Recaps

Dong Xuebin learned that the Branch Bureau Party Committee had chosen him to become deputy director of the General Office, defeating Guo Shunjie and surprising colleagues across the bureau. After thanking the leaders who supported him, he reflected on how quickly his career was advancing toward his goal of entering the central government.

• News spread through the Chengxi Branch Bureau that Dong Xuebin was about to become deputy director, while Zhou Guoan blamed Guo Shunjie for losing the appointment.
• Guo Panwei questioned Pang Bin about why Dong Xuebin had gained support from several leaders, and they discussed his past work with Yang Yizhong and Xu Yan.
• Colleagues congratulated Dong Xuebin, who modestly said the appointment was not yet finalized and asked them not to call him Director Dong.
• Li Qing told Dong Xuebin that Xu Yan, Song Shoujie, Yang Yizhong, Pang Bin, and Liu Hua had supported him at the Party Committee meeting.
• Dong Xuebin thanked Xu Yan and Song Shoujie, then visited Yang Yizhong, Liu Hua, Pang Bin, and Yan Liang to express his gratitude.
• Dong Xuebin reflected that his promotion had brought him another step closer to entering the central government.

Dong Xuebin visited Qu Yunxuan and told her he had been appointed deputy director of the General Affairs Office, with deputy section-level pay and benefits. Qu Yunxuan believed the news after a colleague congratulated him and began preparing a celebratory meal.

• Dong Xuebin ran into Section Chief Xu and Xiao Dong, who were preparing for another civil service exam.
• Dong Xuebin used his spare key to enter Qu Yunxuan's apartment and found her fresh from a bath.
• Qu Yunxuan changed into a silk slip dress and explained that she had been drinking with a client at lunch.
• Dong Xuebin told Qu Yunxuan about his appointment as deputy director of the General Affairs Office.
• Lao Liu called to congratulate Dong Xuebin, convincing Qu Yunxuan that the promotion was real.
• Qu Yunxuan decided to celebrate by cooking Dong Xuebin a proper meal and sent him to wait in the living room.

After Dong Xuebin celebrated his promotion with Qu Yunxuan, he cared for her sore shoulders and wondered whether she returned his feelings. When he finally held her hand, she pulled away and scolded him for getting fresh.

• Dong Xuebin and Qu Yunxuan celebrated his promotion over dinner and watched the news together.
• Qu Yunxuan advised Dong Xuebin to secure his new position before trying to advance further.
• Dong Xuebin scraped Qu Yunxuan’s neck and shoulders, and she thanked him and massaged his tired hand.
• Dong Xuebin wondered whether Qu Yunxuan liked him and reached for her hand to test her reaction.
• Qu Yunxuan pulled her hand away and told Dong Xuebin not to get fresh with her.

On his first day as deputy director of the General Office, Dong Xuebin settled into his new authority and assigned work to his subordinates. After reflecting on how to manage the office, he decided to put Guo Shunjie in his place despite knowing that targeting an old rival could make him look petty.

• Dong Xuebin arrived late, enjoyed the clerks’ greetings, and entered the General Office as his staff stood to welcome him.
• Dong Xuebin assigned Guo Panwei and Guo Shunjie to prepare a meeting room, Tan Limei to print materials, and Chang Juan and Sun Zhuang to deliver documents.
• Dong Xuebin signed a document from Director Xu and told Tan Limei and Zhuangzi to call him Binzi when they were alone.
• Dong Xuebin considered how to assert his authority and decided that Guo Shunjie was the person he would target first.

Newly appointed Director Dong Xuebin used his authority to punish Guo Shunjie for past mistreatment, then reassured Chang Juan when she apologized for opposing him. The chapter ended with Dong Xuebin reflecting on the perks and pressures of power.

• Guo Panwei reported that preparations were complete, and Dong Xuebin decided to observe him rather than target him immediately.
• Dong Xuebin ordered Guo Shunjie to type a lengthy document alone and told Tan Limei to make sure no one helped him.
• After Guo Shunjie submitted the document, Dong Xuebin berated him for its many typos and ordered him to work overtime until it was finished.
• Chang Juan apologized to Dong Xuebin for her earlier remarks, and he told her he did not hold them against her.
• Chang Juan flirted with Dong Xuebin before leaving, and he reflected that his first day as a leader had shown him what power was like.

