Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huo Wenye visits the production set, revealing that he is the project’s main investor. Xie Chen is surprised and complains about his frequent appearances, though he secretly enjoys Huo’s attention.
• Huo publicly tells Xie Chen that his outfit suits him and provocatively asks whether Xie Chen will wear his “Master” costume again that night. The remark causes everyone nearby to assume they are romantically involved.
• To prevent further gossip, Xie Chen drags Huo into the dressing room and confronts him. Huo boldly says he wants to make their relationship official rather than rely on fabricated scandals.
• Huo restrains Xie Chen during the argument, and their close proximity triggers vivid, intimate images in Xie Chen’s mind. Embarrassed and overwhelmed, Xie Chen pushes Huo away and escapes when called for his audition.
• Huo realizes that his teasing and physical closeness may have helped Xie Chen recover memories, suggesting that Xie Chen’s past with him is still buried but beginning to surface.
• Xie Chen and Li Jingfei perform an impressive sword-fighting scene without stunt doubles. Director Liu praises them enthusiastically, even addressing them as “Teacher,” reflecting his newfound respect.
• Elsewhere, Xie Ran emerges from the basement and accuses Xie Chen of setting him up. Xie Zhenting criticizes him for lacking self-respect, while Mother Xie shifts the blame onto Xie Ran and privately admits she can no longer protect him.
• Xie Yongan receives an urgent call from his “Master.” He is warned that Xie Chen’s memory seal may soon fail and is instructed to prevent Xie Chen from returning to the United States.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Becomes increasingly flustered by Huo Wenye’s advances and begins experiencing suggestive fragments of suppressed memories. Though he verbally rejects Huo, his physical and emotional reactions reveal growing attraction and an unconscious connection to their past.
• Huo Wenye: Continues openly pursuing Xie Chen, using teasing and physical intimacy to provoke emotional or memory-related responses. His desire to make their relationship official shows that he dislikes keeping their connection hidden.
• Li Jingfei: Understands the romantic implications of Huo and Xie Chen’s interaction and playfully encourages them to be alone. She also proves herself a capable acting and martial-arts partner.
• Zhang Qingqing: Becomes increasingly jealous of Xie Chen’s special relationship with Huo and considers obtaining surveillance footage to expose them.
• Xie Ran: Is humiliated after his scheme fails and attempts to shift blame onto Xie Chen and Mother Xie, revealing his desperation and unwillingness to accept responsibility.
• Mother Xie: Abandons Xie Ran when the situation turns dangerous, exposing her self-preserving and manipulative nature.
• Xie Zhenting: Shows contempt for Xie Ran’s behavior and refuses to comfort him, suggesting that his loyalty to the family is weakening.
• Xie Yongan: Is revealed to be involved in a larger effort to control or suppress Xie Chen’s memories.

Significant Themes

• Hidden memories and recovered identity: Xie Chen’s intrusive visions indicate that his past relationship or connection with Huo is gradually resurfacing.
• Public rumors versus genuine love: Huo rejects manufactured scandals and expresses a desire for an official relationship, contrasting publicity-driven romance with sincere commitment.
• Jealousy and social comparison: Zhang Qingqing’s resentment demonstrates how Huo’s attention elevates Xie Chen’s status and provokes envy within the entertainment industry.
• Betrayal and self-preservation: The Xie family members abandon one another when threatened, each attempting to avoid blame and protect themselves.
• Power and control: The memory seal and the order to keep Xie Chen from leaving for the United States suggest that powerful figures have deliberately manipulated his life and memories.

Character Interactions

• Huo and Xie Chen’s flirtatious confrontation forms the chapter’s central interaction, mixing embarrassment, attraction, physical tension, and hints of their shared past.
• Li Jingfei acts as an amused observer who deliberately gives Huo and Xie Chen privacy while encouraging the rumors around them.
• Zhang Qingqing watches Huo and Xie Chen with jealousy, wishing she could exploit their apparent intimacy.
• Xie Chen and Li Jingfei’s successful fight scene strengthens their professional rapport and earns Director Liu’s admiration.
• Xie Ran’s confrontation with Xie Zhenting and Mother Xie exposes the family’s mutual distrust and willingness to betray one another.
• Xie Yongan’s secret conversation with his master introduces the larger threat surrounding Xie Chen’s memories and future plans.

Xie Yongan learned that Xie Chen’s memory seal was weakening and was ordered to stop him from returning to the United States. After signing their audition contracts, Xie Chen and his friends gathered for drinks, where Li Sifan finally dragged Luo Mingyu away after Li Jingfei urged him to make a move.

• Xie Yongan’s master warned that Huo Wenye was helping Xie Chen recover his memories and told Xie Yongan to prevent Xie Chen from returning to the United States.
• A hidden Six-Platform Mountain figure said the branch would stay concealed and claimed he could seal Xie Chen’s memories again.
• Director Liu offered contracts to Xie Chen and Li Jingfei, while Zhang Qingqing was told to wait for a decision and then fell when she tried to approach Huo Wenye.
• Huo Wenye invited Xie Chen and Li Jingfei to dinner, and Xie Chen jokingly said he would be interested in Huo Wenye before Zhang Qingqing.
• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan arrived at the bar, where Wei Mingqi challenged them to drink and called them out for being in love but afraid to admit it.
• After Li Jingfei urged Li Sifan to act, Li Sifan grabbed a bewildered Luo Mingyu and headed out, declaring that he would be forceful.

Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan kissed after Li Sifan challenged him, while someone secretly filmed them. When Luo Mingyu returned home, his father saw the footage and prepared to confront Li Sifan’s father, who arrived at the door to yell back.

• Li Sifan taunted Luo Mingyu into proving he was not afraid, and Luo Mingyu kissed him in the hallway as someone secretly recorded them.
• Xie Chen announced he was returning to teach at Harvard and that Huo Wenye would go with him, then warned the group someone might try to harm them.
• Luo Mingyu returned home early in the morning, where his father confronted him with footage of the kiss and accused Li Sifan of seducing him.
• Li Sifan’s father rang the doorbell and shouted insults at Luo Mingyu’s father, who rushed to the door for a confrontation.

After a secretly recorded kiss between Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan went viral, their families clashed while the two debated how to handle the scandal. Li Sifan urged Luo Mingyu to publicly admit they were dating, and their fathers began preparing to join forces against them.

