Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary — “You’re Still So Criminal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Back in his room, Xie Ran angrily realizes that his family’s million-yuan investment has effectively helped increase Xie Chen’s value and publicity on Villains Variety Show. Feeling humiliated, he demands that Xie Jinran use the Xie Family’s influence to remove Xie Chen from the program.
• Xie Jinran explains that the family had intended to spend money promoting Xie Ran anyway, especially since they had withdrawn their investment after attempting to blacklist Xie Chen. Xie Ran rejects this reasoning, throws a tantrum, and threatens not to return to the show.
• The next morning, the guests gather after an embarrassing night of drunken behavior. Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan are especially uncomfortable after waking up in the same bed while embracing each other.
• Director Li announces that the guests must water the fields they fertilized the previous day. Xie Chen suggests changing the task, correctly anticipating that the fertilizer is still too wet.
• Xie Ran mocks Xie Chen and implies that he is pretending to be weak, while Xie Chen responds sharply and insults Xie Ran’s constant troublemaking. Xie Jinran attempts to defend Xie Ran.
• The village chief arrives and confirms that the fields cannot be watered because the fertilizer must dry for several days, proving Xie Chen right. Xie Ran accuses Xie Chen of receiving advance information through his relationship with the village chief.
• The village chief reveals that Xie Chen did receive a 100,000-yuan transfer, but Xie Chen donated the money to the village primary school and had asked him to keep it secret. Xie Jinran is furious that his family’s money was used for charity, while Xie Chen insists that he has the right to decide how to spend it.
• Since the original task is impossible, the guests spend the day helping villagers by repairing roofs, cleaning animal sheds, feeding livestock, and playing with children. Xie Chen is the only guest who quickly bonds with the energetic village children.
• Director Li hints that the next season will be more difficult and entertaining, suggesting that he plans to take revenge on the guests for their earlier behavior.
• After the bus returns to Kyoto late at night, Xie Jinran orders Xie Chen to return to the Xie Family. When Xie Chen refuses, Xie Jinran threatens that the eldest brother may break his legs to prevent him from appearing on more shows. Xie Chen sarcastically remarks that Xie Jinran is “still so criminal.”

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Remains calm, confident, and sharp-tongued in the face of the Xie siblings’ hostility. He demonstrates foresight by predicting the farming problem, quietly donates money to the village school, and shows a warm, natural connection with the children. His independence and moral character contrast strongly with the Xie Family’s manipulative behavior.
• Xie Ran: Becomes increasingly jealous and irrational. He resents Xie Chen’s success, interprets the family’s financial support as humiliation, and repeatedly tries to undermine Xie Chen. His insecurity is evident in his tantrums and accusations.
• Xie Jinran: Acts as a mediator but remains deeply biased toward Xie Ran. Although he recognizes Xie Chen’s former obedience and briefly misses the adopted child he used to know, he continues to support threats and coercion against him.
• Director Li: Continues to observe the guests strategically. He is impressed by Xie Chen’s actions and sees opportunities to make future episodes more challenging.
• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan: Their awkward morning after drunkenly sharing a bed adds comic tension and suggests a complicated or embarrassing dynamic between them.

Significant Themes

• Family favoritism and rejection: The Xie Family prioritizes its biological son, Xie Ran, while treating adopted son Xie Chen as an outsider despite his greater maturity and capability.
• Power, money, and control: The family attempts to manipulate the entertainment industry through investments and threats, while Xie Chen reclaims control over the money and choices they once used to control him.
• Charity versus public image: Xie Chen donates quietly and without seeking credit, contrasting with the family’s obsession with status, publicity, and using money to shape public perception.
• Independence and resistance: Xie Chen refuses to be intimidated or forced back into the family, openly challenging the people who once controlled him.
• Comedy through humiliation and reversal: Xie Ran repeatedly tries to embarrass Xie Chen but ends up looking foolish, especially when Xie Chen’s judgment is proven correct.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie Ran and Xie Jinran: Xie Ran demands that Xie Chen be removed from the show, while Xie Jinran tries to justify the family’s actions and calm him.
• Xie Ran and Xie Chen: Their hostile exchange highlights Xie Ran’s jealousy and Xie Chen’s growing confidence and verbal dominance.
• Xie Jinran and Xie Chen: Xie Jinran defends Xie Ran and later threatens Xie Chen with violence, revealing that his apparent mediation is ultimately coercive.
• Xie Chen and the village chief: Their relationship is based on trust; the village chief protects Xie Chen’s secret donation but defends him when Xie Ran makes accusations.
• Xie Chen and the village children: Xie Chen’s easy friendship with the children reveals his playful and caring side, contrasting with the other guests’ discomfort around them.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After filming ends, Xie Chen is confronted by several black Mercedes-Benz vehicles belonging to the Xie Family, who have come to take him home.
• His fellow cast members immediately surround and defend him, suspecting that the Xie Family intends to punish or harm him. They offer him rides, exchange contact information, and make sure the encounter is livestreamed as evidence.
• Xie Ran attempts to portray the situation as a harmless family visit and urges the cast to remain friendly with him, but Wei Mingqi pointedly rejects his attempt to join their group chat.
• Xie Chen reassures everyone that he will be safe because the situation is occurring in public and the Xie Family can be held responsible if anything happens to him. Director Li also relays Huo Wenye’s warning that he is watching the family and will intervene if Xie Chen is harmed.
• Xie Chen voluntarily enters the Xie Family’s car, despite being flanked by two large bodyguards. His friend Lu Fei arrives too late to stop him but calls to check on him.
• During the call, Xie Chen casually discusses receiving his one-million payment from the show and allows Lu Fei to criticize the Xie Family while Xie Zhenting listens on speaker. Zhenting angrily cuts off the call.
• At the Xie villa, Xie Zhenting orders the bodyguards to take Xie Chen upstairs, clearly intending to discipline him.
• When a bodyguard tries to seize him, Xie Chen effortlessly twists the man’s wrist and then mocks his exaggerated cries of pain.
• Zhenting accuses Xie Chen of being rebellious and claims the family failed to discipline him properly. Xie Chen retorts that the Xie Family taught him only to endure beatings and insults, and to serve despite holding the title of Young Master.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen demonstrates confidence, physical skill, and strategic cleverness. He deliberately reassures his allies, preserves evidence through the livestream, and uses Lu Fei’s phone call to provoke Zhenting. Rather than appearing frightened, he treats the confrontation with humor and openly challenges the family’s authority.
• Xie Zhenting is portrayed as domineering, vindictive, and increasingly uncertain of his control over Xie Chen. His anger escalates when Xie Chen resists the bodyguards and exposes the family’s abusive expectations.
• Xie Ran tries to maintain a public image of family harmony and gain acceptance from the production team, but his efforts fail when the others reject him.
• The cast members become strongly protective of Xie Chen, showing that their brief time together has created more genuine loyalty than his family relationships.
• Lu Fei acts as a concerned and loyal friend. Although initially panicked, he quickly realizes that Xie Chen is capable of handling the situation and unknowingly helps him taunt the Xie Family.
• Huo Wenye, though absent, establishes himself as another powerful protector willing to intervene on Xie Chen’s behalf.

Significant Themes

• Chosen family versus biological family: The cast and friends offer Xie Chen sincere protection, contrasting sharply with the Xie Family’s hostility and control.
• Abuse disguised as discipline: Zhenting’s comments reveal that the family expects obedience, silent endurance, and servitude rather than treating Xie Chen with affection or respect.
• Public accountability and power reversal: Livestreaming the confrontation and preserving evidence prevent the Xie Family from controlling the narrative completely.
• Self-empowerment and resistance: Xie Chen refuses to remain the passive victim he may once have been. His physical and verbal resistance signals a major shift in his relationship with the family.
• Reputation and perception: Online viewers argue over whether Xie Chen is ungrateful or whether the Xie Family is abusive, highlighting the gap between public appearances and private reality.
• Humor as defiance: Xie Chen repeatedly uses calm jokes and sarcasm to undermine the family’s intimidation tactics.

Character Interactions

• The production team collectively shields Xie Chen, with Luo Mingyu, Li Sifan, Li Jingfei, and Wei Mingqi offering practical support.
• Xie Ran attempts to act as a mediator but is socially rejected by Wei Mingqi, exposing the others’ distrust of him.
• Director Li’s message from Huo Wenye reinforces the network of people protecting Xie Chen.
• Lu Fei and Xie Chen share a relaxed, familiar exchange that contrasts with the tense family confrontation.
• Xie Chen and Xie Zhenting engage in an increasingly direct power struggle: Zhenting relies on threats and force, while Xie Chen responds with physical skill, mockery, and accusations about the family’s mistreatment.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Zhenting confronts Xie Chen and orders him to explain himself to their parents, implying that the Xie family intends to punish him.
• Xie Ran pretends to worry about Xie Chen being beaten, while secretly hoping he will be killed so the family can cover up the matter with money or a scapegoat.
• At the villa, Father Xie orders Xie Chen to kneel and blames him for Secretary Qin’s investigation, apparently ignoring the family’s own involvement in hiring thugs to break someone’s legs.
• Xie Chen sharply exposes the implausibility of the family’s excuses, pointing out that major financial transfers require the president’s signature and suggesting that the Xie family is trying to make the public believe a former secretary acted alone.
• He openly mocks the family’s treatment of him, comparing his status to that of a disposable dog and sarcastically suggesting that they “harvest a kidney” next time they want to punish someone.
• When Xie Chen insults Xie Ran, Xie Zhenting loses his temper and attacks him.
• Xie Chen effortlessly dodges the first punch, slaps Xie Zhenting, and then severely beats him while criticizing him for talking too much instead of fighting decisively.
• Xie Zhenting, bloodied and humiliated, orders the bodyguards to restrain Xie Chen and break his arms. The bodyguards admit that Xie Chen is too strong to subdue directly and carry him outside instead.
• Father Xie decides that Xie Chen should be locked in the basement and starved for several days, partly because the family fears further scandal while the inspection into the company continues.
• Outside, the bodyguard captain reveals that he and Xie Chen had secretly been cooperating: the earlier struggle was partly staged, and Xie Chen had recorded Xie Zhenting’s threats.
• Using the recording as evidence, Xie Chen confidently claims self-defense and leaves, while the captain realizes how calculating and resourceful he has become.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen demonstrates that he is no longer submissive or willing to tolerate abuse. He is physically powerful, verbally fearless, and strategically prepared, using both force and evidence to protect himself.
• Xie Zhenting is exposed as arrogant, violent, and impulsive. His belief in his authority collapses when Xie Chen defeats him, and his humiliation drives him to demand harsher punishment.
• Xie Ran shows his manipulative nature by pretending to care about Xie Chen while secretly wishing for his death. His privileged position as the favored biological son is contrasted with Xie Chen’s mistreatment.
• Xie Jinran appears more conflicted and morally aware than the others. He recognizes that Xie Zhenting attacked first and that Xie Chen has been abused, but he remains unwilling to openly oppose the family.
• The Xie parents prioritize family reputation and control over justice. Even after witnessing Xie Zhenting’s aggression, they still support punishing Xie Chen to preserve the family’s authority.
• The bodyguard captain shifts from apparent enforcer to covert ally, revealing that he helped Xie Chen create evidence and is impressed by his strength and cunning.