After Section Chief Xu's family dumped garbage that ruined Dong Xuebin's shoes, he argued with Xiao Dong and planned to confront them. Guo Panwei arrived with a gift, but an upstairs quarrel involving Qu Yunxuan sent Dong Xuebin rushing out, with Guo Panwei following.

• A garbage bag thrown from Section Chief Xu's home splattered soup on Dong Xuebin's shoes, and Dong Xuebin cursed at the family.
• Xiao Dong spat at Dong Xuebin from the window, and Qu Yunxuan urged him to demand an apology.
• Dong Xuebin changed shoes after dinner and prepared to confront Section Chief Xu's family.
• Guo Panwei visited Dong Xuebin with two cartons of cigarettes, and Dong Xuebin welcomed him inside.
• Dong Xuebin heard Qu Yunxuan arguing with Section Chief Xu's family upstairs and hurried out, followed by Guo Panwei.

Dong Xuebin confronted Xiao Dong and Section Chief Xu after they berated Qu Yunxuan, while Guo Panwei stepped in to support him. Guo Panwei recognized Section Chief Xu from a prior encounter at the Customs liaison office, leaving Xu's status and response exposed to the neighbors.

• Qu Yunxuan argued with Xiao Dong and Section Chief Xu over the trash and their threats against Dong Xuebin.
• Dong Xuebin came upstairs and challenged the Xu family after hearing them insult Qu Yunxuan.
• Guo Panwei arrived and tried to shield Dong Xuebin and Qu Yunxuan, but hesitated when Xiao Dong and Section Chief Xu invoked Customs connections.
• Guo Panwei learned that Xiao Dong's father was only a section chief and regained his confidence.
• Guo Panwei recognized Section Chief Xu as the man who had opened a car door for him and his uncle at the liaison office.

Guo Panwei used his connection to Director Liu to help Dong Xuebin pressure Section Chief Xu and Xiao Dong into apologizing for their insults and behavior. Section Chief Xu and Xiao Dong left after bringing gifts and seeking Dong Xuebin’s forgiveness, while Dong Xuebin and Qu Yunxuan reflected on how much his standing had changed.

• Guo Panwei revealed that his uncle was Director Liu, then used the connection to intimidate Section Chief Xu on Dong Xuebin’s behalf.
• Dong Xuebin chose to leave with Qu Yunxuan and Guo Panwei rather than immediately demand action against Section Chief Xu.
• Section Chief Xu and Xiao Dong arrived at the Dong Family home with leather shoes and Maotai Liquor, and Xiao Dong apologized to Dong Xuebin and Qu Yunxuan.
• Qu Yunxuan told Section Chief Xu she would speak to Dong Xuebin for him, and Section Chief Xu and Xiao Dong left relieved.
• Dong Xuebin and Qu Yunxuan checked the gifts, and Dong Xuebin said he would not accept money because he wanted to avoid wrongdoing.

After the Xu family moved away, Dong Xuebin prepared to handle a Guest House relocation assignment but realized he had bypassed his supervisor, Li Qing. He used BACK to rewind time and caught Li Qing before he could confront him, leaving Guo Shunjie’s attempt to undermine him thwarted.

• The Xu family moved out of the neighborhood, and Dong Xuebin told Aunt Xuan he expected things to be peaceful now.
• Dong Xuebin put Guo Panwei in charge of the office while he handled an assignment, then went to discuss the Guest House relocation with Xu Yan.
• Li Qing confronted Dong Xuebin for failing to report the assignment to him, and Dong Xuebin realized Guo Shunjie had alerted Li Qing.
• Dong Xuebin used BACK to rewind time, then hurried out with the relocation forms before Li Qing could confront him.
• Dong Xuebin claimed he had tried to report to Li Qing earlier and presented the forms, easing Li Qing’s anger while Guo Shunjie watched in frustration.

Dong Xuebin visited the Guest House demolition site to gather information for a relocation report while thinking about marriage and ways to earn money. When workers uncovered a buried box, he used Back in hopes of claiming its contents first.

