Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Heng is drugged and incapacitated at a business dinner.
• Director Liu arranges for Lu Heng to stay at the hotel, but Zhao Miao intervenes and takes Lu Heng away.
• Wang Dafu, furious at Zhao Miao's interference, sends bodyguards to intercept them.
• Wei Linxuan, Huaxia Imperial Entertainment's Young Master, arrives and takes Lu Heng to his home.

Character Developments

• Lu Heng is vulnerable and helpless due to the drugs, experiencing despair and fear.
• Zhao Miao shows concern and protection towards Lu Heng, despite his initial disdain.
• Wang Dafu reveals his malicious intentions and is willing to use force to achieve his goals.
• Wei Linxuan demonstrates a softer side, deciding to help Lu Heng despite his initial reluctance.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and corruption within the entertainment industry.
• The struggle between morality and ambition.
• The consequences of drug use and abuse of power.

Character Interactions

• Lu Heng and Zhao Miao: Zhao Miao's protective actions towards Lu Heng show a shift in their relationship.
• Wang Dafu and Zhao Miao: Their heated argument highlights their opposing views and goals.
• Wei Linxuan and Lu Heng: Wei Linxuan's decision to help Lu Heng hints at a potential change in their dynamic.

Key plot points and events

• After Lu Heng returns to the hotel incapacitated, a doctor determines that he likely took a muscle relaxant with hallucinogenic and possibly aphrodisiac effects, mixed with too much alcohol. The effects should fade after a night’s sleep.
• While unable to sleep, Wei Linxuan revisits the history between them. As a teenager, he had blamed Lu Heng for choosing Star Entertainment over Huaxia Imperial Entertainment, believing Lu Heng had traded a promising opportunity for a small signing bonus.
• Wei Linxuan now understands Lu Heng’s choice better: Lu Heng was desperate to escape poverty, inexperienced and misled by Star Entertainment, and motivated to provide for his family. Wei Linxuan also recalls that Wei Jiayi had bullied Lu Heng during their earlier television project.
• Feeling partly responsible for Lu Heng’s troubles, Wei Linxuan goes to the guest room, watches over him, and tucks his arm under the covers. He considers giving Lu Heng another chance and making him a star, while acknowledging his attraction to Lu Heng—though he jokingly laments that Lu Heng is not a woman.
• Lu Heng wakes the next day feeling severely unwell. Wei Linxuan explains that this is a normal reaction to the drug and offers him a beer.

Character development

• Wei Linxuan reconsiders his long-held judgment of Lu Heng. He moves from seeing him as foolish and ungrateful to recognizing his desperation, loyalty to family, and vulnerability. His decision to support Lu Heng reflects both guilt over past events and growing affection.
• Lu Heng, though asleep for most of the chapter, is revealed through Wei Linxuan’s memories as someone who made risky choices out of poverty and a desire to improve his family’s lives. His naivety remains a concern for Wei Linxuan.

Significant themes

• Reconsidering past judgments: Greater experience allows Wei Linxuan to see the pressures and motives behind Lu Heng’s choices.
• Family loyalty and sacrifice: Lu Heng used much of his income to bring his family to Beijing and secure a better life for them.
• Power, exploitation, and responsibility: Lu Heng was vulnerable to manipulation, and Wei Linxuan recognizes that company decisions and industry figures contributed to his difficulties.
• Protection and redemption: Wei Linxuan’s impulse to look after Lu Heng and offer him another chance suggests a desire to make amends.

Character interactions

• The doctor and driver provide Wei Linxuan with information about Lu Heng’s condition, which he handles calmly.
• Wei Linxuan reflects on his past connection with Lu Heng, then quietly cares for him while he sleeps.
• When Lu Heng wakes, Wei Linxuan takes a casual, teasingly familiar approach, explaining his symptoms and offering him beer.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wei Linxuan visits Lu Heng after the latter's drug-induced episode.
• Wei Linxuan offers Lu Heng a new, generous management contract.
• Wei Linxuan invites Lu Heng to live in his house, considering it a birthday gift.
• Wei Linxuan brings takeout breakfast for Lu Heng, showing concern for his health.

Character Developments

• Lu Heng: Struggles with social interaction, especially with Wei Linxuan. Shows honesty and decisiveness in signing the contract. Seems to have a strong family bond.
• Wei Linxuan: Displayed a playful, teasing side while also showing concern for Lu Heng's well-being. Reveals he's the true boss of Huaxia Imperial Entertainment.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics: Wei Linxuan's position as Lu Heng's boss and savior is emphasized, highlighting the power imbalance between them.
• Trust and vulnerability: Lu Heng's hesitation in signing the contract without reading it thoroughly and his reaction to Wei Linxuan's teasing hint at his vulnerability and lack of trust in Wei Linxuan.

Character Interactions

• Wei Linxuan teases Lu Heng, making him uncomfortable, but also shows care and concern for his well-being.
• Lu Heng is cautious around Wei Linxuan, struggling to maintain a balance between professionalism and personal boundaries.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan attempt to secretly explore Venice but are stopped by Zhao Er Miao.
• Zhao Miao expresses his loneliness and concern for Director Fang, convincing Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan to include him and Fang in their Venice trip.
• They all visit Director Fang, who is having breakfast with Yao Suhua.

Character Developments

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan show consideration for their family and mentor, prioritizing their needs over personal time.
• Zhao Miao demonstrates his protective nature and concern for his family, using guilt to persuade Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan.

Significant Themes

• Family and responsibility: Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan put their family's needs above their personal desires.
• Guilt and manipulation: Zhao Miao uses guilt to get what he wants.