Significant Themes

• Resistance against abuse and oppression: Xie Chen rejects the role of the obedient adopted son and directly challenges the family’s right to mistreat him.
• Power versus authority: Xie Zhenting holds social and familial authority but is physically and strategically outmatched by Xie Chen.
• Hypocrisy and scapegoating: The Xie family blames Xie Chen for the scandal surrounding Secretary Qin while concealing their own responsibility.
• Manipulation and appearances: Xie Ran’s false concern, the family’s concern about public opinion, and the staged bodyguard confrontation all emphasize the gap between appearances and reality.
• Self-defense and justice: Xie Chen’s recording allows him to turn the family’s violence against him into evidence supporting his legal position.
• Family favoritism: The chapter highlights the stark difference between how the biological son Xie Ran is protected and how the adopted Xie Chen is threatened and abused.

Character Interactions

• Xie Zhenting and Xie Chen engage in a hostile power struggle, culminating in Xie Chen decisively defeating him.
• Xie Ran performs concern for Xie Chen while privately encouraging his downfall, revealing the insincerity behind their family dynamic.
• Xie Jinran attempts to moderate the situation but ultimately remains silent, caught between recognizing the injustice and preserving family unity.
• The parents reinforce Xie Zhenting’s authority and condemn Xie Chen, demonstrating their collective support for the family’s abusive hierarchy.
• The bodyguard captain’s private conversation with Xie Chen reveals an unexpected alliance and confirms that Xie Chen is acting with deliberate planning rather than uncontrolled anger.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Wang Qiming, the Xie Family’s head bodyguard, reveals that he and the security team have secretly protected Xie Chen from the family’s abuse. Whenever ordered to beat him, they pretended to attack while deliberately holding back.
• After Xie Chen decides to leave the family and stop tolerating their mistreatment, Wang urges him to stay away from the Xie Family. Xie Chen explains that enduring quietly only made them worse and ultimately cost him his life in his previous existence.
• When Xie Zhenting discovers that Xie Chen has left, he angrily blames Wang for failing to stop him. Wang openly defends Xie Chen and condemns the family’s abusive behavior.
• Xie Ran attempts to manipulate the situation by portraying Wang as biased toward Xie Chen, but Wang exposes his hypocrisy and insults him publicly.
• Wang quits, demanding his wages and compensation. The rest of the bodyguards resign in solidarity, fearing that the family may eventually force them to take responsibility for crimes.
• Xie Zhenting retaliates by threatening to blacklist the former security team, ordering all companies associated with the Xie Group not to employ them.
• The Xie family blames Xie Chen for causing the conflict. Mother Xie comforts Xie Ran, reinforcing the family’s belief that he is innocent and that Xie Chen is ungrateful and malicious.

Character developments

• Xie Chen demonstrates a decisive transformation from his former submissive self. Having been given a second chance at life, he refuses to endure abuse and begins openly resisting the family.
• Wang Qiming shifts from a restrained employee to an outspoken defender of Xie Chen. His loyalty and moral outrage overcome his fear of losing his position.
• Xie Ran reveals his manipulative and hypocritical nature by provoking Xie Zhenting against Wang while pretending to be reasonable and apologetic.
• Xie Zhenting is shown to be entitled, domineering, and willing to abuse his influence to punish anyone who defies the family.
• The bodyguards display solidarity and independence by resigning together rather than continuing to serve a family they view as dangerous and unethical.
• Mother Xie remains firmly biased toward Xie Ran, dismissing Xie Chen’s suffering and treating him as the source of the family’s problems.

Significant themes

• Resistance against abuse: Xie Chen and Wang refuse to accept cruelty as something they must silently endure.
• Loyalty and moral courage: The bodyguards’ support for Xie Chen shows that genuine loyalty can exist outside biological family ties.
• Family favoritism and hypocrisy: The Xie family excuses Xie Ran’s behavior while condemning Xie Chen, revealing their distorted sense of justice.
• Power and retaliation: The family attempts to use its wealth and business connections to punish former employees and control their futures.
• Second chances and personal transformation: Xie Chen’s rebirth gives him the determination to reject his former passivity and protect himself.

Character interactions

• Wang and Xie Chen share a quiet understanding built on Wang’s long-standing sympathy and secret protection of him.
• Wang confronts Xie Zhenting directly, refusing to let the family treat the bodyguards as tools for illegal violence.
• Wang clashes with Xie Ran, immediately recognizing his false innocence and exposing his cruel behavior.
• The bodyguards stand behind Wang, resigning as a group and affirming their loyalty to one another.
• Xie Zhenting and Mother Xie close ranks around Xie Ran, turning the family’s anger toward Xie Chen while refusing to acknowledge their own mistreatment of him.

Chapter Summary: “Let the Bratty Kids Teach You How to Behave”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Chen is awakened by Lu Fei, his agent, who arrives to deliver the script for the second season of Transform, Freaks!
• The new season will be filmed at an orphanage. Xie Chen realizes it is the exact orphanage where he grew up.
• This discovery makes him suspicious, especially because the orphanage’s old records were supposedly destroyed in a fire. He begins wondering whether the location was chosen deliberately and whether it might help him uncover his birth family.
• Xie Chen reflects on his previous life, when the Xie family prevented him from searching for his biological relatives. He resolves that, if necessary, he will confront or destroy the people who wronged him.
• The next morning, Director Li launches the new season by personally picking up the guests from their homes at six o’clock, hoping to catch them unprepared.
• The show’s new theme is “Let the Bratty Kids Teach You How to Behave,” with the cast expected to rediscover compassion and learn from children at the orphanage.
• The first guest visited is Luo Mingyu. His father forces him out of bed and has him dragged onto the production bus when he refuses to participate.
• Luo’s father uses military commands to make him stand at attention, embarrassing and frustrating him. The livestream audience finds the scene hilarious and becomes even more enthusiastic about the new season.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: His normally aggressive, unshakable demeanor briefly gives way to surprise and emotional reflection when he learns the filming location is his childhood orphanage. His desire to uncover his origins resurfaces, along with his resentment toward the Xie family.
• Lu Fei: He remains an anxious but loyal agent. Although frightened by Xie Chen’s reflexive violence, he cheerfully encourages Xie to use the show as an opportunity to investigate his past.
• Director Li: He demonstrates a talent for publicity and manipulation, deliberately choosing an early start and personally collecting the guests to create entertaining footage. He also uses the show’s controversial reputation to attract viewers.
• Luo Mingyu: He is portrayed as lazy, hot-tempered, and resistant to change. Despite his rebellious behavior, he is easily controlled by his father’s military commands.
• Luo Mingyu’s father: A strict, imposing retired general who is determined to force his son to improve. His harsh methods contrast with Luo Mingyu’s spoiled and undisciplined behavior.

Significant Themes

• Confronting the past: The orphanage setting gives Xie Chen a possible path toward discovering his true family and resolving unfinished business from his previous life.
• Transformation and moral growth: The show’s premise is that flawed adults can learn compassion, responsibility, and proper behavior from children.
• Entertainment through humiliation: Director Li intentionally places the guests in embarrassing situations, turning their resistance and bad behavior into comedy for the audience.
• Family pressure and expectations: Luo Mingyu’s conflict with his father reflects the tension between parental expectations and an individual’s unwillingness to change.
• Public image versus reality: The cast members are marketed as entertaining “villains,” while the show attempts to force genuine personal transformation beneath their exaggerated public personas.

