Chapter Summaries

Su Qiao and Nanny Wu discussed Yingzi’s growing resentment and agreed to keep her nearby for now while watching her carefully. Yingzi returned with news that King Yama Wang had avoided arrest after a pregnant woman and her unborn child died, leaving the story with Nanny Wu’s bleak view of justice for ordinary people.

• Su Qiao sensed Yingzi’s malice, but chose not to send her away because she feared Yingzi would be left homeless and hungry.
• Nanny Wu warned Su Qiao to be careful around Yingzi and promised to keep a closer eye on her.
• Yingzi returned from buying vegetables and reported that King Yama Wang had been released after a brief visit to the Police Station.
• Yingzi said the pregnant woman had died from massive bleeding and that her husband had been beaten by King Yama Wang’s men after protesting.
• Nanny Wu told Yingzi that King Yama Wang might face only a brief punishment, while the bereaved family could remain in danger.

Su Qiao learned that Wang Siming’s allies had murdered the pregnant woman’s family after the case against him was closed. Furious, she prepared for a nighttime operation and entered Wang Mansion’s grounds, where her next move remained unknown.

• Su Qiao learned that Wang Siming had paid off the pregnant woman’s family and had his driver take the blame for his crime.
• 444 revealed that the woman’s entire family had been murdered the morning after the case was closed, with Hong Gang members under Third Master Zhu carrying out the killings.
• Su Qiao realized Wang Qiming, Ge Zhihao, and Third Master Zhu worked together and regretted not acting sooner.
• Su Qiao put on black clothes and used sleeping pills to keep Nanny Wu and Yingzi asleep while she prepared to leave.
• Su Qiao evaded notice in the streets, climbed over the wall behind Wang Mansion, and crouched to survey the courtyard.

Su Qiao infiltrated the Wang Mansion and punished Wang Siming for killing a pregnant woman and tormenting the weak. She left carrying his bound body after killing him.

• Su Qiao spread burning herb packets around the Wang Mansion, then climbed inside after the occupants fell unconscious.
• Su Qiao killed the two sleeping wolfhounds in the rear of the mansion.
• Su Qiao entered Wang Siming's bedroom, removed his tongue, and severed the tendons in his feet and hands.
• Su Qiao taunted Wang Siming over his cruelty and pressed on his wounds before snapping his neck.
• Su Qiao wrapped Wang Siming's body in a quilt, tied it with rope, and carried it on her back.

Su Qiao prepared poisons during the night after deciding she needed a way to deal with bodies and kill without a trace. The next morning, Yingzi brought news that King Yama Wang had been killed and his mutilated body hung above the Police Station’s entrance.

• Su Qiao decided to make Poison Powder and poisons because she lacked the materials and tools to create Bone-Dissolving Water.
• Su Qiao went out at two in the morning to prepare poisons, returned around five, and cultivated until daylight.
• Nanny Wu let Su Qiao sleep late, believing she was exhausted from her work the previous day.
• Yingzi rushed back and told Su Qiao and Nanny Wu that King Yama Wang was dead.
• Yingzi described how King Yama Wang’s mutilated body had been hung above the Police Station’s main entrance, while people suspected a victim’s family had taken revenge and secretly celebrated his death.

Su Qiao and the others discussed the mysterious expert who had entered Wang Mansion, while 444 urged Su Qiao to hide her weapons and treasures in the Spatial Grid. Sister Jin arrived to prepare Su Qiao for an outing, and the chapter left them assessing her elegant outfit.

• Yingzi ate breakfast as Nanny Wu worried about the unexplained intrusion at Wang Mansion.
• Su Qiao wondered how a powerful expert had bypassed the mansion’s guards, and 444 told her to store the Night Clothes, Eagle Claw Hook, and knife in the Spatial Grid.
• Sister Jin arrived before eleven to help Su Qiao get ready, and Su Qiao asked Nanny Wu to keep her makeup light.
• Nanny Wu styled Su Qiao’s hair and applied gentle makeup, then dressed her in a blue Cheongsam.
• Sister Jin praised Su Qiao’s appearance but noted that her ears and neck looked bare.

