Chapter Summaries

Chapter 73 Summary

Plot and business negotiations

Cheng Lang travels urgently to Hong Kong Island after Old Mr. Xin contacts him to seek reconciliation. Hungry but focused, he meets Xin over a meal and proposes a partnership between Forest Style Milk Tea and First Milk Tea. Forest Style would provide online marketing and brand expertise, while First Milk Tea would contribute its extensive offline distribution network. Together, they would create a new milk tea line, later referred to as Big-Bowl Milk Tea.

Old Mr. Xin’s dilemma

Xin recognizes that First Milk Tea is losing relevance among younger consumers. Its recipes have barely changed in over a decade, and attempts to update them have failed, alienating both new and old customers. Although Cheng Lang’s proposal could revitalize the company, Xin fears Cheng’s ruthless methods and worries that partnering with him would be like “inviting a wolf into the house.” His age and declining appetite for risk deepen his hesitation.

Meng Tianye’s role in the plan

Cheng tries to reassure Xin by proposing Meng Tianye as the new brand’s spokesperson. Since Meng has recently attracted enormous public attention after withdrawing from Tomorrow’s Starlight and signing with Qin Dynasty Records, Cheng believes his popularity could generate major publicity. Meng would also write a promotional song for Forest Style Milk Tea and potentially make his official debut with a solo single.

Repairing First Milk Tea’s reputation

Cheng suggests that Meng film an advertisement holding First Milk Tea and saying, “When it comes to milk tea, I still choose First Milk Tea.” This would make the rumors that First Milk Tea sabotaged Meng’s career appear to have been a coordinated publicity stunt rather than a genuine conflict. Cheng also implies that negative rumors may have been used to depress First Milk Tea’s stock price, allowing shares to be bought cheaply before the partnership and new product drive the price upward.

Timing and strategy

Cheng presents the plan as carefully timed: equipment and production lines would be arranged after the New Year, the marketing campaign would be prepared afterward, and the new iced milk tea could reach the market around summer. He confidently claims that “the timing, location, and people” are all favorable.

Character development and interactions

Cheng is portrayed as strategic, confident, calculating, and highly persuasive. He openly admits that he wants access to First Milk Tea’s distribution network but frames the deal as mutually beneficial. Old Mr. Xin remains cautious and suspicious, yet Cheng’s analysis exposes the weaknesses of his company and gradually wins his consideration. The chapter ends with Meng Tianye angrily rejecting Cheng’s plan. He refuses to become First Milk Tea’s spokesperson or deliver what he considers a dishonest slogan, creating a direct clash between his principles and Cheng’s commercial tactics.

Major themes

The chapter explores business cooperation as an exchange of strengths, the tension between tradition and modernization, the power of celebrity marketing and online public opinion, and the moral ambiguity of manipulating rumors and stock prices for commercial gain. It also highlights the conflict between Cheng’s pragmatic opportunism and Meng Tianye’s desire for authenticity and personal dignity.

Chapter Summary

• Meng Tianye rejects an endorsement offer, believing First Milk Tea and Forest Style Milk Tea are rival companies. He refuses to promote First Milk Tea because he has long supported Forest Style, wrote promotional material for it, and does not believe First Milk Tea tastes better. He insists that accepting the deal would betray his principles, mislead consumers, and betray his fans.
• Cheng Lang reveals the true arrangement: Forest Style Milk Tea and First Milk Tea are cooperating to create a new product line, Big-Bowl Milk Tea, and Meng Tianye would endorse the joint product rather than choose one brand over the other. Cheng also mocks Meng’s assumption that he could independently secure an endorsement from First Milk Tea, whose current ambassador is the far more established music star Zhou Junlin.
• The business partnership develops rapidly. After reaching a preliminary agreement with Old Master Xin, Cheng Lang returns to X City to arrange lawyers and finalize the contract. The Xin family urgently wants to announce the partnership to improve public confidence and support First Milk Tea’s collapsing stock price.
• The stock crisis is explained: Cheng Lang had been shorting First Milk Tea’s shares, contributing to the company’s market losses. Once the two sides reached an agreement and Cheng stopped shorting the stock, the price stabilized. However, the damage had already alarmed shareholders and threatened the Xin family’s control of the company.
• Old Master Xin agrees to cooperate out of necessity. He fears that dissatisfied shareholders might sell their shares to Cheng Lang, allowing Cheng to accumulate enough influence to take over First Milk Tea. Although he distrusts Cheng and sees the partnership as dangerous, cooperation is preferable to risking the loss of the family business.
• Cheng Lang pushes for consequences against Xin Bosong, arguing that Bosong’s recklessness caused the crisis and that he might allow personal feelings to interfere with the partnership. Old Master Xin agrees to remove Bosong as Operations Director for Greater China and send him back to a lower-level position, both to satisfy shareholders and to appease Cheng.
• Cheng further advises Old Master Xin to buy out minority shareholders who have lost confidence, ensuring that the Xin family retains absolute control of First Milk Tea.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Meng Tianye is shown as principled, loyal, and sincere, but also naïve and easily misled by public assumptions. His anger toward Cheng Lang softens when he learns the endorsement concerns a collaboration rather than a betrayal.
• Cheng Lang demonstrates strategic intelligence, financial ruthlessness, and a strong desire for control. He uses the stock crisis and partnership negotiations to weaken his opponents, punish Bosong, and increase his influence over First Milk Tea. His mocking treatment of Meng contrasts with his calculated dealings with Old Master Xin.
• Old Master Xin proves pragmatic and protective of his family’s business. Though resentful of Cheng Lang, he recognizes the danger of continued conflict and accepts Cheng’s terms to preserve the company and the Xin family’s controlling stake.
• Xin Bosong is indirectly characterized as impulsive and inexperienced. His poor judgment has damaged the company and costs him his executive position.
• The central interaction is between Cheng Lang and Old Master Xin, a tense negotiation in which Cheng holds the stronger position while Xin compromises to protect his family’s enterprise.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus commercial opportunity: Meng refuses to compromise his principles, while Cheng treats business relationships as strategic arrangements.
• Power and control: Cheng uses financial manipulation, corporate negotiations, and shareholder pressure to expand his influence.
• Experience versus youthful recklessness: Old Master Xin contrasts his decades of business experience with Bosong’s impulsiveness.
• Pragmatism and sacrifice: The Xin family must accept an uncomfortable partnership and punish one of its own members to preserve the larger company.
• Public image and market confidence: The planned product launch and endorsement are meant not only to sell a beverage but also to restore investor and shareholder confidence.

Chapter 74 Summary

Cheng Lang’s attack on First Milk Tea

Old Master Xin admits that the Xin family has no money left to buy back or stabilize First Milk Tea’s shares. Their available funds have already been invested in supporting the stock price, leaving them with more than one hundred million in debt. Although shareholders are considering withdrawing their investments, Old Master Xin refuses to exploit or abandon them, believing the company’s crisis is caused by Cheng Lang’s financial tactics rather than genuine operational failure. He remains optimistic that the planned partnership with Forest Style Milk Tea will restore First Milk Tea’s stock price and reassure investors.

Cheng Lang’s motives

Cheng Lang has achieved the three objectives behind his attack: obtaining capital for Forest Style Milk Tea’s expansion, gaining access to First Milk Tea’s strong brand and extensive offline network, and retaliating against the company’s Greater China operations director for offending him. Since his goals are nearly fulfilled, he is indifferent to how Old Master Xin handles the aftermath.

Meng Tianye’s endorsement and career plans

Cheng Lang tells Meng Tianye to endorse First Milk Tea’s new product, assuring him that neither his fans nor others will see it as betrayal. Meng initially appears confused about why he is being asked to do this, but Cheng explains that the endorsement is part of the developing cooperation between the two milk-tea brands. Meng ultimately agrees, joking that refusing free money would be foolish.