Character Interactions

• Xie Chen reacts aggressively when Lu Fei arrives unexpectedly, but the two quickly settle into their familiar agent-and-client dynamic.
• Lu Fei recognizes the importance of the orphanage and encourages Xie Chen to treat the filming opportunity as a chance to investigate his origins.
• Director Li interacts warmly with viewers while secretly orchestrating situations designed to embarrass the cast.
• Luo Mingyu clashes with his father, protesting that he does not want to film. His father overrides him through threats and military discipline, while Director Li unsuccessfully tries to prevent the situation from becoming too extreme.
• The livestream audience acts almost like another character, eagerly predicting the guests’ reactions and celebrating their misfortune, especially Luo Mingyu’s forced participation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Director Li’s crew begins picking up the guests for the next phase of Villains Variety.
• At Li Jingfei’s villa, Director Li discovers that she lives with singer Li Sifan. Their matching pajamas, familiar behavior, and Sifan calling her “Sis” initially cause the livestream audience to assume they are romantically involved.
• The misunderstanding is quickly cleared up: Li Jingfei and Li Sifan are biological siblings. Their father is also protective of Sifan, particularly regarding his friendship with Luo Mingyu.
• The crew then visits Wei Mingqi’s home. His aggressive greeting, pink pajamas, and overwhelmingly pink interior become another source of gossip among viewers, though many fans defend his right to his personal preferences.
• Xie Chen is picked up from his modest apartment. The other guests greet him with their usual lazy, villainous attitudes and immediately show concern about whether the Xie Family mistreated him.
• Li Sifan worries that Xie Chen may have suffered after the previous confrontation, but Li Jingfei dismisses the idea, pointing out that Xie Zhenting was hospitalized that night.
• Wei Mingqi openly declares that Xie Zhenting deserved his injuries, criticizing the Xie Family’s arrogance.
• Xie Chen is deeply moved by the group’s rough but genuine concern. Unlike in his previous life, he experiences a sense of belonging and warmth.
• Meanwhile, Xie Ran learns that the production crew will not pick him up. He becomes furious because his carefully prepared display of wealth and status will go unused, interpreting Director Li’s decision as deliberate humiliation.

Character Developments

• Li Jingfei and Li Sifan: Their sibling relationship is revealed, replacing the audience’s scandalous assumptions with a comedic family dynamic. Li Jingfei appears sharp-tongued and embarrassed by her brother’s chuunibyou personality, while Sifan remains childish and eccentric.
• Director Li: He repeatedly misinterprets situations and becomes the target of sarcastic remarks, especially from Li Jingfei. His confusion fuels much of the chapter’s comedy.
• Wei Mingqi: His flamboyant personality is reinforced through his pink home and pajamas, but his loyalty and outspoken defense of the group’s allies also become clear.
• Xie Chen: He becomes increasingly accepted by the other guests. Their concern helps him recognize the group as a source of genuine affection and emotional security.
• Xie Ran: His resentment and self-centeredness are emphasized. He is more concerned with displaying his wealth than participating naturally, and he feels deliberately slighted when denied a formal pickup.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and public gossip: The livestream audience quickly turns innocent situations—matching pajamas, shared surnames, and pink décor—into scandalous speculation.
• Freedom versus social judgment: Wei Mingqi’s home and clothing prompt debate over whether personal tastes should define someone’s sexuality or character.
• Found family and belonging: Beneath the cast’s villainous behavior lies strong mutual loyalty. Xie Chen realizes that their abrasive concern is sincere.
• Appearance versus reality: The guests look and act like villains, but their actions reveal warmth and protectiveness, while the seemingly respectable Xie Family is associated with arrogance and hostility.
• Class and status: Xie Ran’s frustration highlights his dependence on wealth and grand appearances, contrasting with Xie Chen’s growing appreciation for emotional connection.

Character Interactions

• Director Li and Li Jingfei clash over the misleading appearance of her living arrangement with Sifan.
• Li Jingfei reprimands Li Sifan over his association with Luo Mingyu and jokes about their father’s likely reaction.
• The livestream audience repeatedly debates and exaggerates the guests’ relationships and personal lives.
• The cast greets Xie Chen with teasing suspicion but quickly reveals concern for his safety.
• Li Jingfei physically stops Li Sifan from worrying excessively about Xie Chen, while Wei Mingqi verbally supports Xie Chen’s side against the Xie Family.
• Xie Chen responds by adopting the group’s exaggerated villainous style, denying responsibility for Xie Zhenting’s beating while clearly enjoying their camaraderie.
• Xie Ran’s isolation from the group sets up a contrast between his desire to impress and Xie Chen’s growing integration into the cast.

Chapter Summary: “Bringing Last Season’s Grudge into the Next”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Ran watches the livestream and tearfully asks Xie Yuchen why people dislike him, echoing a similar question he previously asked Xie Jinran. Xie Yuchen comforts him and promises that his popularity can be restored through a carefully managed “kind and gentle” persona on the new variety show.
• The Xie brothers remain furious with Xie Chen for injuring their eldest brother. However, they refrain from reporting him because an anonymous recording proves he acted in self-defense, while exposing the Xie Group’s questionable financial transfers could damage the company during an ongoing inspection.
• Xie Yuchen vows that Xie Chen will eventually pay for his actions, while Xie Ran pretends not to know whom he means.
• The variety-show cast arrives at an old, underfunded-looking orphanage called House of Love. The children greet them with flowers and rehearsed chants.
• Luo Mingyu jokes about renovating the orphanage, but Li Sifan points out that Luo’s father has frozen his accounts. Xie Chen observes that donating money is easy, but meaningful care for the children matters more than superficial renovations.
• Xie Ran and Xie Yuchen arrive late and become offended when the other guests have already received flowers. Attempting to secure one for Xie Ran, Xie Yuchen inadvertently causes a child to give the flowers to Xie Chen instead.
• Xie Chen accepts the flowers, provocatively looks at the Xie brothers, and immediately shouts for everyone to run. Water balloons then rain down from the orphanage rooftops, drenching Xie Ran and Xie Yuchen while the other guests largely evade the attack.

Character Developments

• Xie Ran continues presenting himself as fragile and innocent, using tears and helplessness to gain Xie Yuchen’s sympathy. His disappointment at being ignored reveals his sensitivity to public attention and status.
• Xie Yuchen is fiercely protective of Xie Ran and deeply hostile toward Xie Chen. He is confident that Xie Ran can manipulate public opinion through image management.
• Xie Chen demonstrates sharp observational skills, quick reflexes, and strong familiarity with the show’s chaotic format. His prediction of the water-balloon ambush reinforces his cleverness and playful confidence.
• Luo Mingyu remains impulsive and casually generous, though his financial dependence on his father is used to mock him.
• Li Sifan continues acting as Luo Mingyu’s sarcastic foil.
• Director Li is competitive and worried that Xie Chen will gain attention or appear more charitable than he does.
• The variety-show guests have become more coordinated after their experiences in the previous season.

Significant Themes

• Public image and manipulation: Xie Yuchen plans to rebuild Xie Ran’s reputation through a fabricated persona, emphasizing how celebrity popularity can be deliberately engineered.
• Justice versus power: The Xie family’s decision to suppress the recording reflects their willingness to prioritize corporate interests and revenge over legal accountability.
• Authentic versus superficial charity: Xie Chen distinguishes between simply spending money and genuinely caring about the long-term welfare of disadvantaged children.
• Rivalry and recurring grudges: The hostility between the Xie family and Xie Chen continues into the new season, while the show’s cameraman and children seem to add their own playful “revenge” against the Xie brothers.
• Reversal of social power: Xie Ran and Xie Yuchen arrive expecting attention but are instead humiliated, while Xie Chen becomes the favored and more capable participant.

Character Interactions

• Xie Ran relies on Xie Yuchen’s affection, and Xie Yuchen responds with physical comfort and assurances of unconditional support.
• Xie Yuchen and Xie Chen remain openly antagonistic, with Xie Chen deliberately provoking him by accepting the flowers intended to resolve the brothers’ complaint.
• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan trade sarcastic remarks about money and family control.
• Xie Chen’s practical comment about charity impresses and worries Director Li, who sees him as a rival for the spotlight.
• The children unintentionally—or possibly mischievously—favor Xie Chen and help orchestrate the prank that leaves Xie Ran and Xie Yuchen drenched.

Chapter Summary: “Who Thinks Bratty Kids Are Cute?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The cast arrives at an orphanage to film Villains Variety. Before the official filming begins, the children launch a chaotic ambush with water balloons, targeting the Xie brothers while the other guests and crew avoid being hit.
• Director Li reveals that he had warned all the guests about the children’s behavior. He angrily rejects Xie Yuchen’s accusation that the prank was deliberately arranged to embarrass them.
• Xie Ran is mocked for arriving in an expensive, unsuitable custom suit. Realizing that his outfit makes him appear arrogant and out of touch, he quickly reframes it as an attempt to show respect to the children and promises to change into sportswear.
• Xie Yuchen follows his brother’s lead and pretends to find the children’s prank cute, but the villain group, especially Xie Chen and Luo Mingyu, openly ridicules their insincere performance.
• Xie Chen publicly brings up the allegation that Xie Yuchen falsified his academic credentials. When Xie Yuchen threatens to sue, Xie Chen challenges him to produce a genuine diploma. Unable to respond, Xie Yuchen leaves the show and immediately calls his older brother to ask where he can obtain fake credentials.
• After the welcome ceremony, Xie Ran continues presenting himself as kind and forgiving by saying that the children are cute and should not be blamed. The other guests and online viewers mock or debate the sincerity of his behavior.
• Upon entering the orphanage building, the cast encounters Huo Wenye. Xie Ran tries to attract his attention by displaying his messy appearance, but Huo Wenye ignores him and goes directly to Xie Chen, greeting him warmly and saying it has been a long time.

Character Developments

• Xie Yuchen: His arrogant and volatile personality is exposed. He loses control after being embarrassed by the children and Xie Chen, then retreats rather than risk further discussion of his academic fraud. His panic afterward suggests the accusation may be genuine.
• Xie Ran: He demonstrates strong image-management skills, immediately converting criticism into a supposedly charitable explanation. However, his performance is transparent to the villain group and many viewers, revealing his concern with appearances rather than genuine warmth.
• Xie Chen: He remains calm, provocative, and fearless. He uses humor and public confrontation to undermine the Xie brothers, particularly by pressing the academic-credential issue in front of the cameras.
• Director Li: He proves unwilling to accept blame for the brothers’ failure to prepare. His irritation and blunt defense of the production emphasize that the Xie brothers’ humiliation was largely self-inflicted.
• Huo Wenye: His first notable action is to ignore Xie Ran and approach Xie Chen instead, suggesting a meaningful prior connection or special interest in Xie Chen.
• Luo Mingyu and the villain group: They openly mock the Xie brothers’ forced politeness and reinforce the group’s irreverent, unapologetic dynamic.

