Shangguan Mingyue

Biodata

Background / History

Shangguan Mingyue took over Tianmei Entertainment at twenty. By suppressing competitors, cultivating allies, and poaching talent, she multiplied the company’s market value and established it as a leading entertainment company in Great Xia. Within three years, she had severely weakened its former largest competitor. Her recruitment of Huasheng Entertainment’s key personnel contributed substantially to that company’s decline 22 42.

Three years before the birthday-banquet incident, her maternal grandmother, Shangguan Hong, accepted a marriage proposal from the Wang Family on her behalf in exchange for business concessions. The intended husband, Wang Yu, was an older widower who had pursued the match after his wife’s death. Mingyue fiercely opposed the arrangement, quarreled with her grandmother, and moved out of the family residence. She lived independently and did not return home for three years 38 43.

Appearance

• Face and hair: Long black hair, an oval face, delicate features, willow-leaf brows, a shapely upturned nose, and deep-set eyes that sometimes appear chilly 22.
• Build: Tall and curvaceous, with pale, cool-toned skin and long, straight legs 22 34.
• Office attire: Introduced wearing an office uniform, black stockings, red high heels, and burgundy lip gloss 22.
• Banquet attire: Wears a black bodycon dress with shimmering decorations, a small suit jacket, black stockings, and high heels 41.

Personality

Mingyue is demanding, commercially shrewd, and willing to use ruthless methods against competitors. She initially dislikes Chen Ze’s confidence because she regards it as empty boasting, but changes her assessment when his performances demonstrate his value. Once convinced of his potential, she directs extensive company resources toward promoting and retaining him 22 26 28.

She strongly values control over her own life. Rather than accept an unwanted marriage, she leaves her family home and later challenges both families publicly. Faced with possible expulsion, she maintains that she can support herself, says she has spent three years making preparations, and accepts the possibility of living as an ordinary person 43 44.

Her attraction to Chen Ze exposes a less composed, possessive side. She repeatedly interprets his refusals as embarrassment rather than rejection. While drunk, she physically restrains and kisses him despite his initial resistance; afterward, she worries that she has angered him and decides to apologize, but still convinces herself that he wants a formal confession 45 46.

Abilities & Skills

Business Management

Mingyue’s principal demonstrated ability is running and expanding an entertainment company 22.

• Competitive strategy: Uses alliances, talent recruitment, and pressure on rivals to strengthen Tianmei’s market position 22 42.
• Artist promotion: Orders increased publicity for Chen Ze, prioritizes company resources during his competition, and commissions an online fan support group 26 28 30.
• Contract negotiation: Recognizes the long-term value of Chen Ze’s songwriting and negotiates recurring song deliveries as part of his S-tier contract 35.
• Talent development: Identifies Liu Cixin’s lack of a signature song and arranges for Chen Ze to write material suited to her voice and image 35.

Physical Strength

• Restrains Chen Ze’s arms and prevents him from getting up during their encounter at her villa 45.
• No combat training or named fighting technique is established; Chen Ze’s information-reading ability lists her skills as “none” 34.

Recorded Attributes

Chen Ze views the following information through his system; this is a single recorded assessment, not a documented power progression 34.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruiting and Promoting Chen Ze

Mingyue meets Chen Ze through Zhang Ting while temporarily overseeing his department during Manager Wang’s overseas assignment. She questions his choice of a C-tier contract and offers the possibility of an A- or S-tier contract if he can produce more songs comparable to “My Old Classmate.” She also gives him half a month to prepare for The Voice of Great Xia, threatening to terminate his contract if he fails to finish in the top three 22.

As his performances attract attention, she becomes convinced that Tianmei may have another superstar. Concerned that his initial contract lasts only one year, she orders stronger promotion, the release of his recording of “Hometown,” and further publicity for his songs 26 28 30.

The S-Tier Contract

When Chen Ze visits to request half a month’s leave, Mingyue is startled by the changes in his appearance and bearing. Their discussion leads to a revised S-tier contract: Chen Ze negotiates the proposed ten-year term down to three years and agrees to provide two songs every six months. He remains free to write for others, but songs supplied to Tianmei cannot also be given elsewhere 34 35.

Before signing, she asks for two songs for Liu Cixin. Chen Ze writes “A Diao” and “Invisible Wings” after hearing Liu sing, and Mingyue praises how well they suit her. She later reports that both releases have received a strong response 35 37.

