AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU  companion piece


Table of contents

Each title is linked to relevant section (click on them to find them directly)

  1.  General information
  2.  Shooting dates and other production details : Airing, reservations, popularity ; Platforms to watch the series ; Promotion and buzz
  3.  Music
  4.  Character Relationship chart and alphabetical list of characters
  5. What is a Pixiu ? 
  6. Xinggang and Qingdao (film & studios base, iconic Bavarian style buildings +surroundings)
  7. Some interesting product placements
  8. Characters and cast by order of appearance  (60+ characters and cast illustrated notes in the gallery)   
    • part 1   Xiaobai, Dahuang, Ji Xing, Han Ting,.... the members of the Board of Dongyuan Group [00-19]
    • part 2   Shao Yichen, .... Lu Linjia... Han Yumei, Chang He   [20-37]
    • part 3   CEO Lin (Beidi), Han Yujian, .... Luo Ping, ...  Zhang Fengmei...   [38-59]
    • part 4   CEO Zhu ..... Qin Li ... [60-71]
  9. Farewell messages to the characters
  10. Link to the video edit summary by MK916

Sources :  MDL, Sohu, Baidu, Weibo, Wikipedia and other articles. (highlighted texts lead to sources ; pictures lead to their source or further information, or are my screenshots from the drama.

To view the list of my other drama companion pieces (with links to them), check : HERE.

<This companion piece was completed and proofread on August 5, 2024>


1. General information

Chinese title :  你比星光美丽  Nǐ bǐ xīngguāng měilì (You are more beautiful than the stars)

English title : As Beautiful As You,   2024 TV series 

Crew :              


Directed by :

 Chén Chàng

 陈畅

Douban


He directed 17 dramas since 2015, among which :

Screenwriter:

Yáng Qiān Zǐ

 杨千紫


On October 10, 2023, the e-novelist and script writer, born in 1992, joined the Chinese Writers Association. She is the author of Princess of Lan Ling King (2016)- Weibo

She wrote scripts for 5 dramas:

  • Stylist / Costume Designers :  Xǔ Xiǎoyì  许晓奕,  Yǐn Jié 尹杰 (Men’s Wear Styling Director)  ; Téng Xuěfēi 滕雪菲  (Women’s Wear Styling Director) ; Fashion Design Xuē Míng  薛明
  • Set Designer : Liú Xiǎoyǔ    刘晓宇 
  • Cinematographer/Photography:  Lǐ yǒngzhì    李永志
  • Dubbing director  :  Mǎ Chéng  马程  (most actors and XK + TSY are doing their own dubbing ; some, mentioned in characters and cast gallery in section 5, are voice acted by another professional)Below, GIF excerpts from linked YouTube BTS recordings : of October 17, 2023 showing Xǔ Kǎi  tackling the post-production self-dubbing in Beijing studios; and of Tan Songyun dubbing the breakup of Ji Xing from Shao Yichen :


The TV series starred Tán Sōngyùn 谭松韵  and Xǔ Kǎi  许凯  ("listed in no particular order, in alphabetical order by last name's pinyin").

Company: Laoyou Pictures, Zhao Yuan Ying Shi, Guo Wen Pictures

"The play is adapted from the novel Nǐ rú Běijīng měilì  (你如北京美丽, "You are as beautiful as Beijing") by Jiǔ Yuèxī   玖月晞"

A fan translation is online : it is interesting to notice that the drama has offered a different take on the characters and the story, more fitting to the visual experience.  (MDL user Kim_YeJin initiated a Discussion thread to compare the two versions for the readers). 

SYNOPSIS (from Viki) : "Jì Xīng (Tán Sōngyùn) has worked diligently for a top IT firm for the past three years but struggles to stand out in a fiercely competitive corporate world. Frustrated, she decides to quit and launch her own company. She soon attracts the support of a powerful mentor and investor, CEO Hán Tíng (Xǔ Kǎi ). With his backing, her entrepreneurial journey begins to gain momentum. As they collaborate closely, their professional relationship starts to deepen, and unexpected romantic sparks fly. 

This 2024 Chinese drama series was based on a novel by Jiǔ Yuèxī   and was directed by Chén Chàng."

Click here to get back to Table of contents 

2.  Shooting dates and locations, other production details.

Airing, reservations, popularity ; Platforms to watch the series ; Promotion and buzz, Weekly popularity and Douban initial rating,  Fan posts of clips and BTS lists,  Interviews.

Shooting dates :  February 5, 2023 to June 9, 2023Locations : Qingdao, studios.

40 +1 x 45' episodes - 
Airing from July  2 to 23, 2024 (final episodes and a bonus 41 one aired in "package" on July 19)

Platforms to watch it (direct links):

Hunan TV,  Mango TV,  Tencent Video
 As Beautiful as You on international platforms : oViki ; on YouTube   (each offering different options for subtitles but without the bonus final short episode "41" or "40.5").  Other platform, uploader Kisskh (with English subtitles until special episode 41).   The bonus episode has also been uploaded as a standalone on YouTube (12 minutes) although only with Hanzi subtitles.  But it has English subtitles on the Dailymotion upload.



PROMOTION AND BUZZ :  

Building anticipation, official releases and publications from the production :             

  • May 20, 2023, "520 Stars moving without stopping poster (play on words on 520 code for "I love you" in Chinese)
  • June 9, 2023,  the play’s first stills ; 
  • June 19,  2023, release of its first trailer+  a crowd-embracing poster . 
  • August 22, 2023,  Chinese Valentine’s Day ("Qixi") poster
  •  September 1, 2023, a heart-stopping poster 
  • September 29, 2023, stills of embracing each other under the Mid-Autumn Moon.          
January 9, 2024 : official launch of the MV for the ending song " Jie "
June 24, 2024 , new poster  
June 25, 2024, shining poster + a group portrait poster and the trailer for "Because of You"  
June 26, 2024, a trailer for the "Stars and Wishes" version 
June 27, 2024, the drama OST lineup
June 29, drama release announcement and the trailer for "Only You in the Galaxy"
June 30,  life freeze-frame poster + a super long trailer. 
July 1, 2024, poster for "Encounter in the Sea of People"
July 2, 2024 ultimate trailer of Starlight Gives You + Drama calendar , character relationship diagram.  
July 5, 2024 "emotional special"
July 8, new poster .  
July 14, First broadcast on Jiangsu Satellite TV’s Xingfu Theater
July 19, back-to-back black and white posters  
July 24-25, emotional relationship poster


Some heat index posters from July 2 to 5, 2024  :

As monitored by Dreams, Tencent heat index reached Highest peak: 07/15 -> 27 910
after a rise starting on July 2, 2024, but could not rise any longer after the airing ended, and fell just short of coveted 28000 level which many were eagerly waiting for. Still a very honorable score... 

  • 07/12 -> 27 000
  • 07/05 -> 26 000
  • 07/03 -> 25 000
  • 07/03 -> 24 000
  • 07/02 -> 23 000
  • 07/02 -> 22 000
  • 07/02 -> 21 000
  • 07/02 -> 20 000
.... almost but not 28000
       but still billions of views.

Successful launch :

MDL user  H19279  has kept, daily, a dedicated track about the "broadcast charts and Tables of CVB rating, number of views,  popularity index (character, drama), heat index. Those include Kuyun, Yunhe, Datawin, V-linkage charts and some other charts. Thus, it helps to show how the drama is performed and received in China. " It is a well-illustrated and informative thread about these technical sides, which can help Chinese conversant readers to follow the impact of this (and other) drama until July 30 and beyond.


Viewcounts :

Over 1.6 billion views...       and 16h laterover 1.7 billion views, as of 2024.07.28 !

Rank in weekly viewing of TV series in China  (weekly reporting of the 10 top TV dramas of the week, by Marcus Here! channel on Youtube, "based on TV ratings, and social media discussions in China") in July-August 2024:

  1. # 4 (week ending July 7)
  2. # 1 (week ending July 14)
    with 598 points
  3. # 2 (week ending July 21)
  4. # 2 (week ending July 28)
  5. # 1 (week ending August 4)   
    with 525 points
  6.  # 3 (week ending August 11)
  7.  # 3 (week ending August 18)
  8.  # 6 (week ending August 26)
  9.  # 8 (week ending September 1)
  10.  # 8 (week ending September 8)
  11.  # 9 (week ending September 15)


Douban initial rating of July 17, 2024 :   6.9   for 12,381 votes  

(a very good rating)

(Screenshot of July 29, 2024 - Click on the above page to check the latest Weibo rating)

FAN POSTS OF CLIPS, BTS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA DISCUSSIONS :  

MDL users   H19279  and  whoissilmoy    have compiled long lists of interesting links to posts or reposts (sometimes with short title presentations) of clips of BTS, or posts from social media in this  DISCUSSION THREAD.  Despite some links may break with time, they are worth exploring :-)

My Gif excerpt from a 16 minutes BTS video posted on YouTube  (the actors had lots of fun) ; click on for full video and more BTS scenes:

Xu Kai and Tan Songyun also took part in variety shows themed wholly or in part around the drama, as soon as March 2024 Hello Saturday (1h28). Here is my Gif excerpt from the Hello Saturday show of 2024-07-16 (links to the  48'32 recording on YouTube):


 Interview July 25, 2024 

(YouTube, 15:46, English subtitles) :


Xukaisoso on Instagram posted this interesting clip (my GIf excerpt to left links to the full 2'04 post) from the July 4, 2024 Promo meeting. It examines how Xu Kai understood and played the two CEO characters in his 2024 dramas : Hotel CEO Yao Zhi Ming of Best Choice Ever and CEO in a medical instruments and products holding company Han Ting of As Beautiful As You.

"Even though they’re both characterized as “domineering boss”, the way Xu Kai portrays HT through his facial expressions, the way he walks, the way he shows emotions with his eyes, even his tiny lip movements are all different from those of YZM."

MDL user  whoissilmoy  also initiated a Discussion to further examine the differences between these two characters.  
Noteworthy too, is that BCE was filmed after ABAY, although aired before.


Other interesting interviews and videos:   Xu Kai's thoughts at age 29 (5'45) ;    Xu Kai and Tan Songyun recreate romantic scene: "Will you marry me?" (9'31);  Xu Kai: My abs weren't in their best shape at that time (11'05).


Click here to get back to Table of contents 

3. Music

OST List from Baidu  (Links to Peachey Blossom's playlist of translated OST songs from the drama.)