Sister Jin dressed Su Qiao in valuable jewelry and a mink-fur shawl before her outing with Young Master Chu, while Su Qiao grew wary of Third Master Zhu’s intentions. Young Master Chu’s car arrived at the courtyard gate, and Su Qiao was about to leave for the Western restaurant.

• Sister Jin gave Su Qiao pearl earrings, a necklace, and a gold bracelet, insisting the gifts repaid her for her contributions to the club.
• Sister Jin told Su Qiao that Third Master Zhu had sent her a mink-fur shawl, and Su Qiao asked Little Four to watch him and look for a chance to act.
• Sister Jin praised Su Qiao’s appearance and said she would draw attention at the Western restaurant.
• A male attendant announced that Young Master Chu’s car was waiting at the courtyard gate.

Chu Yihan picked Su Qiao up from Xianle Mansion and took her out to eat, but he ignored her preference for Chinese food and chose steak instead. Su Qiao remained cold toward him as they headed to the restaurant.

• Sister Jin sent Su Qiao off with Nanny Wu and Yingzi after hearing Chu Yihan had come to pick her up personally.
• Chu Yihan greeted Su Qiao at the gate, helped her into the car, and praised her appearance.
• Chu Yihan teased Su Qiao about being blind, but she ignored him and asked whether he thought he was likable.
• Chu Yihan asked whether Su Qiao preferred Chinese or Western food, then told Wei Hong to drive to Alice for steak after she chose Chinese food.
• Su Qiao asked Chu Yihan why he had bothered asking her preference if he was going to choose for himself.

Chu Yihan teased Su Qiao in the car, while she rejected his gifts and advances and made clear that she had come of her own accord. Chu Yihan took heart when she said no one had forced her to come, but Su Qiao continued to brush him off as she watched the traffic outside.

• Chu Yihan claimed he had only been teasing Su Qiao because he was bored, then called her Little Blind One and said he would forgive her rudeness.
• Su Qiao accused Chu Yihan of coming to pick a fight and told him she had the right to refuse his gifts.
• Chu Yihan recalled that Su Qiao had stood him up the previous night and wondered whether he was not good enough for her.
• Su Qiao told Chu Yihan not to use Sister Jin, Third Master Zhu, or the others to pressure her, and said she had come because she wanted to.
• Chu Yihan asked whether he was different from the other men who invited her, but Su Qiao pushed his face away and told him to figure it out himself.
• Su Qiao said the air outside was better than the air inside the car, leaving Chu Yihan dejected after another rejection.

Chu Yihan took Su Qiao out to eat, but their bickering continued when he changed their destination to a Western restaurant. Su Qiao entered with Nanny Wu, while Chu Yihan ordered Wei Hong to keep Yingzi away.

• Su Qiao rebuffed Chu Yihan's complaints and closed her eyes to rest in the car.
• Wei Hong drove them to Alice Western Restaurant, and Chu Yihan angrily changed the destination to Yonghua Hotel for spicy food.
• Su Qiao got out and told Chu Yihan to stop being picky, prompting him to follow her into the restaurant.
• Yingzi offered to help Su Qiao eat, but Chu Yihan told Wei Hong to keep her from entering.
• Nanny Wu accompanied Su Qiao inside, and Chu Yihan hurried after them.

Su Qiao and Chu Yihan ate together, and Chu Yihan reluctantly helped her with her meal while trying to hide his concern. Su Qiao explained that she had been blind for two years after charcoal smoke damaged her eyesight.

• Chu Yihan sent Nanny Wu to dine at another table after Su Qiao and the others were seated.
• Su Qiao reached toward the sharp end of a knife, and Chu Yihan hurriedly grabbed her wrist and took it away.
• Chu Yihan cut Su Qiao's steak into small pieces and placed the plate before her.
• Su Qiao identified Chu Yihan's perfume by its scent, and he asked when and how she had lost her eyesight.
• Su Qiao said charcoal smoke had ruined her eyesight two years earlier.