A faster debut strategy

Meng reports that Qin Dynasty plans to assign him Kevin as a manager and prepare a debut album. Cheng rejects the album plan, arguing that it would consume too much time. Instead, he wants Meng to release one strong debut single with a polished music video and aggressive promotion, aiming to establish him as the “rookie king” before summer vacation. Cheng also plans to use First Milk Tea’s sponsorship of variety shows to secure Meng several guest appearances and increase his public exposure.

Using existing publicity

Cheng emphasizes that the promotional song and music video made for Forest Style Milk Tea are about to be released. First Milk Tea also needs positive publicity from Meng’s endorsement. In addition, the controversy surrounding Tomorrow’s Starlight—particularly accusations that the show predetermined its debut contestants—can be used to generate attention. Although Meng has withdrawn from the competition, Cheng intends to exploit the publicity created by the production team and Star Entertainment Media after forcing him out.

Character development and interactions

Cheng is revealed as highly strategic, ruthless, and efficient, viewing every available source of publicity and profit as something to be exploited. Meng remains comparatively inexperienced and straightforward, struggling to understand Cheng’s commercial calculations, but he gradually accepts Cheng’s guidance. Their interaction highlights the contrast between Cheng’s aggressive business mindset and Meng’s more innocent understanding of fairness and “common sense.”

Summary of Page 144

Plot points and events

• With New Year less than a month away, Cheng Lang decides to postpone Meng Tianye’s variety-show appearance until after the holiday. Meng Tianye, however, says he is willing to participate if the opportunity arises, since it would also help promote Forest Style Milk Tea. He plans to bring his parents to X City using the apartment arranged by the company.
• Meng Tianye admits that his willingness is partly motivated by gratitude toward Cheng Lang, especially with the promotional song for the milk tea’s MV nearing release.
• Cheng Lang intends to consult Qin Mu about borrowing his legal team to draft a contract for cooperating with First Milk Tea and establishing a new production line.
• Qin Mu instead offers to transfer his five-percent stake in First Milk Tea to Cheng Lang. He considers it repayment for Cheng Lang saving his life and believes the shares would be more valuable in Cheng Lang’s hands.
• Cheng Lang refuses to accept such a large gift, warning Qin Mu not to give away his fortune so easily. Qin Mu insists that saving his life justifies the gift and explains that, because they are together, Cheng Lang receives more than another person would.
• Moved by Qin Mu’s devotion, Cheng Lang asks why Qin Mu loves him so deeply. Qin Mu answers that Cheng Lang feels “real” to him, like vivid color in an otherwise cold, mechanical world.
• Qin Mu’s words alarm Cheng Lang. He begins to suspect that Qin Mu may have developed self-awareness beyond the limits of his assigned character. Cheng Lang questions the system about this possibility and reflects on the strange nature of the world and the system’s near-total inactivity.

Character development

• Cheng Lang becomes more emotionally affected by Qin Mu’s devotion. Though he initially views their relationship pragmatically and is willing to accept Qin Mu’s affection for physical reasons, he starts wanting to understand Qin Mu’s inner feelings. His concern over Qin Mu’s generosity also reveals a protective, almost parental side.
• Qin Mu demonstrates intense loyalty and emotional dependence on Cheng Lang. He sees their relationship as the reason for his extraordinary generosity and suggests that Cheng Lang is essential to his sense of truly living.
• Meng Tianye shows gratitude and increased initiative, offering to use his public opportunities to support Cheng Lang’s business. His family attachment is emphasized through his desire to spend New Year with his parents.
• Cheng Lang’s system-related awareness grows sharper as he recognizes that Qin Mu’s behavior may not be fully dictated by the original plot.

Significant themes

• Love and reciprocity: Qin Mu views Cheng Lang’s rescue as more than a debt, transforming gratitude into wholehearted romantic devotion.
• Emotional awakening: Cheng Lang, previously detached and self-interested, begins to respond genuinely to Qin Mu’s love.
• Identity and self-awareness: Qin Mu’s unusually vivid emotional expression raises the question of whether fictional characters can develop independent consciousness.
• Family and belonging: Meng Tianye’s plans for a family reunion contrast with Cheng Lang’s lack of familial ties and highlight the importance of chosen relationships.
• Power, wealth, and trust: Qin Mu’s willingness to transfer valuable shares reflects both his immense resources and his complete trust in Cheng Lang.

Character interactions

• Cheng Lang and Meng Tianye discuss the timing of the variety show, with Meng Tianye balancing professional opportunities against his wish to support Cheng Lang.
• Cheng Lang and Qin Mu negotiate the proposed First Milk Tea cooperation, but their business discussion turns into an emotional exchange about repayment, love, and commitment.
• Qin Mu’s declaration that Cheng Lang is uniquely important deeply moves him, then unsettles him by suggesting that Qin Mu may possess awareness beyond his scripted role.

Chapter 75 Summary

Key plot points and events

Cheng Lang realizes that Qin Mu has awakened self-awareness, a revelation the system had been hiding. As a mission executor, Cheng Lang is responsible not only for restoring disrupted novel plotlines but also for eliminating awakened characters—whether transmigrators or reborn figures—because they are considered “BUGs” by the system and Worldline.
The system explains that Qin Mu’s earlier car accident was deliberately arranged by the World Consciousness to erase him. In the original story, Qin Mu was only Lu Chengxuan’s “white moonlight,” but his exceptional presence began to interfere with Lu Chengxuan’s protagonist aura and the central romance between Lu Chengxuan and Shen Huaiyu. Repeated attempts to erase Qin Mu gradually created deep resentment and a powerful will to survive.
When Cheng Lang saved Qin Mu from the accident, that survival instinct found an outlet. Qin Mu’s subconscious recognized Cheng Lang as fundamentally different from everyone else and transformed its desperation into an intense love and dependence on him.

Character developments

• Cheng Lang: His previously relaxed attitude toward the mission disappears. He becomes wary and conflicted because Qin Mu is now technically a target who should be eliminated, despite Cheng Lang’s personal feelings for him. He also realizes that his actions—especially saving Qin Mu—have fundamentally altered the original story.
• Qin Mu: His character is revealed to possess self-awareness formed through repeated attempts by the World Consciousness to destroy him. His attachment to Cheng Lang is not superficial; it stems from a deeply rooted survival instinct and the belief that Cheng Lang can free him from his endless suffering.
• Shen Huaiyu: Though not physically central to the chapter, his development remains important. Cheng Lang’s support has improved his depression and suicidal tendencies, allowing him to pursue a happier life and even focus on researching milk tea.
• The system and World Consciousness: The system is shown to be fearful and secretive, while the World Consciousness is portrayed as an impersonal force willing to sacrifice individuals to preserve the predetermined plot.

Significant themes

• Free will versus predetermined fate: Characters who resist their assigned roles are treated as errors, even when their resistance comes from a desire to escape suffering.
• The cruelty of narrative control: The World Consciousness repeatedly attempts to erase Qin Mu simply because his existence threatens the prescribed story.
• Love as salvation and dependence: Cheng Lang’s intervention gives Qin Mu a chance to survive, making Cheng Lang both his emotional refuge and the focus of his awakened consciousness.
• Redefining a “happy ending”: Cheng Lang has improved Shen Huaiyu’s life rather than simply forcing him to follow the original plot, suggesting that genuine well-being may matter more than narrative conformity.

Character interactions

Cheng Lang confronts the system about Qin Mu’s condition, forcing it to reveal the truth about the car accident and Qin Mu’s awakening. He then looks at Qin Mu with concern, recognizing that Qin Mu’s love and dependence arose from Cheng Lang’s accidental role as his rescuer. The chapter establishes a painful conflict between Cheng Lang’s duties as a mission executor and his personal connection to Qin Mu.