1.-  理想之地 (Lǐxiǎng zhī dìIdeal Place)   (3'28)
  • sung by 黄绮珊 (Huang Qishan), 
  • music by 和汇慧、王梓同 (He Huihui and Wang Zitong),
  • lyrics by 廖羽、宣懿家 (Liao Yu, Xuan Yi Jia) 

Opening episodes song  - also sung in :

  • ep5, when JX and SZZ discovered the rooftop terrace; 
  • ep.10 when JX goes to Xinggang hospital to get data for work
  • ep.15 when the team starts to work on the physical prototype

2.- 界 (Jiè ; Boundary)   (3'40)

  • sung by 谭松韵 (Tan Songyun, who plays Ji Xing in the series), 
  • music by (Liao Yu, He Huihui), 
  • lyrics by (He Huihui)

Ending Episodes song, also sung in 

  • ep.32 when Ji Xing took a walk during the CNY  in her home town of ChuanCheng ; 
  • ep. 33 when Han Ting sits on the old rooftop.
  • ep.36 when Ji Xing looked at the list checked on the fridge 
3.- 等你 (Děng nǐ Wait For You)  (4'19)
  • sung by 弦子 (Xian Zi), 
  • music by 王梓同 (Wang Zitong), 
  • lyrics by 廖羽、宣懿家 (Liao Yu, Xuan Yi Jia)


Song playing in

  • ep.19 in Lu Linjia's bar, when LLJ spoke with Su Zhizhou (beginning of episode)
  • ep.27 when JX moved in with HT.
4.- You Are Everything  (3'12)
  • sung by 萨吉 (Sa Ji, English lyrics), 黄礼格 (Huang Lige, Chinese rap), 
  • music by 和汇慧、王梓同 (He Huihui and Wang Zitong), 
  • lyrics by 王梓同、黄礼格 (Wang Zitong, Huang Lige) 

Song playing in : 

  • ep.3 when HT caught JX at the bus stop, 
  • ep.20 and 21 when HT and JX were on the square in "Munich",
  • ep.22 on the birthday night, 
  • ep.23 when she wrote her speech, 
  • ep.24 when HT asked JX to be his gf,
  • ep.26 when they kissed under the starry sky.....
5.-My Dearest Passerby   (3'47)
  • sung by 房东的猫 (Fangdong Demao
  • music by 和汇慧、王梓同 (He Huihui and Wang Zitong)
  • lyrics by 朱瑞琪 (Zhu Ruiqi) 

Song playing in :

  • ep.8 when JX was on the rooftop terrace, reflecting about Han Yuan’s investment proposal ; 
  • ep.21, when HT and JX rode the elevator up to their hotel rooms in Munich

6.- 爱比星光美丽 (Ài bǐ xīngguāng měilì ; Love is prettier than starlight)   (4'02)

  • sung by 谭松韵 (Tang Songyun), 
  • music by 王梓同 (Wang Zitong), 
  • lyrics by 廖羽 (Liao Yu)

Song playing in 

  • ep.32 when HT was reminiscing, with Dahuang, 
  • ep. 33 when HT looked at her letter.

7.- 星光不及你 (Xīngguāng bùjí nǐ ; Starlight Is Not As Bright As You)  (4'01)

  • sung by 吴施乐 (Wu Shile who plays Qiuzi in the series), 
  • music by 王梓同 (Wang Zitong), 
  • lyrics by 王乐 (Wang Le)


 The songs  sung in English, reveal the international ambitions of this drama : guitar ballad My Dearest Passerby, and the chorus of You Are Everything alternating with rap/Cpop lines. As it can happen, other songs and melodies occur : in this drama, in addition to two that I did not recognize despite lyrics on screen, there are two songs that can be traced to earlier dramas :

Other songs

Warm LittleTime   (暖暖的小时光, Nuǎn nuǎn de xiǎoshí guāng)  (3'18)  from "Cola is power")

Episode 18,  6:05  : Tu Xiaomeng sang the song that LLJ was not able to sing. It is an OST song from the 2019 c-drama Put Your Head on My Shoulder  (致我们暖暖的小时光)  [The song is also used in ep.23 ; and in  ep.26 dancing scene]
Love Needs Practice (爱需要练习,  Ài xūyào liànxí)   (5'25)

Episode 21, end : Mrs Han Yumei, mother of Lu Linjia, sings on stage, in her son's Sweet & Sour music bar. She covered some lines of  “Love Needs Practicea song originally sung by Liu Ruiqi (刘瑞琦) in 2015 c-drama Mission Impossible Love (爱情碟中谍), and also recorded by Chen Ming (陈明).



Click here to get back to Table of contents 

4. Character relationship chart and list in alphabetical order


Click on picture above to enlarge the view. 

Below : Numbers in brackets refer to the description in the Illustrated List of characters by order of appearance. (The numbers are clickable for link to relevant sub-section of Section 8)

B

[00]  XiaoBai, the medical robot, specialized in dental condition diagnosis

[62]  BeiBei, Xiao Yixiao's daughter

[38]   Beidi Technologies sales assistant reporting to CEO  Lin

Board members of Dongyuan Group :

[2] Han Ting, investor and CEO of Dongyuan Medical Group ;

[4] Han Yuan, former CEO of Dongyuan group, who had to step down for her cousin Han Ting on his return, but stayed head of Dong Yuan Technology and member of the Board

[16] Director Wang, a Board member of Dongyang group, whom HT had met on purpose on his flight back. 

[17] Director Yang, Board member of Dongyang group, often opposed to HT

[19] Director He, a Board member of Dongyang group

[18] Mr. Zhou, Board member of Dongyang group from Han Yuan faction, systematically opposing Han Ting 


C

[37] Chang He, Chairman of Tongke Technology, a competitor of Dongyuan group andGuanghua, who tried to ally with Zeng Di and Han Yuan. Enemy of Han Ting.

[50] Chen Ningyang, director of Hanhai, later of HanXing

[7] Chen Songlin, manager of Guanghua R&D department

[48] Chen Zuo, coding engineer hired by LiLi and Su Zhizhou for XingChen

D

[01] Da Huang,  Ji Xing’s and Han Ting’s cat

[65] Da Shu,  Tu  Xiaomeng's idol, who came to sing at the Sweet & Sour bar

G

[71]  German AI company CEO  discussing with Qin Li about employment

[24] “Granny” Liu, old woman from Qingtian village, with dental problems

[25] “Granny” Niu Yuhong, old woman from Qingtian village, with a badly fit prosthetic leg

Guanghua staff members :

[9] Zeng Di, CEO of Guanghua

[8] Zhu Lei, Director of Sales Department of Guanghua

[7] Chen Songlin, manager of Guanghua R&D departement

[6] Lin Zhen, colleague of Ji XIng in Guanghua company


H

[2] Han Ting, investor from Dongyuan Medical Group ;

[65]  Han Ting's mother, in flashbacks to when HT was 8 years old

[4] Han Yuan, Dong Yuan Technology and cousin of HT

[40] Han Yujian, Han Ting’s grandfather and founder of Dongyang Group

[36] Han Yumei, Han Ting’s (great) aunt, sister of Han Yujian and Lu Linjia’s mother

[5] Huang Weiwei, colleague of Ji XIng in Guanghua company

[19] Director He, a Board member of Dongyang group

[33] “Brother” Huang, a former university acquaintance of Su Zhizhou. A scammer. 

J

[1] Ji Xing, engineer with Guanghua, and next, vice-president of XingChen

[35] Ji Xing’s mother

[46] Ji Xing’s father

[66] young Jixing, as a 7 year old at the Xinggang aquarium

[21] Dr.Jiang Huai, a specialist who became Director of AI department at Dongyang Medical 

Ji Xing’s “guinü” best friends :

[11] Tu Xiaomeng,  live streamer under stage name “Clever Fruit, Bitter Lemon”

[12] Li Li, saleswoman, also skilled in purchases and HR employees.

[27] Qiuzi (Wei Qiuzi), who worked in a materials institute


L

[12] Li Li, one of Ji Xing’s three “guinü” (bff), saleswoman, also skilled in purchases and HR employees.

[45] Li Li’s mother

[15] Li zong, businessman and acquaintance of HT

[23] Dr. Li, in charge of testing Phase II of XIaoBai robot, and Dongyuan’s Doctorcloud at Xinggang Hospital 

[41] Dr. Li Quan’an, a department head in Xinggang Hospital who JX wanted to connect with about 3D products

[6] Lin Zhen, colleague of Ji XIng in Guanghua company

[39] Mr Lin, CEO of Beidi Technologies, maker and seller of 3D printing machines

[24] “Granny” Liu, old woman from Qingtian village, with dental problems

[68] Liu ayi, Han Yumei's maid who conveniently went on leave to help attract TXM

[63] Liu Zhiling,  Assistant Liu for Han Yuan

[30] Lu Linjia, Han Ting’s “uncle” and manager of Sweet & Sour Music bar

[42] Luo Ping,  Became head of Products department at Dongyang, and President of  HanXing

M

[43]  Mr Ma, Director of Kebo Technology, often drank wine with old Mr. Han, and was torn between favoring Zeng Di or Han Ting

[51]  Mǎ Fēng, a genetics expert who brushed off Ji Xing at Xinggang university.

[69] Professor Meng, Qin Li's post-doctoral supervisor in Germany

N

[25] “Granny” Niu Yuhong, old woman from Qingtian village, with a badly fit leg prosthetic

O

[55-56]  Old couple taking pictures on the square in Munich, Germany.

P

[72]  Passenger in the flight back from Germany

[53] Péng Sīnián, of Penguin Technology, a businessman HT was eager to connect with.

[69] Professor Meng, Qin Li's post-doctoral supervisor in Germany

[52] Professor Xiang, teacher of management at the Xinggang university

Q

[70] Qin Li,  friend of Han Ting, consultant on AI for Dongyang

[26]  Qingtian fishing village mayor

[27] Qiuzi (Wei Qiuzi), one of the three best friends of Ji Xing 

R


S

[21] Shao Yichen, orthopedic assistant doctor, Ji Xing’s boyfriend of four years, who chose another future

[28] Shang Gaofeng, one of the first staff members of XingChen

[34] Director ShenDirector of Ke Technology (Science and Technology Innovation)

[10] Su Zhizhou, friend and founder with JX of Xingchen company

T

[64]  Tan Yuni, actress, ambassador of Dongyang social activities

[3]    Tang Song, assistant of HT

[22] Taxi driver, taxi driver encountered twice by Ji Xing

[11] Tu Xiaomeng, best friend of Ji Xing, live streamer under stage name “Clever Fruit, Bitter Lemon”

W

[16] Director Wang, a Board member of Dongyang group, who HT had met on purpose on his flight back. 

[47] Wang Chong, New Sales Director of Dongyang Medical, promoted by Han Ting

[54]  Wèi Dè,  Director of clinical tests at the hospital, and Qiuzi's uncle.