The Villa Purchase

When Chen Ze asks for help finding a house for Chen Xixi, Mingyue refers him to Sister Li. She privately notices the vacant villa beside her own home and subsequently instructs Sister Li to carry out a plan to sell it to him cheaply 37.

Chen Ze later offers ten songs in return for ten million in immediate funding while requesting eighty percent of their subsequent earnings. Mingyue accepts with an additional condition involving her grandmother’s birthday banquet. Her private thoughts indicate that the money he spends purchasing the villa will return to her 38.

Defying the Marriage Alliance

Mingyue hires Chen Ze to help sabotage her proposed marriage to Wang Yu. He bargains her payment up to five million, then secures another million when she clarifies that their performance may require holding hands, embracing, or kissing. She takes him for a makeover before bringing him to Rose Manor as her supposed boyfriend 38 41.

At the banquet, she introduces Chen Ze as the man she loves and exchanges insults with her childhood rival, Wang Jingjing. Upstairs, she rejects Wang Yu’s claim that they are engaged, condemns the arrangement as a transaction made without her consent, and accuses her grandmother of selling her for personal gain 42 43.

After Chen Ze’s confrontation with Wang Yu, Shangguan Hong orders him to stay away from Mingyue. Mingyue refuses to marry Wang Yu or abandon Chen Ze and leaves with him, preventing the planned public announcement of the alliance. By the sea afterward, she thanks Chen Ze and explains that she is prepared to survive without her family’s support 44.

Pursuing Chen Ze

After the banquet, Mingyue invites Chen Ze into her villa and questions whether his declarations of love were sincere. He explains that he was acting and denies having a secret crush. Drunk and unwilling to accept his answer, she stops him from leaving, pins him down, demands that he say he likes her, and kisses him. Chen Xixi’s phone call interrupts the encounter; Chen Ze then puts the unconscious Mingyue to bed and leaves 45.

The next morning, Mingyue apologizes and offers to “take responsibility.” Although Chen Ze says nothing further happened and denies being angry, she interprets his response as shyness and announces that she will prepare a proper confession 46.

She arranges jewelry, a watch, 999 roses, fireworks, a yacht, and a helicopter. When Chen Ze declines her first dinner invitation, she reschedules for the evening after tomorrow. On the appointed day, she sends Assistant Wang to collect him and arrange his clothes and makeup before taking him to Deep Sea Aria at Music Sea Ark. The provided chapters do not establish the confession’s outcome 48 49 50.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Luxury sedan — An understated, high-end vehicle that she says cost twenty million; she drives Chen Ze to his makeover and the banquet 41.
• Private villa — Her home since leaving the Shangguan residence. Includes a basement leisure area with a yoga space, home theater, snacks, and red wine 45.
• Red coral longevity Buddha — A commissioned carving valued at five million, given to Chen Ze to present to her grandmother as a birthday gift 42.
• Confession gifts — A ring, necklace, and watch purchased for her planned romantic surprise; their presentation to Chen Ze is not shown in the provided chapters 48.

Relationships

• Chen Ze — Tianmei artist, neighbor, hired pretend boyfriend, and romantic interest. He helps her defeat the marriage arrangement but explicitly denies that his banquet declarations were genuine 35 44 45.
• Shangguan Hong — Maternal grandmother. Their relationship is strained by Hong’s acceptance of the Wang Family’s proposal and her threat to expel Mingyue 38 43.
• Shangguan Wan’er — Second older sister. Intervenes when their grandmother refuses Mingyue’s birthday gift and later tries to calm the family confrontation 43.
• Wang Yu — Unwanted prospective husband. Mingyue consistently rejects both him and the engagement arranged without her consent 43 44.
• Wang Jingjing — Childhood rival and head of the competing Huasheng Entertainment. Their antagonism combines personal taunts with business competition 42 43.
• Zhang Ting — Tianmei colleague who introduces Chen Ze and discusses his promotion and retention with Mingyue 22 26 28.
• Liu Cixin — Tianmei singer whose career Mingyue seeks to advance through tailor-made songs 35.
• Sister Li — Property contact who helps carry out Mingyue’s villa-sale arrangement 37.
• Chen Xixi — Chen Ze’s sworn younger sister, who welcomes Mingyue into their home when she comes to apologize 45 46.

Notable Quotes

“No matter what you say, I will never marry Wang Yu, and I will never give up Chen Ze!” 44

“I can support myself on my own; there’s no need to swallow that sort of humiliation!” 44