• A hotel server uploaded a secret video of Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan kissing, and the footage sparked trending romance gossip on Weibo.
• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan's fathers argued at the Luo residence, and Li Sifan took responsibility before apologizing and running off.
• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan discussed the scandal through WeChat, and Li Sifan proposed that they admit they were dating to capitalize on a drama offer.
• Li Jingfei revealed that she had arranged for the kiss to be filmed, and Li Sifan worried that the plan would frighten Luo Mingyu.
• Li Sifan's father stormed in and threatened the siblings, but Li Sifan stood by his feelings for Luo Mingyu and invoked Professor Smith's legal help.
• Li Sifan's father left the room and called Luo Mingyu's father to propose joining forces.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After suffering a severe backlash from the Yin Talisman, Xie Ran remains bedridden for two days and realizes that no one in the Xie family visits or checks on him.
• When he encounters his third brother, Xie Jinran, he learns that their mother has been imprisoned in the basement by their father, Xie Zhenting, and is forbidden to leave.
• Xie Jinran reveals that the Yin Talisman drains its wearer’s lifespan and may damage the soul. Xie Ran, who was never warned of the danger, tears it off in panic, but learns that removing it does not immediately resolve the consequences.
• Abandoned by Xie Jinran and unable to access his mother for help, Xie Ran breaks down, feeling betrayed and victimized by his family.
• Xie Jinran visits his eldest brother, Xie Zhenting, at the company and expresses suspicion about their father’s increasingly ruthless behavior.
• He reveals that their father has connections with evil Taoist cultivators, helped erase Xie Chen’s memories, and may have stolen another person’s fate to build the Xie family’s wealth and status.
• The brothers fear that if fortune borrowing is no longer enough to maintain the family’s prosperity, their father may sacrifice their lives instead.
• Xie Jinran persuades Xie Zhenting to secretly seek help from Xie Chen, who may know the truth as a Taoist patriarch.
• Xie Zhenting calls Xie Chen on set. Xie Chen responds with hostility, but agrees to hear him out when the topic of his amnesia is mentioned.

Character Developments

• Xie Ran: His trust in his mother and family collapses after discovering that the Yin Talisman has been shortening his lifespan and that his mother concealed the danger. His fear and helplessness culminate in an emotional breakdown.
• Xie Jinran: Though he shows some concern for Xie Ran, he refuses to help him directly and adopts a pragmatic, self-preserving attitude. He becomes increasingly suspicious of their father and takes the initiative to investigate the family’s occult secrets.
• Xie Zhenting: Initially reluctant to believe that their father might harm them, he gradually becomes frightened as Xie Jinran presents evidence of fate theft and occult dealings. His eventual agreement to contact Xie Chen shows that his loyalty to his father is weakening.
• Xie Chen: Remains bitter and distrustful toward the Xie family, particularly Xie Zhenting, but is intrigued enough by the reference to his amnesia to continue the conversation.

Significant Themes

• Family betrayal and emotional abandonment: The Xie family treats Xie Ran as expendable, exposing the coldness beneath their wealthy and respectable image.
• The cost of power and prosperity: The family’s wealth may have been obtained through supernatural theft and sacrifice, suggesting that their success is built on someone else’s suffering.
• Self-preservation versus loyalty: Xie Jinran and Xie Zhenting must decide whether to protect their father or save themselves from becoming future sacrifices.
• Manipulation and concealed truth: Xie Ran was deceived about the Yin Talisman, while Xie Chen’s memories were allegedly erased to hide the family’s crimes.
• Justice and consequences: The chapter reinforces the idea that those who cause harm will eventually face the consequences of their actions.

Character Interactions

• Xie Ran and Xie Jinran: Xie Ran seeks comfort and rescue, but Xie Jinran responds with detached criticism and directs him toward their father, deepening Xie Ran’s sense of betrayal.
• Xie Jinran and Xie Zhenting: Jinran warns his eldest brother that their father may eventually sacrifice them. Their conversation transforms Zhenting’s vague unease into genuine fear.
• Xie Zhenting and Xie Chen: Their phone call begins with hostility from Xie Chen, who rejects Zhenting’s attempt to act like a caring brother. Nevertheless, the mention of Xie Chen’s amnesia creates an opening for possible cooperation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Zhenting secretly contacts Xie Chen and asks to meet that night, claiming he has important gossip.
• Huo Wenye overhears the arrangement and becomes suspicious and possessive, insisting on accompanying Xie Chen. He manipulates Xie Chen by pretending his chest pain has returned, prompting Xie Chen to agree.
• At a private clubhouse, Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran wait to meet Xie Chen. They reflect on how badly they treated him when they believed he was timid and ordinary, now regretting having driven him from the family in favor of Xie Ran.
• Huo Wenye arrives before Xie Chen and confronts the brothers. He asserts his closeness to Xie Chen by revealing that they have already “met the parents,” provoking Xie Jinran’s jealousy and Xie Zhenting’s hostility.
• Xie Chen arrives and sits beside Huo Wenye. He becomes irritated by the brothers’ insinuations about marriage and warns them to stop interfering in his personal life.
• Xie Jinran finally reveals the real purpose of the meeting: a memory from Xie Chen’s time abroad was sealed away by their father, and they want to help him recover it.
• Xie Chen and Huo Wenye immediately see through the brothers’ apparent concern. Xie Chen suggests that their biological father may be trying to use the memory to borrow or steal Huo Wenye’s lifespan, exposing their hidden motive.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Remains sharp, confident, and openly distrustful of his adoptive brothers. He refuses to be manipulated by their sudden concern and freely challenges their excuses. His teasing relationship with Huo Wenye is also emphasized.
• Huo Wenye: Displays strong possessiveness and protectiveness toward Xie Chen. He uses exaggerated vulnerability to ensure he can accompany Xie Chen, then forcefully defends his relationship and demands honesty from the brothers.
• Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran: Show regret over their past treatment of Xie Chen and recognize that they badly misjudged his abilities and true identity. However, their concern is mixed with concealed motives, and they are unable to maintain their deception under Xie Chen and Huo Wenye’s scrutiny.
• Xie Jinran: Shows jealousy when he learns of Xie Chen’s closeness with Huo Wenye, even imagining that he should be the one to marry Xie Chen. His confidence collapses under Huo Wenye’s pressure.

Significant Themes

• Regret and belated recognition: The Xie brothers realize they rejected and mistreated someone extraordinary because they failed to see through his disguise.
• Manipulation and hidden motives: The brothers present themselves as caring relatives, but Xie Chen suspects their proposal is connected to their father’s sinister plans.
• Possessive love and protection: Huo Wenye’s jealousy and insistence on accompanying Xie Chen reveal his intense attachment, played for both humor and romantic tension.
• Family betrayal and mistrust: Although the brothers claim to want to help Xie Chen, their history and deception make genuine reconciliation difficult.
• Identity and suppressed memory: The sealed memory from abroad suggests important secrets about Xie Chen’s past and sets up a larger mystery.

Character Interactions

• Lu Fei quickly escapes after sensing tension between Xie Chen and Huo Wenye.
• Huo Wenye interrogates Xie Chen about the meeting, then theatrically pressures him into allowing him to come.
• Huo Wenye intimidates Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran, challenging their right to interfere in Xie Chen’s life.
• Xie Chen repeatedly mocks or rebukes his brothers’ jealousy and moralizing, while openly standing beside Huo Wenye.
• The chapter ends with Xie Chen and Huo Wenye jointly exposing the brothers’ pretense, leaving Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran unable to hide their true intentions.