[27] Wei Qiuzi, one of the three best friends of Ji Xing 

[31] Mr. Wu, a possible investor found by LiLi, and a lecher

[32] Mrs Wu , Mr Wu’s wife, quick to scold

X

[29] Xia Lan, one of the first staff members of XingChen

[58] Xia Lu, a young entrepreneur, invested by Mr Zhu

[52] Professor Xiang, teacher of management at the university

[11] Xiaomeng (Tu Xiaomeng), best friend of JX, live streamer under stage name “Clever Fruit, Bitter Lemon”

[13] Xiao Yixiao, friend and secret figurehead for HT investments, owner of Xingyue club

[49] Xu YouYou, computer science graduate hired by LiLi and Su Zhizhou for XingChen

XingChen staff members :

[1] Ji Xing, engineer with Guanghua, and next, president of XingChen

[10] Su Zhizhou, friend and founder with JX of Xingchen company

[12] Li Li, one of Ji Xing’s three “guinü” (bff), saleswoman, also skilled in purchases and HR recruitment of employees.

[28] Shang Gaofeng, one of the first staff members of XingChen

[29] Xia Lan, one of the first staff members of XingChen

[48] Chen Zuo, coding engineer hired by LiLi and Su Zhizhou for XingChen

[49] Xu YouYou, computer science graduate hired by LiLi and Su Zhizhou for XingChen

[58] Zhong Yini, the new XingChen Purchasing department employee


Y

[17] Director Yang, Board member of Dongyang, often opposed to HT

Z

[9] Zeng Di, CEO of Guanghua

[57] Zhang Fengmei, a poor workig class mom with a displaced vertebral disk.

[59] Zhang Fengmei's husband, a violent person who slandered XingChen company

[58] Zhong Yini, the new XingChen Purchasing department employee

[14] Zhao Xingbo, son of the Chairman of Ren’ai Hospital group, who Zeng Di wanted to support Guanghua.

[18] Mr. Zhou, Board member of Dongyang group from Han Yuan faction, systematically opposing Han Ting 

[44] Zhou Ying, Han Ting’s aunt and mother of Han Yuan

[60] Zhu Houyu, a shady businessman at the Forum of Leading Entrepreneurs dinner

[8]   Zhu Lei, Director of Sales Department of Guanghua


Click here to get back to Table of contents                                

5.  What is a pixiu ?


Chang He pouring tea over the pixiu sculpture on the table in his mansion, for good luck (ep19)

Adapted from a feature by Beijing Tourism, here is the explanation  of Pixiu importance : 

"Pixiu (also called Tianlu or Bixie) is one of the five auspicious animals of traditional Chinese culture (the other four are the dragon, phoenix, turtle and Qilin). The Chinese people call it “fortune beast.” This lion-looking beast has the head of dragon, the body of a horse and the legs of a qilin and is able to fly. The Pixiu is both ferocious and powerful so it works as a security guard of Heaven, resisting demons and ghosts. Just like the dragon and the qilin, the Pixiu brings happiness good luck for people and has an exorcising function. ...many Chinese people wear jade Pixius" sometimes on a string of precious beads coiled around the wrist. There is a saying that goes: “touch a Pixiu once and you will get a good luck, twice you and will get money and treasure, and the on third time you will get power and position.”  

 According to Chinese mythology, "the Pixiu is the Dragon King’s ninth son. It has " has 26 figures and 49 incarnations".  Gold, silver, jewels and all other treasures are the Pixiu’s staple food. Because it once relieved itself in the pool of Heavenly palace, the Jade emperor had him punished by removing its anus, so it can only take in wealth and treasure but not give it out.  

Nevertheless, Fengshui experts say that the Pixiu can protect homes, exorcise devils and raise fortune and power for the master, so it was often sculpted on the joist of bg houses.  Copper, which looks like gold, is also used for scuptures of Pixiu to be displayed in homes : according to Fengshui experts, copper Pixius placed in the eight directions have the strongest power. But "there are some taboos in positioning Pixius indoors. First, don’t put its head towards the front door, because the front door is the precinct of another god. Second, don’t put it towards mirrors, because the light from the mirrors will make the Pixiu feel nervous. Third, don’t put it against your bed, because that is believed to do harm to yourself. One peculiarity of the Pixiu is that if the master has violated the law, it won’t work for him anymore."  Besides, there are special rules for wearing it as a wealth-bringing amulet: if you wear it on your wrist, you need to wear it on your left hand, bringing in wealth and good fortune. The right wrist is to share that fortune with others. Wearing the bracelet on your right-hand means you’re giving away the wealth energy to other people.


Click here to get back to Table of contents 

6. XINGGANG AND QINGDAO  青岛

From fiction to reality and realization : Xinggang is Qingdao, a city with a lot of assets for industry, tourism, but also for making movies and TV series !  Overview of its German History with an iconic number of Bavarian style buildings to rival Munich, and of its other unique features highlighted in the drama. Not to forget the Qingdao film hub.

1. Qingdao's film hub revs up China's cinema scene

At a recent promotional event for the Shanghai International Film Festival, Qingdao West Coast New Area showcased the China Movie Metropolis, representing the entire Qingdao Film and Television Base for on-site promotion.

The Qingdao Film and Television Base plays a key role in producing major film and television projects such as The Wandering Earth series, Creation of the Gods series, A Writer's Odyssey, Moon Man, and Home Coming. (*)

China Movie Metropolis, having contributed over 31 billion yuan ($4.27 billion) in box office revenue through its involvement in more than 60 films, has been pivotal in the creation of iconic Chinese movies.   The park has pioneered the first domestic virtualized film and television production platform, championing the utilization of cutting-edge LED virtual shooting technology. It has also united leading domestic talent in various fields, forming a powerful film and television supplier alliance.

Furthermore, significant efforts have been made to introduce supportive policies at the provincial, municipal, and district levels to bolster the film and television industry. By synchronizing policies across these three levels, production companies within the industry can benefit from up to 34.8 million yuan in government support.

Over the years, the Qingdao Film and Television Base has attracted 1,045 film and television companies, establishing a comprehensive industry cluster covering all aspects of film and television production. Hosting 353 diverse production teams, with 401 projects approved for production, Qingdao is solidifying its position as a key hub for the Chinese film industry.  [  chinadaily.com.cn, updated: June 17, 2024]

(*)  Four movies produced and shot in Qingdao, namely Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, The Wandering Earth II, Home Coming and Ripples of Lifecollectively won seven Golden Rooster Awards in 2023 in Xiamen [other hot film base in China, outside the mega studios of Hengdianin Zhejiang province]


2. Virtual rehearsal technology powers film studio in Qingdao

 Qingdao West Coast New Area (Qingdao WCNA) is home to almost 1,000 film and television companies and has played host to more than 300 film crews. The area has overseen 380 projects, generating over 31.1 billion yuan ($4.31 billion) in box office revenue. The West Zone Studio, established in January 2018 in Qingdao WCNA, is a vibrant hub of cinematic innovation.

Renowned for its exceptional art design and extensive prop library containing a diverse array of props, the West Zone Studio has become a popular prop rental destination for numerous film crews at the Qingdao Film and Television Base. However, founder Zhang Mingkai hopes to expand the studio's services beyond traditional boundaries by integrating the unreal engine – a virtual rehearsal technology – into film production.

The studio aims to enhance efficiency and reduce time and labor costs by combining the unreal engine with motion capture systems. This integration streamlines the design, planning, and post-production processes, promoting a smooth collaboration between post-production companies and art design.

Zhang Mingkai's forward-thinking approach, rooted in his belief in the eventual prominence of unreal engine technology in the domestic film industry, exemplifies the studio's commitment to exploring cutting-edge creative avenues. Through real-time pre-visualization videos, close cooperation between motion capture systems and UE5, and meticulous planning of major scenes, the West Zone Studio is paving the way for a dynamic and immersive filmmaking experience. [chinadaily.com.cn, Updated: May 15, 2024]



3. Xinggang as Qingdao

© | Screenshot of "You Are More Beautiful Than Starlight" 

Although the novel at the basis of this drama is titled  "You are as beautiful as Beijing"  (你如北京美   Nǐ rú běijīng měi ) and Beijing is the first among the top tier-one cities where medical research is conducted in China, the production chose another setting for the drama, and modeled the story accordingly.  

In the above picture, we can see the name of the city, together with an information which is relevant to the timeline. "The Xinggang metro entrance will be closed for maintenance from November 10 to November 20, 2022). 

[Note: MDL user conchiglia established a partial  timeline  of the events in the drama from that date until 08.09.24 - (date 09.09 on HT's boarding pass to fly from Munich to Xinggang) ; although the dates are not shown next, we can assume the story continues into 2025, and even into 2050-70 in a still peaceful world, in the bonus episode. The timeline mentions briefly some events, so look at it after viewing the drama if you prefer not to be spoiled.]

星港 [Xīng gǎng] “Star Port” is the fictitious name of the city where Dong Yang Medical is based ; the name is formed on the name of the FL and on the word “port” (which is also abbreviation for 香港 “Xiānggǎng” /Hong Kong) but the city used for the shooting is far from the Bay area, where 香港,  广州 (Guǎngzhōu /Canton), and 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) are so close they can be commuted by train or road.

Xinggang could have been Shenzhen, which is the well-known high-tech hub in the "Bay area" close to Hongkong and Guangzhou (both SZ and GZ rank among the top tier-one cities, together with Shanghai).  The climate on the south coast of China does have, like in Shanghai, much humidity and strong rain spells, like the one where Ji Xing is rescued at a bus stop, in episode 2).  SZ is 2h15 southbound away by plane from SH, which ties in with the detour that Han Ting made via Shanghai, to talk to Mr Wang, the Board member, in episode 1, when he was flying back home from Germany). There are also fishing villages along the coast near Shenzhen.

(click on the picture above to enlarge or to access a Healthcare markets in China guide)

But the cityscapes which punctuate the drama give another clue. Among the cities that belong to tier-one, with strong emphasis on healthcare, there is one on the south coast of the Shandong peninsula, that has a big asset, from History, in its buildings, location, and relatively balmy climate : Qingdao  青岛.  (modern simplified and traditional characters script below, from Wikipedia)

It is 1h35 away from Shanghai by plane, but the  relatively new (opened  12 August 2021Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (IATA: TAO, ICAO: ZSQD)  links also to foreign countries.

More importantly, Qingdao features an old city full of German/Bavarian style houses, church, buildings, heritage from the colonization by the German, who had obtained rights to the port in 1895, until 1914 ; Qingdao finally went back to China in 1922 after the Japanese occupied the former German concession -- that is, on paper, since the Japanese left China only in 1945. 

In 1903, the Germans had even built a brewery there, which, to this day, make and market the famous green Tsingtao beer cans and bottles.  This allowed the cast and crew to film without having to travel to Munich in Europe ! 

