Cheng Xiaoshi/Relationships

== Time Photo Studio ==
=== Lu Guang ===
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, as far as is currently known, first met in high school. They became acquainted with each other after Cheng Xiaoshi asked Lu Guang to join him and a couple of others in a game of basketball. The two took a liking to each other during the game, Cheng Xiaoshi feeling Lu Guang was someone he could trust, and Lu Guang feeling drawn in by Cheng Xiaoshi's genuineness. Prompted by this, Cheng Xiaoshi suggested they should become partners in the future. Lu Guang, on his side, was slightly skeptic, but didn't disagree. It's implied that they became regular basketball buddies afterwards, whose relationship then gradually turned into a deeper friendship.
The two attended the same university. While there, they hung out in the same friend group consisting of them, Qiao Ling, Xu Shanshan, and Dong Yi. After graduating, they started running the Time Photo Studio together, and thus indeed became partners, as per Cheng Xiaoshi's early proposal.
Generally speaking, the two get along very well, both on and off the clock. By the start of Link Click, they have long since become the best of friends, Cheng Xiaoshi even explicitly affirming that Lu Guang is like family to him. As such, they possess all the warmth and familiarity of such a relationship.
Having known each other for a long time, the two are very attuned to each other's mental and physical well-being. There is a great trust between them, with Cheng Xiaoshi feeling comfortable enough to cry and express otherwise vulnerability in Lu Guang's presence. Despite this, it's shown that they do keep some things secret even from each other. This is not done out of malice, however, but in attempts to avoid conflict and/or the other getting hurt.
As partners in their time-dive business, they have clearly established roles. As per their powers, during their dives Cheng Xiaoshi acts as the reenactor, while Lu Guang instructs him upon what he should do. The former mostly follows the latter's orders, but the two do sometimes butt heads both due to Cheng Xiaoshi's bullheadedness, and him getting swept into their client's emotions. While occasionally the disagreements concerning decisions made during dives lead to actual altercations, they aren't inclined to stay mad at each other for long.
=== Qiao Ling ===
Qiao Ling is one of Cheng Xiaoshi's earliest friends. It's also very likely that she is the only one who has stuck by him throughout his entire life. The two have a sibling-like relationship, which Qiao Ling even infers to while speaking with Li Tianxi, stating that she has always been kind of a big sister for Cheng Xiaoshi.
They clearly hold a great amount of affection towards each other, though Qiao Ling often tends to get annoyed by Cheng Xiaoshi's childishness and immaturity. She does, however, acknowledge his strengths, and good sides, as well as his struggles in life, and cares very much for his wellbeing. Cheng Xiaoshi is shown to be grateful for this, as he thanks Qiao Ling (while in Xu Shanshan's body). The two constantly look out for each other, and will physically defend each other if needed. Examples of such were seen during their fight with Ma, and Qiao Ling slapping Qian Jin. Cheng Xiaoshi was also willing to take a bullet for her, as he jumps between Qiao Ling and Qian Jin, when the latter was about to shoot the former.
== Clients ==
=== Emma ===
Out of all the clients seen on-screen, Emma arguably has had to biggest personal impact on Cheng Xiaoshi. From the very beginning, he feels conflicted and angry over all the unfairness in her life. The aspect that in particular resonates with him, however, is her longing for a simpler life with her parents. Cheng Xiaoshi understands such desire intimately, since his own parents have been missing for over a decade. This leads to him both projecting onto her, and sympathising with her to the point he attempts to fix things on her behalf. He sends a fateful text message to Emma's parents, writing that she misses them, and unknowingly sets off her doom.
Much later, while in the past searching for clues about Xu Shanshan's abductor, Cheng Xiaoshi inadvertently becomes a witness to Liu Min trying to murder Emma in his car. Hiding in the trunk at the time, Cheng Xiaoshi realises with horror that his kind-hearted actions are what led to this event. Yet with great difficulty, he decides not to interfere. In the present soon after, it's found out that Emma did not die in Liu Min's car, because of Cheng Xiaoshi screaming in despair Liu Min was startled before he could strangle her to the death. Instead, she was caught by a security camera on an abandoned bridge after the incident.
Still troubled and haunted by her fate, Cheng Xiaoshi dives into the CCTV footage following Liu Min's arrest. In their only face-to-face encounter, he apologizes, explaining how he is to blame for her misfortune and talks her down from committing a suicide. Emma regains hope from his words, but unfortunately meets her demise regardless, as she is possessed by Li Tianchen and forced to jump off the bridge.
=== Xu Shanshan ===
Xu Shanshan is one of Cheng Xiaoshi's friends from university, whom he appears to have quite a belligerent relationship with. Their interactions, for the most part, seem to consist of mutual snarking and exchanging jabs. Despite this they harbor no real ill will towards each other, seeing as they had no problems with hanging out in the same social circles. Additionally, Cheng Xiaoshi exhibits genuine concern over her fate as she ends up becoming one of Liu Min's victims. Xu Shanshan first comes to the Time Photo Studio because, due to her being dead drunk and passing out, she missed what her crush said to her during their graduation party. She expresses mistrust in Cheng Xiaoshi's ability to get the job professionally done, but upon Qiao Ling's reassurances, decides to give him a chance.
== Others ==
=== Xiao Li ===
Captain Xiao Li and Cheng Xiaoshi first crossed paths while searching for a kidnapped child named Doudou. Initially researching the case separately, Xiao Li eventually realised that Cheng Xiaoshi has time-traveling powers after detecting him running past the camera in a three-year old CCTV footage. Xiao Li was then keen to get Cheng Xiaoshi to assist in an ongoing serial murder investigation with his powers, and Cheng Xiaoshi appeared much more willing to cooperate with him than Lu Guang. Ultimately, Cheng Xiaoshi reluctantly let the offer go, though, as both Lu Guang and Qiao Ling took an opposing stance.
Later, they would meet again during Xu Shanshan's case. Following her ominous disappearance, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang agreed that they need help from a police officer, prompting Lu Guang to get re-acquianted with Xiao Li. When it started seeming likely that the person behind Xu Shanshan's disappearance was also the chief suspect in the serial murder case, the duo started working together with Xiao Li and his respective partner, Chen Bin.
After Xu Shanshan's case was solved, Cheng Xiaoshi and Xiao Li continued to stick close, particularly as with the assumed perpetrator Liu Min strangling himself it became obvious he had just been puppet of someone else. They were allies all throughout the case concerning Li Tianchen, Li Tianxi and Qian Jin, and remained in touch beyond its conclusion. Xiao Li was also the one to personally escort Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang back home after their two months of hospitalization.
=== Chen Bin ===
Cheng Xiaoshi and Chen Bin are acquaintances through Chen Bin's partner, Xiao Li. They come across each other during Doudou's kidnapping investigation. They don't interact much one-on-one, but are amicable towards one another. As Cheng Xiaoshi is briefly imprisoned for being suspected of stabbing Lu Guang, Chen Bin comes to get him, and also buys him a fresh set of clothes.
When Chen Bin is killed, Cheng Xiaoshi attends his funeral along with Xiao Li and Qiao Ling. Wanting to help Chen Bin's grieving wife, Cheng Xiaoshi requests Lu Guang to let him dive into a photo Chen Bin took two years ago. While there, he (as Chen Bin) re-proposes to his wife and delivers her a heartfelt confession of love, the effects of which she immediately feels in the present, being comforted by this new memory.
== References ==