Chapter Summaries

Dong Xuebin learned that Li Zhixin had likely pushed Xie Huilan and that Chenggang County was trying to frame him for the construction accident. After rejecting an unlawful police search and driving the officers out, he resolved to settle both old and new grievances with Chenggang County.

• Liao Yimin told Dong Xuebin that Chenggang County planned to blame him for the accident and that Li Zhixin had pushed Xie Huilan.
• Dong Xuebin saw Li Zhixin arrive at the New County Party Committee Compound and suspected he was coordinating with Deputy Mayor Hua Li against him.
• Three Chenggang County officers entered Dong Xuebin's hotel room to collect his fingerprints and shoe prints without showing proper authorization.
• When an officer grabbed him, Dong Xuebin dislocated the officer's arm and challenged the others to produce evidence and legal authority.
• The officers withdrew, and Dong Xuebin decided to settle his old and new grievances with Chenggang County.

Dong Xuebin used his reverse ability to collapse the New County Party Committee Office Building, shifting attention from the police confrontation to the construction project’s failures. The collapse left Li Zhixin gravely injured and the Chenggang County officials facing blame for the disaster.

• Dong Xuebin watched Li Zhixin and the police outside the hotel, recognized their attempt to shift blame onto him, and decided to retaliate.
• Dong Xuebin reversed the Office Building by roughly six months, turning the cement in its foundation back into loose sand and lime.
• The New County Party Committee Office Building sank and collapsed, while officers escaped into an open area.
• Li Zhixin and the construction officials realized they would be held responsible for the building’s collapse.
• Two shards of glass struck Li Zhixin in the eyes, and the people nearby called for an ambulance.

After the New County Party Committee Office Building collapsed, Li Zhixin was blinded and Deputy County Chief Wang suffered a serious head injury, while residents blamed Chenggang County’s leaders and argued with officials trying to disperse them. Dong Xuebin told Xie Huilan the incident was settled and prepared to leave, confident that Chenggang County would soon face consequences.

• Dong Xuebin stopped time and arranged for Deputy County Chief Wang to trip and strike his head on a car, leaving him unconscious and bleeding.
• Residents criticized Chenggang County’s leaders for wasting public funds on the new compound and suspected corruption in its construction.
• Police and project headquarters personnel carried Li Zhixin and Deputy County Chief Wang to the County People’s Hospital, then ordered the crowd to leave.
• Residents refused to move and argued with Chenggang County’s Civil Servants, who continued driving them away rudely.
• Dong Xuebin spoke with Xie Huilan, confirmed that she and the baby were well, and told her the compound had collapsed and the two officials were injured.
• Dong Xuebin ended the call, closed the curtains, and prepared to leave Chenggang County.

Dong Xuebin learned that Chenggang County’s collapsed office building had triggered a sweeping investigation, then gave the City Discipline Inspection Committee his account of how county officials had framed him and harmed his wife. He drove back to Zhenshui County, while Chenggang County cadres began to see a disturbing pattern in the disasters surrounding everyone who had crossed him.

• Dong Xuebin called Li Xiaona and learned that construction officials had fled, the City Discipline Inspection Committee had taken control of the investigation, and Li Zhixin and Deputy County Chief Wang were hospitalized.
• Dong Xuebin contacted Jiang Fangfang and Yao Cui to assure them he was safe, then packed up and left the hotel.
• At the collapsed compound, police who had previously targeted Dong Xuebin ignored him as city investigators focused on the building disaster.
• Dong Xuebin visited Li Zhixin and Deputy County Chief Wang’s hospital ward and told City Discipline Inspection Committee personnel about his wife’s injury and Chenggang County officials’ attempts to frame him.
• Dong Xuebin returned to Zhenshui County, leaving Chenggang County cadres to wonder whether the string of disasters involving people who had crossed him was more than coincidence.

Dong Xuebin learned that the Chenggang County accident investigation had uncovered widespread construction-material violations, then welcomed Xu Yan’s arrival in the province and returned to work on Zhenshui County’s projects. He rejected an excessive meal reimbursement and weighed how to produce stronger results before seeking a promotion.

