Chapter Summaries

Chapter 41 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Owen carries the drunken Xin Chun to their room after Xin Chun exchanges a tense glance with Duan Wei.
• Xin Chun playfully flirts with Owen, but falls asleep before anything happens. Owen tenderly undresses him, tucks him into bed, and lets him rest.
• The next morning, Catherine remains at the estate and suggests visiting Marcus’s horse farm and hunting on the back hill.
• Xin Chun photographs Owen in his riding clothes and watches as Owen teaches him to ride. They eventually share a horse, with Owen holding Xin Chun securely and guiding him.
• Catherine and William observe the couple’s obvious affection. William learns that Catherine no longer likes Owen and privately realizes he may have a chance with her.
• The group divides into two teams for a hunting competition: Xin Chun and Owen against Catherine and William. Owen successfully shoots several targets while Xin Chun handles Handsome Star.
• Xin Chun admits that he wants to return home, prompting a heartfelt conversation about Owen’s decision to leave his homeland and settle in Hua Country with him.
• Xin Chun thanks Owen for making sacrifices for their relationship and promises they will return once a year. He declares that he has already given Owen his heart, leading to an intimate embrace and kiss in the woods.

Character Developments

• Owen continues to display patience, tenderness, and devotion toward Xin Chun, caring for him when he is drunk, teaching him to ride, and reassuring him about returning home.
• Xin Chun becomes more openly affectionate and emotionally sincere. His gratitude reflects his awareness of Owen’s sacrifices, while his declaration that Owen possesses his heart confirms the depth of his commitment.
• Catherine shows that she has moved on from her former feelings for Owen and is open to new possibilities.
• William develops renewed hope that Catherine might reciprocate his feelings after learning she no longer pursues Owen.
• Duan Wei reacts stiffly to Owen’s request, suggesting unresolved tension or discomfort, though she does not directly confront him.

Significant Themes

• Mutual sacrifice and commitment: Xin Chun recognizes that Owen is giving up his homeland and familiar life to be with him.
• Emotional intimacy: Their teasing, physical affection, and honest declarations reveal a deeply secure romantic bond.
• Home and belonging: Xin Chun misses home, while Owen’s willingness to relocate demonstrates that “home” is becoming connected to their relationship rather than a particular place.
• Moving on and new possibilities: Catherine’s changed feelings allow William to imagine a future with her.
• Playfulness and domestic affection: The riding lesson, photography, hunting, and flirtatious exchanges portray the couple’s relationship as both passionate and comfortable.

Character Interactions

• Owen and Xin Chun share affectionate, teasing exchanges after Xin Chun drinks, highlighting their strong physical and emotional chemistry.
• Owen patiently teaches Xin Chun horseback riding and protects him while they ride together.
• Catherine and William humorously comment on Owen’s devotion, with William beginning to hope for Catherine’s attention.
• Xin Chun and Owen have a vulnerable conversation during the hunt, ending with Xin Chun expressing gratitude and pledging his love.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: Catherine and William win the hunting match, though they are puzzled by their lack of prey. Xin Chun jokes that the animals likely fled to their side. Catherine and William then leave the estate, each determined to pursue personal struggles without regrets. Xin Chun and Owen prepare to return home, while Duan Wei confronts Xin Chun privately about their relationship and asks him to promise that Owen will never tell Marcus the truth. Xin Chun refuses, recognizing that Duan Wei is still acting selfishly and fearing the consequences of revealing that he is her son. Owen interrupts, and Xin Chun avoids explaining the situation.
• After returning to their room, Owen gives Xin Chun the freedom to keep his secret but firmly declares that Xin Chun will belong to him forever. Xin Chun solemnly agrees, though he still does not reveal the truth about Duan Wei. They return to S City with Handsome Star, and Xin Chun suggests that they buy a house together and live there permanently. Owen agrees, understanding the proposal as a commitment to build a life together.
• The pair later return to Jingu Town to collect Xin Chun’s belongings and memories of his grandfather. Xin Chun deliberately leaves the house under the pretense of shopping, allowing Owen to search the study. Owen discovers photographs linking Xin Chun to Duan Wei and Marcus. When Xin Chun returns, Owen confronts him, correctly realizing that Duan Wei is Xin Chun’s mother and that Xin Chun had recognized Owen’s identity long before their relationship began. The chapter ends with Owen asking whether Xin Chun deliberately wanted him to uncover the truth and whether Xin Chun hates Duan Wei for abandoning him.
• Character development: Xin Chun has become emotionally detached from Duan Wei, viewing her as almost a stranger and refusing to protect her from the consequences of her choices. At the same time, he remains hesitant to tell Owen the truth, believing the timing is not yet right. His proposal to live with Owen permanently shows his deepening commitment and desire for stability. Owen is patient and respectful of Xin Chun’s right to privacy, but his declaration of lifelong possession reveals strong emotional devotion. After discovering the photographs, however, he becomes controlled and serious, forcing the hidden past into the open.
• Significant themes: The chapter explores secrecy, abandonment, family reputation, and the consequences of past choices. Duan Wei’s fear of losing Marcus and damaging the family’s reputation contrasts with Xin Chun’s refusal to continue carrying her secret. Love and commitment are also central: Xin Chun and Owen’s plans for a shared future suggest healing and chosen family, while the revelation threatens to test their relationship. The chapter emphasizes that hidden truths eventually resurface, regardless of attempts to suppress them.
• Character interactions: Duan Wei begs Xin Chun to conceal their relationship from both Marcus and Owen, but he rejects her request. Owen protects Xin Chun’s autonomy while affirming his commitment to him. Xin Chun responds by promising to remain with Owen forever. Their affectionate domestic interactions—returning home, caring for Handsome Star, and planning to buy a house—show their growing intimacy. The final confrontation between Owen and Xin Chun shifts the tone from tenderness to suspicion as Owen begins demanding answers about Xin Chun’s connection to Duan Wei and Marcus.

