Character Relationship Map: So Young

Characters

• Zheng Wei (played by Yang Zishan) — protagonist

  Civil engineering student who moves to college for Lin Jing but falls for Chen Xiaozheng.

• Lao Zhang (played by Bao Bei'er) — protagonist

  Architecture major and Wei's friend who introduces her to his dormitory.

• Xu Kaiyang (played by Ryan Zheng) — supporting

  Well-to-do architecture major who romantically pursues Zheng Wei.

• Lin Jing (played by Han Geng) — supporting

  Wei's childhood friend who abruptly leaves for America, triggering Wei's journey.

• Zhu Xiaobei (played by Liu Yase) — minor

  Tomboy roommate of Zheng Wei who shares dorm life and conversations.

• Chen Xiaozheng's Mother (played by Pan Hong) — minor

  Strict mother who raised Chen Xiaozheng with discipline due to poverty.

• 陈孝正 (played by Mark Chao) — protagonist

  A reserved, disciplined architecture student from a poor family who falls in love with Zheng Wei and struggles to balance ambition, affection, and personal responsibility.

• Li Weijuan (played by Zhang Yao) — minor

  Realistic roommate from a poor town determined to marry well.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• 陈孝正 → Chen Xiaozheng's Mother (family)

  Chen Xiaozheng is described as having been raised by his strict mother.

• Zheng Wei → Lin Jing (Childhood Friend And Former Romantic Interest) — Their childhood bond develops into an unresolved romantic attachment shaped by separation and regret.

  Zheng Wei entered college in the same city as Lin Jing because she intended to marry him one day. Lin Jing later returned and tried to rekindle their...

• Zheng Wei → Xu Kaiyang (Romantic Unrequited Suitor) — Kaiyang's affection creates a one-sided romantic relationship.

  Xu Kaiyang pursued Zheng Wei romantically, but Wei regarded him only as a friend.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Lao Zhang → Xu Kaiyang (Social Dormitory Roommate) — Their shared room places them in the same student social network.

  Lao Zhang and Xu Kaiyang were architecture majors who shared a dormitory room.

• Li Weijuan → Zhu Xiaobei (Social Roommate) — They share the same supportive college living circle.

  Li Weijuan and Zhu Xiaobei were both members of the four-girl dormitory group that discussed their ambitions and future lives.

• Zheng Wei → Zhu Xiaobei (Social Roommate And Friend) — Xiaobei is part of Wei's close college roommate circle.

  Zhu Xiaobei shared a dormitory with Zheng Wei and participated in conversations about the girls' goals and youth.

• Zheng Wei → Li Weijuan (Social Roommate And Friend) — Their relationship combines shared dormitory life with practical friendship.

  Li Weijuan was one of Zheng Wei's three roommates, and Wei learned about the architecture student's poor family background from her.

• Zheng Wei → Lao Zhang (Social Friend) — Lao Zhang serves as Wei's friendly connection to the architecture students.

  Lao Zhang befriended Zheng Wei and introduced her to his architecture dormitory. He also helped her learn about the background of the reserved archite...

Story Analysis

A young woman's journey from idealistic college romance to mature acceptance that youth cannot be recovered.

Plot Progression

1. A City Without Jing — Zheng Wei begins college hoping to be near Lin Jing, only to discover that he has abruptly left. She builds a new emotional foundation with her roommates.
2. The Model and the Pursuit — A humiliating dormitory accident connects Wei to the architecture students. Her anger becomes persistent pursuit and gradually turns into romantic feeling.
3. Love Under Pressure — Wei enters a relationship while struggling with her partner's strict discipline and ambition. Their different attitudes toward life become increasingly visible.
4. The Choice to Leave — At graduation, Wei learns that her partner secretly accepted an American fellowship. His pursuit of a better future forces the couple into a painful confrontation.
5. Memory After Youth — Years later, Wei encounters Lin Jing and faces the death of Ruan Guan. After rejecting one possible return to the past, she also refuses to restart her former romance.