Significant Themes

• Public image versus genuine character: Xie Ran and Xie Yuchen attempt to turn humiliation into evidence of kindness, but their performance is easily recognized as artificial.
• Exposure and accountability: Xie Chen’s challenge regarding Xie Yuchen’s diploma threatens to turn a rumor into a publicly verifiable scandal.
• Class and privilege: The expensive suit highlights the Xie brothers’ wealth and their distance from the orphanage setting.
• Reality television and performance: The cameras amplify every mistake, while the cast consciously manipulates their behavior for viewers.
• Power shifts within relationships: The Xie brothers lose control of the situation, while Xie Chen gains confidence and attention through his fearless provocations.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie Yuchen and Director Li: Their argument establishes that the brothers’ embarrassment was caused by their own failure to heed warnings.
• Xie Chen and the Xie brothers: Xie Chen repeatedly taunts them, exposing their vanity and threatening Xie Yuchen over the diploma scandal.
• Xie Ran and the cameras: Xie Ran actively repairs his public image by presenting his expensive clothing and tolerance of the children as signs of respect and kindness.
• Xie Chen and the villain group: Their shared laughter and mockery show their united stance against the Xie brothers’ artificial behavior.
• Huo Wenye and Xie Chen: Huo Wenye deliberately approaches Xie Chen rather than Xie Ran, ending the chapter on a moment that surprises both Xie Chen and the watching cast.

Chapter Summary: “That’s What I’ve Already Played With!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Ran becomes irritated when Director Li appears impatient with him and arranges for him to change out of his wet clothes. The livestream audience interprets the director’s attitude as favoritism and criticizes Xie Ran for complaining.
• Huo Wenye openly focuses on Xie Chen, suggesting they share a closer relationship than Xie Chen admits. Xie Chen awkwardly tries to smooth over their past conflict, especially after previously insulting Huo Wenye’s health.
• Huo Wenye confronts Xie Chen at close range, creating an intimidating and tense atmosphere. Before he can say more, someone interrupts to report that the information Huo wanted has been found. Huo immediately hides the contents of the archive room from Xie Chen.
• Director Li pressures Li Jingfei into sharing a room with another female guest, arguing that the show needs conflict and rivalry. When she resists, he threatens to force her back into her family business by reminding her of her father’s expectations.
• Luo Mingyu is also assigned to help care for the troublesome children. He tries to escape, but Director Li stops him by mentioning that Luo’s grandfather will intervene if he refuses to cooperate.
• The livestream audience discovers that the orphanage, House of Love, has a troubling history. They learn that Xie Chen was taken from the institution in the past and that previous investors and benefactors were driven away by the children.
• Xie Chen notices children hiding in the corridor, apparently preparing another ambush. When the cameraman asks how he detected them, Xie Chen explains that he recognized the prank because he had already experienced and played with similar tricks himself.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen remains outwardly playful and diplomatic despite feeling intimidated by Huo Wenye. His awareness of the orphanage’s pranks reveals both his familiarity with the place and his ability to stay alert.
• Huo Wenye displays a possessive or deeply interested attitude toward Xie Chen. His teasing reference to their physical familiarity and his secretive behavior in the archive room suggest hidden history and unresolved feelings.
• Xie Ran grows frustrated and resentful, particularly because he believes Huo Wenye is ignoring him while favoring Xie Chen. His complaints also make him appear unsuited to the show’s harsh format.
• Director Li proves manipulative and authoritative, using family pressure and personal weaknesses to force the guests to obey the program’s missions.
• Li Jingfei is shown to be fiercely independent and unwilling to tolerate being treated as a caretaker, though her fear of disappointing her family limits her ability to resist.
• Luo Mingyu is childish and evasive, but his grandfather’s authority is enough to force him into cooperation.
• The children are established as clever, mischievous, and intimidating rather than innocent victims.

Significant Themes

• Hidden histories and unresolved relationships: Huo Wenye and Xie Chen’s tense familiarity hints at a complicated past, while the archive room suggests that important secrets are being uncovered.
• Power and manipulation: Director Li controls the guests by exploiting their vulnerabilities, showing how authority can force cooperation.
• Public perception versus reality: The livestream comments repeatedly misinterpret relationships and events, contrasting fan speculation with what is actually happening.
• Childhood trauma and institutional history: The orphanage’s damaged condition and reputation point to painful events in Xie Chen’s past.
• Adaptation and survival: Xie Chen’s experience with the children’s tricks gives him an advantage, suggesting that surviving hardship has made him observant and resourceful.

Character Interactions

• Xie Ran clashes with Director Li over changing clothes and the show’s treatment of him.
• Huo Wenye pressures and teases Xie Chen, while Xie Chen attempts to defuse the tension with humor and cautious politeness.
• Director Li argues with Li Jingfei and forces her to accept an unwanted living arrangement.
• Luo Mingyu tries to avoid helping the children, but Director Li uses his grandfather to compel him.
• Xie Chen and the cameraman briefly bond over Xie Chen’s ability to detect the children’s ambush, ending the chapter with a confident reveal of his past familiarity with their games.

Chapter Summary: “Don’t Mess with Kids!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The livestream audience discovers that Xie Chen was once an orphan at the same facility and had a reputation for leading the children in mischief. His signature prank—throwing water balloons at newcomers—has apparently become an orphanage tradition.
• Director Li recruits Xie Chen to help care for the children after the other variety-show guests become visibly overwhelmed. Xie agrees, jokingly demanding extra food as a reward.
• The guests move into the dormitory floor for seven- and eight-year-old orphans. The children immediately intimidate them: one girl bites a staff member, prompting the warning, “Don’t go messing with kids!”
• An older boy tells Xie that the children will drive the guests away by the next day. Xie challenges him to a bet: if the children fail to get rid of them, the boy must fulfill one of Xie’s conditions. The boy accepts, after negotiating what Xie will do if the children win.
• Luo Mingyu suggests bribing the child and even offering his father’s investment to make filming easier, but Xie points out that the cameras are recording. Luo’s father then calls and angrily forbids him from attempting bribery.
• Xie chooses a bed near the dormitory door and begins wondering why this variety show differs so much from the events he remembers from his previous life, particularly regarding Huo Wenye and the archives room.
• A basin of water is dumped over a guest standing beneath a doorway, ruining his new clothes. The prank confirms that Xie’s old water-based tradition is still alive, and Wei Mingqi teasingly implies Xie may be responsible.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Reveals his mischievous childhood history but remains confident, observant, and unusually comfortable around the children. His playful wager shows that he treats them as worthy opponents rather than helpless orphans. He also begins seriously investigating how the current timeline has diverged from his memories.
• Director Li: Demonstrates his manipulative, opportunistic management style by changing his attitude toward Xie when he needs help and vaguely promising rewards to keep production moving.
• Luo Mingyu: Shows desperation and rebelliousness, attempting to solve the situation through bribery before being stopped by both Xie and his strict father. His exaggerated reactions provide comic relief.
• The orphanage children: Establish themselves as clever, aggressive, organized, and resistant to outsiders. They are not passive victims but actively defend their territory and test the guests.
• Wei Mingqi: Acts as an amused observer, quickly connecting the water prank to Xie’s known history.

Significant Themes

• Appearances versus reality: Xie’s long history of pretending to be well-behaved contrasts with his mischievous past and current roguish personality.
• Inherited traditions: The children’s continued use of Xie’s water prank links his past to the present and suggests his influence remains embedded in the orphanage.
• Children’s agency and resistance: The orphans challenge adults, negotiate confidently, and use pranks to control their environment.
• Timeline divergence and fate: Xie realizes that the current show does not match his previous-life memories, raising questions about what altered the course of events.
• Entertainment and humiliation: The livestream turns the guests’ fear, failed schemes, and childish conflicts into public comedy.

Character Interactions

• Xie and Director Li engage in a humorous negotiation over childcare and rewards, highlighting Xie’s unwillingness to work without compensation.
• Xie challenges the older orphan to a formal bet, creating a playful but competitive relationship.
• Luo Mingyu asks Xie for help with bribery, but Xie exposes the danger of making such a confession on camera.
• Luo’s father reprimands him by phone, reinforcing the controlling family dynamic.
• The children intimidate the staff and guests through biting, threats, and pranks, while Xie responds with amusement and familiarity rather than fear.
• Wei Mingqi ends the chapter by teasing Xie about the water prank, suggesting the guests already suspect him.

Chapter Summary: “Thank You for So Openly Taking My Side”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shortly after arriving at the orphanage, Xie Ran is drenched by a basin of water placed outside the rooms. Believing Wei Mingqi arranged the prank as revenge for an earlier incident, Xie Ran angrily insults him.
• Wei Mingqi retaliates physically, grabbing Xie Ran’s hair and starting a fight. Several guests appear to intervene, but many are secretly taking sides and blocking the cameras, turning the confrontation into chaotic entertainment while preventing viewers from seeing it clearly.
• Director Li breaks up the fight and reveals that the prank was actually carried out by children from the neighboring orphanage. He scolds the guests for falling victim to the children’s attempt to sow discord.
• Director Li privately reprimands Xie Chen for openly supporting Wei Mingqi. He warns that the Xie Family is monitoring Xie Chen and could use his behavior against him, but Xie Chen remains unconcerned and rushes off to eat.
• At the cafeteria, Xie Chen overhears the orphanage director arguing with the mischievous children. One boy blames the director for sending Huahua away, claiming she was abused after being adopted. Xie Chen hints that he was once an orphan himself, alarming the director before he slips away.
• Wei Mingqi thanks Xie Chen for “openly taking his side.” Xie Chen is shocked by the misunderstanding and nearly chokes when Huo Wenye gives him a threatening look.
• Xie Ran, still furious, sarcastically implies that Xie Chen and Wei Mingqi are unusually close. The livestream viewers interpret this as insinuation that the two may be romantically involved, causing online speculation.