Character Interactions

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan display a comfortable, long-standing relationship, similar to an "old married couple."
• Zhao Miao's interaction with Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan shows his protective and manipulative nature.
• Director Fang and Yao Suhua are portrayed as a loving, long-term couple, enjoying their breakfast together.

Plot and events

• Lu Heng, Wei Linxuan, and Zhao Miao persuade Fang Kaizhi and Yao Suhua to join them for a boat-based tour of Venice. The outing soon expands to include the whole Home and Country crew.
• Reporters outside the hotel swarm the group, asking about the film’s chances at the Golden Lion and whether Lu Heng will complete his “grand slam” of major international film festivals. The attention ruins their initial plans, so the crew disguises themselves, leaves in separate groups, and reunites at the Bridge of Sighs to tour Venice privately.
• Zhao Miao takes photos of Fang Kaizhi so he can Photoshop in the teacher’s wife, who stayed home. Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan decline his offer to edit their pictures, wary of what he might do.
• On September 10, the Venice Film Festival awards ceremony begins. Fang Kaizhi and Lu Heng attract considerable attention, and actor Leo McConaughey jokes that a lifetime-achievement award would let everyone stop competing with Lu Heng.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan show thoughtfulness toward Fang Kaizhi and Yao Suhua by inviting them along; the outing also highlights their relaxed life after marriage and Lu Heng’s semi-retirement.
• Fang Kaizhi regrets that his wife could not join him, while Zhao Miao tries to cheer him up with a playful offer to add her to the photos.
• The crew’s camaraderie is evident as they improvise a way to enjoy their trip together despite the press attention.
• Lu Heng’s reputation and past success dominate the reporters’ questions and the festival’s social atmosphere.

Significant themes

• Celebrity and privacy: Public interest in Lu Heng and the film makes an ordinary sightseeing trip difficult.
• Friendship and care: The group makes room for Fang Kaizhi and supports one another.
• Fame and competition: Lu Heng’s career achievements inspire admiration, but also make him a formidable rival.
• Aging and remembrance: Fang Kaizhi’s wish to share the trip with his wife—and Zhao Miao’s photoshopping plan—underscores the value of preserving memories.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Heng wins Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, receiving thunderous applause and a passionate response from fans.
• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan rush to see their newborn sons at Lu Chi's life sciences laboratory in New York.
• Lu Chi reveals he successfully developed a technology for in vitro pregnancy using only male sperm and an artificial placenta and uterus.

Character Developments

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan are overjoyed and anxious to meet their sons, showing their paternal instincts and eagerness as new fathers.
• Lu Chi demonstrates his love and care for his brothers and their children, showing his growth as a supportive older brother.

Significant Themes

• Family and Parenthood: The chapter emphasizes the importance of family and the joy of parenthood, with Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan eager to meet their sons.
• Achievement and Success: Lu Heng's win at the Venice Film Festival highlights his professional success, while Lu Chi's scientific breakthrough showcases his personal achievement.

Character Interactions

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan interact playfully and supportively as they rush to see their sons, showing their strong bond as a couple.
• Lu Chi interacts with Lu Heng in a caring and teasing manner, demonstrating their close brotherly relationship.
• Lu Chi's interactions with the life sciences institute researchers show his support and understanding of their work, despite the financial losses incurred.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan arrive at the institute after an hour-long drive, adhering to the speed limit.
• They see their twin babies for the first time through an observation room's glass, with researchers monitoring the babies' health data.
• The families learn about the babies' health status, which is identical to that of naturally conceived infants.
• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan are not allowed to hold the babies that night but are promised the opportunity the next day after disinfection.
• The families learn childcare skills from the institute's professionals over the next few days.
• The babies are brought into the sterile observation room daily for parent-child contact, causing frequent alarms due to the families' excitement and inexperience.
• A year later, the babies start crawling, and Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan film their progress.
• Brother Lu Chi scolds Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan for neglecting breakfast while caring for the babies.

Character Developments

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan: They are excited and eager new fathers, easily startled by their babies' actions and not yet accustomed to childcare.
• Brother Lu Chi: He is patient and caring, understanding of his younger brothers' inexperience and willing to help with the babies.
• Lu Miaomiao: She is eager to learn and participate in caring for her nephews.

Significant Themes

• Family and Parenthood: The chapter emphasizes the joy and challenges of parenthood, with the families learning and growing together.
• Love and Care: The families' love for the babies is evident in their eagerness to learn and care for them, despite their initial inexperience.
• Growth and Learning: The families learn childcare skills from professionals, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and growth.

Character Interactions

• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan interact with their babies, expressing excitement and amazement at their every action.
• Brother Lu Chi interacts with Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan, guiding and scolding them as needed.
• The entire family interacts with each other, sharing their excitement and learning together.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chi, the uncle, is with his nephews, teaching them to call him "uncle."
• The babies say their first words, which are "uncle" and "da-da," but also mimic Lu Chi's smooching sound.
• The parents (Lu Heng, Wei Linxuan, and their respective spouses) are upset that the babies called Lu Chi "uncle" before calling their own fathers "daddy."

Character Developments

• Lu Chi shows affection towards his nephews and enjoys their attention.
• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan display their protective nature towards their children and are slightly jealous of Lu Chi's bond with them.

Significant Themes

• Family Bonding: The scene highlights the close relationship between family members, especially the love between uncles and nephews.
• First Words and Milestones: The babies' first words symbolize their growth and development.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chi interacts playfully with his nephews, teaching them words and showing affection.
• Lu Heng and Wei Linxuan interact with their spouses, expressing their frustration and love for their children.
• Lu Miaomiao, Lu Chi's sister, reacts humorously to the situation, praising her nephews' charm.