The name of the city means "green island", and it has many parks, hills ; it is close to fishing villages in protected and picturesque areas, that can be reached by bus rides like Granny Liu does in episode . It is 1h35 away northbound from Shanghai. It has a wonderful aquarium like the one which Han Ting and Ji Xing take a tour in, on childhood memory recovery lane, in episode .  It has many universities and modern buildings, and an impressive bridge reaching into the sea.

Montage of various landmarks in Qingdao city, clockwise from top left: Qingdao's skyline, St. Michael's Cathedral, Qingdao harbor, a temple at the base of Mount Lao, and May Fourth Square with the iconic red Wind sculpture.  (Wikipedia)


Guantao Street, Qingdao

Map of 1912
Sign in Chinese and German marking Guantao Street, Qingdao

In the spring of 1898, the German government signed a treaty that allowed the Germans to lease an area of 540 square kilometres (130,000 acres; 210 sq mi) for 99 years (or until 1997, as the British did in Hong Kong's New Territories), to construct a railway to Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, and to exploit coalfields along the railroad.  The Kiautschou Bay concession, as it became known, existed from 1898 to 1914.

In 1910, the Germans drew up for the second time the city planning of Tsingtao (Warner 2001, p. 33). The former urban area was extended four times highlighted by the emphasis on the development of commerce and trade. Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925), leader of the Chinese Revolution of 1911 and subsequently first president of the Republic of China, visited the Tsingtau area and stated in 1912, "I am impressed. The city is a true model for China's future"

It is worth it to visit that city, or at least to watch a 3 minutes overview video by drone, from birds-eye,  or watch an 8 minutes walking tour, recorded on YouTube.

The city can be traveled by bus or by metro :   Qingdao Metro is a rapid transit system in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. The first line, Line 3 began operation on December 16, 2015 ; it has 8 lines that run from  06:15 to 21:30 hrs.

Qingdao waterfront

The tourism office of Qingdao was very pleased with the use the drama made of their cities, and made an illustrated article about the iconic locations in the drama, which I copy parts of, in adapted translation, below.

Follow the hit TV series "You Are More Beautiful Than the Stars" to visit Qingdao

跟着热播剧《你比星光美丽》游青岛

2024-07-10 21:25  Shandong . Source: The Paper -Government Affairs.

From the beginning of the play, there are glimpses of several familiar Qingdao city landscapes.

Qingdao Bay is a witness of the city’s century-long history. The "Changhong Yuanyin" trestle bridge extends from the shore into the blue sea. Across the sea from the pier,  the rocks are beautiful and the trees are shady.  Along the winding coastline, you can feel the sea breeze.

Jiaozhou Bay  Bridge

Jiaozhou Bay  Bridge spans across Jiaozhou Bay along  26.7 km (16.6 mi), connecting the three main urban areas of Qingdao, east, west and north. It was opened on 30 June 2011 after a little over 4.7 years construction work, but is designed to withstand earthquakes, collision with ships etc. The entire bridge is magnificent and impressive. It lies across Jiaozhou Bay like a dragon emerging from the sea : when the bridge is suspended above a sea of orange light, stretching all the way to the sunset, the long bridge blends in with the sea and sky.  


Qingshan Fishing Village  (ep. 4-5)

© | Screenshot of "You Are More Beautiful Than Starlight"

Qingshan Fishing Village is located on the coastline deep in Laoshan Mountain, in the Taiqing tourist area. It is a village built on the mountain, like a small paradise : the blue sky, blue sea and green mountains alternate. Terraced fields, tea plantations, villages, fishing ports and bays complement each other.


© | Photo Gallery Major General Pang

Clouds and mist flow between the mountains, fishing boats shuttle across the sea, mountains and seas are connected, red tiles and green trees, this ancient village sits at the foot of Mount Laoshan.

Qingdao Polar Ocean Park   (ep.28)

The aquarium that appeared in the drama "You Are More Beautiful Than Starlight" is Qingdao Polar Ocean Park. The “Deep Sea Fantasy - Jellyfish Secret Realm” allows you to experience the natural marine ecological space where jellyfish and fish "swim together". The "Sea Horizon Theater" features humorous performances by walruses and sea lions.

© | Photo Gallery Qingdao Polar Ocean Park

Qingdao Mangrove Resort World  (ep. 20-21, 33-34)

Mangrove Tree Resort World Qingdao is located just 90 minutes away from the airport and a mere 45 kilometers from the city center. It is a 5 star hotel and With its unique marine environment, it creates a one-stop coastal leisure and vacation destination, featuring hot springs, theme hotels, food, cinemas, fitness centers...

In the square of Mangrove Town, the most attractive thing is the church in the middle of the square : the all-white hollow design has a light and beautiful feel. The Mangrove Church still retains the solemnity and dignity of traditional churches, while it also has the fashion and romance of modern design.

[I am adding here my GIF from ep.20]

There are often a group of white pigeons staying in the square. Holding a cup of coffee and feeding pigeons in the square is a romantic experience.

screenshot from the dramaThe Mangrove church on the square in front of the modern hotel towers. 

Map of Qingdao and Jiaozhoy Bay, location of Mangrove Resort.

Clubbing in Qingdao

In addition to these touristic highlights, Qingdao has various concert halls and live houses. In the drama, Xiao Yixiao is taken home by Lili from the Dr Oscar club.  This is a real one, part of a chain that covers now several countries.  The Dr Oscar brand has opened more than a dozen clubs across the country over the three years 2018-2021, featuring its trademark theatre-style concept, cutting-edge sound and light systems and advanced stage design.

 (my screenshot from ep.29 linked to a video)
YouTube - older clubs of Qingdao



Click here to get back to Table of contents 

7. SOME INTERESTING PRODUCT PLACEMENTS

No TV series (or movie) worth its salt comes totally devoid of product placement. Some can be frankly annoying, when they come as ads interrupting the show, or they can be "inbuilt", more or less repeatedly and obtrusively, sometimes the list of them brings up as yet unfamiliar or trending brands that get the benefit of association with an enjoyable show. This is also the case in "As Beautiful As You".  Here are some products that could be noticed :

1. BEER 

The one featured in the drama, especially when Ji Xing has dinners at home with her "guinü" best friends (episode 2 etc)  and drunk by Su Zhizhou at Lu Linjia's bar in the beginning of ep.19  is the trendy ZEBRA CRAFT beer, with its obvious black-and-white stripes ; it has won a design award for its packaging : "In the drinking process, with the temperature rise brought by the external environment, the seeping water stains can leave a unique mark on the desktop or table, so that people can firmly remember the name of this product. Digital symbols represent different tastes and make the product easy to identify" !

Zebra Craft (斑马精酿) is a beer brand brewed by Kadenburg Chinese company ; Zebra Craft Weizenbier (德式小麦) (China) – 3.5% or 4.5% it comes in bottles of different cans packaging.Zebra craft beer is a brand-new younger beer brand subordinate to Kardenberg wine industry (China) Co., Ltd. The main characteristic products are: Belgian wheat, German wheat, whole wheat rag, milk Shitao, New England light Al, Longjing wheat, etc.


ep19, Su Zhizhou drinking beer at the Sweet & Sour Bar"KDB brewing (China) Co., Ltd. is a wholly-owned German enterprise and a member of the German Chamber of Commerce. In 2017, with the support of the policy of "double recruitment and double introduction" of the provincial and municipal governments, kardenberg wine industry plans to invest 1.5 billion yuan in Fuyang City, Anhui Province to build a fine brewing beer factory with an annual output of 300000 KL.   The first phase investment is nearly 800 million yuan and the production capacity can reach 100000 KL. At present, it is the largest professional manufacturer of fine brewing beer in China. The main business is the production and sales of refined beer. The output value has exceeded 100 million yuan in 2021 and is expected to rise to a higher level in 2022."


2. SOUP, COMPUTER AND WATER ; SNACKS

The three lifesavers of the office workers !

 (picture above, from episode 4)  the ubiquitous soft plastic-film covered round containers of instant soup of some fast food brands, Legion computer, water bottle.  This is in line with ordering food delivery from restaurants that specialize in that sort of cuisine (KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut etc) , but also from any food business outlet, round the clock 24/24 and 7/7...  The busy "way of life" of the 22-35 generation in the office or, with the laptop computer, on the go. (Older people ought to take better care of their diet and be able to rely on real food making in their own kitchen!)   Besides, the Legion laptop computer is not only for work, but also for leisure : "Lenovo Legion gaming laptops feature extreme processors, the latest discrete graphics, overclocking & RGB lighting".Qiuzi drinking mineral water (ep.19)

Several brands of bottled mineral water were featured in the drama, including the distinctive cylindrical bottles of Voss, a Norwegian based, US incorporated, brand of both still and sparkling water.
Han Yumei snacking on Latiao (ep.35)
Less prominently inserted than the mineral water bottle with the picture of a waterfall on blue wraparound (the brand of which I couldn't find more info about), were the "spicy strips" 辣条 Là tiáo, a frequent snack favored by Chinese kids and people going on picnic,  made of wheat flour, flavored with chili pepper and other spices.  The ones featured seem to belong to the Wèi lóng 卫龙 ("Dragon Guard") brand.


3. PRINTER AND PRINTING PAPER

Despite digitization of documents, reports still need to be printed ! 

(episode 4)  Huawei printer and printing paper 

4. LADIES FASHION AND LUXURY BAGS

 The successful female executives need brands for uniforms !

 The Valextra Iside  pyramidal handbag comes with a top handle and a signature rotating clasp ; these bags also have a detachable shoulder strap. Also signature are the black lacquered Costa edges that are painted by hand. This is a luxury brand from Milan, first introduced in 2011, with several limited edition series and a variety of colors. It seems to be the rage in China in 2023-2024, since it featured in several modern dramas where the protagonists were high earners : ABAY, but also The Tale of Rose...
(Check my overview of some of these fashionable "drama bags" here).

(episode ) Valextra luxury handbag, and matching color clothes.

Color coordination of coat, Valextra, and slim smartphone. (ep.16)

Ep.23   Ji Xing dressed quickly to tiptoe off to the office in the aftermath of the birthday night; she had several Bvlgari bags in the drama sometimes with the brand name apparent. This one has the signature bejeweled snake head clasp. 
BVLGARI LEATHER SERPENTI
FOREVER TOP HANDLE BAG
€1,841


ep1   Some luxury luggage items from Fendi. 

The fashion and clothing industry in China : "In total China has nearly 44,000 companies in the manufacture of textile, wearing apparel, accessories, leather goods and footwear. Among these : 21,000 companies focus on textile manufacturing, 15,000 companies focus on apparel and accessories and 8,000 companies manufacture leather goods and footwear."  Not only international brands but also lesser known domestic ones attract customers, who may look for modern and futuristic, but also for a "new Chinese style" (xinzhongshi) which renews the time-honored designs of Hanfu, mamian skirt, or qipao dress.  But in this drama, the international, business style looks were focused on.