Character Developments

• Xie Ran loses control of his temper and reveals deep hostility toward Wei Mingqi, resorting to personal and homophobic insults. Even afterward, he tries to manipulate the situation by hinting at a possible relationship between Wei Mingqi and Xie Chen.
• Wei Mingqi proves equally volatile, responding to Xie Ran’s insults with violence. His provocative joking and ambiguous phrasing unintentionally fuel rumors about his relationship with Xie Chen.
• Xie Chen openly protects Wei Mingqi despite the danger of being noticed by the Xie Family. He remains carefree and food-focused when Director Li lectures him, but his revelation that he was once an orphan hints at a more complicated personal history.
• Director Li acts as both disciplinarian and strategist. He is frustrated that the guests were so easily manipulated, though he also worries about maintaining the show’s entertainment value.
• The orphanage children are established as clever troublemakers capable of manipulating the adult guests and exposing tensions within the group.
• Huo Wenye silently displays jealousy or suspicion when Xie Chen is perceived as being close to Wei Mingqi.

Significant Themes

• Manufactured conflict and reality-show performance: The fight is caused by a children’s prank, but the guests’ exaggerated reactions and covert alliances turn it into genuine drama.
• Misunderstanding and rumor: Xie Chen’s attempt to help Wei Mingqi is misinterpreted as evidence of intimacy, demonstrating how easily public perception can be manipulated.
• Hidden loyalties: The guests pretend to intervene neutrally while secretly choosing sides, revealing the unstable alliances beneath their public personas.
• Abuse, adoption, and institutional failure: The argument about Huahua introduces darker concerns about vulnerable children being sent into unsafe homes and adults avoiding responsibility.
• The past shaping the present: Xie Chen’s claim that he was once an orphan suggests that his behavior toward the children and Wei Mingqi may be connected to personal experiences he has not fully revealed.

Character Interactions

• Xie Ran and Wei Mingqi: Their antagonistic relationship escalates from verbal provocation to a physical fight.
• Xie Chen and Wei Mingqi: Xie Chen’s intervention is interpreted by Wei Mingqi as open support, while Wei Mingqi’s thanks unintentionally create romantic speculation.
• Xie Chen and Director Li: Director Li warns Xie Chen to conceal his loyalties, but Xie Chen dismisses the danger and prioritizes lunch.
• Xie Chen and the orphanage director: Xie Chen’s brief comment about once being an orphan unsettles the director and hints at shared history or hidden information.
• Xie Chen and Huo Wenye: Huo Wenye’s silent glare suggests suspicion or jealousy regarding Xie Chen’s perceived closeness with Wei Mingqi.
• Xie Ran and the livestream audience: Xie Ran’s sarcastic insinuations lead viewers to speculate about relationships among the guests, intensifying the show’s online drama.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Villains Variety continues to attract attention because its guests constantly clash, creating heated online debates among viewers.
• During lunch at the welfare home, the normally combative guests try to appear pleasant in front of the children. Huo Wenye bluntly insults Xie Ran’s smell and leaves, while Xie Chen remains behind eating.
• The children soon cause chaos in the cafeteria by running around and throwing food. Most of the guests flee, fearing damage to their public image. Li Jingfei angrily accuses her brother Li Sifan of abandoning “humanity” for his boyfriend, embarrassing him.
• Left alone together, Xie Chen and Xie Ran resume their antagonistic exchange. Xie Ran pretends concern about Xie Chen’s difficult life after leaving the Xie Family and provocatively offers to let him return.
• Xie Ran also brings up Wang Qiming, a former Xie Family employee who was fired and publicly accused of stealing. He frames the family as generous for being willing to take Wang back, comparing him to Xie Chen.
• Xie Chen responds that he only joined the show because Xie Ran’s one-million investment is funding him. He mocks the Xie Family as incapable of gaining popularity even by spending money and leaves after insulting them.
• Xie Ran attempts to appeal to the cameraman and livestream audience for sympathy, but the cameraman reveals that the camera was not recording the exchange, leaving Xie Ran furious and humiliated.
• Outside, Xie Chen calls Lu Fei to ask about Wang Qiming. Lu Fei explains that Wang quickly found a new, high-paying job despite the Xie Family’s likely efforts to blacklist him.
• Seeing Huo Wenye nearby, Xie Chen suspects that the Huo Family may have secretly hired Wang Qiming and paid him generously.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen remains sharp-tongued, confident, and openly hostile toward the Xie Family. He shows that his participation in the show is financially motivated and that he is determined to exploit their investment for his own benefit.
• Xie Ran continues using fake concern and indirect insults to provoke Xie Chen. His composure collapses when Xie Chen retaliates, revealing his insecurity and dependence on public opinion.
• Huo Wenye is portrayed as blunt, aloof, and observant. His brief interaction with Xie Ran reinforces his contemptuous personality, while his possible involvement in helping Wang Qiming suggests a more discreetly supportive side.
• Wang Qiming appears indirectly but becomes important as evidence that the Xie Family’s accusations and possible blacklisting tactics have failed.
• Lu Fei functions as Xie Chen’s reliable source of information and ally.

Significant Themes

• Public image versus genuine behavior: The guests try to behave properly for the cameras and welfare-home children, but their real personalities quickly emerge.
• Manipulation of media and popularity: The cast members constantly use cameras, livestreams, and public narratives as weapons against one another.
• Class and family power struggles: The Xie Family attempts to assert control through money, reputation, and employment connections, while Xie Chen openly mocks their influence.
• Hidden loyalty and unexpected assistance: Wang Qiming’s rapid employment suggests that someone powerful—possibly the Huo Family—is quietly opposing the Xie Family.
• Humor amid conflict: The chapter combines vicious insults and family hostility with exaggerated variety-show chaos, including food fights, fleeing guests, and Xie Ran’s failed attempt to control the narrative.

Character Interactions

• Huo Wenye dismisses Xie Ran with a personal insult, creating immediate tension.
• The guests collectively react to the unruly children, with Li Jingfei teasing and criticizing Li Sifan over his relationship with Luo Mingyu.
• Xie Ran and Xie Chen exchange increasingly pointed insults about the Xie Family, money, Wang Qiming, and Xie Chen’s departure.
• Xie Ran tries to recruit the cameraman and audience to his side, but the cameraman unintentionally—or indifferently—denies him evidence.
• Xie Chen consults Lu Fei about Wang Qiming, then connects Wang’s mysterious high-paying job to Huo Wenye and potentially the Huo Family.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Fei learns that the Huo family has taken over Wang Qiming’s security team and immediately assumes Xie Chen and Huo Wenye are romantically involved. Xie Chen denies this internally, considering Huo Wenye far too dangerous to “hook up” with.
• Huo Wenye summons Xie Chen and reassures him that Wang Qiming’s security work will be valued by the Huo family. Xie Chen is relieved because Wang Qiming had protected him from the Xie family in his previous life.
• When Xie Chen thanks him, Huo Wenye teasingly asks how he plans to repay him and says they can “settle it all together later,” creating romantic tension and fueling online speculation.
• Huo Wenye refers to their conversation as involving “private matters,” causing the livestream audience to assume that Xie Chen holds a special place in his life. Viewers also connect the Huo family’s support of Wang Qiming to Xie Chen’s possible influence.
• At the hospital, Xie Yuchen and Xie Zhenting watch the livestream and grow furious at the Huo family’s public support of Wang Qiming. The Huo family’s welcome ceremony, especially its mocking banner, is seen as a direct insult to the Xie family.
• Xie Zhenting suppresses his anger and claims they will eventually retaliate. Xie Yuchen reveals that he has arranged matters for the variety show and intends to prevent Xie Ran from being bullied again, hinting at a coming scheme.
• The variety show’s next challenge is announced: the guests must earn children’s trust and form teams with them. Those who fail will face a punishment involving visits from their friends or family, which makes the contestants nervous.
• The children immediately run away after being introduced, turning the challenge into a chaotic chase. The guests hesitate while Director Li angrily orders them to pursue the children.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen remains wary of Huo Wenye but is genuinely grateful for his intervention on Wang Qiming’s behalf. His concern for Wang reflects his loyalty and his memories of past mistreatment.
• Huo Wenye shows a rare degree of consideration toward Xie Chen by explaining Wang Qiming’s situation. His teasing, suggestive remarks and public description of their conversation as “private matters” reveal his growing interest and willingness to provoke rumors.
• Lu Fei is portrayed as Xie Chen’s close childhood friend, but also as immature, impulsive, and highly susceptible to gossip.
• Wang Qiming gains a new opportunity after being cast aside by the Xie family. His past loyalty and sacrifice for the family are emphasized, making their treatment of him appear especially cruel.
• Xie Zhenting is humiliated by the Huo family’s defiance but hides his anger and begins considering retaliation.
• Xie Yuchen presents himself as more capable than Xie Ran and appears to be preparing a plan connected to the variety show.
• Director Li demonstrates that he understands the guests’ vulnerabilities, using the threat of family visits to force cooperation.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus ingratitude: Wang Qiming’s history of protecting the Xie family contrasts sharply with their decision to dismiss and smear him.
• Power struggles between wealthy families: The Huo family’s employment of Wang Qiming becomes a public challenge to the Xie family’s authority.
• Public image and gossip: The livestream audience interprets every interaction between Xie Chen and Huo Wenye romantically, showing how celebrity behavior is constantly magnified.
• Hidden protection and emotional debt: Huo Wenye’s actions suggest he is quietly protecting Xie Chen, while Xie Chen feels indebted to both Huo and Wang.
• Manipulation and vulnerability: Director Li exploits the guests’ fear of embarrassment and family involvement, while Xie Yuchen hints at using the show to target Xie Ran.