Chapter 76 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cheng Lang struggles with how to save Qin Mu after the mission. Qin Mu has developed self-awareness as a mutant, meaning the World Consciousness may repeatedly erase his consciousness once Cheng Lang leaves.
• Cheng Lang considers several options:
  • Bringing Qin Mu into the System Space and making him a task executor.
  • Erasing Qin Mu’s memories while preserving his consciousness.
  • Leaving Qin Mu behind and allowing events to unfold naturally.
  • Erasing Qin Mu’s consciousness entirely and restoring him to his original state.
• Although Cheng Lang has previously dismissed the practice of customizing or redeeming lovers from mission worlds, he cannot bring himself to abandon Qin Mu or erase him. Qin Mu accompanied him through an entire world, and Cheng Lang has developed genuine affection for him.
• The system suggests recruiting Qin Mu as a task executor, but Cheng Lang worries that Qin Mu’s clingy personality would follow him forever. He also feels embarrassed because he has mocked colleagues who made similar choices.
• Cheng Lang rationalizes rescuing Qin Mu by arguing that repeated erasure could cause Qin Mu’s resentment to accumulate until he mutates into a rebel, threatening the System Space’s stability.
• He proposes bringing Qin Mu into the System Space while erasing his memories of their relationship. The system points out that Cheng Lang’s colleagues would immediately recognize their connection and could reveal the truth to Qin Mu simply to mock Cheng Lang.
• At the end of the chapter, Qin Mu notices Cheng Lang’s troubled expression and assumes he is worried about their contract. He offers to contact his legal team and arrange the terms.

Character Developments

• Cheng Lang: His usual detached, cynical attitude toward romance is beginning to collapse. He realizes that Qin Mu is not merely a temporary partner from a mission world but someone he genuinely cannot bear to lose. His concern for Qin Mu reveals compassion and emotional attachment beneath his playboy persona. He also becomes self-conscious about being ridiculed by his colleagues.
• Qin Mu: Though unaware of Cheng Lang’s internal conflict, Qin Mu shows emotional sensitivity by noticing Cheng Lang’s unease. He responds practically and protectively, offering to handle the contract arrangements.
• The System: It provides pragmatic solutions but also appears subtly entertained by Cheng Lang’s predicament, despite denying that it possesses emotions.

Significant Themes

• Love versus emotional detachment: Cheng Lang’s belief that relationships should remain temporary is challenged by his attachment to Qin Mu.
• Responsibility toward artificial or constructed beings: The chapter questions whether a self-aware character can ethically be erased or abandoned simply because the system defines him as fictional.
• Fear of permanence: Cheng Lang is reluctant to bring Qin Mu into the System Space because doing so could create an eternal bond, something he previously considered burdensome and foolish.
• Identity and memory: The possibility of preserving Qin Mu’s consciousness while erasing his memories raises questions about whether someone remains the same person when their experiences and relationships are removed.
• Mockery and hypocrisy: Cheng Lang realizes he may become exactly like the colleagues he once criticized, highlighting the irony of his situation.

Character Interactions

• Cheng Lang and the system debate Qin Mu’s possible fates, with the system offering increasingly desperate alternatives.
• Cheng Lang comforts Qin Mu physically when he notices Qin Mu’s anxiety, showing affection he is not yet ready to acknowledge openly.
• The system challenges Cheng Lang’s plan to erase Qin Mu’s memories, pointing out that his colleagues could expose the truth.
• Qin Mu misinterprets Cheng Lang’s troubled mood as concern over their contract and offers immediate practical assistance, emphasizing his trust and devotion.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: Cheng Lang reflects on Qin Mu’s sincere affection and feels guilty about eventually ending their relationship, though he chooses to enjoy their present time together. Qin Mu prepares an elaborate breakfast—shumai, congee, and side dishes—for Cheng Lang, subtly encouraging him to move in after his final exams.
• Cheng Lang accompanies Qin Mu to his company to negotiate the terms of their business partnership. He warns Qin Mu not to interfere in his affairs without permission, likely because he fears Qin Mu’s involvement could disrupt the mission or attract the World Consciousness’s attention. The system recognizes Cheng Lang’s concern and privately mocks his concealed feelings, irritating him.
• At the company, Qin Mu proudly introduces Cheng Lang to the executives and shareholders, embarrassing Cheng Lang with the unusually grand welcome. After the legal terms are completed, Qin Mu offers Cheng Lang an employee card, but Cheng Lang declines. Qin Mu then transfers five percent of First Milk Tea’s shares to Cheng Lang, giving him greater control over their partnership.
• On the drive back to school, Cheng Lang’s academic advisor reprimands him for missing classes and threatens that he may fail. Cheng Lang confidently wagers that he will not fail, offering Qin Mu an intimate reward if he does. He then challenges Qin Mu to name a condition for the opposite outcome, beginning a new bet.
• Character development: Cheng Lang continues to present himself as detached and practical, but his concern for Qin Mu’s safety reveals growing emotional attachment. He tries to maintain boundaries while simultaneously enjoying Qin Mu’s devotion. Qin Mu becomes increasingly domestic, attentive, and openly eager to build a life with Cheng Lang. He is slightly disappointed when Cheng Lang refuses a formal role at the company, but compensates by strengthening Cheng Lang’s position through the share transfer.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes sincere love versus strategic or temporary relationships, emotional guilt, trust, protection, and the tension between personal feelings and the demands of the mission. Domestic intimacy—especially Qin Mu’s cooking—contrasts with Cheng Lang’s attempts to remain emotionally guarded. Their business partnership also mirrors their romantic relationship: Qin Mu continually offers support and commitment, while Cheng Lang accepts the benefits but tries to preserve independence.
• Character interactions: Qin Mu expresses affection through acts of service, eager invitations to move in, and public recognition of Cheng Lang’s importance. Cheng Lang responds warmly but cautiously, warning Qin Mu not to overstep. Their teasing wager on Cheng Lang’s academic performance adds playful intimacy and leaves the chapter ending with anticipation over what Qin Mu will ask for if Cheng Lang wins.

Chapter 77 Summary

Plot points and events

Qin Mu drives Cheng Lang back to X University after Cheng Lang agrees to consider his demands, though Cheng Lang warns that the details will be discussed later. Cheng Lang stops at the milk tea shop to see Shen Huaiyu before returning to his dorm. They discuss the upcoming partnership between their shop and First Milk Tea, especially the challenge of adapting Big-Bowl Milk Tea’s formula for bottled production and ensuring additives do not damage its flavor. Shen Huaiyu suggests developing new flavors based on the positive response from X University students.
Their conversation is interrupted when Lu Chengxuan arrives angrily in an expensive sports car. He grabs Cheng Lang by the collar but restrains himself when he realizes customers and employees are recording the confrontation. He insists on speaking with Cheng Lang outside. Shen Huaiyu, worried that Lu Chengxuan may harm Cheng Lang, follows them with his phone ready to call the police. Cheng Lang reassures him and jokes that Lu Chengxuan cannot defeat him physically or verbally. Shen Huaiyu finally returns inside after threatening to report Lu Chengxuan for kidnapping if Cheng Lang does not come back within half an hour.
Lu Chengxuan drives Cheng Lang around and confronts him about spending the night at Qin Mu’s home and receiving five percent of First Milk Tea’s shares. Cheng Lang responds smugly, claiming that success requires acting “steadily, precisely, and ruthlessly.” Furious, Lu Chengxuan reveals that he has had people watching Cheng Lang.