5.  LUXURY BRAND WRIST WATCHES

This is one of the easiest ways to flaunt wealth !     (They can also be a good investment...)

 The timepieces are branded, exclusively designed by craftsmen, preferably from the country of the "cuckoo clock" : Switzerland, and can be inlaid with jewels or be made of precious metals and sapphire crystal reputed for its solidity.   From the most luxurious, only worn by billionaires like Elon Musk,  or super wealthy CEOs who often roam the world in their private jets, or F1 drivers, come the Richard Mille watches,  and similar precious jewelry timepieces. Actor Xu Kai is reputed to own a few of these, and also medium luxury ones, designed by fashionable jewelry house Bvlgari.   In the drama, watches feature repeatedly, also as a gift (from Chang He to Zeng Di).

Another precious Roger Dubuis watch of Han Ting / Xu Kai.  (episode 17)



Han Yuan's wrist watch (episode 17) is a 32mm rose gold case and a bezel set with 46 diamonds Patek Philippe Nautilus, worth "from USD $49,200 to USD $563,000, depending on the year and condition of the timepiece."

The above collection of four watches was posted in the photo gallery of the drama  with a comment from MDL user H19279 .  Below, a picture of Ji Xing's Baume & Mercier's wristwatch (ep.19) , a luxury quartz watch, from the Classima series, which can be very expensive or less depending on rarity.


6.  FOLDABLE  SMARTPHONES


Although the poster to  the right is not designed to showcase the phone, but to celebrate the status of Tan Songyun as "queen of ratings with 3 dramas that are annual winner in Hunan", we can still see the rather sturdy foldable phone, which can be equipped with a "useful" decoration such as the beads, to grab it more easily.
Ji Xing's first flip phone in the early episodes
Ji Xing's new flip phone in ep.35

The phone looks similar, give or take, to the Samsung  Galaxy Z Flip5 one of today, which has a bigger front screen (so, it is probably an older version or a similar designed brand). 

Now,  "The [latest] Galaxy Z Flip6 is part of Samsung's Galaxy ecosystem, which means it works with the Galaxy smartwatches, tablets, laptops, wireless earbuds and even the new health and fitness-oriented Samsung Galaxy Ring.

"Aside from being a bit thinner and lighter than the previous model, a few of the standout new features include brighter and more detailed displays, more RAM, faster performance and a longer battery life. All that allows the phone to handle AI-driven features, like advanced photo and video editing, live language translation, audio transcription and summarization, and the Circle to Search feature that was introduced with the Flip5. The ability to adjust the angle of the phone also gives it capabilities that rectangular phones can't match.

   "The folding design of the Flip6 and its front-facing display provide really cool ways to interact with the phone -- without opening it. Caller ID, texts, notifications, email summaries and other data appears on the display. This is a key reason to switch from a traditional phone to one with a folding design, like the Flip6."  [info above from an article about that phone]

--   A study showed that only 1% of smartphone users opt for foldable phones, both because they are more fragile, and much more expensive. But there is no doubt that they are more easily carried in a pocket, and the new versions have better cameras and features ; foldability is being experimented both this way and with other designs, to get a wide r screen, a double sided screen, triple fold (Huawei) etc.

7.  XU KAI FASHIONS

H19279 drew attention to this gallery of Xu Kai fashion, compiled by the Vietnamese Alaso fans. (My GIF for a quick view)
Xu Kai is also a model, featured in fashion magazines such as this 2023 Wonderland China cover. The brands noticed in the gallery (spotted in the episodes mentioned), include famous worldwide brands such as Fendi, Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen,  Dunhill, Armani, Ralph LaurenMackage, Loro Piana, Manito, and almost unknown ones.

Footwear, precious wristwatches, and glasses (Latemon  浪特梦 ) were not forgotten.  Latemon is a brand famous for sunglasses, from Zhejiang Yingchang Eyewear Industrial Co., Ltd., founded in 1992, for which Xu Kai is spokesperson since 2021.

In addition to the international brands, it may be interesting to learn about trendy domestic brands, described in this article about 13 Best Chinese Clothing brands. Among those feature Li-Ning, which Xu Kai favored for the basketball shoes in the series.

Click here to get back to Table of contents 

Absolutely brilliant thank you, and so well put together with so much detail. Well done!....and very much appreciated!!🥰😻🌺

 DeeDee 1:

Absolutely brilliant thank you, and so well put together with so much detail. Well done!....and very much appreciated!!🥰😻🌺

Thank you !  The character list is not totally finished, and I have to correct a few mistakes that crept in... Hope to state "completed" by my own self imposed deadline (August 4, or before), and that I will not have to cut the long "by order of appearance list" in parts, because MDL sometimes balks at very long post items.  I have also a few more references to interviews to add.  Also considering whether I should add a few bags in the "product placement / fashion" section.

EDIT1 :  I indeed had to cut the "by order of appearance" in 4 parts for length to be accepted by the algorithm, so the Characters by order of appearance sections and Farewell message are now swapped under this message and the Table of contents was rearranged accordingly. 

But I am glad you already find the thread useful! 😀

I think the story of the pixiu and the importance of Qingdao were overlooked by most, so that were my primary reasons to undertake a Companion piece, when I otherwise thought I had sweated enough on my previous one, in June-July lol 😅   

Now where can I pinpoint the amber eyes of Xu Kai without going into a full Profile ? (I'd love to, but still would need to digest data for a likely concept of presentation: the eyes, yes... could be a gateway, but there would be so much to tackle then, and I am well known to be whimsical and lazy!)  --- Pinning here  for the moment the links which  whoissilmoy  disclosed with this comment : "He wears both glasses and contact lenses.  I came across a post earlier that someone posted about kids in his school has a special name for his amber eyes.

https://x.com/i/status/1722428637759357040
https://x.com/Heart_Melts/status/1444176197869457415/photo/1"

EDIT2:  whoissilmoy   added : Xu Kai was called "Noble Persian Cat" by his classmates during his middle school because of his eyes.  They even created a Baidu thread discussing his looks.
https://x.com/Zhaoyao84505944/status/1420818964507250690/photo/1

The lighting reveals the  gold pigments of the amber eyes.


In full screen, in the episode, the amber eyes are noticeable: only 5% of people have that sort of rare eye color, different from light brown. Several animal species may have that eyes color as well (eagles and cats included)

8. Characters and cast list by order of appearance  (part 1 of 4)

Cast list and actors/actresses information and picture sources : Baidu, dramawiki and MDL actor pages, linked ; characters pictures and GIF from my screenshots of the drama or from the main character relationship poster from production, or from related articles linked to sources.  

Main Cast and

characters  :

(Gif by me from the Meet and Greet video of July 4, 2024)


Note : "-->" below means the characters appear in most or all episodes.
Painted clay figurines in the drama:

ep.36


#character
actor/actress
[00] XiǎoBái   小白

"Little White" was a robot designed by Guanghua, focusing first on oral and dental diagnoses.  [小白 can also mean "newbie" in a field,  or "noob" in games!]

ep.5
ep.1the robot guide in ep. 20
Inspired by Xiaoyi, the experimental medical robot. 

Tested in 2018, it was not successful enough then. Research on similar technologies still have yielded Helper robots such as 
Sanbot in airports etc, or in big companies, to answer simple questions, and even to spot people looking like they need help thanks to facial recognition AI. 
Xiaoyi 2018
Guangzhou airport robot, 2019
[01]  Dà Huáng 大 煌 (ep.1, 2, 14, 20, 26, 27 ... )

It was the cat that JX and HT had adopted and named when they were students. The name means “Big and Glorious” !

Once Han Ting found out that it still was in her care, he asked for regular pictures of it. He took it to his and Ji Xing’s new home, and took care of it when she was in Germany ; he used it to tempt Ji Xing to return to him, inviting her for the cat's " picnic birthday!

ep.14
eps.32, 35
Da Huang is not Xu Kai's cat but looks a little like one of his.  It is a blue-eyed Ragdoll.

Xu Kai owns 3 cats : a female Maine coon, a male Oriental short-hair and an unusually little, female Ragdoll one (called 布偶, bù ǒu (which he does not show much), but he takes them along everywhere, and always carries cat snacks in his bag for stray cats.
from XK Weibo via FB.



[1]    Jì Xīng 纪星 (ep1 —>)

28 years old engineer. In Nov.2022, she had been working for 3 years on the Xiaobai robot and Doctorcloud project of Guanghua company. She quit and launched Star Tech (XingChen) 3D medical printing business on 2022.11.29 becoming President of the startup.

Ep.7 she fainted from too much stress before getting the investment.  Ep.27, HT used her birthdate 951103 as new password for his apartment.

Tán Sōngyùn 谭松韵 b.1990-05-31 - 162 cm   Weibo  (谭松韵seven ; 25+ million fans on 2024-08-05)

Actress and singer (she has sung for 13 drama OST, including 2 songs for this one). She played in 33+ dramas and 12 movies since 2005.

Fandom name 松果 song guo, pine cones (play on the Song character in her name).


singing  界
(Boundary) OST song

[3]  Hán Tíng 韩廷 (ep1 -->)

Investor and heir to the Dong Yang Medical [东扬医疗 Dōngyáng yīliáo] group, cousin of Han Yuan, grandson of Han Yujian

Orphaned of both parents who died in an accident in a fishing village. He had been sent to Germany by his grandad to get an MBA, and he had founded the Dongyang  R&D base there. He also invested in classmate Zeng Di's Guanghua (under Dongyang), before returning to China, where Han Yuan was not too pleased that he was going to be CEO of the compay she had developed for ten years.



ep10- reviewing the XingChen annual plan
Xǔ Kǎi 许凯  b.1995-03-05 Shenzhen- 185cm  Weibo (许凯soso ; 22.6+ million fans on 24-08-05)

He has played in 17+ dramas and 2 movies since 2018.

He has distinctive amber eyes, that had schoolmates nickname him "Noble Persian Cat". His chosen nickname and handle is Soso. Fandom name Alaso (‘ala’ in Shanghai dialect means mine or ours).

Although not a professional, he can sing. Here: Eason Chen's Under Mount Fuji, promised if ABAY reached 28000 heat index. And the OST songs of 2 dramas:   Falling into Your Smile  ("Soulmate", with Cheng Xiao) + Wonderland of Love ("Destined to be With You" with A'Lan 阿兰)



Xu Kai singing Pearl of the Orient 许凯唱《东方之珠

命定是你24.02.03
[3]   Táng Sòng  唐宋 (ep1-->)

Han Ting’s aide and chauffeur

Luō Péng  罗鹏 /Luō Wénzé 罗文泽   
b.1995-04-18

He has played in several support roles since 2018

[4]  Hán Yuàn 韩苑 (ep1 —>)

Han Ting’s “sister” (in fact, a cousin). Competitor in the board of Dongyang Medical group (who were investors in Guanghua and reluctantly, in Star Tech). She remained vice chairwoman of Dongyang after HanTing was named CEO.