• Li Qing urged Dong Xuebin to date and marry to appear more mature, and Dong resolved to pursue Qu Yunxuan while earning money.
• Dong Xuebin traveled to the Guest House site in You'anmen to photograph the area and prepare a report for Xu Yan.
• Residents mistook Dong Xuebin for a reporter, and he claimed he was an artist taking reference photos.
• A middle-aged foreman confronted Dong Xuebin and tried to seize his camera, but workers nearby uncovered a wooden box containing an iron box.
• The foreman tried to drive Dong Xuebin away from the discovery, and Dong used Back.

Dong Xuebin used his work ID to stop the foreman and workers from opening a hidden stone slab, then stayed at the site until they left for the night. He was left alone with the chance to uncover what lay beneath it.

• Dong Xuebin rewound time and tried to stop the workers from opening the stone slab, but the Middle-aged Foreman seized his camera.
• Dong Xuebin showed his State Security ID, prompting the Middle-aged Foreman to return the camera and order the workers to stop.
• Dong Xuebin asked the workers whether they had seen a tall, dark-faced man, but they could not recall anyone matching the description.
• Dong Xuebin stood on the stone slab and stayed at the site for three hours while the workers dug elsewhere.
• After the workers left, Dong Xuebin lifted his foot from the slab and went to eat, planning to uncover what was hidden beneath it.

Dong Xuebin dug up a box of rare antique books in the demolition area and sold them to Boss Jia for more than 110,000 yuan. He left with his total assets at 220,000 yuan.

• Dong Xuebin waited until night to lift a stone brick in the demolition area and retrieve a buried iron box.
• Dong Xuebin discovered the box held rare editions and a Tang Dunhuang Scripture Scroll, then packed the books and went to Panjiayuan.
• Dong Xuebin took the books to Xuan Yu Zhai and asked Boss Jia to appraise them.
• Dong Xuebin negotiated with Boss Jia and sold the books, including the Tang Scripture for 90,000 yuan.
• Dong Xuebin added the proceeds to his bank balance and reached total assets of 220,000 yuan.

Dong Xuebin made plans to pursue Qu Yunxuan while continuing to prove himself at work, then waited at her home and discovered her in a startling, private situation. The chapter ended with him frozen outside her partly open bedroom door, unsure what she was doing.

• Dong Xuebin spoke with his mother, reassured her about work, and kept his promotion and earnings secret until the holidays.
• He gave Li Qing and Xu Yan his detailed Guest House relocation proposal, then completed another task Xu Yan assigned him.
• Dong Xuebin decided to pursue Qu Yunxuan, bought groceries, and called to tell her he would cook dinner, but she said she was working late.
• He went to the Qu home, prepared ingredients, and fell asleep in the kitchen while waiting for her.
• Dong Xuebin woke after dark, noticed Qu Yunxuan's handbag and a light in her room, and saw her through the door crack in a compromising-looking position before he could call out.

Dong Xuebin accidentally saw Qu Yunxuan’s private behavior and hurried to hide that he had witnessed it. He left their evening together feeling flustered by the unfamiliar side of Aunt Xuan he had discovered.

• Dong Xuebin saw Qu Yunxuan behaving intimately in her bedroom and realized he needed to leave without being noticed.
• Dong Xuebin staged the sound of arriving home, and Qu Yunxuan hurriedly changed before coming out to greet him.
• Qu Yunxuan claimed her damp hand had been used to clean a cabinet, then wiped Dong Xuebin’s nose with a towel.
• Qu Yunxuan teased Dong Xuebin about his dirty socks while he cooked dinner, and he watched her leave the kitchen, unsettled by what he had seen.

Dong Xuebin learned that Qu Yunxuan valued thoughtful gestures, so he used BACK to undo their conversation and hurried to buy her a phone charm, scarf, and handbag. Qu Yunxuan was deeply touched and invited him to watch a movie, leaving Dong Xuebin convinced that her favorability toward him had risen.

• Qu Yunxue told Dong Xuebin about a blind date and described how much she valued a considerate partner who noticed small details.
• Dong Xuebin realized he could use BACK to return to before Qu Yunxuan described her preferences, then left to shop for the items she had mentioned.
• Dong Xuebin returned with a phone charm, scarf, and handbag and gave them to Qu Yunxuan.
• Qu Yunxuan thanked Dong Xuebin, linked arms with him, and invited him to stay up and watch a movie.