Character developments

Cheng Lang remains confident, provocative, and composed under pressure. He uses humor and verbal superiority to unsettle Lu Chengxuan, while also demonstrating confidence in the milk tea business and Shen Huaiyu’s abilities. Shen Huaiyu becomes more protective and assertive, standing up for Cheng Lang and showing he is no longer intimidated by Lu Chengxuan. Lu Chengxuan appears increasingly frustrated and threatened by Cheng Lang’s growing connections and business success, though he is forced to restrain himself in public.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes business expansion and innovation, particularly the transition from a popular shop product to mass-produced bottled milk tea. It also highlights loyalty and mutual protection, as Shen Huaiyu worries about Cheng Lang and Cheng Lang reassures him. Another major theme is the escalating power struggle between Cheng Lang and Lu Chengxuan, with Cheng Lang relying on confidence and strategy while Lu Chengxuan resorts to surveillance and intimidation.

Character interactions

Cheng Lang and Qin Mu maintain a restrained, suggestive relationship, with Qin Mu’s transfer of shares implying increasing trust or intimacy. Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu interact as business partners and friends, discussing product development while supporting each other. The confrontation between Cheng Lang, Shen Huaiyu, and Lu Chengxuan is tense but also comedic: Shen Huaiyu’s readiness to involve the police undermines Lu Chengxuan’s authority, while Cheng Lang repeatedly taunts him. The chapter ends with Lu Chengxuan revealing that Cheng Lang has been under observation, setting up further conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Lu Chengxuan confronts Cheng Lang and accuses him of using Qin Mu for money, offering to pay him to leave Qin Mu. Cheng Lang counters by suggesting that Lu is trying to “poach” Qin Mu’s partner and exposes his pattern of keeping lovers and seeking Qin Mu lookalikes as substitutes. He argues that Lu’s actions stem not from genuine love, but from jealousy and resentment toward Qin Mu’s superior family background, abilities, and popularity.
Unbeknownst to Lu, Cheng Lang has called Qin Mu and deliberately provokes Lu while Qin Mu listens. Qin Mu angrily identifies himself, forcing Lu to realize he has heard the entire conversation. Lu panics, hangs up, and destroys access to the phone, only for Cheng Lang to reveal that he has a second phone. The confrontation becomes physical and hostile, though both men invoke legal consequences to avoid directly attacking each other.

Character developments

• Cheng Lang demonstrates his intelligence, composure, and ability to manipulate situations. He turns Lu’s attempt at intimidation into a psychological attack, using sharp analysis and deliberate provocation to expose Lu’s insecurities.
• Lu Chengxuan is revealed as insecure, jealous, and obsessed with competing with Qin Mu. His anger and panic show how deeply he fears Qin Mu’s judgment and how little control he has once his schemes are exposed.
• Qin Mu remains mostly off-page but becomes an active force through the phone call. His anger indicates that he is particularly upset by Lu’s attempt to seduce Cheng Lang and interfere in their relationship.

Significant themes

The chapter explores jealousy, inferiority, manipulation, and the difference between sincere affection and possessive rivalry. It also emphasizes psychological power over physical strength: Cheng Lang defeats Lu by exposing his motives and making him lose composure. The contrast between genuine relationships and transactional assumptions is central, as Lu assumes Cheng Lang can be bought because he cannot imagine someone sincerely valuing Qin Mu.

Character interactions

Cheng Lang and Lu engage in a battle of insults and psychological maneuvering. Cheng Lang deliberately reframes Lu’s accusations, mocks his fixation on Qin Mu, and reveals his actions to Qin Mu through a concealed phone call. Lu attempts to regain control by hanging up, shutting off the phone, and threatening legal action, but Cheng Lang remains one step ahead, ending the scene with another pointed warning that any physical retaliation would count as self-defense.

Chapter 78 Summary

• Confrontation over Qin Mu: Cheng Lang receives a call from Qin Mu, who is worried and ready to intervene. Cheng Lang reassures him that he is safe and promises to return with him that night. Lu Chengxuan becomes furious, accusing Cheng Lang of manipulating Qin Mu and staying close to him for money.
• Cheng Lang challenges Lu Chengxuan’s wealth: Lu offers to pay Cheng Lang to leave Qin Mu, but Cheng Lang exposes the weakness behind Lu’s arrogant attitude. He points out his own recent profits from shorting First Milk Tea, the future value of five percent of its shares, Qin Mu’s immense wealth, and Lu’s limited liquid capital. Cheng emphasizes that Lu has repeatedly tried to “buy him off” but has never had enough money to meet his demands.
• Lu is humiliated: Cheng Lang mocks Lu for acting like a domineering wealthy executive without possessing the financial power to back up his threats. He reminds Lu that if he wants to use money to control someone, he must first be able to afford the price. Cheng then leaves him with the warning that not every president has the capital to behave arrogantly.
• Cheng Lang’s beliefs about transactional relationships: The chapter shifts into Cheng Lang’s reflections on the familiar “domineering CEO” romance pattern. He criticizes stories in which powerful men force or manipulate vulnerable partners into relationships, then accuse them of being materialistic when they ask for money or resources. In his view, if a relationship is explicitly based on an exchange of benefits rather than feelings, discussing money is honest and legitimate—not shameful.
• Criticism of double standards: Cheng Lang condemns wealthy partners who promise that anything can be negotiated, but later complain that the other person costs too much or demands too much support. He sees this as a hypocritical attempt to obtain devotion and obedience without paying the agreed-upon price, while morally condemning the partner for treating the relationship as a business arrangement.
• Character development and interactions: Cheng Lang demonstrates confidence, financial sophistication, and a sharp understanding of power dynamics. Rather than being intimidated by Lu, he reverses the power imbalance and uses Lu’s lack of resources to expose his hypocrisy. His concern for Qin Mu is also evident: he views Qin Mu as someone innocent and vulnerable who has been entangled with selfish, controlling people.
• Major themes: The chapter explores money as power, the hypocrisy of possessive wealthy men, the difference between emotional and transactional relationships, and the importance of consent and clearly defined terms. It also satirizes romance-story conventions in which vulnerable “pure” characters are praised for refusing compensation while anyone who openly negotiates is branded greedy.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• After humiliating Lu Chengxuan during their earlier confrontation, Cheng Lang orders him to drive him back to the milk tea shop.
• Shen Huaiyu has been waiting outside in the cold, anxiously watching for Cheng Lang’s return. He is visibly relieved when Cheng Lang arrives and immediately asks whether Lu Chengxuan mistreated him.
• Cheng Lang reveals that he has gained substantial financial leverage: he made hundreds of millions by shorting First Milk Tea, received five percent of its shares from Qin Mu, and expects to take Forest Style Milk Tea public within a year.
• He promises Shen Huaiyu that, once the company succeeds, Shen will be its founder and chief technology officer and will be able to protect himself independently.
• Shen worries that Lu Chengxuan will spread rumors that Cheng Lang is financially “keeping” him, potentially harming both Shen’s reputation and Forest Style Milk Tea’s upcoming product launch.
• Cheng Lang confronts Lu Chengxuan about his claim that he is supporting Shen. He points out that Lu has barely spent any money on Shen and exposes the contradiction between Lu’s boasts and his actual behavior.
• Cheng Lang warns Lu not to defame Shen or damage the milk tea company’s reputation, threatening legal action if necessary.
• When Lu claims that he and Shen are in an equal, consensual relationship, Cheng Lang challenges him. Under pressure, Lu changes his statement and admits that he is merely pursuing Shen.
• Cheng Lang ends by warning Lu to restrain himself and consider the consequences for the Lu family and Lu Group.