Su Qiao told Chu Yihan that she had lost her sight after a fire and refused to explain her past or how she ended up at Xianle Mansion. Chu Yihan remained curious about her background but claimed that he only cared about enjoying the present.

• Su Qiao recalled waking up blind after a fire that killed her father, and Chu Yihan asked whether her sight could be restored.
• Su Qiao avoided discussing her past and asked for juice, which Chu Yihan carefully handed to her.
• Chu Yihan gave Su Qiao a fork and asked how she liked the steak; she said it was medium-well, as she preferred.
• Chu Yihan wondered how Su Qiao had ended up at Xianle Mansion, but she warned him against being too curious.
• Chu Yihan insisted he did not care about anything and said he wanted to enjoy the present.

Su Qiao challenged Chu Yihan’s claims that he lived a carefree life, telling him he seemed lonely and lost. Chu Yihan became angry and questioned her choice to sing at Xianle Mansion, while Su Qiao calmly continued eating.

• Chu Yihan boasted about his wealth, status, and popularity after Su Qiao remarked that his life did not seem to be going well.
• Su Qiao criticized Chu Yihan’s laugh, and he bragged that he was one of Haicheng’s most handsome men.
• Su Qiao told Chu Yihan that he seemed lonely, detached, and unable to find meaning in his life.
• Chu Yihan tried to dismiss her observations and put foie gras on her plate, but Su Qiao insisted that she understood what she wanted while he was lost.
• Chu Yihan threw down his knife and fork and asked whether Su Qiao truly wanted to remain a blind singer at Xianle Mansion, while she continued eating calmly.

Chu Yihan accused Su Qiao of deliberately provoking him to stop him from pursuing her, then vowed to keep bothering her. Their meal ended with him dragging her away in frustration, while Su Qiao remained amused and unconcerned.

• Chu Yihan decided Su Qiao had angered him on purpose to gain peace and quiet, and promised to ask her out again every day.
• Su Qiao criticized Chu Yihan's drinking, gambling, and neglect of school, saying he was wasting his life.
• Chu Yihan, upset that Su Qiao kept eating while he had barely eaten, pulled her up and insisted they leave together.
• Chu Yihan threatened to leave Su Qiao alone on the streets, but Nanny Wu came to support her, frustrating him further.
• Wei Hong asked whether Su Qiao had annoyed Chu Yihan, and Chu Yihan warned him to stay out of their business and not scheme behind his back.

Su Qiao told Nanny Wu that she liked Chu Yihan, though she planned to train him after finishing her own business and curing her eyes. Her mother and younger sister arrived with an undisclosed urgent matter, and Su Qiao sat down to hear them out.

• Chu Yihan drove Su Qiao home despite being angry with her.
• Yingzi told Nanny Wu that Su Qiao had deliberately picked a fight with Chu Yihan, and Nanny Wu grew suspicious of Yingzi's intentions toward him.
• Nanny Wu asked Su Qiao whether she hated Chu Yihan, and Su Qiao said she liked him but wanted to train him.
• Su Qiao said she would first finish her own business and cure her eyes before dealing with Chu Yihan.
• Su Qiao's mother and younger sister arrived, and she joined them in the living room after learning her sister had called their visit urgent.

Su Mother and Su Yunxia visited Su Qiao, who was now performing at the club, and Su Mother asked her for money. Su Qiao refused and explained that most of her earnings belonged to the club, leaving Su Mother to defend her decision to indenture her.

• Su Qiao recognized Su Mother and her younger sister, Su Yunxia, when they arrived at her sitting room.
• Su Qiao sent Nanny Wu and Yingzi into the bedroom so she could speak with her family privately.
• Su Mother asked Su Qiao whether she was performing onstage and then requested money for household expenses and Su Yunxia's schooling.
• Su Qiao refused, explaining that she had signed a bond of indenture and received little of what she earned.
• Su Mother said she had had no choice but to indenture Su Qiao because the family had debts and Su Yunxia needed to stay in school.
• Su Yunxia grabbed her mother after Su Qiao rebuffed them.