Chapter 23 Summary

• Confrontation over Xin Chun’s motives: Owen confronts Xin Chun after discovering photographs and the secrets surrounding Xin Chun’s deliberate approach to him. He fears Xin Chun may have pretended to be helpless—claiming not to drive, understand Y Language, or tolerate alcohol—in order to manipulate or take revenge. Owen demands to know whether Xin Chun’s love is genuine.
• Xin Chun explains his feelings toward Duan Wei: Xin Chun reveals that he does not hate his mother, Duan Wei, despite her abandonment and selfishness. When she recognized him again, her main concern was protecting her position and ensuring Marcus would not learn the truth. Xin Chun now regards her as a stranger rather than a mother and does not care what happens to her.
• Emotional reconciliation: Owen admits that his greatest fear is not Xin Chun’s hidden motives but the possibility that Xin Chun’s love is fake or that he might leave. He tells Xin Chun, “My heart aches for you,” reassuring him that he may hate Duan Wei if he wishes but must not distance himself from Owen. Xin Chun breaks down and declares that he loves Owen, calling him his “salvation” and insisting that he cannot lose him.
• Owen comforts Xin Chun: Owen embraces and repeatedly kisses Xin Chun, apologizing for frightening and hurting him. Xin Chun asks Owen not to question his feelings and presses Owen’s hand against his heartbeat as proof of his sincerity. Their reconciliation becomes intensely intimate, leading them to retreat to their home.
• Three days together: Xin Chun and Owen remain in Jingu Town for three days, postponing their return. Handsome Star is again left in Li Ze’s care, while Ivy temporarily handles the company’s affairs. Their extended intimacy leaves Xin Chun exhausted, and on the third morning he finally refuses Owen’s advances and insists that they return to S City to move into their new home. Owen agrees.
• News about Duan Wei and Marcus: Before Owen can decide whether to tell Marcus the truth, they learn that Duan Wei and Marcus have begun divorce proceedings. The divorce appears to have been triggered by a servant overhearing Xin Chun and Duan Wei discussing the need to hide their relationship. The servant misunderstood this as evidence that Duan Wei was having an affair.

Character Development and Relationships

• Xin Chun becomes emotionally vulnerable, openly affirming his love for Owen and drawing a firm boundary between himself and Duan Wei.
• Owen reveals intense insecurity and fear of abandonment beneath his controlling behavior. His affection and willingness to apologize help restore Xin Chun’s trust.
• Duan Wei is portrayed as self-centered and concerned primarily with preserving her status, further weakening her connection to Xin Chun and Marcus.
• Xin Chun and Owen’s relationship deepens through confrontation, reassurance, mutual confession, physical intimacy, and renewed commitment.

Key Themes

• Trust and fear of abandonment: Owen’s anger stems from fearing that Xin Chun’s love is fabricated, while Xin Chun fears losing Owen.
• Chosen family versus biological ties: Xin Chun rejects Duan Wei as family and identifies Owen as his emotional salvation.
• Emotional healing through honesty: Their reconciliation depends on confronting hidden motives and openly expressing love.
• Miscommunication and unintended consequences: A servant’s misunderstanding causes Duan Wei and Marcus’s marriage to collapse before the truth can be deliberately revealed.

Chapter Summary: “Wedding”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Owen learns that Duan Wei’s marriage to Marcus was based on deception. After Marcus investigates and Duan Wei confesses, he gives her a generous divorce settlement.
• Duan Wei remains dissatisfied because the settlement cannot compare to the Williams family’s wealth. She attempts to contact Xin Chun, but Owen secretly prevents her from doing so and intimidates her into giving up.
• Xin Chun remains unaware of the conflict because Owen deliberately shields him from it.
• After moving into their new home, Xin Chun dreams about his previous life. He sees Owen devastated by his death, eventually cleaning himself up, revisiting their shared places, and deliberately dying in a car accident.
• Xin Chun wakes in terror and clings to Owen. Owen comforts him and reassures him that the dream is not reality.
• Shaken by the nightmare, Xin Chun asks Owen not to drive, leave S City, or separate from him. Owen agrees to all of his requests.
• Xin Chun becomes extremely attached to Owen, following him everywhere. Owen enjoys the increased closeness, though Xin Chun eventually becomes physically exhausted and asks for more personal space and fewer intimate encounters.
• Owen agrees in a deliberately misleading way, reducing the frequency while extending the duration, leaving Xin Chun embarrassed and regretful.
• The couple tells their close friends about their relationship. Ke Hang reacts with shock and immediately begins questioning how their romance started.

Character Developments

• Owen: Becomes fiercely protective and controlling regarding Xin Chun’s safety and emotional well-being. He hides unpleasant matters from Xin Chun, stops Duan Wei from interfering, patiently comforts Xin Chun after the nightmare, and willingly accommodates his fears. His playful manipulation during their intimate conversation also highlights his possessive, teasing personality.
• Xin Chun: His dream reveals the lingering trauma and emotional connection associated with his previous life. He becomes frightened of losing Owen again and seeks constant reassurance and physical closeness. Although he gradually recovers, his anxiety leads him to impose restrictions on Owen and become more dependent on him.
• Duan Wei: Loses her marriage and financial security despite receiving a substantial settlement. Her attempt to reconnect with Xin Chun fails because Owen intervenes.
• Marcus: Investigates Duan Wei’s betrayal and responds by ending the marriage while ensuring she is financially provided for.
• Ke Hang: Reacts with disbelief and curiosity upon learning that Xin Chun and Owen are now a couple.