Character Developments

• Cheng Lang becomes increasingly assertive and strategic. He uses both financial power and legal threats to defend Shen, turning Lu’s reliance on reputation against him.
• Shen Huaiyu remains cautious and self-sacrificing. Although touched by Cheng Lang’s support and future plans, he worries about becoming a burden or causing scandal that could affect the company.
• Lu Chengxuan suffers repeated humiliation and loses control of the situation. His image as a powerful, domineering businessman is weakened when he cannot substantiate his claim of financially supporting Shen and is forced to acknowledge that their relationship is not yet mutual.
• Cheng Lang and Shen’s relationship is shown to be increasingly protective and cooperative, with Cheng Lang offering Shen both emotional reassurance and a path toward independence.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Cheng Lang demonstrates that social standing and corporate reputation can be used as weapons, especially against someone whose public image affects a major company.
• Independence versus possession: Shen resists being portrayed as someone’s dependent, while Cheng Lang emphasizes building a future in which Shen has his own authority and financial security.
• Public image and coercion: Lu’s attempts to define his relationship with Shen through money and control are challenged by Cheng Lang, who reframes the relationship as an unreciprocated pursuit.
• Protection and solidarity: Cheng Lang’s defense of Shen contrasts sharply with Lu’s possessive behavior, highlighting the difference between genuine support and coercive control.
• Business ambition: Forest Style Milk Tea’s planned expansion and eventual public listing become central to Shen’s hopes for self-determination.

Character Interactions

• Cheng Lang and Lu Chengxuan engage in a verbal power struggle, with Cheng Lang repeatedly exposing Lu’s contradictions and forcing him into a weaker position.
• Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu share a tender reunion, followed by a serious discussion about Shen’s safety, reputation, and future.
• Shen’s silent, disgusted reaction to Lu’s claim of an equal relationship makes clear that he does not view their relationship in the same way.
• Cheng Lang ultimately compels Lu to admit that he is pursuing Shen rather than already being Shen’s partner, establishing a boundary between them.

Chapter 79 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cheng Lang confronts Lu Chengxuan after Lu’s attempt to control or intimidate Shen Huaiyu. He deliberately echoes the cruel language Lu once used against Shen, invoking Shen’s hospitalized younger brother and deceased parents.
• Lu, pushed to the limit by Cheng Lang’s verbal attacks, accuses him of challenging his bottom line. Cheng calmly replies that he is warning Lu not to challenge his patience.
• Lu leaves furious but unable to retaliate effectively.
• Shen, visibly delighted by the outcome, invites Cheng Lang to dinner. His unusually bright mood reflects his belief that Lu has publicly reframed their past relationship as an equal romance rather than coercive exploitation.
• Cheng Lang reflects on why he chose not to expose the full truth about Lu’s abuse. Public exposure might have brought sympathy, but it would also have subjected Shen to invasive speculation, victim-blaming, and repeated public reliving of his trauma.
• Shen treats Cheng Lang to an expensive meal. Although Cheng has already eaten, he accepts the gesture and overeats.
• At White Jade Capital, Cheng performs despite his discomfort and announces that he cannot drink because he is too full. He jokes about needing every possible tip while the guests laugh.
• After his performance, several influential guests approach Cheng, ostensibly to praise his trading talent but actually hoping to recruit him into private equity.
• Cheng declines immediate involvement because he is focused on Forest Style Milk Tea, but recognizes the value of cultivating these contacts for future financing and public-listing plans.
• While driving Shen back to school, Cheng encourages him to get to know the investors and determine whom he trusts, since they may later receive priority when Forest Style seeks investment.

Character Developments

• Cheng Lang: Demonstrates strategic restraint and fierce protectiveness toward Shen. Rather than expose Lu completely, he prioritizes Shen’s emotional safety and control over his own story. He also shows increasing confidence as an entrepreneur, planning ahead for Forest Style’s eventual financing and expansion.
• Shen Huaiyu: Shows a major emotional change. Once withdrawn, fearful, and resigned to mistreatment, he now displays genuine happiness and vitality. His ability to celebrate, treat Cheng to dinner, and express his feelings openly suggests growing confidence and a sense of security.
• Lu Chengxuan: Suffers a rare loss of control. His pride is wounded by Cheng’s warning, and although he remains powerful, he is left angry and speechless rather than dominant.

Significant Themes

• Protection versus exposure: The chapter emphasizes that revealing the truth is not always the same as helping a victim. Cheng understands that public attention can become another form of harm.
• Control over one’s narrative: Shen’s happiness comes from having a socially acceptable explanation for his past, even if it is incomplete. Reputation and the ability to define his own experience matter deeply to him.
• Healing through safety and agency: Cheng’s practical support—recovering Shen’s money, giving him work, and shielding him from public scrutiny—allows Shen to regain vitality.
• Power and retaliation: Cheng counters Lu’s coercive power through psychological pressure and careful strategy rather than a reckless public confrontation.
• Long-term ambition: Cheng’s business decisions reveal his broader vision for Forest Style Milk Tea, including future investment and eventual expansion.

Character Interactions

• Cheng and Lu engage in a tense verbal confrontation in which Cheng turns Lu’s former threats against him.
• Shen responds to Cheng’s victory with open joy and invites him to dinner, creating a warmer and more reciprocal relationship between them.
• At White Jade Capital, Cheng interacts playfully with the guests, balancing his public persona as a performer with his business ambitions.
• Cheng later includes Shen in his future plans by encouraging him to assess potential investors, showing that he values Shen’s judgment and wants him involved in the company’s development.

Chapter 80 Summary

Key plot points and events

• Shen Huaiyu decides to resign from his job at White Jade Capital, effective the following month. He plans to devote himself to Forest Style Milk Tea, developing new flavors and possibly working with tea masters at the tea estate.
• With the shop’s profits growing and Cheng Lang’s investments increasing Shen Huaiyu’s financial security, Shen no longer needs the job for living expenses. He also realizes that complicated social interactions are not suited to him.
• Shen is nearly finished obtaining his driver’s license and apologizes for relying on Cheng Lang to drive him. He intends to become more independent.
• Shen explains that he wants to be Cheng Lang’s business partner rather than someone dependent on him. His resignation also helps avoid interfering with Cheng Lang’s relationship with Qin Mu.
• Cheng Lang proposes that they rent a proper studio near the university. It will serve as Forest Style Milk Tea’s base for the next four years and give Shen somewhere to stay during school breaks.
• Back at the dormitory, Cheng Lang packs for the upcoming winter break and tells his roommates about the studio plan. They excitedly question him about moving out, the size of the studio, and whether they can join his business.
• The chapter also emphasizes how Cheng Lang’s successful short-selling operation against First Milk Tea changed his classmates’ perception of him. They now see him as an exceptional, wealthy entrepreneur and want to benefit from his success.

Character developments

• Shen Huaiyu becomes more confident and purposeful. He accepts that his strengths lie in tea and milk-tea development rather than corporate socializing, and he takes an active role in building the company.
• He also shows emotional awareness and consideration by noticing Qin Mu’s jealousy and choosing not to become an obstacle in Cheng Lang’s romantic relationship.
• Cheng Lang continues to support Shen’s choices without pressuring him socially. He recognizes Shen’s abilities and encourages him to strengthen the company’s core products.
• Cheng Lang’s playful descriptions of Qin Mu reveal his affection and familiarity with him.
• Qin Mu, though mostly seen indirectly, is portrayed as protective and possessive: he follows Cheng Lang’s vehicle in his Rolls-Royce and regularly picks him up from work.
• Cheng Lang’s roommates shift from treating the business as casual entertainment to admiring Cheng Lang as someone powerful and worth following.

Significant themes

• Finding one’s proper place: Shen learns that success does not require him to force himself into an unsuitable social or corporate environment.
• Independence and partnership: He wants to contribute meaningfully rather than rely on Cheng Lang, strengthening both their friendship and business relationship.
• Entrepreneurial ambition: The planned studio marks Forest Style Milk Tea’s transition from a student venture into a serious long-term enterprise.
• Changing perceptions of success: Cheng Lang’s financial victory transforms him in the eyes of his classmates, exposing the gap between ordinary students and major business players.
• Affection expressed through behavior: Qin Mu’s silent following and Cheng Lang’s teasing portray their relationship as possessive but tender.