• Dong Xuebin watched the news report that the Chenggang County accident was caused by substandard construction materials and that Li Zhixin and company executives had been detained.
• Xu Yan called Dong Xuebin from the provincial capital after arriving to take up her post, and they agreed to meet when they were both free.
• Dong Xuebin met Jiang Fangfang in their residential compound, carried her garbage downstairs, and learned she was going to visit her father in the hospital.
• Dong Xuebin reviewed county documents and returned a reimbursement request for a meeting meal costing more than 2,900 yuan.
• Dong Xuebin settled on a proposed site for the dormitory project and considered pursuing investment promotion to secure more visible achievements before transferring back for Hui Lan’s childbirth.

Dong Xuebin learned that County Chief Jiang was carrying heavy family burdens while sharing steamed buns with Yao Cui. The chapter ended when Ma Bin told him that County Chief Jiang’s father had died at the hospital.

• Yao Cui brought Dong Xuebin steamed buns and ate with him while they discussed his family and work.
• Dong Xuebin learned from Yao Cui that Jiang Fangfang’s father had late-stage liver cancer and her mother had Alzheimer’s.
• Dong Xuebin considered using reverse to help Jiang Fangfang’s father but concluded he could not rewind his illness far enough to make a meaningful difference.
• Ma Bin called Dong Xuebin and told him that Jiang Fangfang’s father had died at the hospital around ten thirty.

After Jiang Fangfang’s father died, Dong Xuebin and other county leaders visited the hospital to offer their condolences. Jiang Fangfang asked Dong Xuebin to temporarily take charge of the county government, leaving him to manage its work while worrying about her.

• Dong Xuebin asked Yao Cui about local funeral customs and arranged for county leaders to visit Jiang Fangfang’s family at the hospital.
• Dong Xuebin and the other officials paid their respects to Jiang Fangfang’s deceased father, but Jiang Fangfang was away picking up her mother.
• Li Xiaona told Dong Xuebin that Jiang Fangfang would be absent the following week and had authorized him to make decisions and handle the county government’s affairs.
• On the way back, Pu An’s wife worried about Jiang Fangfang and urged Dong Xuebin to help her find a suitable husband.
• Dong Xuebin returned to his office, reviewed pending proposals, directed the dormitory project to proceed as planned, and spent the afternoon handling county business while thinking about Jiang Fangfang.

Dong Xuebin learned that Jiang Fangfang's mother had Alzheimer's and believed Jiang's deceased husband was still alive. Jiang asked Dong to pretend to be her husband so her mother would eat, and he agreed to try.

• Dong Xuebin rested after shouldering Jiang Fangfang's county duties during her week away from work.
• Jiang Fangfang called Dong and told him she would return to work on Monday after spending more time with her mother.
• Jiang explained that her mother had Alzheimer's and believed Jiang's husband was still alive.
• Jiang told Dong that her mother had refused to eat until she saw her supposed son-in-law.
• Jiang asked Dong to impersonate her husband because he looked almost exactly like him, and Dong agreed to try.

Dong Xuebin went to Jiang Fangfang’s mother’s home to pose as her late husband, Liu Tao, and reassure her mother. When Mother Jiang exposed the deception by quizzing him about their birthdays, Dong Xuebin decided to use his ability to turn back time to try again.

• Dong Xuebin reluctantly agreed to visit Jiang Fangfang’s mother and pretend to be Liu Tao.
• Dong Xuebin drove to the family’s aging apartment building and brought milk and fruit.
• He heard Mother Jiang refusing food and medicine until she could see Liu Tao, then entered the bedroom to help Jiang Fangfang.
• Mother Jiang suspected Dong Xuebin was an impostor and tested him by asking for her and Liu Tao’s birthdays.
• After Mother Jiang exposed him, Dong Xuebin chose to turn back time by one minute.

Dong Xuebin used Back to return one minute and answered Mother Jiang’s questions about family birthdays, convincing her that he was her son-in-law, Xiao Tao. Mother Jiang welcomed him warmly, and the chapter ended with Jiang Fangfang asking how he knew the birthdays.

• Dong Xuebin rewound time by one minute and correctly named Mother Jiang’s, Jiang Fangfang’s, her father’s, and Aunt Zhou’s birthdays.
• Mother Jiang recognized Dong Xuebin as Xiao Tao and welcomed him back, while he apologized for being away and promised he would not leave again.
• Mother Jiang urged Dong Xuebin to take good care of Jiang Fangfang and asked them to share a reunion dinner.
• Jiang Fangfang and Dong Xuebin left the bedroom after Mother Jiang ate and encouraged them to spend time together.
• Jiang Fangfang questioned Dong Xuebin about the birthdays, and he claimed he had seen them in her file and guessed Aunt Zhou’s birthday.