Significant Themes

• Second chances and fear of loss: Xin Chun’s dream shows the tragic consequences of their previous life and intensifies his determination to protect their current happiness.
• Love as protection and control: Owen’s care for Xin Chun is sincere, but it also manifests as secrecy, possessiveness, and control over who can approach him.
• Healing through intimacy: Physical closeness and reassurance help Xin Chun recover from the nightmare and feel secure in the present.
• Contrast between past and present: Owen’s former despair and death are set against his current domestic happiness with Xin Chun.
• Playful domestic romance: The chapter balances emotional trauma with teasing intimacy and the couple’s adjustment to living together.

Character Interactions

• Owen secretly confronts and suppresses Duan Wei’s attempts to contact Xin Chun.
• Xin Chun wakes crying and seeks comfort in Owen’s arms, touching him to confirm that he is alive and unharmed.
• Owen patiently reassures Xin Chun, agreeing to his requests despite finding them confusing.
• The couple humorously negotiates boundaries around their constant closeness and intimacy, though Owen cleverly turns Xin Chun’s request to his advantage.
• Xin Chun and Owen reveal their relationship to their friends by phone, prompting Ke Hang’s shocked interrogation about who initiated the romance.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• Xin Chun tells Ke Hang that Owen had loved him well before their first encounter at the bar, and admits that he had feelings for Owen too.
• Ke Hang meets the couple in S City and is overwhelmed by how openly affectionate Owen is toward Xin Chun. Xin Chun confirms that they love each other and that Owen’s family—especially his father—is accepting of their relationship.
• Several days later, Ke Hang secretly takes Xin Chun out at night under the pretense of reminiscing about their college days. He leads Xin Chun to a riverbank and disappears, leaving Xin Chun confused.
• A drone light show begins, followed by the appearance of an Alaskan Malamute covered in balloons. Owen then arrives and proposes to Xin Chun with a ring.
• Xin Chun accepts, puts a second ring on Owen, and they kiss. Ke Hang, Ivy, Li Ze, and the others emerge to celebrate, though their interruption keeps the couple from enjoying a private moment.
• Owen and Xin Chun begin planning their wedding and marriage registration abroad. They discuss possible countries and venues, with Owen offering to cover travel and accommodation for their friends.
• In private, they reaffirm their desire to stay together permanently. Xin Chun playfully initiates an intimate “game” in which Owen must remain still.

Character development

• Xin Chun openly acknowledges his love for Owen and shows confidence in committing to him permanently. He becomes more emotionally expressive, playful, and willing to embrace a future together.
• Owen demonstrates deep devotion through his carefully planned proposal, his desire to marry Xin Chun, and his affectionate, possessive longing to remain with him for life.
• Ke Hang shifts from teasing skepticism to sincere support. Once reassured about Owen’s family, he helps organize the surprise proposal and celebrates their relationship.
• The friends act as a supportive social circle, joining in the proposal and affirming the couple’s happiness.

Significant themes

• Mutual love and commitment: Both men confirm that their feelings developed naturally and were reciprocated.
• Acceptance and family support: Owen’s open-minded father and the couple’s friends provide reassurance that their relationship can be acknowledged openly.
• Friendship and shared history: Ke Hang’s memories of college life connect Xin Chun’s past with his present and show the enduring strength of their friendship.
• Marriage and permanence: The proposal and wedding planning mark the relationship’s transition from romance to lifelong commitment.
• Playfulness within intimacy: Teasing, affection, and private games highlight the couple’s comfort and emotional closeness.

Character interactions

• Xin Chun and Ke Hang exchange playful insults about relationships and singleness, revealing their close, long-standing friendship.
• Ke Hang seriously questions Xin Chun about Owen’s suitability, while Xin Chun reassures him about their love and Owen’s family.
• Owen and Xin Chun share a romantic proposal, exchange rings, and express their wish to remain together forever.
• Ke Hang, Ivy, Li Ze, and the others interrupt the proposal’s kiss to cheer for the couple, turning the private moment into a communal celebration.
• Later, Owen and Xin Chun discuss their wedding affectionately, ending with Xin Chun teasing Owen through a flirtatious challenge.

Chapter Summary: “Extra 2: Previous Life”

• Wedding and honeymoon: Xin Chun and Owen celebrate their marriage with an elaborate destination wedding. Owen covers the guests’ travel and hotel expenses, impressing Xin Chun’s friend Ke Hang with his wealth. Friends and colleagues eagerly volunteer as groomsmen and bridesmaids, including Ke Hang, Ivy, Annie, and Miko.
• Forest wedding: The ceremony is held in the forest where Xin Chun and Owen first met, creating a romantic and symbolic setting. They exchange rings, vow themselves to one another, and publicly affirm their commitment to being together forever.
• Wedding-night intimacy: After the ceremony, Owen carries Xin Chun to a villa overlooking the forest. Their passionate private encounter emphasizes their physical attraction, playful dominance, and deep familiarity as a married couple.
• Previous-life storyline: The narrative shifts to an earlier period, when Xin Chun and Owen have only recently begun dating. During a work trip to Y Country, Xin Chun encounters Duan Wei, the mother who abandoned him. She does not recognize him at first, and even after realizing his identity, she is primarily worried that their relationship might damage her reputation and position.
• Xin Chun confronts his mother: Duan Wei demands that Xin Chun keep their relationship secret. He bitterly refuses to promise this, pointing out that he has no desire to acknowledge having a mother like her. Their meeting ends badly, highlighting the emotional distance and resentment between them.
• Return home and relationship dynamic: After returning home, Xin Chun rents an apartment near the company. Owen summons him to his office, but their conversation quickly becomes flirtatious. Xin Chun insists that he is busy working, while Owen teasingly suggests that Xin Chun can continue working in his office, demonstrating their playful and affectionate dynamic.

