Other pairings

Du Qi and Xue Qianshan

Du Qi and Xue Qianshan are important characters of Winter Begonia. Du Qi meets Xue Qianshan, when he goes to the office of Beiping Times. Du Qi is not happy with how the newspaper doesn't praise Shang Xirui enough and he wants to complain about it. Xue Qianshan looks amused at Du Qi's behavior, and even offers to hire him. Their relationship can be best described as Xue Qianshan saying yes to whatever Du Qi feels is right. There is a scene where Du Qi is sitting in the CEO's chair, with the CEO respectfully standing next to him.

While Xue Qianshan has wives/concubines in his house, he and Du Qi are a perfect match for each other. Even though Du Qi has many conversations with Shang Xirui, it is apparent that he has the most meaningful conversations with Xue Qianshan; Xue Qianshan understands him and values him. When Xue Qianshan receives the list of writers, who are forced to be part of the China-Japan cultural cooperation event, he warns Du Qi right away. There are several instances the audience would feel the warmth that Xue Qianshan has for Du Qi; the way he just nods to everything Du Qi says, or the warm smiles he give Du Qi. When Du Qi needs to get Shang Xirui inside Cheng Fengtai's house, it is Xue Qianshan that helps him.

This relationship is very amusing to watch; while one acts as the alpha (Du Qi), Xue Qianshan pretty much submits to everything that Du Qi says. When Xue Qianshan feels that his wives/concubines are not safe in Beiping anymore, he sends them away with Du Qi. It is very likely that they converse through letters during the time Du Qi is away.

**Ning Jiulang and Lord Qi**

Ning Jiulang (宁九郎) is a retired dan opera performer, and Lord Qi 齐王爷 is a former Manchu royal. From the very start of the show, when we see Ning Jiulang, we always see him with Lord Qi. They are either talking about Shang Xirui, or joking about Ning Jiulang working in the garden. How they met, or why they are living together is never really explained in the show. However, they are close as Lord Qi best knows what Ning Jiulang is thinking or feeling. In the end, even though the two separate, it felt like they have lived with each other for a long time, to part ways without saying anything to each other.

## Novel canon

In the novel canon, Shang Xirui was in a relationship with Cao Wanjun (also known as Commander Cao), the father of Cao Guixiu. This was prior to the start of the novel. Cheng Meixin already was one of Commander Cao's wives at the time and she hated Shang Xirui after competing with him for Commander Cao's affection.

Ning Jiulang and Lord Qi are a long-standing couple in the novel. Ning Jiulang lives with Lord Qi in Tianjin. People often ask Shang Xirui for gossip about their relationship but he refuses to share any. Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui are often compared to Lord Qi and Ning Jiulang by others. At one point, Lord Qi gives Cheng Fengtai advice about his relationship with Shang Xirui.

Zeng Aiyu is the mistress of both Cheng Fengtai and Fan Lian in the novel and at one point they have a threesome. Cheng Fengtai and Fan Lian together rent a house for Zeng Aiyu to live in. Cheng Fengtai stops seeing Zeng Aiyu once he becomes serious about his relationship with Shang Xirui. For a while Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui live with Zeng Aiyu and Shang Xirui is very jealous and suspicious of her. In the novel Zeng Aiyu and Shang Xirui are not siblings.