Dong Xuebin tried to hold Qu Yunxuan’s hand and confess, but accidentally grabbed her thigh instead. He discovered he had already used up his Back ability and was left facing the consequences.

• Dong Xuebin woke up at Qu Yunxuan’s home and ate breakfast with her.
• Qu Yunxuan moved her belongings into the new purse Dong Xuebin had bought and advised him to be careful about women who might pursue him for his position.
• Dong Xuebin decided to try holding Qu Yunxuan’s hand again and planned to confess to her.
• Dong Xuebin reached for Qu Yunxuan’s hand, but she moved it to fix her hair, causing him to grab her thigh through her stockings.
• Dong Xuebin squeezed Qu Yunxuan’s thigh and complimented her legs, then tried to use Back to undo his mistake.
• Dong Xuebin realized Back did not work because he had used it earlier to undo the injury from falling off the sofa.

Dong Xuebin accidentally groped Qu Yunxuan’s thigh and tried to excuse himself by claiming he had wanted to compare their legs. After she scolded him, he repeatedly reached for her hand until she finally held his hand back.

• Dong Xuebin realized he had squeezed Qu Yunxuan’s thigh and struggled to come up with an excuse while she took a phone call.
• After the call, Dong Xuebin claimed he had been comparing whose legs were thinner, and Qu Yunxuan scolded him but let the incident go.
• Qu Yunxuan told Dong Xuebin to ask questions instead of getting handsy, then explained that women generally had thicker thighs and thinner calves.
• Dong Xuebin tried to hold Qu Yunxuan’s hand, and she pulled away and smacked him before he reached for it again.
• Qu Yunxuan stopped pulling away, and after Dong Xuebin interlaced their fingers, she curled her fingers around his and held his hand back.

Dong Xuebin spent a day growing closer to Qu Yunxuan, holding her hand and asking whether they could date. Qu Yunxuan avoided giving him a clear answer but took his hand herself, leaving him hopeful about their relationship.

• Dong Xuebin held Qu Yunxuan’s hand while they watched a horror movie, and she scolded him for smiling at the deaths.
• Dong Xuebin suggested that they eat out, but Qu Yunxuan insisted they cook at home to save money.
• While they prepared vegetables, Dong Xuebin asked Qu Yunxuan to date him, and she warned him about their age difference and their mothers’ likely objections.
• Dong Xuebin sulked as he chopped vegetables, so Qu Yunxuan took his hand and asked whether he could cut properly now.

Dong Xuebin worried that skipping his daily use of back had made him lose the ability, then discovered he could use it twice in one day. He suspected unused uses might accumulate, leaving him to wonder how far back he could eventually turn time.

• Dong Xuebin realized he had forgotten to use back on Sunday and worried that the ability might disappear.
• Qu Yunxuan tied Dong Xuebin’s shoelaces and sent him off to work while he hid his concern.
• After a mistake-free workday, Dong Xuebin used back outside the branch bureau and confirmed the ability still worked.
• On a crowded bus, the closing doors trapped Dong Xuebin’s hand, and he reflexively shouted back.
• Dong Xuebin found himself back at the bus stop and realized he had used back a second time that day.
• Dong Xuebin suspected Sunday’s unused back had carried over and wondered whether stored uses could send him further into the past.

Dong Xuebin delayed testing his accumulated back ability while Qu Yunxuan’s mother urged her to find a wealthy husband. He then decided to use the accumulated six minutes to try stone gambling as a way to earn money.

• Dong Xuebin prepared to test whether back could reverse time by six minutes, but Qu Yunxuan’s mother arrived before he could begin.
• Mother Qu thanked Dong Xuebin for saving Qu Yunxuan and praised his prospects for promotion.
• Mother Qu asked Dong Xuebin about Qu Yunxuan’s suitors and urged him to help her find a wealthy man to marry.
• After Mother Qu left, Dong Xuebin reconsidered using his accumulated back time and decided to devise a way to make money.
• Dong Xuebin realized that stone gambling could let him use back to identify valuable stones without risking a loss.