Once her collusion with Chang He was proven, HT asked her to hand over the shares she had in Dongyang.

Liú Hǎi Lán 刘海蓝  b.1988.12.30

She has played in one movie and 19+ dramas since 2014.
[5]  Huáng Wēiwēi 黄薇薇 (ep1, 2, 3, 15)

Ji Xing’s coworker from Guanghua who switched to Star tech.

Su Zhizhou had offered welfare and bonus on top of salary, when she had applied to the interview at XingChen, but when he rejected her she became dissatisfied and claimed he had promised shares to her as a founding member.

Cuī Ēncí  崔恩慈  
b.1994.03.20

She has played in support roles in 10 dramas, and has a first main role in a projected movie (You Long Chan Ying, which had a cast alignment in October 2022).
[6]  Lín Zhèn 林镇 (ep1, 2, 3, 14)

Coworker of Jin Xing at Guanghua, who was favored by supervisor Chen and tried to take credit for her work at the meeting about Xiao Bai.

Luō Shèngdēng 罗圣灯  dob unknown. Weibo

Screenshot portrait from Baidu ; he also played in 2024 In Blossom and 2023  There will be Ample Time.

[7]  Chén Sōnglín 陈松林 (ep1, 2, 3, 4, 15)

Manager of Guanghua R&D department, jealous of Jin Xing’s abilities.

He lied to her about her bonus. His bullying led Ji Xing to resign. He was not pleased when WeiWei resigned.

Kevin Wang /Wáng Zǐxuān 王子轩   b.August 1987

He has played in a dozen dramas since 2012 , including as Chef Yu in 2020 Dating in The Kitchen, Cao Heng in Love is Sweet, and  in 2021 Lie To Love

[8]  Zhū Lěi 朱磊 (ep.1, 2, 3)

Director of Sales Department of Guanghua, and colleague of Chen Zuo.

His brother in law was Lin Zhen. Zhu patted JX on the butt, causing her to raise a case of sexual harassment; HT tricked him into admitting it.

Yán Fēng 严丰  
b.1981.10.07

He has played in about 8 movies and 40 dramas, mostly in support roles, and as main lead in a 2018 costume movie for which he acted as screenwriter and director : Rebirth.
[9]  Zéng Dí  曾荻 (ep.1 —>)

Guanghua director and first boss of Ji Xing. Han Ting had invested in her Guanghua firm.

She was the choice of Han Ting’s granddad for his future wife (ep22, but HT refused). She was jealous of Ji Xing, and allied with Chang He.

Kira Shi or Shī Shī 施诗  b.1990-02-06 in Jiangsu

She has played in 8 movies and in 31+ dramas (including as Jing Hong in 2024 The Double, Lou Ben's wife in 2022 Love Like The Galaxy, FL Shen Mo Lan in 2018 The Story of Ming Lan, empress Wang in 2014 The Empress of China).

[10]  Sū Zhīzhōu 苏之舟 (ep1 —>)

Friend of Ji Xing and co founder of Star Tech. He had hoped that his dad who ran supermarkets would invest in his idea, but got only a dilapidated rooftop warehouse which the two turned into their first HQ.

He became head of Technical dept. He had a crush on Li Li. He was named head of Technical Dept2 of the new merged company (ep32)

Táng Zhènchāo 唐振超 
b.1997.10.28

This is his 6th role in a drama since 2023  (he appeared in The Youth MemoriesYongAn Dream, and upcoming 2024 The Story of Pearl Girl). He also played support in two movies. 


[11]  Tú Xiǎoméng 涂小檬 (ep1—>)

“Smart Lemon” /”Clever Fruit” the 22 yrs old live streamer was one of Ji Xing’s three best friends –

She met Lu Linjia in person for first time at Qiuzi’s blind date (ep.6). After having been offended by his attitude, she warmed up to him,  helped him find the name Sweet & Sour for his bar, and sang a nice song for him in the bar (ep.18. 06:05 - see Music). She was his mom's teacher of songs.

Wáng Yīlán 王伊澜 
b.1998.07.18

She has played in 6 dramas since 2020, inclusing ABAY and Her Fantastic Adventures (July 2024)
[12]  Lì Lì  栗俪  (-->)
The first character is in Bǎnlì 板栗, chestnut, so that was the nickname Xiao Yixiao used to address her. But Su Zhizhou said her name meant "more beautiful than the phoenix" 比凤凰还栗丽  (ep.19)

Ji Xing’s senior from university and a gifted Saleswoman.

Ep.7, she met Xiao Yixiao in a mall.  She joined XingChen as HR head and PR.
She agreed to be the gf of Xiao (ep19) but broke up with him, when he was too reluctant to marry her.
She was promoted to Deputy director of Sales Dept. in the new merged HanXing company (ep32)


Hé Ruìxián 何瑞贤 b.1994.11.04  Weibo

Since 2016, she has played in over 13 dramas including as FL in 2023 Skip A Beat and 2022 Royal Feast.
[13]  Xiào Yìxiāo 肖亦骁 (ep.1 —>)

Han Ting’s friend and investor with HT in the Xingyue club.

He met Li Li, liked her, went to live with her (ep17) but did not want more than an informal relationship, because he was a widower and had a daughter.

Luō Zékǎi 罗泽楷 
dob unknown

He has played in 3 movies and a handful dramas since 2019.
[14]  Zhào Xìngbó 赵兴博 (ep.1, 2, 3)

He was the son of the Chairman of the Ren’ai Hospital group, that Zeng Di took Ji Xing to meet at the club where the man was playing cards with HT and Xiao Yixiao and Mr. Li.

Yī Yúnhè 赵兴博  
b.1987.04.12
He was screenwriter and director of a 2021 drama, The Wang of Bath in which he played ML, and has played in numerous movies and dramas since 2015.
(15] Lǐ zǒng  李总 (ep.1, 2, 3)

Mr. Li, businessman who had invited HT, XYX and Mr Zhao to play Guandan (a card game) at the Xingyue club, for networking.

He was a friend of Han Yuan and also came to the Guanghua banquet.

Péng Bó 彭博 (彭波)  b.1988.02.05

He has played in support or guest roles in 10 movies and in 37+  dramas since 1994.
[16]  Wāng dǒngshì 汪董事 (ep1, 2, 39)

Director Wang was a Board member of Dongyang. 

On the plane when Han Ting flew back home from Germany, he was plotting against HT who came to sit next to him ; Director Wang next decided not to attend the first Board meeting, but came to support HT in the next one (ep2).

Mǎ Hè 马赫  b.1981.04.17 Weibo

His filmography on Baidu does not list this drama, but instead 3 other dramas and a movie for 2023/24

[17]  Yáng dǒngshì 杨董事 (ep2, 16, 39)


Director Yang was a Board member of Dongyang

Yáng Yǒng 杨永 b.1980-10-16

He appeared in about 18 movies and 13 dramas since 2010.
[18]  Zhōu zǒng 周总 (ep2, 16, 38, 39)

Mr Zhou, Board member of Dongyang, was in collusion with Han Yuan, always opposed to Han Ting.

Ep.16 raising mismanagement issues;    Ep.38 preparing to frame the company for selling radioactive products.
Ep.39 trying to obstruct Dongyang board meeting for AI development.

Wáng Měihuá 王美华

No info on Baidu about this actor, except listed in cast for the role (Google only finds a female actress with this name, who was the ex wife of Eric Tsang)



no picture available
 [19]  Hé dǒngshì 何董事 (ep.1, 2, 8, 16, 39)

“Director He” was a Board member of Dongyang. 

She was close to Director Wang and told Han Yuan that she could not attend the first board meeting after HT return, “because her gout flared up.” She supported Han Ting in the next board meetings.

Zhāng Yuànyù 张媛钰  b.1980-11-17 in Laizhou, Shandong - Weibo

She  appeared in support roles in about one movie and 22 dramas since 2020.

Continued in next post


Click here to get back to Table of contents 

8. Characters and cast list by order of appearance (part 2 of 4)

Ep.5
#character
actor/actress
[20]  Shào Yīchén 邵一辰 (ep.2 -9 ;—>)

Orthopedics Assistant Doctor slowly building his career. He had been Ji Xing’s boyfriend for 4 years since they graduated from Xinggang University.

He was disappointed that she did not wear his ring immediately, and refused his savings to support her start-up (ep.5). He did not believe she could be a homemaker and a successful businesswoman. He broke off with her (ep.9).

He prepared interviews and became Director Wei De's assitant for clinical trials (ep19) ; slowly accepted Wei Qiu Zi wooing him and they married. Still a friend, he helped Ji Xing when patients of hers needing spinal repair came for tests of her products.


Gāo Hán 高寒  b.1996-06-06, Changsha  - Weibo (dubbed by Zhang Dong 张东 here) 

He has played in 10+ dramas, 4 movies, and sang an OST song for Falling into your smile.

He is a good friend of Xu Kai and also took care of XK’s three cats, which he showed in a live stream for 2023 Wonderland of Love, one of the 4 dramas they appeared in together (2021 Ancient Love Poetry, FIYSWoL, ABAY). Among his other roles, he played 3rd Prince in 2022 Love Like The Galaxy.

[21]  Dr. Jiāng Huái  江淮  (Ep.3, 15)

HT caught up with Dr.Jiang after the annual banquet, at the airport, to enlist his support for smart healthcare, XiaoBai robot and Doctorcloud.

HT made him Director of AI department at Dongyang and introduced him formally to the Board of directors (together with Luo Ping)

Lù Yáo   陆遥 
dob unknown 

He appeared in 2 movies and about 20 dramas since 2015, including 2023 c-drama The Love You Give Me.
Pictures: MDLand Baidu
[22]  [Chūzū chē sījī] 出租车司机 (ep.3, 9)

The taxi driver had exasperated JX by taking the stance that women who are harassed are equally guilty.

Wú Yàhéng 吴亚衡  b.1984-03-09  Weibo

He appeared in 2 movies and 17 dramas.
[23]  Lǐ yīshēng 李医生 (ep.4)

Dr. Li of Xinggang Hospital was not pleased with the Doctorcloud and Xiao Bai peojects. The appointments were disrupted by a crash. JX fixed it but she and HT suspected it had been a sabotage. Dr Li still wanted to discontinue the Phase II testing.

UnknownNo picture available
[24]  Liú nǎinai 刘奶奶 (ep.4, 5, 36)

Granny Liu had come from Qingtian Fishing Village to see a dentist in town but feared the crash of the Doctorcloud would make her miss the appointment.