Character Interactions

• Xie Chen and Lu Fei: Lu Fei jokingly interrogates Xie Chen about Huo Wenye, while Xie Chen dismisses his assumptions as ridiculous.
• Xie Chen and Huo Wenye: Their exchange combines practical reassurance with flirtatious tension. Huo’s cryptic promise to collect Xie Chen’s repayment later leaves their relationship ambiguous.
• Huo Wenye and the livestream audience: His deliberate use of “private matters” unintentionally—or perhaps intentionally—encourages romantic speculation.
• Xie Yuchen and Xie Zhenting: They share anger over the Huo family’s public humiliation of them, but Xie Yuchen appears more confident and scheming about their next move.
• Guests and Director Li: Director Li establishes his authority by threatening an embarrassing punishment and forcing the reluctant guests into the children’s chase challenge.

Chapter Summary: “Just in Time to Deal with It All!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The children successfully evade the variety-show guests around the playground, amusing the livestream audience.
• Xie Chen takes command of the “villain” team, assigning Luo Mingyu, Li Sifan, Wei Mingqi, and Li Jingfei strategic positions to surround and capture the children. His unusually tactical approach surprises Director Li.
• Several children are brought to the center, while Huo Wenye and Xie Ran capture or pursue others. Xie Ran attempts to lure a climbing child down by offering candy, but the child sees through him and insults him.
• Xie Ran reveals that he was trafficked and orphaned as a child, using his painful past to appeal to the boy. His disclosure sparks another fierce argument among viewers over his childhood, adoptive family, and supposed “tragic persona.”
• The guests begin identifying their assigned children through their name tags. Xie Chen correctly identifies Luo Xiaopang based on his appearance, while Li Jingfei wins over Nanxi after receiving permission from the group’s leader, Chen Chen.
• Xie Chen notices Nanxi’s dependence on Chen Chen and realizes that Chen Chen is the group’s “boss.” He tries to confirm Chen Chen’s identity and learn about another child, Huahua.
• Chen Chen angrily accuses adults—especially wealthy adoptive parents—of being hypocritical and mistreating adopted children. His words strongly echo Xie Chen’s own troubled history.
• Rather than comfort Chen Chen emotionally, Xie Chen shifts to a practical bargain: if Chen Chen teams up with him, they can save Huahua.
• Chen Chen initially rejects him, believing that even the director cannot help Huahua. Xie Chen then reveals that Huahua’s real name is Yu Yuejia, that she is six years old, and that he has met her before.
• Xie Chen recognizes that Yu Yuejia’s adoption was also handled by corrupt members of the Xie family, suggesting that he has discovered a way to confront those responsible for both children’s suffering.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Demonstrates strong leadership, tactical intelligence, and composure under pressure. He is observant enough to identify the children’s hierarchy and pragmatic enough to use negotiation rather than emotional reassurance. His knowledge of Yu Yuejia reveals a personal connection to the Xie family’s wrongdoing and hints at a growing determination to expose or confront them.
• Chen Chen: Emerges as the protective leader of the children. He is distrustful of adults, highly defensive of Huahua and the others, and unusually articulate about the hypocrisy he associates with wealthy adoptive families. His anger suggests serious past mistreatment.
• Xie Ran: Continues to be polarizing. He tries to manipulate the climbing child through sympathy and candy, while publicly recounting his traumatic childhood. The livestream audience remains divided between criticizing him for exploiting his past and defending him from judgment.
• Li Jingfei: Shows a gentler approach by calmly approaching Nanxi and earning her cooperation.
• Luo Mingyu and the other guests: Follow Xie Chen’s coordinated strategy, though their attempts to identify and persuade the children are often clumsy or comedic.
• The children: Act as a unified, wary group, using speed, silence, and loyalty to resist capture. Nanxi’s deference to Chen Chen highlights his authority among them.

Significant Themes

• Childhood trauma and exploitation: The children’s fear of adoption and adults reflects possible abuse or neglect, while Xie Chen and Xie Ran’s histories connect the present conflict to past suffering.
• Trust and hypocrisy: The children distrust wealthy adults and adoptive parents, believing promises of care may conceal exploitation. Xie Chen’s practical bargaining tests whether trust can be earned through action rather than words.
• Strategy versus emotional persuasion: The chapter contrasts Xie Chen’s calculated leadership with Xie Ran’s emotionally charged appeal. Both attempt to influence the children, but Xie Chen focuses on concrete results.
• Public judgment and online narratives: The livestream comments repeatedly reinterpret the characters’ actions, showing how trauma can be defended, exploited, or weaponized by spectators.
• Protective bonds and chosen authority: Chen Chen’s role as the children’s leader and his concern for Huahua demonstrate the group’s internal loyalty and dependence on one another.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie Chen and the guest team: Xie Chen directs them like a military unit, establishing himself as the operation’s strategist.
• Xie Ran and the climbing boy: Their exchange reveals Xie Ran’s willingness to use his traumatic past to persuade someone, while the boy responds with suspicion and hostility.
• Luo Mingyu and Xie Chen: Xie Chen casually identifies Luo Xiaopang, impressing and frustrating Luo Mingyu with his blunt deduction.
• Li Jingfei and Nanxi: Jingfei approaches Nanxi gently but respects her need for Chen Chen’s approval.
• Xie Chen and Chen Chen: Their central confrontation begins with Chen Chen’s accusation against adoptive adults and develops into a strategic alliance proposal.
• Xie Chen and Yu Yuejia/Huahua: Xie Chen’s revelation that he knows Yu Yuejia’s identity and has met her transforms the game into a personal mission connected to the Xie family’s past actions.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Jinran remains angry and conflicted after the first season of the variety show. He believes he sacrificed an overseas competition to protect his biological brother, Xie Ran, only to be blamed by his family for failing to do so.
• After reflecting on the livestream, Jinran begins questioning whether Xie Ran was truly abused during childhood. Although Xie Ran’s trafficking is proven, Jinran doubts the abuse because Xie Ran excelled academically and apparently did not perform much farm labor.
• The Xie parents insist that Xie Ran succeeded because of his “superior genes,” while dismissing Xie Chen’s achievements and background as inferior. Jinran privately questions the family’s belief in their own genetic superiority, especially given the scandal surrounding his second brother’s falsified academic credentials.
• During filming, Xie Chen promises Chen Chen that he can help locate and rescue Huahua, an orphan who was adopted under suspicious circumstances. He forms an alliance with the child despite speaking bluntly and warning him that he has little control over his own fate.
• Xie Ran objects to Xie Chen supposedly deceiving Chen Chen, but the cameraman mocks Xie Ran for having used candy to manipulate the child as well. Their increasingly hostile banter reveals the cameraman’s deliberate bias against Xie Ran.
• After the orphanage’s boss is subdued, the children become cooperative. Director Li is frustrated that Xie Chen solves the situation so easily and suspiciously asks how he knows Huahua.
• Xie Chen reveals that he once stayed with the Xie Family and explains that Huahua was adopted by Xie Feng, a cousin of Xie Yuchen. Luo Mingyu identifies Xie Feng as a known child abuser.
• Xie Chen further claims that Xie Yuchen helped Xie Feng complete the adoption paperwork, implying that the adoption was illegally facilitated.
• The revelation occurs during a livestream, horrifying Director Li, who worries about legal and production consequences. Xie Chen ignores the attempts to silence him and vows to use the law to rescue Huahua and bring down those responsible.

Character Developments

• Xie Jinran: Develops doubts about his family’s treatment of Xie Chen and begins confronting feelings of guilt and buried nostalgia. His unquestioning loyalty to the Xie Family weakens as he recognizes their hypocrisy.
• Xie Chen: Demonstrates confidence, social connections, strategic intelligence, and a willingness to expose powerful people publicly. His promise to help Huahua reveals a strong sense of justice, while his final provocation suggests he is deliberately preparing revenge against the Xie Family and their allies.
• Xie Ran: Becomes defensive and insecure when Xie Chen challenges him. He tries to protect the Xie Family’s reputation but is mocked for his own manipulative behavior and appears increasingly unable to control the situation.
• Chen Chen: Initially distrustful but desperate to save Huahua, he agrees to cooperate with Xie Chen. His determination and willingness to take risks show his growing agency.
• Director Li: Shifts from trying to control the show’s manufactured conflict to panicking over the serious allegations revealed on camera.
• Xie Yuchen and Xie Feng: Though absent, they are implicated in facilitating Huahua’s questionable adoption, with Xie Feng also accused of child abuse.

Significant Themes

• Family privilege and hypocrisy: The Xie Family attributes success to bloodline while disregarding the effort and resilience of adopted or marginalized children.
• Trauma and disbelief: Jinran’s uncertainty about Xie Ran’s abuse highlights how victims’ achievements can be wrongly used to deny their suffering.
• Manipulation and control: Both the show and its participants manipulate children and public perception, blurring the line between entertainment and exploitation.
• Justice versus reputation: Xie Chen prioritizes exposing wrongdoing and rescuing Huahua over protecting the livestream, the show, or the Xie Family’s image.
• Revenge and accountability: Xie Chen’s final gaze toward the camera signals a broader campaign to expose and dismantle those who harmed or betrayed him.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie Jinran and his parents: Jinran questions them about Xie Ran’s past, but they dismiss his concerns and reinforce their belief in the Xie bloodline.
• Xie Chen and Chen Chen: Xie Chen offers hope while bluntly acknowledging the child’s lack of power, creating an alliance based on trust and a shared goal of rescuing Huahua.
• Xie Ran and the cameraman: Their exchange exposes Xie Ran’s growing frustration and the cameraman’s deliberate teasing, adding comic hostility to the tense situation.
• Xie Chen and Director Li: Director Li repeatedly questions Xie Chen’s claims and tries to prevent him from speaking openly, but Xie Chen refuses to be controlled.
• Xie Chen and the livestream audience: By revealing the alleged illegal adoption and Xie Yuchen’s involvement on camera, Xie Chen turns the program into a public confrontation and issues an implicit warning to his enemies.