Character Development

• Xin Chun is shown as confident, affectionate, and willing to confront painful family history. Although Duan Wei’s rejection still affects him, he refuses to seek her approval or protect her reputation at his own expense.
• Owen is portrayed as wealthy, devoted, assertive, and openly possessive in an affectionate way. His efforts toward the wedding and his teasing interactions with Xin Chun reinforce his commitment and confidence in their relationship.
• Duan Wei is revealed to be self-protective and status-conscious, prioritizing secrecy and social standing over repairing her bond with Xin Chun.
• Ke Hang and the other friends provide comic relief and underline how warmly Xin Chun and Owen are supported by their social circle.

Major Themes

• Mutual commitment: The wedding symbolizes Xin Chun and Owen’s decision to belong fully to one another.
• Love versus abandonment: Xin Chun’s relationship with Owen contrasts sharply with Duan Wei’s neglect, showing the difference between chosen family and biological ties.
• Reclaiming the past: Returning to the forest where they first met transforms a meaningful memory into a lasting marital symbol.
• Power and vulnerability: The intimate scenes emphasize trust, consent, playful control, and the couple’s strong physical and emotional connection.
• Independence from family approval: Xin Chun rejects the idea that he owes Duan Wei secrecy or reconciliation simply because she is his mother.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Owen approaches Xin Chun in his office and initiates an intense kiss despite Xin Chun initially avoiding him and objecting that they are at work.
• Owen questions Xin Chun about his private conversation with Duan Wei in the glasshouse while they were in Y Country. Xin Chun insists they only discussed ordinary matters.
• Owen reveals that he saw them together, though he claims it was coincidental and says he does not want to restrict Xin Chun’s freedom.
• When Xin Chun attempts to leave, Owen stops him and warns him not to “test his patience,” leave him, or betray him, emphasizing that he gives Xin Chun freedom because he loves him.
• Xin Chun challenges Owen’s possessiveness and reminds him that he originally agreed to date Owen in exchange for company shares. He admits that his initial plan was to date Owen temporarily and then break up, but claims he has since changed his mind.
• Owen reacts darkly to the idea of a future breakup and responds by kissing Xin Chun forcefully. Their encounter becomes intimate on Owen’s desk while the office remains locked and soundproofed.
• Ivy later knocks to deliver meeting minutes but receives no indication of what is happening inside. Afterward, she notices Xin Chun leaving the office visibly embarrassed and later points out the bite mark on Owen’s neck.
• Xin Chun returns to his desk, overwhelmed with embarrassment and emotion, and realizes he will never be able to look at Owen’s desk normally again.

Character Developments

• Owen: Displays intense passion, jealousy, and possessiveness. His questioning about Duan Wei reveals insecurity and a desire for reassurance. His reaction to Xin Chun’s mention of breaking up suggests that the relationship matters deeply to him and that he fears losing Xin Chun.
• Xin Chun: Continues to resist Owen’s controlling behavior verbally, using teasing and provocation to maintain some power in the relationship. Although he reminds Owen that their relationship began as a business arrangement, he admits that his feelings or intentions have changed. His later embarrassment contrasts with his earlier defiance.
• Ivy: Remains observant and professional, though she quickly notices the evidence of the encounter and seems to understand what happened without being told.

Significant Themes

• Possessiveness versus freedom: Owen claims to respect Xin Chun’s freedom while simultaneously physically restraining him and demanding loyalty.
• Love and control: Owen’s declarations of love are intertwined with jealousy, threats, and an unwillingness to accept separation.
• Changing motives and genuine feelings: Xin Chun’s relationship with Owen began as a financial arrangement, but his admission that he has changed his mind suggests growing emotional involvement.
• Power and negotiation: Their flirtation and conflict involve constant shifts in control, with Xin Chun using sarcasm and provocation to challenge Owen’s dominance.
• Public professionalism versus private intimacy: The office setting creates tension between their formal workplace roles and their secret, highly personal relationship.

Character Interactions

• Owen and Xin Chun’s interaction is marked by physical intensity, jealousy, teasing, and confrontation. Owen seeks reassurance about Duan Wei, while Xin Chun mocks Owen’s insecurity and questions the sincerity of their relationship.
• Their exchange reveals that both understand the relationship differently: Owen treats it as emotionally serious, whereas Xin Chun still frames it partly as a transactional arrangement, even while acknowledging that his feelings have shifted.
• Ivy’s brief interactions with both men provide an outside perspective, subtly highlighting the obvious aftermath of their private encounter.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Xin Chun’s earlier remark about Duan Wei, Owen is understandably angry. Xin Chun realizes he may not actually be able to tolerate breaking up with Owen, and neither of them mentions Duan Wei afterward.
• During a company team-building dinner, Xin Chun becomes heavily intoxicated. Owen picks him up from work and takes him home, where he cares for him and gets him to drink water. Their interaction becomes intimate, suggesting their relationship remains emotionally and physically close despite the unresolved tension.
• Later, a problem with the medicinal herbs in the third stage of their project requires Xin Chun and Owen to return to Jingu Town. They clean their old home, divide their responsibilities, and prepare to stay for several days.
• While Xin Chun is out buying food, Owen searches the study for ink. He discovers two photographs hidden near the bookcase: one of Xin Chun’s childhood family, and another showing Owen’s father, Marcus, with Duan Wei.
• When Xin Chun returns, he finds Owen holding the photographs. Owen realizes that Duan Wei is Xin Chun’s mother and confronts Xin Chun about already knowing that she married Marcus and about deliberately investigating Owen’s identity.
• Xin Chun admits that Owen’s resemblance to Marcus and his surname led him to recognize who he was. Owen asks whether there is anything else Xin Chun wants to explain and makes clear that he is willing to believe Xin Chun if he tells the truth.

