, a city business, and a furniture factory 35 46 58 62.

Woodcarving

• Carves small animals, including kittens, puppies, rabbits, and dogs, as gifts for Xue Ci 34 46.
• Accepts detailed commercial commissions, including a factory entrance dragon and an elaborate two-dragon carving for a wealthy customer 36 50.
• Privately carves several likenesses of Xue Ci, comparing unfinished work against his sleeping face and storing the results with their marriage certificate 46.

Household and Agricultural Work

• Handles cooking, laundry, cleaning, and other household chores, often preventing Xue Ci from doing them 36 46.
• Improves his cooking after marriage, preparing foods such as jujube cakes, steamed egg custard, and carefully arranged meat dishes 56.
• Reclaims Xue Ci’s farmland from Sun Xingming and plants corn on the available land 36.

Physical Strength and Practical Skills

• Moves an old freezer himself and regularly carries Xue Ci 35 44 62.
• Carries Xue Ci steadily over snowy mountain paths 62.
• Takes driving lessons despite difficulty reading parts of the study material; Xue Ci helps by adding pinyin. He later drives a secondhand pickup truck 57 59.

Equipment & Personal Items

• Red wrist cloth: Xue Ci ties it on before Zhao Ying’s trip to buy varnish. Hospital staff find him clutching it tightly after his accident. He later wears it continuously, valuing it as a reminder of Xue Ci during his hospitalization 36 40 48.
• Woodworking tools: Uses a plane and carving knife in his work 34 46.
• Locked wooden chest: Holds the marriage certificate and his private carvings of Xue Ci 46.
• Bicycle: Used to deliver furniture and travel to town before he begins driving 35 57.
• Secondhand pickup truck: Drives it home from a timber-sourcing business trip shortly before discovering the divorce agreement 59.
• Lucky red cord: Receives it from Xue Ci at the furniture factory near the world’s ending; the cord carries luck points 62.

Relationships

• Song Xueci / Xue Ci — Husband and later ex-husband. Zhao Ying supports his daily life and education, refuses to give up after their divorce, and resumes caring for him without a confirmed remarriage 35 58 59 62.
• Old Zhao — Adoptive father and carpentry teacher. Zhao Ying initially postpones marriage out of a desire to mourn him 34.
• Lu Xiunan — Identical younger twin and romantic rival. Zhao Ying first accepts him as family and a houseguest, but their conflict over Xue Ci escalates into physical fights 42 47 48 58 62.
• Mother Lu and Father Lu — Biological parents, reunited with him after his accident. He initially asks for time to adjust rather than immediately moving into their home 42 46 47.
• Song Liu — Xue Ci’s aunt and their matchmaker. She encourages the proposal and helps Zhao Ying recover Xue Ci’s farmland; he later brings rice and oil to her household 34 35 36 56.
• Zhou Qize — A factory connection who helps settle Zhao Ying’s wages and later becomes a rival for Xue Ci’s affection 35 45 46.
• A Hui — A butcher who helps care for Xue Ci. Zhao Ying initially thanks him, but later confronts Xue Ci about their intimacy 45 62.
• Fu Yun — Business contact introduced through Lu Xiunan, offering assistance with selling Zhao Ying’s furniture 53.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Courtship and Marriage

Song Liu persuades Zhao Ying to meet her nephew after showing him Xue Ci’s photograph. He arrives with handmade animal carvings and quickly becomes captivated. Encouraged by Song Liu’s report that Xue Ci likes him, he finishes work overnight, collects his wages early, and spends much of the money on proposal gifts. They register their marriage in the provincial capital the following day 34 35.

Zhao Ying moves in with Xue Ci, takes over the housework, and recovers land appropriated by Sun Xingming. He accepts a demanding dragon-carving commission to help repay Xue Ci’s family debts, while still arranging his work around cooking for him 36.

Accident and the False Husband

A trip to the provincial capital to purchase varnish ends in a car accident and a week-long coma. While hospitalized, Zhao Ying worries about Xue Ci and unsuccessfully tries to contact him. Meanwhile, the injured Lu Xiunan takes shelter in Xue Ci’s home and is mistaken for Zhao Ying 36 37 40 41.

Professor Chen notices Zhao Ying’s resemblance to Lu Xiunan, leading to contact with the Lu family. Although the family believes he is their missing son, Zhao Ying cannot remember them and prioritizes returning home. Xue Ci recognizes his real husband by the red cloth on his wrist 41 42 43.

Family Reunion and Rivalry

The Lu family arrives with a paternity test confirming Zhao Ying’s identity. He introduces Xue Ci as his spouse but declines to move to the provincial capital immediately. Lu Xiunan remains in the village and obtains permission to live with them 46 47.

Zhao Ying gradually senses the threat posed by his brother’s closeness to Xue Ci. He installs window security bars after finding suspicious footprints, becomes more openly possessive, and eventually warns that he will not tolerate anyone coming between them 46 47 50 55.

Business Growth and Divorce

Larger commissions provide Zhao Ying’s first substantial business earnings. After moving to the city, he establishes his carpentry business, gives Xue Ci their bankbook, and arranges an opportunity for him to return to school. His increasing workload and insecurity over Lu Xiunan’s education strain the relationship 56 58.

Lu Xiunan uses Zhao Ying’s business as leverage while offering Xue Ci money. Xue Ci signs a divorce agreement and returns to Zhou Family Village. Zhao Ying discovers the agreement after a business trip, fights his brother, and follows Xue Ci to plead for reconciliation. Refused remarriage, he remains outside in a storm until Xue Ci takes him in with a fever 58 59.

Factory and Final Reunion

Xue Ci persuades Zhao Ying to focus on establishing the furniture factory by promising they will remarry once it is running. After Xue Ci is drugged and escapes an attempted kidnapping, Zhao Ying joins the search and later finds him hiding at A Hui’s mountain cabin 61 62.

He carries Xue Ci home and resumes their domestic routine. Though still jealous, he becomes less openly reactive to visiting rivals and travels between the factory and home. At the factory’s New Year celebration, Xue Ci gives him a lucky red cord, bringing the world’s progress to 100%. Zhao Ying shields his ears from the firecrackers and reaffirms his unconditional devotion before Xue Ci leaves the world 62.

Difference from the Original Plot

• In the world’s original storyline, Zhao Ying’s accident restores his memories, his family funds his furniture factory, and his spouse accepts money to divorce him. Zhao Ying becomes disheartened and they separate permanently 34.
• In the events experienced by Xue Ci, Zhao Ying still cannot remember his childhood when meeting the Lu family. The divorce does not end his attachment, and he continues treating Xue Ci as his spouse through the world’s final chapter 42 62.

Notable Quotes

“Xiao Ci is my wife. … And I’m his only husband.” 55

“Xiao Ci, never leave me.” 62

“Because you’re Xue Ci.” 62

Trivia

• Zhao Ying introduces his given name as “Ying as in eagle,” matching the circumstances of his adoption 34.
• His birthday is the only detail he retains from his fragmented childhood memories. Before Xue Ci promises him a birthday gift, no one has celebrated it for him 52.
• Factory workers tease him for hurrying home to cook for his spouse, and he silently accepts their description of him as a “wife slave” 36.