Xue Baochai (薛寶釵) is one of the principal characters in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is extremely beautiful and socially graceful, but is noted for her inner coldness. Her attributes complement those of her cousin Lin Daiyu. Indeed, it has been suggested that the two women are complements of one another - each has exactly the attributes of Cao Xueqin's ideal woman which the other lacks.