The protagonist and narrator, an eighteen-year-old delinquent. He forced Fang Nian to kiss him, which led to his confrontation with Fang Heng. He comes from a broken home: his father Yan He is a gambler who abandoned the family, and his mother He Li suffers from a serious disease. Yan Ze works multiple jobs including at a barbecue shop to survive. He is tough, rebellious, and uses a delinquent persona to mask his vulnerabilities. He has a complicated relationship with both Fang brothers.