Chapter Summary: “Will They Cry Themselves to Death Then?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran meet with Xie Chen and reveal that Xie Yongan’s behavior has become increasingly deranged. He has allegedly stolen Xie Ran’s luck, imprisoned his wife in the basement without food or water, and may be preparing to sacrifice his own sons for the Xie Family’s prosperity.
• The brothers admit they are afraid of becoming victims themselves and apologize for their past mistreatment of Xie Chen, claiming they were manipulated by their parents.
• They offer Xie Chen crucial information: Xie Yongan not only sealed Xie Chen’s memories but also stole someone else’s Destiny Pattern. This confirms Xie Chen’s suspicion that his family’s Destiny Pattern was taken.
• Xie Chen agrees to consider helping them, but only if they provide concrete proof of their sincerity. He refuses to accept their apologies or treat them as brothers, emphasizing that their familial ties have already been severed.
• Xie Jinran displays jealousy toward Huo Wenye, especially when Huo places a possessive hand on Xie Chen’s waist. Xie Chen and Huo leave together, provoking the brothers’ resentment.
• On the way back to the filming set, Huo warns Xie Chen not to trust the brothers and accuses them of harboring improper intentions. Xie Chen jokingly calls Huo a “pervert,” prompting Huo to pull over and kiss him intensely.
• Their late arrival and Xie Chen’s flushed face lead Director Liu to misunderstand the situation and imagine that Huo has mistreated or manipulated him.
• Before filming, Xie Chen receives an urgent call from Harvard. An undercover agent reports that evil cultivators are preparing a living sacrifice, with several Harvard students already missing. The attackers may be targeting Xie Chen.
• Rather than panic, Xie Chen responds confidently and looks forward to confronting them.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Remains sharp, sarcastic, and distrustful of his former family. He recognizes the brothers’ useful information but refuses to forgive them based on words alone. His determination to reclaim the stolen Destiny Pattern—and destroy the Xie Family’s status and wealth—becomes clearer. He also continues developing a playful, intimate relationship with Huo Wenye.
• Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran: Their fear of Xie Yongan drives them to seek Xie Chen’s protection. They acknowledge their past cruelty but still appear self-interested. Xie Jinran’s jealousy of Huo reveals that he may have possessive or inappropriate feelings toward Xie Chen.
• Huo Wenye: Acts protectively and suspiciously toward the Xie brothers. His possessive behavior toward Xie Chen becomes more overt, and he responds to teasing with confident physical affection.
• Director Liu: Misinterprets Xie Chen’s flushed appearance and Huo’s influence, providing comic relief through his exaggerated assumptions.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and conditional trust: Xie Chen refuses to accept apologies without action, showing that past abuse cannot be erased by convenient regret.
• Family corruption and self-preservation: The Xie brothers turn against their father only when they fear being sacrificed, raising questions about whether their motives are sincere.
• Destiny and stolen power: The revelation about the stolen Destiny Pattern strengthens the mystery surrounding Xie Chen’s past and his family’s rise.
• Possession and romantic rivalry: Huo’s physical protectiveness and Xie Jinran’s jealousy create tension around Xie Chen’s relationships.
• Revenge and justice: Xie Chen intends not merely to recover what was stolen but to dismantle the Xie Family’s reputation and prosperity.
• Threat beyond the family: The living-sacrifice plot at Harvard expands the conflict from family intrigue to a supernatural confrontation with evil cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Xie Chen coldly challenges Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran’s excuses, while they attempt to win his cooperation through apologies and information.
• Xie Jinran’s interest in Xie Chen clashes with Huo Wenye’s overt possessiveness, creating a tense romantic rivalry.
• Xie Chen and Huo exchange teasing remarks that quickly turn into an intimate kiss, demonstrating their growing closeness.
• Director Liu’s misunderstanding of their relationship adds humor and highlights the secrecy surrounding Xie Chen and Huo’s intimacy.
• The chapter ends with Xie Chen learning that Harvard students are being sacrificed and confidently preparing to confront the threat.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Xie Chen announces on Weibo that he is returning to Harvard to teach, provoking both fear and excitement among students and fans. Director Li, inspired by the public reaction, proposes a reality show livestreaming Xie Chen’s classes and calls him the “Demon King” or “Grandmaster.” The next morning, Director Li pitches the idea to Xie Chen, who agrees to consider it. Lu Fei then warns Xie Chen about revealing his travel plans, but Xie Chen explains that he is deliberately baiting hostile forces into exposing their trap. Lu Fei also confirms that Xie Chen’s contract has been successfully terminated and reveals that Huo Wenye secretly helped arrange it. Meanwhile, Xie Group faces legal consequences over the game-related lawsuit but delays its public apology. Xie Yongan decides to accelerate the guardianship lawsuit in order to prevent Xie Chen from leaving the country and create an opportunity to harm him.

Character developments

Xie Chen remains sharp-tongued, calculating, and confident, using his public image and travel announcement strategically. However, he is privately unsettled by his unexplained kissing skills and keeps wondering who taught him. His trust in Lu Fei is emphasized, showing that their childhood friendship has become one of his few reliable supports. Huo Wenye’s behind-the-scenes efforts reveal that his pursuit of Xie Chen is serious and longstanding. Xie Yongan becomes increasingly ruthless, shifting from damage control to actively plotting against Xie Chen.

Significant themes

The chapter highlights public image and media exploitation, as Xie Chen’s online popularity immediately becomes entertainment content. It also develops themes of manipulation and counter-manipulation: Xie Chen deliberately publicizes his movements to lure enemies out, while the Xie family plots to restrict his freedom. Trust and loyalty are contrasted with betrayal, particularly through Lu Fei’s support and Huo Wenye’s secret assistance versus the Xie family’s schemes.

Character interactions

Director Li and his wife humorously discuss exploiting Xie Chen’s popularity, with her enthusiastic support adding comic relief. Director Li cautiously pitches the reality show to Xie Chen, who mocks his opportunism but does not reject the proposal. Lu Fei jokingly praises Xie Chen’s “cunning” plan and reveals Huo Wenye’s involvement, prompting Xie Chen to end the call rather than address the romantic implications. In the Xie Group, Xie Yongan and Xie Zhenting discuss the lawsuit and guardianship case, ultimately agreeing to use legal proceedings to keep Xie Chen in the country and endanger him.