Chapter Summary: “You Can Open Fire Now”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Chen’s televised accusations against Xie Feng and the Xie Family cause the livestream and online platforms to erupt. Viewers debate whether he is exposing genuine wrongdoing or manufacturing controversy for attention.
• Director Li worries that the backlash could damage Xie Chen, but Huo Wenye confidently insists that Xie Chen knows exactly what he is doing. His seemingly chaotic behavior is revealed to be carefully calculated.
• Xie Chen tells his friend Lu Fei to delay releasing evidence confirming the school’s investigation into Xie Yuchen’s academic credentials. He intends to let Xie Yuchen continue defending himself publicly before destroying his credibility.
• Xie Chen explains his broader strategy: expose the Xie Family’s scandals, create a crisis of public trust, and gradually dismantle the family’s business foundation.
• Lu Fei reports that Xie Ran’s adoptive parents remain reluctant to expose the truth because they still care about the child they raised. Xie Chen accepts the delay, confident that their trust will eventually collapse.
• Meanwhile, Chen Chen and the other children secretly plan to retaliate against adults involved in the adoption-related schemes. They pretend to trust the adults while lowering their guard, but Chen Chen recognizes that Xie Chen is unusually difficult to deceive.
• One child reports being threatened by an adult who promised candy and then threatened to sell him to human traffickers. Enraged, Chen Chen decides that this man will be their first target.
• Online investigators uncover more damaging evidence against Xie Feng, including photographs of him drinking with Xie Yuchen at a nightclub. The images intensify criticism of the Xie Family’s adoption arrangements.
• Under pressure, Xie Yuchen posts a public statement denying academic fraud, defending the legality of the adoption process, affirming his trust in Xie Feng, and asking people not to harm the children because of personal disputes.
• Xie Chen sees the statement as the moment he has been waiting for and orders Lu Fei to “open fire.” Lu Fei immediately releases conclusive evidence of Xie Yuchen’s falsified academic credentials.
• The chapter ends with Xie Yuchen receiving the evidence and becoming completely stunned, just after believing his public-relations response had succeeded.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen is established as a highly strategic and ruthless opponent. He deliberately allows the Xie Family to make public claims before releasing evidence that will discredit them more thoroughly. His ultimate aim is not merely revenge or exposure but the permanent destruction of the family’s influence and business.
• Huo Wenye shows strong confidence in Xie Chen’s judgment. Though outwardly detached, he understands that Xie Chen’s apparent recklessness is actually controlled and purposeful.
• Lu Fei becomes an enthusiastic ally, eager to attack the Xie Family and impressed by Xie Chen’s transformation into a far more formidable person.
• Xie Yuchen reveals his arrogance and poor judgment. His attempt to control the narrative publicly instead gives Xie Chen the perfect opportunity to release proof of his fraud.
• Chen Chen demonstrates leadership, suspicion, and strategic thinking. He understands that the adults are dangerous and organizes the children to resist them.
• The children are shown as vulnerable to manipulation and threats, but they are also resourceful and willing to protect one another.

Significant Themes

• Strategic revenge and controlled exposure: Xie Chen’s power comes from timing and preparation rather than impulsive confrontation.
• Public opinion and credibility: The chapter emphasizes how scandals spread online and how reputation can become a weapon. Xie Chen first creates doubt, then destroys the Xie Family’s credibility with evidence.
• Abuse of power and corruption: The adoption scandal raises questions about whether adults have exploited or endangered children while institutions failed to protect them.
• Child vulnerability and resistance: The children face threats from adults but organize themselves instead of remaining passive victims.
• Trust and betrayal: Xie Yuchen asks the public to trust institutions and Xie Feng, while Xie Chen systematically exposes the falseness of those assurances.

Character Interactions

• Director Li consults Huo Wenye about controlling the public reaction, but Huo’s trust in Xie Chen reassures him.
• Xie Chen and Lu Fei coordinate the release of evidence and discuss their larger plan against the Xie Family.
• Lu Fei tries to persuade Xie Ran’s adoptive parents to reveal what they know, while Xie Chen urges patience.
• Chen Chen instructs the other children and criticizes Luo Xiaopang for misunderstanding his strategy.
• The children share accounts of mistreatment by the adults assigned to them, strengthening their resolve to retaliate.
• Xie Yuchen’s public statement directly creates the opening Xie Chen needs; Xie Chen responds by authorizing the release of the decisive evidence, leaving Xie Yuchen horrified.

Chapter Summary: “No Different from Useless Trash!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Four pieces of evidence are released online proving that Xie Yuchen falsified his claim of being a Harvard Law graduate: his actual art major records, an arts degree certificate, official student-status documents, and a handwritten clarification letter from Harvard’s president.
• Public opinion rapidly turns against Xie Yuchen. When his secretary urges him to issue a rebuttal, he admits in anger that his degree is indeed fake.
• Xie Yuchen attempts to locate and bribe the person behind the exposé, only to discover that the account belongs to Xie Chen, his younger brother.
• Xie Yuchen calls Xie Chen and threatens to cripple him and throw him into a river if he does not delete the post. The call is on speakerphone and is recorded, allowing everyone at the production site to hear his threats and his admission that he falsified his credentials.
• Xie Yuchen tries to shift blame by claiming that people merely misunderstood his background, but his words further inflame public outrage.
• The Xie Family becomes the target of widespread criticism, including suspicion about its adoption practices and accusations that Xie Yuchen had previously hired someone to frame or slander Xie Chen.
• At home, Xie Yongan furiously condemns Xie Yuchen for creating the scandal, while Madam Xie attempts to defend him. Xie Yongan rejects her excuses and declares that Xie Yuchen is “no different from useless trash.”

2. Character Developments

• Xie Yuchen is exposed as a fraudulent, cowardly, and hypocritical person. His initial attempt to suppress the scandal collapses when he openly admits his degree is fake and then resorts to threats against Xie Chen.
• Xie Chen remains calm and mocking under pressure. By putting the call on speaker and recording it, he turns Xie Yuchen’s intimidation into evidence that further damages the family’s reputation.
• Xie Ran tries to protect Xie Yuchen by portraying him as kind and misunderstood, but his defense is immediately challenged and viewed as dishonest.
• Huo Wenye firmly opposes forced whitewashing and points out that Xie Chen severed ties with the Xie Family long ago.
• Xie Yongan finally recognizes the extent of Xie Yuchen’s irresponsibility and directs his anger at the son he once favored.
• The people around Xie Chen—Luo Mingyu, Li Jingfei, Wei Mingqi, and Li Sifan—become more sympathetic toward him and openly condemn the Xie Family.

3. Significant Themes

• Exposure of hypocrisy: The Xie Family’s public image of kindness and generosity is contrasted with its private cruelty and manipulation.
• Consequences of deception: Xie Yuchen’s forged academic credentials and attempts to suppress the truth ultimately create an even larger scandal.
• Power of public evidence: The documents, recording, and livestream-like setting prevent the family from easily controlling the narrative.
• Abuse and family betrayal: Xie Chen’s past mistreatment is highlighted, especially through the revelation that the family treated him as disposable despite presenting itself as benevolent.
• Refusal to whitewash wrongdoing: The characters and online audience reject excuses based on family loyalty, insisting that threats and fraud cannot be justified.

4. Character Interactions

• Xie Yuchen pressures his secretary to find and bribe the exposer, revealing his desperation and dependence on damage control.
• He receives a furious call from his father, who blames him for the scandal.
• His confrontation with Xie Chen becomes public when Xie Chen uses speakerphone. Xie Chen deliberately provokes him into admitting the falsification and issuing threats.
• Luo Mingyu and the others react with outrage, defending Xie Chen and condemning the family’s treatment of him.
• Xie Ran attempts to defend his biological brother, but Huo Wenye directly rebukes him for distorting the facts.
• Xie Yongan and Madam Xie argue over Xie Yuchen’s responsibility, ending with Xie Yongan blaming Madam Xie for spoiling a son who has become a disgrace to the family.

Chapter Summary

• Xie Family crisis management: After Xie Yuchen’s academic fraud and threatening phone call become public, Xie Yongan orders the family to contain the scandal. Yuchen must issue a public apology and be sent abroad under the cover of pursuing further studies. The apology is to emphasize his supposed admiration for law school, accept responsibility for the public resources wasted, and explain his extreme remarks as the result of his strong feelings for Xie Chen.
• Growing concern about Xie Chen: Xie Yongan warns his eldest son, Xie Zhenting, that Xie Chen is no longer easy to manipulate and that the repeated “coincidences” harming the family may be deliberate traps. Zhenting dismisses this as overthinking, believing Xie Chen is still powerless. His contempt reveals that he continues to underestimate Xie Chen, despite being injured and frustrated by recent events.
• Yuchen’s forced retreat: When Xie Yuchen learns he is being expelled overseas and must apologize, he reacts with disbelief and anger. He complains that the family should simply pay to remove the trending news, but quickly becomes submissive when told the decision comes from Xie Yongan. Even Mother Xie cannot protect him because the scandal has grown too serious and government inspectors are watching the family.
• The Xie Feng adoption issue: Zhenting questions whether Xie Feng’s adoption involved regulatory violations. Yuchen insists that the adoption was properly arranged as a birthday gift for Xie Feng’s mother, who supposedly wanted a daughter. Both men are primarily concerned with whether the matter could implicate the Xie family, showing their indifference toward the child’s welfare. At a party, Yuchen reassures Xie Feng that the director who accepted money is equally involved, meaning they are all dependent on one another.
• Evening game on the variety show: After dinner, Director Li organizes a singing game for the guests and children, supposedly to strengthen team bonds before the next day’s activities. In reality, he wants to continue testing and embarrassing the guests. He deliberately skips Xie Chen, whose abilities remain difficult to assess, and chooses Li Sifan first.
• Li Sifan’s humiliation: Luo Mingyu mocks Li Sifan’s past reputation for having a lisp, calling him a “Chuunibyou Rapper.” Li Sifan is visibly irritated because the nickname recalls a humiliating viral incident from a previous season. He performs a rap song, but the children fail to understand or sing along, so he is quickly sent offstage. His failure leaves him questioning whether rap can ever appeal to children.
• Luo Mingyu’s failed performance: Confidently taking the stage, Luo Mingyu promises to sing a song that will “straighten out” Li Sifan’s tongue. He performs an old, once-popular song, expecting the children to recognize it, but none of them joins in. The children dismiss the song as outdated, and Luo Mingyu is left stunned. Xie Chen laughs at the generational joke, while the narration humorously notes that even college students refuse responsibility for the song’s decline.