Dong Xuebin visited Jiang Fangfang’s mother and pretended to be her son Liu Tao to keep the elderly woman calm. After agreeing to help Jiang Fangfang visit her mother, he helped bring in the laundry as rain began, where he noticed Jiang Fangfang’s revealing outfit.

• Mother Jiang urged Jiang Fangfang and Dong Xuebin, whom she mistook for Liu Tao, to spend time together before going to nap.
• Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang agreed to keep pretending he was Liu Tao and to continue visiting Mother Jiang together.
• Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang hurried to bring in the balcony laundry as thunder and rain approached.
• Dong Xuebin struggled to carry Jiang Fangfang’s clothes and shoes inside, dropping several items as she helped him pick them up.
• Dong Xuebin noticed Jiang Fangfang was not wearing a bra beneath her shirt and tried to steal glances while they sorted the laundry.

Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang cared for Mother Jiang while pretending to be a married couple, but the old woman insisted they stay the night together. Jiang Fangfang agreed, leaving them to face the awkward problem of sharing her one-bedroom apartment.

• Dong Xuebin prepared vegetables and helped Jiang Fangfang with chores while Mother Jiang slept.
• When Mother Jiang woke, Jiang Fangfang held Dong Xuebin's hand so her mother would believe they were affectionate spouses.
• Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang cooked and ate with Mother Jiang, who treated him as her son-in-law.
• Mother Jiang insisted that Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang stay overnight because of the heavy rain and her wish to keep them company.
• Jiang Fangfang reluctantly told Dong Xuebin not to leave, and Mother Jiang was satisfied.

Dong Xuebin repaired the windows and bathroom light at Jiang Fangfang’s mother’s home during the storm, then explained how his poor upbringing had taught him to handle household repairs. After getting soaked, he borrowed Jiang Fangfang’s thermal underwear and finished bathing, leaving him embarrassed and unsettled by wearing his wife’s clothes.

• Dong Xuebin sealed the rattling window panes while Jiang Fangfang handed him tape, then went out onto the ledge to secure the outside in the rain.
• Dong Xuebin replaced the bathroom light and told Jiang Fangfang that poverty had forced him to learn repairs when he was young.
• Mother Jiang praised Dong Xuebin and urged Jiang Fangfang to live well with her husband.
• Dong Xuebin asked to shower because his clothes were wet, and Jiang Fangfang offered him her thermal underwear to wear.
• Dong Xuebin bathed, used Jiang Fangfang’s pink towel, and put on her tight white thermal top and pants.

Dong Xuebin stayed at Jiang Fangfang’s home to keep Mother Jiang company, then prepared to sleep separately from Jiang Fangfang. When Mother Jiang unexpectedly came out of her room, Jiang Fangfang pulled Dong Xuebin beneath her quilt to hide him.

• Dong Xuebin helped Mother Jiang take her medicine and settled her into bed.
• Jiang Fangfang and Dong Xuebin made a bed on the floor, with Jiang Fangfang taking it and Dong Xuebin sleeping on the sofa.
• Dong Xuebin lay awake while Jiang Fangfang turned restlessly beneath her quilt.
• When Mother Jiang came out of her bedroom, Jiang Fangfang told Dong Xuebin to get into bed with her and covered him with the quilt.

Dong Xuebin repeatedly hid beneath Jiang Fangfang’s blanket whenever her mother got up during the night, until Jiang Fangfang invited him to sleep beside her. After he accidentally bruised her waist while hurrying back under the covers, he offered to massage the injury.

• Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang pretended to sleep while Jiang Fangfang’s mother came out to use the bathroom and tucked them in.
• Jiang Fangfang’s mother put away Dong Xuebin’s blanket, leaving him to cover himself with cushions on the cold sofa.
• When Jiang Fangfang’s mother came out again for water, Dong Xuebin hurried back under Jiang Fangfang’s blanket and bumped her waist.
• Jiang Fangfang asked Dong Xuebin to sleep beside her so he would not have to keep moving between the sofa and bed.
• Jiang Fangfang treated the bruise on her waist, and Dong Xuebin offered to massage it after noticing she was still in pain.