Chapter Summary: “Who the Hell Do You Think You Are?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Chen’s plan to draw out an enemy succeeds when Lu Fei calls to report that the “old fox” has agreed to mediation. Both recognize that the meeting is likely a trap.
• Xie Chen claims he used divination to predict danger, accidentally raising questions about his mysterious abilities. When Lu Fei asks how he learned them, Xie Chen awkwardly insists that the Book of Changes is “science” and refuses to explain further.
• Despite the ominous prediction, Xie Chen decides to attend the mediation, confident that he can use a “Calamity-Transmuting Charm” to protect himself.
• At the filming location, Zhang Qingqing mocks Xie Chen for driving an inexpensive car and offers to lend him a more prestigious one.
• Xie Chen retaliates by cruelly exposing her lack of talent, connections, and reliance on wealthy men for career opportunities. He compares her unfavorably with the well-connected and more skilled actress Li Jingfei, leaving Zhang Qingqing deeply humiliated and resentful.
• Seeking revenge, Zhang secretly places a talisman supplied by her sugar daddy beneath Xie Chen’s car. The talisman is supposedly meant to suppress his luck. Xie Chen secretly notices her actions.
• During filming, Xie Chen refuses to use a stunt double despite the danger, believing that his bad omen means accidents are likely and that he should not risk involving someone else.
• His safety harness suddenly fails during a jump, sending him falling. He uses his martial-arts skill and the scenery to land safely and complete the stunt impressively.
• Director Liu angrily investigates the equipment failure, but Xie Chen notices that the safety lock exploded from within, suggesting supernatural interference rather than ordinary negligence.
• As Xie passes Zhang Qingqing, he calls her “a thief with a guilty conscience,” making her panic because he appears to know she sabotaged him.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen continues to conceal the full extent of his supernatural abilities, improvising absurd explanations whenever Lu Fei becomes suspicious. He remains confident, sharp-tongued, and willing to confront enemies directly.
• His divination confirms that danger surrounds him, but he responds proactively rather than retreating. His decision to perform the stunt himself shows both courage and concern for others.
• Lu Fei becomes increasingly suspicious of Xie Chen’s secret talents. Though slow to understand the implications, he recognizes that Xie’s abilities do not match the identity he has always known.
• Zhang Qingqing is shown to be insecure and bitter beneath her arrogance. Xie Chen’s insults expose her fears about aging, lacking talent, and depending on sexual or financial relationships for success. Her humiliation drives her to sabotage him.
• Director Liu views Xie Chen as a dedicated professional and grows more impressed by his courage and skill after witnessing the dangerous stunt.
• Zhang’s assistant acts as a cautious voice of reason, warning her not to antagonize Xie Chen, but Zhang ignores her.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and concealed power: Xie Chen must constantly hide his extraordinary abilities, even from longtime friends, because they are difficult to explain.
• Fate versus human action: Although Xie Chen receives a terrible omen, he still acts decisively, using skill and judgment to overcome the danger.
• Resentment and social inequality: Zhang’s hostility reflects the unequal structure of the entertainment industry, where background, wealth, appearance, and connections often determine success.
• Revenge and consequences: Zhang’s humiliation leads directly to sabotage, escalating the conflict between her and Xie Chen.
• Appearance versus reality: Zhang presents herself as confident and superior, but privately feels powerless and insecure. Likewise, an apparently routine equipment failure conceals supernatural interference.

Character Interactions

• Xie Chen and Lu Fei: Their phone conversation mixes friendship, suspicion, and comedy. Lu Fei questions Xie’s sudden mastery of divination, while Xie evades him with contradictory claims about science and superstition.
• Xie Chen and Zhang Qingqing: Their exchange is openly hostile. Zhang attacks his status through his cheap car, while Xie responds with devastating personal insults about her career and dependence on wealthy men.
• Zhang Qingqing and her assistant: The assistant tries to restrain Zhang, but Zhang’s pride and anger make her dismissive and aggressive.
• Zhang Qingqing and her sugar daddy: Though he does not appear directly, his influence is clear through the talisman he gives her, linking her revenge to supernatural methods.
• Xie Chen and Director Liu: Director Liu worries about Xie’s safety and recommends a stunt double. Xie’s successful performance and later explanation of the broken safety lock strengthen the director’s respect for him.
• Xie Chen and Zhang after the accident: Xie’s final accusation reveals that he likely knows about the talisman and turns the failed sabotage back against Zhang psychologically.

Xie Chen confronted Xie Yongan at a custody mediation, where he presented evidence of elder abuse and a DNA test; afterward, Xie Yongan was injured in a serious crash. Meanwhile, Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan auditioned for a film, and the director told them to prepare for a bed scene.

• Xie Zhenting warned Xie Chen that Xie Yongan might try to stop him from attending mediation, but Huo Wenye sent back a teasing reply.
• Xie Chen arrived at court despite Xie Yongan's confidence that he would be absent, then presented evidence of elder abuse and a DNA paternity test.
• Xie Yongan argued that Xie Chen had obtained the evidence illegally, and the mediation ended without agreement.
• Xie Yongan's car collided with a truck, leaving him unconscious with multiple fractures.
• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan auditioned for a film, and the director asked them to take off their clothes before announcing they would try the bed scene first.

Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan auditioned for Director Chen Yu, who cast them after they performed an intimate scene. Meanwhile, Xie Chen agreed to sign a contract for a Harvard livestream, and Zhang Qingqing was injured after ignoring safety precautions on set.

• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan reluctantly took off their shirts and performed an intimate audition scene for Director Chen Yu, who cast them and warned them not to let the acting become real.
• Luo Mingyu realized the director was Chen Yu, and Li Sifan explained that their casting could fuel public shipping and pressure their fathers to accept them.
• Xie Chen told Director Li that Harvard’s president had approved a livestream and agreed to sign the contract before his flight that night.
• Zhang Qingqing fell from a high platform after undoing her safety equipment, and the crew watched as she was taken away in an ambulance.
• Li Sifan and Luo Mingyu returned to the set, where Li Jingfei teased them about having stripped for a steamy audition.

Chapter Summary: This Is a Horror Movie?!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Yongan remains unconscious in surgery after a serious car accident. Outside the operating room, his sons Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran suspect that Xie Chen may be responsible.
• The brothers decide to exploit their father’s condition to protect their mother and seize control of the family. Xie Jinran stays at the hospital while Xie Zhenting returns home.
• Xie Jinran releases their mother from the basement, but instead of reacting with fear or gratitude, she celebrates Xie Yongan’s possible death and declares that she will kill him once she regains her strength.
• Alarmed by her cruelty, Xie Jinran begins regretting freeing her. Meanwhile, Xie Ran eagerly flatters their mother, hoping to regain her favor and benefit from Xie Yongan’s absence.
• Elsewhere, Director Li finalizes a new reality show featuring Xie Chen. The program, titled The Demon King Returns, will portray Xie Chen participating in a day of teaching Harvard professors and students.
• Promotional news quickly becomes a major online trend. Fans eagerly anticipate the show, while Harvard students panic at the prospect of being subjected to Xie Chen’s demanding instruction.
• Xie Family members also hear that Xie Chen is returning. The second son fears public retaliation, but Qin Chuyu reassures him that Xie Chen will not act violently during a livestreamed program.
• Qin Chuyu privately looks forward to using the show as an opportunity to reconnect with Xie Chen without Huo Wenye interfering.

