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Counterattack (The source material)

tregetours

I thought it would be interesting to share trivia from the novel to help understand the characters and their relationships better. 

Feel free to join in!

I don't know which parts of the story will be included in the show but needless to say, this will include spoilers for the plot of the novel Counterattack, on which the show is based.

I will begin with...

Jiang Xiaoshuai: 

  • So, basically his backstory is that he has a traumatic past and his ex was very abusive to him. They were together for several years and Xiaoshuai eventually moved to a different city to get away from him and get a fresh start (this is also mentioned on the show as "getting over a heartbreak"). This explains a lot of his behavior on the show: why he doesn't want to get in a relationship and seems to want to live vicariously through Wu Suowei. 
  • He has bad experience with sex because of said ex. It was always really painful. Remember his reaction when he showed Suowei p*rn videos and Suowei asked him about his own experience? Apparently he was also r*ped and his ex even dumped him after this instead of supporting him. 
  • Another reason he is reluctant to get close to Guo Chengyu in the novel is that, for the longest time, he is convinced Chengyu is actually in love with Chi Cheng... which is not the case. 
  • There is a pretty funny scene when Xiaoshuai finally confronts Chengyu with this theory and Chengyu is just annoyed and responds something like "By using your logic, shouldn't I think you're secretly in love with Wu Suowei?" and leaves.  (another reason this is funny is Xiaoshuai and Suowei actually DO make out at some point in the novel... but only because Suowei misses Chi Cheng lol). So anyway, Chengyu is offended that Xiaoshuai doesn't recognize his true feelings.

Speaking of which: (these spoilers are concerning Xiaoshuai/Chengyu)

  • Playboy Chengyu describes Xiaoshuai as his first love, or, the first person he likes (how sweet is that?)
  • I haven't gotten around to this part in the novel, but according to a girl on TikTok, Xiaoshuai was really nervous to sleep with Chengyu for the first time because he didn't know sex could actually feel good. Let's just say, Chengyu is a very selfless lover. So yeah, his character is described in a pretty dreamy way compared to Chi Cheng who is more... forceful ig. 

I find Jiang Xiaoshuai to be a very interesting character who is still very underexplored on the show along with his relationship with Guo Chengyu. 

Anyone got other facts about this character that I maybe missed or haven't gotten around to yet? 

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Nope

Something I extremely doubt will be in the drama is that:

JXS's belief that Guo CC might have feelings for each other is not entirely unfounded.  While its clear to Guo and CC they platonically love each other very much, Guo and CC are best friends that are, honestly a little a lot unhealthily attached to each other.  Like Meredith and Christina level, but more.

The whole thing with CC's ex cheating with Guo (supposedly) stemmed from Wang Shuo (the ex) feeling insecure about Guo and CC's friendship and thinking they were secretly in love with each other. A video surfaces from their teenage years where Guo and CC drunkenly made out (they were dared to), and of CC admitting that Guo was the most important person to him. He said this while in his relationship with Wang Shuo. 

But in present day,  JXS quickly figures out that 90% of what Guo does that looks like sabotaging CC is really to help him indirectly in a way that CC will allow him. And after Guo and CC reconcile their friendship they immediately fall back into their teen year habits of sharing a bed naked on multiple occasions,  touching each others junk jokingly, and iirc they shower together at some point. There is one very notable occasion, after the main couples are established, JXS walking in on them doing some self-love together. After which, JXS demands that the same boundaries that Guo/CC demand exist between JXS/WU, have to exist between them. They agree.

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favour.a

I really hope they don’t include the weird relationship between Guo and CC in the drama, because honestly, it just doesn’t make sense. That scene where JXS walks in on them doing some kind of self-love together? That crosses a line. CC is supposed to love Wu, so stuff like that completely undermines his character and relationship.

It would make way more sense if the drama just mentioned that Wang Shuo got jealous of how close Guo and CC were—without any sexual history or behavior. Having Wang Shuo think something happened between them, like maybe suspecting they slept together or using that idea to manipulate CC, would create enough tension to explain their breakup in a much more believable way.

Because let’s be real: if two so-called best friends are sharing a bed naked, touching each other’s junk “jokingly,” and even showering together… then they’re not just best friends. Once they make up and fall right back into those habits, it’s no longer just about friendship—it’s something deeper, whether the story wants to admit it or not.

So yeah, just saying—it doesn’t make sense to label that kind of relationship as platonic. It’d be better for the drama to avoid that mess altogether.

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Nope

The thing that I liked though is that once JXS calls out their behavior as not okay, they stop. JXS sets a clear boundary and they both respect it. It kind of makes you wonder, if no one ever told them it bothered them. Like did WS tell CC it bothered him how close he and Guo were, or just jump right into trying to destroy their friendship?

Another thing I think will get left out of the drama, since this is a romance, or I hope: is that Wu is actually a big horn ball who flirts with any woman who gives him attention, and was low key having an emotional affair with another guy....though I think his intent was to make it look more like he was having an affair than he actually was.  Since he told JXS that if 'he made CC hate him, it would be easier for CC to break up with him when he learned the truth.'  I think Wu canonically has low self-esteem and sabotages himself and their relationship a lot because he doesn't actually think he deserves CC. I also think CC is aware of it, and so lets him get away with alot of things because there is a line in the book towards the end of the book about how CC hopes eventually if Wu's business is big enough, maybe eventually Wu will feel like they are equals.