Character Development and Interactions

• Xie Yongan becomes increasingly wary and strategic, recognizing that Xie Chen may be actively maneuvering against the family.
• Xie Zhenting remains arrogant and dismissive, openly rejecting his father’s warning and continuing to view Xie Chen as insignificant.
• Xie Yuchen is exposed as impulsive, vain, and dependent on his family’s protection. His confidence collapses as soon as Xie Yongan’s authority is invoked.
• Xie Chen remains mostly silent but exerts influence indirectly; his mysterious competence causes Director Li to avoid targeting him, and his amused reaction highlights his detachment from the others’ embarrassment.
• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan engage in playful hostility, with Luo deliberately exploiting Li’s insecurity. The children, especially Chen Chen and Luo Xiaopang, cooperate to prevent the adults from passing the game, showing their growing unity and mischievous resistance.

Significant Themes

• Underestimating an opponent: The Xie family’s refusal to take Xie Chen seriously contrasts with Xie Yongan’s growing suspicion that he is orchestrating events.
• Reputation and damage control: The family prioritizes protecting its public image and market value over honesty, responsibility, or concern for the children involved.
• Corruption and mutual entanglement: The adoption arrangement and bribery reveal how the characters protect themselves through shared guilt and threats of mutual exposure.
• Generational and cultural disconnect: The singing game humorously exposes the gap between the adults’ idea of popular culture and the children’s tastes.
• Childhood resistance: The children’s deliberate refusal to sing turns a simple bonding activity into a small act of collective rebellion against the adults.

Chapter Summary: “Adults Spent All Day on These Petty Schemes!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Mingyu attempts to win the villain guest group’s children’s song game but repeatedly chooses outdated or incorrect children’s songs. The children struggle not to laugh at him.
• Xie Chen finally helps by singing the opening of “A, B, C,” allowing Luo Mingyu to claim a technical victory and return to his seat.
• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan trade sarcastic insults, with Li accusing him of secretly practicing songs without inviting him.
• Xie Ran volunteers to perform a newly learned duet, deliberately asking Huo Wenye to accompany him. Huo bluntly refuses, so Director Li asks Xie Chen to step in instead.
• Xie Ran notices Huo Wenye’s sudden interest when Xie Chen agrees to perform and becomes visibly upset.
• Chen Chen attempts to sabotage the performance by insisting that Huo Wenye sing with Xie Ran, hoping Huo’s refusal will disrupt filming. Instead, Huo unexpectedly agrees—but insists that he will sing only with Xie Chen.
• Xie Chen and Huo Wenye perform the children’s song about digging in a garden and planting flowers. Huo knows the song and sings seriously, surprising Xie Chen.
• The children quickly join in, transforming the intended contest into a cheerful, harmonious group performance. Director Li realizes the adults have failed to be tormented and signals a planner to make adjustments.

Character Developments

• Luo Mingyu is embarrassed by his outdated knowledge but remains determined to salvage his performance. His bickering with Li Sifan reveals a playful, childish side.
• Xie Chen continues acting mischievously, trying to provoke Huo Wenye and disrupt the show. However, he becomes flustered when Huo chooses to sing with him and is startled by Huo’s unexpected familiarity with the children’s song.
• Huo Wenye, normally aloof and unwilling to participate, shows a clear willingness to join when Xie Chen is involved. His insistence on singing only with Xie Chen strongly suggests special attention or affection.
• Xie Ran uses the duet proposal to seek Huo Wenye’s attention, but Huo’s refusal and later preference for Xie Chen leave him jealous and humiliated.
• Chen Chen attempts to manipulate the situation for revenge against the adults, but his scheme backfires when Huo agrees to perform.
• The children initially resist participating in the guests’ performances but eventually give in, especially once familiar songs begin. Their enthusiasm unintentionally ruins the planned chaos.

Significant Themes

• Failed schemes and comic reversals: Both the adults’ and children’s attempts at manipulation repeatedly backfire, creating humor.
• Hidden affection and jealousy: Huo Wenye’s selective willingness to perform with Xie Chen exposes his special interest, while Xie Ran’s reaction reveals growing jealousy.
• The contrast between public personas and private behavior: Huo’s cold, untouchable image cracks when he enthusiastically joins a childish song.
• Childhood innocence versus adult pettiness: The children and adults become involved in increasingly elaborate schemes, but the simple group song temporarily restores a sincere, innocent atmosphere.
• Performance and audience interpretation: The livestream viewers enthusiastically read romantic meaning into Huo and Xie Chen’s interaction, amplifying the tension.

Important Character Interactions

• Luo Mingyu and Li Sifan exchange sarcastic remarks after Luo’s failed song attempts.
• Xie Ran tries to recruit Huo Wenye for a duet, but Huo refuses him directly.
• Xie Chen is pressured into performing with Xie Ran, only for Huo to replace Xie Ran as Xie Chen’s partner.
• Huo Wenye’s line—“I’ll only sing with you”—embarrasses and unsettles Xie Chen while delighting the livestream audience.
• Xie Ran watches the pair perform from below the stage, visibly enraged and jealous.
• The children ultimately join Xie Chen and Huo Wenye, turning the attempted sabotage into a joyful shared performance.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the children are sent to bed and filming winds down, Wei Mingqi asks Xie Chen about Xie Feng’s history of abusing a child.
• Xie Chen and Luo Mingyu reveal that Xie Feng once beat a child during a charity trip, fracturing the child’s ribs. Although he paid compensation and received a letter of forgiveness, he was released on bail because of an alleged illness and still has a criminal record.
• The revelation is captured on livestream. Netizens discover that Xie Feng adopted a six-year-old girl, Yu Yuejia—known as Huahua—who is currently hospitalized with burns. Public outrage quickly sends the story to the top of the trending searches, with viewers demanding that authorities investigate.
• At the dormitory, the guests overhear Chen Chen angrily confronting the director for failing to bring Huahua back or allow them to visit her. The director admits helplessness and leaves upset.
• The Villain Group members separately go out to make calls, apparently using their own resources to investigate or assist with Huahua’s situation.
• Xie Chen stays behind and sarcastically remarks that the others are wealthy heirs while he is merely an adopted orphan, earning amusement from the livestream audience.
• Xie Ran privately confronts Xie Chen on behalf of Xie Yuchen and Xie Feng, warning him to stop interfering and creating public pressure.
• Xie Chen refuses to back down and openly suggests that he may bring down the entire Xie Family. Xie Ran mocks his influence, but his brief panic reveals that the threat worries him.

Character Developments

• Xie Chen: Becomes more openly confrontational and determined to protect Huahua. He uses humor and sarcasm publicly but reveals a serious willingness to challenge the Xie Family’s power.
• Xie Ran: Drops much of his gentle “white lotus” façade when alone with Xie Chen. His threats show loyalty to the Xie Family, while his momentary panic exposes fear of Xie Chen’s potential influence.
• Wei Mingqi: Shows strong curiosity and moral outrage over Xie Feng’s abuse.
• Luo Mingyu: Provides gossip and crucial background information, helping expose Xie Feng’s past.
• The Villain Group: Despite their reputations and hidden agendas, they appear willing to use their wealth and connections to help with Huahua’s situation.
• The director: Is emotionally overwhelmed and frustrated by his inability to retrieve or visit Huahua.

Significant Themes

• Abuse of power and privilege: Xie Feng’s wealth and connections allowed him to avoid serious consequences despite violently injuring a child.
• Public accountability: Livestreaming and social media transform a private scandal into a national controversy, forcing authorities and powerful families to face scrutiny.
• Protecting the vulnerable: The characters’ concern centers on Huahua’s safety and the horrifying possibility that an abused child was placed in another dangerous environment.
• Family conflict and resistance: Xie Chen’s adopted status is used against him, but he turns it into a source of independence and defiance.
• Hidden motives versus genuine action: The Villain Group’s intentions remain ambiguous, yet their actions suggest that they may be more compassionate than their reputations imply.

Character Interactions

• Wei Mingqi, Luo Mingyu, and Xie Chen: Discuss Xie Feng’s criminal past, with Luo supplying the initial gossip and Xie Chen confirming the facts.
• The guests and the director: Overhear the director’s emotional exchange with Chen Chen, learning that Huahua remains inaccessible and hospitalized.
• Xie Chen and the cameraman: Share a humorous moment when Xie Chen refuses to follow the others, joking about being the only adopted orphan among rich heirs.
• Xie Chen and Xie Ran: Engage in a tense private confrontation. Xie Ran issues a warning, while Xie Chen responds with a direct threat to destroy the Xie Family, establishing their conflict as increasingly open and dangerous.