This article adopts the case study approach on Ren Fang (任昉) and his social network to examine the social and political functions of social relationships. The characteristics of friendship established in the social relationship, as well as the culture values of the literati. Besides having been a member of an elite clan, how did he build up a sense of his identity as a literati and acquire much more political capital than others? Through Ren’s social relationships, this article highlights the literati’s image in the Qi-Liang dynasties. The study produced the following findings: 1. To manage social relationships was an important procedure for literati to build up social identity and self-awareness. 2. It was also an important stage for literati to earn an excellent reputation and increase opportunities to become an official. 3. During this period, most of the cultural activities involved social relationships. Rich talent and extensive learning of literati were not just instruments of seeking official careers, but also had become an important quality to evaluate individual values of life. 4. Friendships established by social relationship were diverse, but eagerness to benefit from the interactions was one of the distinct characteristics. Literati of the same social group often had similar learning backgrounds and the same desire for an official career. Therefore, they were soulmates but also competitors. 5. For literati, there was no end to the quest for immortal fame. After one’s death, his friends might compile his compositions to distribute his fame around the world, or write epitaphs and other memorial words to honor him.