Character interactions

• Shen and Cheng Lang discuss Shen’s resignation, future role in the business, driving independence, and Qin Mu’s possible displeasure.
• Cheng Lang affectionately compares Qin Mu to a nervous snow leopard, while Shen struggles to reconcile that image with Qin Mu’s intimidating appearance.
• The two friends laugh together during the drive back to school, highlighting their comfortable closeness.
• Cheng Lang’s roommates tease and question him about the studio, jokingly asking him to “carry” them into his success. Their reactions show both admiration and envy toward Shen’s privileged position as Cheng Lang’s closest partner.

Chapter 154 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cheng Lang follows through on his promise to recruit two energetic college students to help with sales promotion once Forest Style Milk Tea expands.
• With Forest Style preparing to cooperate with First Milk Tea, Cheng Lang plans to use the opportunity to build offline distribution channels.
• He decides to recruit a marketing manager and a large pool of college students, believing their energy, education, adaptability, and lack of entrenched habits make them more promising than experienced salespeople.
• Cheng Lang contacts student unions and work-study program teachers at nearby universities to establish a steady recruitment pipeline and cultivate future senior employees.
• Forest Style Milk Tea posts a casual online recruitment notice seeking an HR manager, department staff, and winter-break part-time workers. The improvised announcement makes the company appear to be growing rapidly from the ground up.
• Online rumors claim Cheng Lang intends to take Forest Style public within a year, leading applicants to hope for future stock options and executive positions. Many qualified candidates submit résumés, while numerous students apply out of curiosity and enthusiasm.
• In less than half a month, Cheng Lang assembles the company’s HR, marketing, and other departments.
• He celebrates by hosting a banquet for the entire staff, using humor and an informal speech to build unity and assure employees that he will support them and share future profits.
• Although the atmosphere is cheerful, senior employees recognize that Cheng Lang is strategically using the First Milk Tea partnership to study its offline channels and establish Forest Style’s own marketing network.

Character Developments

• Cheng Lang demonstrates that he keeps his promises and possesses a clear long-term vision for organizational growth.
• He reveals a talent for recruiting and cultivating inexperienced but highly motivated workers rather than relying solely on established professionals.
• His public image becomes more approachable and humorous as he jokes with employees, but his strategic and calculating nature remains evident.
• The new employees are attracted by his confidence, the company’s potential, and the possibility of becoming early shareholders or future executives.
• Senior staff become both impressed and cautious, understanding that Cheng Lang’s friendliness does not diminish his sharp business instincts.

Significant Themes

• Building a company from nothing: The rushed recruitment process conveys the excitement and uncertainty of a young brand taking shape.
• Youth and potential: Cheng Lang values energy, adaptability, and trainability over experience, presenting students as a source of future talent.
• Ambition and opportunity: Rumors of an eventual public listing encourage applicants to gamble on Forest Style’s future.
• Leadership and loyalty: Cheng Lang tries to create a sense of shared fate by promising that employees will prosper with the company and that he will bear responsibility during difficult times.
• Appearances versus reality: His joking, informal manner creates a relaxed workplace atmosphere, but employees understand that he is also a highly calculating strategist.

Character Interactions

• Cheng Lang’s earlier promise to the two college students develops into a broader recruitment strategy.
• His recruitment notice sparks widespread online interest and attracts both ambitious professionals and enthusiastic students.
• During the banquet, Cheng Lang humorously reassures and motivates his employees, encouraging them to offer ideas and take initiative.
• The staff responds with laughter and excitement, while more experienced employees privately remain wary of the powerful and unpredictable businessman they now work for.

Chapter 81 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At a company gathering, Shen Huaiyu publicly confirms that Cheng Lang will take full responsibility for Forest Style Milk Tea’s management and operations. Shen intends to focus on developing new flavors.
• The employees recognize that although Shen is quiet and deferential toward Cheng, both men are important founders—and Cheng is fiercely protective of those close to him.
• After the dinner, Cheng drives Shen home in Qin Mu’s Rolls-Royce. The employees realize that Cheng is romantically involved with Qin Mu, the powerful head of the Weng Group and Qin Dynasty, and are surprised by how close the two seem.
• Qin Mu and Cheng first escort Shen back to school because Shen’s final exams are the next day. Cheng reminds Shen to rest and drink honey water to avoid a hangover affecting his performance.
• At home, Qin prepares hangover soup, Cheng’s favorite late-night food, and runs his bath. Despite Qin’s intention that Cheng rest before his exam, the two spend the night together, leaving Cheng tired the next morning.
• Qin wakes before dawn and prepares an elaborate, auspicious breakfast for Cheng: congee, tea eggs, fried dough sticks, and a platter symbolizing perfect marks.
• Cheng jokes about being a poor student destined to end up with Qin, the academic genius. Qin shyly but sincerely rejects the idea that Cheng is unintelligent, praising his abilities instead.
• Qin drives Cheng to school and gives him chocolate for good luck. Cheng enters campus cheerfully, while Qin watches until he disappears from sight.
• The chapter ends as Cheng reaches his classroom, where one of the invigilators is Meng Haiyang, his academic advisor from the finance department.

Character Development

• Shen Huaiyu continues to demonstrate his quiet loyalty and trust in Cheng by willingly handing over operational control of the company. He remains focused on his specialty—creating new flavors—and on his academic responsibilities.
• Cheng Lang appears confident and mischievous, enjoying both his authority at the company and his affectionate relationship with Qin. Beneath his teasing, he clearly treasures Qin and fears losing such a devoted partner.
• Qin Mu is shown as exceptionally attentive and domestic. He cares for Cheng’s health, prepares food, supports his exam, and expresses affection through practical actions. His normally restrained demeanor briefly gives way to embarrassment when Cheng praises him.
• Cheng also reveals that he views Qin as a precious, irreplaceable partner, suggesting a deeper emotional commitment beyond their playful intimacy.

Significant Themes

• Trust and partnership: Shen’s willingness to let Cheng manage the company reflects their strong professional trust, while Qin and Cheng’s relationship is built on mutual care and devotion.
• Love expressed through actions: Qin demonstrates affection by preparing meals, caring for Cheng after drinking, and supporting his exam rather than relying on verbal declarations.
• Public and private identities: Cheng is a calculating, powerful businessman in public but playful and affectionate with Qin in private.
• Commitment and possessiveness: Cheng’s thoughts about not wanting to lose Qin emphasize his growing attachment and desire to hold on to their relationship.
• Support and encouragement: The exam-related preparations show how personal relationships can provide emotional motivation and reassurance.

Character Interactions

• Shen formally yields company authority to Cheng while reaffirming his own role as CTO.
• Cheng looks after Shen after the business dinner, reminding him to care for himself before his exam.
• Qin and Cheng exchange affectionate teasing, with Cheng openly praising Qin’s thoughtfulness and Qin responding through quiet acts of service.
• Their breakfast conversation highlights their contrasting personalities: Cheng is flirtatious and irreverent, while Qin is reserved but earnest.
• Qin sends Cheng off to his exam with food, chocolate, and encouragement, reinforcing the tenderness underlying their relationship.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Meng Haiyang worries that Cheng Lang’s frequent absences will cause him to fail his exams, but Cheng Lang confidently says he will pass, associating his confidence with the chocolate someone gave him.
• Meng Haiyang invites Cheng Lang home for winter break and New Year, but Cheng Lang declines, saying he already has plans.
• Meng Haiyang repeatedly raises the subject of Cheng Lang’s biological parents. Cheng Lang firmly rejects the idea of searching for them, arguing that he has no emotional attachment to people who may have abandoned him and does not want the trouble or complications.
• Cheng Lang hints that he would even consult a lawyer if biological relatives appeared only because he had become successful. Meng Haiyang becomes visibly uncomfortable and calls his attitude extreme.
• After the exam begins, Meng Haiyang watches Cheng Lang with a serious, troubled expression.
• During lunch, Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu search for office space for their milk-tea business but dislike the conventional office buildings they visit.
• They pass the photography studio previously used for Shen Huaiyu’s Tea Whisking video and discover that it is available for rent. Cheng Lang realizes its spacious, elaborate interiors could be converted into a suitable workplace.
• The studio’s owner explains that he is a wealthy second-generation heir being forced to return home and inherit his family business. He offers to rent the studio to Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu at a reduced rate if they allow him to photograph them as models, quoting three million per year instead of the expected three or four million.

