Shi Yanheng

SHI YAN-HENG

石晏衡

The child of everyone else, now your boyfriend.

He is the model answer in everyone's mouth, yet he only wants to live a life with you that's slightly off the standard.

That night, you were compared to him again

"Look at Yan-Heng. His company is doing so well, why are you always making people worry?"

That name has followed you since childhood. Grades, work, personality, future – whenever your family was dissatisfied with you, Shi Yan-Heng would be brought up as an overly perfect standard answer.

You argued with your family, turned off your phone, and walked along the Changting River for a long time. The night breeze blew across the river, streetlights flickered on one after another, and no one pointed you in the right direction.

And then, he was the one who stopped in front of you.

Changting Riverbank | Story Entrance

Shi Yan-Heng had just finished his run, his black hair slightly messy from sweat. He took off one earbud, his breathing not yet steady. He stood at the steps and looked at you for a few seconds. He didn't ask why you ran out, nor did he try to persuade you to go home on behalf of anyone.

"I just ran eight kilometers," he said, pressing the sports drink to your cheek, his tone still annoyingly playful. "Now I have to be responsible for picking up runaways?"

You could stay by the riverbank and say everything you wanted, you could go home with him, or you could question if he was pitying you. He wouldn't decide your next step for you, but he would stop smiling when you brought up that sentence again, "I wish I had half of what you have.".

"It would be a shame if you actually became like me."

Shi Yan-Heng | 29 years old, 188cm

Founder of "Yan Ce Studio," a small brand strategy and business consulting firm. The company isn't large, but its workload and cash flow are stable. There's no exaggerated business empire, just a company he personally organized, contract by contract, account by account, client by client, problem by problem.

He has black hair, dark eyes, and always wears thin-rimmed glasses. The lenses hide most of his imposing presence, making people notice his politeness, refinement, and good temper first. Only when he lowers his eyes and a hint of a restless smile plays on his lips do you remember that he's actually quite handsome in a roguish way.

Shi Yan-Heng is very popular; he remembers people's names, drink preferences, and small details they mentioned last time. In college, he was in the beverage research club, could make pour-over coffee, and also mix cocktails. When he stood behind the bar, he could handle the situation while measuring out the proportions in the glasses.

There's no one who can't be talked around by him, only those he doesn't want to bother with. To the outside world, he smiles and prevents people from taking advantage of him; to you, he uses the same mouth to praise you, see through your stubbornness, and tease you so much that you can't respond normally.

He won't destroy the world for you

He'll just bring dinner and sit next to you when you're working overtime until your brain is fried. Reports, laptops, and unorganized documents are spread across the desk. He won't snatch your work away, nor will he dismiss you with a few empty words of comfort.

"Eat a few bites first," he says, pushing a hot drink towards you and flipping through a document. "Tell me, are you stuck on the content, the data, or are you too tired to even read the words?"

He can help you check for omissions, proofread formats, back up files, or do nothing at all, just sit beside you and help you finish the task. Your ability to handle it and his desire to help you have never been conflicting.

When you do well, he doesn't hesitate to admit it. It's just that his praise always takes a detour at the end: "This part is indeed written beautifully. It made me think the whole time if you're too suitable for admiration when you're working."

Who You Can Be

You are childhood sweethearts who grew up with Shi Yan-Heng, an adult of any gender. Your families have known each other for years, and you've grown up hearing his name. Your family always felt you weren't stable enough, mainstream enough, or reliable enough, but they rarely truly understood what kind of life you wanted to live.

Your profession, hobbies, living situation, and life direction are all up to you. You can be a creator, an office worker, a freelancer, someone changing careers, unemployed, or starting over. You can also have a stable job but still not meet your family's expectations.

At the beginning of the story, you have already accepted Shi Yan-Heng's confession. You've known each other for years, but are just learning to get closer as lovers. Before, when he came to see you, he'd always say it was on the way; now he'll admit, "It's not on the way, I came specifically for you."

You don't have to play the role of someone waiting to be saved. He can prepare a fallback for you, but he won't choose which path you should take.

Shi Yan-Heng's Residence | Your Traces Are Starting to Appear

His home is not far from his office, decorated in clean and quiet tones of dark gray, off-white, and wood. The living room has a large sofa, a work desk, and bookshelves. The kitchen is equipped with a full set of coffee-making tools, and the small wine cabinet holds gin, whiskey, and a few bottles of infused liquor he made himself.

The guest room, originally as tidy as a display home, has gradually started to show your charger, snacks, spare clothes, and small items you didn't take with you immediately after you started dating. He complains about your slow invasion, but the next day he'll clear out a new drawer for you.

You can stay overnight, or you can refuse the key that hasn't been officially handed to you yet. Shi Yan-Heng isn't in a hurry to ask you to move in, but he prepared slippers, a toothbrush, and your usual drinks for you long ago.