Character Developments

• Xie Jinran shows mixed motives: he wants to save his mother and gain power, but he remains morally opposed to killing his father. His mother’s vicious reaction makes him question whether freeing her was wise.
• Xie Zhenting becomes an active conspirator, agreeing that their father’s unconsciousness creates an opportunity to seize control.
• Mother Xie shifts dramatically from a terrified, abused prisoner into a vindictive and power-hungry woman eager to retaliate against Xie Yongan.
• Xie Ran reveals his manipulative nature by immediately exploiting his mother’s weakness and flattering her to secure her affection and future influence.
• Director Li is enthusiastic about leveraging Xie Chen’s popularity, treating the reality show as both entertainment and a chance to watch him intimidate highly intelligent students.
• Qin Chuyu remains calculating and self-interested. Though he appears calm, he sees Xie Chen’s return as a chance to pursue him romantically.

Significant Themes

• Power struggles and opportunism: Xie Yongan’s accident causes family members to compete immediately for control.
• Abuse and revenge: Mother Xie’s suffering has transformed into hatred, blurring the line between justified anger and destructive vengeance.
• Manipulation within families: Several characters exploit one another’s weaknesses, especially Xie Ran and Mother Xie.
• Public image versus private motives: The reality show is presented as harmless entertainment, while various characters use it to pursue personal agendas.
• Fear of Xie Chen’s influence: Whether in the Xie family or at Harvard, people anticipate Xie Chen’s arrival with anxiety, fascination, or romantic interest.

Character Interactions

• Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran privately unite against their father and discuss using his coma to take power.
• Xie Jinran tries to restrain Mother Xie’s murderous intentions, but she attacks him verbally for failing to support her.
• Xie Ran ingratiates himself with Mother Xie, causing her to compare him favorably to Xie Jinran.
• Director Li and the planning team discuss the show’s concept and title, humorously framing Xie Chen’s appearance as a “horror movie” for Harvard students.
• Harvard students react collectively with dread to the announcement, expecting Xie Chen’s class to be impossibly difficult.
• The second son confides in Qin Chuyu about his fear of Xie Chen, while Qin Chuyu conceals his romantic plans to approach Xie Chen.

Chapter Summary: “Blatant Favoritism”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Director Li discovers that Huo Wenye is not merely accompanying Xie Chen to Harvard but will also be studying there. He immediately imagines the publicity and romantic appeal of having both prominent figures appear on the reality show.
• Xie Chen prepares for the trip by reading a dense English book on classic criminal cases. The livestream audience mistakenly assumes he is preparing to recreate another murder scene, reinforcing his intimidating “Demon King” reputation.
• Harvard students react with excitement and fear, while university administrators hold an emergency meeting to debate whether Professor Smith’s livestream reality show should be allowed.
• Several board members oppose combining academic life with entertainment and express suspicion toward Smith because he is from Hua Nation. The elderly president defends Smith, emphasizing his exceptional talent and influence over successful former students.
• After the meeting, Xie Chen and Huo Wenye arrive in the United States. Huo carries Xie’s suitcase, insisting that he simply does not want Xie to become tired.
• At the airport, Xie is warmly greeted by an elegantly dressed elderly man. The man is revealed to be Harvard’s president, who openly calls Xie his “buddy” and personally came to pick him up.
• The university officials watching the livestream are shocked because the president had claimed he was going to sleep after the meeting. His public closeness with Xie demonstrates his blatant support and disregard for the opposition.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Continues to cultivate his fearsome reputation through his intelligence and association with criminal-case studies, though his sleepy, ordinary behavior contrasts humorously with the audience’s dramatic expectations. His close relationship with Harvard’s president becomes more apparent.
• Huo Wenye: Shows quiet, practical concern for Xie by carrying his luggage and insisting that he should not overexert himself. His decision to study at Harvard also suggests a desire to remain close to Xie.
• Director Li: Reveals his tendency to turn every situation into entertainment and publicity. He immediately recognizes the potential for romance, fan speculation, and increased viewership.
• Harvard’s President: Demonstrates strong personal loyalty toward Xie and openly favors him, defending his admission and appearing personally at the airport. His casual, affectionate manner contrasts with his official authority.
• Harvard faculty and administrators: Become increasingly anxious about Xie’s arrival and the president’s support for him, fearing that the university’s traditional order will be disrupted.

Significant Themes

• Favoritism and institutional power: The chapter highlights the president’s clear personal and professional favoritism toward Xie, despite the university’s objections.
• Academia versus entertainment: Harvard officials worry that the livestream will damage academic rigor, while the production team and viewers see the show as an opportunity for spectacle and publicity.
• Public image versus reality: Xie is portrayed by viewers as a terrifying genius, but in person he is sleepy, approachable, and cared for by Huo and the president.
• Loyalty and personal connections: The president’s defense of Xie and Huo’s attentive behavior show how powerful relationships influence decisions and public events.
• Fan culture and sensationalism: The livestream audience exaggerates every detail, creating humorous misunderstandings and turning academic events into entertainment.

Character Interactions

• Director Li exchanges teasing remarks with Xie Chen and privately fantasizes about the romantic potential of Xie and Huo’s partnership.
• Huo and Xie share a familiar, caring dynamic, with Huo silently looking after Xie while Xie jokingly objects to being treated delicately.
• The Harvard president greets Xie as an old friend, hugging him and casually discussing his physical condition and boxing.
• Harvard officials criticize the president for supporting Smith, but his appearance at the airport publicly confirms that he intends to protect and favor Xie regardless of their objections.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a seemingly Buddhist hall in the United States, a hidden Taoist sect discusses Xie Chen’s return to China. Their previous scheme, carried out through Xie Yongan, failed and caused severe backlash.
• The sect’s Master reveals a new plan: use Xie Yongan’s son, Xie Yuchen, who is studying at Harvard, as a potential medium for another talisman-based attack. The Master intends to wait until Xie Yuchen seeks them out.
• Qin Huai instructs his associate, Qin Chuyu, to manipulate Xie Yuchen into confronting Xie Chen. Qin Chuyu is unable to attack Xie Chen directly because Huo Wenye is protecting him.
• Xie Yuchen anxiously prepares for Xie Chen’s return to Harvard, regretting that he enrolled in Criminal Law merely to compete with his adopted younger brother and prove his intelligence.
• Qin Chuyu outwardly comforts Xie Yuchen while secretly using his resentment and insecurity to turn him against Xie Chen. He encourages Xie Yuchen to believe that Xie Chen is cruel and ungrateful toward the Xie family.
• Xie Yuchen considers returning home because of his father’s condition, but Qin Chuyu stops him by reminding him that his father may recover and would punish him for fleeing.
• Xie Chen arrives at Harvard with Director Li and Huo Wenye while students watch resentfully. The livestream highlights the contrast between Xie Chen’s former popularity and his current unpopularity among students.
• Huo Wenye announces that he will live wherever Xie Chen stays, resulting in the two men sharing a faculty dormitory. Fans become excited at the prospect of their cohabitation.
• When staff attempt to film the single dorm room, Huo Wenye protects their privacy but adds that only their sounds need to be recorded, leaving Xie Chen alarmed by the suggestive implication.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen remains confident and composed despite hostility from Harvard students and the schemes surrounding him. His return makes him the focus of both political manipulation and public attention.
• Huo Wenye demonstrates his unwavering protectiveness and closeness to Xie Chen by insisting on living with him and preventing cameras from invading their private space. His teasing remark also reveals his playful, suggestive side.
• Xie Yuchen is shown as insecure, impulsive, and easily manipulated. He regrets enrolling in Xie Chen’s class, resents Xie Chen’s success, and continues to portray himself as the victim of family conflict.
• Qin Chuyu acts friendly toward Xie Yuchen while privately despising him and exploiting his weaknesses. He follows Qin Huai’s instructions despite believing Xie Yuchen is foolish and useless.
• Qin Huai emerges as a calculating conspirator who views people as tools and intends to provoke a direct conflict between Xie Yuchen and Xie Chen.
• The Master represents the larger supernatural threat, planning to use Xie Yuchen to continue the sect’s attack on Xie Chen.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and exploitation: The antagonists treat Xie Yuchen as a disposable instrument in their larger scheme.
• Consequences of past wrongdoing: Xie Yuchen complains about Xie Chen’s harshness without acknowledging the abuse and harm the family inflicted on him.
• Protection and loyalty: Huo Wenye’s actions show his commitment to Xie Chen, contrasting with the Xie family’s betrayal and Qin Chuyu’s false friendship.
• Public image versus reality: Xie Chen was once celebrated as Harvard’s popular young professor, but his return is met with resentment, while the livestream turns the conflict into entertainment.
• Romantic tension and privacy: Huo Wenye and Xie Chen’s forced cohabitation creates comic and suggestive tension, intensified by the fans’ enthusiasm for their relationship.