Dong Xuebin searched Panjiayuan for a place to gamble on raw stones and studied a crystal shop’s wares and cutting process. After learning how crystal values differed and timing the cuts, he prepared to make his first gamble.

• Dong Xuebin took 160,000 yuan in cash and searched Panjiayuan for raw materials to gamble on.
• He found Fat Boss’s crystal shop and watched several customers lose money on rough crystals.
• Dong Xuebin questioned Fat Boss about finished crystal prices and returned after lunch to observe and learn.
• He worked out which crystal qualities were valuable and timed how quickly a rough stone could be cut.
• Dong Xuebin finished his calculations, took a deep breath, and prepared to begin.

Dong Xuebin gambled 160,000 yuan on crystal rough stones, and every cut turned out worthless until the final stone revealed valuable rutilated quartz. With only seconds left on his countdown, he shouted “Back” repeatedly.

• Dong Xuebin pretended to take an urgent call so Fat Boss would cut several crystal rough stones quickly, then paid 160,000 yuan for them.
• Fat Boss cut open a colorless crystal, a yellow crystal, and rose quartz, but each stone was ruined by impurities, poor color, or bubbles.
• Fat Boss opened Dong Xuebin’s first amethyst, revealing deep cracks and dirty fractures, then cut the last amethyst, which was nearly colorless and gray.
• With 39 seconds remaining, Dong Xuebin used his ID as collateral to have Fat Boss cut one more rough stone.
• The final stone revealed valuable rutilated quartz just before the countdown ended, and Dong Xuebin shouted “Back” six times.

Dong Xuebin confirmed that his BACK ability could rewind time and used his knowledge of what had happened to buy a Rough Stone containing silver rutilated quartz. He sold it for 230,000, bringing his bank balance to 440,000, and realized his ability could help him reach his goals.

• Dong Xuebin used BACK six times and experienced afterimages of the previous six minutes before realizing he had successfully rewound time.
• He changed his purchase and bought a cracked soccer-ball-sized Rough Stone from Fat Boss for 18,000.
• Fat Boss cut a window into the Rough Stone and revealed flawless silver rutilated quartz inside.
• Fat Boss and a small-eyed middle-aged man examined the stone, and further cuts showed that its crack was only on the surface.
• The small-eyed middle-aged man bought the Rough Stone from Dong Xuebin for 230,000 after they verified the check at the bank.
• Dong Xuebin deposited his remaining cash and saw that his account held 440,000.

Dong Xuebin ran into Xie Huilan again while waiting for a bus and learned that she was a high-ranking deputy director in the Central Propaganda Department’s News Bureau. After she gave him her phone number, her remarkable position left him determined to advance his own career.

• Dong Xuebin waited for a bus near West Bridge and threw away a stale pack of cigarettes.
• He recognized Xie Huilan, the elegant woman whose wallet he had helped recover, as she spoke with a middle-aged colleague who called her Director Xie.
• Xie Huilan remembered Dong Xuebin, chatted with him, and explained that she had been too busy to honor her offer of a meal.
• Xie Huilan gave Dong Xuebin her phone number and told him she was the deputy director of the News Bureau’s Research Department in the Central Propaganda Department.
• Dong Xuebin was stunned by Xie Huilan’s rank and resolved to work harder toward earning a deputy section-level post.

Dong Xuebin tried to keep a low profile at work while considering a rare Party school training opportunity and managing tensions with Guo Shunjie. The chapter ended when Zhou Guoan discovered that his meeting materials included blank pages and pictures of sweets, a pointed insult to the diabetic political commissar.

• Dong Xuebin heard that Director Yan might be transferred and wondered who would replace him.
• Tan Limei and Zhuangzi told Dong Xuebin they were dating and shared news of an upcoming Young Cadre Training Class at the Party school.
• Dong Xuebin assigned Tan Limei and Chang Juan to prepare meeting documents and told Guo Shunjie to set up the room, prompting Guo Shunjie to complain to Zhou Guoan.
• Dong Xuebin personally arranged the materials in Conference Room No. 2, hoping to improve his relationship with Zhou Guoan.
• During the meeting, Zhou Guoan found that his materials contained blank pages and illustrations of cream cakes, then angrily threw them onto the table.