Wáng Huá Guó 王华国No picture available
[25]  Niú nǎinai 牛奶奶 (ep.5, 36)

Granny Niu Yuhong, a friend of Liu nainai, she had an ill fitting prosthesis, which made JX decide to join Su Zhizhong and launch the 3D medical printing business.

Lán Lán  兰兰

No further information
No picture available
[26] yúcūn yuàn zhǎng  渔村院长

Qingtian fishing village mayor, very grateful for the use of Xiaobai to help overcome the distance from health care.
Hú Jiànwěi  胡建伟No picture available
[27]  Wèi Qiūzi  魏秋子  (ep.5-7, 9, 21, 22, 25, 26, 29)

She worked in a materials institute, on polymers and was the third best friend of Ji Xing. She came for dinner with her besties when Shao Yichen was back from his distance assignment.

Lu LinJia’s niece had long had a crush on Yichen but did not let herself show it before he broke off from Ji Xing for other reason. She then wooed and finally married Shao Yichen with Ji Xing’s blessings.


Wú Shīlè 吴施乐  b.2000.11.20  

Weibo




This is her 7th role in a drama, since 2017. She also sang the OST song : Starlight Can't Compare to You (星光不及你) - see Music section.
[28]  Shàng Gāofēng 尚高峰 (ep.5, 13...32, )

One of the two first employees of Star Tech brought by Su Zhizhao.

He stayed when they had first troubles (Ep17)

Lín Xiāo 林潇  b.1993.07.11  - Baidu Baike page

He appeared in about 3 movies and 10 dramas since 2018,  including serving as Bei Pan Left Virtuous King in 2023 A Journey to Love.


[29] Xià Lán 夏兰 (ep.5, 14 .... 32,)

One of the earliest employees of Star Tech. 

She briefly left when the start-up could not afford salaries, but returned when they got their new headquarters in Dongyang building.



Cháng Dān Dān 常丹丹  b.1996.12.07 - Baidu Baike page

This is her 4th role in a TV series


[30]  Lù Línjiā 路林嘉 (ep.6 —>)

Han Ting’s “uncle” introduced himself as "being 22 years old, liking too play games", during his blind date with Qiuzi who came with Tu Xiaomeng ; Ji Xing arrived later  (ep.6).

He needed an investment from HT for his bar. He named it Sweet & Sour after getting some help from "Lemon" who was live streaming in the café where he sat (ep15). From teasing her, he gradually fell in love with Tu XiaoMeng.

Zhōu Dàwéi 周大为  b.1995-08-28  Weibo

He has played in 13+ dramas, mostly in support roles, since 2020.
[31]  Wú zǒng 吴总 (ep.7)

Mr. Wu, possible investor, introduced by LiLi. 

An insincere businessman and a lecher.

Lǐ Shéngzé    李晟泽

He is said to have appeared in Infernal Affairs and dramawiki lists him in the cast of 2024 Yong An Dream.

[32]  Wú tàitài 吴太太 (ep.7)

Mrs Wu stepped out of the elevator while her husband was flirting with LiLi and raised a huge fuss. Mr Wu claimed LiLi was framing him,and LiLi slapped him before scolding the wife for keeping a trash as husband.

Zhāng Qiàn 张倩

This would be her third appearance in a drama.

[33]  Huáng Ge  黄哥 (ep.7)

“Brother Huang” claimed to be a director in Hanhai and SZZ trusted him because they had been acquainted in college.

But he was a scammer who made Ji Xing lose time and 100,000Rmb that she borrowed from LiLi in the hope of renting an used 3D printer.

Cháng Yuán Jiā  常元佳  b. 1995-08-17  Douban ; Maoyan

He appeared in 5+ movies since 2016, and 12+ dramas (dramawiki and MDL have different titles that don’t all overlap)

[34]  Shěn zǒng  沈总 (ep.9)

At the conference about future medicine, HT introduced Director Shen to JX as Director of Ke Technology (Science and Technology Innovation). They were going to go to lunch together when Zeng Di butted in.

Cáo Mùshān 曹木山

He has appeared in reality variety shows from 2020 on, and since 2021, in a few movies such as 2023 古城黎明, and dramas including The Tale of Rose.

[35]  Jì Xīng māmā 纪星妈妈 (ep.9, 13, 14, 32, 35, 40)

Ji Xing’s mother 

She first came on visit when she heard about JX and Yichen breaking up. She went to the company HQ, and mistook HT for SZZ. --
On Chinese New Year, the parents decided to surprise their daughter who was staying to finish a document, but could not reach her phone, so they asked HT to find her and he stayed with them for dinner.

One year later, they went to talk to Han Ting privately so as to help understand where they stood.


Gōng Xiǎo Xuān 宫晓瑄 (宫小喧) Weibo

She has played in about 13 movies and 60 dramas since 1994

[36]  Hán Yúměi 韩于美 (ep.11 -->)

Sister of Han Yujian. Mother of Lu Lin Jia 

She hired Tu Xiaomeng to teach her to sing, and was keen to bring Xiaomeng and her son together.  In ep.21, she sings in her son’s music bar the song “Love Needs Practice" (see Music section); she liked spicy strips (ep.35)



Tián Miǎo 田淼   b.1974-06-06, Qingdao - Weibo

She has played in 7 movies and 80+ dramas

[37]  Cháng Hé 常河 (ep.11, 15, 18, 19, 23-30)

Chairman of Tongke, hostile competitor of Dongyang.

He gave a diamond & emerald necklace to Zeng Di to make her quit Guanghua .He also tried to win over Han Yuan and plotted with them about how to take control of Dongyang or at least Guanghua, and enact Zeng Di's revenge plans.

Lǐ Yǎ Nán 李雅男 b.1983-01-05 He has played in about 11 movies and 37 dramas since 2006

 continued in next post


Click here to get back to Table of contents 

8. Characters and cast list by order of appearance (part 3 of 4)

  
Han Ting teaching a lesson to Ji Xing:

Does my name work ?...


...What do they think our relation is?
(ep.11)
#character
actor/actress
[38]  Běidí xiāoshòu jīnglǐ   北迪销售经理   (ep.11)

The sales manager of Beidi Technologies wasn't very helpful ... 
...until LiLi dropped Han Ting's name ; he then promptly reported to his CEO, and that solved the problem.
Hán Jiājiā 韩佳佳

No further information
No picture available
[39]  Běidí Lín zǒng 北迪林总 (ep.11)

Mr. Lin CEO of Beidi Technologies, marketing 3D printers.

He offered the printer from another reservation and a rebate, and requested Ji Xing's support at Dongyang Medical. (But Han Ting was very angry about Ji Xing using name dropping for shortcuts.)

Bǎo’ěr 保尔

No further information
[40]  HáYújiān 韩于坚 (ep.11, 12, 17, 22, 25, 30 ... 39)

Han Ting’s granddad and power wielder in Dongyang group.

He seldom sat at the Board meeting except in a crisis, but set strict goals for his grandson, whom he revealed he had named Ting for “giving out orders and holding court” whn he met Ji Xing at lunch in the family mansion (ep.29). He had explicitly designated Zeng Di as Han Ting’s future wife, until HT told of her betrayal, but he foresaw that Ji Xing would not be an easy partner or wife for Han Ting.


Ep.30 Xing & Ting calligraphy

Mǎ Wénzhōng 马文忠   b.1958-09-18 Weibo

He is an actor in the Repertory Theater of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions Art Troupe, and a national first-class actor.  He has played in about 18 dramas since 2007.

[41]  Lǐ Quán'ān 李权安 (ep12, 13)

Ji Xing had sent SZZ to report to Han Ting, so she could meet the hospital department head.

But she was snubbed by Dr.Li until HT himself showed up. At the evening dinner where JX sat between him and HT, Dr. Li was more polite.

Lǐ Xiǎng 礼响

No further information

No picture available
[42]  Luō Píng 罗平 (ep.13, 15, 32, 36)

An asset for Dongyang who Han Ting went out of his way to hire.

He was made head of Products department. HT trusted him with the merger of Hanhai and XingChen (creating HanXing).  
Ep36 he offered to promote SZZ and to send him to Germany for 3 years as a reward for his excellent job improving printers.

Wáng Bīn 王彬 b.1978-01-19

From model to actor and even producer, he has appeared in about 9 movies and 65 dramas since 2005.

[43]    Mǎ zǒng 马总  (ep.13,  15, 16, 31, 38 )

Mr Ma, Director of Kebo Material first met JX at the business dinner where JX was introduced to the “circle”.

He colluded with Ms.Zeng and purposefully caused a delay in supply of raw material for JX.  Later, he also brushed away the emergency tantalum supply request by LiLi.

Yáng Jūnbǎi  杨均柏   b.1972-07-08  Weibo

He is "a powerful Chinese film and television actor, was born in Qingdao, Shandong and graduated from the Central Academy of Drama." He appeared in one movie and about 33 dramas since 2003.
[44]  Zhōu Yíng 周莹 (ep.13, 30)

Mrs Zhou was Han Yuan’s mother and Han Ting’s aunt.

She was at the Chinese New Year dinner (which HT left in haste to find JX on request by her parents who had come unannounced but could not reach her on the phone).

Hú Cǎihóng 胡彩虹  b.1976-01-13, Shanxi —Weibo

She has played in 8 movies and 63+ dramas since 1998

[45]  Lì Lì māmā 栗俪妈妈 (ep.13, 32)

Li Li's mother scolded her daughter for her "loose behavior" and wanted her to marry a reliable husband.

She scolded so much that LiLi ended up in a café, eating alone, but she liked Su Zh when she came for the following new year (SZZ pretended to be LiLi's boyfriend).

Xiàng Hóng  项洪

This is her 5th role in a drama since 2019

[46]  Jì Xīng bàba 纪星爸爸 (ep.13, 14, 32, 35, 40)

Ji Xing's father was happy to meet HT at the CNY dinner after HT brought JX home.

The following CNY, he was worried that Ji Xing had not brought Han Ting.

Chén Hàowén 陈颢文  b.1994-12-17, Shanghai Weibo

He has played in about 30 dramas since 2004

[47]  Wáng Chōng 王充 (ep. 14, 15)

A long time executive in Dongyang, he was promoted by Han Ting to replace the former Sales director (who was pushed to resign for “personal reasons”).

Zōu Gāng 邹刚

No further information

No picture available
[48]  Chén Zuǒ 陈左 (ep.15,16,17 ...32, 35)

Promising new employee of Star Tech, young graduate from Xingang University of Engineering Sciences, who liked to code.

He broke but finally repaired the printer enough that XingChen did not miss the deadline to have their product approved (ep 16-17).

Chén Nuò 陈诺
dob unknown  

Douban

Film and Television Actor, Producer, Screenwriter, Director who won a Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Award for his 2012 micro film "Pet Guardian". MDL traces him as actor in 7 movies since 2006 Crazy Stone, and in 7 dramas.