Character Interactions

• The Master and his disciple discuss using Xie Yuchen as a medium for a new attack.
• Qin Huai orders Qin Chuyu to provoke Xie Yuchen into confronting Xie Chen.
• Qin Chuyu feeds Xie Yuchen’s resentment by agreeing that Xie Chen has mistreated the Xie family.
• Xie Yuchen and Qin Chuyu discuss whether Xie Yuchen should return home, with Qin Chuyu manipulating him into staying at Harvard.
• Director Li jokes about Xie Chen’s former popularity and tries to arrange Huo Wenye’s accommodation.
• Huo Wenye openly insists on staying with Xie Chen and later blocks filming of their private life, though his suggestive comment embarrasses and unsettles Xie Chen.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fans become excited when Xie Chen appears willing to let them listen in on his class, but Xie Chen warns the staff to remove the recording equipment. He fears the evil cultivators who targeted Xie Yongan will attack now that the group has returned to the United States.
• At Harvard, Xie Chen is greeted by Sophie, a young colleague who jokingly assumes that Huo Wenye is his boyfriend. Huo immediately blocks her attempt to hug and kiss Xie Chen, revealing his possessiveness and protectiveness.
• Xie Chen receives his teaching schedule and learns that the dean has assigned him a class that same night. Sophie explains that the university hopes he will help discipline wealthy students who have been abusing their privilege.
• While reviewing the class roster, Xie Chen notices that his enemies, Xie Yuchen and Qin Chuyu, have deliberately enrolled in his course. Rather than being intimidated, he becomes amused and eager to confront them.
• During the evening Criminal Law lecture, the students are tense because of Xie Chen’s reputation and the intimidating atmosphere. The reality-show crew and Huo Wenye attend the class.
• Xie Chen makes a dramatic entrance as Professor Smith and announces that students will discuss famous criminal cases and reenact the crime scenes. He immediately calls on Xie Yuchen, clearly intending to embarrass or intimidate him.
• When Xie Yuchen claims he knows little about Criminal Law, Xie Chen sarcastically invokes the Xie family’s supposed expertise and asks him to discuss “personal experience,” specifically mentioning unlawful detention.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen returns to his confident, theatrical, and ruthless persona. He is unafraid of confronting his enemies and uses his authority as a professor to control the situation.
• Huo Wenye displays strong protectiveness and jealousy toward Xie Chen. He physically prevents Sophie from touching Xie Chen and remains constantly by his side.
• Xie Yuchen is visibly anxious about facing Xie Chen in class. Although he pretends to be cooperative, his internal thoughts reveal resentment, fear, and awareness that he cannot rely on his former relationship with Xie Chen.
• Qin Chuyu remains skeptical of Xie Chen’s abilities, dismissing his reputation as exaggerated publicity. However, his attention and tension suggest that he may soon be forced to reassess Xie Chen.
• Sophie provides a lighter contrast to the tense relationships, teasing Xie Chen about Huo Wenye and explaining the university’s expectations of him.
• The students are intimidated by Xie Chen but also excited to witness his methods, especially because of his celebrity status and reputation from the reality show.

Significant Themes

• Power and authority: Xie Chen uses his new position at Harvard to establish dominance and impose discipline.
• Revenge and confrontation: The chapter sets up a direct clash between Xie Chen and Xie Yuchen, with Xie Chen deliberately placing him under public pressure.
• Privilege and corruption: The university’s wealthy, poorly behaved students represent the abuse of family power and donated status.
• Public image versus reality: Xie Chen’s polished professor persona contrasts with the intimidating, almost dangerous impression he creates.
• Protection and possessiveness: Huo Wenye’s actions highlight his close attachment to Xie Chen and his unwillingness to let others cross physical or emotional boundaries.
• Hidden danger: The threat from the evil cultivators remains in the background, adding tension beneath the otherwise comedic and dramatic classroom setup.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie Chen and Huo Wenye demonstrate an intimate, protective dynamic when Huo stops Sophie from touching Xie Chen.
• Sophie teases Xie Chen about being in a relationship with Huo, while Xie Chen awkwardly denies it.
• Xie Chen and Xie Yuchen begin their public confrontation in the classroom, with Xie Chen exploiting their shared history to humiliate and pressure him.
• Qin Chuyu watches the confrontation skeptically, while Huo Wenye’s presence adds another layer of tension.
• The fans enthusiastically support Xie Chen, anticipating that he will “crush” his enemies and reform Harvard’s campus culture.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Yuchen denies that the Xie Family illegally detained anyone and challenges Xie Chen to provide evidence.
• Xie Chen reveals a video from the Xie Family’s basement, which Huo Wenye plays for the class.
• The footage shows Xie Yongan brutally whipping and starving his wife, accusing her of using a Head Curse to manipulate him. The abuse confirms that the family imprisoned and mistreated her.
• Xie Yuchen collapses in shock upon seeing his father’s actions and realizes that Xie Chen’s accusations are true.
• Xie Chen explains that restricting a person’s freedom constitutes illegal detention regardless of marital status, and that physical violence increases the severity of the crime.
• He ends the case discussion without forcing Xie Yuchen to reenact the abuse, though the students and livestream viewers recognize the evidence as decisive.
• Xie Chen delivers a highly praised lecture, impressing the students with his knowledge, dramatic teaching style, and use of real-world criminal cases.
• After class, Lu Fei learns that Xie Chen exposed the basement footage publicly. Xie Chen declares that he has waited long enough and is now ready to bring down the Xie Family.
• Qin Chuyu approaches Xie Chen with an apology and sympathy, but Xie Chen angrily rejects him. Huo Wenye intervenes possessively, telling Qin Chuyu to leave.

2. Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Demonstrates confidence, strategic planning, legal expertise, and control over the situation. He exposes the Xie Family’s crimes publicly and signals that his long-term retaliation is entering its final stage.
• Xie Yuchen: Begins by arrogantly denying the allegations, but the video destroys his confidence. He becomes physically and emotionally overwhelmed when confronted with his father’s abuse.
• Xie Yongan: Is revealed as cruel and violent, having imprisoned and tortured his own wife. His actions provide the evidence needed for possible criminal prosecution.
• Huo Wenye: Actively supports Xie Chen by handling the video equipment and later defending him from Qin Chuyu. His behavior shows strong protectiveness and possessiveness.
• Qin Chuyu: Attempts to apologize and express concern for Xie Chen, but his approach is rejected because of their painful history.
• Lu Fei: Enthusiastically supports Xie Chen’s plan to destroy the Xie Family and celebrates the impending collapse of their power.

3. Significant Themes

• Justice and exposure: Hidden crimes are brought into public view, showing that wealth and family influence cannot permanently conceal abuse.
• Legal accountability: The chapter emphasizes that unlawful confinement is a crime even within marriage, particularly when accompanied by physical violence.
• Revenge and retribution: Xie Chen’s metaphor of reeling in a cast net suggests that his careful plans against the Xie Family have finally reached their conclusion.
• Abuse of power within families: The Xie Family’s outward status contrasts sharply with its private cruelty.
• Public truth versus denial: Xie Yuchen’s verbal denial collapses when confronted with undeniable visual evidence.
• Protection and loyalty: Huo Wenye’s intervention highlights his intense loyalty to and possessiveness toward Xie Chen.

4. Character Interactions

• Xie Chen and Xie Yuchen: Their confrontation shifts from verbal accusation to undeniable proof. Xie Chen remains composed and mocking, while Xie Yuchen loses control.
• Xie Chen and Huo Wenye: Huo supports Xie Chen during the lecture and later acts as his defender, reinforcing their close and protective relationship.
• Xie Chen and Lu Fei: Their phone call reveals Xie Chen’s larger plan and Lu Fei’s excitement about the Xie Family’s impending downfall.
• Xie Chen and Qin Chuyu: Qin’s attempted apology is rejected harshly, showing that Xie Chen still resents him deeply.
• Huo Wenye and Qin Chuyu: Huo cuts off Qin’s approach and bluntly orders him to leave, asserting his presence and defending Xie Chen.

Chapter Summary: “Who Wears Clothes in the Shower?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a government office, officials discuss a new anonymous tip implicating Xie Group. Although they want to dismantle the corrupt company, they worry that abrupt action would harm ordinary shareholders and employees.
• After referencing a viral “Harvard video,” the director authorizes the police to intervene, suggesting that the video has provided the final justification for official action.
• Police arrive at Xie Group to investigate Xie Yongan’s suspected illegal detention of Zhang Fang. They explain that the case can proceed even without Zhang Fang personally filing a complaint.
• Zhang Fang eagerly agrees to cooperate, hoping that sending her husband to prison will allow her to seize control of Xie Group. Her conflict with Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran reveals that the family’s relationships have become openly hostile.
• Xie Jinran tries to stop his mother from testifying, but Zhang Fang threatens his music career. He immediately lets go of her, showing that he prioritizes his own interests over family loyalty.
• After completing their first successful class, Xie Chen and Huo Wenye return to their dormitory. The production crew is excluded from the room, though a ceiling-facing camera continues recording.
• Huo Wenye teases Xie Chen about showering together and about their supposed memories of the room. Embarrassed and suspicious, Xie Chen showers first and locks the bathroom door.
• Afterward, Xie Chen tries to sleep alone while Huo Wenye showers. Huo deliberately flirts with him, accusing him of displaying his bare, wet body to seduce him.
• Huo then emerges from the bathroom without clothes, shocking Xie Chen and provoking his accusation that Huo is a pervert. The chapter ends on this comedic cliffhanger, intensified by the livestream audience’s excitement.

Character Developments

• The government director and officials demonstrate a cautious approach to justice. They want to eliminate corruption while protecting vulnerable investors and preventing unnecessary social damage.
• Zhang Fang becomes increasingly ruthless and ambitious. Her willingness to testify against her husband is motivated less by justice than by her desire to gain control of Xie Group.
• Xie Jinran is exposed as self-interested and cowardly. Although he initially tries to protect his father and stop his mother, he abandons that resistance as soon as his own career is threatened.
• Xie Chen remains shy, inexperienced, and easily flustered by Huo Wenye’s advances. His defensive behavior suggests strong attraction beneath his embarrassment, though he is determined to avoid being manipulated.
• Huo Wenye grows bolder and more openly flirtatious. He uses humor, suggestive remarks, and deliberate teasing to test Xie Chen’s boundaries and draw him closer.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus collateral damage: The officials seek to punish Xie Group’s wrongdoing without destroying the livelihoods and investments of ordinary people.
• Family betrayal and selfishness: The Xie family’s struggle for power reveals how quickly familial bonds collapse when money, status, and personal interests are involved.
• Power and ambition: Zhang Fang’s actions show that the corporate crisis is also a battle for control within the family.
• Public image and surveillance: The reality-show livestream turns Xie Chen and Huo Wenye’s private interactions into entertainment, while the viral video influences government action.
• Romantic tension and vulnerability: The shower scene uses teasing and embarrassment to show the growing attraction between Xie Chen and Huo Wenye, contrasting Huo’s confidence with Xie Chen’s defensiveness.