Character Developments

• Xin Chun: His reaction to the possibility of separating from Owen reveals that his attachment is deeper than he has admitted. Although he initially keeps the truth about Duan Wei hidden, he remains relatively calm when confronted and answers Owen honestly.
• Owen: He continues to show care and possessiveness toward Xin Chun, looking after him while drunk and maintaining their intimacy. However, discovering the photographs forces him to confront feelings of betrayal, uncertainty, and the complicated connection between their families.
• Their relationship: Their bond appears affectionate and established, but it is threatened by Xin Chun’s concealment of his family connection to Owen. The revelation introduces a major crisis of trust.

Significant Themes

• Secrets and trust: Xin Chun’s knowledge of Duan Wei’s marriage to Marcus was kept from Owen, raising questions about honesty and whether their relationship was built on incomplete information.
• Family history and the past: The photographs connect Xin Chun and Owen through their parents and reveal that their relationship is entangled with an older family story.
• Love versus painful circumstances: Xin Chun’s reluctance to break up and Owen’s willingness to believe him show that their feelings remain strong despite the revelation.
• Confrontation and truth: Owen’s discovery forces Xin Chun to explain his motives, setting up an emotional reckoning.

Character Interactions

• Owen takes responsibility for Xin Chun after the company dinner, carrying him home, feeding the dog, and trying to make Xin Chun drink water. Their drunken exchange becomes intimate.
• In Jingu Town, Xin Chun and Owen cooperate domestically by cleaning the house and planning meals while balancing work obligations.
• The chapter ends with a direct confrontation: Owen questions when Xin Chun recognized him and demands a fuller explanation, while Xin Chun must decide how much of the past to reveal.

Chapter Summary

• Xin Chun reveals his motives: Xin Chun tells Owen that he initially hated him because of his resentment toward Duan Wei, who abandoned her biological son and later treated Owen as her own. Xin Chun claims he deliberately approached Owen, joined his company, and began dating him to seek revenge. He cruelly dismisses Owen’s genuine feelings as ridiculous, though the narration suggests these statements may not reflect his true emotions.
• Attempted breakup: Xin Chun asks Owen to end their relationship, fire him, and accept the return of his company shares so they can sever all ties. Owen is devastated by Xin Chun’s words and refuses to listen further.
• Owen restrains Xin Chun: Owen forcibly kisses Xin Chun despite his resistance. Xin Chun struggles, bites Owen hard enough to draw blood, and manages to escape the study briefly. When Owen catches him at the door, he prevents him from leaving, silences his protests, and carries him to the bedroom. The encounter becomes sexually coercive, with Owen ignoring Xin Chun’s attempts to push him away and insisting that he stop speaking about separation.
• Others become concerned: In S City, Ivy and Li Ze cannot reach either Owen or Xin Chun and worry that something may have happened. Owen eventually calls Ivy, explaining only that they are occupied and may remain in Jingu Town for several days, concealing the nature of the situation.
• Aftermath: Xin Chun sleeps after the encounter, physically exhausted. Owen cleans him, changes the bedding, covers him, and waits nearby while working. When Xin Chun wakes, his clothes are missing and he wants to leave, but Owen avoids answering and instead brings him food. Despite the tension and his apparent desire to escape, Xin Chun is hungry and begins eating.

Character Development and Interactions

• Xin Chun presents himself as vindictive and emotionally detached, but his exhaustion and the narration’s doubts imply that his feelings for Owen may be more complicated than his accusations suggest.
• Owen shifts from heartbroken and pleading to possessive and physically controlling. His genuine love is overshadowed by his refusal to respect Xin Chun’s rejection or boundaries.
• Ivy and Li Ze provide an outside perspective, showing concern for the pair and indirectly emphasizing how isolated the conflict in Jingu Town has become.
• The central interaction is the confrontation between Xin Chun and Owen: Xin Chun seeks separation and escape, while Owen responds with denial, force, and attempts to maintain control.

Significant Themes

• Revenge versus genuine affection: Xin Chun’s revenge plot conflicts with the possibility that he developed real feelings for Owen.
• Betrayal and abandonment: Duan Wei’s past treatment of Xin Chun shapes his hatred and drives his actions.
• Possessiveness and loss of control: Owen’s pain turns into coercive behavior, highlighting the destructive consequences of refusing to accept another person’s decision.
• Emotional manipulation and ambiguity: Xin Chun’s harsh words may be defensive or deliberately cruel, leaving his true intentions uncertain.

Chapter Summary: “Extra Two: Previous Life”

Key plot points and events

After eating, Xin Chun tries to find clothes and leave the bedroom, but Owen catches him and carries him back to bed. Owen repeatedly forces intimacy on him despite Xin Chun’s protests and attempts to talk. Exhausted, Xin Chun later wakes to find himself clean and back in bed, while Owen calmly reads nearby. Xin Chun asks about his phone and the date, learning that Owen has it and has arranged for Li Ze to care for his dog. He directly confronts Owen about keeping him imprisoned and argues that they should separate. Owen refuses, declaring that he cannot let Xin Chun leave and would rather imprison him permanently than lose him.
Xin Chun points out that their friends, work, and society will eventually notice his disappearance, but Owen insists Xin Chun must change his mind before that happens. Owen avoids further discussion through affection and physical control. Xin Chun begins planning an escape by considering meals that would require Owen to leave for ingredients, but Owen seems to notice his intentions and again initiates intimacy. The chapter ends with Xin Chun trapped in the dim bedroom, unable to regain control of the situation.

Character developments

• Xin Chun becomes increasingly aware that Owen’s behavior is not temporary possessiveness but a deliberate attempt to control and imprison him. He tries to assert his independence, demand a conversation, and propose separation, but his physical exhaustion leaves him vulnerable. Despite this, he begins thinking strategically about how to escape and recognizes the need to conceal his plans.
• Owen is shown as outwardly calm, attentive, and domestic—preparing food, caring for Xin Chun, and arranging for his dog to be looked after—while simultaneously being coercive and violently possessive. His repeated declaration that he would rather imprison Xin Chun than lose him reveals the extremity of his obsession. He also appears perceptive enough to detect Xin Chun’s escape plans.