Dong Xuebin treated Jiang Fangfang’s bruised waist with his Reversal ability while they lay together under a quilt at Mother Jiang’s home. After a late-night work call put him in an increasingly intimate position beside her, he pulled away, still struggling to control himself.

• Dong Xuebin massaged Jiang Fangfang’s bruised waist and secretly used Reversal to make the pain disappear, while pretending the bruise would take longer to fade.
• Jiang Fangfang pulled the quilt over herself and Dong Xuebin, and he continued the massage beneath it.
• A subordinate cadre called Dong Xuebin with a work update, so he ducked under the quilt and spoke quietly to avoid waking Mother Jiang.
• Dong Xuebin became distracted by Jiang Fangfang’s scent and realized his hair had brushed against her chest before pulling his head back.
• After ending the call, Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang shifted face-to-face, their legs briefly tangled before he retreated, flustered.

Dong Xuebin visited Jiang Fangfang and massaged her injured waist while they discussed work and her insomnia. When he took advantage of her apparent sleep by groping her, she suddenly asked about the county government, leaving him unsure whether she had noticed.

• Dong Xuebin updated Jiang Fangfang on the dormitory project and said she could review the remaining decisions when she returned to work.
• Dong Xuebin switched places with Jiang Fangfang and massaged her injured waist as they talked about her insomnia and her mother.
• Jiang Fangfang said she could not sleep and declined Dong Xuebin's offer to read to her every night, citing the risk of gossip.
• After Jiang Fangfang's breathing seemed even, Dong Xuebin moved his hand from her waist and grabbed her buttocks.
• Jiang Fangfang asked Dong Xuebin how the county government had been doing, and he froze, unsure whether she had been awake.

Dong Xuebin discussed Zhenshui County’s projects and finances with Jiang Fangfang while cautiously touching her in bed. Jiang Fangfang stayed focused on work and asked him to prepare an Investment Promotion plan, leaving Dong Xuebin unsure what her lack of reaction meant.

• Dong Xuebin reported that the dormitory project was underway and described his decisions on the Education Funds and teaching staff.
• Jiang Fangfang said Secretary Meng had made no moves and suggested her father’s death might explain his restraint.
• Dong Xuebin told Jiang Fangfang that about eight million remained in the treasury, with only four million available, and promised to find funding for road construction.
• Jiang Fangfang agreed that Investment Promotion was important and asked Dong Xuebin to draft a plan as soon as possible.
• Dong Xuebin continued touching Jiang Fangfang while she discussed county business without reacting, leaving him uncertain about her intentions.

Dong Xuebin spent the night with Jiang Fangfang, testing her boundaries as he tried to touch and embrace her while telling her stories. She stopped him when he went too far but let him hold her hand and lie close, leaving him satisfied as he continued soothing her to sleep.

• Dong Xuebin talked with Jiang Fangfang about work while touching her, then cautiously tested whether she would allow him to go further.
• When Dong Xuebin tried to reach beneath Jiang Fangfang's bra, she covered his hand, and he withdrew it.
• Dong Xuebin told Jiang Fangfang the story of Cinderella and tried to touch her breast, but she pulled his hand away and let him hold her hand instead.
• Jiang Fangfang went to the bathroom, returned, and asked Dong Xuebin to tell her another story.
• As Dong Xuebin told Pinocchio, he embraced Jiang Fangfang from behind and held her hand; she only asked him to move his elbow from her ribs.

On Sunday morning at Mother Jiang's home, Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang woke together and shared a relaxed, intimate morning. Dong Xuebin helped prepare breakfast while Jiang Fangfang brewed medicine for her mother, leaving them working side by side like a married couple.

• Dong Xuebin woke beside Jiang Fangfang and held her as she rested, then agreed to make breakfast while she brewed medicine.
• Dong Xuebin smoked in bed and continued touching Jiang Fangfang's leg, while she showed little reaction and said her injury had healed.
• Jiang Fangfang got up to brew medicine and brought Dong Xuebin his dry clothes, while he washed up and started making porridge.
• Mother Jiang came out and scolded Jiang Fangfang for leaving Dong Xuebin to do everything, then went to wash up.
• Dong Xuebin and Jiang Fangfang prepared porridge, boiled eggs, and medicine together, holding hands as they stood by the stove.