Character Interactions

• Government officials coordinate their response to Xie Group, balancing institutional justice with public welfare.
• Police officers interrupt the Xie family’s argument and force Zhang Fang into the center of the legal conflict.
• Zhang Fang clashes with Xie Zhenting and Xie Jinran, prioritizing her takeover plans over marital or maternal affection.
• Huo Wenye repeatedly provokes Xie Chen with flirtatious comments, while Xie Chen reacts with embarrassment, suspicion, and reluctant interest.
• The livestream audience acts as an amused chorus, celebrating the pair’s romantic tension and wishing the camera could reveal more of the shower-room encounter.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Chen spends a restless night haunted by the memory of Huo Wenye standing naked before him. Although he tries to dismiss his reaction as ordinary embarrassment, he realizes that Huo’s presence genuinely affects him.
• He has a vivid dream—or possibly a recovered memory—in which he and Huo Wenye are lovers. In the scene, Huo claims to have loved Xie since childhood and wants their relationship to be public. He also insults Xie’s adoptive parents, prompting Xie to defend them and reject Huo’s manipulation.
• Xie wakes at dawn disturbed by how real the dream felt and wonders whether his memories have been sealed.
• When Huo asks him to bring a towel, Xie obeys immediately, clearly avoiding another embarrassing encounter. The livestream audience interprets his behavior as proof that he was affected by Huo’s nudity and possibly had a suggestive dream.
• At breakfast in the Harvard cafeteria, Xie repeatedly glances at Huo while feeling awkward. The university principal, Williamstown, assumes Huo is Xie’s boyfriend because of rumors online and because Huo is living in Xie’s single dorm room.
• Williamstown privately summons Xie and Huo, excluding the livestream crew on the grounds that the discussion is confidential. This unusual behavior surprises the Harvard students and frustrates Director Li, who suspects there is something special about the pair.
• In the principal’s office, Williamstown reveals that several Harvard students have disappeared, with the longest missing for over thirty days. The missing students share a disturbing characteristic: they suddenly became religious and claimed they could live forever.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Becomes increasingly flustered and self-conscious around Huo, especially after the dream. He begins questioning whether his memories have been altered or sealed and reacts defensively whenever their relationship is mentioned.
• Huo Wenye: Remains calm, confident, and provocative, seemingly unaffected by Xie’s embarrassment. His behavior and dream portrayal suggest a longstanding emotional connection with Xie and possible hidden history between them.
• Williamstown: Though known as a strict, intimidating principal, he behaves unusually gently and openly with Xie, suggesting that Xie’s return has changed the atmosphere at Harvard or that the principal has a particular reason to trust him.
• Director Li and the livestream audience: Continue treating Xie and Huo’s interactions as romantic entertainment, often misinterpreting or exaggerating their behavior.

Significant Themes

• Repressed or altered memory: Xie’s realistic dream raises the possibility that important memories of his relationship with Huo have been sealed or erased.
• Romantic tension and denial: Xie insists that Huo is not his lover, while his embarrassment, dreams, and growing awareness of Huo’s body suggest otherwise.
• Public perception versus private truth: The livestream audience and online rumors label the two men as a couple, while Xie aggressively denies it despite increasingly intimate circumstances.
• Manipulation and loyalty: The dream includes Huo criticizing Xie’s adoptive parents and Xie rejecting that criticism, hinting at past emotional manipulation and unresolved conflicts.
• A developing supernatural mystery: The disappearances and the missing students’ claims of immortality introduce a darker plot involving faith, eternal life, and possible occult forces.

Significant Character Interactions

• Xie and Huo exchange tense, suggestive remarks in the dorm, with Xie trying to maintain distance after Huo’s nude appearance.
• In the dream, Huo openly declares his love and desire for a public relationship, while Xie challenges his possessiveness and defends his adoptive parents.
• Williamstown casually identifies Huo as Xie’s boyfriend, embarrassing Xie and amusing the livestream viewers.
• Williamstown privately questions Xie and Huo about the missing students, shifting the chapter from romantic comedy toward a serious supernatural investigation.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Xie Chen, Williamston, and Huo Wenye discuss the alleged “paradise” associated with X Club. Xie Chen and Williamston suspect it is a cult or mysticism scam involving manipulation, sacrifice, and false promises of immortality.
• Williamston jokingly suggests that Huo Wenye may have attended Harvard before and teases him about taking two attempts to “get” Xie Chen. Their exchange becomes so awkward that Xie Chen abruptly leaves.
• Xie Chen claims he needs to use the restroom in order to stop filming and privately investigate rumors. Huo Wenye follows him into the stall, leading to flirtatious and embarrassing banter.
• While hiding in the restroom, Xie Chen overhears students discussing X Club. They claim the club’s members possess supernatural abilities, can create paradises, and may even achieve immortality. They also mention that entry is highly selective and identify Qin Huai as the only known Hua Nation member.
• Xie Chen’s younger brother, Xie Yuchen, learns that the Xie family is in serious crisis. The family’s stock is collapsing, auditors are investigating, and his mother intends to testify against their father over illegal detention. She is also selling her shares, potentially forcing the company to change its name.
• Desperate to save the family, Xie Yuchen turns to Qin Chuyu. Qin suggests using mysticism and introduces X Club as an organization capable of helping the Xie family recover. She offers to connect him through her brother, who is a member. Xie Yuchen becomes excited and hopeful.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen remains sharp and skeptical of supernatural claims, but his decision to investigate X Club shows growing concern about the threat it may pose. He is also easily flustered by Huo Wenye’s teasing and advances.
• Huo Wenye displays increasing boldness and intimacy toward Xie Chen, following him into the restroom and deliberately provoking him. His mysterious connection to Harvard and his apparent knowledge of Xie Chen’s past remain intriguing.
• Williamston acts as a humorous observer, teasing Huo Wenye and unintentionally worsening the awkward tension.
• Xie Yuchen shifts from avoidance and self-pity to desperation. The family crisis forces him to seek outside help, and his resentment toward Xie Chen prevents him from considering reconciliation.
• Qin Chuyu appears calculating and opportunistic. She recognizes Xie Yuchen’s desperation and directs him toward X Club, potentially for her own purposes.

Significant Themes

• Mysticism versus deception: The chapter questions whether supernatural organizations are genuine or simply cults exploiting people’s fears and desires.
• Rumors and hidden information: The restroom conversation reveals that X Club’s reputation is spreading rapidly, while important truths remain concealed from the public.
• Family collapse and desperation: The Xie family’s legal and financial crisis drives Xie Yuchen toward increasingly risky solutions.
• Manipulation and exploitation: X Club promises power, paradise, and immortality, while Qin Chuyu uses Xie Yuchen’s vulnerability to draw him toward it.
• Romantic and comedic tension: Xie Chen and Huo Wenye’s provocative interactions contrast with the darker conspiracy and family drama.

Character Interactions

• Xie Chen and Williamston debate the legitimacy of mystical claims, while Williamston humorously teases Huo Wenye.
• Xie Chen and Huo Wenye share an increasingly intimate, antagonistic exchange in the restroom, mixing embarrassment, flirtation, and mutual familiarity.
• Xie Chen overhears Harvard students enthusiastically spreading rumors about X Club, providing a link between campus gossip and the larger mystery.
• Xie Yuchen and Xie Zhenting discuss the family’s collapse, but Zhenting remains impatient and offers little emotional support.
• Qin Chuyu comforts and persuades Xie Yuchen, presenting X Club as a possible solution and reigniting his hope.

At Harvard, Xie Chen decided to hack Qin Huai’s account to gather information, while Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan began living together and preparing to rehearse. Their fathers met to discuss separating them, with Father Luo planning to reveal evidence of Li Sifan’s schemes when the two were close to falling for each other.

• Xie Chen told Huo Wenye they had a big job, then decided to hack Qin Huai’s account for information.
• Luo Mingyu questioned why he and Li Sifan had to share a large apartment, but stayed after Li Sifan threatened him with military training.
• Li Sifan went to shower, leaving Luo Mingyu flustered and distracted from his script.
• Father Luo accused Father Li’s son and daughter of plotting to lure Luo Mingyu into filming and living with Li Sifan.
• Father Li suggested leaving the two alone, but Father Luo said he would reveal the evidence when they were close to falling for each other.
• Father Li and Father Luo argued over who would pay for their meal.