Significant themes

• Possession versus love: Owen presents his attachment as love, but his refusal to respect Xin Chun’s wishes turns it into ownership and confinement.
• Loss of autonomy: Xin Chun’s body, movement, phone, clothing, and access to the outside world are all controlled by Owen.
• Coercive domesticity: Ordinary acts such as cooking, caring for the dog, and sharing a bed are contrasted with imprisonment and forced intimacy.
• Escape and survival: Xin Chun shifts from trying to reason with Owen to quietly planning how to create an opportunity to escape.
• Isolation from society: The bedroom becomes a closed world cut off from work, friends, and public life, though Xin Chun knows that this isolation cannot continue indefinitely.

Character interactions

Xin Chun repeatedly demands to be released and insists that he and Owen need to talk, while Owen dismisses or interrupts these attempts through physical force. Their conversations expose a fundamental conflict: Xin Chun wants distance and freedom, whereas Owen insists that separation is unacceptable. Owen’s tender gestures—holding Xin Chun, stroking his hair, kissing him, and promising to cook—serve as extensions of his control rather than signs of mutual comfort.

Chapter Summary: “Extra 2: Previous Life”

Key plot points and events

Xin Chun is kept at home by Owen, who makes him promise not to leave while they are intimate. Afterward, Xin Chun pretends to fall asleep so he can escape. He discovers that Owen has hidden or removed his phone, identification, and other belongings, though Xin Chun still has his wallet and plans to contact Ke Hang for help.
When Xin Chun reaches the front door, he finds Owen waiting outside. Owen reveals that he never intended to leave and confronts Xin Chun for breaking his promise. Xin Chun explains that he has work, responsibilities, and a life in S City, and tries to persuade Owen to return with him. He also promises not to suggest breaking up again. Owen says he may once have believed Xin Chun, but now intends to judge his sincerity for himself. He then forces Xin Chun to remain with him for the rest of the afternoon.
That evening, Owen continues holding and watching Xin Chun, insisting that he does not want to waste a moment apart. Xin Chun eventually falls asleep in Owen’s arms. He has a terrifying, vivid dream involving flames, suggesting memories or events from a previous life. The chapter ends with Owen waking him and comforting him as Xin Chun breaks down in tears.

Character developments

• Xin Chun becomes increasingly aware that Owen’s attachment has turned possessive and controlling. Although he tries to placate Owen by promising not to leave or discuss separation, he remains frightened, resentful, and determined to escape when possible. His biting Owen’s finger serves as a small act of rebellion.
• Owen is revealed as deeply insecure beneath his calm exterior. His controlling behavior—hiding Xin Chun’s belongings, monitoring him, and preventing him from leaving—comes from fear of losing him. His fleeting sadness when Xin Chun mentions breaking up suggests genuine emotional pain, though he expresses it through coercion and possessiveness rather than trust.
• Xin Chun’s nightmare and uncontrolled tears imply that he is beginning to recover memories or emotional impressions from a previous life, where something tragic may have happened to Owen or to their relationship.

Significant themes

• Possessive love and control: Owen’s desire to keep Xin Chun close crosses into confinement and coercion.
• Fear of abandonment: Owen’s behavior reflects intense insecurity and terror that Xin Chun will leave him.
• Freedom versus emotional dependence: Xin Chun wants to maintain his own life and independence, while Owen seeks total closeness.
• Past lives and altered fate: The nightmare hints at a tragic previous timeline, while the note that “death has been butterfly-effected away” suggests that the current story has avoided that earlier ending.
• Trauma beneath a happy ending: Although the present may ultimately be safe and happy, the characters still carry the emotional consequences of what happened before.

Character interactions

Xin Chun repeatedly tries to negotiate with Owen, appealing to reason and promising reconciliation. Owen responds with calm but threatening questions, making it clear that he no longer fully trusts Xin Chun. Their physical interactions reflect both intimacy and conflict: Xin Chun resists through anger and biting, while Owen responds with possessive tenderness, holding, comforting, and insisting that Xin Chun sleep. The final interaction shifts from confrontation to vulnerability when Owen gently wakes Xin Chun from the nightmare and comforts him as he cries.

Chapter 52 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xin Chun wakes from a frightening nightmare and tearfully clings to Owen, begging him not to break up with him or leave him. Owen agrees, though he privately worries that Xin Chun may only be trying to lower his guard.
• Over the next two days, Xin Chun behaves unusually obediently and announces that he wants to move in with Owen once they return to S City.
• When Owen questions this sudden change, Xin Chun explains that he has realized he truly loves Owen and had only been running away because of fear and uncertainty. He promises never to suggest breaking up again.
• The two share an intense kiss, becoming so absorbed in each other that they do not eat until the afternoon.
• They leave Jingu Town the following day. At Xin Chun’s insistence, they take the high-speed rail instead of flying, suggesting that he remains concerned about their safety.
• After returning to S City, Xin Chun quickly moves his belongings, including his dog, into Owen’s home and gives up his rented apartment.
• Ivy and Li Ze welcome them back and offer to help with the move. Ivy is puzzled by Xin Chun’s previous lack of communication but sees that the couple appears fine.
• As they begin living together, Xin Chun playfully seeks Owen’s approval for being “good.” He then openly initiates intimacy, assuring Owen that he has recovered and is ready to resume their physical relationship.

Character Developments

• Xin Chun: Undergoes a dramatic emotional shift from wanting to leave Owen to openly accepting their relationship. He acknowledges his love, admits that his previous doubts were a form of avoidance, and takes concrete steps toward commitment by moving in with Owen. His concern over avoiding air travel also hints that he may still be hiding fears or knowledge related to the danger surrounding them.
• Owen: Becomes deeply relieved and emotionally vulnerable in response to Xin Chun’s promises. Although delighted, he remains suspicious that Xin Chun’s sudden change may have another cause. His protectiveness is shown in small domestic gestures, such as warning Xin Chun not to drink too much cold water.
• Ivy and Li Ze: Serve as supportive colleagues who notice the couple’s unusual absence and later offer practical help with the move.