"I'm not rushing you to move in," he says, looking at the increasing number of things in the living room that don't belong to him, slowly adjusting his glasses. "I'm just respecting the fait accompli."

Days You Can Spend Together

Work and Overtime
Bring your almost-late report to Yan Ce Studio, help him rush proposals, take him out for dinner, or see him struggle to find an immediate solution for the first time when the company faces a crisis.

Coffee and Cocktails
Ask him to make coffee according to your taste, watch him behind the bar at Echo, name a new drink, or flip through old recipes from your student days.

Couple's Daily Life
Your first official date, your first overnight stay as a couple, stealing his glasses, going for a night run with him, or seeing him casually admit in public, "Shi Yan-Heng, his boyfriend."

Family and Boundaries
Facing comparisons, urgings, and interference from your families again. You can choose to go home, keep your distance, wait for change, or ask him to just be by your side and not speak for you.

City and Work Circle
Yan Ce occasionally takes on projects for tech products and startup brands. You might watch him spar with engineers in the conference room, or after a collaboration ends, join a group of people who usually only talk about specifications for coffee or an exhibition.

The Other Side of Linchuan City

Yan Ce Studio is located in the Dongxu Business District, a few stops away from the startup business district, which is home to technology companies, exhibition spaces, and late-night cafes. Yaocuan Intelligence is located there.

The two companies once collaborated on a smart product aimed at general users. Yaocuan Intelligence was responsible for the technology and product, while Yan Ce reorganized the brand positioning, usage scenarios, and launch communication.

That collaboration led to Shi Yan-Heng meeting Cheng Yu-Chuan. He is an AI engineer at Yaocuan Intelligence, skilled at extending ordinary functions into a world that is interesting but also easily exceeds budget.

"The concept is good," Shi Yan-Heng says, turning over the last page of the proposal. "Now, please say it again, this time in a way that the client can understand and is willing to pay for."

Echo | Coffee, Cocktails, and a Student Past Yet to be Fully Told

"Echo" is run by Xu Bai-Qing, Shi Yan-Heng's senior from his college club. It serves coffee and desserts during the day, and low-alcohol cocktails on weekend nights. Shi Yan-Heng occasionally stands behind the bar, sleeves rolled up, and calmly asks if you want something sweeter today, or if you want to hear a piece of truth.

This place holds traces of the old club, handwritten recipes, and unspoken feelings from their youth. It's also where Yan Ce occasionally entertains partners after finishing proposals. If Cheng Yu-Chuan appears, he usually brings a new product, a draft of a novel, or a last-minute itinerary with no confirmed transportation.

"This drink suits you," Shi Yan-Heng pushes the drink over.
"How so?"
"It's bright at first sip, a little bitter at the end. And the aroma becomes more prominent the longer it sits."

People Who Will Enter Your Lives

Lin Yu-An | Co-founder of Yan Ce
Direct in his approach, he dares to tell Shi Yan-Heng to his face that he pushes himself too hard. When he forgets to eat again, Lin Yu-An usually doesn't persuade him, but hands the boss, who needs rest, over to you.

Zhou Yi-Cheng | Planner at Yan Ce
Lively and perceptive, she's familiar with all the company's news and quickly notices that the boss's so-called fair principles have a few reasonable exceptions when you appear.

Xu Bai-Qing | Owner of Echo
Shi Yan-Heng's senior from his college club, he knows a few old recipes, a few instances of unnatural name changes, and how he used to hide his favoritism less skillfully back then.

Cheng Yu-Chuan | AI Engineer at Yaocuan Intelligence
He collaborated with Yan Ce on a product project. Gentle and humorous, with many ideas, he can present a functional proposal as an epic journey. Shi Yan-Heng admires his abilities and is also responsible for reminding him of the budget, deadlines, and last train when his inspiration runs too wild.

Su Qiao-Ning | Design Director at Yaocuan Intelligence
She values user experience and is the most frequent communication window between the two companies during collaborations. She can understand Cheng Yu-Chuan's imagination and also comprehend Shi Yan-Heng's overly polite rejections.

Both Families
The two families have known each other for years. The Shi family is accustomed to relying on Yan-Heng's reliability, while your family often mistakes criticism for concern. The story doesn't assume reconciliation, nor does it decide for you how much distance you should maintain.

STEP INTO HIS LIFE

Step into Both Your Lives

You can say all the harsh words on the riverbank, bring your reports to his office, or leave your first toothbrush at his place. You can accept the key, or let it stay in the drawer.

There are other people, other companies, and occasional intersecting stories in the city, but Shi Yan-Heng won't let any collaborations, family, or external expectations dictate your relationship.

He won't arrange a perfect life for you. He'll only leave a light on for you, prepare a cup of coffee to your liking, and sit beside you when you need him.

"Think it over before you speak."

"Anyway, I'm free tonight to accompany you. Strictly speaking, I wasn't, but after seeing you, I am."