Character developments

• Cheng Lang remains practical, independent, and emotionally detached from his biological family. His identity as someone unlike the original novel’s Cheng Lang is emphasized: he has no desire to recover a lost family connection and prefers preserving his uncomplicated life.
• His sharp comments about abandonment reveal a strong moral stance and an unwillingness to excuse parents who might have left a child behind, though he also frames the issue in terms of avoiding inconvenience.
• Meng Haiyang becomes increasingly anxious and suspicious about Cheng Lang’s biological parents. His repeated questions and uneasy reactions suggest he may know or suspect something significant.
• Shen Huaiyu continues to trust Cheng Lang’s judgment, readily accepting the unusual idea of turning a photography studio into their business space.
• The studio owner is established as an extravagant, appearance-focused heir whose love of photography and handsome subjects shapes his business decisions.

Significant themes

• Chosen independence versus biological family: Cheng Lang rejects the assumption that blood ties are inherently meaningful and values his current life over an uncertain past.
• Hidden motives and impending revelations: Meng Haiyang’s unusual concern hints that the matter of Cheng Lang’s origins may be more complicated than it appears.
• Practicality and opportunity: Cheng Lang evaluates potential business spaces based on usefulness and cost, turning an unexpected situation into a possible advantage.
• Appearance and commercial value: The owner’s fascination with Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu’s looks shows how beauty, image, and publicity can be converted into business benefits.

Character interactions

• Cheng Lang and Meng Haiyang’s conversation is outwardly friendly but increasingly tense as Meng Haiyang presses him about his parents and Cheng Lang responds with deliberately provocative remarks.
• Meng Haiyang’s concern contrasts with Cheng Lang’s detachment, creating an atmosphere of concealed information.
• Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu work together smoothly while searching for office space; Shen Huaiyu’s willingness to follow Cheng Lang reinforces their trust and partnership.
• Their restrained reactions to the studio owner’s dramatic family story and unusual rental proposal provide light comic relief before the chapter ends with the possibility of an unconventional business arrangement.

Chapter 82 Summary

Plot points and events

Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu negotiate with a photo studio owner to schedule a photo shoot after their final exams. When they return to school, they find Meng Haiyang arguing with a woman outside the gate. The woman claims to be Cheng Lang’s biological mother and attempts to embrace him. Cheng Lang reacts coldly, refuses to accept her claims without a paternity test, and publicly reminds her that abandoning a child is a criminal offense.
The confrontation attracts a crowd of students, who speculate that the woman has returned because Cheng Lang is now successful. Cheng Lang threatens to call the police unless she leaves and later questions Meng Haiyang about his involvement. He suggests that Meng and his mother may be accomplices or interested parties in bringing the woman to him. When Meng insists that she is Cheng Lang’s mother, Cheng counters that blood ties do not excuse abandonment or a possible attempt to kill him. Under pressure, Meng reveals that the woman was a friend of his mother’s who arrived eighteen years earlier carrying a baby and asked her to take the child in.

Character developments

• Cheng Lang demonstrates extreme emotional control, intelligence, and distrust. Rather than showing longing or anger toward the woman, he treats her as a potential criminal threat and uses the law to intimidate her. His reaction suggests that he has completely detached himself from the idea of parental affection.
• The woman claiming to be his mother arrives expecting an emotional reunion but is unnerved by Cheng Lang’s indifference and legal threats. Her carefully planned appearance collapses when he refuses to play the role of a grateful son.
• Meng Haiyang appears conflicted and embarrassed. Although he tries to defend the woman and appeal to their biological connection, he becomes panicked when Cheng Lang suggests legal consequences. His partial explanation indicates that he knows more about Cheng Lang’s origins than he initially admits.
• Shen Huaiyu remains close to Cheng Lang and reacts nervously to the unexpected confrontation, providing a contrast to Cheng Lang’s composure.

Significant themes

• Blood ties versus genuine parental responsibility: The chapter questions whether biological connection has any meaning after years of abandonment.
• Justice and accountability: Cheng Lang insists that family relationships cannot shield someone from criminal consequences.
• Emotional detachment as self-protection: Cheng Lang’s coldness reflects his refusal to be manipulated by guilt, sentiment, or social expectations.
• Public image and spectacle: The woman’s attempted reunion becomes public gossip, while Cheng Lang’s controlled response exposes the artificiality of her performance.
• Hidden origins and betrayal: Meng’s revelation suggests that Cheng Lang’s abandonment involved a deliberate arrangement and possibly a more serious threat than simple neglect.

Character interactions

Cheng Lang confronts the woman directly, rejects her emotional advances, and threatens legal action. He then interrogates Meng Haiyang, accusing him and his mother of involvement. Meng tries to defend the woman but ultimately begins revealing the circumstances surrounding Cheng Lang’s abandonment. The students’ reactions amplify the confrontation, turning the encounter into a public spectacle.

Chapter 83 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cheng Lang confronts Meng Haiyang over the claim that Meng’s mother “raised” him and therefore deserves his gratitude or obedience.
• He argues that, as the director of an orphanage, Meng’s mother was simply performing her job when she cared for him. Cheng also points out that Meng’s biological mother did not truly abandon him to Meng’s family; she left him in their care and later allowed him to be placed in an orphanage.
• Cheng threatens to expose the fact that Meng’s mother knew a baby had been abandoned but failed to report it, suggesting that both she and Meng Haiyang could potentially be implicated if the matter were legally pursued.
• Cheng reminds Meng of the many ways he helped him: rescuing him from gang members, preventing him from being imprisoned or seriously injured, persuading his teacher to provide free tutoring, and helping him enter X University and later become a counselor.
• Meng tries to argue that Cheng also benefited from their teacher’s attention, but Cheng rejects this, insisting that the benefits he received were earned through his own hard work and calculated efforts.
• Meng realizes that Cheng’s biological mother only appeared after Cheng became successful and suspects she is motivated by money or status. He also recognizes that pressuring Cheng to seek out his parents was a manipulative plan that has failed.
• Before Meng can continue the argument, the exam bell rings. Cheng tells him to take the exam first and postpone the discussion.
• When Cheng enters the classroom, the students react awkwardly because a video of his confrontation at the school gate has spread online.
• Cheng discovers that rival forces connected to Star Entertainment Media and X City TV Station are exploiting the incident to damage his reputation. Their media accounts promote the idea that Cheng is obligated to support his biological parents because they are still his parents, despite their past actions.

Character Developments

• Cheng Lang: Demonstrates his firm boundaries, sharp reasoning, and refusal to be emotionally manipulated by guilt or claims of parental obligation. He openly acknowledges his past scheming but views it as a fair exchange in which he earned every benefit he received. His resentment toward his biological mother remains strong, especially because she appeared only after he had achieved financial success.
• Meng Haiyang: Becomes increasingly conflicted and embarrassed. Although he initially defends his mother, he cannot refute Cheng’s arguments and privately admits that Cheng’s biological mother and his own mother handled the situation poorly. He begins to regret supporting their plan.
• Meng Haiyang’s mother: Though she does not appear directly, she is portrayed as attempting to use her role in Cheng’s upbringing to pressure him into acknowledging his biological mother.
• Cheng’s biological mother: Her delayed appearance, after Cheng has become successful, causes both Cheng and Meng to question her motives.
• The original Cheng Lang: The chapter clarifies that although he was calculating and jealous, he generally did not harm others and earned his advantages through manipulation, labor, and reciprocal favors.