Significant Themes

• Love and commitment: Xin Chun chooses to stop running from his feelings and commits to building a life with Owen.
• Fear and uncertainty: The nightmare, Xin Chun’s insistence on safer transportation, and Owen’s private doubts create an undercurrent of danger beneath the romantic reconciliation.
• Trust and emotional vulnerability: Owen wants to believe Xin Chun’s promises but fears they may be manipulative or temporary, while Xin Chun asks him to trust that his feelings are genuine.
• Domestic intimacy: Moving in together, caring for the dog, sharing daily routines, and teasing each other portray their relationship becoming more settled and affectionate.
• Possible foreshadowing: Xin Chun’s abrupt transformation and repeated concern about accidents and safety suggest that his apparent happiness may be connected to an undisclosed plan or threat.

Character Interactions

• Xin Chun seeks comfort in Owen’s arms and receives reassurance that they will stay together.
• Owen questions Xin Chun about his sudden change, prompting Xin Chun’s confession of love.
• Their reconciliation is sealed through kissing and physical intimacy.
• Ivy and Li Ze interact with Xin Chun after his return, offering assistance with the move.
• In their new shared home, Owen takes care of both Xin Chun and the dog, while Xin Chun playfully seeks praise and initiates further intimacy.

Summary

Owen and Xin Chun reconcile after their recent emotional turmoil. Xin Chun assures Owen that their relationship is real and that he no longer wants to leave. Owen, deeply relieved, privately decides to protect Xin Chun from Duan Wei, who abandoned him while continuing to benefit from the Williams family’s status. Owen contacts Marcus and declares his intention to marry Xin Chun, leaving Marcus to decide how Duan Wei should be held accountable. Xin Chun remains unaware of this arrangement and wants nothing more to do with Duan Wei.
On Xin Chun’s birthday, Ke Hang travels to S City to celebrate with him, along with Ivy, Li Ze, and others. Ke Hang teases Xin Chun and Owen for being overly affectionate, while Xin Chun hints that he needs Ke Hang’s help with something. During the party at Owen’s villa, the group shares a three-tiered cake and enjoys the celebration. Later, Xin Chun sends everyone away while Owen stays behind to clean up.
The villa suddenly loses power, but colorful bubbles begin floating outside, followed by fireworks. With Handsome Star playing in the yard, Xin Chun appears and asks Owen to grant his birthday wish. He presents two rings and proposes marriage, explaining that the rings represent his promise that they will remain together and never part. Owen immediately accepts. They exchange rings and kiss, overwhelmed with happiness, while Ke Hang, Ivy, Li Ze, and the others reveal that they have been watching and cheer for the couple.
The chapter then shifts into the setup for the final side story, which explores an alternate possibility in which Xin Chun and Owen have known each other since childhood. At age five, Xin Chun travels to S City with his grandfather after learning that his father has been seriously injured in a car accident and may never regain consciousness. He secretly overhears the doctor discussing his father’s poor prognosis, the hit-and-run driver, and the mounting hospital expenses.

Character Development and Interactions

• Xin Chun moves from insecurity and fear of abandonment to openly affirming his love and commitment. His marriage proposal shows that he now trusts Owen completely.
• Owen becomes more decisive and protective. He plans to marry Xin Chun, intends to address the harm caused by Duan Wei, and openly embraces his happiness once Xin Chun accepts him.
• Duan Wei is positioned for consequences after years of abandoning Xin Chun while benefiting from the Williams family.
• Marcus accepts responsibility for handling Duan Wei’s situation, suggesting a shift from protecting appearances to addressing the injustice.
• Ke Hang provides comic relief through his teasing but remains a close friend who supports Xin Chun.
• Handsome Star contributes to the romantic atmosphere by playing among the bubbles and fireworks.

Significant Themes

• Trust and healing: Xin Chun’s proposal confirms that he has overcome much of his fear that Owen might leave him.
• Commitment and permanence: The rings symbolize mutual promises and the couple’s desire to remain together despite past pain.
• Justice and accountability: Owen and Marcus begin confronting the consequences of Duan Wei’s betrayal.
• Love as refuge: The birthday celebration and proposal create a joyful contrast to Xin Chun’s earlier abandonment and family trauma.
• Alternate possibilities and fate: The transition to the childhood-sweethearts side story invites speculation about how their relationship might have developed if they had met much earlier.

Chapter 54 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xin Chun’s father remains unconscious after a hit-and-run accident, and doctors warn that he may never wake up.
• Xin Chun’s mother, Duan Wei, disappears without warning, taking important documents and a bankbook and leaving only a letter. Her departure leaves Xin Chun’s grandfather devastated and solely responsible for the child and his hospitalized son.
• Five days later, the situation improves: the driver is arrested, compensation is expected, and the foreigner who rescued Xin Chun’s father, Marcus Williams, gives the grandfather a job and advances part of the medical expenses.
• Marcus hires the grandfather for his expertise in cultivating medicinal herbs and brewing wine. The family relocates from Jingu Town to S City, where the grandfather works while caring for Xin Chun.
• Because Xin Chun lacks local household registration, he cannot immediately enroll in elementary school and must accompany his grandfather to work.
• While playing with modeling clay at the company, Xin Chun meets Owen, a handsome mixed-race teenager with striking green eyes.
• Owen befriends Xin Chun, learns his name, and offers to look after him while the grandfather works. After some hesitation, the grandfather agrees.
• Owen begins caring for Xin Chun, taking him to see and pet real rabbits. Although Owen offers to buy him one, Xin Chun politely refuses.

