Xu Ailian is Shen Qi’s biological mother and a high school teacher. She is obsessed with her public image and openly favors Shen Baozhu over Shen Qi. She often uses emotional blackmail (“Mom won’t like you anymore”) to control Shen Qi. She is devastated when Shen Qi publicly reveals the family’s unfairness, but shows little genuine remorse. Her neglect and favoritism deeply wound Shen Qi and contribute to the family conflict.