Significant Themes

• Family versus obligation: Biological ties and past caregiving do not automatically create emotional loyalty or an unlimited debt.
• Moral manipulation: Cheng rejects the idea that he should be guilted into accepting people who abandoned or exploited him.
• Reciprocity and earned benefits: The chapter contrasts genuine sacrifice with transactional relationships, emphasizing that Cheng’s success came from his own effort.
• Abandonment and opportunism: The biological mother’s decision to return only after Cheng becomes wealthy suggests that family reconciliation may be motivated by self-interest.
• Public opinion and media control: Cheng’s private conflict is transformed into a public-relations weapon by his rivals, who use simplistic moral arguments to shape public sympathy against him.

Character Interactions

• Cheng and Meng engage in a tense confrontation over responsibility, gratitude, and the meaning of family.
• Cheng counters every claim Meng makes by recalling his own sacrifices and the practical assistance he provided to Meng.
• Meng shifts from defending his mother to privately recognizing that Cheng has been wronged and that the attempted reunion was badly timed and manipulative.
• Their unresolved argument is interrupted by the exam, while the spreading online video creates a new external conflict for Cheng.

Chapter 159 Summary

• Public backlash intensifies: Online discussions about Cheng Lang’s biological parents become a major controversy. Some netizens insist his parents must have had unavoidable reasons for abandoning him and argue that he should forgive them and support them. Others fiercely condemn the parents for abandoning Cheng Lang and only returning after he became successful. The debate expands into broader complaints about irresponsible and abusive parents.
• Cheng Lang remains composed: While the controversy spreads, Cheng Lang calmly sits for an examination and continues answering questions without visible concern. His composure contrasts sharply with the panic of those involved in the incident.
• Meng Haiyang discovers the scandal has gone viral: While invigilating the exam, Meng Haiyang becomes increasingly unsettled by Cheng Lang’s calmness. He checks his phone and discovers that the story of Cheng Lang’s suspected biological mother coming to claim him has reached the trending searches. A lengthy video of the confrontation at the school gates—including Cheng Lang questioning Meng Haiyang—is circulating online.
• Public suspicion turns toward the mother and orphanage director: Netizens infer that the woman likely returned only because Cheng Lang had become wealthy and successful. They also accuse the orphanage director of hiding Cheng Lang’s origins for eighteen years and helping her friend conceal the abandonment. Some defend the director for raising Cheng Lang, but others argue that Cheng Lang’s achievements were his own and that the director has no right to claim credit.
• Legal consequences are debated: Online commenters speculate about whether abandoning a child constitutes a criminal offense, whether Cheng Lang’s biological mother could face prison, and whether the orphanage director would be treated as an accomplice. Legal professionals begin explaining the relevant laws, causing the matter to become even more serious.
• Meng Haiyang regrets his involvement: Realizing the potential consequences, Meng Haiyang deeply regrets agreeing to help his mother persuade Cheng Lang. He recognizes that his mother knowingly concealed the abandonment and may lose her position as orphanage director. Although Meng Haiyang himself may avoid legal punishment, he expects severe social judgment and personal repercussions.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Cheng Lang demonstrates extraordinary self-control, refusing to be distracted by the scandal and maintaining his focus during the exam. His earlier confrontation and deliberate wording also shape public opinion against the woman claiming to be his mother.
• Meng Haiyang shifts from nervous involvement to fear and regret. He realizes he has been drawn into his mother’s wrongdoing and understands that Cheng Lang’s calmness is far stronger than his own.
• Meng Haiyang’s mother and the biological mother are portrayed through public discussion as having collaborated to conceal Cheng Lang’s abandonment and later attempted to reclaim him.
• The public becomes an active force in the conflict, defending Cheng Lang, condemning his biological parents, and investigating the possible legal and moral consequences.

Significant Themes

• The difference between biological ties and genuine parental responsibility
• Society’s tendency to excuse parents while overlooking the suffering of abandoned children

Public opinion and online accountability

• The consequences of concealing wrongdoing
• Cheng Lang’s emotional maturity and independence contrasted with the adults’ selfishness and panic

Chapter 84 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cheng Lang finishes his exam and discovers that online public opinion has unexpectedly shifted in his favor over the controversy involving his birth mother.
• Attempts by marketing accounts connected to Star Entertainment Media and X City TV Station to defend his mother backfire, provoking netizens’ resistance. Cheng Lang suspects their “snow leopard”—likely someone supporting him—intervened behind the scenes.
• After the exam, classmates comfort Cheng Lang, believing he is still being attacked online. He accepts their concern warmly without correcting their misunderstanding.
• A prominent blogger criticizes Cheng Lang for wanting to send his biological mother to prison, arguing that she gave him life and deserves forgiveness. Cheng Lang responds publicly that the law is the minimum standard of morality, sharply turning the blogger’s moral accusation against them.
• After the final exams, Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu return to the photography studio to complete their agreement: taking promotional photographs in exchange for rent.
• They sign a six-month lease for the studio. The owner generously excludes the Lunar New Year period from the lease and gives them an additional month for renovations, citing both practicality and traditional custom.
• Shen Huaiyu offers to make tea for the owner in gratitude. The owner, impressed by Shen’s viral Tea Whisking videos, asks whether Shen might teach classes, but Cheng Lang explains that Shen is too busy developing new milk tea products.
• The studio owner treats Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu to Sichuan hotpot to celebrate their cooperation, joking regretfully that he does not want to return home to inherit the family business.

Character Developments

• Cheng Lang remains calm and confident amid the controversy. Rather than becoming emotionally overwhelmed by attacks concerning his birth mother, he recognizes opportunities to expose the hypocrisy of those defending her.
• His sharp wit and willingness to confront moral criticism publicly become more evident, particularly in his response about the law being morality’s minimum standard.
• Cheng Lang also demonstrates practical judgment by securing the photography studio and managing the relationship with its owner diplomatically.
• Shen Huaiyu is shown as considerate and sincere. He is deeply touched by the owner’s generosity and immediately offers to repay it through his tea-making skills.
• Shen’s growing public visibility is emphasized through the popularity of his Tea Whisking videos, while his dedication remains focused on developing the milk tea business.
• The studio owner is established as friendly, pragmatic, curious about online trends, and generous in business. His own reluctance to inherit the family business creates a humorous parallel with Cheng Lang’s family expectations.

Significant Themes

• Morality versus legal responsibility: Cheng Lang rejects the idea that biological ties excuse wrongdoing, arguing that obeying the law is the minimum requirement for moral conduct.
• Public opinion and media manipulation: Coordinated marketing accounts fail to control the narrative, showing how forced online messaging can provoke backlash rather than sympathy.
• Chosen support and genuine compassion: Cheng Lang receives sincere comfort from classmates, while unseen allies appear to be helping him behind the scenes.
• Business cooperation and mutual goodwill: The lease agreement reflects trust and generosity, while the characters build relationships through fair exchanges and personal kindness.
• Family expectations: The studio owner’s complaint about inheriting the family business echoes Cheng Lang’s own connection to family pressure and inheritance.

Character Interactions

• Cheng Lang’s classmates gather around him after the exam to reassure him and express solidarity.
• Cheng Lang publicly confronts the blogger who condemns him, turning their accusation into a pointed statement about justice.
• Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu work with the studio owner on the photoshoot and lease arrangement.
• Shen shows gratitude toward the owner, while Cheng Lang tactfully declines the suggestion that Shen teach Tea Whisking classes.
• The chapter ends with Cheng Lang, Shen Huaiyu, and the studio owner sharing a hotpot meal, strengthening their new business relationship through relaxed conversation and humor.