Character Developments

• Xin Chun’s grandfather becomes the child’s primary caregiver, showing determination to save his unconscious son despite financial and emotional hardship. His relationship with Marcus develops from gratitude into a working partnership.
• Xin Chun remains gentle, obedient, and emotionally perceptive. Though too young to understand his mother’s disappearance, he comforts his grandfather and adapts quietly to life in S City.
• Duan Wei abandons the family under pressure, creating a major emotional and practical burden for the grandfather.
• Owen is introduced as kind, patient, and protective. He takes an immediate liking to Xin Chun and voluntarily assumes responsibility for entertaining and supervising him.
• Marcus Williams is portrayed as generous and dependable, helping both by saving Xin Chun’s father and by providing the grandfather with employment and financial support.

Significant Themes

• Family responsibility and sacrifice: The grandfather gives up his security and works tirelessly to support both his hospitalized son and young grandson.
• Hope amid misfortune: The arrest of the driver, the expected compensation, and Marcus’s assistance bring relief after the family’s devastating losses.
• Abandonment and loyalty: Duan Wei’s disappearance contrasts sharply with the grandfather’s steadfast devotion and Owen’s willingness to help.
• Kindness creating new bonds: Marcus’s rescue and generosity lead to a professional partnership, while Owen’s compassion begins a close relationship with Xin Chun.
• Childhood innocence: Xin Chun’s tenderness, obedience, and fascination with Owen’s eyes provide warmth against the chapter’s darker events.

Character Interactions

• Xin Chun comforts his grieving grandfather by hugging and reassuring him.
• The grandfather explains the family’s improved circumstances and expresses deep gratitude toward Marcus.
• Xin Chun cautiously interacts with Owen, gradually answering his questions and accepting his help.
• Owen speaks gently to gain Xin Chun’s trust, admires his modeling-clay bunny, and offers to care for him.
• The grandfather entrusts Xin Chun to Owen, beginning their ongoing companionship.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Owen and young Xin Chun visit rabbits, buy toys and a pig balloon, and spend time at an amusement park. Their happy days help ease Xin Chun’s loneliness.
• Owen must initially return to Country Y while Xin Chun starts kindergarten. Xin Chun cries because his father is unconscious, his mother is gone, and his grandfather is often working.
• Owen comforts him by promising to study abroad in Hua Country and pick him up from school every day. They seal the promise with a pinky swear.
• Two years later, Xin Chun’s father wakes from his coma. After rehabilitation, Marcus helps locate Duan Wei, divorces her on Xin Chun’s father’s behalf, and ensures that Xin Chun remains in his father’s custody.
• By the time Xin Chun reaches high school, Owen has joined the family company. Owen remains the most important person in Xin Chun’s life.
• On Owen’s birthday, he picks Xin Chun up from school and invites him to stay overnight. Xin Chun gives him a dark green handkerchief embroidered with Owen’s name.
• Owen hints that he has been waiting for Xin Chun to grow up, and the two exchange affectionate kisses, with Xin Chun declaring that he likes Owen most.

Character developments

• Xin Chun: Grows from a lonely, emotionally neglected child into a teenager who is more secure and openly affectionate toward Owen. He becomes increasingly conscious of Owen’s physical presence and begins showing signs of romantic shyness and attraction.
• Owen: Remains deeply protective and affectionate toward Xin Chun throughout the years. He becomes an adult and company member while continuing to prioritize Xin Chun, suggesting that his feelings may have developed beyond simple brotherly affection.
• Xin Chun’s father and grandfather: The father’s recovery brings hope and stability to the family, while the grandfather’s long-term care and perseverance are finally rewarded.
• Marcus: Supports Owen’s independence and helps restore Xin Chun’s family situation by finding Duan Wei and assisting with the divorce and custody arrangements.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and enduring attachment: Owen and Xin Chun maintain their bond despite separation and the passage of time.
• Loneliness and emotional support: Owen fills an important emotional gap in Xin Chun’s life while his father is unconscious, his mother is absent, and his grandfather is busy working.
• Family restoration and hope: The father’s awakening and the custody changes suggest that Xin Chun’s troubled family life may finally stabilize.
• Growing up and changing relationships: Xin Chun’s transition into adolescence changes how he views Owen, introducing bashfulness, physical awareness, and possible romantic feelings.
• Promises and devotion: The pinky swear symbolizes Owen’s commitment and becomes part of the lasting trust between them.

Character interactions

• Owen treats Xin Chun tenderly, calling him “Baby,” comforting him, carrying his belongings, and indulging his wishes.
• Xin Chun responds with trust and affection, clinging to Owen when he is afraid of being abandoned and later initiating kisses and expressing his love.
• Their childhood affection gradually takes on a more intimate tone as Xin Chun grows older, especially during the birthday sleepover and Owen’s suggestive remark that he has been “waiting” for Xin Chun to grow up.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: After Xin Chun passes the National College Entrance Examination and is admitted to university, Owen moves to the same city for work, with Ivy becoming his secretary. Xin Chun mistakenly becomes jealous of Ivy, which forces him to recognize his romantic feelings for Owen. He confesses first, despite Owen having secretly loved him for years.
• Character development: Xin Chun moves from uncertainty and jealousy to emotional clarity and courage, openly pursuing the relationship he wants. Owen’s long-hidden love is finally reciprocated, allowing him to express his commitment and desire to marry Xin Chun.
• Character interactions: Owen reassures Xin Chun that he has always been waiting for him and promises to love him forever. He takes Xin Chun’s hand, kisses it, and then shares an intimate first adult kiss with him. Xin Chun responds shyly but enthusiastically, embracing Owen and returning his affection.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes the fulfillment of long-held love, emotional honesty, overcoming insecurity, and the happiness that comes from mutual commitment. It serves as a romantic conclusion, promising that Owen and Xin Chun will remain happy together.