[49]  Xǔ Yòuyòu 许佑佑 (ep.15,  16, 17 ...32, 35)

Graduated from Xinggang University in Computer Sciences with a bachelor’s degree, she hoped to work on patentable products.

She brought breakfast for the staff during the printer crisis (ep.17)



Chén Lè Tiān 陈乐添  b.1996-06-19

Singer and actress. She is a member of idol girl group GNZ48, and its sub group GNZ48 Team G.  She has played in a movie and this is her 3rd role ib  a drama.

[50]   Chén Níngyáng 陈宁阳 (ep.15, 24, 29, 31, 35-38)

The director of Hanhai  Technology, a big firm secretly invested by HT but in competition with XingChen.

Han Ting suggested the organic merger, and Mr Chen went to work on the proposal. Later he became President of  HanXing company.

Zhāng Jiéfēng 章杰峰   Weibo

He appeared in one movie and 9 dramas since 2018. 

 [51]  Mǎ Fēng 马峰  (ep.16 )

Ji Xing met the genetics expert at the university lecture about management.

But he brushed her off when she tried to talk to him, and only warmed up when he was introduced to her by Han Ting at a dinner.

Guān Yàjūn  关亚军 b.1975-06-25 in Qingdao.  Weibo

He has appeared in 3 movies and in 30 dramas, one of which, The First Shot, only got distribution licence in May 2024.

[52]  Xiàng jiàoshòu 向教授 (ep.16 )

Professor Xiang taught the class for management to which Han Ting had sent her to study for 6 months and learn about management and industry leaders. 

Han Ting later signed her up for an MBA class that would take her on a study trip to Germany in ep.20.

Péng Lìmín   彭利民    b.1960.08.14

He appeared in several dramas including 2019 The Great Craftsman starring Yang Mi


[53]  Péng Sīnián 彭斯年 (ep.18)
Mr. Peng of Penguin Technology
.
HT was eager to meet and phone him at the AI and  future medicine fair in Shenzhen. 
HT almost missed his ice cream date with Ji Xing because of that.
Liú Xīn  刘鑫

There are several actors by that name, and I am not sure which he is. One is born in 1980, has appeared in dramas since 2001, and has a picture but is it him? 
Not sure.
[54]  Wèi Dè 魏德  (ep.19-20)

Director Wei De was in charge of clinical tests at Xinggang hospital.
He was also Qiu Zi's uncle and had chosen Shao Yichen as assistant to help him with the intervertebral cage operations. 
Téng Lín   腾琳

No further information
no picture available
[55-56]  Old couple taking pictures in the square, during Ji Xing's study tour to Germany   (ep.20, 40)Heinz-Dieter 
Schwinseveerg  (German) and Judiila Truscova (Russian)

No further information
no pictures available
[57]  Zhāng Fèngměi  张凤美  (ep.21, 23, 24, 25)
She was a working class mom with a difficult husband who suffered from her back.
Ji Xing added her to the trial of the intervertebral cage, for goodwill.  She came back with a displaced disk, and let her husband slander the company. In ep 40 she was mentioned as being investigated and dragging Chang He and Zeng Di down, in the case of the false radioactivity.
Wáng Jìngruǐ  王婧蕊  b.2001?-09-10


She has appeared in a handful dramas since 2014. 
[58]  Zhōng Yìnī  钟意妮    (ep22, 32, 33, 35, 39)
The new XingChen Purchasing Dept employee.
She had a crush on Su Zhizhou but he gently told her he was not interested
Gāo màn ěr  高曼尔 b.1999-11-09  Weibo

She has appeared in one movie and 6 dramas since 2019
[59] Xǔ Zhuàng 许壮, 张凤美老公  [Zhāng Fèngměi lǎogōng] (ep.23, 24, 25)

Zhang Fengmei's husband
He had a bad leg and was impatient that his wife do farm work ; he was beating her and he tried to extort money from XingChen company. When JX caught him on her phone cam, plotting, he threatened to knock JX down with a brick. He was caught providentially by Tang Song and a plainclothes policeman.
Zhāng Zhènléi 张振雷    Weibo

He appeared in about a dozen dramas since 2016.

Huáng Bó  黄渤  A member of the crew (acting instructor), who majored in directing, is also rumored to have helped with the role.






ep.24 - Han Ting, despite being allergic to alcohol, was pushed to drink by Mr Zhu and Chang He

continued in next post


Click here to get back to Table of contents 

8. Characters and cast list by order of appearance (part 4 of 4)


Ep.27  Ruthless Han Ting traced two characters with his wet finger on the tea table : 
  “Report”. (举报 jǔbào).

#character
actor/actress
[60]  Zhū Hòuyǔ 朱厚宇 (ep.24, 27,  36)
An investor, head of a Zhu Medical Instrument company, that was being eyed by bigger investors. 
Han Ting for Dongyang and Chang He for Tongke both wanted to take it over.
It eventually got ruined, and Zhu was so angry that he took JX hostage and almost killed Han Ting.
Guō Dōnghǎi 郭东海  b.1983-09-12, Weibo

He has appeared in one movie and a dozen dramas since 2018.
[61]  Xià Lù 夏璐   (ep24)
From Gangxing Technology, a protégée of Mr. Zhu 

He asked her to start the drinking rounds at the dinner of the Forum of Leading Entrepreneur.
Hǎo Mèngjiāo 郝孟娇

No further information
no picture available.
[62]  BèiBèi  贝贝   (ep.26)

Xiao Yixiao's daughter.
Shíliú  石榴

child actress. No further information

no picture available.
[63] Liú Zhìlíng 刘志凌 (ep27)

Assistant Liu, Han Yuan’s subordinate

He was colluding with Huang Weiwei, on orders by Huan Yuan, to sow discord about bonuses and shares within XingChen.

Sūn Hào  孙昊 b.1984-07-01 

He appeared in movies and in 3 dramas since 2021.

[64]  Tán Yǔnī 谭语妮 (ep. 28, 35,37 )

The superstar actress was the ambassador of Dongyang social activities.

She liked Han Ting. But he canceled a lunch appointment with her at Lang Chu restaurant and finally introduced JX to her as his girlfriend to firmly draw the line.

Hán Xīnruì  韩欣芮 b.1997-09-17 Weibo

She  is a stage actress whose appearance in dramas here is her third one, in guest roles, since 2020.

[65]  Hán Tíng māmā 韩廷妈妈 (ep.28)

She was Han Ting’s mother, who wanted to buy a plush toy seal for him for his 8th birthday

Wū Qiàn 邬倩 aka NuoNuo 诺诺 b. 1990-12-16 in Inner Mongolia  Douban ; Weibo

She appeared in 3 movies and about 48 dramas since 2014.

[66]  "Qī suì Jì Xīng" 七岁纪星 (ep.28)

She gave one of her plush seals as a gift to the unknown birthday boy

Lǐ Xīntóng  李昕桐 

aka Dan’er b.2018 (July-Aug. Leo sign) from Weifang, Shandong  Weibo

She appears in several dramas: ABAY, upcoming "我的差评女友", still filming "炽爱游戏" and in the Feb.24 2024 Lantern Festival Gala CCTV broadcast.

[67] Dà Shù 大树  (ep.29)

The idol of Tu Xiaomeng whom Lu Linjia had invited to the Sour & Sweet Bar.
I couldn't find the song 那天第一场雪 /一年多不见 /你痩了好多  /让人觉得 有些沉默 /当冬天已经远走 .... If someone knows it, put it in comments! (It is NOT the well known Daolang song)
Rèn Jié 任杰

No further information 

(There are several actors and singers by that name but they did not fit the ear picture!)
No picture available

[68]  Aunt Liu (ep.33)

“Aunt Liu” was the Maid of Lu Linjia’s mom, who left under a convenient pretext, so “sick” Mrs Han could have Tu Xiaomeng come instead and be nearer to her son.

Zhāng Juān张娟
No further information
No picture available

[69]  Mèng jiàoshòu 孟教授 (ep.33)

Professor Meng was Qin Li’s teacher and doctoral supervisor in Germany.

Qū Gāng 屈刚 b.1969-03-09  Weibo

He appeared in 3 movies and about 84+ dramas since 2010

[70]  Qín Lì 秦立   (ep.33, 35, 36)

A specialist on AI.

Jin Xing helped him recover his satchel from a thief in Germany. He was a friend of Han Ting and became her friend too. He became a consultant on AI for Dongyang.

Áo Ruìpéng 敖瑞鹏 b.1995-10-06  Weibo

He has appeared in about 15 dramas since 2018 ; he has sung 2 OST songs for 2023 dramas (Wanru’s Journey Love is written in the stars)
[71]  German AI company CEO   (ep.33)
[广场德国人甲 Guǎngchǎng déguó rén jiǎ : German in the square]

Ji Xing overheard him trying to persuade Qin Li to stay working in Germany, while she sat in the square, enjoying her cup of ice cream.
Matias Lorieri  羅義琛

Polyglot Italian actor living in China for over 13 years. Appeared in 4 movies (incl. 2023 Wandering Earth 2) and 2 dramas. He is also a freelance Business Strategy Consultant.

[72]  Déguó fēijī chéngkè 德国飞机乘客 (ep.35)

Passenger on the flight back from Germany. She accepted to exchange her seat against the 1st class one of Han Ting, who wanted to sit beside JX in economy class.

Anina -
" German”, no further information 

(perhaps Anina Yourokova, a Bulgarian/American actress trained in Brechtian and Stanislawski techniques, who has a Baidu page which does not mention dramas)

perhaps
ep40
Hán Chēn 韩琛 (ep.41) - Chén Sībó 陈思博
& Hán Yú  韩瑜  (ep.41) - Yuán Zǐyáng 袁梓阳

Click here to get back to Table of contents 

9. FAREWELL MESSAGES


It has become as usual as lighting incense to launch a series or a movie in China while the crew receives red envelopes. Once the series reach end of airing, the actors, actresses, sometimes other crew members such as directors, will write and post on social media a farewell letter to the character they played. 

Tan Songyun complied, and the message was translated for the joy of international fans.  Here is the text:


Xu Kai's message was more understated and terse :  "July 23rd is a sunny day.  When looking back, this box is nailed ("the coffin is sealed"). #HanTingBuTing##你比星光美# 

(the "Han Ting Bu Ting" is a play on the character's name and "not stopping")

Gao Han was more wistful :  "Maybe all good is not as good as just right.
Thank you all for accompanying Xingguang on this journey.
Thank you all for your kindness, hope everything is well.
#你比星光美综合##你比星光美# "


Zhou Dawei's message was a one-liner : "Life is noisy, just be simple and happy."



Click here to get back to Table of contents 

<This companion piece was completed and proofread on August 5, 2024>