Su Yunxia told Su Qiao that she wanted to cut ties so her wealthy fiancé’s family would not learn that her sister was a dancing girl. Su Qiao recognized her mother and sister’s selfishness and let them make their choice.

• Su Yunxia said Su Qiao should not blame their mother for sending her to the club, since Su Qiao now had food, shelter, and servants.
• Su Qiao recalled that Su Yunxia had once promised to redeem her after finishing school, and grew angry at her sister’s ingratitude.
• Su Yunxia announced that she and Su Mother had moved away and did not want Su Qiao to contact them again.
• Su Yunxia said she was engaged to a wealthy man and wanted to hide that she had an older sister who worked as a dancing girl.
• Su Mother apologized to Su Qiao and said Su Yunxia had no choice.

Su Qiao cut ties with Su Yunxia and Su Mother, while refusing to let their betrayal hurt her. After finishing her songs at Xianle Mansion that night, she was confronted backstage by a drunken Young Master He, who demanded her company.

• Su Qiao told Su Yunxia and Su Mother that they should pretend not to know each other, and Su Yunxia left with her mother.
• The system reminded Su Qiao that Su Yunxia had exposed her relationship with Chairman Cheng in a previous life, and Su Qiao insisted she would not let her get away with it.
• At half past eleven, Su Qiao finished her songs and prepared to leave, but Young Master He blocked the backstage entrance.
• Sister Jin tried to explain that Su Qiao could not dance and offered to arrange lessons, but Young Master He demanded that Su Qiao drink and chat with him instead.
• Young Master He shoved Sister Jin and angrily accused Xianle Mansion of looking down on him.

Chu Yihan confronted He Bin for trying to force Su Qiao to dance, then discovered she had slipped backstage. Sister Jin told Chu Yihan that Su Qiao liked him, leaving him pleased despite doubting her claim.

• Chu Yihan angrily confronted He Bin for pursuing Su Qiao and demanded to know why he had thrown his weight around.
• He Bin apologized, promised to make amends, and left Xianle Mansion, then complained about Chu Yihan outside.
• Chu Yihan turned around and found Su Qiao had disappeared backstage while they argued.
• Sister Jin offered to call Su Qiao out, and Chu Yihan said he had only come to check on her.
• Sister Jin told Chu Yihan that Su Qiao liked him, and he smiled despite questioning how her sharp tongue showed it.

Su Qiao changed into her own clothes while Sister Jin urged her to show Chu Yihan respect, despite their recent falling-out. Third Master Zhu arrived and defended Su Qiao’s temper, leaving her standing out from the other women at Xianle Mansion.

• Chu Yihan agreed with Sister Jin’s advice about how women behaved around men they liked, and Sister Jin went to fetch Su Qiao.
• Su Qiao emerged in her own clothes and objected to being made to entertain Chu Yihan, but Sister Jin reminded her that he had defended her from He.
• Sister Jin warned Su Qiao not to offend Chu Yihan because of the Chu family’s influence in Haicheng.
• Third Master Zhu entered through the staff passage and asked what he was not daring to offend.
• Sister Jin explained that she had been teaching Su Qiao the rules for dealing with guests, and Third Master Zhu said Su Qiao’s temper was a good thing.

Third Master Zhu told Su Qiao she would not have to entertain guests and planned to invest in a record company to release her songs. Chu Yihan arrived and declared that he liked Su Qiao, leaving Third Master Zhu poised to respond.

• Third Master Zhu told Su Qiao to focus on her songs and said he would have Sister Jin refuse invitations for her to entertain guests.
• Third Master Zhu announced that he planned to invest in a record company and release Su Qiao's songs as albums.
• Sister Jin tried to argue that Su Qiao should still entertain guests, but Chu Yihan arrived and interrupted her.
• Chu Yihan complained that he had waited for Su Qiao, and Sister Jin explained that she had been talking with Third Master Zhu.
• Third Master Zhu asked whether Chu Yihan liked Su Qiao, and Chu Yihan said he did and would even consider marrying her.
• Third Master Zhu gave Su Qiao a meaningful look and began to respond to Chu Yihan's declaration.