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favour.a

That's such a good point about Wu trying to make CC hate him first — it really shows how fear of rejection can twist someone’s actions. It makes me think that Wu isn't just insecure about deserving CC, but also maybe terrified of being truly seen by him. Like, if CC knew the full truth, maybe Wu believes even love wouldn’t be enough to keep them together. That kind of fear makes every act of love feel temporary to him.

And you're right — CC seems to understand way more than Wu gives him credit for. That line about "hoping they can be equals one day" is lowkey heartbreaking, because it shows CC is just waiting for Wu to catch up emotionally. It’s a strange kind of hope — patient, but also kind of lonely.

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Nope

When you think about it, its the moments when Wu is most himself that CC likes him the most. CC definitely understands Wu more than Wu understands himself or CC. Kind of like CC letting Wu takeover their finances and Wu giving CC a daily allowance. I know some people think this is dumb but, I think its a good thing. CC could easily just let Wu give him an allowance and then use the money Wu doesn't know he has to continue doing whatever he wants. But CC doesn't do that because he knows that letting Wu have control over their money gives Wu control and evens out the power imbalance....plus CC finds his stinginess endearing.

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favour.a

Your Right

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tregetours

@Nope thank you so much for sharing. Very interesting stuff. 

I noticed you refered to Chi Cheng's ex cheating with Guo as ~supposedly~. Does it actually happen or is it based on a misunderstanding?

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Nope
 tregetours:

@Nope thank you so much for sharing. Very interesting stuff. 

I noticed you refered to Chi Cheng's ex cheating with Guo as ~supposedly~. Does it actually happen or is it based on a misunderstanding? 

Wang Shuo was extremely insecure and jealous of Guo's and CC's friendship.  So one night when they were all drunk in a hotel together, he waited until CC and Guo were passed out and then stripped himself and Guo naked and climbed into bed with him. CC found them the next morning. WS goal was to ruin their friendship and make sure CC never forgot him (Shuo), even if only because he hated him.  There is more to it than that, but that is what happened 6 years ago. Shuo is actually incredibly messed up and far more cunning and devious than Guo and CC. When he shows up, 'accidently spotted', he's actually been back for awhile quietly observing and plotting against Wu to get CC back.

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favour.a

https://x.com/GirlPopera/status/1945366161249427495         -------  EXPLAINS MY CLAIM

I’ve been wondering—could Wang Shuo have been quietly stalking Chi Cheng all this time, carefully observing from the shadows and deliberately manipulating situations to drive a wedge between him and Wu? The way he reappears, as if by accident, yet always framed in these oddly deliberate camera angles... it doesn’t feel incidental. If true, it’s not just shocking—it’s calculated. A long game driven by obsession, resentment, and the need to be remembered, even if only as a scar.

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Nope
 favour.a:

https://x.com/GirlPopera/status/1945366161249427495         -------  EXPLAINS MY CLAIM

I’ve been wondering—could Wang Shuo have been quietly stalking Chi Cheng all this time, carefully observing from the shadows and deliberately manipulating situations to drive a wedge between him and Wu? The way he reappears, as if by accident, yet always framed in these oddly deliberate camera angles... it doesn’t feel incidental. If true, it’s not just shocking—it’s calculated. A long game driven by obsession, resentment, and the need to be remembered, even if only as a scar.

If they follow the book, he came back 6 months prior to his 'showing up'. IIRC that puts him back right around the time Yue Yue left the picture, or right when Wu and CC were officially an item. But yeah, he really did leave for 6 years, but came back and was stalking CC, Guo, and Wu for a while before they know he is back. He doesn't try to drive a wedge between Wu and CC until they know he is back. Prior to being spotted, he was just doing recon. But getting spotted was his intention. He knows all about Wu and Yue Yue, and what Wu's true motive was in approaching CC.   

ETA: He has been playing a calculated game for over 6 years. The endgoal in his mind is to remove Guo from CC's life and make CC love only him.

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tregetours
 Nope:

Wang Shuo was extremely insecure and jealous of Guo's and CC's friendship.  So one night when they were all drunk in a hotel together, he waited until CC and Guo were passed out and then stripped himself and Guo naked and climbed into bed with him. CC found them the next morning. WS goal was to ruin their friendship and make sure CC never forgot him (Shuo), even if only because he hated him.  There is more to it than that, but that is what happened 6 years ago. Shuo is actually incredibly messed up and far more cunning and devious than Guo and CC. When he shows up, 'accidently spotted', he's actually been back for awhile quietly observing and plotting against Wu to get CC back.

I kind of had a feeling this was the case... Guo seems too loyal to CC, even now when they're no longer friends, to have betrayed him in this way.

If you don't mind me quizzing you, does Guo actually think he drunkenly slept with Shuo? Or does he know it was all a misunderstanding and CC just didn't believe them?

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Nope

He knows, but also feels there is no point in defending himself as the evidence says he did.

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tregetours
 Nope:

He knows, but also feels there is no point in defending himself as the evidence says he did. 

Thank you! Usually I'm not even a huge fan of misunderstandings as plot points but this somehow makes the dynamic between CC and Guo even more interesting to me. 

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